Chapter 2: The Worst of Them All
"That was close," Yuki whispers as the four march down the worn gravel path. They all know the forest trek back to town by now. "Kyohei, I wish you wouldn't purposefully try to provoke her like that."
Kyohei laughs at the other's miserable face. "I can't help it; she's just so easy to mess with. You totally missed it. She hissed at me on all fours, like she was a cat or something." He cackles some more.
"We most certainly didn't miss it," Ranmaru replies with a smirk. Behind the bard, glitter seems to fill the air. "You two were rolling on the floor in each other's arms. Wrapped in a tight embrace. And then you reached for her helmet and she reached for you and—"
"Would you seriously shut up?" Kyohei cuts in while raising a fist in the air. He shakes it at the red-headed bard. "That's not what was happening and you know it."
Before Kyohei could go further in his threat, however, Takenaga pushed himself between the two young men. "In any case, that's the third time you broke into the castle this week, Kyohei. And the twelfth time in the last three weeks." He shoots the tall blond a hard look. "I think it's safe to say your 'charge in head first' method isn't the way to go. We need a better plan..." The sorcerer trails off with a small frown on his face.
The three boys, excluding Kyohei, take a pause. Each has a thoughtful look on their faces. They continue the walk back in silence. None of the young men seem know what to do to win over the Dark Princess. They don't know how to turn her into the Chosen Hero once again.
"It is strange though," Yuki starts up again after a moment. The others glance at him in interest, so the cleric elaborates. "She hasn't killed any of us yet." He looks thoughtfully at Kyohei. "She's tried, but she hasn't actually succeeded for one reason or another."
Kyohei smirks while puffing out his chest. "Like that chick could kill me. The day she does, hell will freeze over."
"It is odd," Takenaga agrees, ignoring Kyohei's claim. "Stories tell of how strong and ruthless she is, yet none of us are dead. It's been three weeks, but after those first few attempts, she seems to have lost interest in actually killing any of us. Now she just threatens us and hits Kyohei a lot."
To Takenaga's right, Ronmaru starts chuckling. "Well, I can't say for the rest of you, but my charm must have finally worn her down." He pulls the small lute from his back and strums at the strings. "Last week I played her a song of love and devotion. It's irresistible."
Kyohei raises a brow and scrunches his nose. "You can't be serious."
"Well, it's certainly not your wonderful personality that's winning her over. If you truly want to show the Dark Princess your affection you're going to have to use better tactics than pulling her hair like a 6 year old," Ranmaru declares with a frown. "Honestly, she's never going to listen to you if you don't start being honest."
Kyohei bristles at the bard's accusations. "I've told her, just like I told you: I'm in it for the money. There's more gold for this quest than there are hairs on my head." A shine comes to the young man's eyes as he clasps his gloved hands together. "Imagine how much food I can buy; all that fried shrimp and strawberries." The three companions near him laugh as Kyohei continues on with his list of delectable delicacies.
The four make it to town as soon as the forest clears. It's a tiny and dark place, which is expected for how close it is to demon territory. The forest is the boundary that just separates the town from ravenous monsters. Despite the location, however, business is good due to the number of warriors and travelers that pass by. It's an ideal place to rest up and restock supplies before braving the Demon Lord's minions.
The four reach the inn, but do not return to their rooms. Instead, they head to the attached dinning hall and sit in a back corner. Each takes a moment to raise the hoods from their cloaks and shirts, attempting to hide their faces from the rest of the pub.
It's Kyohei that starts up again once they are all seated. He sighs. "Man, that witch really tricked us on this one. If I had known that bitch would be so stubborn, I wouldn't have agreed."
Takenaga laughs at the rogue's pout. "You couldn't seriously have thought that it would be easy, right? Lady Nakahara was honest with us from the start when she chose us for this quest."
"I think Kyohei was just focused on the money," Yuki chimes in with a laugh of his own. "He probably stopped listening the moment she mentioned the reward."
"I was more interested in the who," Ranmaru confesses with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "The Dark Princess is rumored to have been very pretty once upon a time. Her figure in that amour is already captivating enough. And all that long, black hair... It's very elegant and refined," the bard almost purrs. The other three shiver at his tone.
"Once she was," Takenaga agrees slowly. "But as of now, who knows?" He shrugs the robes across his shoulders. "It's been over five years. For all we know the darkness could have turned her just as dark as her heart. Perhaps betraying humanity disfigured her." The comment makes all four boys pause.
Kyohei breaks away from the tension by leaning back in his wood chair. "Yeah, well, if she just took off that damn helmet, we would at least know the answer to that question."
"Would it matter? I didn't think you would care how she looked one way or another." Yuki gives the rogue a questioning look.
"I don't, but it still pisses me off," Kyohei defends. He proves this by slamming his fist on the table top; the legs of his wood chair hits hard on the pub floor. "She only wears it in front of us. Did you notice? Once, I managed to sneak up on her, but just before I caught her face she threw on that stupid helmet." He crosses his arms with a growl. "She's hiding from us."
Takenaga hums. "I'm not sure if I know. She always has it on when we come find you two fighting."
