#gives hatsu a little bit of backstory rofl

[dukeofishgard]

A short story I wrote, showcasing a side of Duke that’s rarely seen by anyone (let alone in day to day rp, and in fact I don’t think has ever really shown up in roleplay aside from a few near brushes.) Duke, for what it is worth, is not at all a lawful good character. He’s more of a chaotic good who lives by his own principles and morality. Having lived as long as he has, he’s fully convinced that the law sometimes does not help, and really can just hinder justice. As he cannot die, and thus has very little fear of the law for himself- he has no issue putting down those who disrupt society, so long as he deems the crime sufficient enough (he’s not about to kill a petty thief.) I wanted to show the side of him that comes out when he completely loses it- and showcase how uh... I guess dark he can get despite being an incredibly kind and loving person. It’s happened a few times over the course of his thousand year life, and usually when he’s lost someone he cares about.

That being said, TW for blood, violence, death. Story below the cut!

They found him in the afternoon, as the sun hit it’s peak above Coerthas allowing the young boy to see the flash of red amongst the grassy hills- a single broken and blood-streaked hand arising as if in greeting.

“Papa! Papa, there’s a man here! Hurry! Hurry!” “Calm down, Theo. A man? Whe-” the father paused just as he came up behind the rock- one hand going up protectively to push against his son’s chest to prevent him from going any further, “You stay back, Theo. Go and get the first aid from the chocobo…” The boy cocked his head at his father’s grim expression curiously before nodding slowly, and climbing  back down to retrieve what little bandages and necessities they had on hand for emergencies. As soon as he was out of sight, the man took a deep breath- carefully pushing himself up and over the rock, cautiously moving closer to what could only be a dead man laying amongst the grass.

And yet…

“H...Hel. Hello…. Th.ere…” the voice that came from the dead man’s chest was hoarse, and as he spoke, bubbles of blood popped at the corners of his lips as he offered a weak smile. Somehow, despite the deep wound in his stomach that exposed much of his innards and the cracked skin of his lips indicating a severe lack of hydration, the man yet lived- his red eyes still sparkling with life as he stared up. Though his silver hair stuck to his face with sweat- dirty and tangled- his skin tight against his face like a corpse- he somehow looked as alive as any.

“Ser… what in the seven hells happened to you?” The father was in disbelief over the sight before him, surely no man could survive a wound of such magnitude- and certainly not long once dehydration hit.

The man glanced down- looking almost shockingly bored- and then shrugged, “A fi.ght…b.andits….don’t- worr...y. Sent them….off lo.oking wor...se than I. Bu.t. I seem… to be needing… some hel..p.”

“Papa, papa! I’m back-”

The man smiled warmly at the father, “B.est. Not to let. The young…. One… see me, hm?” he asked, “If. you… leave. me … the bandag.es… can ta.ke… care of… my.self…”

“Just a moment Theo-” The father stared at the man, contemplating his words. Even with bandages and first aid, a man in such a condition would die easily from exposure. How you’re not dead yet is already a miracle of the Twelve, he thought- gazing down at the seemingly impossible man before him. With a sigh, he shook his head, “Ser, pardon me- but if we leave you here- you’re liable to head to Halone’s halls overnight. I can’t have that on my conscience and neither will my boy. Let me patch you up as best I can, and you can come stay with my family until you’re better to travel.”

The man blinked- opening his mouth to reply just as a cough overtook him, which slowly turned to a chuckle, “We.ll. Alrigh..t.. If you. Insist.”

-------

It took them only a bell to get him bandaged up enough for travel- and up on the chocobo to make the trek back to their small home- a cottage nestled away in the Coerthas Highlands- warm and inviting with the mother waiting on the porch for them to return.

“Mama! Mama!” the boy ran forward- leaving the father with the chocobo lead as he jumped into his mother’s arms, “We found a man! He’s really hurt-”

“Hilde- get a bed ready- and get a poultice started. He’s got a deep gash in his chest- likely infected considering he said he was out in the wild for a few days at best. I’ll work what I can on him, see if I can get it closed up. Says he’s hungry too- best to make him a thin gruel to start off with. Don’t need him puking up all over the place if suddenly his body gets heated.”

The mother blinked rapidly at the sudden information dump, but nodded firmly as she hugged her son tightly, smiling as she watched her husband unload the injured man, “Well. You boys certainly know how to make an entrance,” she said, “Theo, come with me- let your father tend to the man. You can help me with the poultice and start dinner for us all.”

