Ahahaha...Okay I have mentioned this in Prince of Aincrad, but not here. This story is deeply tied to the Prince of Aincrad. This is to help understand Prince of Aincrad by giving a bit of background information. In other words, where the whole idea of the Prince of Aincrad was based off of. This chapter will not clear up anything on the Prince of Aincrad. It's the next two. Again, this story is short and will stay short. and it's pretty sad. Just...sad-ish. Depends on how you look at it.
Anyway, thank you to Invisable Target, Guest, and Sn0wk1tty (both chapters 1 and 2) for reviewing last chapter! Love you guys! :D
We search for a place,
where freedom reigns,
we keep a steady pace,
and ignore the pains.
There is no path to take,
nor road to follow,
a journey to make,
it leaves us hollow.
No end in sight,
yet we remain,
to follow what's right,
not live in vain.
-IronRainDrops
A Sweet Little Brother
Soft clanking of wood against wood could be heard in a small room. A light blue haired teen held an arrow in his hands as he placed his hand made bow on his work table. He inspected the arrow in his hands silently as he turned it over and over, looking at it in several angles. His teal eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a small chip in the arrowhead. Frowning, he picked up a small dagger on his table and swiftly, yet carefully sliced the string that held the arrowhead at the tip.
The teen placed the shaft on his table and got up to find a whetstone. The room was small and had several shelves containing a various amount of materials to make anything. The small space didn't bother him at all. In fact, it reduced the amount of walking to do. Without much of a thought, his left hand swiped up a whetstone and began sharpening the arrowhead. He stood there as he skillfully made a quick work of the chip, reducing it to a sharped end. Once he was finished, he placed the stone back in its original place. As he sat back down, his hand automatically grabbed a ball of string and began to reattach the arrowhead to the shaft.
He worked in silence, not having any reason to make any noises. He could hear the sound of the rustling leaves outside his window and the familiar chops of his brother cutting wood outside. Just faintly, he could hear his brother lightly singing a recognizable song through the closed window. The teen smiled as he wrapped the string around on last time before securing it. He returned the leftover string on the shelf and checked his handiwork.
Knock, knock!
Blinking in surprise, the teen looked up from his arrow and looked at the window. There, standing right behind it, was a blonde haired teen waving at him to open the window. The light blue haired teen placed his repaired arrow on his table and got up to open the window. He pulled the window panes inward and gave the other a stare.
"Sorry to bother you, Yukio, but I need you to do something while I prepare for tonight's dinner." said the blonde haired teen. Yukio, the light blue haired teen, blinked slowly.
"I'm done." he deadpanned in a subdued, quiet voice. Eugeo, the blonde haired teen, was Yukio's twin brother. Although they didn't have the same hair color, they shared nearly everything else. They had the same teal colored eyes, same height, weight, and even facial features. Both of them were practically mirrors. But, there were differences. Yukio had a slightly slimmer build than Eugeo, and barely ever speaks. Eugeo did most of the adult things around their small home, giving him a slightly stronger build. He was older by only a few minutes. Eugeo smiled brightly.
"Great! Just get a couple of herbs, alright? I just remembered that we're low on thyme, and poppy flowers." he said as he leaned against the window sill. Eugeo glanced behind him and smiled slightly when he spotted the bow. "Was there another chip again?"
"Un." was his response. Although it didn't sound like much, Eugeo quickly got the message with a nod.
"Alright, you be careful, okay? And don't take too long." Eugeo advised as he released his hand. Without a word, Yukio turned away from the window. He smoothly picked up his bow and arrow and strode into the living room. He paused at the short row of hooks near the front door. He took his full quiver down and a small pouch for the herbs. He slipped in the arrow and walked right out the door, strapping on the quiver and tying an empty pouch to his belt. Even though he was only picking herbs, it was dangerous to walk around unarmed. He would be foolish to even consider it.
