Hi here I am again. So yeah, here's the second chapter for Dragon Curse. I'm probably going to focus more on this story at the moment while I figure out Be My Songbird's plot line and how I want to go about it. Also, I'm officially out of school, but other stuff has taken up a lot of time, such as short-term uni courses/workshops, a part-time job, and university applications (which I have to write), so I don't really have much time to write now. Hope y'all understand.
To Meh (guest): Or else what? (smiles brightly) Thanks though, for your review. I'm happy you liked it. :)
To passerby (guest): Ace, eh? (grins evilly) I decided I didn't want him in this story, because my baes are Luffy and Sabo~ (heh) Hmm...I don't know~you're welcome to keep guessing though. And thanks for your review, I really enjoy reading the reviews you guys give me, they are a huge source of motivation.
To Random Reader (guest): Yup. Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it too. Thank you for the review. :)
Beta'd by AlternateMirai
I don't own One Piece.
Anyways, I'd love if you could drop a review and let me know what you think of it. Read this and continue on. Hope you enjoy it!
"Cursed'?!" Haruta demanded, his voice tight with disbelief and anger as he and his sister fixed the two brothers with a cold glare that promised a lot of pain if their answer wasn't satisfactory. "Sabo, if this is your idea of a joke, I'll have you know it's not the least bit funny!"
Sensing the tension in the room spike, Zoro and Sanji reflexively jumped in front of Sabo and Luffy, their guarded expressions eerily similar. Zoro let out a low, feral-sounding growl, his way of warning his enemies not to do anything unnecessary while Sanji levelled the siblings opposite him with a glare of his own. Luffy blinked owlishly, seemingly unperturbed by the accusation towards Sabo, but Haruta didn't miss the very slight narrowing of his eyes.
There was more to Luffy than meets the eye.
"What makes you think I'm joking?" Sabo replied calmly, his blue eyes a deep and stagnant blue. "I meant exactly what I said. His Majesty isn't sick, but afflicted by a curse that is slowly corroding him from the inside."
"Sir Sabo, do you have any idea what curse it is?" As opposed to her superiors, Robin had a much more level mind, breaking the tension by asking the most crucial question at the moment.
Society was no stranger to curses. How could they be when curses had been in existence since forever? However, despite knowing of them, humans didn't really know about them. Not how they worked, nor what kinds existed. All because the application of a curse required the applicator to possess magic, but for humans, those who did were few and far between. Without any knowledge regarding curses, humans possessed an instinctual fear of it. A normal reaction to the unknown.
The only beings who possessed magic were the mythical races whom mankind shared the land with, the most prominent of them being the dragons. Faerie Folk like the mermaids and elves were a close second. Those races for the most part, deemed themselves superior to humans and dissented contact with mankind. They were a lesser race, apparently.
Since the mythical races kept to themselves in general, magic-related knowledge became an unknown field for mankind. Although rumours had mentioned certain exceptions, no one had any idea what those 'exceptions' were.
In response to Robin's question, the mercenary leader nodded and answered honestly, knowing Haruta, Izo and Robin would easily pick it up if he tried to hide the truth.
"Dragh Fearg." Two words were all that was needed to break the historian's calm facade. Robin's eyes widened in shock in reaction to the name.
"Dra-what now?" Haruta had obviously never heard of it and Sabo doubted the princess would have either. Lucky for them, Robin was there to help.
"Dragh Fearg, your highnesses," she explained. "It means 'the Dragon's Anger'."
"You know about it?" Sabo cocked an eyebrow, surprised that the historian knew what the name meant. But she did study history, so he supposed she must have seen it somewhere before. He had heard that the curse had appeared in the human world before, long ago in the distant past, so there might have been records.
Robin shook her head. "I came across it in one of the scrolls I found in the Paletra ruins. It mentions the name of the curse and describes it as a dreadful fate for the afflicted. I do not know if there were more. The remainder of the record that told of it was badly damaged beyond readability."
"I see," Sabo started to explain, "To put it simply, Dragh Fearg is a more vicious type of curse. It's said the curse itself is a form of punishment for the dragonkind, the ultimate penance cast unto those unlucky enough to incur their wrath and hatred. The afflicted becomes sicker every day as the curse corrodes them, until they eventually die. From what I know though, this curse was usually reserved for traitors and the like."
"That seems rather mild for a punishment though, in a way. " Sanji said, breathing out a ring of smoke. As a result, he got whacked on the head by Izo, who forced him to extinguish the cigarette, to Zoro's extreme mirth.
Looking over his shoulder, Sabo fixed the younger blonde with a demeaning look, one that suggested Sanji was an idiot. Even Luffy knew better.
