Chapter Text
The children gathered at Milk’s feet as he sat on an upside down crate. Donning an outfit specially fit for the most northern known cookie settlement, The Milk Tribe. He smiled at the children, his hood covering most of his hair and ears, the tips of which were ice cold, although he was far more used to the harsh cold than his friends who had stolen his clothing in hopes of staying warm.
“Alright, what story do you want to hear?” Milk asked, his breath making fog in the cold air of his home. They had come to rest before making their way to Cacao Castle, where they hoped to find the former King of the palace.
“The Hero and His Prince!” One called out, a little girl front and center. Hair thick and coiled but tied into a bun, albino like most of the village. “Please Mr Mikkel!” She pleaded scooting forward a bit on the blanket laid out for them.
“No! The Dragon!” A boy countered glaring at the girl, although Milk found it hard to take him seriously when he was wrapped up how he was.
“She was first to speak, so it’s The Hero and His Prince” Mikkel decided, and noticed a few of his friends pulling up crates or sitting on the outside edge of the circle.
“They say the hero’s prince was from this tribe, just another Milk cookie trying to help, but suddenly he was chased,” Mikkel began.
He tripped and stumbled over his own two feet and the knee deep snow that was hindering his escape. His breath hardly made it to his lungs before it was pushed out again.
The cookie kept pushing forward, he had enough food to serve the tribe for at least a few days if they rationed it. He pushed too close to the wilderness and the seas, now he paid the price of his foolishness.
The cookie in question was nearly 17, had dropped school like many in his age group to help the tribe. Hauling milk, trading, scavenging, hunting, the tribe was nearing extinction due to the plague that terrified them and the relentless monster attacks.
The elders had pleaded for aid for the past 3 years but it seemed hopeless, the Coffee tribe was fighting its own battles to the West. The Cotton Villages to the East were blown down by snow storms that harmed their sheep and homes. The last hope being the Cacao kingdom down South, however the elders had no hope they would send aid. With no alliances or trades there was no reason for the Cacao kingdom to send aid.
Which led to Mik’s current problem, running for his life. The cookie rushed and fumbled into a cave, pushing himself as far back as the small cave could allow. The food was between himself and the cold cave walls. Mik pulled his limbs in as the beasts all fought to get their heads in, snapping just shy of his worn boots.
Their slick and shiny black bodies were nearly impossible to distinguish, seeming to be a three headed beast. Shining white teeth and eyes darker than burnt ash they snapped and clawed trying to get at the young Milk cookie. As the seconds ticked by they only got more desperate, as did Milk. Taking a bargain for his life, and the lives of those of his home, he kicked one of the beasts back.
That was a horrible choice as the beast reeled back, the other two only got closer. With the third gone they managed to wiggle in closer to Mik, who was saying his final prayers to the goddess and Celestials.
The Licorish beasts ripped at his clothing and nicked his skin, suddenly it stopped. Mik’s eyes screwed shut after he had kicked one of the beasts. But with the lack of beasts trying to eat him, Mik slowly pried his eyes open to be bet with one of the beast’s at his feet. The beast didn’t move but there was a rekus happening outside the cave entrance, someone was happening that Mik couldn’t see. The cookie didn’t know if he should be thankful or not for that fact.
Soon there was just the wind for company, the leaves dancing with the wind’s song. However Mik could only hear the crunching of snow getting closer, tears slowly welded up in his eyes as they made their way down ice cold cheeks.
Suddenly the beast was dragged away from the entrance and someone else looked in.
Long black hair with white streaks going down on one side, kind red eyes seemed to calm down the milk cookie in distress, The red eyed man smiled at him, motioning for Mik to come closer. Although Mik was hesitant, the cookie just had seemingly saved his life. Slowly Mik made his way closer, scooting closer. Just as he managed to get out of the too small cave he was able to see his savor a lot better.
A diamond embroidered into his gloves, a white cape thick with a fur lining and an armored chest plate.
The hero knelt down next to him, seeming to look over the Milk cookie, he said something but Mik only flinched back at the forgin speech. The hero put his hands up showing that he wasn’t a threat but the dead bodies of three monsters said otherside.
