Darker Than Kindness

(It's 1 AM. This took six hours x.x)

Shivers wracked his body as he slowly awoke from a fitful sleep. His head throbbed, along with his eye, shoulder and chest, but thankfully the pain wasn't unbearable.

I know I shouldn't be able to move much, but somehow it isn't nearly as bad as it should be.

He remembered breaking his left arm as a child, and the pain had kept him from even thinking about moving it for several days.

My bones must be splintered to pieces after how terribly I had hurt, yet I only feel a horrible but manageable ache right now.

Of course, he didn't test it too much. He couldn't really try, either. From what he could tell, he was still in Fin's arms, and the uncomfortably heavy blanket continued pinned most of his limbs in place.

He wouldn't let me touch him before... perhaps this blanket is to prevent me from trying again.

It made sense, but it definitely wasn't a normal blanket. It had to have been made specifically to keep someone from moving much.

"Master, I believe we are in for a bit of trouble. I know you did not want it mentioned, but it seems like god is already not pleased with the lad being taken..."

There was no reply from Fin, though the man wasn't deterred enough to stop speaking, yet. "Can we not let him leave at the town where we'll be docking soon? Surely that would appease her."

Her?

The deep laugh that came from Fin brought another round of shivers through Daiya's body, making the man's arms holding him suddenly tense. He did his best to pay no mind to the growing chill in his bones, but soon enough, his teeth began to chatter and his shaking got even worse.

When the heavy blanket was pulled away from his face, Daiya blinked his good eye up at the two blurry faces staring down at him.

"His shoulder is shattered and his left rib is broken... is that all the damage you could really do against him? He is practically blind, and you even forced one of his eyes to swell shut." Fin stated without a hint of emotion in his voice.

The  man to his left shifted a little before mumbling. "He's faster than I thought he'd be... if I coulda just gotten another minute, I woulda had him dead."

Fin looked up at the man, making him immediately back away, out of Daiya's poor range of sight. He refused to look away from Fin's blurry face.

"I'll find another way. We should be docking at any moment. Go get the new set of horses ready, they should be waiting at the port."

The sound of the man running from the carriage made Daiya surprisingly uncomfortable. He had hurt him quite badly, but he had done it on Fin's order. That had hurt far worse than his injuries.

His good eye narrowed and widened out of habit, trying to focus, though it had been years since it had honestly helped at all.

"It's best that you don't see." Fin stated before gently settling his lower half on his lap, only to reach up with his now-free hand and grasp the heavy blanket.

"Wait!" Daiya pleaded.

He didn't want to be smothered again. It hadn't been the easiest to breathe beneath it and the darkness only made his worry much worse.

"I know I can't touch you. I promise I won't move." He said, not really able to do so with the weight of the blanket on the rest of his body, anyways.

He thought that Fin might consider it, since he didn't answer right away, but when he started pulling it back over his face, Daiya tried one last thing.

"Can I at least have a normal blanket or even a dry shirt?" He asked through chattering teeth.

When Fin looked away, Daiya pursed his lips, trying to keep from clicking his teeth together so often.

He can only do bad, young one. Do not request of him what he is not capable of.

Daiya looked around the dim carriage to try and find who had just spoken, but when he saw no one, he returned his attention to Fin, who was now staring down at him again.

"What is it?" Fin asked, clearly having picked up on Daiya's sudden confusion.

"I... thought I heard something, but I believe I was mistaken." He said quietly.

Fin remained silent for several moments before pulling the heavy blanket back over Daiya's face.

It felt like hours before the blanket was finally removed, but it had to have only been thirty minutes or so. The first thing Daiya realized, was that Fin was nowhere to be seen. The man from earlier was standing over him, folding up the blanket. Even if he couldn't see his face, his smell was hard to forget.

"Where are the others?" Daiya asked as he lay at the man's feet, not feeling strong enough after being cold for so long, to stand on his own.

The man finished folding the blanket, then set it aside on the bench seat behind him before addressing his question.

"Do you mean the other humans? They were in the other carriage with you before."

It was hard to believe that five people who had just been kidnapped, would be so quiet that he'd not realize they were even around him.

