Series: Knight Tales||Title: Birth of a Knight
Characters: Shou, Barbamon||Romance: N/A
Chapters: 4-9||Words: 1,420||Total: 5,714
Genre: Drama, Angst||Rated: PG
Notes: This is an AU. A nice fantasy one. Written for remi.
Summary: Shou is the only survivor of the bloodthirsty raid on his hometown. Not even Peckmon made it. Desire for revenge keeps him going and the assistance of Barbamon gives him the tools he needs to gain what he searches for. For as Barbamon's Knight and Champion, he can make it all right again.
Forward. Back. To the side, right and then left. Over and over Shou practiced his moves, focusing with laser-like intensity on the placement of his feet and hands. Later he would work on developing strength in his arms and shoulders, strength that would serve him one day on the battlefield. Right now he needed speed and agility.
I can't fail. I won't fail. I won't fail Barbamon-sama. I won't fail my mother. I won't fail Peckmon.
Balance remained one of those necessary components of what he trained for and at the thought of Peckmon, Shou's feet slipped out from under him, not at all helped by the slick grass he worked out on. Rain wept down from greasy gray skies, turning the training field into a soggy, pit-filled mess.
This wasn't even close to the first time he'd fallen today. He stared at the dull green grass in front of him, drawing in breath after harried breath, before he shoved himself to his feet again.
I will avenge them.
That thought rattled around repeatedly in his head. Whenever he grew too exhausted to move, whenever he opened his eyes in the morning, whenever he closed them at night, when the pain of overexertion demanded rest, he held it close and refused to let it go. If he made a mistake, if he somehow failed to do everything right, if he didn't train himself to the absolute heights of perfection, then all of this, his very survival, the oath he'd pledged to Barbamon-sama, would be for nothing at all.
Shou refused to let that happen. He would make it through.
He'd taken little more than two steps once he was back on his feet before he crashed down again. This wasn't due to exhaustion or even a simple misstep. He flipped himself over to see who stood behind him, scrambling to his feet after a breath, knowing better than to let himself be vulnerable. Vulnerable got one killed.
Musyamon stood behind him, arms folded over his chest, staring down at Shou as if the human were little more than a vaguely interesting bug, and not one that would be around for very long.
"So you're Barbamon-sama's new pet human," the Digimon said, eyes scraping up and down over and over. "I don't see why he's wasting time when you'd be more useful doing work you're suited for. Cleaning out the privy, perhaps."
He burst into hideous cackles and Shou could not have wanted to slam a fist into his face harder if he'd wanted to. He breathed in and out, and just as Musyamon turned, launched himself forward, fists flying, intent on bruising at the very least.
Musyamon didn't even look up. Instead, he brought his hand up and seized Shou around the neck, the grip tightening in a matter of seconds.
"You think that you can fight?" Musyamon sneered at him, holding Shou high enough off the ground so his feet barely brushed it. "You're a human. Worse, you're a child! You barely have enough strength to feed yourself, let alone fight!"
Shou seldom missed his voice. Encounters with Barbamon-sama made it happen the most, since he longed more than anything to actually tell his benefactor how much he appreciated everything and how he would serve Barbamon=sama to his last breath.
Right now, he would have given what little he had to be able to scream in Musyamon's face, to silence that mocking voice with one of his own.
Instead, he scrambled harder, his feet battering at Musyamon's legs, his hands wrapping around the hand at his throat, straining to do something, anything, that would allow air back into his lungs. Nothing worked. The harder he tried, the worse he failed, and the tighter Musyamon's grip became, until spots of red and black began to flower before his eyes.
Then he hit the ground again, and when he gasped for air it came, sharp and harsh and welcome into his lungs. He trembled, staring down at the damp brown earth, and soundlessly gasped when Musyamon's foot kicked his side.
"Get up, human. You're useless and worthless. You're going to get yourself killed, especially if you think you can fight like this."
Shou wanted to stay on the ground. He wanted to get up and jam the practice sword – now halfway across the training ground and broken in half – into Musyamon's face.
Another kick and a spike of pain that drove him to his feet as surely as the rage ignited when he'd seen his village ruined and his people slaughtered.
Musyamon nodded, circling him as a beast might its prey. "If you can kill me, I'll let you do it," he said after a few silent moments of observing Shou. "Now try."
Shou didn't wait another moment. Once more he launched himself at Musyamon, hands trying for the throat, knees attempting to hit anywhere they could.
Once again he found himself on the ground, Musyamon casually knocking him there, showing no more concern than if a small gnat buzzed at him. He didn't let Shou rest, either. Another kick. Another promise. If Shou could kill him, he would let it happen.
But Shou couldn't. He couldn't even raise a welt on him. Landing a blow – the one or two times Musyamon allowed him to do so – did almost nothing. Musyamon only smiled at him, finding all of this far too amusing for words.
Shou spent almost all of his time training and practicing. He'd come out here today after breakfast to put himself through his paces. Musyamon interrupted roughly halfway between breakfast and lunch.
By the time he fell to the ground the final time, barely able to move and without a single part of his body that didn't ache and throb, stars littered the night sky.
Musyamon stood over him, calm and at rest and without a shred of sweat on him. Shou no longer knew the difference between his own sweat and the rain. It all soaked him regardless.
"I told you. You're useless. Worthless. Barbamon-sama wastes his time pampering you. You'll never be of use to him."
Shou had no idea of where that last spark of energy came from. But it came from somewhere and he launched himself upward, piledriving his fists into Musyamon's throat as if his own life depended on making the hit. He could feel the flesh under his fingers and he strained to squeeze, to make it count, to prove that he was of use, he just needed to learn.
Musyamon knocked him down one more time and pressed one foot into the small of his back, grinding it ruthlessly.
"Yield, human." Musyamon ground his foot even harder as Shou wriggled underneath him. "Yield."
He beat me.
Part of Shou wasn't surprised. Musyamon had likely forgotten more than he would ever live long enough to learn about fighting. But another part of him screamed to get up, to keep fighting, to find a way to win this no matter what.
Even if there was a way, he had no more strength left to try it. He slumped down, all of the fight draining out of him, and didn't move even when Musyamon's boot left his back. Hot tears of anger and shame pricked at his eyes. If he'd had an ounce of energy left and a weapon to do it with – and if Musyamon had let him do it – he would have cheerfully stabbed the warrior Digimon.
Footsteps. Very familiar ones. He dragged his head up in time to see Barbamon-sama striding closer. For a heartbeat he dared to hope that Musyamon would be punished for this somehow. That hope died the moment Musyamon bowed to their liege lord and Barbamon-sama bent his head in acknowledgment.
Shou forced himself to his knees. He had no idea of how. But he knew he couldn't stay on his stomach, not like that.
Barbamon-sama said nothing to him, only stared measuringly, before he turned to Musyamon. "Well?"
"I think it's a waste of time." Musyamon replied right away. "Not at all worth the effort."
Shou's heart sank as Barbamon-sama nodded. It sank even further when the old Digimon spoke yet again.
"Train him. I want him to be better than you in all ways. Make him a warrior to be feared."
Musyamon tilted his head, then stared down at Shou dismissively. "I don't think that's possible, Barbamon-sama. He's human. You know how breakable they are. Look at him now."
Barbamon smiled viciously. "Do it anyway."
To Be Continued
Notes: This chapter was written for WIP Week, day #6, newest WIP. I may write more later, but I can't say for certain. Also, there are three arcs to this. Chapters 1-3 were Shou meeting Barbamon & swearing his revenge & allegiance. Chapters 4-6 will be his training with Musyamon. Chapters 7-9: you'll see when we get there.
