Chapter Text
The sounds of leaves rustling with the howling wind accompanied by the rustle of dry leaves seemingly crushed echoed through the forest, with a cautious pause in between every few moments. There was also piercing metal clangs resounding throughout the forest, but he wasn't sure of what it was, and would rather not find out.
The sounds circled around him, A usual routine of what happened fortnightly, around the time when he was supposed to be wide awake.
He was still unaware of what these sounds meant for him, but had a feeling that it was nothing good. He was too afraid to peer out of the hollow he was hidden in. Trembling in fear, his eyes shut tight, waiting for the footsteps to pass like they usually do, except this time it didn’t.
It turned back, as if acting on a strange impulse, and headed towards his general direction before stopping right in front of the tree he was hidden in. The clanking also stopped, and dread crept up on him.
He opened his eyes, only to be met with darkness.
.
He awoke in a panic.
He gasped for air, heart pounding. He yanked his hands up, only to be restrained by what seemed like metal chain bound to his wrists. And with a little more experimentation, found that his legs were also bound to the bedpost.
The once hushed whispers that seemed to be in the background when he first awoke turned frantic, as the rattling of his chains echoed through the room.
Before he knew it, he was held down by cold, large hands and he shivered, pulling his hands and feet up with all his might, thrashing about. He snarled, attempting to shift into something more ferocious, when a sharp pain tingled through his whole body. Tears threatening to form, he gasped for air as his heart pounded, anxiety filling him to the brim.
He let out a shout, and shouting of what was supposed to be his voice, but seemed nothing like his voice, was what he heard until all faded to black once again.
“ Hey. ,,
A faint rustling could be heard, followed by a slight nudge to his side.
Everything was slightly warm, comfortable. Warm colours of all shades filled his mind, as his consciousness floated through his mind. It was as if he was back at Ma’s place, covered in warm blankets, snuggling with Ma as he went to sleep with her comforting pats and whispers after he had a nightmare. He frowned, as the image of Ma in his mind slowly wavered and walked away from him, fading in slowly into the whiteness of his mind.
“Ma.. . Don’t leave yet.. ,,
This time there was a chuckle, of a deep voice, which Ma definitely did not have. This jerked him back to the world of living, and his eyes snapped open. As the memories of before rush back into his head, he roared in anger.
Despite the soothing blue shades painted on the walls, all he could see was painted in blinding white. His eyes stung, throat dry.
Yanking his chains, he pulls and pulls. The chuckle stops, followed by the sound of chair dragging on carpet, but he didn't care. He ignored the pain from his wrists and ankles, pulling with all his being at the chains binding him.
He called upon his powers once again, only to be met with a warmth surrounding his point of contact with his chains, and the anger swells in him. The chains glow a bright blue, stinging him. A gentle hand touches his left wrist, stopping the glow.
" I wouldn't do that if i were you.,,
He turns his head left, and meets the face of his captor. A boy of about age fifteen, with hair half yellow and half black, wide eyes peering at him in curiosity. The boy cautiously analyzes his expression, and Bokuto feels vulnerable. It was as if he was reading into his soul, and Bokuto squirms and inches backwards.
The boy finally stopped, nodding as if acknowledging something.
" The chains have a restricting spell placed on them, and the consequences... are not in your favor.,,
Thinking back to the last time he tried to shapeshift, he trembled slightly. It was definitely not something he would like to experience again.
Then, a rough hand suddenly gripped his chin and tilted it to the right instead, and he grit his teeth as the painful grip stayed. It was a man that looked in his forties, and he had a strict face, of someone serious and cruel.
" A fine specimen, indeed. His highness will definitely be pleasantly surprised at how quickly we found it.,,
The man's face was in front of his,scanning his face, satisfaction growing in his eyes. The man was up to no good, and he didn't like the sound of that at all.
He growled, twisting his head away from the man's grip and pulling his wrists up near enough to the man's face that the man flinches back. He roars and pulls against the chains in no avail, and as the man sees that, he smirks and crosses his arms.
Loud footsteps approached the door.
" No point trying, monster. When the highness sees you he will—,,
The door slammed open, and someone steps into the large bedroom.
" Enough. The highness will not see him. I have come on his orders to see to it that the shapeshifter is moved under my custody and that all his needs will be met. Even for a 'monster' .,,
" What? That can’t be! You --- -,,
The boy smirks at the man, in victory.
" Yes ?,,
The man widened his eyes in rage, gripped hands shaking in anger. He then stomped out of the room, slamming the door close.
A breath, then a sigh.
" Kuroo... You know you shouldn't rile him up like that.. ,,
There was the sound of footsteps once again walking towards his direction, before stopping at his left side.
"Oh, come on! You know that geezer was asking for it. He always ignores us and tries to lick the boots of our fathers for more gold!,,
Another sigh.
