war of hearts | bakugou katsuki

chapter six

An hour or so into the trip, you had gotten comfortable enough with your fear of heights to keep your eyes open and enjoy the skyline. Without the constant threat of being thrown off by a raving chief, it was easier to stop and appreciate the heavens.

Kaminari remarked on the lands you flew over, giving you stories of his youth and travels before he became a soldier for your small kingdom. You listened in content, amazed by the smallest details he described. He had a talent for making the most boring scenes come to life, somehow, something of which you were grateful for on such a long journey. This entire debacle—being traded and traveling and all—had been both mentally and physically taxing. Kaminari made your new reality all the more easier to swallow, and you had no idea how you could ever repay him.

There has to be something I can do to break that contract he has with me. Someone had to know something. If Kirishima was so bent on warning you of the undesirable outcomes of them, he had to have an inkling of how to end one. You would ask the next time you saw him.

Nodding off came eventually, though with nowhere to rest your head, you forced yourself to remain conscious if only to take in the sunset that painted the skies ablaze as you soared. Somehow, you could almost find it in yourself to be thankful. You would've never seen the world like this from the castle. Your father had always seemed strict on never allowing you to leave the kingdom. He was never that way with your older sister.

Would I have been stuck there my entire life? You wondered. Would I have ever truly wanted to leave without cause?

Your thoughts drifted as you came to, muddled by the soft sway of being carried. Opening your eyes, you glanced at the chest your cheek rested against and relaxed upon recognizing Kaminari's shirt and long hair.

In your line of sight, you watched a courtyard pass by with the light of lanterns hanging from tall posts every few feet. Scattered across it, dragons were shifting back into humans, naked as the day they were born. You looked up to respect their privacy and frowned at the lack of stars. It wasn't going to storm, was it? You hadn't seen many clouds at sunset.

Focusing, you realized it wasn't a dark sky you were observing but an uneven ceiling of rock and stone. Were you inside a cave?

"Where are we?" you murmured, voice heavy with sleep.

"I thought you were awake," Kaminari chuckled, the sound tickling your cheek. "We've arrived at the homeland of the Tatsu, your highness."

You craned your head to look ahead at his target and found a grand metal gate pulled most of the way up. It's size was made for even the biggest of creatures to pass through, but only Kirishima came to mind. Past it lay a nest of wooden buildings that reached far as the eye could see, the rocky ceiling seeming to grow in height exponentially. The distance and space was too great for any cave.

"Are we inside of a mountain?"

"Yes, this is Mount Haku. Do you recall it?"

"Vaguely. Papa didn't enjoy me reading about the outside world all that much." You got away with the books on yokai, since Cersi always smuggled them into your room.

"Well, it's known for having a hollow cave system that goes on for miles. This is where the Tasu have lived for the last few generations."

"How do they grow food?"

"There's openings to the valley where they farm and they hunt and gather as well. It's a rather ingenious way of living—they have these disks that reflect the sunlight around so they don't have to burn lanterns during the day..."

You tried to pay attention, you really did, but you were beginning to pick up on the stares around you. People beyond the gateway and around their houses stopped to look at you, gazes penetrative and far too curious to ignore.