Three Beast Kings
All Hail the King

The wedding, Junya hadto admit, was magnificent. After half an hour to adjust his gown andredo his make-up in the closest bathroom, they were off once againinto the city. Zuberi reappeared in more highly polished armour,intricately decorated with engraving – complete with matchinghelmet and sword – and while he looked very regal indeed, he didn'tseem overly happy about it.

The carriage thatawaited them was more what Junya would have expected of royalty:pretty and flimsy, highly decorated inside and out with bright paintand silver and bronze details, but clearly not sturdy enough to gothrough the woods as the other (ugly) one had. Zuberi, perhapsnoticing that he was still limping, helped Junya into the carriage,shifting about the satin seats himself as if he were uncomfortable inthe flimsy structure.

Citizens lined the citystreets, freshly bathed and dressed up in their best clothes,cheering and throwing grain at the carriage as it passed, pulledalong by horses dressed even more fancifully than the people.Brightly coloured signs and long lines of bunting were strewn betweenthe odd buildings, the sound of blaring, joyous horns and drumscoming from every corner of every street. As much as he had beenlooking forward to the young Lady's wedding, he doubted that the townwould have held a party this joyous or extravagant. Maybe because hewas a king?

After all thisexcitement, Junya thought, Zuberi was sure to be disappointed later.'Disappointed' was an understatement, of course: Junya knew he wasgoing to die tonight if he couldn't replace a way to escape. Whatweighed on his mind was how violent it was going to be, which allhinged on how 'disappointed' the Gorilla King was that he had beentricked into marrying a man. Would he be beaten to death? Stabbed?Beheaded? Would the young Lady be away and safe by then?

“Trynot to look so dour, will you?” the king suggested “This issupposed to be a wedding, not a funeral.”

Junya had never seen atemple the likes of which the ceremony took place at – so grand wasit that it was made of stone instead of wood, several stories highwith great stained glass windows and metal decorations fixed to theshining stone instead of paintings or murals. All the gorillas ofhigh society were able to cram into it, polished armour gleamingspectacularly as the sun went down: even the women were wearingarmour (at least Junya assumed there were women in the crowd, hecouldn't really tell the difference between them). The doors of thetemple stood open so that even the soldiers and commoners could watchthe proceedings.

Of course, this wholefiasco was about raising the morale of his people – it was onlynatural they should be allowed to watch it. Junya felt hollow as heparroted the vows back to the priest, like this was some horridwaking dream. He felt himself move, heard himself speak, but hewasn't here, not really. How many hours until his death? Would therebe a feast first? He would at least like to die with a full stomach,and he had never gotten drunk before.

He had never done a lotof things.

He didn't want to die.

He pushed the thoughtaway, forcing on a smile, afraid he might burst into tears and givethe whole thing away.

The young Lady wassafe. She was safe. She had to be.

Back at the castle, theservants had laid out a feast the likes of which Junya had neverimagined in his wildest dreams: fruits and grains piled high on thelong tables; vegetable dishes steamed and sizzled invitingly; fishand meat nearly as big as he was tantalized his nose, making hismouth water; sweets and cakes so fancy that even the Lord couldn'thave afforded them as far as the eye could see; all laid out on greatgold serving dishes with flowers and berries for decoration. Wines,ales and spirits flowed like water, loosening tongues andguaranteeing that everyone had a merry old time.

How grotesque. Junyagrew more despondent as the night wore on, feeling the sand in thehourglass of his life seeping down. He ate all the fine foods untilhe felt like he would explode, tasted things he never even knewexisted and brought shivers to his simple peasant bones. He triedwines and ales and didn't think much of them, replaceing the spiritsmuch more to his liking, especially when mixed with the juices of thesweet summer berries. If he was going to die tonight, he may as wellbe full and absolutely plastered.

He spoke to some of theguests as the night wore on and drinking alone got boring, and wascomplimented many times for his startling blue eyes and for beingbeautiful – so much so that he longed to scrape the make-up off hisface and hack short his perfectly arranged hair, just so he couldstart to feel like a man again. Zuberi was a regular socialbutterfly, he supposed, as he couldn't actually make him out in thecrowd, and as far as Junya could tell he didn't come to check on himat all. Junya snickered, somewhat inebriated, at the thought that hewasn't a very good husband.

