Icarus and the Darkness

//This is yet another story, written by yours truly, Higura. It follows the events of Higura's father, Icarus.//

Chapter 1 - The Contract.

As the sun rose over the valley, the tiny village nestled in it slowly stirred to life, the hustle and bustle of people moving around, groggily, tired from the dark night past. The straw roofing needing to be replaced, wooden walls to be patched up, the gardens to be tended to, the livestock to be fed. This village was nameless, it never occurred to the villagers, or the chief to bother to name it. It was simply a place where they lived. Marking down yet another mark on the stone slab on the edge of the village, the time master shouted that the rainy season will end in about seven more moons.

The village seemed peaceful enough, yet, not all was well. People snarled and snapped at each other, bickering and fighting, hatred and negativity showing in their eyes. Such was the nature of these people. These villagers were unable to express any positive emotions, only negativity, such was their nature. They simply couldn’t help the way they were born. This was a most troublesome dilemma for the chief of the village. After several ideas, he eventually came up with something to hopefully help quell the negative nature of his people. He would go about selecting two individuals to test his new idea on.

A knock came to the door of the wooden hut, startling the sleeping man. Laying in bed, he lifts a tired hand, rubbing the sleep from his brown eyes, the light from the sun glimmering across his brown hair through the cracks in the wall. He opens his mouth to speak calmly, confidence laced through every word the escapes his lips. “What is it? Who comes to disturb a sleeping man in the morning? Can’t I enjoy my laziness?” His eyes stare up at the straw roof, small drops of water from the previous night of rain dripping slowly onto his chest. Sighing heavily, he sits up from his straw bed, shaking the straw off of his thin, yet muscular frame.

A voice from the other side of the door speaks, returning his questioning. It was the village messenger boy, speaking timidly, fear obviously being the most prevalent negative emotion he could express. “Sir Icarus, the chief… um..” He has to pause to think, the chiefs name almost too difficult for the boy to remember. “…Chief Zenkaris wishes that you head to the village center, outside of his home immediately. He says it’s important, and you need to get ready.” The boy pauses, obviously fidgeting from nervousness, as Icarus can see through the cracks in the door. “…Please hurry. I don’t want the Chief to hit me for not obeying his orders..” With that, the boy scurried off, leaving Icarus alone.

A small laugh escaped his lips. “Hmph, the chief wishes to see me? Not even enough time to grab some food or take a hot bath out at the springs?” Groaning tiredly, he gets to his feet, moving about his small one roomed hut, slipping on his rough leather trousers, and his bloodied wool vest. Stretching lazily, he finally made his way to the door, forcing it open, the sun bright upon his eyes as he stepped out of the hut and across the village. Villagers busied themselves, repairing the huts from the rain damage, children ran around in ragged clothes, swatting at each other with sticks, scars covering their frail little bodies. Icarus though nothing of it, as it was a normal part of their everyday life.

His approach to the village center was greeted by two familiar faces. They both stood waiting, watching him as he made his approach to the two of them. He stopped in front of them, leaning on one leg, waiting for one to speak. “Ah, Icarus. I could taste your laziness from across the village. Such emotions leave me to wonder how you ever manage to hunt for this village at all.” The man shakes his head, bringing a hand up to his forehead. This man, was Zenkaris Tanamakis, the chief of the village. “Now listen, my friend, I have an experiment I need to be done, and I’ve selected you, and dear Natsume here…” Zenkaris raises his arm and places it heavily upon the frail woman’s shoulder. His sickly gray skin contrasted against her vibrantly colored skin. His fingers moving up to play with a piece of her dark gray hair, her vibrant purple eyes closing as she recoils in disgust.

Opening her mouth slowly, thought placed into every word spoken. “Please, Chief Zenkaris, tell us why you have summoned the two of us to meet with you. I am very concerned, as usually you only meet with us if you want something done, or to yell at us for failing to do something.” She stops speaking abruptly, looking over to Icarus, who is staring tiredly into the blackness that makes up Zenkaris’s wild hair, and his black, heartless eyes.

