I'm gone all day tomorrow so here's an early gift. :D
Reino advanced slowly, savoring the girl's terror as she shrunk back from him, eyes still glued to the seed. Now that wouldn't do. He wanted her attention on him. Reino withdrew the seed, pressing his hands on either side of the wall, cutting off her exits and effectively returning her attention back to him. He could have charmed her into a daze, but he wanted to watch her struggle. It was more fun that way.
His silver eyes flickered with magic. Immediately he could see her essence, the thing sickening bright and pure, all save for one portion that was charred black. He was very curious how she had sustained such an injury on her essence.
Reino leaned forward, placing his lips near her ear. He felt her shiver, the reaction amusing him. "How about this. If you tell me how your essence got damaged, I will make your transition into a dark being less painful."
"So you are one of the Accursed." The girl whispered, her eyes coming up to meet his. They shone with a determined fire. He immediately had the desire to smother it.
"Oh, so you've heard of us?"
He was answered with a scowl. "Why did you kill Aya? What is your purpose with targeting prince Kuon? What are you trying to do here?"
Reino let out a short laugh. "I don't think you understand. You're not the one that gets to ask questions." He reached forward, fingers circling around the girl's throat. She let out a squeak, hands scrambling to remove his. "Now, why is the boss so interested in you?"
She didn't answer, instead meeting his gaze with a determined glare. The girl was terrified, that much was obvious, but he had to commend her on her bravado. What naive little thing, playing in a world that was obviously over her head-
Without warning, something caught Reino's attention.
A dark cloud. An ominous overwhelming feeling of anger. Then the pressure of someone's hand on his shoulder.
Reino shot back from Kyoko, spinning around to meet the dark presence. He was shocked at what he saw.
Prince Kuon stood, one hand holding a light sword, another covering Kyoko protectively. The prince's essence was a mixture of blinding white and overwhelming dark. The light side was made of some of the brightest and purest magic he had ever seen, it's power beyond what Reino could comprehend. He could just make out something inside that light, powering the magic alongside the soul.
Then there was the dark half. He recognized the curse as the origin of the dark magic. Or at least, he had been told it was a curse. Reino wasn't sure what it was, it seemed far more potent than a simple curse. That darkness was greater than any of the relics created by the Dark Djinn. The prince was literally a mixture of the purest and darkest forms of magic.
Reino took a step back, then his eyes noticed something else. At least one of his questions was answered, the reason for Kyoko's light magic when her essence couldn't produce it. The prince's own soul was covering her subconsciously, something he only saw with couples in love… That was why the Dark Djinn was interested in Kyoko. The prince was in love with her.
Relief instantly flooded though Kyoko when she saw Kuon appear before her. She reached forward, taking comfort from his presence. Then she felt it, the burning scarlet aura coming from Kuon. Saying the prince was angry would have been an understatement. Waves of rage rolled off of him and made her heart stop.
"What are you?"
Kyoko blinked, surprised. The question had not come from Kuon, but from Reino. The man was staring at Kuon in a mixture of awe and fear. The prince also appeared to be surprised, his anger faltering for a moment. What had Reino meant by that question?
"You are in no position to be asking questions, Reino." Said Kuon, voice hard.
"Maybe." Said Renio, his face returning to the bored appearance it always had. He cocked his head, eyes coming to meet Kyoko. "Really Kyoko, this is starting to become cliché. First it was the female warrior, then it was the captain of the royal guards, and now it's the prince. Why can't we have a conversation without someone interrupting us?"
"I don't want to have a conversation with you in the first place!" shot back Kyoko, frustrated with the man. "You're just a stalker that can't take a hint."
"You will not be going near Kyoko again." Said Kuon, then he spoke quietly to her. "Stay back, I won't let him hurt you."
Kyoko heard a muffled noise, which then turned into a full on laugh. Reino had his head back, his dark laughter echoing through the halls. The man was truly mad!
"Please excuse me." Said Reino, holding a hand in his head. "I just find it so ironic. You, protect Kyoko? You're the reason she got into this mess in the first place."
"What do you mean?" said Kyoko. She noticed the grip on Kuon's sword had tightened.
"Tell me Kyoko, is there anything remarkable about you?" said Reino, holding out his arms wide. "Are you a noble? Are you talented with light magic? Or is there another gift you possess that makes you unique and valuable to the kingdom? The answer is no. There is nothing remarkable about you."
