She knew she was still more prisoner than guide.
After Maka had signed her blood under the Queen's ink, she had been promptly taken to a cell, where she had sat for three days. She had been told it was because her travel party was being gathered, and she wasn't trusted to be let loose on the grounds. "Dwellers have something unnatural about them," The horrible little man who ran the dungeons spat at her, "Something wrong in the eyes, the very life in the plants would try to let you escape. No light? No hope for a Dweller." Maka was punished for the punch she sent into his pointy nose through her bars, but she hadn't regretted it.
When the sun broke on her fourth day of captivity, her cell was opened. Before her, a young man stood, no older than her, in the finest black velvet and subtle marks of his wealth, most of it focused on the identical rings he wore on each hand. His hair was striped, half white across his head. His gold eyes looked down on her, a practiced tilt of his head, but he only regarded her with curiosity, not disgust. A young noble if she ever saw one, and if she wasn't wrong, a prince. "Which one are you? Asura or the younger one?"
"The younger."
"Ah, the Kid."
"I share my father's name."
"And until your father dies, you will have no name." Maka glared up at him, but he didn't take her bait, didn't rise to her obvious challenge. He was a leveled headed boy, that much was made certain to her. "Why are you here?"
"My mother has commissioned me to join you in your search for the missing rune, and to insure that you actually return with it, once you lead us into the forest."
"She's given plenty of incentive to return."
"And a bit of steel at your neck is just a little bit more." The prince explained, leaning against her door. "We'll be leaving tomorrow, around dawn. I came to warn you, so you'll be prepared. You can pack up your things-"
"I have no things." Maka scoffed and recrossed her legs. "But thank you, your princely courtesy really does warm my cold heart."
Kid regarded her for a moment, then left her cell, the door slamming shut behind him. Maka watched the way he let his eyes rest on the other shadowed bodies in the surrounding cells. No one spoke out to him, no one asked for mercy. They knew that family didn't show mercy, and even the weaker son wouldn't give them a second thought. Besides, the dungeon master was a cruel man. No one felt like invoking his wrath. "I hope you find this process a relaxing journey, Dweller, I would hate to have to kill you."
"I would hate to leave you for dead in the middle of the Forest, but sometimes we have very little choices in these matters."
The Prince smiled at her, and moved to walk back towards the light, towards freedom. "I'll see you soon Dweller. We'll all make it through this." She didn't answer him, eyes following him as he walked away.
Interesting. The Queen was risking her second born son on a journey with a Dweller. Maka didn't know very much about the royal family, but she didn't think the best way to protect the bloodline was to throw her son into harms way like she was.
The dungeon master appeared in front of her door, his grin wicked as he leaned against her cell door. "It seems our time has been brought to a close."
"Shame."
"Well, we can still have fun."
The Prince was waiting for her just as the sun began to break across the sky.
Her wrists were bound, and kept on a rope in the dungeon master's fist. She hobbled behind him, ignoring the way the Prince lifted his eyebrows at the cut on her lip, and the bruise on her face. She watched the way he put a story together in his head, and he regarded the dungeon master. "What happened to the Dweller's face?"
"I would imagine she fell against her cell door, I don't know, how many times love?"
"Choke on wine and die."
"Three. Three times. But here, as you requested! One Dweller." The old man leered at her, then handed the rope over to the Prince. The Prince looked as if he was going to say something but in the end, he sighed, and gestured behind her. Swiftly, her legs went out from under her, and her world tipped. She cried out, but her back never connected with the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was face to face with the Hell Child. She tried to jump away, but his grip just tightened. Maka snarled at him, but he only returned the noise. His hands on her made her skin crawl, and she wanted nothing more than the Hell Child to release her. Normally she would try to have more patience with a half blood, considering her own path, but a Dweller wasn't like a demon. And a demon bastard was worse than a Dweller.
"Stop. I'm trying to put you on a horse, unless you want to walk the whole way, Dweller." His eyes were hard when he looked at her, not like they were in the woods. She shivered, and let him hoist her up on a horse, a beautiful black creature that scared her a little. She couldn't ever afford a horse, so she hadn't spent very much time on them. The beast moved forward, coming to rest by the prince's side. She watched him tie her rope to his saddle.
"This is so, if you try and take off, you'll just end up ripping your arms off." Kid explained to her, as though he were discussing the weather. Maka just turned away from him, peeking over her shoulder. The Hell Child and his horse came sauntering up behind them. He was scowling, his knuckles white on the reigns. She regarded him a moment, the bow on his back and the several sets of arrows he had secured to his saddle. He really must be a hunter, and if his posture told her anything, he didn't want to be on this trip anymore than she did.
Why was the Queen sending her son with a Dweller and Hell Child? Neither of those names were kind, and neither of them were fit to stand near royalty, let alone be tied to their saddle. With every new piece that fell into place with her new predicament, the more she was convinced that this was how she died. How unfortunate to have to face one's mortality with their hands bound on the back of a dangerously powerful black beast.
"Hey, what's my horse's name?"
"What? I don't know. It doesn't have a name." The Prince shrugged "Ready Dweller?" and flicked his reigns, sending them on their way out the gate, and back towards the Forest. Maka sighed, slumping over in her saddle.
She and the beast had something in common.
