And the Lightning Strikes Down on Our Broken Bodies
in which Kiun finds out why you shouldn’t help a god through the hard way
Soft sniffles could be heard underneath the blooming sakura tree as a huddled boy clutched at his chest, his fingers scrabbling for control over his shaking body and erratic breathing.
Never again, never again. Never again will I try to use my lightning.
“Master?” Kiun’s hushed voice, almost like he was too scared to even breathe around the god, shattered Take’s thoughts in a thousand different streaks. Take shot up, his wary eyes landing on his guidepost in front of him.
Kiun stared at Take, his pleading eyes searching for a story that his master would never share with him.
“Let’s get-” Kiun paused to look around at his surroundings with a suspecting glint, “Please, come with me.”
Kiun extended his hand out the god who shrank back into himself. His eyes darted around the yard, looking for an escape route.
“Please.” Kiun squated down to Take’s level and locked glares with the god. Soft eyes met hard and Kiun felt the compelling urge to bow down and be submissive. He wanted to say, “Please forgive me, forgive us. Please trust me and I will never let you down again, I promise,” but the words got stuck in his dry throat.
Take glanced down at the hand that was hovering in front of his body, and gulped back hot, rising tears. Hands. Hands just like that were just on me. On my face and my stomach, punishing me. Punishing me for something that I don’t remember doing.
“Master,” Kiun whispered with more command in his voice, a rare occurrence. Take didn’t even realize he was reliving the last hour in his head until Kiun’s soothing voice pulled him out of the nightmare.
Take unclenched his fist from his side, wincing as he realized how sore his fingers were for being curled up in such a tight ball. A small smile ghosted the face of Kiun as he felt the light weight of the child’s hand being placed on his larger, outstretched hand.
“Are you hungry?” Kiun asked, well aware of the last time Take was allowed to eat a full meal.
Take let that question hang in the stilled air between them, distrust and fear running through his veins and finding their way back into his heart.
Kiun stood up with Take’s hand still in his grasp, “Well then, I know just the thing for you.”
***
One bowl of rice later and Take’s spirits had seemed to have been lifted. Kiun sighed in relief when the color began to return to Take’s face. Raw, hot anger spiked through his chest as he studied his master. How anyone could lay a hand on such a innocent reincarnation was beyond him, but it wasn’t in his position to argue with the elders. The elders knew what they were doing; they had known the god longer than Kiun had.
The muted sound of the chopsticks hitting the side of the bowl alerted Kiun that Take had completed his meal.
“How are you feeling, Master?” Kiun asked precariously.
His master just gazed at him with unblinking eyes, challenging Kiun to say another word. Kiun held his gaze before turning away to the open door out into the hallway. It had been risky bringing Take into the dining room to get food, but luckily the elders were at a meeting regarding a certain situation that had taken place a couple hours ago regarding a certain power Take was not allowed to use. That had bought them at least two hours. The elders could never really decide on the most efficient punishment to dole out to Take.
“Let’s get you back to your room so you can continue on studying the history of the legal system in Japan.” Kiun grimaced. It sounded ten times more boring outloud than in his head.
“I don’t want to,” Take grumbled, but stood up from the table nonetheless.
“It’s important for you to learn these things if you want to lead councils when you’re older.” Kiun prayed he was being the voice of reason to the very unreasonable god.
“It’s not my job.”
Kiun thought he heard that last remark, like it was a whisper in the wind, but quickly shook his head against it. Leading Take out of the dining room, he didn’t even hear the returning shuffling of the twelve elders until it was too late.
“Kiun?” One of the members asked in shock, “What are you doing here with Takemikazuchi?”
Kiun felt his blood run cold as he slowly turned around to face the council standing around him. He didn’t even feel Take slip behind him until a small hand grabbed onto the back of his leg, clinging desperately.
“I, uh-” Kiun paused to steady his voice, “The Master was-”
“You do not interact with Takemikazuchi unless we tell you to.” The voice was short and clipped as one of the elders in the middle stepped closer to the pair.