"I already know that." Said Kyoko, completely confused. "Why does that matter?"
"If there is nothing special about you, then why did the Dark Djinn give us specific instructions on what to do with you?"
Kyoko stopped breathing, numb shock pulsing through her entire being. Had Reino just said the Dark Djinn? That abomination was alive again? It wasn't possible...
"Oh yes, he has been resurrected." Said Reino with a grimace. "Don't look so surprised. You saw him after all. When we first met in the alleyway."
Kyoko was shaking now, her stomach churning uncomfortably. Her vision was clouded as darkness and fear overtook her. The Dark Djinn, bringer of destruction and sorrow, the manifestation of death and darkness was here in the city? It was a being of nightmares, so evil and powerful that even Rosa could not match him without help. He was literally a god of death.
A hand shook her shoulder and Kyoko jolted out of her daze. She was met with prince Kuon's green eyes, looking at her with concern
"Are you alright?"
Kyoko swallowed.
"I…"
"Of course she's not alright." Said Reino, snapping their attention back to him. "And it's because of you. You're the reason why she can see him in the first place. You're the reason why she's involved in any of this."
"Shut up." Growled Kuon. He removed his hand from Kyoko, straightening up. She was still trembling. No. That wasn't her. It was Kuon. Kyoko's eyes darted to the prince, instantly realizing how shaken he was. The blade of his light sword was flickering, fuzzing as if a single breath of wind could blow it out.
"Kuon…"
The prince stiffened at her voice. He wouldn't meet her eyes. Kyoko wanted to reach for him, to understand why he was reacting like this.
"Did you know that your precious prince is cursed?" continued Reion, his voice tearing into them. "You want to know where he got it? It was a little parting present from the Djinn five years ago. He's a walking time bomb. If you actually care about your own safety, you'd stay far away from him. It's only a matter of time before it overtakes him and he joins us to become a fellow member of the Accursed."
"Shut up!"
This time it was Kyoko yelling at Reino. She stepped out from behind Kuon, standing tall beside him. She held her head high, her heart burning in a determined fury.
"You who serves the incarnation of darkness have no right to give me advice on what I do with my life!" She spat, fist clenched tight in anger. "My place is beside Prince Kuon for as long as he sees fit to let me stay. I will help him destroy you and your fellow Accursed members."
She would never forgive herself if she left because she was scared. The prince, Lory and everyone else involved were doing their best to protect the kingdom from the evil attempting to put out the light. Wasn't she a part of this kingdom as well? And more importantly, those she had come to care about would be in danger for as long as the castle was a target.
"I refuse to run like a coward, concerned for only my safety." continued Kyoko. "You say it is only a matter of time before he becomes over taken by his curse? Bullshit. He is already beating it, striving and fighting himself every day to conquer it. He is blessed by the light of the phoenix and will not succumb to the darkness."
Reino stared at her for a moment, neither stunned nor surprised at her outburst, merely curious. Then his eyes suddenly lit up in a hungry gleam.
"Excuse me for earlier." Said Reino, "But it appears you do have something special about you. Something very special indeed…"
Kyoko wasn't listening. The prince was staring at her with a complicated expression. Surprise, doubt, fear, amazement, hope, and something else all spoken through his gaze. Then it became calm, a firm clench of determination. The blade of his sword solidified again as he turned to face Reino.
"Kyoko, I want you to go tell Lory that Reino is here." Said Kuon, "Run. I'll be fine."
Kyoko hesitated. She didn't want to leave Kuon behind, but she also knew that she would just be in the way if she did. In this way, she could be helpful.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.
"Please be careful."
He nodded.
Kyoko turned and ran down the hall, again fleeing her tormentor, this time with the intent to bring help.
Kyoko received more than one strange glace as she sprinted madly through the halls. She'd taken off her veil, the extra piece of clothing just getting in the way. Lory should be in the special seating along with the rest of the nobles. She took the stairs two at a time, reaching the top completely out of breath.
The stands were already filling up, people eager to watch the finals between Kuon and Hidehito. Little did they know that a more important fight was occurring at that moment in these very halls.
Kyoko placed a hand on her knees, the veil tucked under her arm as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes darted around the stands, looking for the Duke, but the man was nowhere in sight.