They sat in a standstill until the Hero pointed at the large and heavy basket on Mik’s back.
‘Does he want the food?’ Mik questioned, he worried that giving up this food would sign the end of his tribe, ‘He did save me. I owe him more than just a single basket of food.’ The cookie undid the straps and pushed it over with some effort. He was starting to wonder how he even ran with it on. Mik turned his head away from his hero. The hero would probably leave anyway, the hero probably had more important things than helping a single cookie home.
Mik looked over his legs, which took most of the beating from the beasts. A large bite mark on his caff made his breath hitch. How the flesh wasn’t completely ripped off Mik didn’t question, just thanked the beings who watched over him. The rest were only nicks, scratches and ripped clothing. But the bite was deep and bleeding enough to put him out of commission for a few days. He needed to figure out how to-
His thoughts cut off as he whisked off the snowy ground. Mik scrambled to grab onto something to stabilize himself. He only got a laugh for his efforts as he was pulled closer to something warm, so very warm. The hero looked at him with a strang fondness, Mik couldn’t quite understand the reason for such a look.
“You’re beautiful” Mik couldn’t understand the words but the Hero only seemed to grow more fond as Mik only made a more confused expression. The large and heavy basket on the Hero’s back as he walked the path carved out by the beasts that chased Mik.
Mik didn’t really fight back, just sat in the arms of his hero and a complete stranger. Mik doesn’t think he could fight back with the adrenaline leaving his system and the pain beginning to set in. The cold hurts more than normal now that his pants are torn open in multiple places.
They soon approached the village from one of the sides, the ice and snow packed walls having no entrance on the east side making the hero walk around to the south side. On the south side there were more wagons than Milk had seen outside of the traveling caravans that go westward. Mik was surprised to see them all, a single diamond on each as a sort of marker.
Before Mik could react an Elder came crashing over, screeching at Mik about something. He was talking too fast for Mik to catch more than ‘Prince’ ‘Cacao’ and ‘idiot’. In all honesty, Mik didn’t really want to figure it out.
Mik was gently set down, barely leaning on his bad leg. The hero was setting down the basket, before the bag was even on the ground Mik’s arm was grabbed and the Elder attempted to drag Mik off, only to cause Mik for face plant into the snow.
“Elder Markus-” “Silence Mik, you’ve done enough damage. Get. Up '' Elder Markus demanded, causing Mik to attempt to get to his feet as the Elder huffed and tapped his foot. Hissing in pain with any pressure added to his leg, Mik ended up sitting in the snow. At least he wasn’t face first in it.
“Mik, stop fooling around. Not in front of the Prince of the Cacao Kingdom. It’s bad enough that he carried you all the way here-” The Elder was cut off by the Hero picking up Mik again. Mik seemed surprised as well.
Elder Markus spoke in a different language, seemingly talking to the Hero. The hero seemed to dismiss whatever Elder Markus was saying.
“Your highness, he’s just being dramatic. You don;t need to carry him,” Elder Markus spoke.
“It’s fine, I don’t think he’s dramatic. He’s got quite the bite on his leg, he should see the medic,” The Hero spoke, holding Mik closer.
“Your highness-” “I’ve already made my decision, make sure that food he gathered doesn’t go to waste,” The hero walked off where a few people crowded around a very tall man with a large crown.
“Dad!” The people cleared a path. “Hello Damian, I hear you ran off” the man turned around to face his son, “Why do you have someone in your arms?”
“He’s injured, where’s the medic. Also one of the old guys is a dick,” “Damian!” the tall man dearly scrolled the name as it came out of his mouth.
“Holier than thou attitude, pushy, diamond looking necklace?” Elder Mirum walked around the man with a crown to be in view. Elder Mirum was a very short elderly woman but the kindest Elder amongst them as well as the most devoted to the Goddess and Celestials. “Yes,” The Hero responded bluntly. “Ah, Markus. Ignore whatever comes out of his mouth” Elder Mirum spoke firmly before turning her attention to Mik.
