Work Text:
Tim stretches, his claws kneading into the soft, loamy dirt below his as his maw parted in a yawn. The sun was warm and soft against his fur, the light affecting him less than it does some of the other members of his family. Perhaps it was due to the location of where he was Reborn, or maybe the fact that he was in such close proximity to Uncle Kal’s Spark, but that was neither here nor there.
His ears twitched as the sound of clicking bones and shuffling sounded behind him, and Tim glanced over his shoulder to see Dick emerging from the mouth of the cavern just a few meters away. The oldest shook out his inky feathers, blinking against the light of the rising sun as he joined Tim in lying in the dirt.
“Any plans for today?” Dick asked, cocking his head to the side as Tim flicked his tail to and fro.
He hums, flipping onto his back and stretching out lazily, “I ‘unno. There is a kingdom, isn’t there? A new one.”
“Mhm,” Dick hums with a nod, “It was founded… only a handful of centuries prior, still rather young compared to the other civilizations southwards.”
He blinks in quiet surprise, his ear twisting backward to catch the distant growling sound of Jason just waking from his sleep, “You seem rather knowledgeable about this new kingdom. Have you gone already?”
“No, but Wally has. He said that the kingdom is quite windy, so he and the other wind spirits frequent there to see the place grow. Honestly, I think it’s a little overrated,” his feathers ruffled, wisps of shadows lifting and dissipating into the air as the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky, “once you’ve seen one kingdom, you’ve seen them all.”
“I suppose,” he glances to the west, the rough direction he would have to travel to reach the location of interest, “but it wouldn’t hurt to still take a look, no?”
Dick huffs out a small laugh, the noise turning into the semblance of an annoyed rattle as Jason launches from the cavern mouth to pounce and swat at the eldest’s wings.
“What are you two talking about?” Jason asked while batting at the wing Dick was trying, and failing, to keep away from their brother's grasp.
Tim narrowed his eyes at the lupine creature’s antics, flipping onto his paws to shuffle away from the inevitable scuffle the two would devolve into. “Well… I’m thinking of taking a trip to the new kingdom out west-”
“Why?” Jason scoffed with a toss of his head, pausing in his torment of their oldest sibling in favor of fixing Tim with a judgmental stare, “Once you’ve seen one kingdom, you’ve seen them all-”
“That’s what I said!” Dick interjected, his bones crackling loudly as he tossed an arm upward in indignation.
He rolled his eyes, his tail lashing in mild annoyance, “Whatever, I’ll leave you two idiots to whatever it is that you spend your free time doing. Perhaps adding more souls to Bruce’s hoard?”
“Watch your tongue, Timmy,” Jason jeered, red eyes glittering as he bared his fangs in faux malice, “I’m the reason you’re alive, and I can also be the reason you’re- ow!”
“Behave,” Dick scolded as he swatted Jason’s muzzle.
Tim could only sigh, “You know what? Let Cass and Bruce know I’ll be out for a couple months- no more than a season’s time.”
“You’ll be gone that long?” Dick whined, but Tim barely paid him any mind.
Instead, he huffed and took several strides toward the treeline. The darkness between his fur buzzed as shadow coalesced at his paws. Each step further into the shade of the forest allowed more and more of his borrowed power to creep higher onto his body. With a deep inhale, Tim allows his eyes to slip shut.
A familiar cold sensation thrums through his body, followed by dizziness and a harsh squeeze-
W e i g h t l e s s n e s s.
Thump.
Tim has to lay fown for a second, blinking his eyes open as he slowly regains his bearings. Traveling through the shadows was so convenient, but Tim would not have done it if he didn’t feel like traveling the full distance. With a groan, he shook his head firmly before climbing to his paws. Around him, the forest was unfamiliar, but dark- but that was to be expected.
He lifted his head upward, jaws parting as he inhaled and tried to pinpoint the location of the kingdom. It wasn’t too difficult, seeing as people were loud.
His steps were sure, feather-light, and near inaudible, each paw placed deliberately as he crept closer and closer to where he assumed a festival was taking place.
Tim watches quietly, amazed, the sound of laughter and music filling the air as he sees a crowd of people milling about by a well. It’s been so long since he’s been near such excitements, and he doubts Father Arwyn's trying to have Tim publicly execute Bernard really counted as “festivities".
In his nostalgia and reminiscing, the third prince of shadows fails to notice eyes pinning against his form.
What he doesn’t realize was this lapse in awareness was not going to be good for him. It was not going to be good at all…
It’s been a few days since he first arrived in the kingdom, and Tim has to say- he was not impressed. The people were… people. It was like what Dick and Jason said- you see one kingdom, you’ve seen them all. Bart had periodically swept by to check in on him, the wind spirit telling him all about how Dick would not stop asking about how Tim was doing, and how he found it kinda sweet. Tim, on the other hand, thought it was slightly overbearing, but it’s whatever.
The darkness draped across the kingdom was a calming blanket, and Tim finds himself appreciating the quiet. Sometimes, it was nice to get away from his family. Don’t get him wrong, he loves them and all that, but they could get a little… much from time to time.
Unfortunately, as his luck would have it, a buzzing noise suddenly erupted around him, and a bright light pierced the air. The prince cries out, a burning sensation filling his body as the shadows coating him are violently stripped away. Brilliant golden sigils etched in the cobblestone surrounded him like a ring- like a net- and he could feel his powers being drained away by ancient magic.
He snarled, wailing as unfamiliar boots etched into his field of view. His thoughts were stifled, every possible thought drowned out by the RINGING.
“And what do we have here?” a voice calls, and it takes a monumental effort for Tim to turn his head to face them.
A man stares down at him, a self-satisfied expression on his face as he reaches through the circle of sigils to grab Tim’s jaw, “You don’t even understand how many dusty tomes I had to read through these past few days. Thankfully, I’ve already heard of you.”
A collar was fastened around his throat, and his veins were filled with fire.
In the corner of his eye, he sees the stunned faces of various villagers peering through the window, but the thought was quickly swept away by the wave of agony that poured through him. Above him, the man continued to monologue.
“Imagine my surprise when I see this strange little shadow thing matching the description of the demon who tore through Lekaliba all those years ago, the same exact one who was born from the ward of poor Father Arwyn… well, I’ve also caught wind of a method to purify a soul and cleanse it of darkness, and if you are truly as “pure of heart” as the people of your village claims… then your little soul should sustain no damage.”
“The king will find you,” Tim wheezed, his teeth buzzing as the strength began to flee his limbs. “They will find me- and they will make you pay.”
“Sure,” the man huffed condescendingly, allowing Tim’s head to fall against the ground with a painful thud, “then I’ll be sure to fix you before then.”
“Are you sure about this, mage?”
“He is as pure as they come, your majesty.”
“Hm, very well then… Janet, dear, what shall his name be?”
“... His name will be Timothy Jackson Drake.”