Bared Fangs

The cave had grown quiet.

The storm outside no longer roared, A mere whisper to what it was before

Melted snow dripped from the ceiling in slow, hollow beats

Reikuro watched the boy

Understanding that the quiet meant he was waiting

Humans did that when they wanted something.

“What are you?” Kouta repeated, his voice firmer

Taking one step closer to Reikuro

Reikuro looks down at Kouta feet before meeting his gaze firmly

“I am an Observer. If that answer will suffice”

Reikuro turns his head, the tension snapping abruptly

Not like a rubber band, fast and sharp

More like a coil slowly springing upwards and settling

“Don’t just turn your damn head away!’’

Kouta shouts out with a stomp of his foot

His shoulders tense and his gaze sharp

“And no, that answer won’t suffice”

Kouta states firmly

Reikuro turns his head from the calming storm outside

His movements loft and slow

“Well, that is a shame”

The fire beside crackles, its flame much less imposing than before

Its sharp edges smoothing out and its harsh glow soft

Reikuro stands up from the fireplace and walks over to a corner of the cave

This corner has Multiple logs, supplies and random objects

Kouta’s eyes widen at the sight

More so at the response of Reikuro

“Thats a shame? B-but you didn’t answer m-”

Reikuro cuts in

Not out of annoyance but because he views the question as irrelevant

“I did. What I am is an observer. Now...I think you owe me something in return for saving you”

Reikuro’s head turns around unnaturally

Almost a complete 180 turn

“That is a courtesy that humans bestow onto others after a favour is completed. I’ve seen it”

The reminder settled back into his bones.

He was in a cave.

With something that only resembled a man.

Monster?

His body edged toward the fire at the center of the cave toward warmth, toward something alive.

Reikuro’s body followed his head a heartbeat later, rotating with mechanical precision until he stood facing Kouta fully.

They met beside the flame.

Their gazes locked.

The firelight reflected in Kouta’s eyes.

It did not reflect in Reikuro’s.

“Why are you here? In the mountains of the North?”

Reikuro asks bluntly

His voice cuts through the crackle of the flame

Kouta’s body tenses for a moment

He knew this question would come

“I... I am a wandering merchant”

Kouta’s voice cracks slightly

His posture folded inward, shoulders curling as though trying to shield something unseen.

A strong gust of wind outside screams out

“Or at least I was with a group of wandering merchants until the storm came through”

Reikuro’s head tilts slightly, his gaze moving towards the entrance of the cave

The air there shifted.

Subtly.

Like heat bending light.

Then it formed.

Feathers sleek despite the harsh wind.

A narrow beak.

Dark purple wings unfurling in silence.

A raven.

It beats its wings once and flies gracefully, unperturbed by the weather

It lands on Kouta’s shoulder though Kouta shows no reaction

Kouta’s gaze remaining on the floor

“I left the group to come find help and the rest is history”

Kouta finally looked up.

Reikuro’s gaze was not on his face.

It was on his shoulder.

The raven let out a single, hollow call.

And vanished.

No feathers.

No sound.

Nothing.

Kouta blinked.

“Is… something wrong?”

Reikuro remains unblinking

“No”

Reikuro turns around and moves back over to corner of the cave

Supplies and logs strewn randomly over the rocky surface

“What is your plan now?”

Kouta tilts his head

Smiling slightly

“Are you worried about me?”

Reikuro responds without a second thought

“Worry? What is that? Explain it to me”

Kouta sighs

Disappointment evident in his hunched back

“So, you were just interested...got it”

He sighs and then moves over to Reikuro by the logs

Straightening himself back up before reaching down to dig through Reikuro’s supplies

Finding mostly just basic survival tools in different bags which clearly weren’t Reikuro’s

“Well, my plan is to reach the nearby kingdom past this mountain”

Kouta explains calmly

His hands pulling out a flask of water from the bag

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it buts it's called Ironwall. I’m hoping to get help for my merchant group there”

Reikuro remains impassive

Kouta tilting his body away from Reikuro slightly

His hand slowly unscrewing the cap to the flask until it releases with a slight pop

“Are you...coming with me?”

