Red Memory - Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three - Prince Charming

Kaiel looked around at the others, eyes wide and mouth agape. "W-What happened?!" he said, in shock. The Captain slowly and shakily came out from his hiding place, followed by Sissy who dusted herself off and was scared enough to divert her eyes from Kaiel, and therefore didn't noticed Akira in his arms. "It... It was the Lynchers. They came--they... they took Doomsoul! It was Leonir, I remember... I've never seen him so... so horrible. He swooped up Doom and took him, and he killed Superraptor!" Sissy squealed, pointing to a corner in the room. Kaiel saw a blanket there, white and plain. It covered ever so raggedly a body, which Kaiel knew was Superraptor's by the massive reptilian feet which stuck out from it. His eyes watered and his head fell down, his tears falling onto Akira's chest.

The Captain stepped forward. "But... But there's nothing to fear. It looks like we have a captive of our own," he said. Kaiel nodded and gently laid Akira down on the empty bed. The Dark Lord's face looked so peaceful and sweet as he slept, even despite the gashes and wounds all across his body. A weak, hoarse breathe fluctuated from his body and his arm fell off the bed until Kaiel fixed it back. He sat at the end of the bed, next to Akira's feet which hung well over the edge.

"Why did you bring... him here?" Sissy said in shock as she turned around. "What are you doing Kaiel? Please tell me you didn't rescue him..."

Kaiel rubbed his face into his hands stressfully and looked at her through the spaces between his fingers. "Akira will know where they took Doom and how to get there... And there's been an advancement," he said. The Captain and Sissy both looked up at him. "There's a strange new enemy. I met her when I found Erops in the wilderness. Her name is Midnight," Kaiel immediately noticed the Captain's face turn white with dread. However, the Magistrate remained silent of it. "She and Akira were ravaging the south end of the city, that's how I found them. They were shouting and desperately trying to kill each other. They both apparently have a very deep past. I do not know the full story, but she wishes to kill him. Well..." Kaiel paused and made a fist. "I'm not going to allow that. Akira is my problem to deal with, not hers. I won't let someone, someone who isn't a Magistrate, kill him. I won't let anyone hold it against me that I couldn't do it myself. This is the biggest challenge of my entire life. I know that I was called by the Gods to do this, to establish peace and order through this disaster. If I died, if I allowed Midnight to kill him... it would've all been a waste." Kaiel then stood up and began walking towards the door. He stopped suddenly, just before he hit the door frame and looked back at the fallen Isa Lord, sound asleep. "Akira..." he mumbled. Finally he vanished out of the room and hesitantly, Sissy followed him, hoping to speak more about it.

The Captain was left alone in the room and he gazed at the sleeping Akira. It was phenomenal what this man had done to his world, he noted. Amazing and great, but horrible. Powerful, tremendous, inspiring... But evil. But as he stepped closer to the bed and gazed down at the black-skinned Isa, he felt a twinge of grief and sorrow for him. He knew and he understood Akira more than the others, at least to his opinion. And his head tilted as he watched him slowly breathing. The Dark Lord, so helpless as he slept. How easy it would be to stab him right now, but the Captain knew it would be useless. He simply sat and stared at him, inspecting his horrid, corroded body. How far he had come, the Captain wondered. "And here you are again, Prince Charming," the Captain said. "It's been so long since I've seen you... brother-in-law..." At the memory, the Captain felt tears rush into his eyes, but he suppressed them till they disappeared. And he touched Akira's hand, feeling his leathery black palm, as cold and cruel as it was. "I am sorry for what happened to you... Akira..." the Captain whispered lowly to him. And in that instant, he felt Akira's hand clench over his own. His eyelids fluttered open and red light lit up his dark face.

***

Kaiel felt his heart pounding and his blood rushing with shock as he was pinned against the wall. His Hammer fell to the ground and Sissy, the indigo-haired girl, held him tightly against the stone. "Kaiel," she said in a low voice. He was terrified, he hadn't expected her to suddenly take him to the wall in the middle of their conversation. Then suddenly his body seemed to fall limp as he felt a pressure against his lips, and soon felt that it was Sissy's own. There was no escape in her tight, forceful grasp. But after several moment Kaiel began to decide he didn't want to escape but closed his eyes and remained in such a peaceful moment of contact with Sissy. And as she pulled away, he could still feel the breath of her on his skin as she gazed into him with her big red eyes. He hadn't often thought about her Isa blood, because she seemed so normal. But staring longingly into those giant bloody irises reminded him of what she was, and the loving thoughts he had brewed in those moments immediately died. But at the same time, they weren't dead. Only injured.

The two remained in their positions, their faces only an inch or two away from each other. And as she began to pull away, slowly and regretfully easing her grasp of him, he immediately grabbed her and pulled her in again, pressing his lips against hers. She fell limp, just as he had, and hung on only by his lips and the tight grasp he held. And finally he pulled away and let her go, a look in both of their eyes full of desire.

"...Uh, Kaiel," a voice said to his right. Both and Sissy turned their heads to see the Captain. Only something strange about him. He had a shocked face and whitish skin. Kaiel could see the fear in his eyes. His neck was covered by black. The same color adorned the tentacle which came out and attached to the tall figure behind him. Akira held the Captain by the throat with a tentacle and stumbled, holding his balance by gripping onto a wall. Kaiel immediately rushed for his Hammer and pointed it at Akira.

"LET HIM GO!" Kaiel yelled. Akira seemed dazed, still knocked out from the fight. He could barely hold himself up and eventually the Captain's fear began to fade, as he noticed the tendril around his neck was almost limp and wouldn't have enough strength to choke him to death. He quickly removed it from his neck and darted behind the Magistrate, watching Akira fall to his knees and hit the wall next to him, unconscious again. Kaiel lowered his Hammer and approached him again, kicking him to make sure he was unconscious. Finally he picked him up, carried him back to the bed, and dropped him back on it. Kaiel held up his Hammer and watched a bundle of chains assemble across him from thin air, binding him to the bed. Angrily he stormed out of the room and left Sissy and the Captain alone in it. The Captain shakily sat down again and tremble in his seat. He tried to understand, he tried so very hard. But he knew that Akira was only evil... and it was all because of his sister.

Akira's eyes opened slightly, only red slits appearing. His mouth opened and a big breath was pushed out of his lungs. "I... I'm s-sorry... S-Sunny..." a hoarse wheeze squeezed out from his lips. The Captain's eyes suddenly burst with tears and he laid his face down into his hands, sniffling.