A fake smile spreads across Zenkaris’s face. “Oh? We are all friends. I simply want you both to take part in an experiment I have developed, to help us figure out our dilemma concerning the lack of production, due to the lack of positive reasons to work.” He pauses, looking at both of their blank faces, remembering that they were simple minded villagers, unlike the greatness that was himself. “I wish you both to enter a contract, to see the effects. I know you both dislike each other the least, and have been considering purchasing a larger hut in the village together. If you agree to this, I will give you the hut… no. I will give you a wooden home, like mine.” He points his thumb over his shoulder to the log home behind them, it seemingly out of place amongst the rest of the wooden thatched huts. “As long as you continue to perform your duties in the village, and agree to work with me on my new experiment, then the home will remain yours.” He grins, a look of amazement spreading across their faces. Zenkaris chuckled, knowing how easy it was to fool the simple minded villagers. “So, do you agree?”

Natsume agreed right away, nodding her head quickly, averting her eyes from Zenkaris, looking down at the ground. Icarus, on the other hand, stood thinking about the offer. He was one of the lead hunters.. “If I agree to help you in this, I can continue my duties as a village hunter, to provide food to these poor souls?” He motioned around them, at the ragged villagers, who were still busying themselves with replacing the wet straw on the roofing, with fresh straw from a storehouse.

Zenkaris nodded. “Yes. You may continue doing what you wish.” Icarus finally nodded, agreeing to test out this ‘contract’ that Zenkaris had in mind. Natsume’s attention was now fixated on her and Icarus’s toes, comparing them to the leather booths that Zenkaris had, trying to understand why his feet were different. Her toes wiggled in the mud as Zenkaris continued speaking. “Icarus. State your full name, and then repeat after me: I, …Your name.. , shall now be apart of a contract with Zenkaris Tanamakis. I will always obey the chief, when he calls upon me to answer him, I will choose one mate to love, for all eternity, and I will never relinquish the darkness from the soul.” He waited for Icarus to speak, Natsume now looking up to watch.

Listening to the words, he carefully spoke, repeating the wording. “I, Icarus Gainishigi, shall now be apart of the contract with Zenkaris Tanamakis, I will always obey the chief,, when he calls upon me to answer him, I will choose one mate to love, for all eternity, and I will never relinquish the darkness from my soul.” He stopped, trying to figure out what this ‘love’ was, when he was overcome with a sudden surge of emotions, as bright lines of barbed wire began circling his body, coiling around his neck, yet he felt no pain, as the bright lines that circled around his body vanished completely.

Zenkaris turned to Natsume. “Now then Natsume.. Hm.. Natsume Gainishigi, please repeat the phrase that Icarus spoke.” Natsume was about to protest to her last name being obviously wrong, but stayed quiet, repeating the words that Icarus had spoken, the bright lines of barbed wire coiling around her body before vanishing. “Mm. Time to test my theory. Natsume, I command you to choose your mate. The one person, you are going to love for all eternity.”

Natsume tilted her head, trying to discern what love was, but froze, overcome by a sudden urge to obey the chief. She turned to Icarus, her eyes blank, but somewhat twinkling. “I choose Icarus as my mate. To love for all eternity.” She took a few small steps towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and bringing her lips to his, kissing his lips lovingly. She then pulled her lips from him, smiling up at him, he obviously being taller than she is.

A smile spread across Icarus’s face, his fist flicker of happiness appearing in his negative soul. “And I choose you, Natsume Gainishigi. I will love you, for all eternity. In this life, and the next. Nothing… Not even death will keep me from you.” Zenkaris chuckled at their sickening display of positive emotion. He broke up their little moment, and told them to follow him, where he took them both to their new wooden home, leaving them both alone for the rest of the day… A child was conceived that day, a boy that would change everything in this world, and the next.

(Chapter two is here. This one is not my favorite. I like chapters 3 and 4 more. xD)

Chapter 2 - Shroud of Darkness.