Yukio paused for a moment and looked at the forest that surrounded his home. The birds that usually chirped were unusually quiet. The wind was still but the air was still cold. He pressed his lips together and tightened his grip on his bow. A feeling of unease made him shiver slightly. The forest was strangely silent today. Putting up his guard, Yukio headed deeper into the forest to find the herbs Eugeo asked him to get.
He had paused several times at patches of thyme and picked a few, humming softly to himself as he worked. Yukio knew he had to go a little further to find poppy flowers. As he searched for any sign of red poppy flowers, he practically traversed the forest with ease. After living in that small house for nearly all of his sixteen years of life, he knew the forest like the back of his hand. He even took a bit of pride in himself for it. He walked confidently, strolling over fallen trees, making tiny, short jumps over small steams, and keeping a close eye out for any small animals.
Yukio was about to pass a clearing when he stopped a blotch of red. Although, it was the type of red he was looking for, something didn't seem right. It seemed too…unnatural, and splattered. He turned on his heel and made his way to it.
"…blood?" he muttered to himself as he knelt down to the dried splatter. He reached down and took a pinch of red dirt and rubbed it in between his fingers. The dirt was still slightly wet and blood stained his fingertips. He bit the back of his lip as he looked around. Blood was literally splattered, as if it flew off. The undergrowth was stained with it. Yukio looked up at a tree. He could see a thin cut in its bark and hints of red. He stood up and ran a finger over the small cut and immediately came to a conclusion.
Someone was injured, and by the looks of it, they got away with a serious injury. Yukio's eye caught a glimpse of broken wood. His heart lurched in fear as he rushed over and picked up a broken piece of wood. It was a broken arrow. More than half of it was missing.
"Oh, Goddess Etra." he breathed as he stopped a trail of blood leading away from the scene. Without a second thought, he quickly followed the trail, stumbling over random roots. Several trees passed him and he lost track of how far he traveled. He was too focused on the trail.
And he was scared.
He never had seen so much blood in a while and it never ceased to scare him. Yukio's grip on the broken arrow tightened when he took a short break to catch his breath. But the chance never came when he spotted someone he thought he would never see again. A teen with silk black hair covering his face was collapsed on the ground on his side. A broken piece of wood coated with dry blood jutted from his side in a crude manner. Yukio could barely see the blood on the other teen's black clothing. A long black sword was gripped loosely in the teen's hand. Next to the blade's bloodied tip was a dead wild wolf with its neck slashed open. Another sword was sheathed on his back and glowed slightly. Yukio's eyes widened when it finally sunk in. The broken arrow slipped from his hand and breathed a single name with wide, horrified teal eyes.
"Kirito."
._._.~Two Hours Later~._._.
His sword clanked against his side as Eugeo kicked the front door closed. In his hands was a bucket of fresh water from a nearby river. He only took about ten minutes.
"I'm back!" Eugeo said as he walked to the kitchen and placed the bucket next to the water basin. Knowing Yukio's lack of communication, they developed a weird way of "talking". He paused when he didn't hear Yukio's usual knock on the wall.
"…Yukio?"
He left the kitchen and checked the tiny workroom, finding it empty. Eugeo bit the back of his lip and began to check the whole house, calling his brother's name. The house itself wasn't too small, nor was it too big. It was just enough to accommodate the two brothers and a guest.
"Yukio? How come you're not back yet?!" he called out as he stopped in the living room. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It shouldn't take two hours to pick herbs!"
He was worried now. Yukio never took that long for a simple trip of herbs. Normally, he would be back within an hour. Eugeo frowned and strode over to the door.
"That's it." he said as he reached for the door, pulling it open. "I'm going to—"
He froze at the sight before him. His teal eyes widened with shock and his mind completely blanked for a moment, taking in the horrid sight before him. There, standing before him with a bloody mess in his arms, was his little brother. Yukio's eyes were wide with panic and fear. Two odd swords were strapped to his back and his bow was hastily stuffed in his quiver. He seemed generally fine, if it wasn't for the thing he was holding. The bloody mess in his arms laid so still that Eugeo could've sworn that it wasn't alive. The black clothes were dried with blood, giving it a tinge of red. Eugeo could faintly see a slight rise and fall from the mess. He saw a broken piece of thin wood similar to an arrow jutting out like a sore thumb.