They left- leaving the father shouldering the impossible man who chuckled, “Lov...ely famil.y… you’v...e got,” he murmured, “V.ery… s.orry… for inconveniencing… your night…”

“S’not any trouble at all, ser. Got to take care of each other out here, don’t we? And those bandits can be right tricky bastards and if you said you took care of ‘em at expense of your own life- well. That means keeping my family safe as well, so taking you in is the least we can do.”

A bed had been quickly thrown together in front of the fire- and it was there the father carefully set down the man- who let out a sigh of relief as the flickering flames of the fire hit his skin, “Th..ank you,” he said softly, “You- nee,dn’t.. Worry so much… of th.e wounds… simpl.y… stitch up… and… bo..dy… wil..l do rest.”

“Ser, it’s likely infec-”

“I kn...ow…” the man looked at him- and suddenly the brilliant red eyes had taken on a somber glean- and a smile filled with sorrow made the father take a step back, “Bu..t. Tru..st me. I. sha...ll. Sur.vive. I’v..e. Survived. M...uch. Wor.se.”

“...Beg your pardon,” the father knelt down beside the bed, peeling back the makeshift bandages they had made before, “But may I ask who you are?”

It was quiet for a moment, only the sound of crackling firewood and the mother and son bustling in the kitchen filled the room.

“M.e..?” the man’s voice was quiet, though his lips quirked up in an amused smile now, “Mo..st… call m...e. The… Du...ke. The. Gho...st. of… Ishg...ard…”

--------------------------------------

True to the man’s words, it did not take long for him to heal to an appreciable state. Within a few days, he was sitting up on his own- face no longer flushed with fever- lips no longer dry and cracked with death. He only needed a day for his voice to grow strong- and the young boy found him fascinating- only leaving his side when his parents demanded he be given space to rest.

At night, when the son went to bed, the father would come to check on his wounds- changing his bandages and speaking with him quietly as the mother sat in her chair- trying her best to mend the man’s clothing.

“You’re… truly the Duke of Ishgard, then?” the father asked one night, “We’ve heard stories… being close to Ishgard and all. And… after seeing well-” he gestured down at the wound that held no traces of inflammation, “Your rather miraculous recovery…”

“Tis true, though I do hope you’ve heard the better stories about me,” he smiled at him- red eyes sparkling in the light of the fire, “I assure you, the more morbid or monstrous stories about me are simply hyperbole. Created out of boredom or misunderstanding. I am what I am, and unfortunately that is a cursed life… but I do my best. With an infinite life, I simply wish to help others live more comfortably. Which speaking of…”

The father shook his head, laughing a bit, “No ser, you ask me every night, but we don’t need you spoiling us. If you’ll help our Theo get better schooling… well, that’s alright. But we can’t ask for more than that. We just did what was right. Immortal or not, you deserve someone to tend to your wounds- not die out in the wild like an animal over and over again.”

The Duke chuckled, nodding his head, “Well… you shall have to pardon me asking you yet again tomorrow night and the night after. Your family has done much for this old man, and tis a good family you’ve got. I only hope you remain happy and healthy.”

“Well, you certainly bring a smile to Theo’s face,” the mother said from her chair, “He’s always ever so eager to hear your stories- and I do thank you very much for sanitizing them a bit for the boy. He’s much too young to hear the full details of the War.”

“Of course, miss. War is not a boy’s game, and I’d much rather he not hear any of it all… but I do understand his curiosity. My daughter was much the same… she- she always enjoyed hearing my tales of the war. My son was much more shy, though he did end up following in my footsteps. Tis been a long time since I’ve had someone so enraptured in my stories! Most simply get bored…”

The father chuckled as he put down the last new fresh bandage, “Well, you are more than welcome to use him as an audience for as long as you like. You’re welcome here anytime, ser. It would be our pleasure.”

The Duke smiled- sadness crossing his face as he turned to gaze into the fire, “Well… I do think I must be taking my leave soon. I was on my way to… take care of something when I was waylaid. I shan’t trouble you all for much longer…”

The father placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Ser, I did say you were welcome here at anytime. Whether you come or go, you shall always have a place at our table.”

--------------------------

He left on a warm afternoon, waving at them with a bright smile- before Theo ran forward- wrapping his arms tightly around him- sobbing, “Please come back, soon! Please, Duke! Will you? Will you? Please promise!” The Duke stared down at him- red eyes wide with sudden concern before his face softened and he knelt down- wiping at the boy’s face, “Theo, I promise as soon as I am finished with my business, I shall be back posthaste. Until then, you take care of your mother and father, yes?” he lifted a hand up to pat the boy’s head who smiled at him.

