It was nearly sunset. Kiku had been gone for nearly four hours. Roselita watched as Heracles tapped the window pane every so often as he glanced at the street below Francis' house. Fray bounced around, helping the French vampire bake a loaf of bread. His hands grasped the edge of his shirt, his large dark eyes on the rising bread. Despite the markings on his cheeks, Fray could pass as a human child.
"Heracles," Roselita sighed as she placed her hand over the Greek's, forcing him to sit down. "Calm down."
"Ma cherie, are you a witch? A wiccan, perhaps?" Roselita just winked, dark eyes sparkling. Francis smiled lightly. "The bread will be done in an hour or so~" The door downstairs closed before Francis was done talking. Roselita sighed and closed the book in her hands.
"Poor thing - doesn't realize what's going to happen. Unless he already- nah."
Heracles walked through the town, looking around. "Ah, excuse me - have you seen a boy my age with three tails?" It sounded weird but the man tapped his chin.
"Short lad? Dark hair, dark eyes? Possibly a Japanese fox?" Heracles nodded. "Nope, haven't seen him. Sorry, lad."
"But you described him perfectly-!" The man chuckled, waving his hand.
"I saw him go into that little shop there." He pointed in the direction the shop was in and watched Heracles go that way. He shook his head, walking back into the house he stood in of, a grin replacing the frown on his face.
"Your mate's persistent, you know?" Kiku's hazy dark eyes focused on him for a split second before closing. "Ja, but my master wants you unharmed." An albino stood where the blonde was; the blonde being a mere illusion.
"You're such an idiot! He doesn't want him to be asleep when we get there, the poor dear..." A girl bent down to the unconscious Kiku and sighed. "You did nothing, by the way. It was I that brought his attention."
"Succubus are easy to hire. They're whores. Which would mean you're one too, you know-" She punched him in the face, sending him to the dusty floor.
"As if your kind isn't too hard to hire. Don't look down on me." He watched her throw on of Kiku's arms around her shoulder, her arm around his waist. She disappeared into the shadows. He rubbed his nose and got up.
Damn could she punch.
"I never found him. A blonde man with bushy eyebrows told me where he saw Kiku, but the raccoon-dog there said a fox never came in." Roselita was absolutely mystified.
"Bushy eyebrows? That man left a few weeks ago with his little brother, Peter. He was looking for his younger brother, Eddie. There is no way Arthur is back so soon, Heracles."
"I didn't realize there was a king."
"Ah, him. He came a few months ago and has been king since then. No one knows how he became king so fast, or where he came from, but they like him." Francis turned to Roselita to continue talking as Heracles absently stroked Fray's wild dark hair. The boy had fallen asleep with his head on his thigh.
"We should go to Mar'zell then."
"What? But Heracles-"
"If you will not come with me, then I will go by myself." Rose and Francis looked at each other.
"Spend the day packing tomorrow and take Fray with you, cariño." Roselita sighed.
"I won't be much help in the day, but Rose can help, oui?" She nodded.
"Get some sleep." She took Fray and went into the spare room.
"I really have to go with him? What if he knows what he is-!" Roselita glared at Fray, her dark green eyes even more dark, if that was even possible.
"Cierra la boca, Fray." She pushed him towards Heracles and sighed.
Things would only get harder for them once they reached Mar'zell; a two day's journey away.
Kiku's head hurt. His body ached, namely his wrists. As far as he knew, he was chained up. He lifted his head, meeting the blank crimson eyes of a girl clad in complete black. "You're awake? You've been asleep for a day or so thanks to Gilbert."
"How was I supposed to know he would be affected the drug so much, Masa?"
"The fact that he's a fox-person should be enough for you," She slid down and closed her eyes. "And you're wanted by the king in 3... 2... 1..."
"Beilschmidt! The king wants your arse up in his room!" The albino grumble and stalked out, muttering obscene words under his breath.
"You're a psychic?"
"No. The most I can see if the king's demands, nothing more."
"Then why...?
"He's a collector. And he's got you, the one he wanted. He'll break you and make you his if you refuse to obey him. I had a little brother but he and my mother vanished one day." A raven-haired woman with white fox ears and three tails, the outer two white and the middle black, knelt by the strange girl's side.
"Did you come to check my eyes again, miss Mirai?" While the woman called Mirai checked the girl's eyes, Kiku studied her closely.
"You can't be... Mama?"
The woman simply looked at Kiku with a sorrowed expression.
cariño = sweetie in Spanish
oui = yes in French
cierra la boca = shut your mouth in Spanish
I use Google Translate for Spanish and French, so if I'm wrong, please tell me. ^^
OH, and Masa is fem!Kiku. :D