"Physically speaking, it may be. Even so, mentally speaking, it is extreme torture for the afflicted. How would you feel if you knew your condition would worsen every passing moment, yet you were powerless to do anything?"
"But… " Sanji argued. "If it's a curse cast by a dragon, how is it that his majesty is afflicted when the dragons died out several decades ago?" Sanji had raised a very good question. The winged entities had become extinct after a devastating war between them and an underground organization that hunted mythicals. The last Rìgh, Roger had died on the battlefield moments after the war came to an end along with the Bhanrigh, Rouge. The couple had never left an heir. They were the last of their kind.
Sabo and Luffy exchanged quick looks of uncertainty. Both could read each other well enough that even the simplest gestures could contain an entire conversation others were unaware of.
Are we going to tell them? Luffy blinked.
Sabo raised a brow. You're asking me? You're the one with the crazy instincts.
Eh...Luffy scratched his head. I think they're ok.
Really? Sabo glanced at the prince and princess. You're sure?
I don't feel anything. Luffy shrugged. Sanji trusts them.
Sabo looked up at the ceiling. If you say so. Still...
"There are rumours," he explained after a short period of debation. "That the dragons extinction might have just been a ruse to throw their enemies off."
"You mean there might be dragons somewhere? Living, breathing, dragons?"
Sabo felt his eye twitch a tiny bit at Haruta's question. "Yes."
The room fell silence once again.
"I need a drink." Izo sighed as she fell into a chair. Robin handed her a freshly poured cup of tea. "This is critical information. I think it would be best to let our brothers know before we decide our next course of action."
Haruta agreed wholeheartedly. This wasn't something they could decided by themselves. Turning around, he frowned as he took in the two guards' stiff forms behind him.
"Well, what are you two waiting for?" he asked reproachfully as he slapped them hard on their shoulders, jarring them back to reality.
"Have the servants go get our brothers! Whatever they're doing can wait, we need to have an emergency meeting right away!"
"Understood, your highness!"
After sending several servants out to gather the other princes and the guards returned to their post, Haruta and Izo led the mercenaries out of the king's chambers and headed over to a private room the royal family reserved for personal use. The room was spacious -it had to be to fit all sixteen of them, seventeen including their Pops- and luxuriously furnished. Large velvet couches sat in the middle of the room on either sides of an even larger high-backed armchair, surrounding a low oblong table. The floor underneath was covered with a fluffy burgundy carpet that highly contrasted with the royal blue carpet that lined the entirety of the room. Shelves and cupboards lined the walls, filled with books and various items. In one corner, there was a wine cabinet with a collection of alcohol that even the Dragon Fury's resident alcoholic had to admit was impressive.
Sabo and Luffy marvelled at the luxuriousness of the room, while Zoro didn't seem to care about anything other than the abovementioned wine cabinet. Sanji looked around with nostalgia, remembering the countless times he had been in this room prior to his forced resignation. The room looked exactly the same since he last saw it.
"Have a seat," Izo beckoned as she sat down while Robin retrieved a tea set from one of the cupboards and set to work brewing tea at the small counter installed in the corner.
Haruta followed suit, taking a seat next to the princess.
"Our brothers are scattered all over the place, so it might take a while before they all arrive."
Accepting her offer, the mercenaries picked one of the nearer couches that could seat all four of them and sat down, Sabo on the left-most side followed by Sanji, who had purposely picked that place so Luffy would be in between him and the hated mosshead. There was no way the blonde cook was going to sit next to that barbarian with grass for hair!
The scent of freshly brewed tea permeated the air as Robin poured hot water through the strainer into the teapot.
"Lemon Balm?" Sabo asked, recognising the herb's smell. The historian picked up the tray of cups and gracefully brought it over to the table without so much as a drop spilling out.
Haruta smiled and handed their guests a cup each. "I didn't think you knew herbs too."
"I like a good cup of tea," the mercenary leader replied, inhaling the drink's scent. "It really soothes the nerves. Though, I personally prefer Green Tea."
"Just like Marco, then," Izo chuckled. "Which reminds me, you were the one who introduced Lemon Balm to us in the first place, weren't you, Sanji."
Noticing the conversation directed his way, Sanji looked up from his cup where he had been smelling the brew.
"Only because you guys would always get into arguments whenever you were all in one room." The former palace cook grinned. "Lemon Balm reduces a stress hormone called Cortisol-"
"-and relaxes the body without causing drowsiness. It also helps to elevate the mood. Yes, we know." Haruta groaned. "You've only told us a million times."
"And that was another to add to the list." Sanji snorted and put his cup down. "You should leave it for a bit longer before you pour it. The taste is a little bland. Ah, but it's still really good, since Robin was the one who made it!" He added hurriedly after his 'professional opinion'.
