Chapter Text
Sad Song
With you I'm a beautiful mess,
it's like we're standing hand in hand
with all our fears upon the edge,
so stop time here in the moonlight
cause I don't ever want to close my eyes
without you I feel broke like I am half of a whole
without you, I'm just a sad song
(Sad Song by We the Kings)
This is an old legend, from a time long past, where magic was as abundant as stars in the sky, a time where the youkai were rulers instead of outcasts and humans no more than mere children in their eyes.
Once there was a small village, in the shadow of a great forest, both their names long lost to time. The land around the settlement was fertile and had not been claimed by youkai, allowing the clan that lived there a peaceful and plentiful life, after the ambitions of neighboring chieftains had been crushed by the fighting prowess of the clan's warriors and the formidable leadership of their clan leader.
Nobody in the village knew why exactly the youkai kept their distance, but there was a rumor that a mighty devil lived in the forest, discouraging weaker youkai from claiming his prize. Because of that, the clan people feared the forest and their hunters avoided pursuing prey that succeeded in fleeing deep into it. The devil was whispered to dwell in a grand lake in the heart of the forest and to fulfill the wishes of those who dared to pray to him, in return for something that was precious to the wishbearer.
By the time the protagonist of our story was born, nobody had dared to look for the devil for more than 80 years. Yet there was an old kooky crone that claimed that she had laid eyes on the devil in her youth, when she had stealthily followed her older brother to the enchanted lake. But nobody believed her words, as she was known for her wild tales and the story of the devil in the heart of the forest had become no more than a scary bedtime story, employed by parents to keep their children close to the settlement, lest they should lose their way in the forest or get devoured by wild beasts that lurked in the woods.
Our hero, whose name was Rin, found himself to be seldom discouraged by those stories and was known to explore the wilderness as he pleased. Rin was the son of the village chief, a wild and clever boy whose bright eyed face would always wear a wide grin. Unlike the other children, who would call the old crone cruel names, Rin enjoyed her tales and would often visit her. But as much as he begged her, she always refused to tell him her greatest story.
Finally, when Rin was a boy of ten years, the old crone agreed to tell him the story of the devil in the heart of the forest. Before she began her tale, she made sure to let him know that she wasn't going to tell her story because his constant begging had worn her down, no, it was simply time for the tale to be told, so he could listen intently and learn from it.
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"When I was but a young sprout, not even in my twelfth year, my brother told me and my parents that he was going to ask the devil in the lake for a better harvest, as the last two had been poor and the next winter was likely to claim victims of starvation otherwise. My parents tried to discourage him, but my brother was already of age and determined to sacrifice himself for the good of the village. I really adored my older brother, so when he ventured into the forest to seek the devil, I followed without him noticing me.
I had always been silent and I was but a wisp of a girl, so I managed to stay in the shadows, without him realizing that he was not alone on his quest. We reached the heart of the forest after no more than 4 days. It was as if the devil was leading him through the woods, making the trees bend aside and the predators shy away from us, as if to make the journey as fast and safe as possible.
When we reached the lake, dusk had just set in and the surface of the water looked as if dyed in crimson. My brother kneeled in front of the lake and prayed for the devil to appear and to listen to his wish. He waited for a long time, and yet it was somehow still dusk when the devil appeared.The surface of the lake stirred and then there he was, slowly breaking through the surface and swimming towards the water's edge, no less graceful than a creature of the sea.
When he reached the shore, I could see that he was taller than any man I had laid eyes upon and of a lean, yet strong build. His long wet hair seemed midnight black in the dimming light and his body was clad in a silvery-white kimono. Despite the twilight and the limited view from my hiding place, I could still see the blue of his eyes and was fascinated by it. To this day, I have never seen a blue so vibrant and deep again; nor eyes emptier than his. Despite all the gruesome tales I had heard about this devil, I was not scared. Instead, gazing upon him made me feel forlorn and hollow, almost as if he shared his innermost feelings with me for the second that our eyes met.
All of a sudden, I found it hard to observe what was happening as a veil of tears had unexpectedly began to shroud my eyes. The devil and my brother seemed in deep conversation, my brother's head bowed in order to avoid the gaze of the demon. After a while, the devil withdrew as quick and gracefully as he had appeared and my brother tried to gain as much distance from the lake as possible before laying down to rest. When we returned to the village, my parents were too relieved to scold me, since they had feared to not have lost one, but two children to the forest. My brother refused to speak of what the devil and him had held council on, but said that he firmly believed the next harvest would turn out to be bountiful.
