Rin the Rat: Tale of a Beloved MonsterCh36 - The Cave

CW: Explicit language, violence, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, self-harm. 


Rin spits out the gold coin. A flood of river water follows, gushing out over the packed dirt. He coughs and retches, burning lungs heaving as he expels an endless stream. Eventually, he flops back onto the ground with a gasp, bleary eye stinging with tears. 0tagEk

Pain assails his entire body, throbbing, pulsing, and cramping in punishing sovereignty. He takes a moment to wrest control of the pain and struggle upright.

Frothing water fills his vision, surging through the expansive gloom of the cave. The waterfall pummels the currents in the distance. When he twists around, he sees a narrow passageway leading into the void. There’s nothing else on this tiny embankment of blue soil.

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The walls of the cave are cerustone, the substratum of the Blue Plains mountain, the very foundation of the Four Territories. And here he is, seemingly in the core of the Empire itself.

Rin grabs the coin and shoves it into his sodden pocket. Standing up is a trial he is ill-prepared to undertake, yet he manages after a few tries. vMFHey

“Luna?” His voice, a mere rasp, bounces off the walls.

No response.

“Thanks for saving me. Again.”

Nothing.

Z 1AQH

The raven sighs and shuffles into the passageway, hand outstretched. He digs into his core and finds a sparse pool of mana remaining. Luna had perhaps spent most of it keeping him from drowning. Teasing the threads of magic through his palms, he casts a diaphanous layer of protective light around himself, thereby luminating his surroundings.

The narrow passage seems endless, winding through the subterranea and splitting off into several branches every now and then. He takes the centermost path, hoping that it would be the most direct.

Jun’s despairing visage is burnt into his vision, a bittersweet palinopsia. He was, in that moment, the little lord. His little lord. And though Rin’s battered form aches, the worst pain in his chest alleviates at the thought.

There’s a flicker of light ahead, palpitating on the cerustone walls. He pauses, licking his cracked lips nervously. His arm gives a nasty throb. S4BHm8

“Well? Are you going to stand there all day?” A foreign voice reverberates like rolling thunder.

He jerks, breath catching in his throat. His hand snaps to his waist, as if he were reaching for a weapon. Searching palms only feel the hard disc of the coin. Fuck. There’s no way out of this cave save for the way forward. And he’s not particularly keen on going for another swim.

“I know you are there,” the voice rumbles, tone easing into amicability. “Come and sit by the fire. Dry yourself.”

Exhaling shakily, Rin continues forth, heart hammering against his ribs like a beaten anvil. S2xeOs

The passageway suddenly expands into a large chamber, drenched in lambent flamelight. At first glance, it appears to be a shoddy makeshift home, with a bed of straw and blankets in the corner, a handmade chair and desk, and a well-worn chest. There’s also a standing basin of clear water and several bulging fur lined bags propped up against the walls. It seems to be another dead end.

A fireplace has been set up against the furthest wall, and if one should glance at the ceiling, they would see the smoke being pulled through a crevasse in the cerustone. The destination unclear.

A middle-aged man stokes the fire with a sturdy stick, dressed in blue workers robes, the fabric starchy and coarse. His face is plain, easily forgettable. Onyx irises alight. A faint smile dances upon his lips.

Rin blinks at the stranger, inexplicably unwary upon sighting him. “Who are you?” W38smP

“I should be the one to ask you, seeing as you had intruded upon my cave.”

Your cave?” Rin glances around, brows raised. “You live here?” His wound throbs again and he grasps his arm, feeling hot blood oozing through his fingers.

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“Not anymore,” the stranger huffs lightly. He shifts on the animal skin rug (something that had once been large and blue), making room for the youth. “Come and sit. You need to dry your clothes and we must tend to your wound.”

Something about this person puts him at ease, so it’s with confidence as he approaches, sitting himself before the fire. He peels off his haori and lays it out on the floor to dry, before tugging his right sleeve down. His robe slips over the round of his shoulder and exposes the deep gash in his upper arm, ugly and inflamed. gURfGC

He glances away, trying to ignore the stranger’s intent gaze roaming the burn scars adorning his skin. Instead, he focuses on the fire, crackling and cavorting with abandon. “Are you a servant?”

“Not quite,” the stranger chuckles, rummaging around in one of the fur lined bags. He pulls out a roll of bandages and a small tub of strong smelling herbal paste. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing happened to me.”

“Your wounds indicate otherwise.” pqIEV7

“I decided to go for a swim and miscalculated the height before jumping in.”