Reikuro pauses and turns his head slowly at Kouta

He seems to think for a moment

His hand moving to his chin

“Yes...If I come with you in these deadly environments then I can possibly observe more from you”

Reikuro’s hand moves to Kouta’s shoulder awkwardly

“Good idea. I will come with you”

Kouta frowns and sighs

His shoulders slumping

“Thanks...really appreciate the company”

The easing storm outside has since fully come to a stop

Drawing Reikuro’s gaze towards the much less daunting cave entrance

“We should move now. The storm has died down fully, for now”

Reikuro tightens the rope he had been tying around some supplies

Driving himself upwards he slings the essentials over his shoulder

Kouta quickly gathers his own equipment ranging from a flask of water and other essentials

Shoving it into a backpack and hurrying over to Reikuro who has begun walking out of the cave

The sound of Kouta’s steps transforms from heavy echoes to thick crunches in the layered snow

His hand flies to cover his eyes from the glaring light of the sun

His eyes narrowing almost to the point of closing

Slowly, his eyes adapt and he raises his hand to the sun

The light gleams through his fingers

Heat washes over his face and hand only to be met by a soft chill from lingering breeze of the passed storm

He’s alive

He knows that now

Kouta clenches his raised hand tightly

Trying to grab the sun from the sky

“I’ll live...I promise”

He mutters to himself

A firm declaration from an unseen pain that lingers in him

Yet a pain that stirs an ever-burning flame in him

“Hurry up”

Reikuro’s voice bleeds out causing Kouta to quickly whip around to Reikuro who never stopped walking

“Don’t just walk off, weirdo!”

Kouta shouts as he drops his thoughts in the thick snow beneath his feet

Taking off towards Reikuro as they begin their journey through the engulfing mountains of the North

A few hours later, night has now engulfed settled against the mountains

Reikuro and Kouta have found a camping spot hidden from the harsh winds

Tall trees cast a shadow from the fireplace in the middle of the campsite

Old tree oak creaking from being pulled back and forth by cold winds

Kouta sits near the fire, his breath coming out in thick plumes of white

His hands raised up to the fire trying to absorb some of the heat

He looks around quickly

Reminding himself of his situation

He sighs and clenches his hands tight

His eyes lock on to the fighting flame

He remains deep in thought until the sound of a twig snapping pulls his attention

He whips his head around and jumps slightly

Its Reikuro who had only left moments ago to go find food for Kouta

In his one hand he grasps two dead rabbits by the ears

“You were quick”

Kouta murmurs

His eyes darting to the rabbits and Reikuro’s doll like face as he approaches the fire

“Yes. These animals are not challenging to hunt”

Reikuro says blankly as he slowly settles down on the opposite side of the fire from Kouta

A silence settles over them

Their tent sheets fluttering in the wind gently

“Now, why did I hunt these animals?”

Reikuro asks curiously as he tilts his head to the side unnaturally

Kouta raises and eyebrow

“To eat them of course. Why else would you hunt them?”

Reikuro’s head raises back into place, and he stares at the dead rabbits for a moment too long

“You eat these animals”

Reikuro’s tone a weird mixture of statement and consideration

His hand moves to pick up one of the rabbits and settles it down on its lap

His gaze fixed on its blank gaze

Kouta shifts slightly, glancing towards his tent then back at Reikuro

“do you...feel bad for it?”

Kouta asks carefully, wondering if such a thing could set off this enigma in front of him

Reikuro tilts his head again

“Feel...bad? No, I don’t think that's what it is”

He strokes its bristly fur

His hand stopping at its ears to fiddle with them slightly

“Death of animals such as these usually bring negative emotions to people. You do not show that, why?”

Kouta pauses for a moment

The question catches him off guard, it would catch anyone off guard

“Well...what you're asking me is basically would I rather be prey or predator and at the moment...”

Kouta’s eyes furrow and he curls more into himself

“I want to be the predator”

Reikuro looks back down at the rabbit with a new understanding

“Prey....and predator”

Suddenly, Reikuro’s fingers freeze on the rabbit's ear

His body tense and coiling like a spring

Reikuro looks around with slow calculated turns of his head

Kouta looks more erratically

The sudden change in Reikuro sending a wave of unease through him

“W-what is it, Reikuro?”

Reikuro doesn’t respond

Slowly, Reikuro moves the rabbit from his lap and stands up

His movements slowed in time as if not to disturb a sleeping beast

Reikuro’s finally stops looking around, locking on to the darkness behind Kouta

He tilts his head slightly, the air around the camp going heavy

A low hissing can be heard but only Reikuro seems to acknowledge it

From the shadows, a snake slowly slithers out towards them

Scales of red coating its body

Its movements leave no trail in the snow, a misty haze surrounding its being

“Kouta...”

