Following Orders
Isaac slowly brought one hand up, cupping the side of Chisuke’s face, eyes still on Nepthys’ crumpled form. Chisuke was shaking, holding back giddy laughter, hands shaking. He leaned into Isaac’s touch, batting his lashes at him, awaiting his response.
Ren watched as Isaac slowly dragged his eyes to Chisuke, all five of them, glowing a vibrant shade of red that matched the gore smearing Chisuke’s skin. Ren watched as cracks split across Chisuke’s face, spreading out from Isaac’s fingers. He watched as Isaac’s teeth tore through his mouth, lips parting, as he took a slow and deep inhale.
“I can show you true pain, if that’s what you truly desire, Chisuke.” Isaac rasped, leaning forward, further skewering himself on Chisuke’s razor sharp fingers. The ground at their feet rumbled, cracks forming in the cobblestone to match those on Chisuke’s face. The veins in Isaac’s arm began to emit an eerie red glow, matching that of his unblinking eyes. Chisuke went rigid, holding perfectly still, eyes wide and lips parted.
All was still, all was calm, for a brief moment.A single tear fell from Chisuke’s eye, and then he began screaming.
It sounded like several voices, all screaming above each other, clashing and harmonizing simultaneously. He tried to remove his hand from Isaac’s waist, but Isaac’s free hand was suddenly gripping his blood-slicked wrist, holding him there. Poppies emerged from the cracks in the ground, from the cracks in Chisuke’s terror-stricken face. Chisuke swiped at Isaac’s throat with his free hand, slicing across the flesh there, before he swiped at Isaac’s arm, the one holding his face. Isaac did not flinch, he did not blink. His arm was sliced to ribbons, throat more wound than anything else.
Ren watched as an eye rolled in the wound, blinking itself awake, from Isaac’s gaping jugular.
Chisuke fell to his knees before Isaac, sobbing and screaming and begging. Ren could see Isaac’s magic, flowing through him and into Chisuke. Poppies emerged from his odd doll joints, tearing him apart from the inside out. Isaac leaned down, sliding his hand from Chisuke’s cheek, to his throat. The eye that had just emerged from Isaac’s throat seemed to finally be able to focus, and when it set itself on Chisuke, the world around them fell apart.
In the blink of an eye, the world was painted in rosy red hues. Time seemed as if it stopped, as the sun paused it’s journey over the horizon, highlighting everything in it’s dying light. There was no longer any sound, any smells, it was as if all life had been sucked out of the world. Chisuke was still, eerily so, mouth hanging open to reveal the empty abyss Ren had glimpsed earlier. Tears fell freely from his eyes as he gazed up at Isaac, who wore a perfectly blank expression.
Ren watched as Isaac lowered his head, so he was eye level with Chisuke. He closely examined his face, all of his eyes roaming in unison, seeing something Ren was, for once, terribly grateful he would never be able to. Isaac’s hair had turned a brighter red than usual, and his eyes looked more alive than Ren had ever seen before. He watched as Isaac glanced beyond Chisuke, at what remained of Nepthys, before slowly looking back at Chisuke.
“Hm.” He hummed, slowly pulling Chisuke’s hand out of his torso, allowing it to fall limply to Chisuke’s side. “I don’t think this is nearly enough. You wanted true suffering. To experience what I had.” He stood upright again, pulling his other hand off of what remained of Chisuke’s face. “I allowed you to feel a fraction of it, yes, but you wanted more.” He brought his hands up, his crooked fingers always so graceful, always so deliberate in the way they moved. “You were made without feeling, without emotion. You had hoped I would teach you them. And teach you them I shall, Chisuke. I will share mine, and I will bestow upon you your own.” He paused, looking down at Chisuke with his perfectly hollow expression. “You will feel every wound, every heartbreak, every betrayal.”
Ren watched as Chisuke’s body tore itself apart, pulled itself back together, and tore itself apart again.