“Your interactions,” he sneered, “Are getting dangerous but you seem to be unaware of the repercussions of interacting with our god here. We must teach you why these sessions will only lead to strife.”
Kiun paled, his hand wrapping behind his back and pulling Take closer to his body protectively. “No, really, I was taking him back to his room. There is no need to overreact.”
“I think there is plenty of reasons to overreact. Takemikazuchi, come here.”
Fighting against the grip of Kiun who was desperately trying to keep Take behind him, Take finally slipped past the struggling shinki and slunk over to the elders’ side.
The elder, who had stepped forwards, grabbed Take’s arm in a vice-like grip.
Kiun winced when he saw pain shoot across the god’s face.
“Now, you know what to do. Just like you practice,” The elder spat at Take.
“No.” The word was barely a whisper, “Not to him.”
Kiun recoiled in disgust as he watched a hand fly across Take’s face, the sharp sound echoing in the crowded hallway.
“No is not an option.”
Take looked up to the elder defiantly, the red mark contrasting against his pale face.
“Master.” Kiun choked back his fear. They are not allowed to hurt him in my place. “Do what they say.” He lowered himself to the ground and placed his forehead against the wood panelling of the floor.
Take stepped forwards, raising one shaking hand in front of the shinki before him.
I can’t do it. I don’t want to use my lightning on him.
“Oh don’t worry, my dear Master,” the main elder sneered, “That precious shinki over there can’t get too hurt. After all, he’s lightning himself.”
A chorus of laughter deafened the ears of the god.
“Master, trust me and please do as they say.”
Trust. What a funny word trust was.
“You do not trust me, and I do not trust you,” Take took another step forwards, a familiar darkness flooding into his eyes.
White-hot lightning snaked around Take’s form and ran down his arms. He tried one last attempt to save his cowering guidepost. “Please, don’t make me.”
Kiun’s heart squeezed painfully as he saw small tears land on the ground in front of him.
“He must learn what happens when you disregard the rules placed by the elders.” The closest elder took a step back away from the storm brewing around them.
“Master, please, just do as they say.”
“My shinkis are always right.” The mantra that Take been forced to learn rolled off his tongue before he could stop it.
Kiun glanced up at the god and nodded in agreement, never removing his eyes from the scared god before him until his sight was blinded by white light.
Sharp electricity ran through Kiun’s body, his body convulsing against his own accord. He clenched his teeth, grinding them together, trying to not yell out in pain. You’re weak, you are a shinki who has the power of lightning and you’re still affected by it. He barely heard the cries of the god above him who was begging the elders to let him stop as the lightning continued to rain down on Kiun.
“More. Make your shinki regret helping you.”
Kiun lost the sliver of control he had over the situation as the magnitude of electricity coursing through his body increased. He let out a cry of pain, raw hurt scratching up his throat. He scrabbled at the flooring below him, digging his nails into the panelling. “St-stop.”
He didn’t even know if he had said those words out loud.
“Stop, Master Takemikazuchi. He has learned his lesson.”
Suddenly, the electricity stopped, and Kiun groaned out in relief. He rolled over, his chest moving rapidly, losing the battle to not show the council that they had affected him.
“Good boy.” The head elder stepped forwards and patted Take’s head lovingly. “We will leave you to this mess.”
Take’s stomach rolled in revulsion, but nodded nonetheless. The elders turned on their heels and stalked away, laughter being passed around the group like celebratory saké.
As soon as they were gone, Take glanced down at the shinki, his eyes prickling with tears.
“Master,” Kiun’s voice came out airy and light, “Thank you.”
Take choked on his tears, letting them fall and land on the broken shinki in front of him.
“I really am a bad god, aren’t I?”
Kiun raised a shaky hand to wipe away the tears from his master’s face. “I never thought that nor will I ever think that.”
Kiun’s hand fell down as his eyes slowly shut, the pain and exhaustion becoming too much for him. Take backed away from the exhausted body before turning on his heels and running straight into his room.
Never again, never again. Never again will I try to use my lightning.