But you heard that voice. Perhaps that really was someone besides Fin and this man. He told himself reassuringly. He didn't want to think that he had heard voices in his head. Though, he supposed that would be the least of his current worries.

"Where are we going?" He asked, feeling the carriage moving beneath him, as if they were back on land.

"We'll be stopping at a market to stock up on food for you and the others, then we'll be off to master Fin's keep." The man said as he took a seat.

That made sense, but that also brought up another question.

"Am I the only human in this carriage?" He asked.

The man's blurry head nodded, drawing a frown onto Daiya's face. He knew that those people were criminals, to one degree or another, but why was he separated, if the people were with him earlier?

Had it been because of the rain? Did Fin not have a choice but to run for the closest cover and hadn't wanted us together?

"What happened to that bird?" He asked suddenly, remembering the little silver finch that had gotten shot, but somehow managed to live, then continue singing. "Did it really bring the rain back?"

The loud, sarcastic laugh the man replied to him with drew Daiya to finally force his aching body up to an awkward sitting position.

"What is so funny?" He questioned.

When the man leaned forward, he leaned back slightly.

"That little bird is a blessing... and a curse."

What on Earth does that mean? He wondered as he felt the carriage slow to a stop.

"Time to go fetch the food. Be a good crippled lad and stay." He said with a chuckle, clearly knowing that Daiya was likely unable to move much.

When the man hopped down from the carriage and shut the door, Daiya felt his head begin to spin. Don't pass out again. This is probably your only chance. He told himself as he forced his exhausted body to its feet.

Why do my injuries still not hurt as they should? He wondered as he hesitantly moved his left arm. It hurt badly, but it was manageable. Let's get out of here and worry about it later.

Determined, he walked over to the door and felt along the handle. It's the one that was punched-through. He thought with enough relief to make him dizzy as he tried to push the door open, but it refused to budge. Undeterred, he dropped to his knees and began feeling along the outside of carriage for the lock.

When his fingers found worn twine rope, he realized that they'd fixed it enough to simply hold the door shut. They must think that I can't get up. Which should have been correct, but he wasn't going to dwell on why he could move any longer. Instead, he carefully grasped one part of the rope and pulled. When it barely gave any slack, he felt along the simple knot for another length, then grasped and pulled it.

The rope slid free with a hiss before Daiya dropped it to the ground outside and pulled his hand back in. It took a few tries to force the stuck door open, but when the fresh air hit his face, he couldn't help but greedily take in several deep breaths.

Time is short.

He wanted to look around and see if someone had spoken, again, but the voice was correct. Daiya couldn't hesitate.

Licking his dry lips, he carefully but quickly made his way down from the carriage. The moment his feet hit the dusty road, he hurried away from the more-bustling area. I desperately wish that I could see. He thought as he wove his way, as best he could, through the crowded streets.

Daiya could feel people trying to slip their hands into his pockets, no doubt looking to steal whatever he happened to have on him, but he kept his right hand in the pocket he had his money in, grasping it tightly.

"Excuse me, sir? Could you spare a little?" Came a young woman's voice from somewhere to his right.

He forced himself not to turn and look at her, but soon another voice spoke, asking for coin. Another followed, then another. I will likely have no use for my coin, even if I manage to get away. My injuries will surely catch up to me. He was not feeling too well, either, likely from having been stuck out in the rain, then left in his soaked clothing for too long.

Daiya finally stopped, and was suddenly surrounded by all shapes and sizes of begging ladies and lads. Children and elderly alike reached toward him, tugging at his stained clothing.

I cannot feed this many mouths, even if I give them everything I have on me. He thought sadly as he took in the blurry faces.

His eye landed on one face in particular after a few moments. He couldn't see their face, but judging from the way their blurry figure was hunched, and the silvery color around their head, he could only assume that they were elderly.

She is the only one not pushing me to give her something.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" He said, being sure to look toward the old woman as he spoke.

To his surprise, the crowd slowly decreased in volume and began to back away so that the woman could hobble her way closer to him. When she stopped before him a few moments later, Daiya offered her a kind smile.

"Lad, you do not look like you are in a position to smile." The old woman said, drawing a slightly wider grin fro Daiya.

"What better time is there, ma'am?" He asked.

The woman shook her head slowly, but Daiya could hear the soft laughter that came from her parted lips.