"By the Goddess—" Eugeo began. He was about to ask who or what the heck Yukio was holding, until he finally recognized the swords. Out of all the people he knew, there was only one person that could wield the Elucidator and the Dark Repulser. He immediately jumped into action.
"Goddess-damn, get him inside! Kirito might be internally bleeding!" he told his brother as he rushed away from the door to get the medical herbs he knew he needed. He heard Yukio hurry inside. Eugeo barely spared a glance at what he was grabbing as he hurried. Not even a minute later, he rushed to the kitchen and found Kirito laid carefully on the table. Fortunately, the teen was slightly smaller than the table, giving Eugeo an advantage. Yukio was already grabbing a clean rag and soaking it in water.
Eugeo placed everything to the side and inspected Kirito's side. The wound had already stopped bleeding, but he could tell that the broken arrow was buried deep in his side. He bit his lip and shared a knowing glance with Yukio.
"I'll hold him down." Yukio said softly, yet firmly. Eugeo nodded as he gently wrapped a hand around the arrow. He waited for his brother to place a twisted cloth in Kirito's mouth and pinned his arms away from his sides. Once Yukio was all set, the two looked at each other and gave a grim nod. They both took a breath to prepare themselves.
"One…" Yukio whispered. Eugeo angled his arm to match with the arrow.
"Two…" Eugeo said steadily as he tightened his grip. Yukio gripped Kirito's pinned arms tighter.
"THREE!" They both exclaimed in unison. Eugeo immediately pulled slowly and a loud, agonized, muffled scream rang through and a hundred feet away from the house, scaring several birds.
._._.~A Couple Days Later~._._.
The sunlight from the window streamed though and touched the hand of the sleeping "Restorer". He was in a "bed", which was a cushion, a pillow and a woven blanket, at the corner of their only guest room. Eugeo wasn't the one who suggested the idea, but rather, Yukio's. They did their best to clean up their friend, and now, he looked pretty normal. All the bloodied black clothing was replaced by Yukio's old hand-me-down shirt and a pair of Eugeo's ripped-at-the-knees pants. The blood and dirt was all wiped away. White bandages were wrapped neatly around his stomach and covered various other minor cuts. It took a while, but Kirito's pale complexion returned to his normal tan. Eugeo was shocked to find that Kirito had the damn arrow in an open gash in his side. Both twins concluded that whoever shot Kirito was damn good or had an incredible amount of luck.
Kirito's hand twitched as he finally started to wake up. His face scrunched up in pain as his side burned uncontrollably. He couldn't help the whimper that left him. He blearily opened his eyes slowly and then closed them, trying to figure out where in the world he was. He reopened his eyes a few seconds later and stared at the familiar wooden ceiling above him.
"Wh-at the…?" he croaked. His voice cracked since his throat was dry. Kirito slowly sat up, hissing at the burning in his side. He placed a tentative hand over the general area and looked at the window just right of him. His eyes widened a little when he spotted a familiar pair of teal eyes staring right at him. Yukio was standing near the window with a dead rabbit slung over his shoulder. He seemed to have paused in mid-step since his body was turned in another direction.
Kirito felt his jaw slack as his eyes widened in realized where he was. "Ah."
Yukio didn't even blink as he turned away from the window, disappearing somewhere. Kirito couldn't help but frown, swearing he saw a bit of relief in Yukio's eyes for a split second. The door to his room suddenly opened. Kirito turned his head to see Eugeo holding a cup of tea and a pouch of something in a bowl of a grinder.
"What the hell happened to you?" Eugeo asked, deciding to bombard him with the most straightforward question he had. Kirito forced a smile and waved at him.
"Just doing a restoring ceremony." he answered. Eugeo strode over to his side and plopped himself next to him. Kirito took the offered cup into his hands gingerly, trying hard not to move too much.