Seven months had gone by. Life in the village had surprisingly progressed quickly. The straw huts had all been replaced with log homes, with stone foundations, the muddy pathways replaced with stone walkways. Yet, the time master would still mark his giant stone everyday, to mark the passing of the moon. All of the villagers now wore thicker, better made clothing, and they were all required to wear shoes. All of this came from Chief Zenkaris’s divine visions of how to more efficiently protect the people and construct things, though, strangely enough, the villages gold and silver ore vault seemed to be slowly disappearing.
Natsume Gainishigi awoke slowly, her face nestled in Icarus’s neck, one of her delicate hands placed on her growing stomach, a small kick could be felt, causing a smile to spread across her face. Speaking softly, nudging against him. “Icarus… the baby, I can feel him moving inside of me. It’s wonderful, that a life has been growing inside of me.” She moves her arm to wrap around him, holding warmly.
“Yes, Natsume. It is wonderful.” He shifted in place, opening his eyes and pulling the wool blanket over them, covering them up back up, the cold season settling back in, now that summer had started to end. “Mm… Have you thought of any idea of what to name him yet? I can think of nothing that would be fitting for our child, my love.” His eyes darted around their well furnished home, one of the candles on the table the only source of light, as it was still early in the morning.
Natsume kisses at his neck, giggling. “Yes, I have, actually. They say my great grandfather… Pappy Higura, was strangely a nice man, despite being born of the darkness.. So, I was hoping we could name the child Higura.” She paused, thinking about it. “Higura.. Gainishigi. It sounds fitting, doesn’t it?” Icarus nodded in agreement. “Good. Our child will be called Higura. He will be born soon, I am sure. It’s been well over the dry season, and the cold season is approaching.” She mumbled now, yawning.
“Sleep, my love. There will be time for talking later. After the last hunt of the season, before the stone mammoths leave the valley. We’re hoping to get a good harvest of the giant fruit they bear upon their backs.” He turns and kisses her forehead, drifting back to sleep once more, his dreams filled with positive things, causing him to smile in his sleep.
Later that Day, Icarus stood in a field outside the village with several other hunters, all dressed for the hunt in their leather armor. Though, they were all distracted, staring at the giant metal bird in the sky, that had been there for a good month. It had shocked them all at first when it had first appeared, but by now, they were used to it. It was bewildering as to why it just stayed in the sky above the village, rather than returning to its nest. It just seemed to stay there, immovable. Icarus clapped his hands together, drawing their attention. “Men of darkness, listen to me now. We are to hunt the stone mammoth. We must bring it down, and take the giant fruit from its back. Remember, each mammoth only grows about three fruit on its back each dry season. I shall take Plais and Richter, and I want the rest of you to divide up, and take the other mammoths. Let us go!”
Placing a hand to their chests, a dark aura formed around their hands. Reaching their hands into the black void formed upon their chests, they each pulled out a weapon of their choosing. Icarus brough forth a black scythe, from his days a farmer. Plais brought forth a sword, and Richter brough forth a hammer, all black, but very solid. Each weapon was based upon the darkness in their soul. With that, the three of them ran off from the group, out into the valley. The weapons were light in their hands as they ran along, stopping at a small ridge and getting down on their hands and knees, peering out over it. A mammoth herd, made of stone, and sparse hair stood there, great trees upon the backs of the creatures.
