cw// animal d*ath

"Yamaguchi?"

His voice broke through the silence like a dagger. The cold wind greeted him upon peeking out the carriage window, but no sight of Yamaguchi or the horse.

Their carriage stood out like a sore thumb amongst the thick grove of trees. Frankly, this did not amuse Kei at all given that catching too much attention would not benefit him in the slightest. Not in the middle of endless woods where no one would be able to hear him scream if anything bad happens.

Tadashi would, but the rascal went off while he was asleep.

Kei grumbled under his breath. He sat still for a moment, wondering if he should just go back to sleep. Tadashi wouldn't be reckless enough to leave him behind at this hour, and yet why couldn't he stay calm?

He hated the quiet. This was a quiet that reminded him of the calm before a storm.

Kei hopped off the carriage. His shoes made a loud crinkling noise upon crushing the leaves. He grabbed his cloak, the one he folded into a makeshift pillow, and wore it over himself. He could make out the path of crinkled leaves in front of him, and decided to trust fate on this one and believe this was the path Tadashi took. It won't be long, he's just gonna check where the path leads and hopefully there'd be a knight waiting for him at the end.

And so he trudged onward. The trees loomed above him, like outstretched hands. It didn't help at all seeing as Kei was fully engulfed by the sounds of nighttime. The realization that he was alone slowly seeped in.

The sound of rustling leaves caught his attention. "Yamaguchi?" he swivelled his head to the sound, but the shadows greeted him. The rustling seems to be coming from multiple directions, and a cold gust of wind swooshed past the tail of his cloak.

"Good lord.. Yamaguchi?" He spoke up a bit louder this time. Its risky to make his presence known, but he is nearing the end of the path already and the sight of green hair has not greeted him so far.

But a faint of white can be seen somewhere behind the rocks. It reminded him of a familiar shape, and Kei was starting to doubt until he peered deeper into the shadows. a tail.. And what could only be the body of a horse.

He approached the limp body of Gibbous in horror. It was their stallion alright, laying on the grass as if struck by a strong force. It's body looked battered, as if shoved and smacked against the rocks. Gibbous was no longer moving, and Kei could only feel upset at the sight. Still, he made his way over to the horse and gently laid a hand on it. A gesture similar to when his mother would lay a hand on his side as he slept.

The mourning didn't last long however, as the air grew heavier around him. Kei turned his head up to look around, and forgot about the task at hand. Their stallion is dead, and Tadashi is still missing. As if those aren't already daunting, the air grew heavier too.

It was like the smoke back at home, when Akiteru's curse peaked, only it reeks less of magic. Kei stood up and was just about to make his way back to the carriage, when the sliding of rocks caught his attention.

The smoke penetrated him a lot more now that he knew of the source. Perched on top of rocky hill is a silhouette, decked in spikes and scales that illuminate in the dark. He could make out the nostrils breathing out smoke, surrounding him as if to put him in a trance. Kei's first instinct was to run and hope that whatever that thing is has no interest in him, but it was just mere, useless hoping.

The scales twitched under the moonlight, and the dragon kept its steady eye on Kei. Before the prince could even decide to run, it pounced on him, sharp claws wrapping around his helpless body before being dragged meters above the ground.

Kei was coughing, being suffocated by the dragon's smoke and claws. He felt like a fly trapped in a spiderweb, watching everything unfold as the spider slowly approaches. Kei was starting to lose focus, the sound of laughter ringing painfully in his ears. The laugh coursed through the very claws wrapped around his body, and he looked up briefly to see the smile on the dragon's face.

"Cough—!" Nothing but cold smacked against his face. As he lost consciousness, Kei could still hear the loud guffaw of the dragon.

Smack. A hard and rough surface. Kei could feel grains under his skin, but why can't he get up? He struggled to push himself up with his arms. Why is everything so bright?

Kei successfully propped himself on his elbows. His eyesight couldn't get used to the sudden flash of light, apparently from the torches hanging above him. Everything was so orange, and something flashy sits in his peripheral view. It took an extra ounce of energy for Kei to turn his head.

