King's Heir (A Dadmare fic)

18

The sound of snow crunching under shoes and playful yells filled the forest with excitement and movement. Naked branches swayed in the slight breeze that carried loose snow into drifts that piled against strong trunks and the chirping of birds who cared not for migration filled the sky in song and celebration. Laughter echoed through the trees, bright and happy. Joyfilled cries and blithe threats being thrown back and forth before the sudden sound of a thup broke the noise for a moment, snow exploding back into the air. A laugh erupted from the flurry and soon the sound of crunching snow started up again.

There was a yell from behind, warning the four ahead to be careful of their surroundings. A sigh left the older's mouth, warm breath bellowing into a gentle cloud of mist, as his youngest son gently squeezed his hand. The king smiled to himself as he heard one of his lovers titter at the children running ahead, his other lover reaching down to pick up his youngest child.

"They sure are rowdy," Ccino laughed, holding Horror close to his chest while the child shivered at the slight breeze that managed to brush along his face and slip past the fluffy hood that covered his broken skull.

Swap could only smile at the other, "Well you would be too if the frost kept you from being outside as long as it did for them." The blue-clad partner turned his attention to the shared god. "Am I right?"

Nightmare couldn't help but chuckle, his tendrils lowered to play with the snow on their own simple accord, almost as playful as their master's children. "You're right, I imagine they're very happy to be able to run around, they deserve it, their patience and good work on their studies proves that." The god paused for a moment before reaching out to tap his youngest's cheek. "You're enjoying yourself right, Horror?"

The child nodded, eyes droopy from the tiredness that came with traveling through the forest. "Sleepy..." His voice was slurred, yet it showed that he was fighting to stay awake. "Are we almost there daddy?"

Nightmare smiled, his index finger moving to gently rub under Horror's lit up eye socket. "We're almost there Roro, trust me, you'll want to be awake to see this, think you can stay up for me?" The sound of snow crunching was beginning to approach the four. Horror's attention turned towards the noise before he rubbed both his eye sockets, wincing when he rubbed a rather deep scratch he had given himself. Now mostly awake, Horror turned his attention to the four figures racing towards them before looking to his father and nodding.

The charcoal grey clad brother made it to their father first, snow flying into the air before he shot an eyeless and playful glare towards his siblings. "Looks like I win again!"

"Bullcrap!" Hissed Dust who came running up, coming in second to be followed by Cross and Error who tied together. Nightmare couldn't help but laugh as Dust and Killer began going at each other.

The elder god stretched his arm out, stopping the quarrel before it would get out of hand, "Now now boys, no more fighting and stick close from now on, we're almost there." Nightmare smiled as his boys slowly calmed down, the gentle brush of wind making the branches shuffle together with its rhythmic noise.

As if entering a new world entirely as the ground underneath their feet slowly began to meld between dirt to sand, a thin layer of snow dusting the microscopic bits of rock. However, the change of footing wasn't the surprise, it was the sight before them.

Water, a deep cobalt that seemed to almost entice the eyes towards its surface as if attempting to pull any unlucky sailor down to their watery demise. The sunrise flashed the water with bright glimpses of pink and orange, rolling off waves like blankets. The gentle crash of the water to the beach followed by the melodic caws of a few seagulls flying overhead was enough to stir the precipice of excitement, enough for it to overflow. It was as if they were a pack of dogs set loose on some unknowing animal, the boys made a dead sprint for the icy water. Horror too, scrambled to keep up with his brothers as if he was never even tired, a smile on his face as Ccino let him go.