"Pardon me, but I really must be going... I just wished to ask you if you might be in need of some money? Perhaps you have some hungry mouths to feed, and I do not believe I will be needing it any time soon." He said as he fished the coins from his pocket.

It wasn't much to him, but he knew that it likely looked like gold to the hungry crowd around him. He was actually quite shocked that not a single person moved to snatch the money. Nor did a single one utter a whisper about it.

"Quite a few, indeed." The woman replied.

Offering the money to her, he waited patiently until she lifted her bony hand and placed it in his. "You are a sweet, pure-hearted boy. Never forget that." She said as she retracted her hand and turned, disappearing among the near-silent crowd.

Smiling, Daiya closed his hand, only to feel something in it that hadn't been before. The weight was familiar, but seemed impossible. Shaking, he forced his injured arm to move enough for him to grasp the small pair of spectacles with both hands.

How did she...?

Not wanting to waste time, he lifted the glasses to his face using his good arm, settling them on the bridge of his nose. The world came into abrupt focus at that moment. He was standing near a dirty alleyway between several run-down homes.

No one could possibly live in these. He thought as he looked around... and saw no trace of the crowd that had, not seconds earlier, had him nearly trapped in place. Where? How?

Time is short.

Snapping himself out of his shock, Daiya hurried as fast as he could down the deserted streets. He could see what appeared to be a forest up ahead, but as he approached, the ground began to shift as he walked, as if it were saturated with too much water.

A loud hiss stole his attention right before he stepped past the first tree, avoiding a large pool of water to his left. When he looked toward it, his lips parted in surprise. He'd never seen such a large reptile before. He knew from his studies that it was either a crocodile or alligator, but he also knew that they were definitely not native to England.

I have not a single clue where I am, though the trip couldn't have lasted so long that I am now seeing one of these creatures.

His stomach twisted nervously as the large reptile, that had to measure at least seven or eight feet, slowly began making its way toward him, its body hidden mostly beneath the murky water.

Daiya was seriously considering turning around and finding another place to hide when he heard the sound of a horse in the distance.

Please.

He turned back toward the town, and knew right then, that he had no choice. Fin was approaching fast on a pure black horse that was covering ground far faster than Daiya could ever hope to.

I have to go through the swamp. He'll catch me in moments if I don't. Daiya told himself as he made his sore limbs move. He could feel his injuries begin to hurt more and more as he trudged through the knee-deep water. He continued to look over his shoulder as he moved and was unsurprised to find the crocodile had been joined by two others. Keep going. You need to keep going!

Right as he finished that thought the sound of a heavy item splashing into the swamp echoed from behind him. Daiya tried to move faster, but his momentum was cut short as the water resisted his actions, tripping his tired feet in the muck built up beneath the surface, pulling him under.

When he surfaced, one hand on his new glasses to keep from losing them in the mud, his breath caught in his throat. A grey nose as big as half of his face blew out a long breath, generating a hissing sound that vibrated the water around him.

He swallowed the fear in his gut and slowly straightened himself up so that the creature's nose was level with his lower torso. It had gotten deeper... Daiya tried to carefully step around it, but the creature easily moved its head through the dark water, blocking him as another crocodile slowly swam over to position itself near his back.

"Please let me through, I promise I don't taste good." He whispered to the animals, his nerves and exhaustion beginning to shake his tired body.

Do not hesitate.

Daiya wasn't sure how he could not. The reptiles were bigger than him and could easily drag him underwater with a simple swing of their heads and a bite. With no other choice, however, he bit the inside of his lip and made his legs move straight for the crocodile. It hissed a warning, but sank below the water when Daiya swore it would attack.

It resurfaced a few feet away, but its attention was focused on the crashing horse Daiya could hear gaining on him from behind. Determined, he managed to wade through the pool, then pull himself out onto a mossy little island before his body gave out.

He could see Fin's horse struggling through some of the deeper areas, making him have to take it around to a separate saturated island about twenty feet away.

"Daiya! Come here, now!" He yelled as the beast beneath him lifted its feet repeatedly, clearly having trouble balancing on the uneven, squishy terrain.

Fin.

He could see him now. The boy he'd fallen in love with had grown. How do you look my age when you were murdered all those years ago? He asked himself, but was unable to voice the question.