He found, as he chattedwith random people, that the difference between the gorilla men andwomen was their size – with the women being smaller – but thatwas pretty much it, as they all wore armour and all carried weapons,even at such an opulent event. There seemed to be some kind of rhymeand reason to their armour choices, as he noticed repeating patternsand what seemed to be coats of arms emblazoned on them. Some of themwere pretty intricate, but Junya supposed metalwork was theirspeciality, afterall.

Whenever there was aparty back home, during the spring wedding season or after harvest inthe autumn, the priest would always put Junya in charge of thechildren (all the better to keep him out of trouble, young men beingthe way they are), and while he had complained at the time, he foundthe lack of children here to be most disconcerting. Why did thegorillas have no children? Is that why morale was low? It made Junyakind of depressed too: no-one running around, hiding under tables andstealing sweets – it hardly felt like a wedding at all.

It was late in thenight (or very early in the morning, either way it was still darkoutside, the great halls and gardens lit by free-standing metaltorches), when one of the Gorilla Kings servants tapped Junya on theshoulder.

“MyQueen, it's time to retire for the night.” she informed him.

“Why'sthat?” he asked hazily, not nearly having had enough liquor for hisliking just yet.

“Well,”the servant fidgeted uncomfortably “It is your wedding night. It'sbad enough that these men made you get married after travelling allday without a bath: surely you want to be at your best for what liesahead?”

A sobering question.

He could have drowned,if he put his mind to it. Junya couldn't swim, and the great brassbath was deep enough, but he just couldn't bring himself to go under.Instead, he sat with his nose just above the milky water, taking inall the steam and perfume, the warmth making him sleepy. Indoorplumbing – hot water right to your bath – he could cross that offthe list of things we would never experience.

The servant from beforeoffered to help him dress, but of course he declined. Having comethis far, there was no point in dropping the charade now. Getting outof the bath meant that he would have to get dressed and go to thekings bed chamber, which meant his death in at least as few minutesas it took the king to undress him again, but he couldn't stay in thecooling water. Wouldn't want to catch a cold.

He breathed calmly tostop himself crying. He didn't want to die. Despite his bravado infront of the young Lady, he desperately wanted to live. The halls,marble, alabaster and bronze, were full of armed soldiers andrevellers, every door locked or guarded, so there was no way to sneakout. Being on the fourth floor, he couldn't sneak out of the windoweither, even if his leg had been good. Fighting his way out was evenmore out of the question.

He started tremblingonce again as he put on the white gown the servant had left – itwas pure cotton and light as clouds, ending just above his inelegantknees. Please, he thought, don't let me die wearing such an absurdthing. He brushed his hair, remembering half way through that he wassupposed to be a Lady and redoing it, trying to make it look suitablyrefined. There was no make-up in this bathroom, but what was thepoint now? No point now. Not now.

He couldn't loiter inthe bathroom anymore – and God knows he tried – so with greatreluctance left, walking down the dark, empty hallway to the kingschamber, spine hollow with the knowledge that every echoing stepbrought him closer to his death.

Fuck being a hero –he wanted someone to save him. He didn't care who.

He opened the door.Zuberi stood at the grand windows on the other side of the room,looking out at the view past his balcony: he had removed his armourand under-shirt, revealing his back to be almost completely free ofhair. Junya vaguely recalled there being a word for it, but thethought quickly left him. Gorillas looked fat with their clothes on,but with them off, Junya could see that the good King was nearly allmuscle, and it only made the fox feel childishly frail in comparison.

As the door clickedclosed behind Junya, it caught the kings attention, causing him tolook around. Junya felt like he would physically be sick, he couldn'tstop trembling. He was staring his death in the face now.

“Ican see you shaking from here.” Zuberi admitted “Have you neverseen a man without his shirt before?”

