I watched impatiently as Hiro ran to face the next trial. His legs leapt as he jumped across the thin, twig-like branches of the fig trees. The only reason the palace grew them was because of this specific trial. One of balance and self-centre.
The previous two were of singularity and observation. Both of them are important to the way of the Moon Spirit Sword. The fact was known to all that no one had claimed the sword in eighty-five years, and the last person to claim it died by murder, all for the sword which was remarkably found on the stone it sat on now.
That murdered man was Hiro's ancestor, and that was the only reason I bet money on him because a fair amount of people believed he wasn't even royalty. I bet money on him and gambled that if Hiro won no more bad whispers of the royals would be heard again.
I grinned as I watched the others fumble in their steps as they strived to catch up with the leading prince. I sighed and cast my gaze on Jiang. She watched her son with pride, but the flicker of uncertainty behind it was what had me on edge. I knew Hiro couldn't control his power, and when under pressure, when pushing himself to do something more, it would awaken.
I watched the mist surrounding him as he almost floated across the tumble of poison-tinted leaves and feather-light branches. His hair billowed perfectly around him, and before I knew it, I was watching my best friend flick down the ravens as they flew to him. Blocking him, cutting him, crossing his tender cheeks with red blood spilling down.
"Jiang-Hua he—" I started, my gaze frantically racing from Hiro shoving and pushing. I winced as he cried out, the ravens dispersing as eagles shoved their way to the front.
Jiang-Hua swung her hand up violently, still watching her son. Her coal-black hair was scattered across her face. Her fierce golden eyes met mine, rimmed with the tears of a mother's pride. "He will be victorious." She murmured, turning and smiling at me. "And he will feel the love of his family."
She grasped my hand affectionately, her fingers twining with mine. I grinned and looked back at Hiro, nodding in agreement. "He is destined for that sword."
Hiro jumped forwards, but the ravens were no longer his problem, the other two contestants remaining were struggling, their cries imminent. The eagles attacked Hiro mercilessly. His screams erupted from the storm of feathers, and I flinched. I hadn't heard a sound like that since Hiro discovered the small price of being Tainted.
I frowned and sighed, gently pulling my hand out of the Queen's grasp. I had to know—what could Hiro fully accomplish?
A hand burst out from the ball of birds and the cries of defeat that sounded from the third contestant to be disqualified left just Hiro and one other. Hiro's screams emitted a hollow feeling in my gut. He could die in there. Hiro, my strongest and only friend, could die because of a bunch of councillors and their opinion over taxes.
I stood up, my thin red dress falling away from the parting of my thigh. I regret asking for that little detail. I brushed the emotion aside and looked at Jiang-Hua and winked. She nodded.
I took a deep breath and placed my hands around my mouth. "Take that sword Hiro—it belongs to your bloodline! Make your father proud!"
I panted from the effort that took and flopped to my knees, a servant rushing up to hand me some water. I nodded and grasped weakly at the cup. I'd never yelled with so much passion in my life.
There was silence, the cheering had stopped and everyone was watching us now. Watching as the servants fussed around the chuckling queen—something worrying because she rarely did this—and me, the non-royal sidekick of the Tainted Prince.
There was a scream, but this time it wasn't in pain, or in anguish. It was a command. And before our very eyes, mist seeped out of the waging ball of eagles and built up some sort of pressure. The eagles all let out cries of fury as Hiro's mist pushed them all away. And as Hiro did this action, the eagles flew off and away and attacked the remaining contestant.
The other boy's cries of defeat as Hiro stood up and stared directly at me. The mist twinging in and out and around. His hair basically floating. I looked closer and saw that there was silver, flashing scars all over his face. They were small, and I realised that they were from the bird scratches.
I blinked in shock. Utter, complete shock. Hiro's power allowed him to heal himself. I looked at Jiang-Hua, and she looked at me. We shared a quick mental connection and I knew that Hiro could change everyone's mind, and not just by gaining the sword of his ancestors.
If Hiro could heal himself, he could possibly heal others too. He just had to learn to control the mist at his fingertips then he could be like the golden figure from over two thousand years ago…was his name Jesus? People still believe in him, he was like the son of a god figure who was all our gods, kind of pushed into one being. It seemed to be pretty popular that long ago. Although it kind of died out in the fortieth century.
Hiro looked away and continued to walk to the pier, it was made of stone and covered partially with grass. He walked up those stairs, no limping, nothing. The sword gleamed in the sunlight. The crowd was silent, everyone waiting for the prince to pick up the Moon Spirit Sword.
Hiro chucked his coloured sword to the grass and walked towards the sword, it lay in the stone and almost seemed to shine for him. Begging Hiro to pick it up and wield it to his delight. Hiro grabbed it and picked it up, thrusting it to the sky. The crowd cheered and Jiang-Hua and I exchanged a look of pleasure and happiness.
This would be the first of Hiro's triumphs. He was meant for greatness, with the power he had. With the possibility of all those different things. He could change the world with just the support of a few close friends.
Hiro grinned, the mist slowly dispersing back into his chest. And once it fully disappeared, Hiro's face fell and he grasped over his heart. Gasping for air. He fell to the ground and the sword clattered next to him. I leapt up and raced down the stairs, tripping over the hem of the dress as everyone else just stared.
"Hiro!" I cried out, leaping over the stones and stairs, falling to his side and feeling his pulse. It was sluggishly slow. He was wheezing, his breathing was short and quick.
"Guards!" I screamed, they arrived immediately and the Tainted Prince was escorted in a crowd of arms and blood spatters.