She may not be a fan of horses.
The constant motion of the beast beneath her, the silence of her travel companions, she wasn't enjoying her time bound to the Prince's saddle. After nearly four hours of travel, the Prince pulled them over to a stop in a small village.
"Why are we here?" The Hell Child asked, pulling his horse to a stop on the opposite side of her.
"I'm here to pick up a purchase, it won't be long." Kid dismounted from his horse, and brushed off his cloak. "Keep an eye on the Dweller."
The Hell Child looked at her then, frowned, and looked back down. Maka tested her bonds once more, trying to wiggle her way free. A rock came and hit her between the eyes, and she howled, trying to pull herself loose more. "Stop trying to escape."
"You put me here."
"I have my reasons."
"I really don't care. I was free, and now I'm stuck here."
"Well, now we're trapped together." The Hell Child mumbled under his breath, and Maka sat back in her saddle. Ah, so he wasn't here by choice either. Maka tried to grab the rock from her lap and throw it back, but it ended up hitting Kid's horse, who just sent her a mean look. The Hell Child rolled his eyes. "Dweller, what's wrong with you?"
"My name is not Dweller."
"What is your name?" He asked. She only looked down again, and he sighed. "Then you'll stay Dweller."
"What happened to Little Light?" She scoffed, and he shrugged again.
"I could call you that too, I suppose. But Dweller is easier to say-"
"Do not call me Dweller." She snarled at him, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't that what you are?"
"Do you go by Hell Child?"
"It's what they call me, sure. But it's not my name." He shrugged, stroking his horse's mane. "My name is Soul."
"What kind of name is that?"
"You don't even have a name."
"...Maka."
"What kind of name is Maka?" He shot right back, and Maka clenched her jaw. Her father told her that her name had been written on her arm, some strange fae word that he was constantly worried he was mispronouncing, but he kept her name as it was. She never told anyone where it came from, or what it meant, and now certainly didn't seem like the time.
"Mine." She whispered, looking back down at her ropes again. The Hell Child stared at her again, then looked forward, to the village.
The Prince was returning to them, another figure following him. Another man, tall, with shocking blue hair, and covered in scars. Maka swallowed her fear, pulling into herself. As soon as Kid and the blue haired man got closer, Maka's suspicions were confirmed. There was a star shaped scar on his shoulder, long since healed. Star Clan.
Why had they tracked down the sole survivor of the Star Clan!? Why was he here?! The Star Clan had been slaughtered around the time she had been born. They had been a band of murderers and thieves, barely tolerated in the kingdom. However, the final breaking point for the Star Clan had been the mass murder of the Nakatsukasa Family, at the wedding of the head of the family's eldest son. There hadn't been any survivors that Maka had heard of, just the infant boy who had been spared the slaughter.
Although, the slaughter may have been the better way to go. The boy had hard eyes, they told her where he had been, and what had happened to him. Now he was sent on the ever more obvious suicide mission with the rest of them. Maybe this had been the Queen's plan all along, get rid of all the undesirables in her kingdom in one quick sweep. The Prince met her eyes when he got close enough and he gestured for her to scoot forward. "You'll ride with the Dweller. Keep her from escaping."
Maka's protests went ignored as the Star Clan Survivor mounted the horse, settling in behind her. His body was lean, and he smelled like hay. Simple farm worker, at best. He may have followed the Prince's orders, but he was oozing tension off him like a spell, his jaw clenched tight as he watched Kid return to his own horse. Soul was watching the Prince too, the look on his face incredibly displeased. He must know something that she didn't.
There seemed to be a lot of that going around.
The Prince, for all his high education, wasn't very good at reading the land.
Maka felt she was in no way inclined to mention to her captors that their leader was taking them the long way back to the northwest corner of the forest. She was in no rush to her face her demise, and she was getting used to the horse. The Hell Child knew too, Maka could tell. Every step they took in this direction took them nearly three day's travel longer than if they cut through the old Fae tombs.
Kid took very little mind of his surroundings, eyes mostly on his map. Around him though, Soul was constantly scanning the area, lazy eyes never stopping anywhere too long. The Star Clan boy was doing the same, except he would zero in where he heard something. Between the two of them, she figured she had a decent chance of outrunning the Prince if they got attacked, as long as she kept her eyes on her captors. There wasn't much else to do besides watch them. She made it her new hobby to figure out their faces, their habits. They were still so far from the Forest, and it would take them nearly a month to get there, longer if Kid kept up his terrible directions. There was plenty of chance to sneak away in there, if she kept looking for an opening long enough.
When the sun started to dip beneath the trees, the Hell Child finally spoke up. "Are you plannin' on stopping soon? Can't imagine anyone we pass from here out will very, high society, Highness. We should make a camp soon."
"There's a tavern three miles up."
"Tavern?! Are you mad?!" Soul spat, and then seemed to remember himself. "Highness, the chance of a brawl, or someone recognizing you, or-" He eyed Maka, and she growled at him. "I don't feel like chasing our dear guide in the trees. Those are her territories after all."
"Oh." Kid turned to look at her. "You wouldn't run off, now would you?"
"You a gamblin' man?" Maka grinned, and behind her, she could feel the Star Clan boy snicker, only the slightest movement of his chest against her back. Kid frowned at her, and looked at Soul.