“Mik, dear, are you alright?” Mirum spoke softly to the nearly 17 year old. Mik shook his head, he honestly was in a lot of pain after Markus attempted to drag him off. Elder Mirum nodded and looked up at the hero.
“It just needs to be wrapped, Mik will be fine in a few days. Nothing too new to us up here,” Mirum said to the hero.
The hero nodded and walked over to one of the wagons that seemed to just be left in a rush. It seemed nicer than the others. Mik didn’t really understand what was happening, the pain in his leg and the cold biting at his bare skin was not pleasant. An armored cookie in dark and heavy seeming armor quickly unlocked the door and held it open.
The door shut as soon as The Hero entered, Mik still gently in his arms.
“I don’t think you understand me, but I just want to help you” The Hero spoke, only to get a confused noise and a confused face to go with it.
“Alright, you definitely don't understand me,” The Hero looked around before grabbing some bandages from a drawer and some rubbing alcohol.
It was surprisingly easy to get Mik to let himself be treated. His legs were mostly wrapped in bandages and one of his ankles was wrapped in a splint. Although now Mik was sitting on the now warmed up wooden counter staring at his ripped pants. Wrapped in a blanket from the Hero’s bed, he inspected the rips trying to figure out how to repair them.
The Hero seemed to watch him intensely, red eyes seemingly absorbing every slight change in emotion. Mik was to absorbed in his ripped pants and how he would be able to work on a bad ankle and with a bad bite on the other leg.
Both of their attention shifted as the man with a crown walked into the cabin with the door shutting immediately shut behind him. Mik turned back to his pants before the man with the crown started talking. He didn’t want to ease drop, even if he couldn’t understand the language.
“Damian,” The King sighed, having saw the Milk cookie on his way in.
“Yes Dad?” Damian responded, not really caring for his father’s tone.
“Why is he still here?” Dark Cacao sighed heavily, running his hand down his face.
“Why not?” Damian chuckled, the king could tell his son wasn’t taking this seriously.
“Damian, you can’t just keep him here” The King sighed, “that’s not how it works.”
Damian stood up quickly, clearly offended.
“That’s not what I’m doing! He just couldn’t walk so I took him in here so I could bandage and warm him up” Damian defended himself.
“And?” Dark Cacao prompted his son.
“And I thought he looked cute,” Damian pouted, although it was quite entertaining coming from an 18 year old with little social experience.
Dark Cacao only shook his head fondly, “just remember, you can’t understand each other quite yet.”
“I thought that the Milk Tribe had a good education system?” Damian questioned his father.
“They do, or did. From what I was told most of the new generation dropped from school to help around the tribe once the sickness and attacks started. He is apparently called Mik, he took the duty of scavenging for food in the forests.” Dark Cacao explained.
“Oh, that makes sense,” Damian said, glancing at Mik who was kicking his feet a bit but seemed mostly in his own world. Near white eyes graced with a far away look, they mostly held a blue tint to them but a light pink made itself very present in the candle light of the wagon.
“Just, don’t do anything stupid Damian.” “Sure dad” “Damian.” “Yes, Sir” “Better”
With that, the King left.
Damian turned his attention back to Mik. Carefully he walked over and scooped the cookie back up into his arms. Mik grasped at Damian’s shoulders to keep himself steady but was swiftly and gently placed down on the bed.
Mik looked up at him confused, Damian only offered a smile and pulled another blanket over him.
Mik caught on, The hero wanted him to rest. Mik still had no idea what was happening, only had been able to pick up small words from the man with a crown and the hero.
Mik slowly lied down, he didn’t really know why he felt comfortable. It was a peaceful and warm feeling in his chest right in the center.
Weeks passed since that event, Mik’s injuries had healed and the tribe was doing much better. Those who were sick got better and the attacks slowed, there was a slow but steady building of a large wall next to the licorice sea. A grateful thing for the tribe.
Although things had gotten better, many of the teens didn’t return to education, just continued to work. That was much to the ire of the elders who insisted they needed the education. Mik was put on milk hauling duty, keeping him within the walls of the tribe and safe from the beasts outside. It was reasonable as Mik was both the strongest of his peers but now walked a little off beat due to the bite that had gotten.