Junya couldn't answer:he was afraid of what would come out of his mouth. He used the closeddoor to steady himself. Seeing that he wasn't moving, Zuberi took theinitiative, walking calmly across the room and around the bed towardshim. Junya couldn't back away, feeling his whole back against thewood. He couldn't run.

Moving slowly, Zuberitilted Junya's head up, just as he had done back at the Lords house.He examined his face carefully.

“You'restill pretty without make-up.” he assured “Even if you aren't theyoung Lady Fox.”

Junya's heart stopped.His mouth went dry. All thought left his mind.

“Youknow?” he choked, so quiet that even he wasn't sure he heard it.

The king huffed,putting his hands on his hips.

“Iknew that Lord would do anything to stop me taking his daughter.”he admitted “I thought he might try and pass off one of his maidsas her. He should have taught you a thing or two about how ladies actand talk, not just how they look: you're obviously a commoner of somekind.”

Well... of course itwas obvious that he was a commoner – his hands were calloused andhe wasn't at all refined – but the king had called him a 'maid', sohe hadn't figured everything out, and if anything it was going tomake it worse. Could he talk his way out? Beg for mercy? He openedhis mouth, but no words came to save him. Zuberi just sighed.

“Idon't particularly mind.” he admitted “I wanted a beauty, and Igot one. I'll have to impose sanctions on that Lord for tricking me,though, teach him a lesson. 'Ladies' are fragile anyway: that all theintelligence hasn't been educated out of you may work in our favour.”

The Gorilla King kneltdown so his face was level with Junya's, big brown eyes taking in hisnot-at-all hidden terror.

“Iknow you're scared.” he said quietly “I won't hurt you.”

“Youwill.”

Zuberi smiled in a waythat was supposed to be calming, running a massive hand down Junya'sface.

“Youhave my word.” he swore “I'll die before I let harm come to you.”

This was it. He wasgoing to die. His heart beat so fast in his chest, it was ready toexplode, and no calming words were going to stop it.

A siren started towail. It screamed through the corridors, echoing harshly on the stonewalls. So loud and unnatural was the sound that Junya fell to hisknees, clutching his splitting ears. The second he hit the floor hewas hauled up, and in one swift movement carried across the room andthrown through a door.

“Waithere!” the king ordered, slamming the door and locking it beforeJunya could protest.

What the?! Where wasthis? It was small, but had a window – a side chamber? A readingroom? There was no other way out. That awful noise! Junya triedcovering his ears, but that awful screeching didn't stop! What wasgoing on?!

Leaving his poor ears,Junya tried to open the door, but even without the lock it was agreat heavy thing that wouldn't budge with what strength he had. Hepounded on it, demanding to be let out, but couldn't even hearhimself shouting over the siren.

The only thing worsethan the siren was its sudden stop. What followed it was a wretchedstillness and an awful high pitched ringing deep in his head. Hangon... there was another noise, faint and deep, somehow familiar andjust out of earshot. He knew the noise, but also didn't, like a songsung out of tune. He closed his eyes and listened, pressing his earagainst the door.

“Buzz?”he thought aloud “Bzzzzzzzzz...”

An insect. The noisewas an insect, but more ominous: it wasn't the annoying sound of afly buzzing around the room while you're trying to sleep, but thedeep, threatening vibration of a swarm. Why would there be a swarmhere? There were no fields, no crops, nothing for it to eat.

He heard somethingelse, felt it through the solid floor and walls: the gorillas wererunning, shouting. Over a swarm? They'd just move on when they foundthat there was nothing for them to eat, it was nothing to raise armsover. Was it not insects?

The door in the nextroom was thrown open, slamming shut again almost immediately, thesuddenness of it making Junya jump back.

“Lockit, lock it!” a woman screamed.

“I'mtrying!” another yelled back.

“He'scoming!” a third declared.

“Hewon't come here!” the second told her “He won't come to the kingschamber!”

A heavy impact, shakingthe entire wall, proved them wrong. What could cause a solid foot ofrock to shake like that? Junya backed away from the door, almosthitting the bookcase in the cramped chamber. The women on the otherside were silent.