"Excuse me." Said Kyoko, grabbing the attention of a guard. "Do you know where Duke Takarada is? Lory Takarada?"
"I'm afraid not miss." Said the guard, eying her suspiciously. "Are you alright?"
Kyoko didn't answer. She was looking in the stands again, trying to see if she recognized anyone that could help. There were only a few people that knew about the Accursed, and she honestly wasn't sure who those people were. Someone needed to know what was going on, but she couldn't just run to anyone.
She turned and ran back the way she'd come, hurrying through the corridors. There was a waiting area that the contestants used. Perhaps Lory, Shin or someone else was there. Someone she could trust to help Kuon without creating a mess.
A dark presence caught her attention. If her soul wasn't so sensitive at the moment she would have normally missed it. As it was, the magic was coming from the next corridor.
Cautiously, Kyoko approached and looked around the corner.
It was the hall leading to the waiting rooms. Several people occupied it. She figured most of them were entertainers based on what they were wearing. It seemed the area was used by those who took part in the in-between shows as well. Her attention was drawn to a particular female wearing a jeweled bra and harem pants. She had narrow yellow eyes, half of her face covered by a sheer veil.
The woman was currently talking to someone, her hand resting lightly on top of theirs. The man was blushing at her forward attention on him. With a start Kyoko recognized the man as Hidehito. Then she heard what the woman was saying in a smooth enticing voice.
"It's a good luck charm." The woman purred, holding a gold pendant, embedded with dark jewels. "I can share the luck, but of course, you have to give me something in return."
Hidehito's smile grew into a large hungry one, moving his body forward to decrease the distance between them. It was while he was distracted that Kyoko noticed something from the pendant the woman had in her hand. It was a soft dark light, one she instantly recognized from her encounters with Reino. A dark seed.
And it was resting on Hidehito's skin.
Without thinking, Kyoko walked forward, approaching the two. The lady glanced at Kyoko, turning away before doing a double take, eyes widening. Hidehito noticed the change in attention and looked up as well.
"Kyoko." He said. "What-"
"Excuse me. I'm going to borrow this for a moment."
Wrapping her veil around her hands, Kyoko grabbed the pendant from the woman's loose grasp. Then she turned and sprinted away before either of them had time to react.
I'm a complete idiot. thought Kyoko, heart hammering as she hurried through the corridors. That woman was probably an Accursed if she had something like this in her possession. Kyoko could faintly feel the dark magic through the thin fabric in her hands. Then she heard what was obviously the sound of someone following.
Panicking now, Kyoko quickly created an invisible line that stretched from wall to wall at shin level. A few feet later, she made a solid invisible barrier covering the whole corridor, all without slowing her speed. Then she rounded the corner.
A second later she heard an 'oof" then the sound of someone running into the barrier. Curse Sho for his 'trip and face plant' trick coming in handy at this time. But there was no time to think about that. She heard the unmistakable sound of the spell being broken.
Diverting her pulse magic to her feet, Kyoko increased her speed with every step, flying down the halls at dangerously fast speeds. She had no idea where she was going until a second later she was outside of the stadium. The grounds were littered with people making their way to their seats. Kyoko hurried into the crowd, slowing to a walk as she pressed through them.
The woman came barreling out of the hall, her nose red and teeth bared in anger. She was scanning the crowd, looking as if she might murder someone, which she just might...
Kyoko let out a sigh, thinking she was safe, lost in the crowd. Then their eyes met. The woman had spotted her. A wicked grin spread across her face. That… was not good. The expression promised pain.
Abandoning her attempts to be discreet, Kyoko pushed through the crowds until she hit the edge, bursting through with an increase of speed. She glanced over her shoulder, the woman only halfway through the crowd, barking for people to move out of the way. Kyoko headed for an alleyway, hoping to lose the woman in there.
Her feet pounded against the rough stone, stumbling on the things littered along the streets. She had to get far enough away to lose her, but not so far that she couldn't see the coliseum. As long as she could see that, she could make her way back and find help. Perhaps she should have thought this through before running up to grab the stone.
Kyoko skidded to a stop, cursing her bad luck. It was a dead end.