“You are of the Crown Prince’s party.”

Rin throws a sharp glance at the older man, the latter smiling with crescent eyes. “No. Not at all. More like…a tourist. I’m just passing through.”

“The Blue Plains is a dangerous place to visit for enjoyment.” D19hxW

“If you’re not a servant, then who are you?” Rin demands, turning to face the man properly, clutching onto those onyx eyes with a fierce glare.

But before he can hear the stranger’s response, coarse fingers brush upon his arm, and in the perpetual pitch of his missing eye, he sees

There, before him, is the man from his dreams, commander of the shadowed spectres, though many years younger. That peerlessly handsome face incites a strange sense of familiarity in the Rat. And those keen fox eyes, a dazzling blue. A blueblood. A royal.

The cave is different, cleaner, with proper furnishings and thick Western weave carpets draped across the ground. Electrical lights hang from the cerustone walls, casting the chamber in a soft solar hue. vpm2BY

A Western woman stretches out languidly across the plush carpets, her umber complexion flawless and silken. An explosion of coneflower curls spill around her captivating heart-shaped face, a lock or two obscuring a pair of big almond eyes, tinged hazel fay. Rin instantly recognises her as another from his dreams. Lady Hwan Jina. And this time, she’s with a man other than the irascible Governor. She too, is many years younger.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

In fact, the couple bear the tenderness of youth, both barely on the cusp of adulthood.

She shifts beneath the silken sheet and rests her hands upon the man’s bared chest, chin resting atop. She idly kicks the air and the sheet slips down her shapely legs.

The man’s eyes flit to those playful limbs, an indulgent smile spreading across his face. “What are you thinking about?” uad8bA

Jina hums, plump lips pursed. “About us, of course.”

He brings his large hand to her face, gently brushing the curls from her eyes. “What about us?”

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“Hm. I was wondering how long we can keep doing this.”

“There is no need to be anxious, Jina. No-one but us knows about this cave.” 6riedl

“My husband will not be fooled for long.” She sighs and picks at her bottom lip, brows knitting in consternation. “He is intelligent and experienced.”

“Your husband is a foul-tempered fool. I cannot fathom how you can bear to be with such a man.”

“I must, for my House.”

“Ah yes. Your House who sold you to the highest bidder.” Those sapphire eyes turn to flint, ruthless and cold. gCeyQU

Jina strokes his jawline, trying to soothe his ire. “And what should I have done, Daiki? Marry you instead?”

“Why not?”

“Think your mother would approve of me? A poor, Western noble with no assets? I’m not even of royal blood.”

Daiki’s expression darkens. Not even his lover’s touch can coax him from his gloom. “My mother has no right to judge our relationship.” SBs8a0

“…no. But she is still the Empress. Her word is law.” Jina turns solemn and she rakes her fingers through Daiki’s long black hair. His eyes flutter close along with an exhale. “How does your father fare?”

“He is still quite ill,” Daiki murmurs, leaning into her touch. “His fever does not seem to be receding.”

“Healer Ishiki…?”

“She says that we cannot do anything but wait for the fever to break.” Blues open to thin slits, lashes low on the waterlines. “And mother has not yet visited nor enquired after his health.” enM9yk

“Oh, Daiki.” Jina sighs and pecks her lover’s jaw. “One day, we will leave this place and take your father with us. We will go to the West, like we always talked about, and visit my family. They would surely welcome us with open arms.”

“Would they be so welcoming after you discard the Hwan name?” Daiki wraps his arms around the petite woman, stroking the back of her head with idle touches. “And the Emperor Consort cannot leave Blue Plains. The Mother will hunt us down like dogs.”

“It may be difficult now, Daiki, but I promise you, I will find a way.” Jina reaches up and cups her hands upon his cheeks, her expression warm and tender. “We will be wed and we will start a new life in the West. This is my solemn vow to you.”

A glimmer of light chases away the dark clouds in Daiki’s visage. He rumbles a laugh and squeezes the precious woman in his arms, scattering kisses upon her flushed face. “Then I shall wait for that day with bated breath, my love–“ D5pvMQ

“–jgf sbe klat wf? Dbs? Cgf sbe kfii?”

Ktf ragjcufg rcjqr tlr olcufgr lc ogbca bo Elc’r ojmf, rajgailcu tlw ogbw tlr vjhf.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Gjlxl jcv Alcj vlrjqqfjg ilxf fnjcfrmfca rwbxf, obgwr aegcfv ab klrqr aegcfv ab cfyeiber utbrar. Ccv atfc, tf’r lc atf qgfrfca, rajglcu yijcxis ja atf ragjcufg klat atf qijlc ojmf jcv bcsz fsfr.