"You're an idiot. The last time we've seen you was the day you left to perform the ceremony." Eugeo said with a straight face. He loosened the drawstring and poured its contents into the bowl. Kirito's smile faltered slightly.
"It was only just yesterday." he said, taking a small sip from the warm tea. Although he was calm outside, he was panicking inside. Eugeo managed to keep his expression flat as he began to grind the dried up leaves and seeds.
"That was nearly a week ago, Kirito." he said, grinding the mixture with a little more force than necessary. Kirito nearly choked on his tea and sprayed it out of his mouth, making the other teen glare at him.
"A week?!" Kirito exclaimed, staring at Eugeo with wide eyes. Eugeo frowned and took the tea from his hands and poured the mixture into the cup.
"Uh-huh. The day after you left for your ceremony, we were pretty damn sure you home. But, no. That didn't happen. In fact, Yukio just had to freaking find you by complete accident two days later and scare the living, bloody hell out of us." he said, emphasizing a few of his words. Eugeo stirred the mixture and looked directly into Kirito's black eyes with seriousness. "Now, let me ask you this again. What the hell happened to you?"
Kirito flinched at the tone of Eugeo's voice and looked away. "…the ceremony was interrupted."
Eugeo crossed his legs and pressed his lips together. "They rejected you?"
"No, it was interrupted." Kirito said shaking his head. "There were a few scouts nearby and they saw me reciting the Restoration. I had to abandon it immediately. I tried to make an escape but they managed to injure me."
"With the extent of your injures, I'd say that it was enough to cancel out your magic." Eugeo said with a sigh. Kirito nodded grimly. In the background, they could hear Yukio coming in from the front door and heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"That's exactly what happened. When I fell off the cliff, a forest sprite healed a wound in my leg but not my side. We were interrupted by that guy. The one who murdered Ryoutarou." he said. He didn't even need to say who it was. Eugeo knew him long enough to know his enemies and there was only one he didn't address by their name.
"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" he asked. Kirito clenched his jaw.
"No, not physically." he said. "But he made a deal with me."
"A deal?" Yukio asked from the doorway. Both boys turned to see him without his bow. He was scowling slightly as he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. Kirito sighed.
"If I join him, he will spare all of my friends. I'm not sure if that includes you two. If I refuse, he'll kill me. Although, I doubt he'll keep his word if I join him. The next time I meet him, I have to have an answer." he said. Eugeo and Yukio shared a look of understanding.
"…Kirito, I can't tell you what to choose, but I can tell you this." Eugeo began as he handed the tea back to Kirito. "Do whatever you think is the right way. Maybe, there might just be another way you haven't noticed yet. A third choice."
"A third?" Kirito asked, taking the tea. Eugeo smiled and patted the younger boy's head.
"You'll see." he assured. He gathered up his materials and stood up. "In the meantime, you can stay here until you have recovered. And trust me, I'm not the one who is going to tell you when you're all good to go."
Kirito gave him a questioning look. "Eh?"
"I am." Yukio said with a slightest ghost of a smirk. Kirito forced a smile as he sweatdropped. He suddenly remembered the last time he was injured. Yukio was very scary when it came to recovering. Once he purposely scared Kirito into staying in bed. Kirito gulped at the memory of seeing Yukio's easy smile on his face with a readied bow in his hands at point blank.
"A-ah. R-right..."
._._.~A Month Later~._._.
Kirito pulled his black hood over his head as he entered the village of Trancey. The moon neared its peak as he slipped into the back alley ways to avoid detection. Just recently, Yukio had finally allowed him to leave the forest after he completed the restoration ceremony. Of course, that time he was accompanied by the twins. Immediately after, he left to go home. Not where he was whisked away to, but to his birth town.
He hid in the shadows as people passed by him. He found it a bit strange how there was a bit more people than there normally was late at night, but he ignored it. No one bothered much to give him a second glance as he strode through the streets.