She crept back to the intersection, then quickly darted back behind the wall. The woman was standing not fifteen feet from her, back turned to Kyoko. Apparently she wasn't sure which way Kyoko had gone.
Please let her go the other way thought Kyoko. Please, oh please someone…
Footsteps met Kyoko's ears and they were advancing towards her. She was trapped.
Kyoko glanced around frantically, looking, searching for anything to help her. There was no way out. This was where the chase ended.
Kyoko squeezed her eyes shut, taking a steady breath, then turned to prepare to fight.
Her mouth fell open.
What came around the corner was not the veiled woman.
It was Ren.
"Ren?" said Kyoko, voice shaking. What was going on? Her childhood friend was here, not looking a day over ten years old. She blinked, suddenly realizing that there were some very obvious differences.
For one thing, his hair and eyes were a bright orange, different form the black she had seen as a child. Also, his aura was too… alien. Different from any other person's she had met. It was still blindingly pure, but it also felt like an echo.
Then she noticed that he was partially see through. Was he a ghost?
"We have to hurry." Said the ghost Ren, causing Kyoko to jump. The voice even sounded like him, though distant, as if it was coming from far away. "I distracted her, but she won't be fooled for long. We need to get you to safety."
"How... why." Said Kyoko, completely confused.
"Please. Kyoko. We don't have any time." said Ren, his expression pleading.
Kyoko nodded, stunned.
The Ren ghost turned and began hurrying away. She followed him, using her pulse magic to keep up. He led her further into the back alleyways, circling the coliseum. Occasionally his form would blur for a moment, appearing a few feet from his original location but still moving.
They had been running for a few minutes when Ren's form blurred and vanished, this time not reappearing anywhere.
Kyoko stopped dead.
"Ren!?" she called. "Ren!"
Where had he gone? Why had he left without saying anything? The calm she had felt at first seeing Ren quickly vanished, fear returning to the forefront.
Someone was running towards her. Crap, the lady had probably heard her yell and locked in on her location. Kyoko didn't have any time to prepare as they came running out from the alleyway. Yelling in fear, Kyoko sent an erratic jolt of magic towards them.
The woman cursed, batting away the spell with a wave of their spear.
"What the hell was that for Kyoko?"
Kyoko blinked, stunned.
"Kanae? Is that you?"
Kanae removed her hood, slightly irritated with her friend. It wasn't the first time she had been greeted with a spasm of magic, but it wasn't the sort of greeting Kanae expected from Kyoko.
"No... but. You left." Said Kyoko, obviously under some distress. The girl took a step back, eyes wide and searching as if trying to understand why she was here. Kanae couldn't help being a little offended. She'd come back for her sake and this was the greeting she received?
"Quick!" said Kyoko, pointing at Kanae. "When we were traveling in the desert together and I broke your sharpening tools. What did I do after that?"
"You tried to put them back together with magic, reducing the lot to dust in the process." Said Kanae, remembering the incident well. Kanae had also wanted to reduce Kyoko to dust but had thought better of it.
The girl let out a relieved sigh.
"Kyoko, what's going on?" said Kanae, her irritation turning to concern. Based on her friend's actions something was amiss. The girl looked like a spooked horse.
"Someone is chasing me." Said Kyoko. She opened her hand and inside resting on sheer fabric was a pendant dotted with dark jewels. It felt wrong. "I took this from them. It contains powerful dark magic. I can't let them get it back."
Kanae's eyes narrowed before looking up to meet Kyoko's. Her insides were boiling with a strange rage she hadn't felt in a long time. This was exactly why she had come back. Kyoko had gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous. Didn't the idiot care about her own safety? Kyoko took a step back from Kanae. Apparently the girl could see just how unhappy Kanae was about this. Good.
"What have you got yourself entangled in Kyo-"
"There you are!"
Kyoko jumped, spinning around as a woman came out from behind her. Kanae didn't recognize them, but instantly knew she was dangerous. Years of experience and instincts told her this person was a deadly fighter, familiar with bloodshed and battle. It was in the way she held herself, the pressing aura of a predator finally cornering its prey.
The veiled woman coolly brushed a piece of hair from her face, letting out a breath of annoyance. "Seriously. It would be so much easier to just kill you than chase you down like this."
In a flash Kanae was in front of Kyoko, spear lowered towards the woman.
"Who are you?" growled Kanae.
