~Hidden~
(A couple minutes later...)
Their footsteps trailed down the hallway towards where Ji-ho lay. They stayed eerily quiet. Not a good sign.
Hidden knew that too well.
A loud, rasping cough came from a nearby room. It was hard to tell which room it came from. This part of the palace was the infirmary, and it was stocked.
Her majesty usually threw whoever survived in here to reuse for later. They didn't get the best care, of course. No one ever got the best care. This was Droplet Tribe.
"Uh... Maybe we should check on the Ji-ho guy?" Hidden asked in a soft tone as to not disturb the resting slaves.
Ken'ichi nodded. "Yeah, probably." He whispered in a low voice.
Hidden stepped forward. She opened to door slowly. She had guessed that this one was Ji-ho's. Hidden wasn't exactly sure if this was where the coughing came from.
Then again, she didn't know if he had done the coughing — or how bad shape he was in.
The door creaked open. Her eyes scanned the room. Hidden blinked at the doctors.
'Huh.' Was all she was able to think. Maybe he got cared for because he was close to Edge.
"Quickly, get rid of the blood!" One doctor yelled.
None of the doctors had noticed the group enter the room. They were too busy dealing with Ji-ho.
"Wha— Blood?" She mumbled.
Hidden let herself into the room. She stepped aside to let the other two in as well. She regretted coming in.
It was a... little more than graphic — to say the least.
"Ji-ho has been coughing blood a lot recently..." Kawasumi whispered. Her eyes then drifted towards the doctors.
The doctors soaked a towel with Ji-ho's blood.
"Can he... er... talk?" Hidden asked the doctors awkwardly.
"Yes, but he's not allowed to." One doctor said briskly.
"Okay..." She nodded.
It made sense. Hidden didn't know why this felt so awkward. Of course it was her that managed to make situations like this hold that horrible silence.
She felt bad for Ji-ho, but didn't really know him too well. That was her way to reason out her behavior.
Ji-ho began to cough up more blood. The blood splattered all over him. He opened his mouth a little; he was about to say something. Then a doctor quickly shut his mouth.
Blood was a common sight in Droplet Tribe. The arenas were infested with it. Even the halls, when Her Highness wasn't in the happiest mood.
However, this sight, this blood, was gut wrenching. Even when she just watched his cough up blood...
It hurt as though she had known him for a longer time than today.
"Poor guy... He seems like such a nice man." Hidden murmured out loud.
She wanted to add that she felt bad that he had to be friends with Her Majesty. However, that would probably have her end up in the arena.
Maybe he knew her before she was crowned. Hidden swore she could remember Wisp or Rustic, or both, as they told her about a Ji-ho.
"Kawasumi, did you know him well?" She asked as she turned to him.
"No, not really." Kawasumi answered.
She didn't seem to care about the fact Ji-ho was in pain. The fact that Ji-ho was sleeved in so much blood —So much that he looked like a serial killer.
She nodded again. 'Typical Kawasumi to not care about others in pain.'
Hidden thought to herself in a way to try to cheer herself up. Those dumb thoughts somehow kept her from loosing it in here. That and Wisp and Rustic.
"Is he... dying?" Ken'ichi asked soon after.
"Dying?" Hidden blurted.
She continued to smooth out her sudden blurt. "What do you mean that he's dying?"
"Well... he's losing so much blood..." Ken'ichi started. He looked frightened.
Ji-ho coughed harder and harder. More of his blood poured out, turning his once jet black hair red.
He seemed to mumble something, and soon after, the same silence overtook the room.
Hidden reached over to poke his arm. He seemed pretty... well, lifeless. Poor guy. At least he wasn't in pain anymore. The pain that this sickness brought him, and the pain of this palace.
Then, her majesty rushed into the room. She gasped when she saw Hidden trying to poke Ji-ho's limp body. She snatched her arm, and then continued to slap it.
Her rough rings lashed at Hidden's skin. They tore away at it. Each of the rings, bracelets, and other jewels that she kept were equipped with sharp edged. Long points, that looked like fangs, were positioned on each — Like a wolf's fangs.
One of the doctors lightly pulled Edge's arm away. He pulled down his mask, and revealed 3 dots under his eyes. This was Spout — King Spout, really.
He was the opposite of Edge. While she ruled with blood and vengeance, he was all about peace. This often brought up disagreements. Queen Edge, being the dominant one, always won.
It always ended with him being hurt. Wouldn't be long before he would get killed... It helped to just forget about all of the fun times they had as siblings. Well, half-siblings.
She hadn't really told anyone about it. Hidden still remembered Her Majesty's hot breath, like a dragon's breath, as it lit up her face. She had to swear to not tell anyone about their relations.
Hidden was too young to rule, but it was most likely so people wouldn't choose her over Queen Edge. Unlike Spout, she was a hybrid, so it wasn't very likely she'd get picked, anyways.
"This is all your fault!" She screamed. "You let him die!"
"I—" He began.
She grabbed Kawasumi's arm, then in a rougher manner King Spout's arm. Her Majesty pulled the two away. It left the room in a quieter tone than she had ever felt.
Even more silent than after Ji-ho died.
——
YOU ARE READING
The Place where Dreams Fade (Book Two of the Forgotten Truths Series)
Fantasy"No where to run, No place to go, No where is safe, but here." ~*~ Years have passed since Edge had been crowned Queen. Her rule has been anything but just. With no real representative for Dro...