"I'm sure you could tie a knot to secure her to the post of her bed. We'll have food sent up to her. Come on, I could use an ale." Soul sighed, but he followed, glaring at the back of Kid's head. Maka groaned, not enjoying where this night seemed to be headed.
Land and power and estates were tempting, but nothing, not even her dream was worth being a prisoner.
They weren't as noticeable as she had hoped.
Kid did end up possessing half a brain, changing into more common clothes, and settling into a slightly more relaxed persona. Soul kept his hood up, keeping his eyes in the shadows. Maka didn't know too much about Hell Children, but she figured the general consensus in the villages was the as with Dwellers. Blood from a demon father was just as damning as being a demon themselves.
Around the same time the humans chased the magic users into the Forest, the demons came. Maka had never once met a demon, they usually avoided the Forest too, their presence in the woods tolerated, but not welcome. The Hell Children, like her captor, they were the children of a human mother and demon father. The demons would come through small villages, and take lover after lover, then suddenly disappear, leaving behind a crew of red eyed children behind them. When the humans had figured out what was going on, the King and Queen issued a decree that all unnaturally born children of Hell would be slaughtered, in an attempt to try and retake the villages. The slaughter itself included many human women, desperate to protect the only child they would ever bear. Being with a demon usually cost the woman her ability to have any more children.
She hadn't been alive for that slaughter, but after Hell Children who weren't discovered were hidden away, at the risk of swinging from a rope in the Queen's garden. So to have a Hell Child wear the King's brand? Maka couldn't believe it. Soul should be a sickly adult hidden away in his mother's attic somewhere, not out in public. Not working for the family who would just as soon hang him and his mother for their amusement.
She wondered how strong his connection to Hell was. She had heard Hell Children walked in both worlds, one eye to the sky and one eye to the suffering. Many Hell Children were able to describe what a demon's true face looked like, or sometimes they could even possess people, but Maka had only heard rumors of that, and Most Hell Children were killed before such power could even manifest. But here this one stood, having at least 22 summers. The Hell Child turned to meet her eye, then looked back down at the ground, eyes hidden under his hood.
Maka and her Star companion stood behind them both, her rope and binds concealed under her cloak. Her eyes were bored when she looked at the innkeeper, but he passed right over her. No one ever gave too long a glance her way, perk of being a woman this close to the castle. She was basically invisible here. Keys and coins exchanged hands, and she was being dragged upstairs. Kid stopped at two rooms at the end of the hall, and handed Soul a key. "Here, for you and the Dweller, you can keep an eye on her tonight."
"..." Soul looked at the Star Child, then back at Kid and shrugged. "Alright. If that's what you wish." Kid nodded, and Soul opened up the door to the room. Maka walked in, and she was watched by Kid while Soul secured the end of her rope to the post on her bed. Kid nodded his approval, and bid them goodbye, heading to his room. Soul watched the door for a moment, then sat down on the bed across from her, setting his bow against the wall.
"What happened to your lip?"
"I got smacked around." she muttered, eyes narrowed. Soul blinked at her, then reached for her wrists. He cut the thicks knots, and released them. Maka didn't dare breathe, this wasn't freedom, she wasn't that stupid, but it might be a reprieve. He took the rope that was left, and tied a loose slip knot around a single wrist. It wasn't loose enough that she could get out of it without popping her hand from it's socket, but as long as she stayed close to the bed, it wouldn't be constricting.
"Who smacked you around?" He spoke again, a record number of words from him so quickly. Maka regarded him, wondering what he was getting out of this. She rubbed her wrists and sat up on her bed.
"The Dungeon Master. The man with the pointed nose." Maka answered, hands becoming fists. Soul nodded slowly, and stood up again. He walked over to a chair, pulling off his cloak, and jacket.
"...Did you smack him back?"
"I did. A couple times."
"...The other prisoners suffer like you?"
"They weren't as mouthy as me." Maka muttered, stretching out her arms, a cascade of pops following her movements. "But he was a bit of a Dweller hater, that could have had something to do with it."
The Hell Child nodded, running a hand through his hair. When it finally came to settle against his skull again, it was wild. His pupils were a little bigger than she had seen them, and he looked out the window like he was trying to find something out there. "Blood ain't no reason to die."
She didn't say anything, just watched him open the door and sigh. "I'll bring you some food okay?" He closed the door behind him, and she relaxed. Finally, a break. She rested against the backboard of her bed, looking around. They were on the second or third floor, there was no way she could just hop out the window without serious harm to herself, and she was rather hungry. So, she would be good tonight.
Beside, the Hell Child had given her enough room to reach the couple of books on the desk in the room, and for that, she was grateful.
When her food finally came, it was the Star Child that brought it.
He came in unannounced, a plate of meat and potatoes in his hands. Maka looked up from her book, mouth watering against her will. He came in and set it in front of her, then went to leave. "Wait, wait. I didn't get to ask you, what's your name?" she called to him before he could walk out.
He looked back at her, and shrugged. "I don't know. Never really had one that stuck."
"Oh, well...what should I call you?" Maka asked, and he shrugged again.
"Most just call me Star Killer."