"The name's Naomi." Said the woman, now grinning, revealing long pointed canines. "I've been wanting to fight against you Kanae. Thank goodness you returned to die."
"How do you know who I am?"
"Oh please." Said the woman, waving her hand impatiently. "Anything related to Kyoko and Kuon has been thoroughly researched. We Accursed like to be prepared."
Kanae's eyes narrowed.
"Don't mistake me for an idiot." Said Kanae. "The Accursed were all killed hundreds of years ago. They're nothing but a myth now."
"It's not a lie." Said Kyoko's quiet voice from behind. "The Accursed are back and apparently they've been recruiting. Naomi is an Accursed, and so is Reino."
Oh dear fires above. Thought Kanae, heart turning cold. This was what Kyoko had gotten herself into? An ancient battle that spanned centuries between the light and darkness of this kingdom. There was literally nothing more dangerous for her to become involved with.
Naomi smirked, delight shining in her yellow eyes. She extended her hands forward, long fingers twirling a stream of magic around her arms. The thick gold bracelets on her wrist began to shift, unfold and extend, snapping together as they transformed. Two short curved blades dropped into her hands, long chains connected from wrist to weapon as they trailed on the ground.
"Care to have a go?" said Naomi.
Kanae didn't even have time to respond as the woman lunged forward.
Kanae brought up her spear, blocking the two blades. Naomi danced within closer range, and Kanae had to back up quickly lest she become unable to defend due to the length of her spear. She swung her weapon, adding a three strike spell to the attack. It did its job, forcing the accursed to back off.
But the moment was short lived. Naomi's weapons flew through her hands, a twist of the chains redirecting the direction of her attack, her blades coming from two different angles, left for Kanae's heart, right for her ribs. Kanae batted away the first one, throwing up a magic barrier for the second blade. But the attack didn't stop there. The second they bounced off Kanae's defense, they sprang back around, the blades striking again and again as Naomi re-directed her knives with a twist of her wrist. Kanae found herself unable to do anything but defend against the barrage of attacks, blocking with both magic and spear, barely able to keep up.
It was time to take control. Kanae activated her shadow steps, speeding up and using the moment to interrupt the trajectory of one of the weapons. She slammed one blade into the ground, then spun around, swatting the other one to the side. Naomi now had no weapons to block the next attack.
Kanae lunged.
Naomi twisted her body in an impossible way, seemingly breaking her back as she avoided the attack. A tug on her chains warned Kanae who quickly spun her spear in her hands to prevent being sliced by the retreating knives. They both broke apart, panting as they stared each other down. Naomi's eyes burned with excitement.
"What a fun little rabbit you are." Said Naomi smiling. She loosed one of the chains, swinging a weapon in a playful circle beside her as she walks slowly forward. Kanae didn't answer. She had never fought against weapons like this. It was hard to predict where the next attack would come when the two weapons could change trajectory in an instant.
Kanae gave a quick glance behind her shoulder, checking on Kyoko. The girl was several yards back, doing a good job of staying away from the battle. Honestly Kyoko should have run a long time ago. At least she was safe.
Kanae shifted her feet on the ground, subtly forming a certain spell. There was something about this woman that was different. It was the way she moved. If Kanae didn't know any better…
"An echidna." Said Kanae quietly. "That's what you fight like."
The twisted grin on Naomi's face grew.
"So you've fought one of my aunties have you? If you're still alive that means you killed them." Her expression turned into a pout, eyebrows knitted together. "I guess I'll have to kill you to honor their memory and all that. Nothing personal of course."
The spear wielder was ready for the next attack. She blocked the twin blades, unable to do more with her magic than quick shields. At least that's what she wanted Naomi to think. All she needed was an opportunity… There!
Kanae changed her target, aiming for the chain instead of the blade. Kanae rammed the tip of her spear through it, the added spell tearing through the chains and detaching the weapon as she slammed it between the spear head and the ground. The first weapon was successfully detached, but the other one was still coming.
A barrier was thrown up to block it, but at the last second the weapon changed direction. Kanae couldn't avoid it fully.
Taking a gamble, she went in to the attack, thrusting her spear at Namoi. The unexpected attack took the Accursed by surprise, not ready to set up a defense. The short knife sliced through Kanae's side at the same moment her spear pierced Naomi's shoulder. The wound burned, but she ignored it, concentrating on her attack.