I often tried to talk to him about what happened in the woods, but he always avoided to do so, instead he only told me that he wished I hadn't followed him, as he believed that the demons eyes were a sight that would follow one through life. As my brother had foretold, the next harvest was bountiful and the village was thus saved from starvation. For a while our family was happy and my brother enjoyed being celebrated as the village's hero, but then he began to change.
Slowly, he started to forget. It started with small things, such as my mother's birthday or my favorite colour and we tried to explain it away, but then, one day after waking up, he had forgotten that our beloved grandmother had passed away a year before. From then on out, it got progressively worse and when spring came, he had even forgotten my mother's name and that I was his little sister.
I remembered the demons hollow eyes and that there was always a price to pay for such favors. When summer came, my brother decided to leave the village, as looking at the sad arraigning eyes of his family and former friends hurt him, since he could not recall any of his memories regarding them. We never saw him again." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And yet", the old crown concluded her tale, " I cannot hate this devil, since every time I remember my brothers fate, I also remember the demons eyes that seemed so hollow and heartbroken." Rin had been listening to her account with baited breath and had not even noticed that the story had moved him to tears, as he was so caught up in this grand tale. Finally, he woke from his daze. " So there is really a devil living in the forest? Can I go meet him? He seems lonely. Was your story really true?"
"That is something you will have to decide on your own, my dear boy", the old woman said chuckling. " You should remember this tale though, it might be of service to you in future, when you take your rightful place as this village's leader"
"I don't want to be the village chief though", the boy frowned, " it seems like a bore. I'd rather go out adventuring like your brother. I want to be like the heroes in the stories you told me and go on a journey to save my people."
"Be careful what you wish for my boy, words are easily spoken, but hard to take back. There is more to being a hero than kindness and empty words. A hero needs strength and determination too. Moreover, a true hero is someone who would sacrifice his own desires for the greater good, that is something only a very few are able to do. The greed of men has always been our greatest flaw."
"I'll be a true hero then, just watch me.", Rin responded, a glimmer of resolution in his eyes.
Shortly thereafter, he was called home for dinner and was too caught up in his own thoughts of heroes and devils, to hear the old crown mutter "I pray that you will be able to hold onto your resolve in future", before he left her hut.
Less than a week later, the old woman passed away, as if she had only held on this long to tell him her most precious tale. During her funeral, Rin was the only one who shed tears, only to be reprimanded for his lack of dignity by his stern father. Thereafter, Rin, who always held the crone's words close to his heart, grew from a willful but kind child to a courageous yet sensible young man, who was being prepared for his future position as clan chief. Rin did not covet his future position and shirked his duties whenever possible to go adventuring in the woods, preferring to spend time alone instead of staying in a village that seemed too small, full of people who seemed too narrow minded. Yet his promises and family ties still bound him to the settlement and his clan.
Before he could mentally prepare himself for a life as the village chief, his quiet and peaceful life and dreams of a future outside of the confines of the village came to a sudden halt, after his father died tragically during a great hunt. Bereft of their leader, the people looked towards Rin to lead them in his stead. Rin, who was 16 years old now, did not feel prepared sufficiently, but knew that he had to shoulder the burden and tried to lead the settlement to the best of his abilities.
But the neighboring clans had grown jealous during the last decades, looking upon the bountiful fields and large herds of livestock of Rin's clan with greed in their hearts. Now, that the inexperienced and kind Rin had taken over as the head of the village, some neighboring clan leaders, who lacked resources but had plenty of warriors, saw their chance to better the lives of their people. The first raid met Rin unprepared and led to the loss of many of his best men.
In his desperation and with the knowledge that they might not be able to defend themselves and their possessions from another attack, Rin thought of the old tale of the devil in the heart of the forest and of the account the old crone had given him. Half a moon after the raid, Rin disappeared into the forest under the light of the full moon, while leaving a letter explaining the circumstances of his disappearance to his mother and sister.
After hours of following winding paths through the woods, he was shaken from his reverie by a low mewling, only to spot one of the traps his hunters had strewn across the periphery of the woods. He was surprised that some of his man had journeyed that deeply into the forest in order to hunt. The trap had caught an iriomote cat that was looking at him with a pleading and eerily human expression in its startling blue eyes. These cats were highly coveted for their beautiful pelt and the hunter who built the trap would be able to live comfortably for a good while after selling the fur and yet Rin found himself unwilling to leave the cat to its fate.
Instead, he kneeled down next to the trap and cautiously freed the wild creature from it, bracing for an attack by the hurt animal. But the cat merely stared at him with its large blue eyes without even a hiss and patiently waited while he freed it. Afterwards, the cat glanced at him one last time, an almost thankful expression in its blue eyes, before limping into the undergrowth and vanishing from Rin's sight.
