Chapter 3 : The Silver Sickle

Haru looked upon the figure of shadow with angst. Skin ashen grey, a lean and sickly body filled with cracks, adorning nothing but a black cloak. Eyes crimson red. A chained sickle in each hand, gleaming under the fluorescent moonlight.

He wasn’t human, far from it.

“Hey there, trust me, I don't want any trouble!’ Haru panicked, the young man walked towards Haru with the utmost bloodlust.

“Sorry kid, unfortunately for you I can’t be reasoned with. I’m a pretty chill guy but the master's orders are a familiar’s utmost responsibility.” The crimson eyed young man skirted his sickles across the floor, spinning them around with his chains.

Familiar!? What type of…

Haru recollected his thoughts, there was no time for idle thinking, his life was on the line.

“Master? Whose your master…? And c’mon man, I’m just a random kid. How does my existence affect your master.”

“Can’t tell you, won’t tell you — part of the protocol, ya’ get me?”

“Not really…”

“A shame, you seem pretty easy to talk to.”

“Do you plan to kill me…?”

The young man stopped — putting a finger to his chin — recollecting his thoughts and memories, as if he had forgotten why he was here in the first place.

“Urh! Yeah, now I remember!”

“.....” Haru hoped it was a simple kidnapping.

“I’ve gotta cut ya’ up bit by bit, starting from your eyeballs and down to your scrotum, whilst keeping you alive, then… hold on for a sec… oh yeah, eat your heart out!”

“.....”

Tears of fear welled up in Haru’s eyes. He wiped them away and looked behind him. There's no other choice… I’ve got to fight…

Haru turned to face his newfound opponent. His legs sliding into an L shape, his fists drawn up in front of him, guard strong and centre of gravity optimal.

“Oh so you’ve decided to fight me, this is gonna be pretty damn entertaining then!”

The young man’s hood fell down, revealing a hair of black feathers and a receded foreline that betrayed his apparent age, eyes gleaming in excitement.

Haru gripped his backpack tightly. He knew what he had to do, close the distance without getting cut and land a decisive strike on his opponent. Then run!

The young man stopped a few metres in front of him, pulling back his sickles into his grip, ready to unleash them at a moment’s notice. What would the boy do? He wondered, he was clearly outgunned and there was nowhere to go. He was as good as dead. This is gonna be fun!?

He twirled his sickles one more time, eyes catching the movement in Haru’s feet, ready to strik— Flash!

A bright light had momentarily blinded him. It’s the light from the brats damn phone!!!

He tuned in his senses, trying to sense any form of movement directed at him.

“GOT YA’!!!”

He threw his sickles with the utmost animosity, their silver edges ready to cut through anything it touched. Slice!

But instead of the sound of ripping flesh, it was a surprise rustle he heard instead. Splash!

“Dammit!” He had sliced through Haru’s school backpack, a spare bottle gushing his face in sticky juice.

Before he could regain his sight and retract his sickles, he felt it. A punch to the liver. His knees buckled. His crimson eyes regaining their sight, its first vestige…

Crack!

…Haru’s fist colliding with his jaw.

Disorientated, he rolled backwards down the alley. In only a few moments he had been completely outsmarted, and now he could only hear the sound of footsteps rushing past him.

His fists punched the ground in agitation at his dazed state, but he couldn’t help but grin from this brilliant game of cat and mouse.

“Aye’ crow!”

The crow blinked, staring back down at the fallen familiar with nothing less than apathy.

It squawked.

“Circle the brat again, make sure he can’t escape the alley! Otherwise both of us will be getting the stick, ya hear me!”

The crow didn’t need to hear him a second time — already taking pursuit for its prey — it spotted Haru quickly, his haste apparent as he circled the boy and squawked. Beginning it’s cruel paranoia ritual once again.

Why…!? Why…!? Why…!? Why…!? Why…!? Wh—

Haru had already lost all sense of self once again, unsure of every direction. He knew these alleyways like the back of his hand but for some reason now it was all forgotten to him.

