Chapter 1: Calamity's Child

Fire doesn't touch him. Rather it tickled, that's the way he would describe the sensation as the orange tongues of flame licked his entire body each time the villagers tried to burn him. Being covered in patches of soot afterwards and needing to find new clothes was another major annoyance. He remembered the last time he had to walk away from the ashes naked except the thick metal chain around his neck he always had.

He hated rocks though. Internally Yuri groaned as the little kids from the village, whose lives he just saved a few hours ago, threw pebbles at him. The rough twine ropes bounding his wrists resembling fat snakes bit into his wrists making his fingers numb.

His other name was 'calamity's child'. His presence brought deep frowns upon the leaders of each village he tried to reside in, even though he meant no harm. In fact, this particular village fared well for this long because of him. He was to blame for a number of things, ranging from drought, disease, or even murder. The simple folks needed an explanation for these things, and Yuri was the perfect scapegoat.

He was a boy loved by demons, they flocked to him since he was a child. He turned fifteen this year, at least he thought so anyways. He had no childhood memories other than dark creatures of various sizes following his every step. The goblin from the mountains routinely laid shiny rocks at his feet, while the gargoyle's screech sounded gentle as if greeting him. There was also a serpent that would not leave his side, he named her Nox. Her black scales shining like the night with specks of dark red interspersed between. He wondered where she was at this moment.

Yuri watched as the villagers piled hay at his feet without any expression on his face. He knew his demons would come. It was the same every time. The smaller demons would bite through the thick ropes with their teeth and claws setting him free. The larger demons would masquerade in and frighten the villagers away. If anything he was slightly amused this time, wondering which demons would come this time.

He was tied to a wooden pole in the center of the village square. People begun to gather to watch, with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and anticipation written on their faces. The hay was poking through his pants around his ankles. Yuri shifted uncomfortably.

"Demon child!" A woman screamed with her fist up in the air. Her face looked puffy, her eyes were too close together.

Yuri sighed as he realized she was the mother of the two brats that he tried to save earlier. Those two tried to kick an injured wolf cub in the forest. The mother wolf nearly tore them into pieces if Yuri hadn't showed up. He sent Nox, the black serpent, to save them. The mother wolf eventually picked up the white cub by its collar and disappeared into the mountains after Nox came hissing. Yuri did notice the wolf cub had matted blood on its chest and some singed fur. The pattern of the bleeding resembled a claw mark. Yuri was still puzzled when he played that image in his mind. He wondered exactly what attacked the cub. He had been guarding the perimeter of this village for the past two years. He kept the giant in the forest at bay from trampling houses and the crops, and the wolves away from the stupid children and the sheep.

The village elder hobbled the centre of the square while two men dragged a heavy burlap sack before Yuri. The sack had a shape resembling a body. The village elder was a thin faced man with the last few strands of white hair remaining that he would comb from time to time. He took his sweet time because he had a bad leg, the children found some more pieces of rocks to throw at Yuri. He thought the one that bounced off his temple probably would leave a bruise and sighed.

The elder used the end of his wooden staff to open the burlap sack slowly as if being dramatic and enjoying the attention. Suddenly the mob cowered and gasped. The children who were aiming at Yuri dropped their rocks as their jaws widened. One of the little brats he saved plunged his face straight into his mother's large bosom.

Yuri gulped as he saw the body inside the bag. They thought I did this...I hope they would get on with the burning without lynching me...the man in the bag's face was ashen white, with burnt patches of skin. Streaks of dried blood, now crusted and brown, ran down his cheeks. His jaw wide open as if frozen in time at his last moment in life. But Yuri inhaled sharply as he looked closer.

His eyes were missing.

To add fuel to the fire of the riled up villagers, the elder continued to reveal the body with the end of his staff as if this was one sick perverted game. The crowd stared in horror as they saw only pieces of the rough brown fabric of his clothes remained. His torso was also charred and black, but parts of his ribcage can be seen. A piece of broke rib laced with bloody muscle and white connective tissue swung a little with the prodding of the elder's cane. Most of his ribcage was missing...along with his heart.

"Burn him!" Someone from the back screamed, "he did this! Burn the demon child!"