A mountain of gold lay just ahead of him, smooth coins and sapphire contrasting with jagged rocks. They glint under the light of torches, and Kei learned how such a thing can be tempting for some.

It was like a beacon, and all Kei could do was crawl towards it. Not until the floor rumbled beneath him, and got louder as a loud swoosh came from above, perching directly on top of the gold.

The sound of shuffling gold echoed inside the cave as Kei looked up. He could make out the dragon's figure a lot clearer now. It looked down tauntingly with it's piercing eyes, and another noteable feature is the sinister smile gracing it's face as it laughs right in front of Kei's face.

"Ahahahaha!" Hot fume sprayed in his face as the dragon laughed. It shuffled on top of the gold, coins sliding with its every movement. "Look who got dragged in! Get it? Because- because I'm a dragon and dragged sounds the same as dragon-"

Kei was not in the mood for puns, not when the dragon's smile looked sickening. Everything about them reeks of evil, from its bright red horns to its dark red scales.

"My, tonight sure is an entire buffet! Such strange creatures walking in my forest at this hour." The dragon leaned towards Kei, peering curiously at him. The prince backed away, balancing himself on his two feet. "I wonder why you're here all of a sudden- Upupup! Don't tell me." it raised a claw to silence Kei.

"... Who are you?" Kei choked out the words.

It seemed to have an effect on the dragon. The flaps on its head pricked upwards, like an angry chicken. It's front legs slipped off the pile of gold and slowly approached Kei. "For centuries, your people have known my name. But it seems now that you have forgotten about me.. What a shame." It stopped walking, slender neck towering above him menacingly.

"They call me the Guess Monster." Smoke poured out of its nostrils. "I bet you can't guess how I got the name!"

"I don't think its important." Kei muttered, but the words were clearly heard by the dragon. Irritated, it growled right in front of his face.

"I was given the name because I outsmarted your kind!" Its teeth flashed in the torch's light. Kei tried his hardest not to inhale the smoke coming out of the dragon's snout as it spoke. "They couldn't defeat me. Not with their fancy weapons and strategies! I saw right through them, and eventually I have conquered this entire forest myself! These lands used to be filled with people, but I made sure that won't happen again." its tail swished, sending more coins flying. Behind the pile of gold, Kei could make out bits of bone that have shattered in impact. So the dragon did make sure of it.

Kei made sure to look unfazed. From what he had recalled in Akiteru's studies, dragons are prideful creatures. It seems to be the very case for this dragon here, annoyed when he had forgotten its name.

".. Not very impressive." The prince spoke. It did catch the dragon's attention, and Kei suppressed a smirk as he continued. "If you made sure of it, I bet we wouldn't have stumbled into your forest. Bet you didn't guess that. And striking at midnight? Pathetic. Couldn't even catch a single human in broad daylight."

Its wings poked out threateningly. The dragon was pissed off right now, and if it was hot already in the cave, it certainly had grown hotter.

"Prince Tsukishima?"

The voice was unmistakeable. It couldn't have been the dragon, snarling under its breath as it scrutinized Kei. Kei turned to the sound.

How could he not have seen them? That cowlick is undoubtably Tadashi, and it looked like it was quivering under the torch's light. Tadashi was propped against the wall, frightened and staring at Kei with beady eyes. They looked just about ready to crack under pressure, and it made Kei falter in his own stance.

The growl rumbling in the dragon's throat slowly turned into cackling. It threw its head back in laughter. "I didn't have to catch you myself, you see. You did the job on your own!" It's tail swung close to Tadashi, wrapping around his leg and holding him up in the air tauntingly. "Hey–! Let go let go! Put me do-own!" The knight was upside down, thrashing at the air helplessly.

"Yamaguchi-" Kei stepped forward, but the dragon placed its foot in front to stop him.

"I could hear carriage wheels from miles away! I knew you weren't alone. Having to go out and find you myself would be a pain. That's what other dragons would do! But not me." Pride was heavily etched in the dragon's words. "I took your precious horse away so the widdle knight would leave you behind! Set the horse right next to the foot of this mountain, and then took your companion before they could even scream for help!" As if to emphasize that, the dragon gave Tadashi a little shake and he shouted in fear.