His fingers being sliced off by an imaginary object, the poppies pulling them back. His torso splitting down the middle, all his components and mechanical organs spilling, pooling at his feet, only for the flora invading his body to stitch him back up. His face splitting, over and over and over again. Ren wondered which wound belonged to who, frozen in place, witnessing the horror that was his best friend, choosing to continue loving him despite it. He knew better than Kaiyo, that Isaac was not a simple violent monster. He knew better than Nepthys, that Isaac was not wholly righteous and powerful.
He was an injured child, scared and broken.
Ren was about to intervene, or do his best to, when Nepthys shifted on the ground. The poppies there had grown cradling his limp form, covered him up, hiding him from the thing Isaac was in this moment. Isaac noticed the slight movement, and all at once, color and sound returned to the world. Chisuke’s torment seemed to stop, or perhaps only the physical aspect of it had ceased, as Isaac took shaky steps towards Nepthys.
Nepthys sat up slowly, snapping his own head back in place, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand, painting his bronze skin gold. He blinked, almost sleepily, looking around in mild confusion. When his gaze landed on Chisuke’s mutilated form, Nepthys bolted to his feet, golden threads forming from his spilled blood, as he funneled his mana into it.
“I missed it? What the fuck!” Nepthys stomped his foot, throwing his hands up, letting out a frustrated growl.
“Nepthys?” Isaac croaked, stumbling towards the boy painted gold by his own blood and the sunset. “Wh– Nepthys?” He repeated his name again, softly, like a prayer. He stood before Nep, hands hanging at his sides. Nepthys blinked, before smiling sadly, reaching up with his bloodied hand to tuck some of Isaac’s hair behind his ear.
“Mhm. I’ll explain later, alright, sweetheart? For now, we have to finish what they started. Is the doll taken care of, or is he somehow still a threat?” Nepthys purred, running his fingers through Isaac’s unruly hair, attempting to smooth it back down. Isaac carefully shook his head, as to not shake Nepthys’ careful hand away, before clearing his throat.
“He won’t be able to do much of anything for quite some time, if he’s ever able to move again.” Isaac rasped, clenching his fists at his side. Ren saw the way Nepthys shuddered, how color rose to his cheeks, and out of everything that had just transpired, that was what made him feel as if he would vomit.
“Then we should find Kami, yes? After we dispose of that woman, I can fix you up, good as new, okay? Does that sound like a plan?” Nepthys whispered, sliding his hand to cup Isaac’s bloodied cheek, gold smearing into the crimson. “I like the new eye, by the way. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. Have I told you that recently?”
“Uh…” Isaac swallowed thickly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Yes, that sounds like a plan. Yes, you have told me that recently. Thank you, though.” He paused, clearing his throat, looking down at the ground. “So… Let’s, go find Kami. Yes.” He looked up, and his eyes flashed momentarily, before he quickly scooped Nepthys up in his arms, running towards Ren. Ren blinked, watching, as Isaac ran directly past him, calling out for him to follow him.
And so, Ren followed.
~
Kaiyo had been walking home from work, when Kami, one of Isaac’s weird friends, darted by her. He skidded to a stop, a few feet behind her, squinting, trying to remember why he recognized her. She stared blankly back, until she heard metal clanging, and fast footsteps approaching. She turned just in time to see a knight, dripping in expensive jewels and gold, slide around the corner, setting her sights on Kami. Kaiyo felt a heavy sigh escape her, dropping her bag to the ground at her feet. As strange as Isaac was, he was family, and by extension, so was Kami.
The knight began walking towards them, calm and collected, quirking a brow at Kaiyo. The sword gripped in the knight’s hand seemed as if it was made of light, and Kaiyo could not hold herself back from scoffing.
What shit luck.
“I suggest you excuse yourself, civilian. I have no desire to harm a bystander tonight, my mission is simply to eliminate these starcatchers. I do hope you understand, and have a peaceful evening.” The knight called out, giving her flashy sword a flashy twirl. Kaiyo tilted her head to the side, expression blank, before she sighed once more. The knight paused, looking perplexed. “Ah, did you perhaps misunderstand? That creature behind you needs purging, miss. It may appear human, but do trust me, it is not. It is incredibly dangerous, and I highly recommend you vacate the premises.”