"That's a little bloody for my tastes." Maka offered a small smile but he didn't take the bait. "Does Blake work?"
"The hell kind of name is that?"
"Knew a boy by that name once. Good lad. Little dumb, but good." Maka decided to withhold the information about Blake being one of the children lured into the Forest by the Fae. This silent brute had the same scowl Blake had. "Does that work?"
"I'll answer." He muttered, and Maka smiled. Blake reached for the door again, but he paused. "Who are you?"
"Maka."
"You're a Dweller."
"Half blood. But yeah."
"...So we're going to the Forest."
"That's what they tell me."
"...What are our chances?"
"...I've never been in. I've been on the run from it. I couldn't tell you."
Blake nodded, a small smile finally on his face. "That's honestly the best news I've heard all day." He gave her a nod before he took his leave, and Maka started in on her food. It wasn't anything special, but it was warm, and the helpings were generous.
She wondered which captor of hers ordered for her, and which ones were actually captors at this point. Blake, he was clearly a slave, and she was a Dweller, and the Hell Child? With the second son of the King? Maka shoveled more food into her mouth, resuming her place in her book. Today was not the day to escape, today was the day to rest.
She had a real bed, warm food, and the Hell Child wasn't here. She didn't like the idea of sharing a room with a man she hardly knew, let alone a captor. The candle burning on the desk was getting low, and she didn't even hear a stir in her room, or the surrounding ones. Wherever the men were, they weren't near here.
Part of her wanted to stay awake until the Hell Child came back, and she could account for where he was, but it also seemed a fruitless effort. The Hell Child was more distrusting than she was, and if she was trying to watch him fall asleep he would never do it, then they would both lose sleep over nothing. That idea sounded incredibly unappealing, especially with another long day of out of the way travel. Maka pulled back her covers, and got comfortable in the bed. She slide the book under her pillow, inches away from the tips of her fingers.
It wasn't a weapon, but it was better than nothing.
When the Hell Child woke her, he did it from a distance.
He didn't call her name, he simply gave one corner of her bed a good kick. Maka shot up, arm up ready to defend herself, but he merely regarded her, jerking his head towards the window. "Sun'll rise soon. Let's get moving."
She sighed, getting out of her warm bed and searching for the few layers she had felt comfortable shedding before her sleep last night. She tugged on her dress, and looked at the Hell Child. He was taller than her, by quite a bit, but he was lean, thin. She caught his eye, and she practiced giving him a smile.
"What."
"Since I foresee this day being spent on that poor nameless beast again, would you give me a pair of your trousers?" She left it at that, a passing thought. She didn't want him to read too much into the request, but the day spent straddling a saddle had brought a horrible chafing against her legs, and she wasn't keen on spending another day hurting herself. The Hell Child's back went tense, his breathing almost stopping completely but he nodded, handing her a pair.
"You need a shirt?"
"Huh? Oh, no, I'll fashion one out of this." She tugged on her dress and stood. "I'm going to change now." She gestured towards the knot that held her to her bed, and Soul gave her a long look, trying to decide her odds of escape if he left her unbound and alone. Finally, he undid the knot and took his leave, sending a final warning glare at her.
He was a cautious little half demon, she would give him that.
It took her a moment, but she finally found a way to make her underclothes resemble a proper shirt, and she pulled on the Hell Child's were at least a few inches too long, and she rolled them up before shoving her feet back into her old boots. She opened the door, and the Hell Child was leaning against the jamb, looking at her over his shoulder. "...You ready?"
"I suppose."
As far death sentences go, at least this one had a view.
She didn't mind that she had to share a horse with Blake. In fact, it gave her someone to talk to. She may not be particularly friendly, but she was a social person, and the day of silence before had dragged on her nerves like she couldn't believe. Blake was at least willing to whisper with her.
"You lived by the Forest?"
"Aye. But I'd been putting a fair amount of distance between me and it, working odd jobs, doing what I could." Maka explained, and the Star Child scoffed, and picked up one of her hands.
"Look at those little callouses! You could've been a seamstress!"
"How dare you! I was a blacksmith's apprentice for a while!"
"I don't believe a word out of your mouth girl, you ain't strong enough to work with a blacksmith!"
"I most certainly am! I could throw an apple to your head, and you'd find yourself unconscious!"
"If you were to hit me this close maybe, that's not impressive." The farm hand scoffed at her again, and Maka glared. She looked ahead of them, where the Prince was discussing something with the Hell Child, all hushed voices and urgent whispers, and she grinned.
"Bet you I could knock out the Hell Child from here."
Blake let out a low whistle, but there was a smile on his face. "That would be quite a test of force. But I don't believe you have the skill. I saw how badly you aimed that rock when the Prince bought me."
"My hands were bound!"
"And he was only a foot away! You won't hit him now."
"Well then, it'll be worth it even if I fail."
Blake didn't answer, but he did reach in the pouch on his side that housed the apples for their horse. The beast nickered, and Maka pet his neck. "Shhh, you'll get one next, I promise." Blake placed the apple in her hand, and she waited a moment, making sure the Hell Child was deeply engrossed in his conversation with the Prince, and she raised her arm.
