King Make Believe

Chapter 12

Jae-wun

I raced across the courtyard, looking out for any guards on patrol. Not all of them would willing give up their post for a young girl who claimed to be a captain of the royal guards.

"Over here!" Hiro's whisper beckoned me and I raced agilely past the last remaining bushes. I knelt down next to him, he was wearing a simple black blouse and jeans, his shoes were that of a commoner's. He could fit in pretty well.

I shook my head. "You're going to be spotted and recognised immediately with yours eyes."

Hiro grimaced and pulled out a cloak. His face was hidden decently enough. I nodded and pointed behind him. "I know that there's a backdoor round the side, we can use that as our exit and entrance."

He nodded and ducked as another guard walked past. I made a gesture to get moving and he did so, we crawled around the gardens for a few minutes before I found the small gate. We crawled through and snuck our way past the lights on the path leading us to the town down hill.

"Oh God." Hiro murmured as we walked past streets full of people who'd been kicked out f their homes for carrying the disease. Their solemn stares and agonising coughs were hard to ignore.

I led Hiro down the familiar back paths and soon the familiar rusty red washing line with the little porcelain figure to ward off bad spirits greeted us and welcomed me back down memory lane. I pushed the backdoor open and was greeting with the stale stench of human waste and urine. Clearly my family had gotten even worse.

"Mamma, Pappa?" I called out, all I got in response was a faint groan and I waled into the living room, both of them occupied the couches and floor. The faces pale and their arms and legs were skinny. I didn't run to them like I last did, but when Hiro entered behind me, I slowly made my way to as close as I knew I could go. I placed my hand out in front of Hiro as he went to step closer.

I shook my head and looked away from my dying parents. "They're too far gone, if they had been treated the last time I'd seen them...maybe you would've had a chance." Hiro sent me an agonised look and pulled me into the kitchen. He pulled off his hood and shook his head to get his hair from his face. 

"Jae, I don't need to be next to them to heal them—I just need a thing of theirs and to be able to see them." He said. I blinked and nodded, he really wanted to save them. For me? I frowned as I raced into their room upstairs and grabbed a ring Mamma used to wear before she was sick a few weeks ago. I grabbed one of Pappa's small stone figures that his father gave him. I raced back down stairs and handed them to the waiting Hiro, not only was I worried about my parent's and if drawing back their deaths would anger the spirits, but I was worried about Hiro. He could overexert his engird and possibly damage his lungs even more. I would stop him, even if my parents died. I winced and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I had to keep it together. I swore fealty to the crown, I had to prioritise. 

Hiro knelt down around three metres away from my parents, he was almost in the way of the backdoor path. I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and readied myself for anything. Hiro closed his eyes and didn't move, the objects still in his hands. His body began to tremble and Mist rose from the ground, his hair began to lift up and around as he focused on controlling his power. The ground started to crack and Hiro opened his eyes, he muttered something under his breath and the Mist slunk over to my parents. Hiro's mouth didn't stop moving, and when I strained my head to listen, he was repeating one word over and over. Heal.

I leant forward, my elbows resting on my knees as the Mist curled around my parent's necks and waists. Then, without hesitation it poured into their mouths, an endless stream of gushed down their oesophagus and into their lungs. Their upper body began to jerk as the Mist sought out the problem inside of them. Then I heard it, something I I might've heard earlier if I wasn't so fascinated with the Mist attempting to heal.