“Thebalcony.” one of them said “Get onto the balcony!”

“Butthere's no way off!”

“Doyou want him to replace us in here?! It's our only choice!”

The wall was slammedinto again, and again. Junya heard the balcony doors beingdesperately struggled with, finally opened and slammed closed. Hewanted to follow them – he didn't want to be here, right next towhatever was trying to break in. He ran to the window, reaching itjust as an almighty crash shook the whole floor, the wall in theother room coming down. Seconds later it crashed through the greatglass windows, and the women on the balcony screamed.

Junya threw the windowopen, hoisting himself up to look outside. What was that?! A demon?!A monster?! It looked like a giant bug, as big as a bear and twice asugly, rump buzzing as it reared its wings. The women cowered from it,right on the edge of the balcony. Hang about... were they pregnant?!

All three women werenoticeably large, not able to wear armour over their swollenstomachs. They were pregnant! They were pregnant and they were underattack! Junya looked all around – the door had caved in, blocked byrubble, the books and decorations thrown asunder. Hearing the womenscreaming, he swore loudly.

“I'mgonna die anyway!” he declared, voice breaking as he grabbed thefirst sharp thing he saw.

He scrambled out of thewindow, leg already pinching and screaming in protest, landing on theedge of the balcony. He leapt at the monster, burying the head of thesmall axe in its rump. It let out an unholy cry, the sound shatteringwhat was left of the great windows as it rounded on him.

It was an insect! Herecognised the bulbous, wide-set eyes and many overlapping mandiblesof the cicada, but this creature was a thousand, no, a million timesbigger! Junya was frozen in terror as it looked at him, decided hewasn't worth its time and turned back to the women. Suddenly feelinghis heart beating like a festival drum, Junya snapped back to hissenses. He grabbed the axe handle and tore it free, solicitinganother scream from it.

“I'mnot done with you!” he yelled at it “Look at me!”

Junya didn't wait –he leapt at it again, slamming the axe into the joint of one of itslegs. That got its attention alright, as it slammed into him as itspun around, throwing him into the wall. He struggled up, bearing hisaxe as those mandibles started to quiver.

“Getout of here!” he ordered the women “Go!”

“Wecan't leave you!”

“Youhave to! Think of your children!”

“Ohyes.” a smooth, amused voice agreed “Do think of your children.”

The insect stoppedbuzzing. The women froze, silent as a painting. Everything wentstill. A figure had appeared on the balcony, just stood on therailing.

He was tall, lean,dressed in fine white silk. His skin was almost translucent, withlong hair of silver and eyes of gold. He looked more like a ghostthan a man, surveying the scene in the manner of a preying mantis.His smile was captivating, mocking, deadly on its edges. His robesfluttered in the night air.

“Dearbrother, you're injured!” he noted, surveying the near-severed legof the insect “What on earth happened?”

He jumped off thebalcony’s railing, floating down like a petal on the breeze. Hewalked with the same elegance, rubbing the insects back reassuringly.

“Poorboy, that will take forever to heal.”

The cicada let out apiteous noise, letting itself be petted. Junya knew for a fact thatthe only thing worse than monsters were people who could controlthem. He held his axe up as the stranger turned those gold eyes tohim, that smile frozen on his face.

“Alittle fox?” he wondered, then laughed at his own personal joke “Myapologies – a rather big fox! What is such a pretty fox doing in aplace such as this?”

The cicada leapt backas one of the women took a swing at it, setting herself squarelybetween it and Junya. She grimaced, baring her teeth at it as thestranger smiled, bemused.

“Notrunning away?” he teased “How unusual.”

“I'lldie before I let you hurt the queen!” she declared “And my babywill have a hero's funeral, even before its birth!”

“Ican assure you, they'll be nothing left of your baby to bury.” thestranger told her “They're far too delicious at the stage you'rein. But please, hold out hope for a hero's funeral of your own.Especially if that stick is all you have to defend yourself.”

