CHAPTER ELEVEN – The Truth About The Dragon Part Two
Horo leaned an arm against one of the shelves full of books, glancing back at the bed, where Ren lay, peacefully dreaming. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette, clenching it between his teeth as he lit up. His eyes closed as he breathed in the toxin, sighing out a small cloud of smoke.
"Horo…stop being such an idiot…kill him." He said softly, eyes narrowing at the figure in his bed.
"Shut up, Dragon. I don't need you telling me what to do all the time. It's my life, so fuck off." He muttered.
"You didn't say that when I took over before…when I saved you. You wouldn't have survived that pain if it hadn't been for me. When dear old daddy left, I had to pick up the pieces." he growled.
"You aren't real! You're just some stupid imaginary friend! I was little then! I was weak. I couldn't take it. I don't need you anymore. I haven't needed you for years." Horo snapped.
"Then why were you so happy to see me again when Kitten left you? He's a liar and a brat and you know it, Horo." Cerulean eyes gleamed angrily.
"I thought he was your 'possession'?" Azure eyes glittered spitefully.
"He was…but you know me. I'm only in it for the chase. He gave up. It's no fun anymore. I don't need or want him alive, and he's getting much too close to you. Do you want to lose yourself again? Do you want me to take over again? You can't have both, Horokeu. If you stay with him, you welcome my presence into your life forever. I won't leave again."
"So be it. Ren will never hurt me anymore."
"You believe that bullshit? You're more of a fool than I thought."
"What do YOU care what happens to me?"
"This is MY body, too! What happens to you affects me, whether you like it or not. I'm not going to allow you to kill us just for him!"
"What are you going to do about it, huh?"
"I'm going to look out for us if you won't. If I decide he's going to harm you again, I'm stepping in…and you won't be able to stop me."
"We'll see about that."
"Don't tempt me, Horo Horo. I've been generous recently, allowing you so much control when YOU were the one who woke me up again. If you want to be like that, I'll just cut you off from him entirely."
"Whatever. We're keeping him alive." Horo jerked his head as an indicator towards the sleeping Ren.
"Fine. Be a fool. Stupid bastard."
"Get lost, already, Dragon! I'm sick of your constant drabble."
"FINE!" Horo glanced around, smiling when he was sure that his other half had gone back to the back of his mind. He noticed Ren stirring slightly and went over. Golden tiger eyes blinked open, the first sight being the bluenette. He smiled sleepily.
"Hey." He murmured. Horo blinked at him and blew out another cloud of thick, heavy smoke. Ren was suddenly wide awake, snatching away the cigarette and throwing it onto the ground, stomping on it until it was a pile of ash.
"Hey! Why'd you do that! I went to a lot of trouble to get that!" the Ainu protested. Ren glared up at him.
"Do you realize how bad smoking is for your body? You're killing yourself! That stuff is like legal poison!" he ranted. Horo rolled his azure eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He muttered and fished another from his pocket, lighting it up and blowing out the smoke right in Ren's face.
"What can you do about it…" he paused and grinned before adding, "Shorty." That did it. Ren huffed and sat down, arms crossed and lips pursed. Horo blinked at him.
"Are you…pouting?" he asked in wonder, tilting his head curiously. Ren made a little huffing noise and turned his head to face another direction. Horo grinned playfully.
"You ARE." He said. Ren turned again.
"Fine, babe. I'll douse it for you." The killer threw his own cig down and crunched it under foot. Ren turned towards him.
"Thank you." He said in victorious satisfaction. Horo turned and headed out the door, revealing what lay behind it…a kitchen. Surprisingly, there was a gas stove, refrigerator and everything. Ren gawked in surprise and amazement. Horo smiled at him.
"This entire city used to be a battlefield long ago." Horo explained. "This network of tunnels was used as a refuge for civilians and wounded soldiers. Later, after the war, it became a crypt, housing the dead soldiers and completely burying the bloody battles of ancient times. Nowadays it's been completely forgotten, except by my people. The Ainu didn't want it to become some stupid landmark or museum, so they kept it well hidden, also giving it updates as times changed. We used it as a safe haven when we were in trouble. When times of danger came, we would find our way to the nearest entrance.
Finally, due to the dwindling of pure Ainu blood, the Ainu voted my family to be the sole keepers of the tunnels. For five generations we've guarded this place. It's a sanctuary for the dead…" Ren stared at him as he stared into space, caught up in his memories. Just as the Chinese was about to say something, Horo continued.
"I remember when I was little; my dad and I would explore the tunnels together. He always thought I'd be scared of the corpses of the crypts, but I never was, because he was there. We mapped out the place, finding every secret to it, all the ancient traps that kept intruders at bay…then one day, he left. I didn't go back into the tunnels anymore. I sealed the entrance we used, and covered it. I was afraid of them. The countless bodies entombed within.
Until one day…I felt compelled to go back. Just once to go back, and maybe find a fraction of my father. I wandered around in the darkness of the tunnels. I explored through the catacombs and crypts…and then I found it…" he trailed off, looking distant.
FLASHBACK (Horo's POV)
I hate this. I'm sick of this. I'm just plain tired of all the pain I'm going through. I went further in the dark, becoming angrier and more afraid than I was before. Then I came upon something I'd never seen before.
In the dark emptiness, there was a statue, with a holy light coming from above to shine on it. It was a woman with the kindest face I'd ever seen. She wore white robes and looked down at me. Her arms were reaching out to me, and she looked so loving. From her eyes, tears came, and I saw that it was blood. Tears of blood streamed down her face and dripped off her chin, falling onto the body of a child at her feet.