“Plais, go!” Icarus whispered to the man to his right, who stood up and stretched out his arm, his hand facing at the creature, a tendril of darkness shooting forth, piercing into the mammoths rear, Plais was then sent flying towards the creature, before it had time to react. He flew, forward, the tendril leading him to the rear, grabbing onto its rocky body climbing with his sword in his mouth, grabbing onto each rock for dear life as the creature began to start trying to shake him off, the other mammoths being jumped by the other hunters. Icarus turned to his left, to command Richter, but he was gone.
“Richter?! Where are you?” He stood up, looking around, spotting the man. He was running up to the mammoth, slamming his hammer into its massive stone leg, cracking it, and causing the beast to fall over, the fruit rolling out onto the ground. Richter continued to smack his hammer against the creature. Icarus ran over, a fast as he could, holding his scythe out to deflect the hammer from smashing the poor creatures face in. The purple gemmed eyes of the mammoth showing pain. “There is no need to kill it! What are you thinking?!” Icarus reached, grabbing the mans collar.
Richter laughed, pushing Icarus away. “You’ve grown soft, man. I remember in the past, you would take joy in the slaughter of dumb creatures such as this. What’s different, huh? Where’s the darkness gone? I don’t need you to tell me what to do, Icarus! I will do what I want, when I want!” He raised the hammer up above his head.
“No, Richter! Don’t do this!” He moved swiftly, slicing his scythe horizontally at Richter, severing both his arms at the elbow, and his head from his neck, the body toppling over lifelessly. Plais stood watching in disbelief at the scene, holding the three fruit in his arms. Icarus dropped to his knees, making the scythe vanish. “…What have I done. I killed someone. And.. I feel..” He couldn’t describe it, but he felt regret, and sadness, but also joy, for saving the life of a creature. The mammoth got to its feet, shakily walking off, snorting in thanks to Icarus. He had killed people in the past, yet he never felt anything from it.
That evening, Icarus and Plais stood in Zenkaris’s home, Zenkaris had his feet up on the table, leaned back in his chair, looking at the both of them, a look of concern on his face. “Let’s see. We have a dead villager on our hands, and Icarus is apparently responsible. Explain to me what happened.” He glanced between them, a frown on his face.
Plais began speaking hurriedly. “Well, chief, we were out hunting the mammoth, and Richter tried to kill it and the-” Zenkaris shook his head slowly.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t ask you to speak, now did I?” Zenkaris sighed and lifted a hand lazily, pointing a finger at Plais’s forehead, his eyes growing wide. “Boom.” He pulls his finger back, a black arrow escaping through wisps in his finger, traveling and shooting through Plais’s head. The man being dead in a matter of seconds. Dusting his shoulder off, he looks to Icarus. “Listen. I do not care what happened. We have two dead men on our hands. So what. You are a great hunter, Icarus. Do not let your newfound emotions get in the way of your job, or you will end up like these two men. Are we clear?” Icarus nods silently. “Good, then leave me. I need to attend to some business, regarding the metal bird in the sky.”
Icarus turns and leaves the building, going home and talking with Natsume about it, not helping but feel remorse for his actions. Surely, people of the darkness didn’t feel this way when killing others, then.. Was he not of the darkness anymore? Icarus couldn’t shake the feeling that he was different now.