Yuri heard the hurried footsteps of the villagers fetching the torch. He was familiar with its smell and crackling sound. Just as the villagers were about to set the hay at his feet on fire, Yuri heard hooves of a horse approaching from the distance.

At the same time he caught a glimpse of Nox and the leathery wings of a few flying bat-like demons following her twenty feet in the distance.

He wasn't sure if the figure approaching was a man or woman from afar because of the long silvery mane flying in the wind.

"Wait!" The voice was male.

The villagers gasped at the magnificent figure approaching them. He looked no older than eighteen. He pulled the reins of his pitch black horse coming to a halt. He swiftly unmounted and landed soundlessly. He wore a grey traveling cloak, underneath it a light set of brown leather armour. A large sword hung at his waist. Pinned to his cloak is a simple crest with a wolf on it, not that these simple folks here would recognize it anyway.

"My name is Victor Nikiforov of the King's Guard," he announced with his chest held high and his right hand on the hilt of his sword.

The elder's face suddenly changed into a fake toothy smile, he slowly sunk to one knee. From the corner of his rat like eyes he squinted at the other villagers hinting for them to do the same.

Subsequently shuffling of clothes could be heard as all of the villagers sunk onto one knee saluting the knight.

"Tell me why you are burning that boy," his blue-green eyes met Yuri's dark ones for the very first time.

"Well..." the elder chuckles nervously, "I don't want to trouble you with such...trivial matters of this humble place, but -" he pointed his staff in the direction of the open sack with the body.

"Did anyone see him do this?" Victor's gaze hardened as he surveyed the crowd.

Silence.

A wave of wind lifted his hair the same color of twilight.

He was...beautiful. Yuri's heart sped up a little, because no one ever stood up for him before.

"I-" the brat who threw pebbles at him earlier begun to speak. Suddenly his mother, the woman with the puffy face covered his mouth.

"He attracts demons, they follow him everywhere ..." the elder continued not daring to look up.

"And that makes him the culprit?" Victor frowned and took a few steps forwards. The villagers cower on their knees making a path for him.

Silence.

Victor sighed and shook his head, "I am taking him away, the boy at least deserves a fair trial." His grey cloak flowed behind him, he appeared out of place amongst the peasants like a phoenix among the crows.

Nobody dared to question his authority.

Yuri wondered what someone like him was doing here. He was content living near this village. He moved here two years ago from another village that tried to burn him. That was when he had to walk around naked until he could find new clothes while the villagers were terrified because he was untouchable by fire.

"Well," the village elder chuckled nervously, "suit your self." He gestured with his chin signalling his men.

The man with the torch nodded and briskly sliced through the rope bounding Yuri to the pole.

Yuri fell to his knees and braced himself for the impact into the rough hay below. His hands were still tied, and his fingers still felt numb and cold. He watched Nox with the corner of his eyes, the black serpent seemed hesitant whether to charge forwards or to stay back. The crowd took a few steps as he fell forwards.

Victor suddenly unsheathed his long sword. At same time, Nox raised her head from the distance appearing alarmed.

Yuri gazed at the tall figure before him. He did not see a single sign of hatred on Victor's face. But he did notice a deep sadness etched into those blue-green eyes.

Victor nodded at him and the next thing he felt was the ropes bounding his wrists suddenly loosened after a whooshing sound and a flash of silver.

The mob took a few further steps back, "what, you think the King's Guard cannot keep someone like him in check?" Victor sheathed his sword and said flatly as he watched whispers ripple through the crowd.

Yuri rubbed his raw wrists, the skin were red and peeling from the burn from the thick ropes. His dark eyes met Victor's ocean coloured ones. Victor's eyes reminded Yuri of some of the stones the goblins gifted to him. He knew those stones would fetch a decent price if he was to take them to the market.

Victor had kind eyes.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?" His voice was kind too.

Yuri shook his head.

"You ride at the front then," Victor gestured towards the stirrups of his pitch black horse. He touched his horse's forehead affectionately.

"Thank you, young knight, then we bid our farewell," the rat like elder of the village secretly lets out a sigh of relief, as he scratched his bald head with the last few remaining strand of hair.

Yuri found himself on horseback with Victor's arms around him on either side while Victor held the reins. He felt the warmth radiating from Victor's body. He had never been this close to another human being before. His heart raced a little for some reason. This was the first time he saw Victor's face up close. He had to keep himself from staring at Victor for too long. As they rode away from the crowd, he saw Nox and the other demons retreat into the forest. Nox would find her way to him, she always did. There was not a day in Yuri's memory when Nox wasn't by his side.

