A King's Legacy Ch. 33

Chapter 33: What Remains

Just as Aster and Stahl were preparing for their climb up the mountain that morning, many miles away, in a more remote location off the beaten path, a certain peacock was preparing to glance into the future of the human king at long last. The battle had taken a lot from her, and her recovery had not been as swift as she'd hoped. The enigmatic Madame Mist felt she had put it off as long as she could, despite Dally not wanting her to go through with it at all. The husky spoke in a quieter, begging tone.

"Mist... We don't have to do this. It won't change anything, and whatever revelation you had before may have simply been misread..." In truth, the musician knew far better than that. His lover divined the future through the power of blood magic, through the power of dealing with death itself, and that was the one deity that didn't lie to its children. The avian stood, just finishing up her preparations. There was a circle of the human's hair scattered around her, such essence a needed material for the process. She answered her canine in understanding.

"It is alright, Dally. It's only a couple of days..." The husky snapped back.

"Sure... and how many times have you sacrificed 'only a couple of days?' How many months, no how many years of your time have you bartered away for the sake of a world that doesn't want to be saved? How much more time with you must I have stolen from me? How much more must you part with? How much more could you even possibly have left at this point?!?" The avian exhaled slowly, casting her gaze below herself. She answered quietly.

"When all the time you were given was borrowed from the start, it makes it a little easier to give some of it back..." Dally could only feel himself growing more angry, this was far from the first time they had disagreed on something like this. He barked back his answer in futile desperation.

"That should only make that time even more precious to you, not a gift to be squandered!" The avian went silent as she pondered those words. She answered in a decided tone.

"I have treasured every second I've had with you, Dally. I have been thankful for all the borrowed time I received, because I could spend it with someone like you. I know you worry for my sake, but I must do this... I have to know." The canine clenched his jaw tightly as his anger peaked. His words took on a defeated, and heartbroken tone as he gave his last reply before she began.

"I cannot keep watching you cut more and more of yourself away... I cannot keep doing this, Mist... I cannot live in constant fear that one day, you won't be waking up from that condition it leaves you in... This is the last time. This is all my heart can take... If you ever do this again, I won't be here when you wake up... IF you even wake up." Mist weighed those words heavily for a moment before responding warmly.

"Alright. This is the last time. The rest of my time will be yours, save for emergencies. This will be my last reading if that's what it takes to keep you with me." Dally didn't answer, He merely turned, and walked back towards the wagon to check on Milky. Mist watched her defeated husky sulk off with sadness... It wasn't like she wanted to do this either, but she had to, or at least, she felt she needed to. Without another delay, the elegant peacock closed her eyes, and began speaking the words.

"I wish to make a deal of gods. I wish to deal with death." A familiar presence answered her, the voice hollow and low.

"One of my children have called upon me. Speak child, what do you ask." Mist spoke calmly, her sultry voice quite familiar with the one she bartered with.

"I wish to know the path ahead. I wish to peek through your eyes. I wish to see what lies in store for your child known as Solis Aureus." Death went silent, something that was quite rare in her experience. The deity answered a moment after.

"The future is always uncertain, but his path has been set, it is only what happens after his choice that remains malleable. The last of these visions will be merely the most likely outcome of that. Knowing this, will you accept my terms? Your price has not changed, my child, I'll be taking what time I deem fit in exchange." The peacock spoke her answer firmly, never hesitating.

"I accept your terms." Death chuckled at the deal, speaking once more before granting the request.

"Careful. Sometimes, the future is better left unseen by you mortals. My eyes are yours, peer through the last moments of my children, and find what paths may await the one in question." Mist took a deep breath, and exhaled, speaking a quick chant before her green flames sparked up the circle of human hair around her. As the bits of essence shriveled and melted away, leaving a ghastly stench in its wake, the avian closed her eyes, and concentrated. As her visions began, the circle slowly burned, the flames spreading like the wick of a candle as more of the hair was consumed around her.