Immediately, Soul reached for an arrow, and he bent backwards, and had the arrow loose before Maka could even throw forward. The arrow went through the apple, pinning it to a tree behind them, and Soul glanced at them both upside down, before he righted himself on his horse again and returned to his conversation. Maka lowered her arm slowly, and she and her co-rider sat in shocked silence.
"So," Blake finally spoke, flicking the reins to catch up with the other two. "Do not fuck with the Hell Child."
"No," Maka agreed, getting comfortable again. "I suppose not."
The next town they stopped at for food, Maka made it a point to apologize to their horse.
The great black beast was sweet, and he was very fond of the way she would scratch the little white spot on his forehead. She wasn't sure where her captors had gone, but at the moment she truly didn't care. "I don't believe you don't have a name. Everything has a name, I just need to find out what yours is." The beast huffed a breath at her, and she slipped him half an apple. Passersby kept giving her strange glances, but she didn't blame them. Most people didn't leave their travel companions hitched to the same post as their horses. Apparently the Hell Child hadn't found her apple threat very funny. Maka did her best to try and appear calm and collected, but she was just itching at the bit for someone to try and free her. Of course, no one did.
No one would bother to free a Dweller.
Somehow, they could feel it, rolling off of her in waves. The magic that made them hate the Dwellers. Something wrong in the way she walked, or spoke, or watched the world around her. There was something that made them see what she was, and she herself had no idea what it was. The horse next to her snorted, and she turned her attention back to him. "Oh yes, you great beast, what is it you want?" He bumped his head against her chest, and she smiled. "Can you tell I'm a Dweller too? Awh but you don't care do you?" She giggled, hugging his face. "You're just a great chariot aren't you? Carrying me around with no thought to yourself. Thank you."
"Dweller." The Prince approached her, looking incredibly displeased. "What are you doing?"
"Thanking Chariot."
"Come, we're staying here tonight. The Hell Child heard some unsavory rumors about the woods outside of this town, and I have no desire to test my luck." Maka lifted up her wrist, and the Prince followed the rope from her limb to the post, and it looked like he had to fight back a smile. "What is this?"
"Hell Child thinks he's funny." Maka answered, and Kid nodded.
"So he does. Alright." He cut Maka loose, but his hand was on her arm before she could really formulate a plan for running. Maka was escorted to another tavern, this one heady with smoke and the rowdy calls of men. She shrunk into herself a little, and Kid lead her past the bar, towards the stairs. "I did truly intend to have you eat with us, but now...it doesn't seem like the best idea."
Maka didn't answer, even if she did agree with him. Those men were a little drunk for it only being a few hours after midday. Kid led her to a room, and unlocked the door. It wasn't as nice as the last room, but she had a bed and that was all she truly cared about. There wasn't much in the room, but it was warm. Maka sat down on the bed, and Kid looked around. "It's the third floor. Are you stupid enough to jump that far?"
"Some days yes, but this day no. I don't like my odds in the woods around here anymore than you do."
Kid nodded, and took his leave. The clunk of the lock behind him made her frown. It was simply unnerving being trapped somewhere. But...the Prince hadn't bound her at all. Foolish on his part, truly, but she also didn't feel like breaking her bones jumping out the window. She walked the length of her room a few times, just to move around. There weren't any books in this room, and she found herself wishing she had stolen the few from the other. After all, it was the Prince that was footing the bill.
Giving up on finding anything to keep her occupied, she settled down on her bed, ready to sleep until someone brought her food. When her head hit the pillow, a resounding crack echoed through her room, and she growled and sat straight up. "What kind of fucking nonsense-" Maka ripped the pillow away, and she found a package, wrapped in brown paper. She looked around first, unsure of what to expect from this. When nothing and no one made themselves known, she started to undo the paper.
Inside were three pairs of trousers, made to fit someone her size, along with the thickest pair of socks Maka had ever seen. They were so thick, they might actually made her old boots fit again, inside of sliding around on her feet like they had been known to do. They were a dark grey, stitched with a thick wool. They looked as if they had been made by someone who loved what they did. The knots were tied perfectly, and all of the rows were neat. The inside was lined with some kind of fur, a very thin layer, but it was there. Maka stuck her fingers inside and nearly melted from how soft the fabric was.
She couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that these things were actually hers, that couldn't be right. Someone must've forgotten their things, and she was just the lucky recipient of their forgetfulness. She smiled to herself a little, holding the socks. She pulled the package away, and there was a book sitting underneath it. This wasn't a tavern book, the spine was in good shape, and the paper and ink smelled new.
This all was for her. She suddenly had possessions.
None of her captors would be this kind, would they? Hell, she could justify the trousers and the socks as a simple traveling expense, and maybe they would be so kind as to do that for her, but a book? Who could've done that? The Star Child had seen her reading when he had come in her room, but why would he do it? The Prince was too thick to have made this plan himself, and the Hell Child? How would he have known? She had been asleep before he had even returned to the room, and he had been awake before her. He couldn't have known she could read.
She frowned, thumbing through the pages of the book. It wasn't too heavy and she would be able to hide it with ease. Someone had paid her a kindness, and she was desperate to find out why.
Just as she was thinking about food, her door was kicked open.