“Oh Mik!” One of his peers called out running over where Mik was pulling the empty cart back to the barn.
“Yes?” Mik responded as he looked up from where he was busy keeping hsi feet within the square stones that made up the road.
“Your darling prince is looking for you” She sang twirling to stand just next to him.
“Mary, i’ve told you time and time again” Mik hissed with annoyance.
“I know, I know. But he so has a crush on you, we all see the way he looks at you.” Mary insisted.
“Mary no, he saved my life and that’s what has happened and only what happened,” Mik insisted.
Mary groaned and puffed out her cheeks, “you’re no fun Mik.”
Mik glared at her, dropping the wagon in front of the barn. “Alright, where is he?”
Mary smiled wide before speaking, “Front gate, and hurry it up,” Mary insisted, poking his back to get him to move faster.
Mik approached the front gates, a small smile graced his face when he spotted his Hero. Mik waved when his hero looked his way, his footsteps stopped when he was scooped up by his hero. The swift hug and affectionate squeeze was nice to feel during such a cold day.
The visits were as frequent as one might expect for a prince trying to get to a far northern area to visit a milk hauler. To shorten that explanation, they weren't frequent. However they where lovely and always a surprise. In between meals, his shifts, meals and sleep Mik dove into learning more common. His language skills weren’t the best as he was one of the students who needed a lot of help in the language department,.
Today was one of Mik’s rare days off, he was hunched over his coffee table practicing his common. It was a slow process but he was definitely making more progress then he had during school. He read through the short paragraphs with some difficulty but he managed to get threw it. He smiled with triumph but jumped immediately after when there was a knock on his door. He wasn’t exactly expecting visitors as he was still in pajamas and his hair still a bit of a mess from having washed it that morning.
He wrapped a heavy blanket around himself and shuffled toward the door, bracing himself for the cold to barge it’s way in as he unlocked the door and opened it. He was, as expected, met with the harsh cold but also his hero.
“Hey,” Damian greeted, “Hope you don’t-” Damian was cut off by being pulled into the house with haste before the door was slammed shut once he was inside.
“I was going to say, I hope you don’t mind the sudden visit” Damian finished chuckling as he noticed the human swiss roll he was greeted with. Mik playfully galred before sitting in front of his coffee table again and let the blanket fall to just be loosely around his shoulders. He motioned for Damian to sit next to him. The Hero didn’t waste time removing his chestplate and boots before he moved to be by Mik.
To Mik’s surprise Damian didn’t just sit next to him but laid his head in Mik’s lap. Mik looked down at Damian, his normally peachy cheeks becoming more red. Mik quickly returned to his paper, it wasn’t the best and his handwriting wasn’t great ether but-
“Thanks for visiting me” Mik stumbled over the words but it made Damian perk up. “You’re learning to speak common?” Damian asked, sitting up and turning to look Mik in the eye, despite Damian being quite a bit taller.
Mik nodded with a small embarrassed smile.
“And then Mik moved to the castle and lived with his hero,” Mikkel finished.
The kids whined at the ending.
“Wait, that’s IT?!” Dino-Sour complained over the children.
“Well, not really. The ending hasn’t been found yet, so we just make up our own,” Mikkel shrugged watching Dax and Tiny-sour pout.
“Alright kids, now move along. It’s late,” Mikkel switched out of common and watched the children slowly get up and walk home. The street lights being lit by his former peers and the children ran to their homes in the setting sun. He was proud of his home, only a few years ago there where self trained teenage warriors leading home the younger children. Now the kids could run home after dark and be perfectly fine.
“Mikkel” Dax gripped onto his sleeve looking up at him with pleading eyes, “please say there is more to the story.”
“Truth be told, the ending isn’t written yet” Mikkel shrugged, “Now I'm thinking of a sort of soup for dinner.”
“What. Mikkel get back here. Mikkel, what do you mean? MIKKEL!” Dax yelled, running after Mikkel.