Ashe and the Glass Sword

by KuroKoneko Kamen

  As soon as the figure was out of sight Ashe and Snow breathed easier. “Who the hell do you think that was?” Ashe asked.

  “If had to make a guess…that was Demon King Gothel,” Snow said. “I’ve heard rumors that Rapunzel is in his employ.”

  Ashe arched an eyebrow at his companion. “Which would make Rapunzel an ally of the Demon King. We’re really going to go see someone like that?”

  Snow looked down at the map and his hands were trembling slightly due to his nerves. “Well, Rapunzel’s dot shows up as green on the map so…that’s gotta count for something, right?”

  “Sure,” Ashe agreed with a skeptical note to his voice. “I’ll go first.”

  Snow’s shoulders sagged in relief and he gave Ashe a thumbs-up. “Good idea.”

  Ashe exited the edge of the forest and approached the tower. He looked up at the window and called out in his deepest voice: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair so that I may climb thy golden stair.”

  Seconds later, the long cascade of golden hair was lowered and it dropped all the way to the ground. Ashe grabbed the hair and began to use it to climb the tower. He winced as the physical movement put stress on his wounds. Once Ashe reached the window he climbed onto the sill, and hopped down into the room.

  “Did you forget something, Gothel?” Rapunzel asked in a dull, serious tone. His back was to the window and he was busy hammering away at a glowing sword that was lying on an anvil, and didn’t see that a total stranger had entered his home. The clanging sound of steel meeting steel filled the air again and again. “I already told you this sword won’t be ready until tomorrow-”

  “A woman?” At first glance Blacksmith Rapunzel could indeed be confused with a woman. His long golden hair was about the only thing feminine about Rapunzel; however, Ashe realized as he took his eyes away from the man’s hair and took in the rest of his appearance. The blacksmith was tall and had bulging muscles gained from working on making weapons all day. He was wearing a black leather apron, black leather pants, and boots.

  At the soft sound of Ashe’s voice Rapunzel whirled to face Ashe, and his forest-green eyes widened at the sight of the stranger. “You’re not Gothel.” Rapunzel dropped his hammer, and grabbed the unfinished hilt of the glowing sword he’d been working on with his gloved left hand. He rushed towards Ashe, and as soon as he was close enough swung the sword at him.

  Ashe’s instincts took over. He unsheathed his cane sword and blocked Rapunzel’s attack with it, even though it was only half a blade.

  Rapunzel’s green eyes were blazing. “Who are you? A demon hunter?” He looked down at Ashe’s sword and frowned when he noticed that it was a broken blade. “A demon hunter with a broken sword? What happened to your sword, Hero?”

  “It broke,” Ashe said. “And I’m no hero.”

  “That sword…is an enchanted one,” Rapunzel said. “It wouldn’t just break.”

  “My fa- er, enemy shattered it with a hammer and broke it in two,” Ashe explained.

  “Pity. Your sword is crying. But your sword’s allegiance doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to another.” Rapunzel narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Ashe. “Did you steal it?”

  Ashe bristled at the accusation. “No. It belonged to my father.”

  “Ah. That explains it. But that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here in my home, Hero? Are you here to ask that I repair your sword?” Rapunzel asked, lowering his sword slightly.

  “I already told you…I’m not a hero,” Ashe said.

  Rapunzel rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe you. Your sword belonged to the great hero Cinderelron. Are you really his son?”

  “Cinderelron?” Ashe echoed with a confused look on his face. His father had always just been ‘Daddy’.

  “And heroes all want the same thing - to rid Fantasia of evil and of demons like myself!” Rapunzel declared pointing at the horns that curled out of the top of his head. “Die, Demon Hunter!” he yelled before attacking again.

  Ashe struggled to block Rapunzel’s attacks with his broken cane sword. This asshole wasn’t listening to a word he was saying!

  Meanwhile, Snow was looking up at the window with a concerned expression on his face. He could hear the sound of steel clashing against steel, which meant Ashe must have been fighting someone. He knew that Ashe could handle himself in a fight, but…he’d looked ill earlier. I have to help him. The cascade of hair was still dangling down from the window. Snow grabbed the hair and started to use it to climb.