Blake pushed through the door, eyes on her. She froze, her hand in the middle of turning a page, and he slammed the door shut. "There's been a fight. We have to go." He ordered, throwing her boots at her. Maka sprang up, shoving her new items into her bag and hopping back into her shoes. Blake covered her with Soul's cloak, and pulled the hood over her head.
"What happened?!"
"Someon' kept eyein' the table, thought they recognized the Royal Brat. Turns out they were making eyes at the Hell Child. The second he pulled down his hood, they turned on us. Swarmed him. The Prince tried to stop it, but it didn't work. There's an all out brawl down there." Blake put his hand on her lower back and pushed her out the door.
"Is Soul okay?"
"Dunno, we're meeting them outside the edge of town." The Star Child answered, and pulled a hood over his own head. He lead her down the stairs, but then he took her through the kitchens. Maka desperately tried to steal at least a little bit of bread, but Blake was too fast, and the cook was screaming and throwing pans at them. Finally, they broke free of the tavern. Maka could still hear the screams of the other men as the fight continued. Blake tugged on her arm, pulling her towards the woods, away from the noise. Maka ran with him, if for no other reason than Blake was strong, very strong, he was basically carrying her during the whole run.
When they reached the woods, there wasn't anyone else there. Blake's grip on Maka got tighter. She barely tugged against him before he was pulling her closer. "They should be here."
"You know, we could both run for it. You don't have any more reason to die here than I do."
"No, there's something I gotta do here, and I'll be damned if I lose my only chance over a fuckin' bar brawl. Sorry little sis, you're sticking around." Maka opened her mouth to argue, but Blake slapped a hand against her mouth, pulling her with him into the bushes. She shook her head, and he dropped his hand. Maka shifted so she could see better, and she found a great view of the two pairs of boots. She motioned for Blake to lean down more, and they waited.
"Tellin' you I saw that demon brat run through here."
"Hell Children this close to the castle. Bah! What next? We gonna have Dwellers on the throne? Fuck this place is going to Hell."
The two pairs of boots shuffled off, and Blake loosened his grip on her considerably. She mentioned for him to follow her. She knew a thing or two about taking shelter in the woods. Blake followed her close, his hand around her wrist as heavy as a shackle. Maka lead them into a clearing, near a brook if her ears didn't let her down. Blake finally sat down to take a breather, and Maka readjusted her bag on her back. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Blake leaned against the bark of the tree he claimed as his own. "So, what do we do if they're dead?"
"Run before those villagers find the Dweller and Star Killer."
"Excellent plan, truly. However, we ain't got nowhere to go."
"I think," Kid's voice joined theirs in the clearing, the Prince pushing his way through the thick. "that we're going to gather ourselves a moment, and then we are going to continue on to the Forest." Behind him, the Hell Child followed. He had blood under his nose, and a nasty blackish bruise across his right eye. He looked calm though, he seemed to be used to these surface injuries. Maka herself had worn both those wounds a few times, the word Dweller being spat at her while they attacked. Such was the life of a half blood bastard, no matter what creature gave you parentage.
Blake regarded the Prince and the Hell Child, and he sighed and stood. "Well, Highness, seems we're gonna have to say goodbye to yer soft and comfy livin'."
"Excuse me?"
"Welcome to our way of life." Blake spat, and went to help Maka up. "We gotta get through these woods, then we gotta make camp. We can't stay here tonight."
"Star Child is right, it's foolish to stay here tonight. We'll all be killed, for sure." Soul sighed his agreement, gently poking his eye. "I think we well and thoroughly pissed off this town." Kid sighed, looking back towards the town. "I think you're right. We've lost our horses."
"I'll go back for them." Blake spoke, and the two men looked at him. "Well you can't go, can you, demon eyes? And you? Highness you can't even walk like a common man. I'll be back, you three start making your way out of the woods." Before either man could give Blake a response, he walked back towards the town.
The Prince looked angry, for the first time since Maka had been stuck with him. "How dare he just leave! He'll probably run off with our horses!"
Maka shook her head, pulling off Soul's cloak and handing it back to him. Soul nodded at her, and threw it on, making sure to cover his face. "Blake will come back."
"Who the hell is Blake?"
"Him? The Star Child? He said I could call him that. And he'll be back. He says he's got a reason to stay." She let the implied threat hang over the heads of both men, and the Hell Child gave the Prince a sideways look. Kid only sighed, Maka getting a sliver of the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Well, let's start walking."
They had finally figured out a decent travel pattern.
The Hell Child would wake them exactly 15 minutes before the sun would crest over the sky, giving the men the time to pack up everything in the camp, and retrieve the Dweller from whatever tree she was posted to that night. Kid had become more cautious since the night of the brawl. He, Blake, and the Hell Child took turns posting guard, and Maka was to remain bound to the campsite. Dwellers were good at disappearing in the trees, and Kid couldn't afford anymore screw ups.
Maka grew tired of watching the men do all the work, and leaving her chained to the edge, like a damn hunting mutt who couldn't catch a kill. It had been almost two weeks of this living so far, and she was getting sick of being treated like an item. They treated her like an animal, so she was hell bent on not being one. When they gave her food, she cleaned off her dishes. When they woke, she was already awake. (Except the Hell Child, no one got up earlier than he did.) Her patience was wearing thin, and they were finally a fair distance from the castle.
Now would be a good time to escape.