"How did you know that I wasn't the culprit?" Yuri asked his 'savior'.

"Because I know exactly who did that," there was bitterness in Victor's voice. There was a finality to his tone.

Who...not what, Yuri thought. He knew from Victor's voice not to ask any more questions. "Well," Yuri begun to enjoy the warmth from being next to another human being, "thank you."

"I couldn't watch them burn someone innocent," Victor's voice was gentle too and his expression was soft. "Let me take you home."

They rode in silence along the forest path. The only sounds were the wind in the leaves and the sound of the hooves of Victor's horse. The sun was setting, painting the sky orange. The warm April breeze caressed Yuri's face, occasionally he felt a strand of silvery hair too. Yuri directed Victor deeper into the forest of newly budding leaves.

They ascended towards the top of a mountain as the night begun to fall. "Please stay till tomorrow," Yuri requested, "and let me show you something...as way of saying thank you."

The gentle knight nodded.

They unmounted and hiked along a steep rugged path where the thicket blocked the view of the sky. The thicket begun to retreat the further they were from the top revealing parts of a thin crescent of the moon. Yuri grinned when he saw Victor's expression change as they reached the top. The sadness in his blue-green eyes faded just a little.

Yuri showed Victor his favorite place in the world.

There was a lake on top of the mountain, its water was clear and turquoise. It was was so pristine that every round pebble at the bottom can be seen amidst the soft ripples from the breeze. Above them millions of stars shone in a milky band painted across the sky. Victor had never seen stars this beautiful in his life.

Yuri led him towards the edge of the cliff, they could see miles away in this clear and beautiful night. Lights from distant villages flickered, outshone by the stars above. Victor's horse appeared serene and right at home, he grazed on the grass with dewdrops on the blades reflecting the twilight.

"Come," Yuri found the rope with knots on it secured to the giant rock at the edge of the cliff over the ravine.

Victor could not see the where the rope led to. Yuri descended about ten feet below then he vanished from the view.

Victor followed him, he was curious where Yuri lived all this time. He met Yuri again on a platform made of rocks at the mouth of a cave.

"This is my home," Yuri gathered wood sticks and piled them. He turned around as he heard sound of tiny shuffling feet.

Victor had never seen a mountain goblin up close before. As far as he was taught, they were elusive, greedy, they collected shiny things. And they were responsible occasionally for scouts going missing. There were debates whether they ate human flesh. Reflexively Victor's right hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

This one appeared before Yuri's feet and handed a piece of brown stone to him. Interlaced within the cracks of the seemingly unremarkable stone were deep red rubies. "No, you keep that, you already gave me enough." Yuri smiled and sunk to one knee to meet the tiny creature with large pointed ears, leathery skin and tiny hands and feet at eye level.

The goblin made clicking noises of protest. He also handed to Yuri a pile of mushroom inside his rugged makeshift satchel.

"Thanks for the mushrooms," Yuri nodded, and walked a little deeper into the cave and flipped over a piece of rock, revealing giant pearly grubs underneath. He picked up a few and handed them to the goblin.

The tiny creature squealed with delight and Victor watched this scene with bewilderment as the goblin wolfed down the grubs with its tiny uneven teeth making crunching sounds. Victor had to look away then.

Yuri scratched his messy black hair falling over his forehead and let out an awkward laugh, "you have no idea how many rocks like that one I have, they come every night."

"That's...fascinating..." Victor was still at loss for words.

Yuri returned to the mouth of the cave and sparks flew as he smashed two pieces of rocks together. He blew into the tiny flickering flame and fanned it until it swallowed the nearest tiny branches making a crackling sound.

Suddenly Victor drew his sword, his eyes sharp as a warrior ready to charge.

Yuri laughed again, "she's a friend." He saw Nox emerge from the cave with a rabbit inside her mouth.

"I wonder how many more surprises you will have for me, Yuri," For the first time, Victor said his name.