Kami slowly slid up behind Kaiyo, looking up at her with pleading eyes. Kaiyo glanced down at him, at all the wounds he had already sustained. She saw the way he was shaking, how his eyes were shifting, knew well enough how the small man had to be holding back. She knew something was amiss, there was far more underfoot than a simple skylo out for blood. She would have to ask him about it, she guessed, in a moment, once she scared the small light mage away.
“I fear you may be the one misunderstanding, my lady. This man here is no starcatcher.” Kaiyo hummed, ruffling Kami’s hair gently. “He’s something far worse. You would surely lose, if he considered you a true threat.” She slowly looked back at the knight, watching as her cheeks flushed, as her expression shifted to one of offense. “Ah, did I strike a nerve?”
“If you intend to stand in my way, I will not hesitate to cut you down, miss.” The knight hissed, walking towards them once more. She drew her second sword as well, now, holding one blade made of glowing light in each hand. Kaiyo hummed, patting Kami on the head once more, before pulling her hand away.
“I suggest you keep a distance, but don’t stray too far, little one.” Kaiyo said softly, shooing Kami away with her hand. He blinked at her dumbly, before nodding and taking a few steps back. She quirked a brow at him, before waving her hand again. He gasped, nodding, before darting somewhere out of sight, allowing her to handle this. She rolled her eyes, turning back to the knight, before allowing her mana to slip past the usual barriers she kept it behind. The shadows at her feet, cast by the setting sun, began morphing and twisting around one another, dancing and swaying. She raised one hand, slow and deliberate, as a spear made of pure darkness rose from the ground at her feet. It hovered there a moment, as she stared blankly at the knight, before she wrapped her gloved hands around the weapon. “And you, my dear, have certainly bitten off far more than you can chew.”
The knight growled, before she was upon Kaiyo in an instant. Even while wielding two swords, Kaiyo kept up easily. She was making no efforts to attack, for now, simply defending. She felt her God at the back of her mind, urging her on, telling her he would lend her as much power as she wished, as much as she needed. She felt comfort in that, that her God was there, watching and willing to lend a hand. She wondered if this knight was receiving the same kind of support, or if her God was silent, distant, cold.
Kaiyo observed her, as they danced around one another. The angry red flesh of her hands, her own swords burning her flesh. The sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her already labored breathing. She got her answer rather quickly, it seemed. The light goddess was far crueler than her younger brother.
“Why… Why would you even defend something, something such as that monster?” The knight rasped, aiming a strike for one of Kaiyo’s arms. Kaiyo deflected, knocking the blade from the knight’s bleeding hand.
“How would you know he is a monster?” Kaiyo replied simply, maneuvering the shadows at the knight’s feet, tripping her up, causing her to stumble, but never fully lose balance. “Simply because you believe him unloved by the gods? Tell me, my lady, do you feel loved by your god?”
“Of course I do!” The knight hissed through grit teeth, and her blade brightened, the markings on her skin emitting a soft glow, now, as well. “If she did not love me, I would not be as powerful as I am. I’d be like that creature, cowering and shaking, useless and with no worth!”
“Hm, and how do you know he is cowering? That he is worthless?” Kaiyo paused, dodging another strike from the knight. “How would you define a person’s worth? Being of use to the crown, perhaps? Or, could it be as simple as holding power?” Kaiyo twirled, her feet silent against the stones beneath her, as she aimed a strike at the knight. “If it is the latter, then he has far more worth than you, who relies on another for your strength.”
“Then it would have more worth than you, too!” The knight huffed, barely managing to dodge in time. “To be worth something is to have accomplished things, to have the ability to accomplish more. It is simple, yes, but it still rings true!”