Robin chuckled at the familiar sight and raised her cup towards Sanji. "Duly noted."
Haruta tsked. "Perfectionist flirt," he muttered.
"So," Robin started, her serious demeanor surfacing again. "Sir Sabo-"
Sabo held up a hand to stop her. "Just Sabo is fine." Sir Sabo sounded plain weird.
Robin laughed softly. "Fine, Sabo. Since you have managed to identify the curse, I don't suppose you have any idea how to lift it?" The historian sounded calm, but Sabo could sense the underlying worry in her question. It was natural that they would worry, he thought. According to Koala, he was their last hope, and if he couldn't help them…there would soon be a new king.
Good thing he did have an answer for Robin.
"Well-"
At that precise moment, the door was thrown wide open, hitting the walls with a loud 'bang'.
"Haruta! What's going on?! Is something wrong?!" A man with auburn hair styled in a pompadour and a chef's uniform hurried in, followed by a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks and another with long hair in a braid.
"Don't do that!" Izo shrieked. The sound of the door had been so sudden that the princess had jumped in shock. "Are you guys trying to give me a heart attack?!"
The redhead visibly flinched. "I'm sorry!" he squeaked, throwing his hands up in front of him to protect himself from any possible projectiles his dear sister might decide to throw his way. Namely, a teacup. Or her shoes. Those hurt a lot, being high heels and all.
The princess huffed and sat back down. "Count yourself lucky we have guests with us." In other words, she was protecting his dignity. At least, what was left of it after their previous display.
"I apologise for our brother's unsightly display." Izo's attention returned to Sabo and she introduced the three who just came in. "These are our older brothers; the redhead is Thatch, the one with dreadlocks is Rakuyo and the last one is Blenheim."
Sabo stood up to greet them, acquainting himself with the three older princes.
They sat down, picking seats opposite their two younger siblings.
"I see you still let Izo walk all over you, eh?" a teasing voice said, drawing the princes' attention towards the rest of the mercenaries. They immediately recognised one familiar face amongst them - the younger blonde who was slouching against the couch.
"Sanji!" the redhead cried, proceeding to launch himself at the former cook who swiftly leapt out of range, taking care not to spill the tea in his hand while his three comrades darted off the couch just as quickly. The redhead crashed head-first into the couch, toppling the furniture.
"Don't dodge, damn it!" the man cursed, nursing a bump on his head where it had made impact. "Aren't we supposed to be best buds?"
Sanji rolled his eyes in exasperation, a faint smile gracing his features. "We are, but I don't recall ordering a tackle hug."
"Now you're just being mean."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
An ornate folding fan flew across the air, curving in a way that managed to hit both men at the same time and effectively shut them up. A few seconds later, a slender hand caught the fan that curved back expertly. "You were saying, Sabo?" She motioned towards the mercenary leader, telling him to continue with what he had been about to say before.
Sabo was careful to keep a straight face lest it betrayed his thoughts (that Thatch was an idiot) as he carried on with their previous conversation. "I don't think you would believe me if I said I didn't, would you?"
"What wouldn't they believe?"
The door opened again, revealing the rest of the siblings who had just arrived.
The rest of the family piled into the room, noting the fresh (and not so fresh) faces that were sitting off to the side while they were informed of the identities of their guest.
"So you're Sabo of the Dragon's Fury. It's nice to meet you." Marco turned a scrutinizing gaze towards the mercenaries, excluding Sanji, and settled on their leader. Sabo was studying the crown prince of the Whitebeard Empire as well.
"Likewise, it's an honour to meet you, Crown Prince Marco."
Marco offered his hand towards Sabo, who graciously accepted it. The crown prince then proceeded to introduce his siblings, even though he was fairly sure the blonde opposite him already knew who was who, but it was common courtesy to introduce people who've never met. Gesturing to his family who were standing behind him, Marco made simple introductions in no certain order.
"You've already met Thatch, Rakuyo, Blenheim, Haruta and Izo so I'll introduce the rest. Starting from my left is Jozu, Kingdew, Fossa, Vista, Jiru, Blamenco, Atmos, Curiel and Namur."
"It's a great honor to meet all of you, your highnesses." Sabo dropped into a slight bow which Sanji, Zoro and Luffy copied. "These three are my comrades. You all know Sanji, and these two here are Zoro and my brother Luffy."
Following Marco's example, Sabo introduced the remaining members of their group before Izo interrupted with an apology.
"We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other later, but for now, let's first deal with the matter at hand, ok?"
Every occupant in the room voiced their consent, and Izo had them all find a place to sit before she and Haruta started telling their siblings what they had been told earlier.
