Fatal Heart

Chapter Six

Honor

Kaito's heart began to pound in his chest and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. His stomach turned and as the aircraft landed safely on the floating surface, Kaito thought he might vomit.
"Meet me in the palace center if you wish to be redeemed," finished His Imperial Majesty. Finally, the comm ended and the screen returned to its home-screen .
"Royal Higness?" Rose acknowledged, seeking Kaito's well-being. Kaito didn't respond, and before he knew it he was racing through the skystabber's hotel lobby to the Palace center.
The palace center was dead center of the floating landform. Twelve kilometers above  Chōshinsei's tallest standing skyscraper, lied Skyport. On Skyport rested the famous Skystabber, Domirant, 5 kilometers in height, three-thousand-eight-hundred three-point-eight kilometers in width, and four kilometers in length. Domirant was attended for a house of the last emperor of Chōshinsei and his family to obtain since their family kept growing with so many females.  However, once inherited by Koboa and his small family of four, their use for it dwindled. Even once their family grew to eight.
It was then transfigured into a hotel. Domirant upheld 2,150 servants, 4,000 rooms with different themes in each, all contoured with their own supply of technology, and 5,500 bathrooms. The hotel was set up like a wall, enclosing the palace. And in the center of this palace, a shrine dedicated to the Helio. This is where His Imperial Majesty spent most of his time.
Ponds were spread as common as puddles. Flowers bloomed on these patches of land between the water filled with koi, and blood-red bridges allowed for the aesthetic world to be untouched by man who would surely ruin it. Orange blossoms surrounded the shrine as if they were sworn to potect it from all the rain and wind. Their golden leaves absorbed every ray the Helio had to offer. And each branch stuck out, rising in praise.
And as Kaito dashed through the lobby, past the red and blue komodo dragons of the far side of the gardens of the palace, he stopped short of the shrine entrance.
"Inperiaru Otōsan..."
"Redemption. You must desperately seek it, I take," his father giddily chuckled to himself. Kaito didn't bow nor did he bring his father's knuckles to his cheeks. "Are you insane?!" is what he wished to say, but instead spoke wisely.
"Otōsan, you..."
"Silence. You know as well as I the price of redemption. Surely you do not expect me to let you off so easily and allow you to make the same mistake, again, in the future. Do you?"
Kaito hesitated, ripping his eyes from his father's. He began staring down at his navy blue Haori himo and and white hakama.
"You have dishonored our ancestors! Now you must pay the price and fix your mistake."
His eyes rose to meet his father's. "How does this relate to the warning of the angels? The three billion we must spare should be supplied in soldiers."
"Nonsense, Kaito."
"What is the use of letting three billion births be revoked? What will three billion children deaths do? Nothing! Nothing but shorten the amount of soldiers we can raise to defend our planet!" There was silence, as if his father was actually beginning to see the truth behind Kaito's words. There was understanding in his eyes, then rage.
"Kaito!"
It rang out, echoing off the walls that surrounded. "We will deal with those matters when the time is right. Right now we must deal with this monster. Soul Keeper is no regular mordethian. In fact, it was recently discovered that he is ruling quite a large portion of Mordeath."
"What about queen Bloodrose?"
"She seemed to have not noticed." This was a problem. Margolienes would surely know if her own people were defying her orders and questioning her authority. It was ever unlikely that she didn't know of a problem concerning her subjects. Something wasn't right. There had to be more to the story.
"Where must I go to find him?"
First, his father's face was lit with a match of perplexment. Then, it mellowed and his father wore a soft, warm, well-hearted grin. "You and your companions will travel to the land of the radiant flowers. There you will be lent a hand by a fellow friend and ally. I have already prepared a Nebula for you."
"Companions?"
"Tadashī. Hiamayetsia and Arius-Yoru will be accompanying you on your journey. They have definitely grown in their combat abilities and I see it wise they embrace it alongside you."
Arius-Yoru. The cursed child. Youngest son of the family's royal fisherman and Kaito's closest friend since childhood. Though in recent years, their friendship had been rocky due to the longing of affection for Hiama that had driven a wedge between them. And still does.
"Inperiaru Otōsan...Hiama. She is..."
Emperor Koboa tilted his head slightly back and smiled.
"Shinkō. If she loves you as she says she does, she'll love you to hell and back. Besides, you three have ventured on missions together for digits now. Inseparable."
Kaito disliked his father's persistence. The words he chose. 'To hell and back' was where they would actually be taken when hunting down Soul Keeper.
What was his father getting at? The age on his face seemed to deepen. He looked more tired than usual. Was it all the stress? Their eyes never parted.
"And as soon as you three return, your coronation and a wedding will be held. Long live the King and Queen of Yojien."
Kaito dipped his head and bowed in dismissal. As soon as his presence was no more, Koboa looked to his balled fist. Opening, a tiny black cube rested in his palm. His eyes fell to it.
He made a contorted expression as he tried to compress the tears. His lip trembled and his heart ached. His fingers grew back over the cube and he straightened his posture, standing strong. But, looking back at it he crumbled. "Watashi wa mōshiwakearimasen, watashi no musukodesu." A tear fell.
"Gomen'nasai."