  As soon as Snow reached the window he scrambled onto the sill and then jumped down into the room. The first thing Snow noticed was that the room was stifling hot. “What the hell…?” Snow mused aloud as he looked around the room to find the source of all that heat. His eyes landed on the giant forge. “Oh. That makes sense.”

  Snow’s attention was then drawn to Rapunzel and Ashe who appeared to be trying to kill each other. Snow gulped fearfully, but gave Rapunzel a closer look. Those sparkling green eyes, those long lashes…that long golden hair. “A woman?” Snow raised his chin as a sudden idea occurred to him. “I command you both to stop at once!” he demanded in an imperious tone.

  Rapunzel and Ashe froze, and turned to stare at Snow with equally incredulous looks on their faces. “Who the hell are you?” Rapunzel demanded pointing his sword in Snow’s direction. “His friend? Another Demon Hunter? Another hero with a death wish?”

  Snow raised his hands up before him in a placating gesture, and chuckled. “Demon Hunter? Me? I’m a lover. Not a fighter. I’m Prince Snow Flurris - ladies’ man extraordinaire, patissier, bard, and minstrel.”

  Rapunzel looked Snow over and his eyes widened with recognition. “You’re Prince Snow Flurris of Apple Kingdom? What are you doing here? Are you displeased with the sword your mother commissioned me for?”

  “Not at all,” Snow said, waving his hand dismissively through the air. “It’s a lovely sword…even if I can’t use it,” he muttered the last part to himself, and nodded his head in Ashe’s direction. “This man saved my life and I promised I’d bring him to you so he could commission a sword.”

  “He’s your friend?” Rapunzel asked.

  “Yes,” Snow replied.

  “No,” Ashe answered at the same time. “He’s my coin pouch.”

  “Ouch. That hurts, Ashe,” Snow said, but he was smiling. “Although, I did promise I would pay for the blacksmith’s services. Money is no object, so name your price, Blacksmith Rapunzel.”

  “I have no use for gold,” Rapunzel said. “That’s not why I accept commissions. Leave.”

  “I don’t think you understand,” Snow said. “I’m a prince. I can literally give you a mountain of gold.”

  Rapunzel rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “I still don’t need it. Leave. Now.” He raised his sword so that it was pointed at Snow’s throat.

  Snow gaped at Rapunzel. “No one has ever refused to take my gold before.”

  “Look, Blacksmith Rapunzel, I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer here,” Ashe began in an angry tone. “I traveled all this way to commission you for an enchanted sword, and you will make me one whether you like it or not. I need an enchanted sword, and I’m not leaving here without one.” Ashe bent over, grabbed up as much of Rapunzel’s hair as he could, and pulled.

  Rapunzel let out a squawk as his own hair suddenly tripped him up so that he ended up flat on his back. The blacksmith had also lost his grip on his sword in the process, and it skidded across the floor.

  Ashe wasted no time in pouncing Rapunzel, straddling him, and starting to punch him hard across the face. Rapunzel didn’t just lie there and take the beating, however, and quickly pulled himself together and retaliated by sending a quick punch to Ashe’s stomach.

  Ashe gasped in pain, and Rapunzel flipped them over so that he was on top of Ashe now, and straddling him instead. The blacksmith started to punch Ashe’s face. Ashe recovered quickly from having the wind knocked out of him, blocked the
next punch that was headed his way with his forearm, and punched Rapunzel again.

  Snow watched the two men fighting with a worried look on his face. Rapunzel and Ashe started to wrestle and began to roll across the floor as they exchanged blocks and blows. “Oh, dear.” Snow wanted to help Ashe, but he wasn’t a fighter. Too bad Rapunzel is actually a man and not a woman like I first thought. I would have been able to use my charm ability to seduce her into liking us.

  Abruptly, a strange sound reached Snow’s ears. It sounded like the flapping of a bird’s wings, but on a much larger scale. “What the hell? A giant bird…?” A fierce wind was starting to pick up outside the tower, and blew in through the open window. “Something’s coming.”

  Snow unrolled the enchanted map and saw a green dot approaching the tower at high speed. It looked like the green dot was up in the air, however, and about to collide with the window. How is that even possible? Snow rushed to the window and peered out. “What is that? Is that…? Holy shit! A dragon!”