She waited until Blake had returned to switch watch shifts with the Hell Child. She would never be able to escape if he was around to catch her. When he left the campsite, and Blake's breathing transitioned into snoring, Maka made her move. Two nights ago, she had picked up a rock from the base of her tree, sharp enough to cut through her binds. Quietly, she began the slow motion of slicing the rope. She freed herself carefully, knot by knot.
When her hands were finally free, she grabbed her bag and removed her shoes. The Hell Child was a good tracker, and going barefoot would be harder to track than the pattern her boots left in the ground. She shoved those in her bag, and moved carefully out of the campsite.
She wasn't sure exactly which direction she was going, the stars were blocked by the thick expanse of trees. They were moving north from the castle, she knew that much, so she would go East, as far as she could get. She moved silently, making sure to be extra careful to avoid snapping twigs and leaves.
She rounded a group of trees, silently applauding herself for how easily she had slipped away, when she was face to tip with an arrow. Realization dawned on the Hell Child's face, and he groaned, but he didn't drop his arrow. "Goddamn it Dweller, I should've known."
"How did you-"
"Do you know how many of the animals in this forest are nocturnal? There's supposed to be sounds. Then I could see something moving that was making no sound-how did you hide the light?" He tilted his head, and she shrugged.
"I really don't know anything about the light you keep talking about." She looked behind him, then turned and looked at him, eye to eye. His eyes were dark, a kind of red she had only seen in the colored glass at churches. "Let me go. Please. I can tell that whatever this is, it's not good, and there isn't a survival plan."
"I can't."
"Why not? Because of Kid? Oh please, you know he's absolutely worthless out here. He doesn't know the land, he doesn't know the lore, and he certainly doesn't know how ignorant he is, so...if it's not loyalty then why do you stay."
"It is loyalty. Just not to Kid. Turn around Dweller, we're going back."
"We're kind of the same, you and me, aren't we? Half blooded bastards left to a single parent who can't help us. We're monsters, we walk the same abyss."
"Turn around Dweller. We aren't the same, and I'm not letting you go. I need you here."
Maka glared at him, her knuckles white on her bag. Arrows in the hand of a regular bowman were dangerous, but if you knew how the man thought, it wouldn't be so bad. Archers shoot to where their target will be, not where they are. A fake out could free her. But that was if she were at a standstill with a regular bowman. The Hell Child had already proved himself much more adept than anyone else with a bow, and his eyes had the desperation of someone who would get what he wanted.
She held her hands out to him, and he approached her, a length of rope in his hands. The knot he bound her with was tighter, and she could pick up on the tremble from their confrontation in his hands as he secured her. He had been ready to take her out, yes, but he seemed to be in torment over it now. He grabbed the knot and started leading her back to the campsite. She was silent for most of the trip, but when she could smell the smoke from the fire, she turned to look at him.
"Your loyalty will get you killed, and then it will be worth nothing. A dead man has no worth to anyone."
"Just go to sleep, Dweller. You don't know what you fucking speak of."
Maka waited for Soul to switch watch with Kid, and she tossed a small pebble towards his head.
The Hell Child caught it, and even from his distance, she could hear the heaving sigh that bellowed from his chest. He made his way over to her slowly, annoyance on his features. "What."
"Did you get the socks?"
"...What?"
"The socks, was that you? And the book? Pants?"
"...Why?"
"Because if you felt compelled enough to get me those things, then you feel bad for me on some level. But if you won't free me, even though you're completely in your power to do so-"
"-I'm really not-"
"-Then I have to wonder what the point of your kindness is? Isn't easier to just ignore me and get to your loyal death than to try and be kind to me, even though it's a small bandage for a bleeding wound?"
"..." He sat down next to her at the base of the tree, and sighed. "That's how I knew you could read. You say things like that. No poor servant girl I've met has your wit, or depths of sarcasm. I feet bad that you're trapped here. When you asked me why I had captured you, and I told you I didn't know? That was the truth. I didn't know what they wanted you for, but-"
"You figured it probably wasn't good."
"I was right. I just didn't expect I would be forced to watch you go through the hell I put you into."
"Just this specific hell, and I don't know why you feel bad for me. The Forest won't kill me." Maka shrugged. They were quiet for a few moments, the Hell Child's eyes closed as he thought. Maka tugged at the unnecessarily tight knot on her wrist, looking at the stars peeking through the trees. "Why are you here, Hell Child."
"Because I have to be."
"...Why didn't the Queen have you killed? Why do you wear the seal of the King?"
"Because I'm an unnaturally talented hunter and an unnaturally lucky Hell Child." He sighed, popping his knuckles. Maka nodded, crossing her arms.
"So you're fucking someone kinda important huh? Like a duchess or something?"
The Hell Child barked a laugh, mirthless, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't say I've had the pleasure of fucking someone important, so no, I'm sorry, you're wrong."
"I'm seldom wrong." Maka assured him, but let it rest with that, her eyes going back to the stars. They were quiet for a few more moments before Soul stood up, and started walking back towards his tent. Maka pulled her blanket around herself better, and looked at the Hell Child's retreating form. "Thank you...for the socks."
Soul tossed an arm up in response, and ducked into his tent. Maka sighed, and burrowed deeper into her blanket.