"—heard that The Mother of the Demon Child has committed something again." came a voice from a pair standing in front of a well near a building. Kirito slowed his pace unnoticed, his curiosity getting the better of him. He knew immediately who they were talking about. In this town, there was only one name they ever called his mother. The Mother of the Demon Child. He discreetly made it look like he was going to get water from the well.
"Her? I hardly consider her as a criminal. All she ever did was become a wife of a farmer." said the other, crossing their arms. Kirito pressed his lips together and kept his head slightly bowed as he reached them.
"She gave birth to a demon." The first said harshly. "And that demon is still out there!"
"What? That was fifteen years ago! Do you expect her to do it again?" the second questioned. "Didn't Authorities murder her husband a few months ago?"
"But that's the thing," the first stressed. "The Mother of the Demon Child gave birth to another child!"
Kirito's hand slipped on the rope as he lowered the bucket. Panicking internally, he quickly grabbed the rope before it fell into the well. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and breathed a silent sigh of relief. They hadn't noticed.
"What?" the second asked, shock clearly evident in their voice. "And they killed her husband, knowing that she was going to have a second child?!"
"It seems so. According to the rumors, they're planning to kill the child before it grows up to be like his brother. I also heard that they're planning to give her the same pain of losing everything they loved."
Kirito heard enough. He completely dropped his act and released the rope, letting it fall into the water below. He spun on his heel and dashed in the direction of his home. Fear and dread gripped him horribly when he registered everything. His hood fell away and nobody bothered to recognize him. His vision blurred as he ran. Kirito quickly wiped his eyes and hurried home.
Just nearly a year ago, he visited his parents at the suggestion of his mentor, or second "Mother". He could clearly remember his father's delighted smile and the warm welcome he received the moment he arrived. His mother cried tears of joy that day. He remembered her cupping his cheeks and whispering how much he had grown.
As he neared his isolated home at the edge of town, he just knew he was late. He lost his father and very soon he was about to lose his mother and a newborn brother. He nearly tripped on the stairs as his heart twisted. A brother. He had a brother! Out of all the craziness in his fifteen years of his life, he never once had he expected this coming. He had wondered once or twice of how life would be like if he had a sibling. Would his new baby brother turn out to be just like him? Or would he be a normal child?
Kirito tripped up the stairs of his house and clicked open the door. He slipped inside and closed the door behind himself. With a flick of his wrist, he casted a sealing spell to seal the door shut. He could barely see the interior because of the poor lighting. He shook his head and hurried to the living room.
"Mother! Are you here?!" he exclaimed, not caring if anyone outside heard him. He held up a hand and waved it in the air, muttering a spell. In an instant, a ball of flame appeared in the palm of his hand and lit up the whole room. He froze.
A woman in her mid-thirties stood at the doorway into the next room over. Her dark eyes were tired and had small circles underneath them. Her black hair hung messily from her bun and her figure was stiff and wary. In her arms was a bundle of white blankets.
"Kirito?" she whispered as she took in her son's appearance. She strode into the room and placed a smooth hand on his cheek with relief in her eyes. "Thank the Goddess, you're alive! I received a letter from Eugeo that you were in a horrible shape, but you seem to be alright now."
Kirito seemed to snap out of his stupor and took his mother's hand into his own, holding it at his face. He frowned. "For the time being."
He looked down to the bundle of white and gasped, releasing his mother's hand. A small child was staring up at him with curious black eyes that matched his own. A bit of black baby hairs covered his scalp. Kirito looked up at his mother. "Is this…?"
His mother smiled fondly as she rocked the newborn with one arm and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Kirito, this is Kazuto. Your new baby brother."
A small giggle could be heard as Kazuto reached Kirito with a small, chubby hand. Kirito blinked in surprise and looked to his mother for approval. She nodded and held Kazuto to him. Hesitantly, Kirito dismissed the ball of flame, making the room dark again, and tentatively took the small child in his arms. The moment he made sure that his new brother was held properly, he couldn't help but feel happy. For a moment, he forgot about the fear he had and smiled at Kazuto. He glanced at his mother and he missed the frown on her face.