“Yes ser! I’ll do my best!”

-----------------------------

He returned in the dusk- the sun’s rays setting down across the cabin, a month later. Exhaustion wracked his body, but as he came up to the small cottage- the familiar lit candle in the window- he was filled with a warm energy as he came up to the door.

But as he came forward- he was suddenly filled with an icy dread- the door was open. Just inside he could see a single foot- blood not yet dried pooling around the boot.

Despair began to bubble up inside him, and he forced himself to push it down- his expression going blank as he moved to the side of the door- listening carefully.

“Ha! That was easy, ain’t it? Stupid fools didn’t put up much o’ a fight!”

“O’ bu’ that women sure screeeaaaaamed. Heh, heh… fer such a small li’l family they sure go’ some perdy nice belongin’s. Nice lil savings!”

“We’ll be able to retire now!”

None of them heard the man slide into the room, not until the first knife was thrown- landing straight inside one of the bandit’s skulls- leading him to drop down where he stood, blood oozing out of from the corners of the knife’s edge.

“Who the feck-”

The other turned, immediately drawing their weapons as they stared at the man clad in red before them.

“My apologies,” he said, holding another knife in his hands and looking at his reflection idly inside it, “I heard rats infesting this house and as any good samaritan, felt the need to exterminate such pests.”

He avoided looking down at his feet, where the father lay in a pool of blood- though his eyes searched in vain for any sign of the mother and son.

“Ye lil- lookie here- ye feckin noble bastard- ye coulda just minded yer own bidness, but now yer just gonna get yerself killed!” The bandit paused, snickering slightly, “Those clothes of yers look miiighty fetchin’.”

The man glanced down at his coat, a finger brushing at the intricate brocade, “Correct. I am glad you have an eye for fashion-” he paused, before a slow smile graced his face, “And I am proud that such fine detail work will be the last thing you see.”

In an instant, the man had crossed the room, shoving the bandit up against the wall- driving the dagger through one of his eyes- not even blinking as blood burst from the wound- covering his own face, dripping down his cheeks and lips. Instead he simply wrenched the knife free from the screaming man’s eye, using his thumb up caress the bleeding wound, “I am quite sorry… but I can’t bear to see a grown man sob and babble,” he said before flipping the knife in his hand and jamming it into the man’s throat as deep as he could before wrenching it across the skin and tendons as casually as though he were slicing a loaf of bread.  

Blood burst forth as though a geyser had erupted- coating the mans face and upper body, though he paid no attention even as his cravat slowly became stained with crimson. He held the bandits body closely- keeping him shoved against the wall as he leaned forward so close his lips brushed against the other man’s bloodied face- his mouth gasping for speech as his throat gurgled from it’s wound, “There, much better… you may have enjoyed the screams of the innocents you killed, but I don’t believe you deserve the decency of expressing the pain you’re currently experiencing.”

The bandit stared up at him with his one remaining eye that was slowly losing focus, mouth gaping like a fish as the man slowly dropped him to the floor. He turned then, eyes falling upon the third bandit who had fallen to the floor- fear in his eyes and unable to move in the midst of the bloodlust emanating from the man clad in red. Beside him, now he could see the body of the mother- her clothes mussed- face down with blood staining her hair.

The Duke knelt down in front of the bandit, balancing lightly on the front of his feet as he smiled at the bandit, “Hello. You seem to have relieved yourself-” he pointed at the wet patch on the front of the bandit’s trousers, “Are you afraid?”

“G-Get back…. Get back!” the bandit attempted to scurry backwards, sliding his butt across the wooden floor until he hit the corpse of the woman, “Stay back! I-I’m warnin’ you!”

He tilted his head, seemingly unphased even as blood dripped across his lips, “Is that what they said?” he whispered, moving forward, “Did they ask you to stay back? To get out? To leave them be?”

The bandit whimpered as he moved closer, “P-Please…”

The Duke sprung forward, grabbing the man’s hair, wrenching his head back, “DID THEY ASK YOU? DID THEY BEG?”

“Y-Yes!” The bandit burst into tears, “Yes! Yes! They b-begged! I’m sorry! Please! I’m sorry!”