“Are you in pain? I tried to be careful.” The older man fixes the bandage wrapped around Rin’s upper arm, wound slathered with the herbal salve. Already, the pain has dulled to a bearable prickle. IZ0arJ

“No…it’s nothing.” Rin presses a palm against his damp eyepatch. What was that? It was as if he were dreaming, but awake. And though he had both eyes open, he could only peer into the waking dream with his right eye only. The right eye that’s missing. 

“Is your eye hurting?” The stranger angles his head to better see Rin’s face.

“I only have the one,” Rin huffs, dropping his hand. “This cave. It belongs to the prince?”

The stranger raises a brow, taken aback. “The Crown Prince? No, I do not believe he is even aware of its existence.” 9yPXZw

“No, not the Crown Prince. There’s another one. Or…there should be another one.”

“Ah, yes.” The stranger exhales and leans back, expression clearing. “Crown Prince Hino Daiki. He died decades ago and the Mother has excised his name, nay his very existence, from the Empire’s memory. No-one dares utter his name now.”

“How did he die?” Rin reaches into the fire and pokes an ember deeper into the pit. The action is so casual, that the older man doesn’t think to stop him. Or perhaps he doesn’t notice.

The faintly opaque shimmer of Luna light protects his hand, but the burning pain remains. g9aOI6

“That is a mystery in itself,” the stranger says, stroking his chin. “However, many believe that the first Crown Prince died at the Empress’ orders. There had been no love lost between the two.”

“Did it have anything to do with Lady Hwan Jina?”

The stranger freezes at the name, eyes flinching wide. He stares at the youth, lips pulled back in a tight grimace. “…I am unfamiliar with the name.”

“Really? ‘Cus it seems like you’re quite familiar with it.” Rin rolls his right shoulder, testing his wounded arm. Aside from small twinges of pain, he’s able to move it freely. “They’d meet up in this cave often during their affair. I reckon Hwan Sun found out about it and ratted on her. Probably why the prince ended up dead.” Cold fingers run down his spine. “I wouldn’t put it past the Mother to kill her own son. Even for a stupid reason like that.” 6kg5Bc

The stranger falls silent, expression unreadable.

“So question is, how you came to know about this cave and who you are in all of this.” Rin grasps the older man’s arm and he feels well defined muscles beneath his palm. Clearly, he’s someone who trains regularly. A fighter, perhaps.

“You may call me Beggarman. Like you, I am also a wanderer. A tourist to the Blue Plains. I happened upon the cave by chance while exploring the subterranea system years ago.”

“Tourists don’t stay for years.” EOanPM

“I come and go.”

“Hm. So you’re just a beggar, that it?”

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The stranger smiles, forgoing a proper response.

Rin clicks his tongue in irritation and hauls himself to his feet. The ground lurches beneath and he stumbles into cerustone. He slumps his weight against the wall as he tries to clear his head. zxoRae

“You have lost a lot of blood,” Beggarman says, stoking the fire again. “You must sit and rest for a while. Have something to eat to replenish your strength.”

“I need to get outta here,” Rin mutters, rubbing his brow. He glances around the chamber, but to his eye, there is no clear exit. “Show me.”

“Why must you leave in such a hurry? Is my abode not to your taste?”

The youth rolls his eye and paces his way around the chamber, running his hands along the wall. “As cosy as it is, I got things I have to do. Urgent things.” Dc2fgP

“Urgent, how?”

Rin pauses at the desk, absently flipping over dense-looking documents with a bored eye. It’s written in a language he’s unfamiliar with. Perhaps an obscure regional tongue. “I have an idiot lord I have to save. Again. And the Mother probably wants to send me to the gallows, so I have to fix him before she catches me.”

Beggarman watches the raven with a sage face, ever calm and contemplative. “You are a fugitive?”

“Probably,” Rin scowls, tossing the document back onto the desk. “I beat Erie’s ass for trying to hunt me down like fucking game. And we all know that attempted murder is never quite as grievous as a well deserved beating.” His words drip sarcasm, drawing a low chuckle from Beggarman. Abn68i

“I have heard that the prince enjoys doing such a thing as a favoured past-time.”

“What, hunting people?” Rin shoots Beggarman a narrow look.

The older man dips his head in an elegant nod. “The Blue Plains is built and operated on a mountain of bodies. Cerustone is the calcium residue of millions of decayed corpses.”