Bokuto stared at the newcomer by the corner of his eyes.The newcomer, 'Kuroo', had cool looking black hair that stood up probably even in a crowd. He had his hand on the other boys shoulder, and was grinning. It was only then, that Bokuto noticed their clothes.
The other boy was wearing some kind of rich noble clothing in red, and Kuroo was wearing red armor. Judging from his body structure and weapon, he was probably a highly ranked knight.
Kuroo walked towards Bokuto, and his grin widens. He then unsheathes his sword and raises it, and Bokuto closed his eyes tight in anticipation of death.
klunk!
Bokuto jumped from the sound, body curling into a ball, hands fisted. Wait. Hands? He opened his eyes in unmasked shock, golden eyes widening.
The knight looked down at him from above, grin widening by the second. His sword was right above Bokuto's head, and had cut his chains.
After freeing him, he stretched out his hands and pulls Bokuto up into a sitting position.
" Hey.. Name's Kuroo. And this is Kenma.,,
Bokuto just stares at him, dumbfounded. He lets out a nervous grin.
This Kuroo guy seemed nice enough, but this was the High Capital for pete's sake. There was no telling whether he was doing this so as to gain his favor to use him and throw him away.
Ma always told him of the people from the Capital, that nothing good could come from it.
Of course he knew that couldn't be possibly true, but there were certainly men in the Capital that were rotten to the core.
Ma even had scars to show for it, from when she and Pa were captured, and she alone barely escaped. The only reason she did was because Pa sacrificed his life, and the forest spirits and her were on good enough terms that they took care of her when she collapsed.
If Ma were here, she would definitely grab his hands tight and whisper to him. Bo, be careful.
He clenched his fist for a little while, testing his gripping strength. The two boys eyed him warily, hands on their respective swords, and Bokuto decided then that,no, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to test their patience.
Bokuto looks up to return Kuroo's stare, eyes wide in curiosity and he tilts his head to stare quizzically at Kuroo.
'' Hey! I'm Bokuto, nice to meet you, I guess. ,,
He outstretches his hand, and there's a silence in the room before Kuroo broke out into a grin. He gripped his hand, and Kuroo's hand was firm and steady, despite probably never having to shake anyone's hand before.
Bokuto heard from the many elves that talked in camps in the forests, that in the Capital no one shook hands as it was a form of vulnerability that no one was trusting enough to risk.
He didn't think much of it, and just thought that it was kind of boring. What was life without risks?
The forest folk never fancied the bowing thing nobles did anyway; A handshake was the easiest way of showing friendliness in the forest. After all, the whole forest was just like a family, except some creatures just tended to keep more to themselves.
Kuroo's smile widened.
" Hey, Kenma I like this guy! He actually shakes hands instead of those stiffy things we're forced to do! ,,
Bokuto was pleasantly surprised, and his mouth opened in a 'o' shape.
" Ohoho?,,
Kuroo turns back to him.
" Ohohoho? ,,
They shared twin grins and stared at each other, eyes twinkling as if communicating through some mysterious way unknown by the random bystander, but Bokuto knew. Kuroo was going to be a great friend, if he didn’t get on his bad side.
Kenma stared at them for a moment, and lets out an exasperated sigh.
" Alright, come on, let's bring him to his new room.. ,,
Kuroo threw an arm around Bokuto's shoulders and they walked out of the room, following Kenma's lead with a few other guards trailing behind.
.
"—Woah! ,,
Bokuto was left speechless, mouth hung open, as he takes in the sight before him. Amazing would be an understatement if he had to describe the room he was to stay in, but Bokuto's vocabulary wasn't too extensive, so he didn’t know how else to describe it. It wasn't easy to learn a lot in the forest, after all.
The room was half a room bigger than the one he was in before, and had calming green shades painted on the walls. Along with some fancy lights that were dimmed slightly, was a gigantic bed that looked really soft.
All would be good, if not for one thing. There were absolutely no windows, and even though he had only stepped in the room for a mere minute, it felt like it was suffocating him.
But he didn’t have time to dwell on it any longer, as Kuroo walked towards him, placing a hand on Bokuto’s shoulders.
"Well, I hope you enjoy your room, Bokuto.,,
He pushed Bokuto backwards with a huge force, and Bokuto panicked, eyes glowing light blue as he called upon his powers instinctively
A pain shot through his whole body, and he let out of scream of pain, as his body suspended in mid fall. Everything was a mixture of black and red and blue, and for a moment he felt totally numb.
The pain stopped after what felt like hours, days, and he opened his eyes again to meet the sight of his captors. His skin felt like it were burning even though the pain had long stopped.
Bokuto found that this was probably what Ma meant when she said sometimes, a certain feeling called rage would come like a monster and trample all over everything, in bursts.
He lunged towards Kuroo, with every intent to hurt him.