"Stop that!" Kei was furious at the dragon's games. There was no use prolonging their deaths just to gloat, especially when they're both so helpless already.

"Ah- I'm sorry, your Highness..!" Tadashi aimlessly swung at the tail but the dragon gave him another shake. "I'm- Urgh! Would you stop that?! I'm really sorry!" He continued to apologize while in mid-air whe the dragon laughed at him.

"What are you even doing? Just kill us and get this over with instead of toying with us!" Kei had enough of the dragon's boisterous laughter. In an attempt to set Tadashi free, he forcefully pulled at the dragon's foot. Falling back at the force, Kei successfully plucked off one of its scales, and the dragon began howling in pain.

"Raaughhh–!"

It dropped Tadashi on the mountain of gold. The knight slid down in surprise, blood rushing back to his head as he regained composure. Kei rushed over to him and dragged him away while the dragon continued howling.

"You– insufferable human beings!" The roaring caused the entire cave to shake, bits of rock falling down on them. Tadashi protectively put an arm over him and Kei, wincing at the strong vibrations.

A spiked tail shoved them aside before they could ready themselves. Tadashi landed on the ground with a painful thud, and he could hear Kei groaning next to him.

"Your Majesty!" The dragon swooped Kei up with its tail, wrapping around his entire body this time and caging his arms. He could see the prince struggling under its grasp, but the tail tightened its hold on him. Pain coursed through Kei's body from his arms to his shoulders and it took every ounce of his energy not to howl in pain.

"No..!" Tadashi unsheathed his sword in blind rage. Charging at the dragon, he started swinging at the scales. the metal clashed against it, but Tadashi wouldn't give up and kept swinging.

The dragon continued laughing. "Kingdoms and armies have battled with me for centuries! What makes you think you and your sword can do anything?" It mocked Tadashi. The knight continued piercing its skin, but the tiny blade wouldn't even compare to a paper cut. The dragon yawned, showing disinterest. "And you're from Ukai's order. Ugh, people get a lot more boring and predictable over the years."

With a swift kick, Tadashi was sent flying as he hit the rocks. "Yamaguchi!" Kei watched in fear as Tadashi struggled to get up. 

The poor knight struggled to get on their feet. The dragon watched amusedly as it kept on chatting. "Don't think I didn't recognize that silly emblem. What is a little knight like you doing in this mission? You called this smartass 'Your Majesty' huh?" They gave Kei a little shake, and the man groaned in irritation. The dragon tapped its chin. "Oh... Oh! You're on a quest with princey here! Gosh! Such an important figure from a faraway kingdom and somehow your order of knights entrusted you with such a task" The dragon slapped it's belly in laughter. "It's laughable!"

Tadashi have gotten on their feet now, and is swinging his sword around a second time.

"They must be so desperate letting someone from the low ranks handle this mission. Gasp– Unless.. Unless you asked to handle the mission! That's even worse!" With every jive from the dragon, Tadashi swung his sword harder. He started burying the tip underneath the scales, slashing at every spike, and never once stopping as he landed hit after hit. Kei could see the desperation on Tadashi's face as if every blow counts and without it he'd be damned.

"Y'know that if you fail this mission, your order will easily replace you right? You got nothing to prove!" The dragon shook its head down at him. "The chances of you failing are higher, and your order's waiting for one tiny slip before they'd send better knights to finish the quest. Honestly- they just gave this task to you because you pleaded for it! You may not be good at fighting- but you sure have a skill in begging!"

"Shut up!" Tadashi advanced several times, swinging at scales here and there before being struck yet again by the dragon's foot. His shoulder ached at the force as he let out a pained gasp. Tadashi clutched it tightly. It hurt when raised at a certain angle and he sobbed.

"Enough! Stop this instant!" Kei swung his feet in an attempt to hit the dragon's tail. He was merely spectating the fight, watching Tadashi's resolve fade into dust. Watching Tadashi, his knight, struggle to set him free and defeat the dragon. All for a quest he begged to be assigned in. A sick twist of fate led them both in the same place, and Kei was confused on whether to praise or curse the heavens for this.