The raven scoffs and raps his knuckle against the blue stone. “Sure looks like bones to me,” he says, dryly. “Look, are you going to be useful or are you just going to sit there and spout bullshit all day?” upqDy6

“After you save this lord, what will you do?” Beggarman says, calmly.

Rin continues pacing the chamber. “I’ll go West, I suppose. Or South. I heard they have pretty strong liquor down there. And the men are wild in bed–”

“You will not return home?”

“I don’t have a home.” He pauses, glancing down at his reflection in the water basin. “Not anymore. It burned down.” DWaoud

“…ah. I am sorry to hear that.” There’s an odd strain in Beggarman’s voice, but when Rin glances at him, the guy is poking at the fire with his stick, infuriatingly tranquil.

“Even if it wasn’t burned down, there’s nothing for me here. The Slums. Hanjuyang. The East. It’s all meaningless to me.”

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“You will have no regrets leaving it all behind?”

“I still have a few things I have to do,” Rin admits, dipping the wooden water scoop into the basin. He quickly slakes his thirst before moving on. “But after that, no. I won’t have any regrets. Nothing to tie me down anymore. It’s real freedom, right?” And though he tries to brighten his tone, he feels hollowed out. That gut-wrenching emptiness threatens. 4pPt8m

He hopes to bring his little lord back. But a large (and very convincing) part of him doubts his return.

Regardless, he can’t give up Jun without a good fight. He furtively slips his hand into his pocket and fingers the coin.

Beggarman pulls out a small bundle of parchment paper, tied with a bit of string. He holds it out to the Rat in offering. “Sit and eat. Once you have gathered your strength, I will lead you out myself.”

Rin hesitates, but seeing the obstinate look in the older man’s face crumbles his protest. That, and the painful clench of his empty stomach. He snatches the bundle and throws himself down beside the man, lips pursed in impatience. YycP9T

“Your idea of freedom is inaccurate,” Beggarman says, pulling out another bundle for himself.

“Whaddya mean?” Rin grumps, tearing open the bundle to reveal sweet stewed meats and sticky rice. He quickly gathers the food with his fingers and shoves it into his mouth. It’s delicious. 

Beggarman chuckles at the youth’s blissed expression. “True freedom is not wandering around aimlessly. One must have a purpose and a clear path that one has determined for themselves. That is true freedom.”

“I already have a purpose,” Rin protests through a full mouth, spraying rice and meat. The older man doesn’t seem to mind. “It’s to drink, fuck, and make merry!” weDB8G

“Carnal desires cannot make for a substantial purpose. It must be something that endures. Something far greater than yourself. It must serve as a powerful motivator, despite any trial you may encounter. The one thing that you dedicate yourself to with totality.”

Rin chews silently for a while. This is the second time this week that someone has enquired about his intent. In truth, he had never been one to consider the future very seriously. He never expected to live past tomorrow and he lived accordingly. But after meeting Jun, somehow, something changed. And the future suddenly seems like a lulua whale that he is tasked to capture with nothing more than the clothes on his back.

“Boy, tell me what you need.”

“Power,” he says decisively, licking his chops. “I need power.” 6fWuXi

Beggarman smiles, seemingly pleased by his response. “And yet you already possess immense power.”

Rin gives him a blank look. “If I have, I sure as shit ain’t seen it.”

The older man neatly gathers a small portion of meat and rice onto three fingers and scoops it into his mouth. He chews quickly and quietly, his every action considered and ever graceful.

“The glow on your skin, think it beyond my notice? You are a witch, one with magic you have acquired through birthright.” NcfGT2

The Luna light dissipates, leaving his skin dull and unprotected. Rin sets down his food, glaring at the man with a curled upper lip. “This magic isn’t my birthright. I’m just possessed by a crazy spirit.”

Beggarman in turn sets down his own meal, hardly touched. “Whether your magic is natural to you or not, you still possess great power. However you cannot utilise it – not to its full potential.”

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“Why’s that?”

“Power without purpose is like water without a funnel. It becomes the sea, vast and endless, and impossible to control.” JF5BQI

“I control it just fine,” Rin retorts, pulling a ball of Luna light into the palm of his hand. He shoves it under the man’s nose with a hard sneer. “See? Whaddya make of that?”

“And for what reason will you utilise this magic?” Beggarman says, unmoved.

“When it’s dark. I can use it…and-and you know, it’s not just a light, it’s protects me too so–” Rin sputters and stutters, cheeks growing flushed as he stows away the light. In truth, he’d never paid much attention to his magic. Beyond what Luna has shown him, he hasn’t tested the limits of the magic nor thought of any other utility for it.