Following, Rin also continued his journey into the forest, but couldn't shake of the feeling that there had been more to the wildcat than the eyes could see, as the cat's behavior had been very untypical for a wild animal. Hours later, Rin finally decided to rest and sat down , while leaning against a large tree. Somewhere between the state of waking and sleeping, Rin could have sworn to notice a pair of startling blue eyes in the dark, curiously observing him. When he woke up sometime later , to the light of dawn, he couldn't decide whether his mind had played a trick on him or whether there had really been a visitor during the last night.
The following days, Rin's journey took him deeper and deeper into the forest, day and night blending into one, to the point that Rin couldn't tell how many days he had already spent in the forest. He was anxious that any help he would be able to obtain from the devil would arrive too late and almost doubted the existence of the creature altogether, considering that he still hadn't found the devils lair. Even his provisions had dwindled, leaving him foraging for berries and catching rabbits in simple traps. At night, he often left some meat out close to his resting place, in the hope of spotting his furry friend again, but the wild cat had not shown itself again.
Many nights after Rin had left for his quests, he finally reached a glade, deep in the forest. The setting sun was bathing a grand lake in the middle of the clearing in the light of dusk, dying the waters crimson and leaving Rin with a feeling that was equal parts hope, excitement and dread. Slowly, Rin walked towards the lake, all his senses on high alert. But even so he called out for the devil and silently prayed for his help, there was no frightful figure arising from the lake's depth, nor was there an eerie voice answering his request.
Exhausted, Rin kneeled in front of the lake, splashed his tired face with water and drank. Suddenly, a strange feeling of dread enveloped his heart and he directed his gaze slowly back to the surface of the water, having subconsciously noticed something uncanny, while drinking. As he had feared, there was a stranger's face staring at him, instead of his own reflection. Paralyzed by the strangers gaze, Rin couldn't help but be drawn to the reflection's strange uncanny eyes.
The strangers eyes had a cat-like quality and the iris was dyed a deep cerulean blue that seemed to give of a mysterious light in the evening sun. The reflection's long raven hair obscured his strangely elongated ears and softened his sharp facial features, giving him an ethereal appearance. As if under a spell, Rin slowly stretched out his hands towards the reflection, only to find himself being pulled under the surface of the lake by a vice-like grip, the moment his fingers and the stranger's reflection connected. His last thoughts were of his village and his family who would now be victim to the neighboring clan's whims and his lips spelled out an apology before the lack of oxygen made him lose consciousness.
When Rin came to, he found himself lying on a futon in a bare room. Only moments later, the sliding doors in front of him moved and a young man, whom he recognized as the owner of the reflection he had gazed at earlier, entered the room. The man, whom he assumed to be the devil he was seeking, had long midnight black hair, that reached down to his hips. His facial features were beguiling and had an ethereal quality to them, with heart shaped lips and large feline eyes of an uncanny blue hue. The stranger wore a silvery white kimono that complemented his fair complexion and moved towards him gracefully, as if floating, his expression as empty as a dolls'. Before Rin could even register, the demon was already kneeling next to the futon, staring at Rin inquisitively.
Rin felt embarrassed and slightly fearful under the demons scrutinizing gaze and glanced at the floor instead. Keeping his original aim in mind, he hesitantly asked" Where am I? Why did you bring me here? I have to go back quickly, my village is in danger." The demon observed Rin coldly before answering, "Your kind always has so many questions. It's a puzzle to me. Your lives are so short and yet you never stop asking questions nor do humans seem to be able to sit back and just appreciate what they have. The time you spend in my domain will only measure in mere seconds in the outside world, so you do not have to worry. I will make certain that you will be back in time. Let us talk about your request after you have eaten and rested. Still, before you make your wish, I have to remind you that magic seldom comes without a price, a price you may have to bear yourself if you prove unworthy."
"I'll show you that I have what it takes and more", Rin responded, while trying his best to appear confident.
Instead of acknowledging Rins retort, the demon simply placed a tray laden with fish, rice and vegetables next to the redhead before turning around and leaving the room. A tray that- if Rin wasn't hallucinating- had miraculously appeared in the demon's hands only moments ago. After enjoying the surprisingly delicious meal, Rin fell asleep on the futon, still exhausted from the journey and his encounter with the devil.
