Work Text:
“You had some fun there, didn’t you?”
Howl tried wiping the blood off his face but only succeeded in smearing it more. “I’m not sure what you mean.” There was an effort to maintain composure as he caught his breath, his words heavy with caution.
Fray snorted, the sound muffled slightly through his helm. “You enjoyed killing that temple knight. The grin on your face was infectious, it was as if I saw a child opening a Starlight gift.”
His blood felt like ice in his veins, his breath caught in his chest. “I wanted to save that girl.”
“I know. And you did. You did quite a wonderful job on that front. I doubt the next knight that walks in there will even recognize the man. Or if they can even find all his limbs. Tell me, what - who - were you thinking of?”
A face flashed in Howl’s mind and he doubled over, retching. Blood and bile spilled from his lips onto the frosted stone.
A clink of metal drew nearer and nearer, a heavy hand on his back. “So there is more to you than altruism. You took this up to save her, yes, but you took this up for yourself, for revenge. Did it feel good?”
Howl closed his eyes and he recalled the weight of his sword as it pierced the knight’s chest, the overwhelming heat that grew through his body at the sickly crunch. The knight had begged, pleaded until his body grew limp. But that hadn’t been enough for Howl, no. He withdrew his sword and sunk back into him. Again, and again. And again. Lifting his blade over his head and swinging it with a force that cracked the stone underneath - and separated any bone in the way. It had been so satisfying, the way the knight’s insides were on the outside, the way the stone grew slick with blood and viscera.
The memory made him smile. It warmed his heart.
Howl lifted his head, locking eyes with Fray as that blood cooled on his cheeks. “It felt amazing.”
Fray closed in the distance and cupped Howl’s cheek. A thumb caressed him and Howl leaned into it, a smile on his lips as blood smeared over his skin. “I knew it would.”