She wanted to hold both of her children dearly, but she knew that time was short. She was lucky enough for her oldest to suddenly appear. It saved her the time to look for him. She knew if Kazuto stayed with her, he would be killed. There was no one she could trust. She no longer had a husband at her side to support her and protect Kazuto. Authorities took away her foothold to survive. She only had one other option left.
"Kirito," his mother began grimly, "take Kazuto and go."
"Eh?" Kirito asked. He looked at his mother with an incredulous stare. "But he's—Mother, you know what you're asking me, right?"
"Yes." came her answer. "Please, Kirito, for me."
Kirito shook his head. "Mother, he's only a new-born isn't he? He needs you more than me!"
"And right now, he needs you more than me!" she snapped. Kirito took a step back, surprised with his mother's sudden outburst. She took a shuddering breath, and gripped the sides of his arms. "Kirito, I am begging you. Take your brother and leave this place. Never look back, never come back. You of all people should know why I am asking you. Please!"
Kirito winced at his mother's grip, but held on to Kazuto, who seemed to have slipped into a nap. He couldn't tell if he vision blurred as water threatened to drop. "No, I can't do that. I can't—"
"Kirito, please! For once in your life, just do as I ask!" she pleaded. The teen bit the back of his bottom lip and shook his head.
"No, no, Mother, I already told you, I ca—"
Knock, knock, knock!
They both froze as they heard the knocks on the front door.
"Hey! Open the door!"
Kirito hugged his brother to his chest and immediately brought himself back into reality. If he were to leave without Kazuto and his mother, they would be killed without any questions asked. Kazuto was still just a newborn child and his mother wasn't as strong as she used to be. If he wanted to get them both out of here, he would have to be the distraction himself, but his mother would not be willing to run. At the same time, he couldn't leave his mother here to die!
Bang, bang, bang!
"Open up, Goddess-damn! We know you're in there!"
"Kirito, please." his mother began as her grip loosened. The banging increased and the shouting grew in number. "I love you so much, that I can't bear to see you hurt anymore. Don't let Kazuto be a burden you must carry, but rather a reason to live. I know you are still here for the renewing ceremonies and your father and I. I want Kazuto to be your little brother. I don't know if he is normal like any other child or like you, but please. Don't see him as if he is a favor you must keep, or even a promise to me."
Kirito blinked as he felt his mother wrap her arms around him, and not crushing Kazuto, completely ignoring the progressively louder shouts. He heard her whisper in his ear.
"See him as a promise to live another day in this world."
He gritted his teeth as he stood in his mother's arms, holding his baby brother. "…Alright. I'll go."
He could feel his mother smiling as she kissed his cheek and Kazuto's forehead. She backed away and gestured up the stairs to the right. "I wish you well, my dear sons. I wish that you'll have a brighter future from now on."
"I wish you well, too, Mother. May the Goddess have her protection over you." He said in return. With a quick, heart-wrenching nod, he hurried up the stairs carefully to not jostle his little brother. He headed into his room and didn't bother to stop as he silently opened his window. Outside, he saw an abnormally large white tiger sitting on its haunches, waiting for him. Gritting his teeth, he leapt out the window.
The large white tiger leapt into action and caught him with ease on his back in midair. The tiger growled and pawed the ground as it ran across the farm fields, graciously. Kirito settled safely on its back and had a set frown of disappointment.
"Byakko." he addressed, holding on to Kazuto. The tiger, Byakko, perked his ears but didn't answer. Kirito continued. "She asked you, didn't she."
There was no answer. Byakko lowered his ears and picked up the pace. Kirito hugged his brother closely as he felt the familiar sting of betrayal.
"You Goddess-damn agreed with her anyway."
._._.~Back to Kazuto~._._.
He had only awoken just a week ago and he was already getting restless. Kazuto silently slipped on a brown coat he found rather randomly in his room as he wordlessly looked out the window. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he just knew he had to get moving. To where? He was clueless. All he could focus on at the moment was the fact that he needed to leave.