Hours later, he found himself wandering the halls, looking for the devil. He could neither find a door that led outside nor windows, which left him wondering as to how he had ended up in the mansion in the first place. The long and winding halls were decorated with countless paintings. Paintings full of fantastic creatures, oceans and lakes brimming with strange fish and youkai. There was also a large picture of a lonely figure atop a storm ridden cliff. Rin was so immersed in the last painting, that he didn't even notice the demon who had silently walked up behind him, until the aforementioned laid his hand on Rin's shoulder, scaring the redhead, who took a step back in shock and tripped, only to be caught in the arms of the devil who had somehow side stepped him.
" I apologise, it was not in my intention to scare you, I simply wanted to make myself known, as you didn't react when I called out to you.", the master of the house said. "I - I wasn't scared or anything... I just didn't hear you," Rin responded, his quivering voice belying his words. He was looking at the demon warily, taking in his fine features and tall, lean physique. He caught himself being fascinated by the devils eyes, just like when he first spotted him in the water. Eyes of a deep cerulean blue which seemed to hold a forlorn gaze that they belied the devils cold facade.
"Human, I am ready to hear you wishes", the devil finally announced, breaking their gaze first. "I hope you won't bore me by wishing for wealth, love or immortality. Wealth often brings more trouble than joy, winning someone's love like that would be no better than slavery and the third I am unable to grant."
Rin met the ravens eyes again, " These all sound like interesting wishes to me, but I did not come here to satisfy my own greed. My village is in danger of falling to our neighbors and I need a way to defend it from them and discourage others from attacking us."
"How honorable of you and how arrogant, considering you really think you are being selfless when all you want is to play the hero, like the ones in the stories you so adore. Don't look so surprised, I know all that goes on in my domain. You have always been a dreamer and you longed to leave your village to go adventuring. So don't pretend that you are selfless. You are just doing this out of self gratification. But be that as it may, I will grant your wish , young Master Rin, if you show me that you have the determination and the abilities to fight for your people."
Rin steeled himself and endured the icy stare of the demon, "I will abide by your rules and see my wish granted to protect my people and my family. Suddenly, the demon stepped closer to Rin and lifted his head up, before Rin could react, the ravens lips enveloped his own in a long and searing kiss Rin found himself unable to break. He felt his heartbeat quicken and forgot for a second that the raven was just as deadly as he was beautiful.
Not minding Rin, who had frozen in place, the devil broke the kiss without hesitation and remarked, "now our deal is sealed. In order to defend your village, I will lend you my sword and teach you how to wield it. " Even though he was still shaken up from the kiss, Rin cut in before the demon could continue. " I can't waste any more time. My village could be attacked any day now, I may already be too late."
"As I mentioned already, time bends to my will as easily as the water of the lake. After your training will be completed, I will send you back to the day after you left for the heart of the forest, so no time will be lost. We will begin the training on the morrow, today you should rest and familiarize yourself with the mansion. Some of the rooms are locked, it would be in your best interest not to pry them open", the stranger declared.
"Excuse me, devil of the heart of the forest, but how should I address you from her on out? Calling you a devil all the time seems rather impolite." Hearing Rin's words, the demon's cold expression wavered "I shed my past and true name centuries ago, you may call me whatever you like, for I do not care. Devil would do just fine, if you like. After all, that is the name your kind gave me." Rin smiled hesitantly, " so you mean I'll get to name you? In that case I am going to call you Haru from now on."
"Fine" The demon's easy agreement wasn't what he had expected, in fact, he was slightly disappointed, since he was prepared to explain why he had chosen that particular name, so Rin decided to just explain his reasoning anyhow, whether the devil , no Haru, was interested or not.
"I chose it because your eyes remind me of the colour of the sky on the last day of spring, beautiful but somehow sad". For but a second, a blush bloomed in Haru's face and his plush lips tilted upwards, but the change in expression was so fleeting that Rin might have as well imagined it.
During the following days, which were spend with discussing several defense strategies for the village and learning advanced swordsmanship , Rin found out that Haru's mind was much like his beauty, as sharp as the edge as a knife and equally as dangerous. Moreover, he learned that the demon had a penchant for fried mackerel which was, according to Haru, a suitable meal for every occasion, be it breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. When Rin tried to propose preparing dinner instead he found out that rice and mackerel were the only provisions in Haru's food storage, aside from some dried apples and seaweed.
Slowly, he felt the two of them bonding and starting to stray from the topics of warfare and swordsmanship from time to time. He even made the demon laugh once, a silvery and musical laugh full of innocence that betrayed his usual cold attitude. A couple of days later, when the two of them sat together after an especially long and strenuous training session, Rin gathered all of his courage and asked the question that had been brewing in his mind.
"Haru, you are lonely, aren't you? You have lived all alone here, only observing us from afar. I wonder, won't you come back to the village with me? I am sure they will see your kindness, same as I did. This way you won't be alone, once I am gone."