Yuki nods slowly in thought. "Maybe it is a curse or something, for becoming a Dark Princess. That would explain her not wanting anyone to see her." A small frown comes over the smaller male's face. His big eyes dull and droop. "I hope it's something we can reverse. I feel bad thinking she would have to wear that helmet forever. It can't be comfortable."
Takenaga pats the other on the back of his shoulder. "Well, it could just possibly be she doesn't want us to see her face," he offers.
Ranmaru grins. "Maybe she just doesn't want Kyohei to see her face." The comment makes Yuki smile a bit back.
Kyohei scowls at the bard. "Why me huh? What did I do?"
"Well let's see," Takenaga starts with a raised hand. He counts out one finger. "You keep breaking into her home-"
"It's a demon castle. And I'm a rogue. That's what I'm supposed to do."
Takenaga nods without argument. "And you always attack her guards." He raises a second finger.
"Again, that's what I'm supposed to do."
"Yeah," Yuki cuts in with a nod of his head. "But they're more like servants than guards, don't you think? They don't really carry any weapons. Well," the cleric stops with a gulp. His face pales a bit. "Except for the one with his guts always falling out."
"Hiroshi," Kyohei says.
"What?"
"The zombie with only half his skin is named Hiroshi," Kyohei elaborates. "He's her favorite."
Yuki visibly shakes. His face has gone a bit green around the edges. "It's really gross. And scary."
The whole group nods in agreement.
"What about the other two?" Ranmaru asks.
"There's Josephine and her husband, Sergeant George," Takenaga supplies. "They're the two skeletons that are always hanging around the main halls. They're dressed like they just got married. They're fairly agreeable, as far as skeletons go."
"Yeah," Kyohei sighs. "But there's also two other things hanging around her castle. There's another zombie that's missing skin, but it also doesn't have any legs." The other three make a face of disgust at this news. Kyohei just grins wide and wicked. "His name is Akira. She also carries around this skull called John. I don't think it's alive though." He shrugs. "Or un-alive. However that works."
Yuki shivers in his seat. "I-I've never seen those other two," he whispers. His face is back to an unhealthy pale color. "Wh-where do they...?" His teeth chatter, making it impossible for the cleric to finish.
Kyohei smirks. "They can't move, stupid. Akira has no legs, so he's always in one of her studies. The other is just a skull she likes to carry around. Nothing else. Just the bone."
"It's still super creepy," Yuki squeaks back.
"You do realize that, as a cleric, you can control and purify the undead, right?" Takenaga asks with mild concern in his voice.
"Well yeah," Yuki whines. "But they're still really gross and scary and creepy," he insists. "I don't want to ever go near them."
Ignoring Yuki's growing protests, Ranmaru turns to Kyohei. He shoots the rogue a questionable look, which causes the blond to raise a brow. "You're quite informed about her minions, aren't you Kyohei?"
"So what if I am? I've run into them enough."
Yuki turns to join in the interrogation. "You know all their names," he accuses. "You even know which one is her favorite."
A frown settles on Kyohei's lips. "Well, yeah. It's not hard to figure out. She screeches like a fucking banshee every time I cut him down. Always yelling about how no one does that to her 'beloved Hiroshi.' As if it matters. He's dead. Or un-dead. Whatever." Frustrated, the blond rogue throws his hands up. "She has no problem trying to rip me apart, yet anyone even touches that stupid zombie and she goes crazy. She acts like that thing can't just be put back together again. And it's not like they can even be together or anything anyway. He's dead. Or was. Whatever. I think she values the undead more than the living." He finishes the rant with a growl and sneer.
Takenaga and Ranmaru share a look, while Yuki blinks his eyes wide. Before long, all three of the young men start to laugh. They smile more and more as Kyohei's own lips dip lower on his face.
"What?" Kyohei tries, sounding put out.
Takenaga shakes his head. "I'm sure to the Dark Princess, the undead matter more than the living ever have." There is a grin on his face.
The rogue pouts. "Well, that's just not right. Who cares if he gets all chopped up? She can always put him back together again." He huffs. "She doesn't have to yell and hit me every time it happens. I'm just doing my job here."
The final comment makes all three of Kyohei's companions break out into laughter again. The noise of trio's laughter and the rogue's protests ends up drawing the attention of the other patrons nearby. The rest of those in the dining hall stare at the four, but they do their best not to mind. That is, until one gets up.
He's a bigger man; unlike the four handsome travelers, this man is nowhere near lean in figure. There are muscles all over his body. His outfit and presence hints that he may be a monk, or perhaps even a ranger. He stares hard a the four young men with their hoods up, but none of them look at him. A hard expression is on his face, and he approaches the laughing table with a scowl.
As he nears, the laughter of the other men dies down. Each stares back at the angry monk. With the other's attention on him, the new monk sneers. "You're talking about that betraying bitch, aren't you?" It's an accusatory question.
The young men all frown back, but Kyohei is the one to stand and meet the unwelcomed man's eyes. He glares down at the unknown monk. "What did you say?" The rogue barks back.