"Your Highness- I'm sorry!" Tadashi sobbed in between swings. The sight pained Kei more than he would admit. A complete stranger, and yet he refuses to hear apologies stream from his lips.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi! Don't you dare apologize!" Kei swung his feet, but the tail tightened its hold on him again.

Tadashi wouldn't stop. "If I didn't leave the carriage–"

"No but princey's got a point!" The dragon intervened. They were certainly enjoying the spectacle, and watching two measly humans struggle for survival only heightened their ego. "The quest was doomed to fail anyway. Your apologies won't amount to anything! So is your effort!"

Tadashi is trembling now. Their grip on the sword loosened, and the dragon took this opportunity to smash him against the rocks. Limp and devoid of purpose, Tadashi remained on the floor, clutching their bruised arm.

Kei was writhing as he successfully pulled out his arms from under the dragon's tail. He scratched desperately at its skin, but what can he do? What can he do that Tadashi haven't already done?

The dragon continued laughing, proudly standing on the pile of gold like a makeshift throne. The light was blinding him. The torch lights dancing in his vision. He tried to pull himself free from the dragon's grasp.

What can he do?

The torch lights aren't dancing in his vision anymore. Soon it were ghostly hands, reaching out to him from the sky.

Kei watched Tadashi crawl before giving in to the pain and laying limp once more. Kei wished he could stretch out his hand like the phantoms in his vision. Stretch out a helping hand to soothe his bruises. To get him on his feet.

The laughter was ringing in his ears and the light was almost blinding. The phantom hands obscured his vision, and the realization seeped in that the blinding light came from behind him and not from the torches.

Orange shifted to a stark white. Suddenly he was dropped to the floor. Thankfully the dragon had set its tail down and gave Kei a proper enough landing. He fell to his feet, staggering, but managing to approach Tadashi. A beam of light entered from the top of the cave, piercing rock in the shape of fists. Kei watched the scene unfold before them in surprise, as it is hard to believe, much less describe.

The dragon proudly displayed its wings amongst the chaos, but as the light streamed down the ominous cave, it striked down the dragon's wing. Smoke came from the beam of light passing through it, until Kei saw the wings flaps breaking apart right before his eyes. It reminded him of burning paper, the rips coursing through the flap until the light has burned a big hole right in the middle.

The dragon billowed in rage. It stumbled, falling to its side while aimlessly flapping their damaged wings. Kei would feel sorry for the creature if it weren't for Tadashi's exhausted body resting next to him. As the dragon thrashed and roared, bits of rock rained down from above. The ground shook beneath them, and Kei wasted no time in leaving the place. With all his strength, Kei pulled Tadashi's body on his back and then made the dangerous trek down the mountain.

The knight was breathing heavily in his ear, and Kei could hear it amongst the loud crashing of rock and crying of dragon. The fact that Tadashi is stl conscious sent Kei's concentration spinning. One slip, and they may just die from falling off a mountain.

The roars were louder as the dragon's neck poked out of the cave's opening. It stretched downward, jaw opening and ready to chomp Kei and Tadashi up. The prince's foot slipped on a rock, and leaving no time to process this, sent the two barrelling down a slope carved from crumbling stone.

The slide down was bumpy, but it could've been worse with pointier rocks poking them and slowing them down. The dragon roared, neck stuck in the tiny opening as more rocks collapsed on top of each other. "Sorcery! Dark sorcery!" It continued to roar at the night sky, apalled by how they were defeated by two injured human beings.

And then there was silence. Kei and Tadashi hit the ground, adrenaline rushing as they picked themselves up and ran as far as they could. Rocks rained down and crashed on the surface. When it was safe to look back, Kei found that the mountain top has collapsed, with the dragon concealed inside like a little surprise egg. Or.. Rock.

Surprises or not it didn't matter. They had too much of them in one night, and as the roaring slowed to a stop, Kei and Tadashi were now greeted by the ominous white glow of the moon.

Silence engulfed them as how it was before. The storm has finally passed.