Yuri suddenly turned around, hiding his blush. The heavy chains that he always had around his neck made several sounds. He couldn't remove the chains by himself, and he had already grown used to its weight. He swiftly skinned and gutted the rabbit and pierced the flesh with a few sharpened branches. Nox curled up next to him by the fire, her forked tongue flickering.

Victor could not stop gazing up at the stars.

They ate the mushrooms stew and the rabbit by the warmth of the fire. Yuri felt like he was in a dream. Nobody ever ate with him before. He felt as if there was delightful warmth growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Where do you come from, Yuri?" Victor asked.

Yuri put his wooden bowl down and gazed up at the stars, "that's something I would like to know." He shrugged, the chain around his neck clanked. "I woke up one day five years ago with no memories and Nox by my side. I think I was ten back then."

Victor wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't know who I am, and sometimes I wonder what I am," Yuri puts his hand straight into the fire.

Victor's blue green eyes widened as he watched the orange tongues of flame engulf Yuri's hand. He pulled Yuri's wrist back reflexively worried it might burn. "What are you doing -"

Yuri smiled as he watched Victor's worried expression change into one of comprehension that the villagers could not have burnt him. Victor's hand felt so warm...and gentle...Yuri didn't want him to let go.

"You would have been alright even if I didn't come today," Victor slowly released Yuri's wrist.

Yuri nodded. "But no one ever stood up for me before," he reached forwards and squeezed Victor's hand without thinking. His deep brown eyes with tiny spots of red locked with Victor's ocean coloured eyes, "I am glad you came...Victor...thank you." Suddenly realizing their bare skin was touching, Yuri withdrew his hand and turned away.

Victor's lips trembled a little, he nodded and ruffled Yuri's hair until they are messy with his free hand, "you are welcome." He had never met someone so innocent, strange, mysterious, fascinating, and damn beautiful for the past eighteen years of his life.

Yuri wondered what Victor's long silvery locks would feel like through his fingers.


The next two weeks were the best time of Yuri's life (or at least the part of his life that he had memories for). Victor did not feel like a stranger at all. In fact, Yuri felt as if they had known each other all their life.

"You should learn to defend yourself," Victor's hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"I have my bow and arrows," Yuri replied while shrugging, "and of course I am armed with the name 'demon child' too."

"The bow neither helps at close range nor can last against multiple opponents. Yuri, arrows are helpful for maybe shooting a few rabbits the way you are using them," Victor argued, "this is why even the villagers kept on catching you."

"I don't like killing, or inflicting pain for that matter -" Yuri protested.

Exasperated, Victor grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little, "you do not live up to the name 'demon child' at all! You have to learn to protect yourself, Yuri, because when I am gone...I will...worry about you..."He ended softly. A hint of pain appeared on his face. He quickly tried to hide it.

"Fine, teach me then," Yuri couldn't argue with him, he knew exactly what Victor was getting at since the beginning. He knew his knight was dying to teach him his art. Yuri wanted to tease him a little by pretending not want to learn. Suddenly he felt a sharp twinge of pain. The past few weeks was the first time he had someone who...cared.

He knew since the beginning that this wasn't meant to be forever.

Victor's grin widened, "that's more like it, let's go!"


Victor was a strict teacher. Yuri remembered running until he felt his lungs were on fire.

Victor did not go easy on him.

Yuri was a fast learner. He picked up the stances and the basic patterns to strike with the sword with lightning speed.

When Victor said he was proud of Yuri, his heart almost leapt out of his chest.

For the first time in the fifteen years of his life, he decided to stand up for himself and fight.


Yuri knew inevitably this day would come, and he dreaded it since the day they met. Victor was leaving. Somehow to him, Victor looked different. The stiff air about him softened, and the loneliness Yuri saw in his eyes dissipated a little. Victor's shoulders, usually tense, relaxed a little.

Thick blankets of clouds hung low in the sky, Victor gripped the rein of his horse tightly until his knuckles turned white. His fingernails dug into his hands.

"Here," Yuri handed him a wrapped package. Inside were dried meat and berries more than enough for his journey back.

"Thanks, I will miss your cooking," Victor smiled sadly.

"You can have it again," Yuri held back the tears in his eyes, the twisting sensation deep in his stomach gnawed at him from the inside, "and thanks...for the sword lessons." Nox uncurled herself from Yuri's neck as if reading his mind that he wanted to be alone with Victor. She slid down his legs and disappeared into the grass.