(Chapter three and four. I'll leave it at this for now, Chapter five isn't finished.)

Chapter 3 - Higura.

Two months had passed. The birth of Higura went smoothly. It was a boy, thankfully, yet, he was small, and barely moving. They had feared a stillborn baby, but that was not the case. He was very much alive. Icarus had given up hunting, or doing anything all together. Snow had fallen across the valley, leaving not much to be done anyways, but Icarus started to go as far as to begin disobeying Zenkaris when he ‘asked’ him to do things, so then Zenkaris was resorted to ‘telling’ him to do them, wherein he had no choice. Each night, Zenkaris would leave his home, and head to the woods to the south. Icarus would watch him leave, through the window in his home.
Icarus watched as Zenkaris left his home, frowning deeply. “I cannot help but feel like he’s plotting something. There is a fire in that forest every night. Who is he meeting with? I must find an answer to this question, My love.” He turns and looks to her, baby Higura cradled in her arms. “As the days pass, I feel like more and more, that I no longer belong to these people. Yet..” He looks down at his hands. “I can still feel the darkness in my soul, but, It doesn’t feel right.”
“Icarus, my love. You’ve been thinking too hard lately. Ever since Richter and Plais died, you seem to be lost in thought. If you want to follow Zenkaris, do so. You will never accomplish anything by simply talking about it. If he is doing something bad, then warn the villagers, rally them against him. They’re all in the tavern tonight. I can see that you are trying to do good, my love. You’re a good person.” The baby in her arms squirms slightly, whining. “Hush, little Higura.” She leans down to kiss his forehead.
He nods and walks over to her, placing a hand on her cheek. “Thank you, Natsume. You are as brilliant as ever.” Turning, he heads to the door opening it and looking back at her, speaking softly before exiting. “Remember, if anything happens, I will still find you, in the next life. You are my love, forever.” With that, he exit’s the home, closing the door behind him and running off through the snow. Towards the fire in the woods to the south.
Sneaking through the woods, Icarus stops behind a bush, peeking his head over at Zenkaris, and several powerful looking individuals. Each one wearing a different outfit, with tattoos adorning their bodies. One wearing a lot of metal, with lightning bolts tattooed upon his body, a woman, wearing a beautiful silk robe, and an icicle tattooed upon her cheek, and a huge man with a boulder tattoed upon his forehead. Zenkaris was the one speaking. “…And it’s all going according to plan. The boy was born, successfully. I understand he might be the one to fufill the prophecy, but I also meet the requirements, and yet I have not tried to yet, have I?” His ears perk up and he glances over to the bush, grinning slightly.
The one with lightning bolts spoke, speaking in a condescending tone. “We are trusting you with the boy, Zenkaris. I hope that you will not disappoint us. Raise him in a manner that will not allow him any growth. If he is the child of legend, I want you to break him. He will not fufill his destiny.” The woman in a silk robe raised her hand, silencing the other one.
“Raizhou, that is enough.” She spoke in an icy tone. “We are well aware of your actions, Zenkaris. We have agreed to help you, knowing full well that you will cooperate, and provide us with gold and silver. You may be the one of legend yourself, yet you realize we can destroy this insignificant world with our starship fleet easily. You will not try anything. Your use of the word ‘yet’, leads me to think you have other plans.”
The big burly one grunted and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Shivera. Intruder.” He pointed to the bush, where Icarus was hiding. Icarus freezed on the spot, being found out. He wasn’t quite sure who these people were, but they seemed powerful. He was almost led to believe that they were gods. Turning and running, Icarus ran as fast as he could back to the village.
Zenkaris grinned and watched. “Hmph. He thinks he’s going to rally the villagers against me. That the chief is conspiring with gods. Heh. They will not believe him.” He turned to the three gods before him. “I must beg my leave of you, great ones.” He bowed and turned, grumbling at having to obey the gods, walking off to the village.
Shivera frowned, looking to Raizhou and the other. “Perhaps we should contact Deneth. Tell him that he will need to judge more souls, and to send them to the Darkness. That man that was watching us. I could see in his eyes, the passion that could destroy us. We should make sure that never happens. Let us return to the ship. This world is ruining my robe.” She grumbled and looked up to the ship floating above the valley, the three of them vanishing instantly.