He could remember someone holding him dearly and constantly giving him a promise of something. For the strangest reason, it felt like that warmth had long left him. And by the looks of things, it must have left him suddenly. Kazuto shook his head and grabbed his two swords next to his bed. He strapped them on and headed to the window. He didn't realize that the door was open.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked a voice at the doorway. He didn't bother to look over his shoulder as he opened the window. The familiar voice continued. "You're not well ye—"
"Sorry, but this is something I must do. You're not gonna stop me." Without another word, he leapt out the window from the second floor.
"Wait! Damn it! I'm coming with you!"
Kazuto landed on the ground shakily but he caught himself. He turned to see Asuna jump out to window to land behind him. She dusted herself off and smiled. "Sorry, but I can't just watch my friend go off on his own."
He couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. "Just like old times, huh, Asuna?"
She smirked and placed a hand on her waist. "Just like old times."
Without another word, the pair hurried to the stables and snuck out two horses with ease. Surely someone would've noticed that the horses were missing, but with Kazuto's knack for magic, he easily concealed them. They left the village within half an hour with only their weapons, water, and a bag of food. The moon was their only source of light as they rode into the forest.
The trees seemed to dance in the wind, as if to lead the way. Kazuto veered his horse toward east, not knowing where in the world he was going. Asuna barely said a word as she followed his lead. The wind seemed to have picked up as the trees thinned out to a clearing. Several hundred feet before the pair was a broken down building of some sort. Kazuto slowed his horse to a stop at the entrance. Asuna was at his side and shared a look with him.
"What is this place?" she asked. Her brown eyes scanned the place before her. The brick was old and cracked in several places. Vines had already grown over it and became a home for tens of butterflies, maybe even hundreds. Kazuto shrugged as he dismounted his horse and tied it to a nearby slab of stone. He highly doubted that it would hold his horse, but he didn't have much of a choice.
"Not sure," he began as he approached an arch. He peeked his head inside and noted that the roof was partially caved in. "But something the trees and the winds were leading me here. So, I'm sure there must be a good reason why."
He heard Asuna dismount her horse as he cautiously walked in. The place was overgrown with grass and weeds of hundred varieties. Kazuto suddenly felt at ease the further he ventured. He stopped in front of a beaten, worn, partially opened door and traced a hand over the cracks.
"Hey, Asuna!" he called over his shoulder. "There's a door here!"
Asuna appeared at his side a few seconds later. "This place is really run down. I wonder who lived here before…"
Kazuto shrugged and pushed the door outward. The door swung slowly to the side and revealed a stone room. A circle of some sort was carved into the floor and Kazuto couldn't help but think it was familiar. He took a step in the room and froze, barely believing he didn't notice in the first place.
There, standing in the center of the circle, was a man with a red and white shield.
"Heathcliff."
Ahahaha...That man who wants to kill Kazuto is here! Sorry, for the cliffhanger guys! But hey. It's supposed to be like that...ish. So, um, tell me what you guys thought! I'm planning to end this in two more chapters. So, expect one hell of a twisted ending...
Preview!
He could barely move anymore. His hands refused to grasp his swords. His legs were pinned down and his numerous cut burned him. The world even seemed to fade in and out. Kirito looked up at the sky and grinned forcefully, blood staining his teeth. A sword was raised against him diagonally once more and all he could see was the sky turning into twilight and a pair of burning red eyes intent to kill him.
"And this curse will be the end of you, Demon." he said, smiling. The sword came down.
._._._._._.
Asuna stared at demon before them with wide eyes. "No...that can't be true. You must be lying."
Kazuto gripped the side of his arms as he shook his head in denial. "You were the one who killed Onii-chan?! N-no! It was Heathcliff! Unless you..." Realization dawned on him. "You Goddess-damned monster!"
The demon grinned as its form twisted in satisfaction. "Goddess-damned? Hahaha, I am not damned by the Goddess Etra. I am treasured by the Goddess Amire, her favorite Demon."
:D Later! (And don't kill me)
-CloudyLightning