She was a feral mouse for a moment, trapped in the jaws of a snake as the human staggered up the mountain nearby, mere meters away. The young king was missing an arm, and briefly lost his footing with a curse. As the rodent's life slipped away, so did the vision. It was quickly replaced by another, set a few hours later.

She was a baby robin, fallen from the nest far too soon. She was vainly letting out a final, weak chirp, just before growing still forever on the unforgiving earth. Just a few paces away, the boy stood beside his wolf, peering over the peak of the mountain in absolute awe of something. The vision faded to black, along with the young hatchling's life. Another followed it, set sometime after.

She was a rabbit, twitching in the talons of an eagle, her sides bleeding out from the piercing claws in her ribs. She was soaring through the air, being carried back to the nest to become nourishment for the new life that flourished there. She peered down, and saw the boy was walking again, a defeated look in his eyes as he made his way through the area, the wolf trailing just a little behind. Her sight faded from her just as the rabbit's did.

She was a gecko, trapped in a larger spider's web, her organs failing from the venom injected into her. She was trapped on a dusty windowsill high above, her dimming sight catching a glimpse of the human staring at a wall as tears fell from his face. The vision faded, replaced by another set only moments after.

She was a young beast, gasping and sputtering through her own blood, gazing up into glowing red eyes bearing far too much pain and power. As this too faded from her, she was granted another vision as the last of the hair smoldered around her body.

Darkness. All darkness. She saw countless views, all of the same thing. Millions and millions of lives, snuffed out almost instantaneously as darkness fell upon all, each desperately trying to cling to life in a world that was no longer suited for such things. It was so dark... It was so cold... The final point of view she had, was one never meant for mortal eyes.

She was the great light, the one that held off the great darkness above. Her light couldn't shine anymore, the last piece of her heart had finally crossed over to the afterworld, and her flames dimmed along with it. She watched all of it die. She watched the very world itself grow cold and still in her absence... and then she saw it.

Golden, glowing eyes, set into bare sockets that should have no means to hold them. White bone, connected by intangible shadows and strips of ragged cloth beneath a shredded cloak. A great horn, one that had been pulled from its very own skull, resting in its hands. It raised the weapon solemnly, made a final cleaving motion, and then her vision faded once more as she watched the legendary beast of death perform its final duty in this world of cruelty.

Then it was all over. The flames flickered away to nothing, her legs and mind grew weak, and she collapsed on the spot, a sharp pain in her heart as her consciousness faded from her. She should have listened to the warning... Sometimes, the future was better left unseen by such mortals. Death could only chuckle at such naiveté. He would only charge her a single day this time, she had received far more than bargained for, after all.

===

"So every time a feral makes a noise, do you hear words?" Rust had been asking the little human a million questions since they had all set out the morning after their initial conversation. Flose didn't mind though, Rust was actually pretty nice, despite being a beastman. That made sense to him though, most of the feral foxes he had spoken with were usually friendly... mischievous, but still friendly. The human answered the question the same as he had been.

"Well, yes and no. If I focus on them, I can understand them, but it's deeper than just sounds. It isn't so much that I hear words, it's more that I can hear the intentions behind the noise or action. The better I get to know the type of feral in question, the easier it gets, and the same holds true for them. It's almost like our minds link up, if that makes sense?" Rust nodded, answering with his own experience there.

"It makes sense to me. My dad has a similar bloodskill where he can talk to most of his nearby family, or the ones that share the skill anyway. He said their thoughts, memories, and even emotions bleed into each other when linked." Flose thought that sounded pretty awesome, but needed to clarify.

"It's kind of like that, but not quite. The longer I connect with a feral, the more their mind changes as well. Take Mercy for example, we've been together for nearly five years now. Since then, she has learned entirely different ways of thinking than a normal bird would. She feels things more like a human now, but that isn't to say it doesn't go both ways. I've learned a lot on how most birds think in return. I can understand what she is trying to say with the smallest peep from her now. With a new type of feral, I would have to focus on thinking like they do for a while before having full conversations." Rust thought about that explanation a little before further prodding.