The Accursed hissed, springing backwards and holding her shoulder. She glared at Kanae, clutching her bleeding injury as Kanae took a second to breathe, holding her side. That attack had at least grazed her ribs based on how bad it hurt, but Naomi shouldn't be able to use her left arm now.
"You're not bad." Said Naomi, grimacing. "But I'm afraid I'm still better."
Naomi twitched her hands, a spell lighting up both chains. The weapon Kanae had dismantled snapped back together, the chain repairing itself and returning to her hand, completely whole and undamaged.
Well that was an inconvenience. Still, Naomi could only swing around one blade with her shoulder messed up like-
Kanae's vision fuzzed, her world tipping for a moment. She nearly fell over, just catching herself. She heard Kyoko call her name.
"Wha-"
Her fuzzed mind then put it together. The woman was practically a snake, and what did snake fangs contain?
"Poison." Grimaced Kanae, checking her injury again. The skin was discolored, her veins more prominent than usual. A second later Kyoko was by her side, her face was scrunched in worry.
"Hold on Kanae. I'll get that poison out of you in a se-"
"Don't get hasty Kyoko." Said Naomi. The woman had gotten closer, weapon held out in front of her and pointed at Kyoko. Kanae grabbed Kyoko's shoulder with the intention to pull her back but instead used it to hold herself steady.
"I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Said Naomi, eyes narrowing. "I can take you out in a second if you make the wrong move."
"Then do it!" said Kyoko fiercely, not moving from where she stood. The Accursed didn't make any indication to follow through on her threat. Kanae narrowed her eyes. The woman had said she wasn't supposed to kill Kyoko. Subtly, Kanae continued working on her earlier spell, hoping Kyoko would continue to distract the Accursed while she worked.
"How about this." Said Naomi, attention still on Kyoko. "If you hand over the pendant you stole from me, I'll give you the antidote. A trade you could say."
"As if I could trust you." Said Kyoko. "How do I know the antidote will work?"
Kanae prayed that Kyoko wasn't actually considering listening to the woman. A flare of pain ran through Kanae. they were cutting it close as the poison began to affect her senses.
"I can give you time to think on it." Said Naomi, placing a finger to her smirking lips. "Don't worry, your friend has hours of pain before the poison kills her. Though, if you wait too long her mind might never be the same."
Kyoko hesitated.
"Kyoko." Said Kanae quietly. "Give it to her. You remember what happened with Shin right?"
Kyoko gave her a confused look, then seemed to understand.
"I got it."
Kyoko slipped a pendant from her bag, holding it out to the Accursed.
"Here."
Naomi came forward, delighted as her hands curled around the pendant. She held it in front of her face, her expression turning from glee to confusion.
"This isn't-"
The pendant exploded in Naomi's face. She stumbled back, crying out in surprise. In that split second, Kanae activated the spell she had been working on, channeling her magic in the ground.
The stone began to swirl, sucking at Naomi's feet as it pulled at her down. The Accused was caught, too distracted to get out in time. She turned her venomous expression to Kanae, throwing out her weapon in a last ditch effort to get her.
Kanae raised her spear but her body spasmed, pain shooting through her as she faltered. She wouldn't be fast enough. She couldn't block it.
The blade sunk into skin, but not hers. It was Kyoko's. Her friend had flung out an arm, the blade catching her forearm instead of Kanae's face.
"Kyoko..."
Kanae's vision blurred as darkness and pain over took her. Nothing registered but the screams coming from the sinking Accursed and the red trailing down Kyoko's arm as she wrenched the blade from her flesh.
Thanks for reading!
I would like to apologize to all the poor souls that have had to endure my many cliffhangers throughout this story. There's honestly not a good spot to stop for a while mah friends! XD
Lots of stuff just happened and I'm sure you are all confused. Do not worry, all shall be revealed eventually. (But if you want to make sure I don't forget to explain, feel free to wonder aloud to remind me not to skip over it.)
-Blushweaver
Image update: Reino, Naomi and Hikaru (palace guard uniform)
Blushweaver really isn't sorry for all the cliffhangers. She's got a little bit of evil in her just like the best of writers. Hope y'all had a great Christmas and New Years.
-Imouto