Fangs and Thrones

Chapter 12

The morning sun shone once again on a burned and broken palace and its people, this time though, many were leaving its gates. Heading to a new home or going to stay with family far away. While many were sad to leave behind the home of their fathers and mothers, others were elated to be leaving a place that had been filled with so much war and blood. After having its walls and people destroyed three times over the past thirty years, many would call this place cursed for generations to come and stay far from it.

Soldiers loaded wagons with injured and weak villagers to take them to their new homes. Rai and Katsu walked around the camp site to make sure that everything was going smoothly and that no one needed an extra hand. Hiroki stayed close to his father watching him and learning as he went, he wanted to be able to do the same if the need would ever arise.

"Father, where is Lyra? I haven't seen her yet, is she not coming with us?" He asked, kicking a few loose rocks. He had been looking for her all morning, and was a bit distressed that he couldn't locate her anywhere.

Rai smiled as he kneeled down, he stared into the red eyes just like his own. "I haven't seen her just yet, but I'm sure that she will be coming by soon. Do you want her to come with us?"

Hiroki nodded. "She's nice to me and asks me questions. She's also really pretty, Katsu said so." Katsu stiffened, overhearing their conversation.

"Did he now? What else did he say?" Rai asked him, glancing at Katsu with a raised brow.

"He told me that I should ask Lyra to come with us. And I should cry if she says no." Hiroki kept his gaze down, worried about what Lyra would say when he asked her. He really wanted her to come along with them. She made him happy and talked with him. Many of the servants or officials would only talk to him when necessary or avoid him all together.

Katsu refused to turn around, feeling a pair of eyes burning into his back. He noticed an elderly woman struggling to get into a wagon and quickly rushed over to help her, also hoping it would keep his king from lighting him on fire.

Rai snorted at his generals obvious move at avoiding him and turned back to his sad child. "Hiroki." He glanced up at his father. "You know that if Lyra says no, that we have to respect her descion, yes?"

Hiroki's eyes began to tear up a bit at the thought of his new friend not coming with them. "But...don't you want her to come with us as well?"

"Yes I do, very much. That being said, it is still her choice and we can't force her. She might say yes, but she might also say that she is needed elsewhere. Lyra has responsibilities as well, just like you do back home. Does that make any sense?"

Hiroki nodded, but rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"What's going on over here?" Lyra asked as she walked up on Rai kneeling before the boy, whose back was to her. She could hear them talking to each other, but due to the noise, she wasn't able to discern what the topic was. All turned to look at her as she walked up to them, still in her armor but minus the metal claws and braces.

The child spun around and sprinted over to her, now fully sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and cried hard, burying his head into her stomach. "Please don't go Lyra! I don't want you to! I want you to come home with me and father! We both want you to! Katsu told me to cry to get you to come with us, but father told me not to force you! Wahhh!" He wailed into her abdomen. Even with her enhanced hearing she couldn't discern what exactly he was wailing about.

Lyra glanced at Rai, not sure what to do or say. She wasn't completely sure what Hiroki was so upset about and it was concerning her when she had seen him so happy the day before.