Damn it, he wasn't that bad.
To say Kid had been angry about her attempted escape had been an understatement.
He spent most of that morning yelling at her from his horse (that she was now lovingly bound to again), going on and on and on about keeping your word and honor and things that didn't mean shit to her. She mostly ignored him, her eyes on the surrounding forest.
When she had woken that morning, her stomach had been flopping, and it hadn't stopped. The Hell Child seemed on edge too. His eyes kept following every little sound, and the grip he had on his reins only got tighter. Blake didn't seem to be at odds like they were, but the more the Prince droned on and on, the more annoyed he got. The entire lecture the Prince had given Maka had gone straight into the Star Child's ear, since he was still stuck riding with Maka. The trees seemed to be breathing today, their branches moving lazily, though Maka could feel no breeze.
She caught a flash of color, and then it was gone again, replaced by the shade of green that rolled across the branches.
The stillness in the air tasted sour, and Maka hunched into herself more. She didn't like the comparison to a dog, but she did always know before something big was coming. A shiver traveled down her spine, and she tried to calm her heartbeat. Were they finally getting closer to the Forest? While she felt her panic rise, the Hell Child remained annoyingly calm if more observant, continuing to scan horizons around them. He felt it too, whatever this was. He hadn't been so obviously vigilant since they began their trip. She tightened her hands into fists, testing the strength of the rope that bound her to the saddle of the Prince.
It was, of course, painfully thick and she would be unable to just rip it free. Another shudder traveled down her spine, and she curled into herself more. She felt Blake lean over her a little, almost protectively, keeping her back under his chest. "Y'alright?"
"Aye. Just a little-"
She never saw the first arrow coming, flying through the trees to embed itself into the tree above Kid's head.
The Hell Child did though. He sprung from his horse, tackling the Prince off his horse just as the first wave of arrows rained down upon them. Maka tried to take off, but the ropes binding her wrist were strong, and she tugged harder. The noise spooked Kid's horse, and he reared up, ready to take off.
The Star Clan survivor grabbed the rope in his hands and pulled, ripping it in half. Maka could only stare as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her off the horse with him. "Keep your head down!" He dove for the bushes, following the lead the Hell Child had taken. Maka focused on making herself smaller, there wasn't much she could do to help. Once they broke through the bush, the land beneath them became a hill, and the two of them tumbled forward, his grip on her breaking, leaving her free from him.
She hit the bottom first, and before she could even think about it, she was on her feet, taking off. This was a trap, and she refused to die in the Forest, she wasn't ready to die there, she wasn't ready to die at all! And this was a lost cause, this was such a fucking mistake! She couldn't stay! She didn't owe any of them any-
Her feet connected with something in her path, and she hit the ground hard. She groaned into the dirt, pulling herself up. A soft chuckle behind her had her jumping to defend herself, but she ended up facing the Hell Child. He was sprawled out in the middle of the path, an arrow in his shoulder, and his stomach.
"S-Soul?!"
"You ain't running off, are you?" His eyes were unfocused, something she had yet to see from him, and he kept screwing his face up in pain. "Fuck."
"A-are you...are-"
"Arrows are tipped in poison. G-Good shit too. I...I need you to help me. I...Prince is back a bit. Get the Star Child and get us a horse, I know where we can go. Safe." He looked up at her, and he was asking her to save his life, even though he had stolen hers. She didn't owe him anything.
She could run, after all, no one had caught up with her yet. She could run, and in an hour, she could be well hidden in a small town, and they would never catch up with her again. But that damned Hell Child could see her thought process, and he bit his lip. "I know you don't owe me shit, but please, please do not run away. It's...it's not just my life on the line here...I...please, the Queen has my sister!"
Maka paused then. A suicide mission where she was nothing more than a pawn? She wouldn't risk her life for that, she never would. But…
Damn it. Damn him! Damn him, he had to be lying. "Hell Children don't have siblings!"
"She's my twin! Please, I'm begging you!"
She snarled, pulling at her hair as she paced. "Damn you Hell Child! Where does the Queen have her?!"
"Where she kept you." Maka thought of the dungeons, thought of the other prisoners. She hadn't made out any other faces, it had been much to dark for that, but...Maka still sort of knew them. Knew what they had felt like. The prisoner three cells down popped into her head. The woman. The calm woman. No matter what time of day, she had been completely calm. Maka clenched her teeth until she heard a pop, then leaned down, pulling Soul's arm over her shoulders.
The Hell Child fell into her, and she could feel the way his muscles trembled as they worked to hold him up. He took a staggered breath, and tried to lift his head to look at her. "Thank you, Little Light."
"You owe me, Soul."
I know that's a huge fucking chapter, but fantasy AUs really don't allow for less! I hope you guys don't mind! I figured I'd put all the warnings and such down here at the bottom, in case you find you really don't want to finish this journey!
Rated M: for sexual situations, profanity, violence, torture, political assassinations and all that delicious stuff.
Pairing List:
Soul/Maka
Kid/Black*Star
Fem!Wes/Lord Death (just trust me guys!)
Arachne/Lord Death
(these are the confirmed ones so far! There will also be a handful of OCs since there just weren't enough Soul Eater people to fill all the roles needed, but they'll be very very minor!)