“Your purpose is the funnel for the water. Without it, you will never be able to access the true power you so lack. You can complain and be afraid, but what are you going to do to change your situation? When you find your purpose, you will be able to determine your path. And when you have determined your path, you will have access.” AiuTR

The Rat glares down at his hand, palm tingling as unused mana zaps his nerve endings. “Can’t my purpose be survival? It’s worked for me well so far.”

“Is that so?” Beggarman says, baritone rumbling through his chest. “You are a fugitive with no home to return to. It seems to me that you are in dire straits.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Rin snaps, curling his hand into a white-knuckled fist. Red flares in his eye and the other stares back with steady fascination. “Why don’t you tell me how I should live my life? Since you seem to have all the answers.”

“You must determine your own path–” U27BEw

“Got nothing new to say?” The raven pulls in a long, shallow breath, jagged lines of anger etched into his brow. “Tomorrow’s never existed for me. And I’ve never been significant enough to have something as lofty as purpose.”

“How did you come into your current predicament?” Beggarman raises, brows rising pointedly. “Perhaps that may be a good place to start.”

“You mean the prince?” Rin scoffs. “How is being hunted by that blue-eyed fucker gonna help me ‘determine my own path’?” He utters the last in a low voice, mocking the older man’s intonation.

Beggarman blinks, unruffled. “At the core of it is an injustice that has been occurring for centuries. Do you not see it?” yX2eu1

“…” Rin tosses the empty parchment paper into the fire. Flames leap and lick his fingers. Unprotected, exposed flesh sizzles. When he retracts his hand, small blisters bubble upon his fingertips. He feels numb, but for a dim thrill of satisfaction. “I see it. I’m not stupid, you know.”

“I know,” Beggarman says, softly. He covers the youth’s burned hand with his own, well cultivated calluses meeting marred skin. “Could that not serve as your purpose? For one such as yourself, having experienced deep injustice throughout your life, are you not compelled to incite change?”

The raven stares at Beggarman’s large hand wrapped around his own. His touch is warm and comforting. He doesn’t pull away. “But what can I do?”

Another hand slips into view. This time with an obsidian ring in the centre of his palm. nQUjOM

Rin glances up, startled. The older man smiles and nods in encouragement. “This may assist you in finding the answer you seek.”

The youth gently extricates his hand and picks up the ring, inspecting it closely. It’s a plain black band made from some kind of metal, cool to the touch. When he tries it on, it slips onto his thumb perfectly.

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“What is it?” he asks, incredulity wrinkling his visage. “This isn’t a marriage proposal, is it?”

Beggarman chuckles, eyes twinkling. “Not at all. Consider it a parting gift.” hvufVA

“How am I meant to use this to find the answer?”

“When one is determined, there is a single action that every human does. An instinctive reflex that culminates ones’ will into the tangible. Feel your determination, the strength of your own will.”

Before the confused youth could request an elaboration, Beggarman rises to his feet and begins walking towards the narrow passageway. He doesn’t hesitate nor wait for Rin to follow.

Heaving a sigh, the raven quickly scrambles to his feet. q KhbA

The walk back to the pool is silent and swift. Without the Luna light, the passageway is pitch black. All Rin can hear is his own rapid breath and the crunch of his boots upon the ground.

When he finally re-enters the first chamber, he sees Beggarman disappearing behind a jutted rock face that has disguised a fissure in the cerustone wall. All along, his escape had been a mere three feet from where he had regained his senses.

Irritation spiking, Rin stalks after the older man, teeth gritted and bared.

Within minutes, he emerges on the surface, a gentle misting rain soaking his face as he climbs out of the fissure. Petrichor and verdure swells around him, rolling and unbound. sXdRxI

And there, in the forest, is what seems to be an entire battalion of imperial guards armed with rifles, sweeping the forest attentively.

Alerted by sudden movement, the nearest guard whips their rifle towards Rin. Their eyes gape in shock before they quickly make a piercing whistle, signaling their comrades.

“Well, fuck me,” Rin breathes. “All this for one rat? A bit of an overkill, isn’t it?”

There is no sign of Beggarman to be seen. WPDO6v

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4 comments

  1. The cliffhanger QAQAQAQAQAQ

    Woah a mysterious person and mysterious things

    Looking forward to Rinnie fully understanding his powers (≧▽≦)

    Thank you for the chapter!! ❤️❤️