“Ah, of course. And, then, how do you know he has not accomplished anything? That he is incapable of accomplishing anything henceforth?” Kaiyo spun her spear, taking a few steps backwards. She could sense Kami’s mana boiling, could feel his irritation and rage. She doubted it was for his own sake, as it was far more likely he was thinking of Isaac in this moment.
“What is the point in doing anything, if the gods care not for you? Why exist at all if you are doing so outside of their gaze?” The knight scoffed, tone cocky and cold. “I would be doing that thing a mercy by putting it out of it’s misery.”
“I think that’s enough.” Kami sighed, appearing behind the knight in a flutter of starlight. She jumped, attempted to whirl around, sword raised, but she was far too late. Kami grabbed her wrist, and gave it one short, abrupt, twist, knocking her sword from her fingers. It fell to the ground, light slipping away. “I don’t understand why you ever even try to talk to these people, Kai. You yourself, you can’t even look him in the eyes. Yet, here you are, playing the moral high ground.” He yanked the knight’s arm, and there was a nauseating ‘pop’. It was clear Kami no longer wished to entrust this knight to Kaiyo, that he no longer deemed her worthy of his mercy.
“Just because I cannot bear to look at him, that does not mean I wish him death by the hands of the likes of her. I am aware he is not entirely monstrous, he was once human, too.” Kaiyo sighed, and her spear morphed in her hands, shifting and twisting around itself, until it took the form of a rapier. “My personal issues with him matter not, he does not deserve having the whole world aiming it’s claws for his throat.”
“Ah, I suppose that is fair, yes.” Kami mumbled, holding the knight still as she shuddered and silently sobbed. He looked at her, eyes ablaze, yet expression carefully blank. “Her friend was trying to kill him, last I saw. Should we torture some information out of her? It might be fun, and I promise I won’t accidentally kill her…!” Kami bat his lashes at Kaiyo, and she found herself thankful that he had managed to keep his mana under control thus far. As unfortunate looking as Isaac was, when he lost himself to his magic, Kami was truly haunting. He was eerily beautiful, even as he lost himself to his magic. When he got like this, he was almost nauseatingly attractive. His eyes full of stars, his pale skin aglow, the way his wings slowly stretched out behind him, shifting and blinking in an odd sort of rhythm. He looked almost like one of the gods, as he stood above the crumpled form of the knight, delivering justice to his own discretion.
“Rayne?” Someone called out, rounding the corner. He was average height, with wispy white hair, and eyes the color of rose petals. He was dressed similarly to the knight held in Kami’s hand, and he carried a bow and arrows. He froze when his eyes landed on his comrade, apparently named Rayne.
“Run, Wilson! Mr. Coil lied! He withheld more information this time!” Rayne sobbed, legs shaking, threatening to give out. The man, Wilson, looked torn for a minute, and then he moved to draw his bow.
Kami sighed, slow and heavy, before releasing Rayne. He turned his focus to Wilson, and the atmosphere shifted with his slightest movement.
Rayne attempted to stumble away, but the shadows clung to her feet, crawled up her legs. She tried summoning light to destroy them, but her magic was not strong enough to cut through Kaiyo’s. In that moment, it was obvious who was most loved by the gods. Kaiyo watched her struggle, observed her frantic efforts, before she could not help but shift her focus to Kami.
Wilson was already caught in Kami’s trap, frozen in place. Without Kami even having to open his mouth, Wilson had already lost. It was as simple as looking upon the young cavae. Even without the love of a god, he was dangerous. He did not need a god to be powerful. Rayne truly had been wrong, he had more power than both of the knights combined.
Kaiyo brought her hands up, covering her ears, as she felt Kami pull back each of the restraints he had placed on his mana.
~
Kami had been patient. He had held himself back so very well, he had been so very good. But, when that knight was mouthing off, he could not help but think of Isaac. Of how he had left him. He had been filled with shame, with guilt, and the rage slipping into the mix had become near unbearable.