After they finished, the atmosphere in the room was considerably gloomier than it had been a while ago. Except for Haruta and Izo, every princes' gaze was similarly downcast, and a few of them were gripping their hands hard enough that the princess worried if they would hurt themselves by accident.
The first to find his composure again, Marco turned azure eyes unto the mercenaries, noting their semi-relaxed stances. Good. Relaxed meant their leader hadn't lied, but… "How did you know it was a curse?" He asked, a minimal amount of suspicion present in his tone.
Curses were hard to identify as their manifestations were similar to physical illnesses. Being magic-less, humans were unable to tell them apart. Though there had been speculations that the minority of mankind who could use it could see curses in a physical form, it had yet to be proven. The Whitebeard crown prince didn't believe it, of course, but hearing about how Sabo and Luffy had determined it was a curse on sight...he was beginning to wonder about the authenticity of those speculations.
"We can-" Sabo clapped a hand over his little brother's big mouth, an innocent smile on his face. "I'm afraid it's a trade secret, your highness."
"Zoro and Sanji don't know either, we never told them," he added quickly when he noticed Marco's eyes flit towards his other two comrades, admitting to the secrecy that the other two members of the Dragon's Fury had not been privy to until now.
"We won't pry," Marco spoke in a cautious tone. "But how do we know we can trust what you say?"
Sabo's friendliness disappeared in an instant. Though his smile remained present, it no longer had that sunny tone to it. In fact, the siblings felt a shiver down their back when those blue eyes that were a few shades darker than their oldest's darkened and fixed its gaze on them. One that made them feel like the prey in front of a predator.
"You don't. It's entirely your choice whether to trust me or not." He said curtly, his tone as cold as ice.
The room fell into silence.
"That brat can be trusted." A voice cut through the silence, drawing everyone's attention to the door, where an old woman was leaning against the doorframe, a bottle of quality alcohol in hand. A young boy with messy brown hair was peeking from behind her, his similarly brown eyes scanning the room. As they settled on the four figures facing away from the door, the boy's eyes brightened and he let out a happy squeal.
The silence in the room had never felt more real than then when it broke, spiderweb cracks spreading across until it shattered into uncountable pieces.
"Luffy!" With a laugh, the raven-haired male easily caught the boy who had launched himself in a tackle hug. "You guys are finally here!"
"Chopper!"
The serious atmosphere in the room was broken as the two embraced each other, wide grins gracing their features. After a few more seconds, Luffy let Chopper down, who then proceeded to tackle the other three mercenaries, whom all graciously accepted their hugs.
"You've grown a bit, haven't you, Chopper?" Zoro asked, motioning towards the boy's considerably taller height then when they last saw him.
Grinning ear to ear, Chopper nodded excitedly. "Uh huh!" He replied, rocking on the balls of his feet. "I had a growth spurt a while ago."
"Heh," Zoro drawled. "Remind me how old you are again?"
Before Chopper could answer, the woman by the door interrupted. "Playing favourites, swords-boy?" She cackled as the green-haired man turned towards her reluctantly.
"Hi," he said stiffly. Due to previous 'encounters', the green-haired swordsman wasn't very fond of the old witch and would rather not meet her if he had the choice, which unfortunately wasn't in his possession now.
"Kureha," Sabo greeted. "Your faith in me is heartwarming," he said, referring to the old doctor's earlier words. In response, Kureha snorted as she downed a gulp of her drink.
"Sarcastic brat," she snorted, returning her attention to the royal siblings. "He isn't lying."
"You sound sure of that," Vista noted.
"Because, you wannabe magician, it is a curse that Newgate is under."
"You knew?!" the princes all but roared. "Then why didn't you say so sooner?!"
"Recognising a curse and identifying it are two different things," the doctor snapped. "I knew it was a curse, but not what curse it was, and certainly not how to lift it. That's where those idiot brothers come in."
Incomprehension was written all over people's faces.
Perhaps she felt the need to preserve whatever rationality they had left, Kureha stood out to explain the situation. "You all know of that rumour, don't you? The one about people having magic being able to see curses." She paused to let it sink in, and continued after receiving nods. "It's very much true."
"You mean curses actually have a physical form?" Robin asked.
"Not quite. What can be seen is actually their magic aura. Why do you think I had Chopper inform you about them?" Kureha affirmed. "Those two brats and I all can see it, through the Sight I have can't compare to theirs. Right, brat?"
Sabo rolled his eyes. "Right. Just give everything away, won't you?" The sarcasm in his voice couldn't have been more obvious.
Cackling, the witch doctor walked into the room, casually tossing the bottle in her hand up and down. "I would if there was anything else I could give away."
The doctor's old eyes flicked between the brothers. "You two do a surprisingly good job of keeping your secrets, considering what an airhead your younger brother is."