"That fucking monster bitch," the monk growls at Kyohei. "You four are talking about her, right? Don't tell me you're actually planning to defeat her."
The scowl on Kyohei's face is hard pressed. It draws his eyebrows together tight and his lips are open to bare straight, white teeth. The table between him and the monk is the only thing holding him back. "Is there something you're trying to imply, bub?" He asks the stranger.
The man huffs and rolls his eyes. "A bunch of pretty boys like you couldn't fight a troll, let alone the right hand of the Demon Lord." He laughs as if the idea is humorous. "Hell, that bitch would kill you all in an instant."
The comment makes Kyohei smirk, but the darkness in his eyes doesn't fade. If anything, it deepens. The air around him seems to get colder. All three of Kyohei's companions scoot away from the table. The rogue leans forward on the table, as if to tell some secret to the stranger insulting him. "For your information, bastard, I've fought her several times. She's tried to claw my eyes out more than once."
"Ha," the bigger man laughs. "You don't expect me to believe that, right? Impossible. That bitch is just shy of a monster."
The smirk on Kyohei's face drops. "You don't know shit about anything," he says with a scowl.
"I know that a pretty boy like you can't fight a monster like that bitch."
On the table, Kyohei's hands clench into a fist. "Say that again." His voice is flat, eyes narrowed on the monk stranger.
"You can't fight-" but the stranger is stopped short by Takenaga's hand coming between them.
"I think that's enough," Takenaga supplies with an awkward smile. It's weak and crumbles a bit on his lips. "Let's just agree to disagree."
The monk huffs and takes a step back, away from Kyohei and Takenaga's outward hand. "Doesn't matter either way," he assures the four. "Because I'm going through that forest tomorrow to kill that freak."
All four companions stiffen their spines.
"W-what?" Yuki whispers.
The monk smirks and crosses his arms. "You heard me." He then turns to the rest of the patrons within the room. They are all already looking at him and the four, the commotion earlier having gained enough attention.
"Tomorrow, my party and I are heading to the Black Castle, and killing the Dark Princess like the monster she is," the monk declares with a raised fist. The patrons around the room all raise their own fist or drink back, cheering for their brave comrade in arms. The only ones who do not cheer are the party of four behind him.
Satisfied with the overall reaction, the monk shoots Kyohei a smirk before returning to his seat.
There is a moment of silence around the three young men. Yuki looks between all three companions with big doe eyes. Ranmaru bites his lips and glances at Takenaga. Takenaga looks back at both of the other males before glancing at Kyohei's face. The other two do as well.
"What?" Kyohei asks, one eye closed and the other squinting at his companions.
"You're not worried?" Takenaga tries.
The rogue scoffs. "As if. He doesn't stand a chance against that woman."
Yuki and Ranmaru share a doubtful look. The sorcerer just keeps staring at Kyohei.
Frustration filters across Kyohei's frame. "Come on guys, seriously? She's the Dark Princess. That ass couldn't even touch her, let alone kill her. Hell, she'll probably kill him within a minute of meeting." He sounds sure enough, but there is a glint in his eyes and a twitch by the left corner of his lips. "It's fine."
"Right," Takenaga agrees, but he drags out the vowel just a little too long to be believable. Beside him, Ranmaru nods his head slowly in agreement. Yuki doesn't look anywhere close to convinced.
"Shouldn't we try and help her?" The young cleric tries still. "What if that guy and his team get the upper hand? Lady Nakahara entrusted us with getting the Hero back safely. We can't just standby, right?" His voice is weak. He sounds unsure of either choice.
The idea of fighting with that monk and his team makes the sorcerer and bard both cringe. Kyohei, on the other hand, sighs and leans back in the old wooden chair. His arms cross behind his head as he shrugs with nonchalance.
"It doesn't really matter to me," Kyohei says.
"How can you say that?" Ranmaru manages to glare at the tall blonde. "We've been put charge of the Hero. This is our responsibility."
"Our job is to get the Hero back to the kingdom."
"In one piece," Ranmaru insists.
Yuki nods. "Ranmaru is right. We have to do something."
Kyohei raises a brow at the other blond. "Even if it means getting punched and beaten by that idiot and his pals?"
Yuki flinches and looks down at his hands. They are shaking just enough for it to be noticeable. He clenches them into fists. "Yes," the cleric replies with resolve. He looks back at Kyohei. "Because, whether she remembers or not, the Dark Princess is still our Hero, and it's our duty to aid her. We promised Lady Nakahara we would."
Kyohei falters as the mention of the noblewoman, but his frown stays in place. He responds by sticking his tongue out at the cleric. "That witch is a huge scamming liar. She tricked me, so who cares what she thinks. And that 'Hero' of yours is ten times as horrible. She could stand to be beaten around a bit."
This time, it's Ranmaru who glares at Kyohei. "How could you say that? She's a girl!"
The rogue raises a brow. "You can't be serious. She tried to hack off your left leg just four days ago."
Ranmaru bristles and Takenaga is the one to mumble back a weak "but she didn't succeed." Neither can look at the rogue though.
Kyohei snorts while crossing his arms. "Who cares what happens to that bitch."