When another knight came running onto the scene, he could not stop himself from slipping, at least a little. Everything had become too much, and he had been worn far too thin. The way these skylos looked at him, the way he knew they would look at Isaac, he couldn’t stand it anymore.
His wings had slipped out without him realizing, stretching out, asking to be seen. That knight had gazed at him, as if in a trance, almost immediately. Kami felt his magic preen, felt it rumble pleasantly under his skin, asking to be used. The knight was making it all too easy, getting caught in his web so quickly. It was far too tempting, as if a delicious meal had been set before the cavae.
It would be far too cruel, far too rude, for him to not indulge.
“Kneel.” Kami stated simply, weaving magic into his voice, sighing happily when both knights fell to their knees. He wanted to watch them unravel, to see them paint the street in their own blood, but he knew nothing would truly come of that. The momentary satisfaction would fade, and word would spread of a starcatcher being on the loose, and a hunt would begin. He could not risk Isaac.
He called his magic to his hands, swiping them through the air, relished in the terror hidden in the knights’ hazy eyes. He hummed, as he manipulated his magic, as he reshaped it.
When he was finished, when his hands slowly went still, the knights began gasping, and then choking. The two of them doubled over, coughing and gagging, as their mana, taking the form of a viscous liquid, forced it’s way out of them, through their mouths, noses, eyes, ears. He watched, as they were bled dry of their own magic, as their gods were powerless to protect them, to stop him. That is, if their precious gods even cared enough to try. It seemed the male knight, Wilson, his god did. Kami felt the worry and rage radiating from the atmosphere, as the god helplessly watched his paidi drown in his own magic, the god’s gift turned into a weapon.
There were very few benefits to being a cavae. One, being nearly unkillable. The second, since the gods had abandoned him, they could do nothing to him. He relished in moments like these, watching fickle little paidi become powerless before him. As soon as they heard his voice, they were doomed. He could do with them as he pleased. A simple flick of his hand, and they’d cease to be. He could not make it so easy for these skylo, though. Not after the woman, Rayne, had spoke such cruel words. They had to suffer, at least a bit. Kami could not allow people with power who thought the way Rayne did to walk around feeling safe, feeling confident in their views. People like that had to be humbled.
“Look at me.” He ordered, voice dripping in magic. The knights lifted their heads, mana still forcing it’s way out of them. Kami felt a shudder run down his spine, a smirk sliding into place, but he reminded himself he could not kill these two. Not yet, at least. He felt his concern for Isaac overpowering everything else. “What is that thing you’ve set loose? The one that you mistakenly allowed to cross my comrade’s path?”
“Chisuke Kutsuke?” Wilson said weakly, as his mana had already completely depleted, pooled underneath him in soft shades of pink and purple. He looked up at Kami with hazy eyes, panting and shaking. “He’s a doll with an artificial soul.”
“Your friend is the unlucky one, you disgrace. Chisuke can’t be killed. It’s nothing but a vessel to carry out orders, and it was ordered to kill that sickening abomination you consider to be a companion.” Rayne hissed, wiping the glittery blue remnants of her mana from her face, glaring up at Kami. Kami tilted his head to the side, looking down at the light mage, his expression carefully blank. There she was, mouthing off once more, directly slandering Isaac this time. The mana dripping from her quickly shifted, coursing through the air, before slicing through her armor and directly into her flesh. She doubled over, crying out, quickly bringing her hands up to cover her shallow wound.
“Speak against him, and offer your own blood as penance. It should be plainly obvious that your beloved god may not so much as lay her eyes upon me, let alone intervene. That is, if she wanted to. Do you think she wants to, Rayne? Do you feel her love, in moments like this?” Kami said softly, kneeling down and leaning close to the crying knight, looking down at her still. “Her love means nothing, not in my presence.” He said lowly, and Rayne curled up smaller. “Now, you said Chisuke has an artificial soul? Is he a paidi as well, or perhaps he was crafted by one?”