Chapter 4 - Faceoff

Icarus ran as fast as he could through the snow, darting through the trees and towards the village. He couldn’t believe it, Zenkaris was conspiring with people claiming to be gods. They were talking about the birth of a child.. It must be Higura! Icarus shook his head and stumbled, tripping in the snow. “I need to save Higura, and.. Natsume might be in danger!” Looking behind him as he stood, Icarus could see Zenkaris walking slowly, with a smirk on his face, apparently enjoying Icarus’s frantic actions. Icarus growled and kept running to the village, across the snow field. “I must warn the villagers, they will help me, I am sure of it!”
Forcefully pushing open the doors to the tavern, Icarus stood in the doorway, arms outstretched, breathing heavily as the snow from outside whipped in past him. As he was attempting to catch his breath, the whole tavern turned to look at him, curiosity in their eyes. One of the villagers spoke up, after staring for a few seconds. “What’s going on, Icarus? You’re letting the cold in. Close the doors.”
Icarus shooked his head defiantly. “No! Zenkaris, he is coming to the village, to kill me, I am sure. He has been conspiring with the gods!” He looked around at the faces in the tavern, waiting for the response. All was quiet, before everyone broke out into laughter. “No, I am quite serious! The gods must be living on that giant metal bird in the sky, and they use it to fly all over to meet with people. And they are wanting my son.. You have to help me stop them!” He shouted at them, and they grew quiet.
A man stood up and sighed. “Icarus, if the chief wants you dead, that is your problem. He is stronger than all of us put together. None of us feel the need to help you. We don’t help others. It goes against the darkness. Besides, you’re talking nonsense. Gods are intangible ideas… or some such. Now please, leave this tavern. I would rather we didn’t die as well, for associating with you, just like Plais did.” The entire tavern turned their back on Icarus, leaving him in disbelief.
“Fine then. I will kill Zenkaris, and then the gods, on my own!” He pulled the door shut, slamming it, hearing laughter coming from the other side of the door. He growled angrily and turned to run to his house, going right through the square, where Zenkaris was unfortunately waiting for him.
“Ah, Icarus. Just the man I was looking for. You see, I am qite perplexed lately. You’ve been disobeying, and you realize, I am the chief. “ Icarus stopped running and stood opposite of him, fists clenched. “Let’s see. Icarus, I’m asking you kindly, go kill your beloved Natsume.” He grinned, watching Icarus’s disgusted look, and words of protest. “Fine then, I command you, to go and kill Natsume. Obey me.”
“I will never obey you, Zenkari-…” He struggled with his words, a powerful rush of magic surging through his body, the barded invisible coils around his body tightening, the contract he signed into, forcing his movements. “…Your command will be carried out.” Icarus drew a blade from the darkness and walked to his home in an almost robotic fashion. The contract he had signed into with Zenkaris, gave him full control over Icarus, at the slightest whim. Even for things he didn’t want to do.
Natsume was sitting calmly, baby Higura in her arms, little tufts of gray hair growing on his little baby head. A little stretch, and a slow yawn, and he opened his curious purple eyes, looking up at his mother for the first time. As his eyes had been closed since child birth. He smiled and raised his little arms up, wiggling them up at her. Placing a hand on his forehead, she smiled in return. You’re going to become a fine man someday, My litt-” She was interrupted as the door was forced open, and Icarus marched in, sword drawn and pointed at her neck. “…My love, what is the meaning of this?”
Icarus looked at her blankly. “It is your time to die. Farewell.” He spoke bluntly, raising the sword and bringing it down, hacking at her body, repeatedly. The baby Higura crying out, and Natsume’s dying scream echoing across the village. The magic of the contract had worn out, the task fulfilled. His eyes looked down at his wife, and at the sword in his hand, unimaginable grief filling his eyes. He dropped to his knees, dropping the sword, and it vanishes into nothingness. “…I..” He couldn’t find the words, the baby still crying. “It.. This was Zenkaris’s doing. I will kill him!” He snarled, his eyes stopping on his son, eyes softening as he reached to grab him from Natsume’s limp, dead hands. “I will make things right, Higura. Don’t worry, daddy will be back soon.” He leans down and kisses the baby on the forehead, placing him on the bed, covering him with the blankets, his little head poking out, eyes sleepy from the crying. He drifts off to sleep, as Icarus storms out of the home.