"Wait, so if you ran across a deer, you wouldn't be able to communicate with it?" Flose smiled a little before he replied.

"I could, but it would take a little while to learn how a deer thinks since I've never met one. I do get more efficient each time, though. I've probably connected to only twenty different types of ferals at this point. The first time with a species is always a bit difficult, but I haven't had much chance to talk with a lot of ferals. I can't use it on most fish or insects for some reason, and I haven't exactly had much opportunity to go looking for more. I did have a few short conversations in the forest before I got too sick though, so that was really nice!"

Rust thought that was one of the coolest bloodskills he had ever heard of. As if right on cue, Mercy swooped down from her latest round of scouting, and landed on Flose's shoulder with a quick chirp. The human answered back.

"Oh? Good find! Thanks Mercy." Before Flose even had the chance to elaborate, Rust was already pestering him with another question.

"What did she say?" Flose laughed a little at the enthusiasm before he answered this as well.

"She found some fruit nearby! Do you think we can go stock up really fast? My supplies are running low." Rust answered a bit obliviously.

"Uhh. Well, we have plenty of food still, since Oust hunted down that boar we roasted before finding you. Would you like some of the meat?" Flose looked to the ground uncomfortably for a moment. It was Sir Corper that answered, causing the smaller human to jump at the gruff, and sudden interruption once more.

"We can stop for a moment. Rust, would you assist our guest with his task?" Rust gave the bear a questioning look. He answered skeptically.

"Sure, I don't mind... But why eat berries and such when we have meat?" Corper explained what the boy was too embarrassed to.

"Tell me, little fox... would you eat Oust?" Rust laughed at the question, answering quite obviously.

"Absolutely not... especially if he tastes as bad as he smells." Corper continued patiently, knowing most beastmen didn't usually understand at first.

"I feel the same. He is a friend to you, is he not?" Rust felt extremely foolish all of a sudden. The little fox stopped walking as he realized what the bear meant. The adolescent spoke to the human thoughtfully after.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't think about it that way... You don't eat ferals, do you?" Flose was averting his eyes, knowing his picky diet had a tendency to piss people off for some reason. He still answered though.

"No... I just can't do it. I've talked to so many, and even though ferals eat each other all the time, It's a little different when you can hear them begging for their lives... I don't mind if you do though, and even the ferals understand the food chain better than most, but I can't do it. I'm sorry to be difficult." It was Oust that finally chimed in. He had been mostly letting the fox ask the questions for him up to that point, as to not unsettle the boy again.

"It makes sense, you don't have to apologize, and I don't think it's difficult at all, just a quick detour. We all like different food, but if you can't eat it, you can't eat it." Flose looked to the tiger again, and nodded in appreciation. Oust wasn't as mean as he looked, but the human was still very cautious of him. He was the one that had captured him, and the first beastman he had ever ran across in general. The boy felt there was some lingering uncertainty there. Still, Flose forced a smile his way, and mouthed the words all the same.

"Thank you." Oust smiled back, careful not to show too much of his fangs this time after the last disastrous attempt he made had failed so badly. The tiger succeeded in his efforts, and shortly after, the fox and the boy set off to gather some of the fruit. The group was back on their way before even twenty minutes had passed, steadily making their way north, to where Flose's settlement lie hidden. They would continue on, resting every so often until nightfall fell upon them, and their campfire was burning steadily.

===

Aster was sweating profusely, every inclined step he took seemed to be a mountain of itself. He had paused for a brief moment to catch his breath, his flesh feeling unusually hot. Stahl had carved him a longer walking stick around the size of his staff to help brace with his left hand, and while it had helped immensely, the human king was growing quite tired. They were only around a third of the way up the slope, and it was already pushing well into the late afternoon.

Stahl was hanging back just a little, making certain he could stop his mate's sliding were he to completely lose his balance. It was the next best thing he could do since Aster refused both the beast carrying him, or even bracing up against him. Aster was determined not to be a burden, but this is exactly what was becoming a problem for the wolf.