The blonde shrugged, not bothering to give an answer.
"Anyway," she regarded the royal family. "If it's magic-related, these two brats are guaranteed to know more than I. If he can tell what curse it is, he probably knows how to lift it too," she said bluntly, selling the mercenary out.
Immediately, the sixteen siblings focused on him, their eyes flashing intensely. They were just one step from having 'SPILL NOW!' written on their foreheads.
"I do know," Sabo finally admitted, buckling under the pressure of sixteen pairs of eyes staring intently at him. "However," He added before they had a chance to speak. "I can't tell you how it is done."
"What?! Why not?!"
"The curse is from dragonkind, and likewise, the method to lift it. They are secrets belonging to the dragons, and as one entrusted with them, I am entitled to protect these secrets from others," Sabo explained, fixing a solemn gaze on the royalty that made them unconsciously straighten.
"No matter who they may be."
"Fine. Don't tell." Marco crossed his arms. "That doesn't mean you can't do it."
By the door, Kureha clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Bad move, princey."
Sabo's attention turned on him. "...Are you threatening me, your highness?"
The crown prince was, in fact, threatening the mercenary leader. Luffy and Zoro bristled at the underlying threat in the prince's tone, but Sanji held them back, looking up at Marco with an intensity in his eyes that no one from the palace had ever seen before.
"I should warn you that we don't really take well to threats to one of us," he said, his tone calm yet dangerous. "Especially not to our leader."
Seemingly ignoring the former palace chef, Marco replied to Sabo's question. "And what if I am?"
"Well, for starters…" The mercenary leader raised a hand to his chin, looking as if he were deep in thought. "My comrades and I would be taking our leave." In short, the king could die for all he cared.
Before anyone could protest though, he continued speaking, a faint smirk on his lips.
"But then again, you seeking us out for help for the king has provided an unexpected discovery for me, so I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do the royal family a favour in return, even if you aren't very nice, Prince Marco."
"So you'll do it?" Haruta interrupted, eyes shining with hope.
"Yeah." Sabo scratched his head. "I need to get a few things first though. It'll take some time, but the king's not going to last past three days so Luffy and I will have to take measures to delay the curse's effects."
Then he left the room, his younger brother trailing after him. The rest of the room's occupants immediately followed the brothers out the door, arriving at the king's bedroom once again.
Sabo and Luffy had only left a few seconds ahead of them, but when they got out of the room, the two brothers were nowhere to be seen. The door was already open by the time the rest of the company arrived, and when they stepped into the room, they found Sabo and Luffy drawing the knives hanging on their sides and swiftly cutting open their palm.
The cut was shallow, and a wound like that usually coagulated within moments, but like a faucet that had been left open, blood kept flowing out, pooling in the palm of their hand.
Chopper, who had been standing with Zoro and Sanji, nearly freaked out at the sight. Fortunately, Kureha held him back. Despite her doctor's instincts telling her otherwise, Kureha knew very well that she shouldn't interrupt.
Those brothers knew what they were doing.
Under watchful eyes, Sabo and Luffy moved to stand next to the king on either sides of the bed. To their audiences surprise, they started to draw with the blood on their fingers, Sabo on the king's exposed chest and Luffy on the sheets around the king.
After what seemed like several hours but was really just twenty minutes, the brothers finally finished whatever they had been doing and stepped aside, revealing an odd circle with glyphs written inside and similar glyphs written along the perimeter of the bed. Unnoticed, Robin's eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
Wobbling a little, Luffy made his way to the king and pressed his still bleeding hand to the monarch's mouth, letting the red liquid flow in. On instinct, the king swallowed the blood. Luffy remained in that position for a while, until he started to feel weak and had to stop. Sabo, who had been waiting for him, held out a hand to steady his little brother.
Sabo sat down, leaning against the wall with Luffy's head in his lap.
"It won't last long, but at the very least it'll give him a few days." He warned, referring to whatever they had just done. "I'll head out tomorrow."
"Do you even know where to look?"
"I have an idea," the mercenary leader admitted. "But I really don't like that place."
Closing his eyes, he let his head fall against the wall. "Has anyone of you ever been to Morsky?"
The journey from Phoenix to the Griam river that served as the border between Morsky and Whitebeard took Sabo and Marco the whole of five days to reach on horseback.
Early in the afternoon, an enchanting view of a village bathed in soft sunlight came into sight of the two riders as they rode up the hill overlooking the village. Along the river stood a majestic building - the Lyrid Fortress, headquarters of the Lyrid knights who guard the border and entrance to the Griam Bridge that spanned across the river. Even from where they were, both Marco and Sabo could see the knights diligently patrolling around the fortress, village and along the river.
