6. Dogs are better than People
It was suspiciously heavy.
Too heavy.
The sack he had at his shoulders was too much for his back to carry. Everything would've been easier if that stupid horse didn't run off after stepping in on ice. He was an excellent rider! To have a cowardly horse who unceremoniously threw him was an embarrassment. To the river no less.
The weather was too cold for the normal December chill he expected, making his bum freeze to the bones. Seijuro should've changed first before bravely heading off to save Tetsuya.
And damn that teal head for keeping important things from him. It was never his fault even! It was him who got his eyes struck with ice not Tetsuya yet the Seirin king took it upon himself to avoid him at an unreasonable purpose. 'When I find you, I'll knock some senses into that head.' Seijuro thought darkly before slipping in more ice and into a creek.
He groaned and cursed profanities. Great, he was soaking wet and the cold did not do any better. "Are the gods punishing me?" He says before getting himself out of the river. But then he felt his sack move and open. With trembling hands, he tried to reach out and then-
"Arff!"
"Ah!"
He met aquamarine eyes that shared its owner. The very dog that pounded him and tried to chew his precious gloves off. "N-nigou?"
"Arff! Aarff!" The Alaskan malmalute wagged its tail. They both got off the water and the dog shook itself, making Seijuro groan in disgust at the water spilt at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Aruff!"
"Cold. Cold." He hissed, walking in an odd manner as his pants froze stiff. "There should be a shop around here."
"Ruff! Aruff!" Nigou bit the end of his coat and began pulling him hastily. Seijuro arched an eyebrow but followed nonetheless. No more less than 20 minutes; they reached a small, snow covered shack. The Rakuzan king eyed it before wiping the snow off the sign. " Hmm... Wandering Genta Trading post... and with Sauna?" He leaned down and patted the dog. "Who knew you were useful."
"Arff!"
The duo entered the shop and had spotted a big, gruff man. Judging from the dark blue and white common clothes he wore, he was a rich merchant preferably from Kaijou, Ryota's kingdom. "Big summer blowout" he says in an unenthusiastic voice. Seijuro arched an eyebrow. Summer? Clearly it was past 3 seasons already though the sudden snow storm was unanticipated. Yet judging from the merchandise; they were clearly for the summer. "Half-off swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention!" now that he proudly showed off a bottle of yellow liquid. Seijuro was one step away from yelling at him to read the atmosphere better.
"Ah no thank you. We just need some winter clothes." Nigou then chewed on the red head's boots, demanding something too. "And some dog crackers if you have."
"That would be in our winter department." he pointed at a near empty corner with only a few coats were hanged.
They made their way with Seijuro picking out dry pants and a new coat whilst opening a box of dog crackers for Nigou. "So.. umm, did someone perhaps stop by here?"
"The only one crazy enough to be out in this storm dear, is you"
"Oi, old man! I finished the shift already. Can't you cut me some slack now?"
"And this fellow."
The young man was in a snow suit and heavily covered with the element that could barely see his face. He let down the mask, revealing dark opaque eyes and raven hair. Clearly he looked tired and almost frostbitten. "Takeuchi-san, the ice harvested is at least 500 pounds. You can at least give more that nickels."
"No can do, brat. Summer's in 2 months. That's when you should sell."
"But there'll be hardly ice at that time!" Simple logic.
"Not my problem, Kasamatsu Yukio."
"You have got to be kidding me! Oh man," he ruffled his hair. "That Ogiwara brat's gonna kill me."
"Ogiwara... Shigehiro?" Seijuro immediately approached Yukio. "Excuse me but I'd like to hire you for your services."
"Excuse me?"
"I need to find someone." someone really important to me. "Since you're obviously an ice harvester; I'd need you to escort me some parts in Teiko mountains." Obviously a person who runs away would go for a place of isolation. But the older man narrowed his eyes with suspicion. "Don't worry, I am not a person of trouble. In fact I know you're boss, Ogiwara Shigehiro, right? We're friends." a horrible lie. "If you get help me get to the mountains, I'll pay you a hefty price."
But the ice harvester was still hesitant, especially at the mention of his boss. "Sorry kid, it's obvious you can pay your services but there's no way I'm going out in that raging snow storm." as if the storm heard him, the wind grew more restless. "But I can lend you my horse."
Seijuro thanked him for that but the ongoing storm made him stay and rent a place... at the stable. A noble, no, royalty of his status was highly insulted but for Tetsuya.. he could sleep in the pig stock all night if he wanted too. Plus, the small secluded place could help him remember more of the tainted memories and his... magic.
"Call us if there's anything else you need. " says Yukio, placing warm blankets down. "Also, about Ogiwara-kun-"a loud swish interrupted them.
"You were saying?"