I missed you so much.

Daiya did not miss the hatred in his eyes, nor the furious expression he wore, but it was his Fin. He swiped his nearly-dry tongue across his lips, then opened and closed them several times before he was able to whisper his thought aloud.

"I missed... you so much."

All of the anger suddenly vanished from Fin's expression in that second, though Daiya had no idea how he managed to hear him. He didn't get long to think about it, either. A large, faded grey crocodile suddenly surfaced a few feet away, it's color so faint that it almost appeared white.

A deep rumble began emanating from the beast, vibrating the soaked land which he lay on. Daiya could do little more than watch... until a rumble of thunder boomed overhead.

No.

His eyes lifted to Fin, whose attention was directed toward the darkening sky. Another rumble of thunder accompanied a few more raindrops against Daiya's cheek, but he couldn't even consider looking away from Fin.

The man's gaze slowly lowered from the sky, drawing Daiya's eyes wide with fear. A single raindrop had found its way onto Fin's cheek. It was burning a hole through his skin as it innocently trekked downward.

Fin... run!

Even as the rain began to pick up, Fin refused to move. His horse danced beneath him, each raindrop incinerating hair and flesh alike. It snorted and roared as its body slowly disintegrated, its jaw swinging after nearly a minute had passed, the bone completely gone on one side as its left leg crumbled in a hiss of foul-smelling smoke.

Fin dropped to the wet ground as his own body began to burn with each new raindrop that found him. Daiya couldn't hold back his tears as he began crawling back toward the water. Right before he got himself turned around and near the edge, his broken shoulder suddenly flared with pain, forcing a loud gasp and groan as he hunched back to the soaked moss.

It took him several seconds to be able to lift his head again, and what he saw shook his heart. "Fin!" He shouted, though his voice died in the roar of the downpour.

He will not die from it. Leave while you can.

Daiya didn't even consider the voice's words as he pushed himself into the water. The large white crocodile watched him, but didn't move. It also didn't stop its strange rumbling sounds.

If you are calling the rain, please stop! He thought to whoever must be listening to his thoughts.

He could barely catch his footing in the mud beneath him, but somehow managed to slowly make his way toward Fin. The man was hunched over against the minuscule tree that had seemingly claimed that small mossy island as its own.

His body was steaming and missing large patches of skin by the time Daiya finally crawled onto the uneven ground. Ignoring the little remains of the undead horse, he forced his body forward.

Please, stop the rain. Please! He tried reaching the voice one more time as he shakily got up on his knees and leaned over, carefully hugging Fin's damaged face against his shirt to try and shield him, being careful not to touch his skin with his own.

No good can come from that man.

Daiya shook his head, sniffling from the cold rain as it made his nose run and his body shake.

Even if that may be true, he does not deserve this! Please, I beg you, stop this storm!

The only sound he heard for the next minute or so was the heavy thrum of rain falling around him. He wasn't sure if his pleas had truly been heard, but then he realized one sound that he hadn't heard for that entire minute...

You are the crocodile.

The raindrops slowed in intensity, then dissipated completely after a few more seconds. When he was sure that they were gone, Daiya sat back, swaying slightly as he tried to see through his soaked glasses. He lifted his good arm and shakily wiped away most of the water, only to suddenly feel horribly faint.

Fin's body was still steaming as he slowly lifted his head. Their eyes met, but Fin's right one was missing along the bottom, as well as the eyelid and most of that cheek and ear. His hair was also partially burned away on that same side.

"Fin." He breathed, eyes widening as they traveled lower, afraid of the damage he'd see.

The rain had truly been unforgiving. Even though he had been wearing clothing, most of his shirt had dissolved away, taking with it most of his left chest, all the way down to the waste-band of his trousers. His heart lay within a smoldering crevice, unmoving and darker than night.

Daiya felt shock take over his body as he watched, unblinking, as Fin lifted his burned arm, its flesh missing down to the bone along his lower arm and wrist. Where his gloved fingers used to be, a mess of tendon and bone uncurled, revealing black claws.

"I told you, Daiya..." Fin whispered as he watched him. "It's best not to see."

I agree. Daiya thought as he fell forward, his body finally giving out.