Seeing the people of their kingdom working hard sparked a feeling of pride within Marco, and a faint smile played on his lips. However, it didn't last long.
The view was nice, yes, and it would've been even more pleasant were it not for the lifeless earth far in the distance, just across the river on the opposite shore.
Marco was taken aback completely.
As Crown Prince, he naturally was privy to the going-ons of the kingdom and its neighbours. When news of an incurable epidemic arising in Morsky reached Whitebeard, the king had sent out scouts to Morsky to gather information while ordering the border guards to tighten security in case of smugglers. While Whitebeard was a compassionate ruler, he too was wise and always held his subjects as his first priority. As such, he did not permit any actions that might potentially harm his people, even if it meant refusing refuge to the suffering people of Morsky. If the Morskians wanted to come into Whitebeard territory, they had to go through the legal channel by passing through Lyrid Fortress and undergoing a medical evaluation by by doctors stationed at the fortress.
Things went well for a while until one day, Haruta noticed something off in the reports that were handed to him by the scouts sent to Morsky. In the Whitebeard Empire, each member of the family helped to keep the country running smoothly by taking charge of something they excelled at, and Haruta was in charge of intel. Haruta hadn't been aware of it at first, but when he read through the latest reports, he realised something.
It had been a few months since the scouts had been sent out, and they had started taking in refugees. Within those months, many of the refugees who had originally been unaffected had passed away, yet none of the scouts who were deep in the red zone had experienced even the slightest decline in health.
Haruta quickly brought the matter to the family's attention, and they all agreed it was rather abnormal. But with no explanation for it, there was nothing they could do about it.
Years passed and Morsky showed no sign of healing. And then, the epidemic took the entire kingdom.
At that time, Marco had been extremely busy with all the work that came flooding in, and hadn't given the matter more thought than necessary, and with Whitebeard falling ill afterwards, he had to take on even more work, which meant the oddness of Morsky's ruin had completely slipped his mind. Apparently, everyone else's too.
But now, with this harsh reality in front of him, Marco found that he couldn't say anything. Nothing at all.
A stark contrast to the rich green river plains on their side, the land on the other shore was dark and gloomy, the ground full of dead grass and wilted trees.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?" Sabo asked from beside him, a heavy look clouding his eyes.
"It is."
That was the only exchange between them as Marco silently followed Sabo down the hill.
Under the curious gazes of the villagers, the two blondes headed directly to the fortress, where a guard was sent in to announce their presence to the person in charge. A moment later, the same guard returned and showed them in while another guard took their horses to the fortress' stable.
A man in his early thirties was standing by the door, waiting to receive their two guests. He wore the standard knight's attire along with a simple headband that wrapped around his black curly hair.
Marco was fairly familiar with this man. Doma Bohem, captain of the Lyrid knights under direct jurisdiction of his brother, Jozu, the third prince. Doma rarely came to the capital due to his duties as border guard, but whenever he did, he always shared a drink with them. In fact, their relationship was more that of family than of superior and subordinate. During the meeting two weeks ago, Doma had also been present.
"Hello, Doma," Marco greeted casually as they entered the fortress, receiving a friendly smirk from the knight captain.
Dismissing his subordinate with a slight wave of his hand, Doma returned the greeting with the same casualness, although it was still respectful enough, as befitting their respective statuses.
As Doma led them through the fortress to a more private location, Marco introduced him to Sabo, earning the mercenary leader a muted look of acknowledgement from the captain and unhidden awe from passing knights, while also making known the reason for their sudden visit.
They came out on a balcony on the upper floor overlooking the river, and Doma turned to lean against the railings, arms crossed over his chest.
"It's a pretty dangerous trip to Marineford, Marco," Doma spoke, reverting to the casualness he displayed only when they were in close company. "I'm sure you're well aware of it from all my reports, but for the past two months, plenty of… less than savoury company have been continuously active on the other side."
"I am well aware," Marco responded as he cast a fleeting glance towards the other blonde beside him. "However, despite that, we have to make the trip. Although blondie over here refuses to tell me exactly why we're going to Morsky."
Doma had already been informed of the recent happenings in the palace, and knew that the Dragon Fury's leader was their only hope. If he said they had to go to Morsky, than they would head there without any hesitation. Still…
"And you guys accepted it, just like that?" The knight captain asked dubiously, eyeing the mercenary who appeared to be studying the wasteland across the river.
Marco shrugged. "He had Kureha's stamp of approval. Even if we don't trust him, at least it's better than nothing. And to be fair, I've asked him plenty of times on the way here although he refuses everytime."
"I see…" Doma pondered it for a moment. "If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany the two of you into Morsky."