After another minute of running, he came to another stop, breath unsteady in exhaustion, heart rate rising in fear. But this time—

“Yo kid, is everything allright! Heard lots of running.”

Akaji!?

The old man stood behind him, clearly worried.

“Ah–Ahka—plea–please hel...p” Haru’s breath was spent from all the sprinting.

“It’s alright kid, just breathe!”

“No… some…sssomeone is comin…”

Haru leaned on Akaji, hands held in desperation on Akaji’s shirt, tears welling up in fear and frustration. For that single moment, the crow had stopped squawking, an eerie silence taking over the alleyway.

What’s happened to ya kid?

Akaji had never seen the boy in such a state. He didn’t think the kid was the type to get in any sort of gang trouble, that wasn’t the boy's natural state which means it must have been something else. And as the last responsible adult in the boy's life. He had to step up!

“Please…” Fluorescent tears escaped the boy's eyes, his fingers tightening even deeper.

“It’s alright kid, lets get out of here.” Akaji held the boy up, holding him as they made haste to the dojo but before he could turn around the alley’s corner—

“Akaji…?”

Blood foamed out of the old man's mouth. His eyes widened. Haru looked down, and there, a single sickle pierced straight through the old man's throat.

“You sure can run, huh!”

The sickle returned back to its owner. Akaji’s body slumping to the floor in weakness.

Haru followed him, knees dropping to the ground as he tried to stop the bleeding. Hands bloody, eyes watering, heart racing. His mind in utter disbelief as his uncle slowly bled out to death on the gravel floor.

“Why…?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you kill him…”

“Hmm?”

“You were only supposed to kill me!!!”

Haru’s golden eyes burned with fury, their original dullness long gone. Now replaced by righteous fury.

“Woah!? Now it makes sense, you’re special aren't ya? Like my master.”

Haru looked at him intently, confusion mixing with anger. “What…?”

“Don't worry bout it, won't be important to ya’ now anyway.” He whirled his chains, readying to throw at any moment. “Ahhh! Yeah, names Cobalt by the way, thought you deserved to know whose killing ya’, what's yours?”

Haru let go of Akaji’s corpse, accepting the reality before him. His eyes shining brilliant gold with defiance.

“Haru. Haru Tadashima.”

“Nice name, I'll remember ya’ Haru!”

“.....”

“Any last words Haru?”

“.....”

“Fine. If you're gonna be like that then…”

Cobalt grinned. “I guess I won't consider mercy killing ya’ after all.”

The two stared down one final time. The crimson eyed crow perched on the rooftop, a spectator to the battle below.

“COME AT ME!!!” Cobalt shouted.

Haru accepted, rushing forward in a suicidal charge of rage and fury.

Ching.

Cobalt's sickles clashed in anticipation as he released them forward like demons in the night.

“SQUAWK!!!” — CRACK! — the sky split open.

The crow's head fell forward. Its body fell backwards. Decapitated in a single strike of thunder.

“Huh…?” Cobalt stopped mid-swing — his eyes followed the trail — thunder crossed downwards.

SHRAK!

A slice of thunder slashed through Cobalt's chained sickles, before pivoting like electric currents through a wire, and decapitating Cobalt's head from his body.

Haru’s bum hit the ground in shock. Before him was none other than the elven girl that had enchanted his heart.

Her sword’s handle held upright but instead of a blade, it was nothing but pure, and utter lightning that accompanied it.

In all her glory, under the moonlight’s gaze. She stood tall, victorious!

Behind her, Cobalt's body turned to dust, there was no blood. Only remnants of a puppet made of the shadows.

“Who… are you…?” Haru gazed upon his savior in awe. She looked down upon him gracefully, her form dropping as she kneeled before him.

Her voice airy, fairy-like. “Are you alright, my prince.”

Huh!?

It was at this moment he knew, his life had fundamentally changed forever, and there was no going back.