Every word out of hismouth was mocking, every syllable taunting, and it set Junya's teethright on edge. The other women tried to run, but the beast leapt tothe door, blocking their path with a scratching hiss. The womanbefore him clutched her 'stick', which Junya recognised as the handleof a broom, as her only protection. The stranger reached out hishand, still smiling.

“Don'tbe sad.” he urged “It's all for the greater good.”

To hell with that.Junya went for him, slipping around the gorilla and slicing with allthe force he could muster. He caught the bastards wrist, taking hissmirking hand clear off. Before he could take a second blow, thestranger leapt into the air. He landed behind Junya, grabbing afistful of his hair.

“Stupidfox.” he taunted “What did you hope to accomplish with that? Ipick my teeth with bigger bits of metal than that.”

“Damnyou!” Junya retorted, struggling in his grip “I took your handoff!”

“Atemporary inconvenience.” the stranger replied drolly “It'salready stopped bleeding.”

“Temporary?!What kind of monster are you?!”

“Oh,I'm sorry.” he replied, laughing “We haven't been properlyintroduced, have we?”

He let go of Junya'shair, but was quick enough to grab him by the throat before he couldget out of arms reach, hoisting him around to face him and up ontohis tiptoes. He was devilishly strong for being so lean.

“Allowme to introduce myself.” he said, silver hair shining in themoonlight “I am the Insect King.”

Insect King? But...

“Thereis no Insect King!” Junya challenged “That's just a story toscare children!”

This seemed only toamuse him, as he laughed through his nose.

“Foxesare such funny creatures.” he thought “I assure you, I'm quitereal. It's been so long since I've eaten fox, but you live so faraway, and it's almost impossible to tell when you're pregnant untilit's too late: it's just not worth the trip.”

Pregnant? It dawned onhim – there were no children here, not because the gorillas didn'twant any, not because of any disease, but because of him.

“Andwhom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” he asked “Theincubator called you a queen.”

“Myname is Junya.” he told him “And I ain't no queen!”

Junya swung with allhis might, burying his axe in the bastards neck. The king yelped insurprise and pain, letting him go as he tried to stop the bleeding.Junya went for the cicada again, leaping at it to hack off anotherleg, but it flew up, out of his reach, landing on the wall highabove, leaving the doorway clear.

“GO!”Junya roared.

The two women didn'tneed any further encouragement, running as fast as they stubbygorilla legs and swollen bellies would allow them. The third, stillbrandishing her broom handle, hesitated.

“Ican't-” she said.

“Youdidn't!” Junya interrupted “Get out of here!”

She fled, letting out ahowl is despair as she ran through the ruined chamber. Junyabrandished his axe, backing into the room as that monster bug leaptback off the wall, landing before him and hissing, raising its wingsmenacingly. The king hissed as well, finally standing straight andremoving his hand from his neck, revealing that the wound haddisappeared.

“Anotherstupid move.” he criticised “All you've done is guarantee thatI'm going to kill you.”

“Idoesn't matter that I live.” Junya barked “Only that you fail!”

He tried to standready, knowing attack was imminent, but his leg had never been inthis kind of pain before – it felt ready to snap, and he couldn'tstand right on it. The Insect King examined his hand, wiping theexcess blood on his fine white robes. He watched Junya, who watchedhim right back. His back tensed as the king once again smiled.

“You'revery brave.” he noted “You aren't an incubator – if you hadstayed in that room, I may never have known you were there: you wouldalmost certainly have lived. Instead, you came out here. Why isthat?”

“Becausethe worst thing you can do is nothing!” Junya cried “How could Ilive knowing I allowed unborn children to die? To be eaten?!I'll die today, and I'll do it with a clear conscience!”

The Insect King laughedthrough his nose again, smiling that mocking smirk.

“Noyou won't.” he said.

Quick as a flash, heappeared in front of Junya, robes fluttering from the movement. Heslapped the axe away, grabbing him roughly, and kissed him full onthe mouth. Junya's head started swimming – something was going on,something was entering him, something unreal! His vision blurred. Allpain and thought left him as he blacked out.