The man paused, releasing his hold only slightly, bringing a hand up to gently touch the bandit’s face, “Oh… you’re sorry…” he said softly, smearing blood across his cheek, “You’re sorry…”

The bandit shivered as he touched him, but his hand fell to the ground, moving to try and find the dagger he had dropped to the floor, “I-I know who you are…” he whispered, “Y-You’re the Duke- the Cursed Duke of Ishgard… y-you… they say you’re… you’re a forgiving man....”

“Do they?” The Duke replied, his voice taking on a dreamy tone, “Do they say that? Do they say that great cursed Monster of Ishgard is forgiving?”

“Y-Yeah! T-That you’re a merciful man…” his hands finally found the wooden handle of the dagger, fingers wrapping around it carefully, “T-That you… you give… those who- who’re sorry… a second… second chance…”

“That right… is that what the rumors are now?” The Duke asked, still gently caressing the man’s face, “That I forgive?”

“Yeees…” the man whined out, gripping the dagger tightly, “So p-please ser…. Forgive! Me!”

He brought the dagger up- plunging it into the Duke’s shoulder….

But the man didn’t move.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t release his grip on the bandit and wince in pain and worry.

He slowly turned his face, staring down at the dagger coming out of his flesh with a dull expression. The bandit looked between the dagger and the man horrified, beginning to shake in fear once more.

Keeping one hand grasped in the bandit’s hair, he took his other- pulling the dagger out with one swift movement- staring at his with a calm expression even as his own blood dripped off it and onto the bandit’s face.

“Forgiveness…” he said softly, turning back to the bandit, “Lad.... I am going to give you a very poignant lesson… one I hope you remember in your next life should you be given one…”

He leaned in closely- lips once more brushing against the other man’s skin, as soft as though they were lovers whispering to one another, “Rumors are just that… rumors. And some rumors are based in lies and hearsay… or are the truth blown to absurdity. I am not a merciful man, nor am I forgiving man. I am simply a damaged man barely keeping it together. The rumors surrounding me are both lies and truths, and can be so hard to tell what is real and not,” he pulled back, smiling at him serenely, “It is not my job to dole out mercy to those who’ve sinned… I simply allow you to beg for forgiveness from those better equipped at the end of your pathetic existence. That… is the sort of man I am. A pity you won’t be alive to correct such rumors of mercy.”

He flipped the dagger around, moving his other hand to the man’s jaw and squeezing hard- not even flinching as he heard the bones begin to crack and splinter beneath his grasp- his head began to buzz loudly- drowning out the man’s screams. Wordlessly, he brought the knife down- burying it into the man’s skull, not at all phased as blood spurted out and the man began to jerk beneath him. After a moment he took it out again, staring down at the broken man’s face before a surge of anger filled him- both hands moving to clutch the dagger as he began to furiously hack at the man’s face, blood and bits of flesh coating his gloves- his face- as he screamed until his voice was hoarse- his own throat coated in blood.

No other sounds could be heard by him in his grief, only the sound of his blood pumping in his skull, the sick sound of the knife grinding into what was left of the man’s face as he felt his sanity slowly shriveling as the bandit’s face began to turn to nothing more than raw meat beneath his fingers.

And then suddenly, amidst the pounding in his head- he heard it. A small, tear-streaked voice.

“D-Duke… Duke…”

The knife fell from his hands instantly, eyes wide as he turned to find the owner- the son standing amidst the carnage.

“D-Duke… I’m sorry…. I’m sorry…” he was sobbing, looking suddenly every bit the frail young boy he was, “Y-You told me, to take care of m-my parents… and-and I- I ran away… I h-hid…”

The Duke sat there dumbly, covered in blood and staring at the sobbing child before his mind slowly began to click into place- crawling over the bodies to take him into his arms, “Theo… Theo- no, no… son, you did the right thing. You- you saved yourself… and that is- that is-” he let out a choked sob, clutching the boy against his body, “You saved yourself… it is- your parents… would be so happy… that you are safe…”

The two sat there, clutching one another amidst the bloodied site as the world turned dark around them.

-------------------------

“Ser…”

“I told you, simply call me Duke, Theo. You did before, you hardly need to start with the honorifics now, lad!”