The raven head looked more hesitant. "Ah, never mind. Just be careful who you deal with."
The door closed and Seijuro was more insulted. They may know that, that pathetic excuse of Tetsuya's fiancée who had not even bother running after him the moment the teal head was scared (well, it was his fault for provoking), as someone of high status but he was a KING. King of the most competitive and resource rich of all kingdoms surrounding Teiko. He had just yet to keep his identity secret to not let anything that happened out of Teiko's gate UNTIL he clears Tetsuya's name... and magic. He could never get use to that word yet it seemed it was him in the first place who told the teal head of that word.
He hastily removed his left hand glove, and the tingling he use to always suppressed now forms small red flakes and then, it hardens to ice. "Did you see that?" he turned to Nigou and dog's eyes were fixated on his hand before barking out loud. "Wait, why do I talk to you like you understand me in the first place?" more barking and Siejuro palmed his forehead. Oh well, he at least he preferred his company unlike his owner. His owner was a switch, one minute he was flirting (Tetsuya completely oblivious of that) teasing him, welcoming him with false sense of rekindling friendship and the next he shows off that flamboyant fiancée like a door slammed on his face after he confessed his love.
Fortunately, he said that he LOVED Tetsuya and knowing the teal head, he could interpret that as any other ways like familial love, bromance or whatever the hell was inside his mind.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Seijuro then noticed that the ice grew and became sharp and darker. His eyes widened and immediately wore the gloves back. As if the glove was mystical; warm sensation overcame the growing ice. "Maybe this was why Tetsuya hid it from me. UNLIKE him, I can't control it. Yet it was a petty reason, don't you think so?"
"Aruff!"
"Glad to see you agree with me." His eyes darted at the sack. "But do tell me what other wonders have you bought with you." Inside the sack was a pouch of the gold left, some meat in strips, rope and... a heavy book. "Why on earth-? Did you seriously pick this up?" the dog nodded and Seijuro sighed heavily. Maybe the dog was trying to bride his owner back? Tetsuya was indeed fond of books since he OBVIOUSLY has a lot of free time during their stay in Teiko.
Nigou as if he read Seijuro's mind, barked and chewed the end of the book, trying to flip it open. Only then the red head was aware of the contents. "BEWARE THE FROZEN HEART" was an old Seirin legend but now considered a simple children bedtime story. There was suppose to be a play if Seijuro recalled before he provoked the newly crowned king. "You want me to read this?" He looks at the dog warily and Nigou barked in approval.
The first pages contained to stained glass drawings of clearly a girl with dark maroon hair and gold eyes, dressed in layers of blue that did not suit her and a butler on her side with eyes shades of violet and dark, inky hair. 'Kine Sayaka I, Queen of Rakuzan' now that got the red head aback. The Kine family were the ancestors of his mother until the Akashis took over the throne in hand of marriage. He never knew Rakuzan had anything to do with Seirin history turned legend. This was probably the only book that contained this and no doubt Tetsuya and the old king knew. Maybe the real reason why the teal head kept distance from him was also found here.
"Around 500 years ago when the kingdoms have not yet united, Rakuzan stood among all and was only then recognized the best during the reign of Kine Sayaka. Though many have been restless, vying the young queen's attention in hand of marriage, none had ever won her heart. Kine Sayaka was nicknmaed 'The frozen heart' due to her cold demeanor and lack of affections towards others. Making up for it; she was gifted with intellect of politics and war, beauty that none could match and perfection in every field of art. Her majesty was 14 when she was crowned as her parents had passed away due to murder. This was believe to be the reason of her isolation from the other kingdoms." Seijuro flipped the other pages to skip the history of her growth and more surprises kept coming his way. The next picture was the queen and her trusted butler named Kuroko Tetsutya. "She was closest to the child servant who was sold to them to keep peace after the offense of the previous Kuroko aristocrats." once again, this caught the Rakuzan king's attention. This was never, and he mean never, mentioned in the books he had read.
"Their future is bleak
All kingdoms will splinter
All land shall be cursed
With unending winter
With blasts of cold will come dark art,
A fire extinguished, breaking them apart
And comes a ruler
With a frozen heart!
Then all will perish in snow and ice!"
Unless she is freed with a sword sacrifice!"
Truth to be told, the Kine ancestors had been offended when the Kuroko household refused to aid in the earlier war. Both families had disputes for years and one of the trolls, which are creatures to have assisted people born with gifts, had cursed them with a prophecy and threatened them to end the war so it won't come true. Thus they ended the civil war and this Kuroko Tetsuya was offered to serve the queen as a peace offering and sign of loyalty. "More like mockery." says Seijuro with disgust.