  An enormous, eighty-foot-long, black dragon was flying straight for the window. The creature had glowing, yellow eyes, and an impressive pair of large horns curling out of the top of its head. Snow stumbled away from the window out of shock. That’s when the dragon changed directions and began to approach the window parallel instead of head on.

  As the dragon’s back came into view Snow noticed that there was a rider. A dragon rider. Snow thought to himself, already impressed by whoever this man was. The knight was wearing black steel armor decorated with spikes on the shoulders. The helmet the man was wearing had horns on it, and there was a great sword strapped to his back that was one foot wide and five feet long.

  Snow’s gaze lowered to the rose that was engraved on the knight’s breastplate. He recognized that emblem. This knight was from Rose Kingdom. Could he be…? Snow wondered, feeling giddy.

  The knight leapt off the dragon’s back, and onto the windowsill where he crouched for a moment before hopping down into the room. The dragon rider removed his helmet, revealing his short, golden-blonde hair, and bright, blue eyes. There were dark shadows beneath the man’s eyes that gave him a fierce stare.

  Without the helmet Snow was able to recognize who the man was. Monster Hunter, Prince, and Hero, Aurelion Borealis. Snow thought in awe.

  Aurelion Borealis was the greatest hero in all of Fantasia. His mere existence made evildoers take pause in what they were about to do next. Prince Snow Flurris was a huge fan of Aurelion Borealis.

  Aurelion’s intimidating expression shifted into a friendly one as soon as he caught sight of Rapunzel. “Hey, Punzie, I’m back! Did you miss me, my friend?” A wide, toothy grin spread across the knight’s face.

  Rapunzel groaned and muttered: “Oh no, not him again.”

  Aurelion looked around the room and that’s when he noticed Ashe and Snow. “I’m so proud of you, Punzie! You have guests. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friends?”

  Rapunzel scrambled off of Ashe, and turned to glare at Aurelion. “These intruders are not my guests. And they’re certainly not my friends. I don’t have any friends.”

  “Except for me, of course,” Aurelion said in an unperturbed manner. “I’m your best friend.” He tried to hug Rapunzel.

  “Self-proclaimed best friend,” Rapunzel corrected while trying to push Aurelion away.

  Ashe pushed himself up off the floor, dusted himself off, and rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion. “Who’s this idiot?”

  “That’s Monster Hunter, Prince, and Hero Aurelion Borealis!” Snow announced, his sapphire eyes sparkling with admiration.

  Ashe turned to gawk at Aurelion - his hero in the flesh. The most feared and powerful man in all of Fantasia was currently trying to hug Blacksmith Rapunzel while the other man was shoving him back with a hand on the man’s face.

  “No fucking way,” Ashe muttered. He’s acting like a puppy trying to get attention from its Master. This can’t be real. He thought in disbelief.

  Aurelion and Rapunzel continued to roughhouse until Aurelion’s playful expression turned serious. “You’re bleeding,” Aurelion said, noting the blood on Rapunzel’s hands. “Are you injured?”

  “What?” Rapunzel followed Aurelion’s line of sight and looked down at his hands. His eyes widened upon seeing the blood on them. “I’m not injured. This isn’t my blood. It must be his…” Rapunzel shot a questioning look Ashe’s way.

  Everyone’s attention turned to Ashe, causing him to stiffen, and fold his arms over his chest. “What? I’m fine. I-” Ashe was saying, when a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him and he fainted.

  “Ashe!” Snow exclaimed as Ashe suddenly collapsed and fell face-first to the floor with a thud.

  Aurelion ran over to Ashe and flipped him over onto his back. Aurelion placed his hands on Ashe’s chest and pressed down gently. When he pulled his hands away and looked down at the palms of his hands he saw that they were covered in blood. “This man is heavily injured.” A deep scowl formed on Aurelion’s face. “The red color of his suit has disguised this fact.” He shot Rapunzel a chiding look. “Did you…?”

  “No,” Rapunzel said gruffly. “I didn’t land a single sword blow on him. He was too fast.”

  “Hm.” Aurelion hummed and started to unbutton Ashe’s jacket, then vest, and lastly his shirt to reveal the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around his torso. “Apparently, he was already injured before coming here, and he was aware of his injuries. He’s lost a lot of blood. Rapunzel,” he finished in an expectant tone.

  Rapunzel stiffened and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why should I help him? I don’t even know him.”