As I came closer, I saw that the stone child was me. But then his eyes opened. He looked at me, my own eyes staring at me. Like looking into a stone mirror. Then he stood and faced me, and spoke.
"I can take away your pain. I can show you the way to heaven." His voice was soft and gentle, like a loving touch to my ears, so angelic, so heavenly.
"How?" I asked, my own voice croaky.
"Find a new child to lie at the feet of the goddess. The child must be loved for the goddess's emotion for it. The child must be drained of his blood for the goddess's tears. You must find the child…and you must kill him with this." He held out a knife with angels carved onto the handle and a light blue-ish silver blade, and I took it.
"Bring him back as soon as you can. When you do, I will save you." He said. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed that security. I needed that protection. I ran out of that sacred place, left the caves, and went to the house next door. The rain was pounding down on me, but I didn't care anymore. I needed that angel to save me. I knocked loudly on the door, and it opened to reveal my best friend, Yuki.
"What are you doing, Horo Horo? It's freezing out here…and it's pouring!" he said in annoyance. I ignored him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him along with me.
"Hurry!" I growled, and he nodded, sensing the desperation in my voice. He followed me blindly, unknowingly going to his own death. It was ironic. I led him to the small opening in the forest where he and I would play, and shoved him up against the huge oak we used as a meeting place. His eyes suddenly grew wary.
"Horo…what's going on?" he asked suspiciously.
"I…I…I need the protection. I need the safety." I felt trapped between my heart and my head. He trusted me so much…he trusted me. Was I going to let him down just to ease the pain I'd felt so long? I nodded to myself. I was going to do it… I looked up from the ground, my eyes hard and determined, fully prepared to do it.
"Protection? Safety? Are you in trouble?" he asked, eyes full of concern. Concern for ME…when HE was the one who was about to die.
"I have to kill you, Yuki." I muttered. His eyes widened.
"W-What?" he asked.
"I have to kill you. You understand, don't you? I need to have this! I need to have the angel's protection! You understand… You want to help me, don't you? Let me do this! I have to kill you, Yuki, or I'll never be free. You always wanted the ultimate adventure, now's your chance! Let me kill you!" I grew angry. My own friend didn't want to help me? His chocolate brown eyes were full of terror.
"Horo, stop it, you're scaring me!" he said. I grinned spitefully.
"You don't fear me, do you? You fear yourself. You fear your life. I can help." I said.
"Horo, stop talking crazy…" he murmured.
"Crazy? You think I'm crazy!" I shoved him against the tree again, holding him still with one arm against his throat.
"Horo Horo, this isn't funny, anymore! Stop it!" he said, so scared he was shaking. I pulled out the knife from my pocket, inspecting the blade in full view, so he could see it as well. His eyes shot further open.
"H-Horo…" he whispered. I brought the cold metal up to his cheek, his eyes following every movement. Slowly, I lowered it to his neck, and in one swift motion, the blade had ripped through his throat, killing him. I gently lowered him to the ground. He was limp, motionless, just staring at me.
His soft brown eyes were haunting. I couldn't bear them looking at me. They seemed to follow me wherever I went. I took the knife and twisted it through one eye, feeling better instantly. Then I repeated the act to the other eye, relief flooding me. A few hours later, his skin was a dull purple-gray color, the blood having flowed out of him.
I picked him up and took him through the tunnels, finding my way back through the caves to the statue. The stone boy was gone, so I placed the lifeless body of my best friend at the goddess's feet.
"Very good, Horo." The boy stepped out from behind the goddess statue, fully life-like and no longer stone, but now he had two big, black, reptilian wings. I took a step back, gaping at him. Along with his new-found wings, his ears were pointy and everything about him seemed sharper, right down to his clawed hands and feet and his blood-crimson eyes.
"W-Who are you?" I stuttered, suddenly almost fearful.
"I have no name. I am your savior. I am your life-line. I am…you." He said, a sly smirk on his face.
"I…I'm not so sure I want you to save me anymore." I said, scared. He grinned, showing off a pair of sharp fangs and a forked tongue.
"You have no choice anymore. You killed him. His death is on your hands. The only way you can save yourself is to let me in. The goddess is the guardian of the dead. Your friend is safe in her hands. Now save yourself and surrender to me!" he snapped, no longer seeming angelic at all. I nodded slowly and watched as he came to me and surrounded us both in his wings…
END FLASHBACK
Horo shook his head, freeing himself from the memories. Ren was staring at him curiously from the end of the bed.
"I'm going to take care of some business, Kitten. I'll be back late, so don't wait up. Make yourself some breakfast and do whatever. Go ahead and read some of the books and explore the house if you like. Whatever you do, don't open the chest and don't go through the big door with dragons carved along the edges." Horo instructed, turning sharply and leaving. Ren blinked. Horo was acting stranger than usual. Shrugging it off, he turned his attention to the bookshelf, reading some of the titles aloud.
"The Silence of the Lambs… The Vampire Lestat… The Dark is Rising… The Secret Life of Lazlo, Count Dracula… Hellsing manga… What's with him and the horror genre? Does he have no taste at all for actual literature?" Ren snorted but gave up, pulling out The Secret Life of Lazlo, Count Dracula and threw it on the bed. Looking around in the cabinets, he found some pocky and brought it with him, settling himself on the bed, leisurely eating the pocky as he read the book.