Theo frowned, glancing up at him curiously before nodding, “A-Alright, Duke. But… why are we going to Ishgard exactly? A-And why to your House?” he looked down at the ground, kicking a rock ahead of them, “You could have….- an orphanage or something…”

“I’ve the means to take care of you myself- well… my House does. I hardly go there myself these days, but you needn’t worry- you’ll be in good hands. And I’ll- I’ll check up on you occasionally… besides…” he paused, before kneeling down in front of the boy- holding his shoulders firmly, “I promised your parents I would make sure you got proper schooling… for the kindness they showed me… and I-” he swallowed hard, eyes closing as he tried to continue, “I couldn’t- save them… Theo. But you’re alive and- and that is- is a miracle. And I shall not let their sacrifice be in vain.”

“I…” Theo frowned, but nodded slowly, “A-Alright… if you say so. And you’ll visit? Right…?”

He nodded, standing up and offering his hand to the boy, “Yes, of course,” he gave him a wink, “Need to make sure you’re following your studies.”

“Grandpapa! You came to visit!!” A cloaked girl suddenly came running down from the steps of the Estate- barrelling straight into Duke’s side with a giggle, “Grandpapa! Grandpapa!”

“Ha-Hatsu…! Hatsu! What have I told you about rushing him! Be gentle!” A similarly cloaked woman came soon after the girl, smiling warmly at the duke beneath the veil covering her face, “Grandfather… tis a pleasure to see you- and so soon. Am I to guess this is the boy?”

Duke nodded, smiling down at the girl and offering a tweak of her nose, before looking back to the woman, “Yes. This is Theo- he is to be treated as any family, he’s about Hatsu’s age… so should get along well, yes?” he knelt down, smiling still, “Hatsu… Theo’s been through a lot, you’ll be kind to him for Grandpapa, right?”

The girl peered around him, glancing at the boy curiously before nodding, “Of course, Grandpapa!”

Duke gave her an affectionate pat on the head before turning to Theo, staring at him carefully, “Now Theo, while my House is certainly far more relaxed than most Ishgardian Houses… we do have certain… secrets amongst us- that I hope you can keep for us. And in return, you shall not want for anything. I know… it can never bring back your parents but I-”

Theo shook his head, “Se-.... D-Duke…” he sniffled slightly, wiping at his eyes, “T-Thank you...thank you!”

He smiled, moving forward to hug the boy carefully, “Listen to Lady Kisa well, and little Hatsu here will be a good friend for you… and- lad… it won’t be better right away. The pain you feel may never truly be soothed… but you’ve people here who shall care for you. Lean on them… do not succumb to your grief on your own.”

“Thank you, Grandfather-” the cloaked woman moved forward, touching Theo lightly on the shoulder, “We’ve your room all ready for you, dear… Hatsu can show you there. And- Grandfather… will you at least… stay for tea perhaps?”

Hatsu looked up at him pleadingly, “Please, Grandpapa! Please, please stay for tea!”

Duke hesitated briefly- mouth opening to refuse before his face softened at the looks the two children gave him, nodding with a chuckle, “Tea, but that is it…” he said softly, standing up, “Shall we?”

----Present Day-----

She sat at her desk, rubbing her forehead with two fingers as she stared down at the sloppily signed paperwork in front of her, “Gods… Dracyn’s gotten him to do his paperwork, but Fury Grandfather could at least try to make it legible.”

From across the room, dark-haired hyur chuckled, “Well, that is just like ser Duke, isn’t it?” he asked, coming over with a tray of tea and biscuits, “Whenever he’d come by for one of his rare visits, he’d always chide me for my penmanship and my schoolwork- bit rich coming from him, hm?”

Hatsu smiled up at her husband as he set down her tray and moved to rub her shoulders gently, “Well… to be fair, I think he was- you know… trying to give you… you know- the feeling of parental scolding,” she said, “You know he still feels guilty, Theo. He just wanted the best for you.”

Theo leaned over, giving her a small kiss, “Oh I know…” he said softly, “Though… he’s certainly mellowed out recently. He can certainly be around us for longer periods of time before he drowns in his guilt. It’s nice.”

Hatsu sighed, shaking her head and pushing aside the paperwork and looking up at him, “This is giving me a headache, trying to decipher his words. Shall we go for a walk, love?”

He smirked, nodding and offering a hand, “But of course, my lady,” he said helping her up, “You go on ahead, I’ll meet up with you in a second, alright?”

She nodded, giving him a quick kiss before disappearing. Theo took a moment, grabbing his coat before staring up at the portrait of the man- that though he was dark-haired- bared the same resemblance to the Duke that all knew.

He smiled up at him, smiling gently, “Thank you… again,” he said softly, “For everything.”