"What they had not known is that her majesty was the one born to fulfill the prophecy. Fate decided can never be undone. She was cursed with the power of ice, said to have awakened late during her isolation and the taunted title became real. Though the cause of her secret being spread was unknown, she was deemed a threat and had set the new built kingdoms around her in a blizzard, causing food shortage and depression. Scared straight, she ran away from home and was missing for months. Guards were sent all over to find her but came back with injuries, declaring the queen had harm them in the most inhumane way possible. There had been war all over the place, the kingdom and the throne but her trusted butler had promised to bring her back."
"As it turns out, the Kuroko family was from the line of sorcerers. Kuroko Tetsuya posses the abilities to help the queen suppress her powers. Weeks after his journey; the storm died down and Kine Sayaka's name had been cleared. In return, Rakuzan had been entitled to help support and build the main kingdom; Teiko. From then on, people who had practiced sorcery had been accepted."
It was suppose to be a happy ending but the pages didn't finish yet. "However, when outsiders had attacked to exterminate all who had magic, another war broke out. Kuroko Tetsuya was later killed." Seijuro cringed, not wanting to think that the same could happen to his Tetsuya. "Kine Sayaka unleashed the most powerful blizzard and snow made soldiers, murdering all the enemies. Her power was too strong and anyone who tried to stop her was frozen and at an un-reverasable cause. According to the trolls; ONLY AN ACT OF TRUE LOVE CAN THAW THE FROZEN HEART. It was an unsolved riddle and time was running out. For the last resort, they snapped Kine Sayaka to her senses and the queen..." the red head gulped. "Stabbed herself with a sword. Only then, the blizzard ceased."
For a cause, the writer indicated that everything followed according to the prophecy. Another page was the prophecy and a theory that the queen was in love with her butler and the death devastated her, making her heart completely frozen. Other pages were maps to the 'trolls hideout' and towards Seirin. This was considered a Seirin legend because where the two died marked where the rest of the surviving Kuroko's lived and rule whilst cutting ties with Rakuzan completely. Since this book was obviously its only copy, the ties of Rakuzan and Seirin was normal to the present day. But Seijuro read between the lines.
"So this was why he avoided me." he says in a blank tone but deadly aura he emitted was present. "He didn't want the two of us meeting the same fate." In honesty he didn't know how to react. Angry? Why would he, when obviously both didn't want each other to die. Sad? Pissed? Wanting to cry?
No emotions surged through his heart. He only felt numb and as if he was suffocating. Seijuro had learned so much today and it was overwhelming... perhaps in a bad way.
He loved his childhood friend.
(He wanted to be given another chance of closure.)
He confessed to his childhood friend.
(He said loved but the feelings are still there)
His childhood friend has a fiancee.
(Ogiwara Shigehiro is a butt)
His childhood friend has powers.
(Blue fire. The one that always soothes his emotions)
He has powers.
(Red ice. Beautiful and dangerous)
His childhood friend prevented him from remembering for their sake.
(He provoked him now he ran away to god knows where)
His childhood friend's ancestor died and he might follow.
(They will follow the same fate if he continued to chase him)
A tragic history might repeat itself.
So what now? He either drags Tetsuya back to Teiko, clear their names, reveal their powers and then people outside the kingdoms will deem them a threat and a war starts. Tetsuya of course would hand himself over but Seijuro has no plans of letting the teal head die. He will fight to the death for Tetsuya? Definately. Or he could go back and declare him missing and then dead, everyone rest assures and sorcery will be out of the picture. Tetsuya lives in solitude once more and he goes back to Rakuzan and live his life. NO FREAKING WAY.
"Aruff! Aruff!"
"We can't do anything about it anymore, Nigou. Tetsuya gets hurt either way and the choice we should choose would obviously be the lesser pain that we could inflict him."
"RUFF!" the dog's bark got louder and so did the snow storm. "Everyone out there will beat you, cheat you and stab you in the back. No doubt your master had and will experience this again." he absentmindly thought. "Dogs are better than people, don't you agree?"
No reply but Nigou pushed the book open to reveal the page with the trolls and the words ONLY AN ACT OF TRUE LOVE CAN THAW THE FROZEN HEART. Seijuro raised an eyebrow and sighed before slowly closing the book once more. "I am not convinced that Tetsuya has a frozen heart."
Seijuro changed into the much preferable traveling clothes (no more of the coat) of his thick blue dress shirt and black vest and dry pants before dozing off a bit. When the snow storm ceased and the duo took on the horse and rode away. He doesn't have a plan but he is certain that he cannot leave Tetsuya alone. Not again.
Sorry for the late updates but let it go will definitely follow tom or the day after. Though I apologize to the readers because the duo will not sing, just interpret the song. I really apologize for this disappointment, I just can't write them singing, not yet. I will however promise a bonus crack fic of them singing it just not on the next chapter. But I do thank you guys for responding on the last chapter's question.