“Kami.” Kaiyo said softly, from off to the side. She kept her hands over her ears, as she looked down at him. Her tone was careful, but her eyes were calm. “Time is running short.”
Kami knew what she was referring to, he could feel Isaac’s mana in the distance, raging and infecting the ground beneath them. He could feel the energy sour and cold, smell the rot and decay on the evening breeze. Something awful had happened, Isaac was in rare form, and they would likely have to find him soon to minimize the damage. They could not allow him to fully slip, to lose himself.
“In that case, I have gathered enough information to work with.” Kami hummed, standing slowly and dusting himself off. He looked down at the two skylo, his mana slowly receding and calming itself once more. “My last oder for the two of you is simple. Henceforth, you are unable to end another’s life. It matters not what sort of creature you face, you will be incapable of laying a final blow.”
Wilson nodded weakly, looking up at Kami with stars in his eyes, while Rayne cowered at his side. Kami sighed, annoyance clear on his expression, before he slowly hid his wings once more. Kaiyo uncovered her ears, and Kami grabbed her arm and began dragging her after him while he quickly fled the scene.
He did not miss the way she glanced behind them, at the light mage, the way Kaiyo’s gaze lingered ever so slightly.
~
Kaiyo and Kami ended up nearly literally running into the others, as they rounded the corner and immediately came face to face with them. Kaiyo had to look away from Isaac, shame written across her face as she did.
Kaiyo and Ren caught everyone up, as they were the only two truly capable of retelling any details. Kami was looking at Isaac with admiration, more so than usual, and his gaze lingered on the new eye that had emerged from the wound inflicted by Chisuke. Kami was potentially the only one with keen enough senses to note how Isaac’s aura had changed, to pinpoint why it was he was unsettling to even be around right now. Something had shifted inside of him, like a barrier being lifted, or a curtain being raised. It was as if he was something else, his mana had become something far more potent and dangerous.
Nepthys seemed unphased, curled up in Isaac’s arms, covered in both of their blood. Painted red and gold, Nepthys simply stared up at Isaac, his gaze distant but fond nonetheless. He knew a heavy conversation was in store once they returned home, but he seemed far too enamored with Isaac to worry about it in this moment. Isaac was a light shining in his darkness, a testament to everything Nepthys had always believed in. He was wholly unholy, and perfectly kind despite that, despite the torture that he had endured. Nepthys knew, he knew, just how unsightly the man holding him was, but that didn’t matter, not really. He had been made of suffering, forged in pain, but it had not made him cruel. That was all that mattered. Isaac was not needlessly cruel, he was not overtly violent, he was not what the world had tried so hard to make him. It was painful, and simultaneously exhilarating, to see someone defy each and every force and power at play, when you yourself fell victim to them.
Ren watched his friends, caught up in their own worlds, as he felt the world weighing on his shoulders. How was he supposed to protect them, with the whole world aiming for their necks? How could he hope to keep them safe? These people were his family, he couldn’t afford to lose any of them. He had to ensure not only that they survived, but that they were able to truly live. How could he keep them safe from the crown, the skylo, the paidi, the whole goddamn world? He would have to speak with his god, with their allies. He had to come up with some sort of a plan. He had to get stronger.
Kaiyo felt so very out of place. She did not understand what had happened, all she knew that it was horrible. She felt pity for her comrades, but she did not feel the need to protect them. She did not see the appeal in Isaac’s condition worsening. She was lost, standing here with the others. She was the only one uninjured, the only one who had managed to reach this point. She could not help but wonder how long that would last.
Unbeknownst to each and every one of them, this entire debacle had been witnessed by a secret observer. An old friend, who had snuck back into town. He had felt the energy shift, and he knew the ending was approaching. He could smell the death in the air, feel the grief in his bones. He had not only been told, but also felt, that not all of them would make it out of this alive. He could not continue laying in hiding, knowing some of those he holds dear would soon meet such tragic fates.
And so, Rowdy had returned. Rowdy was back, and he had to speak to Quella.