Haru's face clouded over and he answered in a low voice, " My kind has always been either worshipped or feared by yours and I don't want to receive either. Such a thing as companionship is not possible between us, dolphins can't be friends with tuna."
"I'm not a fish though, "Rin replied chuckling, trying to lift the mood. "We seem to get along just fine though, maybe you can make an exception for me and I can come visit you after the village has been saved."
Haru wavered for a second, showing vulnerability instead of a glacial expression, " It would be better for you to never come back once your training is complete. There is nothing for you here, Rin."
"You finally stopped calling me human when you get upset with me! That means we're getting closer after all", Rin said smirking. Haru didn't grace him with any sort of response, signaling that Rin had taken a step to close, and left the room, leaving Rin to mull over what was said and what was left unsaid. Why was Haru so afraid to get close to him? He clearly didn't hate him, as much as he pretended too, otherwise he wouldn't fuss over the little cuts Rin received during training or surprise him with food that didn't entirely consist of mackerel and rice.
During the days that followed, Rin did not only do his best during the laborious training sessions and strategy simulations that Haru had set up for him, but also tried to get a little closer to Haru, day by day. The rare musical laugh of the reticent man fascinated him and he strived to hear it as often as he could. Sometimes Haru still tried to point out that they were different species and Rin shouldn't keep trying to force an unwelcome bond of friendship on him. Nonetheless, Rin felt that Haru' was warming up to him, behind his glacial facade. Or maybe he simply wanted to be his confidant so badly that he was imagining it. Deprived from any other form of social contact, Rin felt his thoughts endlessly spiraling around his mysterious teacher and his origins. From what he had observed of the solitary man so far, he seemed less of a devil and more of a sage, though definitely youkai in origin, having seen some of Haru's powers during their training sessions.
One night, or at least Rin assumed it was night time, he wasn't able to fall asleep and decided to wander the halls of the mansion to take a look at the paintings, there were so many that he was sure to have missed out on some. While on his midnight stroll, he saw a thin blade of light fall from one of the doors that had always been locked up until this point. Even though he knew the devil wouldn't appreciate his nosiness, he couldn't help himself and tried to take a peek into the room. The first thing he saw was that Haru had passed out in a comfortable looking chair which was situated next to a large bookshelf. He looked innocent and young while asleep, long stray hairs escaping from the bun he was wearing and falling into his fine featured face.
Rin let his gaze wander the room and felt it drawn towards a large painting which almost encompassed all of the back wall of the room. The painting depicted five terribly frightening creatures, which also carried an uncanny otherworldly beauty. They seemed titans when compared to the scared woodland animals that appeared to be fleeing from the menace that was soaring in the sky above them. Even though the beings seemed to be of the same race, they were as distinct from each other in look and attitude as humans were. While he had never seen one of these creatures, he recognized them from the crone's tales and remembered that some humans revered these creatures as living gods. They were dragons, just as imposing and majestic as he had imagined them after hearing the crone's tales.
The smallest one was shown hunting, it's golden body taut in apprehension and his pink eyes focused on its prey and yet there seemed to be a playful glint in his life-like eyes. High above him soared an amber dragon, eyes of liquid gold proud and its snake-like graceful body exuding power. The largest of its brethren cut an imposing figure with its strong maroon body and large wings, but its forest green eyes expressed nothing but kindness.
Finally, slightly apart from the rest of the group, was the last beast. It seemed to be sunbathing next to a lake, its size only beating out his smallest companion and yet something about this dragon made Rin's breath hitch. The creature somewhat reminded him of a cat, with graceful and nimble features. Its hide was as black as a raven's coat, which served as an impressive contrast to the colour of his eyes which were of a deep otherworldly blue. Rin felt himself drowning in those eyes, his heart clenching painfully and he realised that he had seen this particular shade of blue before, those eyes were just like-
"Rin... Rin ...don't, we can't....."
Startled Rin jumped a little, turning around and expecting to be scolded by his mentor, when he realised that Haru had spoken in his sleep. He took a step closer to the sleeping figure and became aware of Haru's flushed face and his slightly parted lips, only to be startled by a low growl and another " Rin, we can't".
The synergy of Haru's disheveled appearance and his breathy words made Rin feel flushed as well and he felt his heart starting to beat faster when his thoughts returned to the kiss they shared. The rational part of his mind told him he shouldn't even be here, no less be spying on others people's dreams.
Unfortunately, he couldn't stop himself from taking another step closer to the sleeping man and letting his hand slowly wander through the Raven's silky locks, only to have his hand suddenly gripped tightly and drawn away from Haru's very awake and very upset face.