A/N:

HALT! Did you read the epilogue? I added 3 things at once to this fic, so I just want to make sure no one misses the ending to the story! Go back if you missed it!

Here it is, a VK fic based in the world of GOT. This fic will be a weekly release (date of first chapter release still undecided, but I plan to start this fic up to coincide with the new season of GOT, either its beginning or end). Therefore, there will be no waiting for chapters. Right now, I have 20-some chapters written, and I plan to have double that before the new season of GOT ends, so I think no one will ever have to wait on a chapter ever, which will be refreshing. If you wish to subscribe to this story, and be alerted when it starts, simply go to my page here on FF and click on the story link and hit subscribe.

This is the prologue and, true to GOT, kind of sets the stage for the story. Many of the side/secondary characters in this story are original and created by myself; however, the important characters are of course, all of our familiar VK cast, including the forgotten characters. Each chapter will feature the perspective of a different character, the same as GOT.

In additional news, I have been writing a story similar to My Scarlet Letters- a redo of VK featuring Shima. I took down my previous 2 fics of them, as I'm planning to kind of incorporate them into the My Scarlet Letters universe. So, never fear, you'll see those moments again!

PROLOGUE

The wind whistled hollowly through the trees, whipping cold lashes against the raw faces of the three men who fought against the tide of its force to reach the town that glowed dimly in the distance against the backdrop of grey. Above, the moon gave them a chill smile, offering only the barest of light to guide their path. The horse that pulled the old wagon rolled its eyes with fatigue, its heavy footsteps crunching against the snowy ground like the grinding of bones.

"Damn the winter," Yato, the largest of the three men, cursed, slapping the reins against the mare's back vigorously to urge her onward.

"Damn the north," his lanky companion Kyou muttered darkly from the wagon bed, shivering and drawing his cloak closer around him. Already the hem was fringed with frost.

"The Hios always provide the best quality men, you both know that," the last of the three men and their captain, Itouku, commented from the front seat.

"Yeah, but why do they always have to initiate the trades in winter?" Yato complained bitterly. "I'd much rather be sitting at home with a cup of mulled cider and my wife. Well, maybe in that case I don't even need the cup of mulled cider, because-"

"Shut up," Kyou snapped. "You're annoying."

"Look, I'm just saying. She's a fine woman, and-"

"And you're an imbecile. Just shut up and drive."

"Both of you be quiet," Itouku said suddenly in a hushed voice. The wagon had just passed the stone wall marking the boundary of the town and was arriving in the first ring of houses. His companions shot him questioning glances, to which he answered only with a murmur, "I don't hear any noise. Stop the wagon."

Yato jerked at the reins and the wagon jolted to a halt. Itouku gestured to Kyou, and the two of them climbed out cautiously. The captain put a hand on the hilt of his knife. He'd been in this trade for over a decade and had a sixth sense for danger. Right now he felt a chill creeping down his spine that didn't come from the cold. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for Kyou to follow.

Carefully, the pair skirted the first house. Itouku peered into the window. Inside, lanterns burned brightly and a fire lay dying in the hearth, but there was no movement or sound coming from within. His heartbeat resounded in his chest, and he forced himself to breathe. It was essential that he remain calm. In the utter silence, even a shift in breathing might give away his position if some danger lurked near.

He gestured for Kyou to move to the other side of the street. The younger man slid away lithely, a shadow over the snow. Itouku had brought him onto the team not too long ago, but he had never regretted the additional pocket to fill or mouth to feed. Kyou was an efficient, shrewd business man and a skilled fighter, and handsome to boot. His charm had certainly gained them better deals with some of the noble ladies. He allowed himself a tight smile. Yes, his choice of teammate had been quite profitable.

The two of them approached the next circle of houses. He glanced back to make sure Yato was still alright with the wagon and the horse, and was strangely relieved to see his potbellied partner resting with his feet propped up on the wagon seat, clearly at ease. He focused his attention to what lay before him.

Like an explosion in the stillness of the night, Kyou drew a sharp intake of breath from across the road. Itouku hurried over, knife already in hand, but the dark haired youth pointed in front of him, at the corner of the house. The captain turned his attention to the ground there, and instantly felt his pulse quicken.

A bloody hand was strewn across the snow.

The men pressed close against the house, peeking around the corner with care. The scene before them was one of a slaughter. Bodies were cast haphazard through the street like discarded dolls, their lifeless eyes gazing in all directions, all seeing, unforgiving, forms already partially buried in the falling snow. In the gutter the snow was clotted crimson with blood. There were mostly dead men here, but in the doorway of the house was a woman, and behind her, a child… Itouku shut his eyes quickly, taking a slow breath to keep from panic.

"What happened here?" Kyou whispered in his ear.

The captain shook his head. Obviously there had been a fight of some kind. Some of the men still clutched weapons in their frozen fingers. The woman in the door had a butcher's knife. Their deaths had not come without warning.

"Check the town for survivors. Whoever did this is probably gone, but take care," Itouku advised. "This is a bad omen..."

Who would massacre an entire village? The thought plagued him. There was no reason for this. This remote village hidden far back at the base of the mountains in the Hio lands had no friends, but neither did it have enemies. The people here were practically hermits, with no ties to speak of. So, what had happened?

Methodically, the men walked through each house, checking every corpse for some sign of life. At the end of their circuit they both entered together into one of the larger houses that ringed the main square. A woman's body littered the floor in the main room, stone cold. Beyond her, a crumpled form hinted at the corpse of yet another child.

Itouku passed a hand over his eyes. "This was a vile thing. Without honor."

Kyou gave a harsh laugh, "How can you speak the word honor? We have none."

"We have more than this." The captain cast him a hard glance, disliking the tone of his younger companion.

Dreading the task, he bent and rolled over the form of the final child. This one was a young boy of no more than 8 or 9, strong and fair featured with hair like the snow outside, like the hue of the corpses overflowing the streets. Itouku felt a wave of sorrow for the loss of so much life, particularly that of children such as this one. Mechanically, his fingers sought the pulse at the boy's neck. Another tally for the mass grave.

Blood drummed back against his fingers.

Startled, he checked again, then placed his hand over the boy's nose and mouth. The faintest whish of air brushed his skin. "This one's still alive!" he exclaimed.

"What? How?" his companion knelt and examined the youth as well, coming to the same conclusion.

"What to do with him is the real question… I suppose we could drop him off at the next town."

"Idiot, why would we do that?" Kyou demanded.

Itouku's gaze snapped to his partner's face, disgruntled and angered with the superior tone his subordinate was taking with him.

"You of all people should know exactly where we are," the younger man explained, as if to a child. "We're in the Kiryuu village. The blood of the people here carries strange power. Look, anyone will know him for a Kiryuu with his hair and complexion. Imagine the price we could ask for him back in Ashgate."

"He's just a boy…" Itouku said uncertainly.

"And we're just simple slavers. Look, a golden opportunity has fallen right into our laps. Literally, a golden opportunity. We'll be rich."

The captain paused to consider this. It was true, with this one young boy they could make a fortune by virtue of his heritage alone. He disliked enslaving children who hadn't reached puberty yet, but in this case, perhaps Kyou was right. He could make an exception when a hefty payload was involved.

"Alright," he acquiesced. "Get him up and bring him back to the wagon. I'll look around for more medical supplies. We'll want to keep him alive. Then, it's back to Ashgate. We don't need to do business with the Hios this year."

Kyou grinned slowly, teeth flashing in the lantern light. "We're going to be very rich men."

A/N: If you think you might like this story, then go subscribe! 8D