  “Because that’s what heroes do!” Aurelion answered in a passionate voice.

  “Busybodies, you mean,” Rapunzel grumbled. “And I’m not a hero. I’m an evil demon.”

  “Sure you are. Yoink!” Aurelion pulled the horned headband off of Rapunzel’s head.

  Snow let out a surprised gasp. “So you’re not really a demon? It was a disguise?”

  “No. I’m not a demon,” Rapunzel admitted.

  “Then…what are you?” Snow questioned, his blue eyes sparkling with interest. “A Dark Elf? An incubus? A vampire? A devil?”

  “Rapunzel is human,” Aurelion interrupted. “He’s also a wizard who happens to excel in healing magic.”

  “A human living in the middle of Bones Kingdom?” Snow shook his head in bewilderment. “Unreal. You have balls, man.”

  “Punzie, he doesn’t have much time,” Aurelion said in a stern tone.

  “Oh, alright.” Rapunzel reluctantly approached Ashe’s fallen form and crouched beside him. He reached out, tore the bandages open, and then placed his bare hands on Ashe’s chest. Rapunzel closed his eyes, summoned his magical power, and concentrated on healing Ashe’s wounds. Rapunzel’s hands became surrounded by a golden glow and then all of Rapunzel’s hair began to glow too.

  Seconds later, Ashe’s wounds began to close and heal, flesh knitting back together. The blood magically disappeared, revealing Ashe’s healed yet scarred bare chest. Rapunzel frowned at the sight of the scars. “Aurelion, help me get his jacket off and then turn him over.” Aurelion nodded and did as he was told.

  Once Ashe was lying facedown Rapunzel ripped the bandages covering his back open and placed his hands on Ashe’s back next. Rapunzel used his magic to heal the wounds on Ashe’s back and his golden-blonde hair and hands glowed once more.

  This time when the blood magically disappeared from Ashe’s back it was to reveal dozens of slashing scars. A heavy silence descended upon Aurelion, Snow, and Rapunzel as they stared down at Ashe’s scar-covered back.

  “He was tortured,” Rapunzel growled angrily.

  “But…by who?” Aurelion shot Snow a questioning look.

  Snow looked startled by the question being directed towards him, and he shook his head vigorously. “I have no idea. I just met this guy yesterday. I don’t really know that much about him. He’s not th
e kind of person that talks about himself.”

  “Guess we’ll have to wake him up and ask him. Hey…” Rapunzel shook Ashe’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

  A soft groan slipped past Ashe’s lips as he stirred awake. He sat up and then realized he was shirtless, and that these three guys were staring at him with odd expressions on their faces. “What?” he snapped with obvious irritation.

  “Who did that to you?” Rapunzel demanded.

  “Did what?” Ashe replied in an airy tone.

  “I just healed your wounds, but your body is covered in scars. Who…?” Rapunzel trailed off while giving Ashe an expectant look.

  Ashe paled upon realizing these three nobles had seen his shame. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

  “All evildoers must be brought to justice!” Aurelion declared boldly. “You have nothing more to fear from them because I’m here for you. Just tell me who they are and I’ll handle things.”

  Ashe was surprised by Aurelion’s offer of help. For one wild moment he considered taking it, but…would Aurelion be a match for Lord Christian Tremaine’s ‘Tommy Gun’. Lord Tremaine was his enemy. This was his fight. Ashe shook his head. “He’s my enemy. This is my fight.”

  Rapunzel’s angry expression turned thoughtful. “Is this why you need an enchanted sword? To avenge yourself?”

  Ashe nodded grimly. “Yes. In part. In order for me to get revenge on the ones who did this to me…I must first fight in the Glass Coliseum and to do that I need an enchanted sword.”

  “The Glass Coliseum, huh?” Aurelion’s blue eyes were sparkling with excitement. “Ah, good times, good times! I’ve fought there a few times myself for fun. It’s a good way for me to hone my monster hunting skills. I’ve never lost a fight. You do realize magical beings like elves, demons, and vampires like to participate in the matches held there, right?”

  Ashe nodded. “Indeed. Hence my need for a magical weapon.”

  “The Glass Coliseum…” Snow stroked his chin in a pensive gesture. “Don’t the nobles bet on the outcomes of those matchers?”