The Prince and the Serpent

Puppet

"Boruto!" Mitsuki cried as he rushed to his Sun's aid.

"Mitsuki, wait!" He heard Sarada call from somewhere behind him but he ignored her. His Sun needed him and that was all that mattered right now. Mitsuki skidded to a halt on the ice in front of Boruto.

It was like a nightmare and Mitsuki silently prayed that it was. His beloved Sun hung crucified between two large crystals of ice with his arms encased almost to the shoulders. His body hung limply and his feet only just brushed the blue ice floor. His clothes were crusted with ice and frost clung to half his face. He was completely unconscious and the lines of his curse covered the right half of his face.

Mitsuki's breath clouded around his face as he stared at his Sun in dismay. His hands hovered over the sides of Boruto's face but he didn't dare touch. He was terrified that if he did, this horrible vision would become real. He was only just aware of Sarada sliding to a stop beside him.

"Mitsuki!" She hissed in his ear as she made a violent gesture forward, demanding that he look up. He obeyed, not really knowing why and what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. What he had assumed to be a white wall was actually a massive ice golem. It was as large as the wall of the cavern behind it and its canine-like head nearly brushed the hundred-foot high ceiling. Its eye sockets were empty except for a pair of glowing lights that were fixed on them.

Only the top half was visible as it appeared to blend into the ice of the floor at what would be its hips. Skeletal appendages that looked like arms ended in huge three-fingered "hands" and the fingers were tipped with huge, wicked-looking claws. Long, smooth tendrils circled the room at the base of the walls and appeared to be part of a rope-like tail belonging to the golem. It was nothing short of enormous, threatening and clearly the earth key guardian.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Sarada stood at his shoulder as he stared up into the lights that sat in the massive golem's eyes. It appeared to stare back but otherwise, it was completely motionless. Mitsuki decided that for the time being, the golem was not an immediate threat. He cautiously turned his attention away from the golem and back to Boruto.

With a shaking hand, Mitsuki cupped Boruto's right cheek and jaw. To his relief, there was warmth under the thin crust of ice. Boruto was alive. Mitsuki slid his hands to the ice holding Boruto's arms but the bite of the cold made him hiss and jerk them back.

"Let me try." Sarada stepped around him, pushing him aside slightly. Her action caused a stab of irritation that he quickly squashed. She was helping Boruto, he reminded himself. She flicked her wrists and her hands glowed with tiny tongues of fire licked the edges of her fingers and palms. She pressed her hands against the ice holding Boruto but nothing happened. Instead, she gasped and jerked her hands back in a hiss of pain.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and ice started to fall from the ceiling. Mitsuki looked back up at the golem. Its eyes were glowing brighter but otherwise it still made no move to attack. Movement caught his eye and he instinctively turned to its source. Boruto had lifted his head. His curse marks were glowing blue and they were starting to spread through his skin like ink through a cloth. A strange, flat horn was starting to protrude from the right side of his forehead with the lines following.

His right eye, covered with curse lines snapped open. The white was stained black and his iris was glowing with a bright white/blue light that matched the golem's lights. There was no warning. With a wave of magic, Boruto shattered the ice holding him and he lashed out, catching Mitsuki in his midsection and hurling him into the far ice wall. As he fell to the hard floor, he heard Sarada scream but he couldn't see what had happened.

Mitsuki struggled to his feet but Boruto was already closing the distance. He cast a wind spell, pushing Boruto back but not harming him. Boruto snarled against the wind in beast-like frustration. Then, he gave a feral smile. He made a lifting motion with his hands and ice rose from the floor, blocking the wind and allowing him to charge in again from the right.