"Don't you dare slack off when I am gone, because...I will come back to check on you," Victor squeezed Yuri's shoulder. "It's not easy for me to leave the King's side, but if I can't come back to you sooner, I will be here, on this day next year."

"Promise?" Yuri gazed up at him. He was a foot shorter than Victor at this time.

"You have my word," his hand on Yuri's shoulder tightened.

Yuri was determined to not let Victor see him cry. Victor taught him to be strong and stand up for himself for the first time in his life. He wasn't sure how long he was going to last. He wasn't sure what gave him the courage to do what he did next.

Yuri tiptoed closer to him, gripped onto the front of his leather armour, closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Victor's. The kiss was brief, yet it felt like one moment in time that Yuri wanted to relive over and over. He heard Victor inhale sharply and saw a hint of blush on his pale cheeks, "Victor...come back to me..."

"Yuri -" before Victor could finish. Yuri turned around and ran. Warm streams of tears were pouring out of his eyes.

That was how they said goodbye.


The next year, Victor did come back to him, but it took him one whole year. On the same day in April as the day they parted.

Yuri turned sixteen. Yuri's swordsmanship improved by, "leaps and bounds", as the way Victor put it. Yuri confessed to recruiting some of his demons to help him practice with the wooden sword.

Victor's hair was longer.

They spent two blissful weeks together.


The next year, Yuri asked Victor about sex.

Victor almost chocked on his stew.

It took him all of his self control to tell Yuri that he was not of age yet and he would not lay even a finger on him before that.


The next year, Yuri turned eighteen.

His fighting skills continued to grow, he could almost keep Victor at bay despite Victor was the one who taught him everything he knew. He could tell Victor was proud of him. He was also taller than when they first met. The height of his eyes were a mere two inches from Victor's beautiful blue-green ones.

On the first night since Victor's arrival, Yuri waited impatiently for the night to fall. He scrubbed every inch of his body in the cold clear lake earlier that day. Nox knew it's time to leave again as the millions of stars rose to their places on the deep-blue canvas of night. She went hunting for mice outside.

Yuri smothered the fire with his bare hands. They sat next to each other watching the shooting stars glide across the sky.

"Are you sure this is what you want," Victor turned to face him.

Yuri could stare into his blue-green eyes forever, "yes." Yuri could tell Victor's self control was crumbling, "you said after I am of age..." he unwrapped his forest green scarf revealing the thick chains he always had around his neck. He lifted his dark brown tunic with tattered edges and let it drop onto the ground. His body changed, he was lean yet more muscular than the scrawny boy whom Victor rescued from raging villagers when he was fifteen. He kept his eyes on Victor's face the entire time as he knew, resistance was futile.

"Fuck," Victor swore silently, "Yuri -" he tipped Yuri's chin forwards with two fingers, leaned down and kissed Yuri for the very first time.

Yuri shivered as Victor's silvery hair spilled over his shoulders.

"I know you wanted this too Victor, I could tell," Yuri kissed him back, hard, he felt the pressure of Victor's lip and teeth. He ran his fingers through those beautiful locks, the same colour as twilight. He never kissed anyone for this long before, he wasn't sure what to do, "it's alright," he whispered, "I am yours."

Victor couldn't keep his eyes off Yuri's changed body. After a pause that felt like eternity Victor sighed. He pulled back and gently smiled, "fine I can't say no to you, Yuri, relax and open your mouth."

Yuri's blush deepened. He closed his eyes again and the last thing he saw was Victor's long lashes before they brushed softly against his cheeks like the wings of a butterfly.

Victor gently slid his tongue inside Yuri's mouth.

Yuri inhaled sharply, sucking the air from Victor's lungs. His grip on Victor's back tightened for a single moment then loosened a little as he relinquished his self control and welcomed him in. Yuri never felt warmth like this in his life. He did not have childhood memories, other than being shunned while villagers screamed 'demon child', having rocks thrown at him, or burnt again and again even though he was untouchable by fire. He drifted from village to village because demons that deeply loved him followed his every footstep and he didn't have the heart to shoo them away. He was the one to blame for any disaster and misfortune befallen to the villages. He was accused of all kinds of things: murder, theft, or even rape. Nobody mentioned or cared that he had been protecting the villages all along. This was the first time he felt an entirely different emotion, an indescribable warmth. For the first time, he was seen not as calamity's child but as exactly who he was. Victor saw his bare naked soul.