The black-haired man shot a suspicious look at Sabo, his underlying meaning clear as day.
Picking up on the glare drilling into his side, Sabo sighed inwardly and turned around to face the knight captain and the prince with a mildly exasperated look.
"Stop glaring at me, will you?" Sabo rolled his eyes. "If you want to come, feel free to. But do remember to pack enough water and rations for a week at least."
"I will see to it immediately."
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes?"
"We'll be going by foot from here on." Inside the privacy of his mind, Sabo cackled evilly as he dropped the bomb on the unsuspecting prince and knight, enjoying their reaction as they comprehended what had just been said to them.
...
An hour later, the group of two that had expanded and became three crossed the Griam Bridge, setting foot into Morskian territory. Sabo walked at the front, as he was the guide while Marco and Doma followed behind him, striking up idle chit chat to fill the silence around them. Sometimes Sabo would pitch in his own two bits, but otherwise, the mercenary mostly kept to himself, as he did most of their way here.
It was strange though. Doma had said that there were other groups in Morsky, but so far, they had yet to run into anyone. Sabo wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a good thing, but he couldn't do anything about it now anyway, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.
The three men made good progress with the time they had left until sundown, arriving at a small village some ways north of the the Empire's borders. The village was built at the foot of a mountain, and since no one felt like sleeping in the empty village, they all agreed to camp on the mountain.
The hike up was eerily easy. What usually would have taken at least an hour was completed within half that time. The once lush, evergreen forest had withered away like every other place they had seen so far, and there was absolutely no signs of life anywhere. Only a very slight sound of running water could be heard.
This wasn't the worse, apparently. According to Sabo, things would only get worse the further they ventured into Morsky. This wasteland was just the tip of the iceberg.
They reached a dip in the landscape, and the three men climbed up to find a shallow valley with a river running through it. The river had dried up partially though, leaving nothing more than a brook that flowed silently across the river bed, the source of the sound they had heard.
Sabo looked around, searching for some place that could be used as shelter. It would be getting dark soon, and it was never a good idea to stay out in the open at night, even if their surroundings were pretty much void of life.
A small indentation at the base of the valley caught his eye, and the mercenary called out to his companions.
"Wait, I think I see a fox? Hmm, it must've wandered in from the empire," Sabo muttered offhandedly as his eyes zeroed in on a small, red shape on the opposite slope.
…
Marco stoked the fire, watching the growing flames reflected in his azure eyes. Opposite him, Sabo was expertly skinning a fox that had been wandering around looking for food but ultimately became food itself. Doma had went out to get water from the brook, bringing their empty canteens along to refill them.
The only sounds in the otherwise silent cave was those of the crackling fire as it burned through the kindling.
"So…" Marco started.
"If you're going to ask me again why we're going to Morsky, I swear, prince or not, I will smack you," the mercenary said casually, like he was talking about the weather and hadn't just threatened a member of royalty. Burying the fox's innards in a pit he had dug, Sabo ran a stake through the meat and put it up to roast over the fire.
"Actually, no," the crown prince replied, looking away from the flames to the darkness outside. "I was just going to ask… why are you helping us? Except a reward, I don't think there's anything in this for you. Or your comrades." That and that earlier comment about the fox, he added in his head, but opted not to say it out loud.
Sabo shifted his attention from their cooking meal to his fellow blonde. "What makes you think I'm not doing this for the reward? I am a mercenary, you know."
Marco shrugged. "You don't seem the type to do something this high-risk without good reason." He shifted the firewood a bit, letting the flames trapped beneath to rise to the surface. "Though it's no business of mine as long as you don't stab us in the back."
Sabo scoffed and peeled a bit of meat off, popping it in his mouth. "I don't do that shit." He grimaced. "Not quite done yet."
Marco tossed in a few more sticks, feeding the fire. "I still don't really trust you."
"Fair enough since I don't really trust you either. But you got no choice. Aside from Luffy, I'm the only one who can find what you're looking for."
"How very reassuring." The prince clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Sabo leant back against the cave wall, the fire illuminating his eyes while the fire light gave him an ethereal look. The two blondes sat in silence, the fire cackling between them. Minutes passed, and soon, the aromatic scent of roasted meat filled the cave, eliciting growls of hunger from both men. Doma returned just in time to hear it, chuckling as the blondes shot him identical glares and set down their canteens next to their bags.
Pulling out a knife, Sabo expertly carved off the meat, separating it into equal portions and handed one each to Marco and Doma. They had both just started to dig in when they noticed Sabo's portion was gone. Noticing their stare, Sabo shrugged, realising what was going through the crown prince's and knight captain's mind. It wasn't the first time people had been… fascinated by the speed he ate at. To be fair though, he had a really good reason for eating that fast.