Stahl understood how shitty it all was. He knew Aster was always one so desperate to stand on his own two feet. He was the kind that refused help, even when he needed it most... but watching his lover struggle for nothing more than pride was really starting to bother the beast. He was letting his mate be angry for a while, like he needed to, and he would even coddle his wounded boy to a degree, but the beast was preparing to intervene soon. His king may have been stubborn, and even more so in lieu of his injury, but enough was enough. The wolf spoke, his worry clear in his words.

"Aster... we can sit down for a whi-" The human cut him off, speaking between uneven breaths.

"I don't want to sit down, Stahl. I just want to see the other side. I know I'm moving slowly, but I want to make it to the peak today, and I need to do it on my o-" It was the wolf's turn to interrupt.

"No, you don't NEED to do it on your own, that's just how you always WANT to do things that make you feel small, things that make you ashamed of yourself, that you think I wouldn't be able to accept. You're making yourself suffer to prove a point that doesn't need proving. I love you as my mate, and I follow you as my king, but don't ever believe I would ever stop loving you, no matter how much of yourself you may lose. You said it yourself, 'I will love even the worst parts of you.' That includes your worst days. Now... will you please rest for a moment, and can I PLEASE help my king climb this fucking mountain afterwards? He really wants to make it to the other side soon."

Aster was silent, he wouldn't look back at the beast quite yet, but he was thinking carefully. He never answered Stahl, but he did move off to a larger stone nearby, and took a seat for a moment. The boy just gazed up at the path before him in both dread and determination, all at once. They were cutting up at the lowest incline on the slope, aiming right between two smaller peaks so they wouldn't have quite so much terrain to fight. The way the path seemed almost smoothed over went unnoticed by the human, but the beast with tracking experience could see what Aster was missing. Stahl walked up beside his mate, and squatted next to the boulder, joining his human in the moment of rest. The beast spoke in a complacent tone.

"It's a little strange." Aster looked at Stahl, and simply waited for his wolf to elaborate a bit more on that sudden statement. Stahl didn't keep him waiting, pointing to the edges of their path as he spoke.

"Do you see the mounds of dirt piled along both sides of our trail here? They are out of place. Sure, they're weathered down, broken in many places, and overgrown with weeds, but I think there may have been a loose road here at one point." Aster glanced at the rocky mounds, and realized his beast was probably right. He was quick to ask the question.

"And where do you think this abandoned road leads to?" Stahl took a deep breath in, and smiled softly, that beloved fang of his catching the boy's eye per usual. The wolf answered in a more positive tone.

"No idea, but it's somewhere we are going together, so that's enough for me." Aster really tried to hold back the scoff, but the small almost-smile that followed was plenty worth it for the wolf. The human dropped his gaze, but held the faintest trace of cheer for the first time in a while. He answered softly, his tone warm and kind at long last.

"You really are a fool sometimes, my wolf." Stahl poked back playfully.

"For you? Always." The beast paused, and spoke once again, his optimism finally infecting his mate a little.

"Hey, Aster. Turn around for a moment." The human raised his eyes, and locked them with those silvery ones for a brief moment before turning back and looking over his shoulder, just as Stahl asked of him. As Aster wondered what he was looking for, the wolf spoke again.

"We aren't even that high up yet, but just look down. Everything back there is getting smaller and smaller the further we go, and we've already risen higher than that forest. We still have a good bit of distance to cover, but if we go together, I bet we can make it to the top of this mountain a lot easier. Just think of how small all of that stuff behind us will seem then, when we've risen far above it, and can look back on it with a more clear point of view." The king looked to his knight, and just for a moment, just for a single, precious second, there was warmth in those eyes, and a faint, yet true smile on those lips.

Aster didn't reply, but stood from his rock a moment later, and turned, holding his left hand out to his wolf. Stahl took it gratefully, rose to his paws, and leaned forward to plant one of his softer kisses on top of his lover's head. The young king let out a heavy sigh, and spoke in a tone that was tired, but perhaps, just a little hopeful as well.