"Here," Victor guided Yuri's hand towards his heart, "go on." His breaths sped up.

With trembling hands Yuri pulled the knot of Victor's grey traveling cloak, the cascade of fabric fell next to them onto the damp grass. He moved faster, lifting Victor's silver tunic, revealing his bare chest. His hand lingered for a moment on Victor's collarbone. Yuri then moved towards the buckle of Victor's belt as Victor's lips locked at the base of his neck leaving his mark.

Yuri hoped that mark would never fade.

Victor gently lowered him onto his back, his curtain of silvery hair brushed past Yuri's bare shoulders. Yuri reached up and ran his fingers through through his hair until it framed both of their faces, creating a small world where only two of them belonged.

Yuri's blushed as he felt Victor's hips pressed on top of him. He felt every line on his body. He felt his own body react mirroring Victor's.

"I will stop any time you want me to," Victor whispered one more time and softly kissed the nape of his neck.

"Please don't stop," Yuri shivered and arched his back as Victor's hands run along the bare skin against his torso. He felt Victor's touch moving down further past his waist. He could hear Victor's racing heart, "you promised."

"Yuri, I don't want to hurt you," Victor's kiss deepened.

Yuri cupped Victor's face with his hands and tucked a strand of his silver hair behind his ear. He can't remember desiring anything else so badly before. He wasn't sure where this bold side of him came from. He bit Victor's lip and felt him shiver with pleasure, "shut up Victor." He made himself clear enough.

Victor wanted to move slowly despite his body being on fire. Most of all, he did not want to hurt Yuri for his first time.

He prepared him slowly. When he first started, Yuri suddenly made a sound and clasped his mouth with embarrassment.

Victor gently removed his hand and whispered, "you don't have to be embarrassed," he stroked Yuri's cheek, "let me hear the sounds you make."

Yuri nodded.

Victor felt Yuri relax a little as he continued.

"Now I want you," Yuri's dark eyes bore into Victor's.

He was impatient.

Victor appeared hesitant at first, but he couldn't help it. Victor gave in.

Resistance was futile.

Victor planned to be slow and gentle, but Yuri suddenly grabbed his hips and thrusted him forwards until they are as close as two people can be. A drop of tear rolled down the corner of his eye. He welcomed the pain, bit into his lip, tasted the metallic blood, but he didn't stop. Because Yuri never wanted to forget this night. He wanted his body to remember. He wanted the feeling of Victor carved into his body and his soul.

Victor was surprised by his sudden boldness. The Yuri he knew for the past three years was shy, soft spoken, with the kindest heart in the world. The Yuri he knew was selfless, stupid, he protected the villagers who were merciless towards him all these years. But this was the side of Yuri he had never seen before: smouldering, confident, and wild. This side of Yuri drove him over the edge.

"Victor..." Yuri sniffled, his face red, from the rapture mixed with bliss that he never experienced in his life, his dark brown eyes with a small specks of red locked with Victor's ocean colored gaze, "I love you."

Victor's blue-green eyes widened and Yuri watched them glisten more and more. A hot drop of tear rolled down his eyelashes and fell onto Yuri's cheeks and lips until Yuri tasted the salt, "I love you, Yuri, more than life itself."

They lost track of time and in each other's rhythm.

Finally Yuri curled up in Victor's arms, his face rested against Victor's bare chest, listening to his heart slow down, tangled in his long hair the colour of stars, "Promise me you'll meet me here, on this day every year, for as long as you live." a few soft silvery strands glided through his fingers.

"For as long as I live," Victor echoed.


Greetings,

Thank you for reading the first chapter, I had so much fun writing this story!

I kept on thinking of No. 6 when I wrote the first part of this chapter (Nezumi is one of my all time favourite characters...watch No. 6 if you haven't already).

I intentionally made Yuri innocent here, because his character will transform as the story progresses. This story is actually very dark.

You will (eventually) read this chapter from Victor's point of view.

Let me know what you think!

xoxo

Antares

P.S. I humbly request for you to point out grammar mistakes that I made, that will help me become a better writer, I don't have a beta reader yet.