A voice from the shadows speaks out

Two figures emerge from the darkness

One clad with heavy armour that hides his being and the other a man with black hair and green eyes wearing a leather armour with a fur traced cloak

The man clad with armour towers over everyone effortless, his helmets gaze causing a wave of uncertainty to grasp at everyone's throats

Everyone except Reikuro

“We’ve been looking all over for you”

The smaller man speaks with a seemingly friendly smile and tone

His arms outstretched and his shoulders relaxed

“Everyone back home has been worried sick about you, especially your parents. Why don’t you come back with us huh?”

Reikuro turns his head to Kouta and before he says anything, he studies Kouta

Kouta’s hands are clenched so tight his knuckles have gone white

His posture so stiff that the gentelest of breezes could push him over

What really grabs Reikuro’s attention is his face

Fixed in a snarl, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open

Thick puffs of cold air forcing its way from his mouth

“Don’t use their memory to sway me”

Kouta says with a shakey voice

The smaller man crosses his arm and shakes his head

“My, my...why cause so much trouble for us and even drag a stranger into this”

Reikuro’s gaze moves to the large, behemoth of a man stood next to the smaller man

“Who are you people?”

The smaller man's eyes widen for a second before he bows respectfully

“My name is Osawa and this big fellow is my partner, Corvus”

Osawa stands up tall and looks at Kouta who is still glaring at them both

“And we have come to bring that young man back home, as per request of his family of course”

Reikuro tilts his head and looks at Kouta more closely

“Why are these men here for you? I thought you were rolling with a band of merchants?”

Kouta’s gaze flickers and he shakes his head

“Don’t listen to anything these creeps say. T-they're the real reason I ran from the merchants I was working with because these guys killed them all”

Kouta points though his gaze and hand shakes

Something from deeper within pushing his bold statements

“Rolled with some merchants? Killed them all? My my, what harmful words from someone of your stature, Kouta”

Time freezes around them as Osawa smiles but this time, it's much more crooked

“Your stature?”

Reikuro murmurs as he looks at Kouta again

“Oh, he never told you? Fitting of the son of a royal”

Osawa comments as he puts his hand on his chin

His gaze fixed on Kouta

“This young man here...is the Prince of Aegis”

The sentence rings in the air for a moment

Corvus seeming to let out a sharp, deep chuckle

A firm pressure sets around Kouta as everyone's gaze pushes down against his small frame

His mouth opens but nothing comes out, his eyes shutting tightly as he builds his courage

“He’s telling the truth...I-I am the Prince of Aegis”

His eyes open and tears form, running slowly down his cold skin

“And... these are no ‘men’ “

Kouta says as he glares up at Osawa and Corvus

A fierce burning sensation running through his entire body

“They’re spirits, the culmination of dead mana from all types of living creatures and they....”

He pauses to grit his teeth tightly as he points at them both

“They slaughtered my people!”

Hot tears grind across his skin

“They worked with a band of war minded spirits and killed everyone I loved...Everyone! Not a soul was spared!”

Kouta collapses to the floor in a mess of anger and tears

Reikuro face remains impassive though something flickers inside of him

He turns his head to Osawa and Corvus

Osawa sigha and shrugs

“I guess the cats out of the bag now, huh Corvus?”

Corvus with a deep rumbling voicw

“I prefer it that way”

Even nature calling to the authority in his voice

The fire dims

The aggressive wind calms

Each element preparing for a command from this monster

Osawa covers his mouth with his hand slowly

A cruel, vindictive smirk plastered on his face

“I have to agree with you on that one...Corvus”

Reikuro stands tall as the winds pick up from around them all

“I think I understand it now...”

Reikuro says quietly as he walks towards Okawa and Corvus until he’s only inches apart from them

His gaze while empty, glares up at them with the killer instinct only a trained predator could obtain

“Living things are never straight forward to understand...”

Osawa, Reikuro and Corvus lock each other in a stand still

Itching for the other to move first so they can begin the battle of Predator vs Predator

Note from me: Sorry for the long wait for everyone who has been waiting for me to publish chapter 2. College has just been a huge mess recently, but I should be back in gear now for the final chapters release soon.