"We gotta eat fast, otherwise Luffy would steal it. There's also the chance that something might happen while we're eating, so we eat fast in order to avoid such a case. Even though Kureha has warned us many times since eating too fast is apparently a health hazard." he explained. Looking up, his eyes met Marco's for a split second before Sabo averted his eyes again.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you a bit about why we came here," he said, staring into the darkness outside with a faraway look.
"There are two reasons why I wanted to come to Morsky, despite the danger," he admitted. "The first is the cure you seek. The second is a personal matter."
"Why would you look for the cure in this place?" The plague had left its marks on Morsky. In the few villages they had passed, there had been nothing but skeletons everywhere. Marco was no stranger to tragedy, but even then, he had been caught unexpected by the horrid state of the kingdom.
Sabo however, didn't seem surprised at all. His reaction then, if Marco remembered correctly, was more like he had been expecting it.
The mercenary looked like he was pondering whether to answer Marco, and he took so long that Marco thought he was going to brush him off again with a 'It's a secret' like he had done before, but Sabo cut him off just as he was about to speak.
"Morsky… is likely the curse's place of origin."
"How'd you know that… nevermind, it's a secret. I get it." Marco started to ask, only to forego it when Sabo gave him that look.
He's become quite familiar with that look over the past few days, given the number of times he'd been subjected to it.
"Glad you do." Sabo flashed him a grin.
"Such misfortune though, that that is the only thing I'm telling you."
Marco was very much tempted to smack him there and then for his impudence, but ultimately held back because he's a nice person. And yes, he was still irked that Sabo had said he was not nice.
Doma snorted. He was starting to like Sabo a little. If only to see how he easily annoyed Marco.
High above on the roof of one of the palace's many towers, Luffy sat in silence as he watched the setting sun in the distance. An evening breeze blew against him gently, and the ravenhead appreciated the calming effect it had.
It eased his worries a little.
Sabo had left five days ago along with Pineapple -Marco, his mind supplied- on a trip to Morsky.
Luffy would've gone with him, but the king's condition had forced him to stay. Like Sabo had told the royal family, the measures they had taken would only delay the curse and wouldn't last. The time it would take them to return was unpredictable, so Luffy was forced to stay to renew the seal -that was what Sabo said those circles and writings were called back when they were learning it- whenever it weakened, so the curse couldn't continue corroding the king.
Sabo had assured him he would be fine -he was Luffy's big brother after all- and had left Sanji and Zoro with him, despite their many protests. Sabo had tasked him with the king's wellbeing, so he stayed.
That didn't stop him from worrying about his older brother though. It was his right as Sabo's little brother.
That wasn't the only reason though.
Morsky... it was a name the brothers weren't fond of. It brought back memories from a long time ago, and neither of them were happy to be reminded of it.
Yet, the king was under that curse.
Luffy didn't know what to feel. Should he be happy or sad or worried or angry or something?
Before Sabo left, they'd had a talk in private. Morsky's annihilation, while mysterious in others eyes, had proven to be the lead they had been looking for.
No plague could possible do what had been done to that kingdom, despite what the rumours said. No, it was something more than that. Something much more powerful…
And the brothers had a pretty good idea what it was.
However, they didn't tell anyone else, not even Sanji or Zoro. The truth entailed too much, and it was a risk they weren't willing to take.
The brothers would deal with it themselves. No need to involve anyone else.
They wouldn't allow history to repeat itself. This time, they were stronger. They weren't helpless anymore.
Not that all their resolve would be of much use if things weren't as they hoped.
Hopefully, it would be. Sabo had said it would be. And Luffy believed him.
Luffy closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the breeze with more clarity. It cleared his mind, and Luffy opened his eyes again. A familiar presence was nearing him, radiating hostile intent.
For a split second, his eyes changed before they returned to normal.
Then he grinned. It was time to go…
Standing up, he walked to the edge of the roof and peered down. Height to the nearest roof: Estimation twenty-one meters. Not too high.
He jumped.
Just in time, too. As soon as his feet left the roof, Sanji burst through the roof hatch, a fire in his eyes and his foot literally blazing.
Looks like Sanji finally noticed.
"LUFFY!" The blonde cook roared, racing to the roof's edge and following the ravenhead in a similar manner. "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!"
And thus ensued an hour-long game of Catch Luffy across the palace roofs, to which many in the palace watched in amusement.
"THOSE DESSERTS WERE FOR IZO AND ROBIN!"
Note: Rìgh - King
Bhanrigh - Queen
To Guest reviewers: Kindly use a nickname so I know who to address replies to.
Thank you for reading!
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Edited: 1/5/18