“Zenkaris!” He shouts throughout the village, his voice filled with hate. “I will kill you! You’ve taken the woman I love from me! The only woman! You..” He couldn’t find the words, his arms drooping sadly at the thought of his wife. He must remain strong though, to mourn for her now, would mean he couldn’t avenge her.
“You will kill me? You’re my pawn. You cannot do anything against me.” Zenkaris stood upon a home, glaring condescendingly down at Icarus. “So you killed the whore, hm? Good job.” He chuckled, watching the pure hate for him in Icarus’s face. “Good. The darkness hasn’t left you yet. It’s still there.”
“You! I will send you to the darkness!” Icarus summoned a scythe from the darkness and jumped from the snow, leaping through the air at Zenkaris, weapon raised above his head, ready to strike. Upon reaching Zenkaris, Icarus swung the blade down, directly at him. The chief simply laughed, snapping his fingers and vanishing in a puff of black smoke, as Icarus swung the blade down upon the home, slicing the roof clean in half, vertically. The chief, however, was standing upon another roof now.
“If you attack me with pure rage, you’re never going to kill me. It’s a lovely effort though. I think your emotions are delicious, so please, continue to feed me, yes?” The villager who just had their roof cleaved in two, came out of their home, shouting angrily at the two men fighting. Something to the effect of, ‘I’m going to kick both of your asses, now get down here.” Zenkaris laughed and raised an arm, motioning to the villager, a long black tendril coming forth from his arm, moving and wrapping around the villager tossing them in the air. Then moving his hands, he brought them together, symbolizing teeth with his hands. The tendril moved up, transformed into a giant black, toothy maw, and ate the villager, chewing it up. Zenkaris then broke the connection to the dark tendril, causing the villagers chewed up remains to spew all over the village.
Icarus looked at him in disgust, calling forth balls of darkness and tossing them over to the chief, who simply batted them away lazily. Vanishing, he appeared behind Icarus, swiftly creating a blade and severing one of Icarus’s arms at the elbow, kicking him off the roof to the ground below. “So, let’s see. You killed your ‘wife’, then you blame me, now you want to kill me. Hahaha…” He starts laughing hysterically. “Foolish boy. I’m Zenkaris! I’ve been chief of this village for hundreds of years.” Jumping off of the roof, his feet both plant directly upon Icarus’s chest, leaving him winded. “You never stood a chance against me. There are two types of people. Those who control, and those who are controlled. You are the latter. Just a toy, to be disposed of when the controller feels it necessary.” He held up his hands, little jagged knives appearing in both. “Heh, this will very enjoyable.”
Tossing Icarus around the town square, throwing knives at him, each stabbing him and vanishing, never hitting any vital part of his body. This went on for hours, the villagers eventually coming to watch in silence. Zenkaris finally tossed him in the snow, Icarus’s weak body slowly moving to a sitting position, his eyes half open, looking over to the chief. His body was riddled with holes and bleeding all over the place. “…My son..” He spoke quietly.
Zenkaris stood across from him. “What’s this, any last words? Heh.” He summed more knives to his hands, grinning widely at the villagers, who looked back in fear. “Fine then, what is it you have to say, Icarus?”
Swaying weakly from side to side, he tried to steady himself, before shouting at Zenkaris. “Someday, My son, he will kill you, and the gods! You’ll both die by his hands.” He slumped over, small tears streamed from his eyes. “..I’m sorry, Natsume.. And Higura. I love you both, very much.” He spoke the lines quietly, before raising his only intact arm, summoning a black sword and delivering a blow to his own neck, falling over dead.
Zenkaris growled. “How dare he deny me my kill. Hmph. “He looked to the villagers. “Clean this mess up! Do whatever with the bodies. I have a baby to collect.” The villagers scrambled in the cold night, moving about fixing and cleaning the village. Zenkaris went into the Gainishigi home, eyes gleaming down at Higura, grabbing him in his arms. The home was set fire, Natsume’s blank eyes almost seemed as if they were crying, as the flames engulfed the home.
Taking the boy to his home, Zenkaris set baby Higura on the table, grinning down at him. “I think you and I.. will have a very long, and profitable history together. Heh.” Picking the baby up, grabbing some bread, he went and placed both in the basement of his home. “No crying. If you cry, I will hit you.” He turned and left the baby boy in the darkness. The baby crawling through the dirt and grabbing the piece of bread with his little hands, a little smile on his face at the image of his mother, still in his mind…

=D This is one of the best stories I have ever READ, by people I know.
Hugs and nom noms~