The Gentle Kiss

Chapter 1

Making the Deal

"Hey, let's stop here for tonight. That way, we can eat and won't have to set up camp."

"You only want to stay here for the food, Thatz."

"Come on, Rune. Please, we haven't stayed in an inn for a week!" That pleaded with the elf.

"You know, he's right. We should stop here for the night," Rath said joining in on the conversation.

"Fine, we'll stop for today, though it's only noon," Rune muttered.

Rath and Thatz immediately ran to get rooms, leaving Rune outside to catch up to them. Before the elf followed, he turned to look at the old forest that was surrounding the town. He sighed, not being able to get the feeling that something evil was there out of his mind.

Rune silently got up out of bed and walked to the door. He looked back at the sleeping forms of Rath and Thatz before leaving the room and shutting the door mutely behind him. He couldn't sleep for some reason, and also he felt as if there was a voice calling him outside. It was beautiful, yet cold and unnerving at the same time.

Rune walked out of the inn that the three Dragon Knights were staying at almost in a trance. He walked down an abandoned street toward the old forest that he had seen earlier. The closer he got, the more his heart told him to turn back. But, his feet wouldn't seem to let him. The voice was still whispering to him, though he now felt as if he was drowning in it.

The Water Knight made his way through the trees and finally came to a small lake filled with black water.

"Saabel..." Rune whispered as he backed away. Now that the voice had stopped he seemed to have control over his body once more.

"Now, there's no need to assume things." Rune gasped slightly when he heard a voice from behind him. It was the same voice as the one that had led him here, but he remembered now that he had heard this voice many times. If he stayed here, then he would more likely that not, be killed.

"Hello, Rune," Nadil said as the elf turned to face him. His evil smirk was once more in place.

He reached out and touched the elf's face gently, causing Rune to shiver. He couldn't help but want the elf for his own. The Water Knight seemed perfect to him in every way. Yes, this was the being he wanted for his mate.

"What do you want from me?" Rune asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I want to make a deal with you." He let his hand fall from Rune's face to his arm as he gently touched the smooth skin his nightshirt reveled. Rune looked up at him, clearly not understanding what the Demon Lord could possible want with him. "Rune, I want you to give me your freedom. I want you to become mine," Nadil whispered into the pointed ear.

"What makes you think I'd just give it to you?" the Water Knight asked as he shoved the Demon Lord away from him.

"I'm willing to stop my war with your precious Dragon Lord in exchange to having you by my side." Nadil almost laughed at the surprised look on the elf's face at these words.

"If you were to stop the war that means you would have to lift your curse from Lord Lykouleon as well?" the elf asked locking eyes with the Demon Lord.

"Yes, Nadil answered. At this point he'd do anything just to make Rune his. He needed the elf beside him, and he couldn't wait much longer before he lost his self-control. "Think about it," Nadil said taking Rune into his arms, "your freedom for the survival of Dusis and the Dragon Lord," he said with a small smile on his face. "I'll wait for your answer." Before Nadil vanished he placed a gentle kiss on Rune's lips.

Rune opened the door to his room and silently walked in. he couldn't really think of what he was going to do. He was just to confused at the moment. Nadil's kiss had only succeeded in confusing him more. How could the Demon Lord's lips be so gentle? How could the Demon Lord's lips be so sweet?

"Hey buddy?"

"Rune, you alright?"

Rune came out of his trance like state when he heard the voices of his fellow Dragon Knights. Thatz and Rath were looking at him with concerned eyes. Rune smiled at them. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"You're lying," Rath said bluntly.

"Rune, you can trust us. Just tell us what's bothering you," Thatz said as he sat down on the elf's bed next to the Water Knight.

When Rune began shacking, Rath came over and sat down as well. He put a comforting arm around Rune, trying to get him to calm down. "Rune, I know you don't want to tell us what's wrong, but it's for your own good that you do. Please..." Rath squeezed Rune's hand and locked eyes with the elf before tears filled the Water Knight's eyes.

"I couldn't sleep because I kept hearing this voice over and over again in my head. It seemed to be calling me outside, into that old forest surrounding this town," Rune said in a shacking voice. "When I went there, I found Nadil waiting for me."

"What? Did he hurt you?" Thatz asked/shouted as he began looking Rune over for any wounds the Demon Lord might have given him.

"When did you become a mother hen?" Rath mumbled under his breath so no one could hear.

"Surprisingly, he didn't. Nadil said he'd stop the war with Lykouleon if I gave up my freedom to him."

"But he had the chance to capture you then, so why didn't he take it? He also had the chance to kill you and weaken the Dragon Clan, but why didn't he do that either?" Rath asked, though he still held onto Rune.

"I don't know," Rune answered truthfully.

After a few minutes Thatz broke the silence. "You can't do it Rune." This caused the other two to look up at him. "We can't just hand you over to Nadil, and also, we never know if Nadil will keep his end of the deal."

"That's right," Rath agreed. "It's probably a trap."

"But, why me? Why not either of you? You're both more important to the Dragon Clan and you're also stronger than me..."

"Don't' say that!" Thatz yelled at the Water Knight. "You're just as important as me, and Rath, and Ruwalk, and Tetheus, and Alfeegi, and Kai- Stern, and everybody else! And you're just as strong as everyone else also!"

"Yeah, you're also the smartest of the Dragon Knights. Without you, we'd be dead," Rath added as he pulled Rune into a hug. The elf just smiled slightly before going to sleep.

Rune had already made his choice and no matter what his fellow Dragon Knights said, he'd give himself up to Nadil if it would stop this war. He would make sure that Rath and Thatz could at least have some peace. If all he had to pay was his freedom to protect them, then so be it.

After Rath and Thatz had fallen asleep again, Rune once more snuck out of the room that night. He let one small tear fall from his eye as he looked back at the two who had become like brothers to him.

Rath and Thatz would probably start another war to get him back wither Lykouleon wanted them to or not. Though, the Dragon Lord would probably be just as mad as them that he had taken one of his Dragon Knights from him.

"All right Nadil," Rune shouted to the sky when he reached the small clearing again. "I've made my choice!"

"That was much quicker than I thought it would take," Nadil said appearing in front of the Water Knight. "So what has the elfin prince decided?"

"I'll give you my freedom," Rune said almost reluctantly.

Nadil approached Rune and held out his hand, clearly meaning for Rune to take it. The Water Knight didn't take Nadil's hand though, but he didn't set away either.

"I'll give you my freedom," Rune repeated, "on one condition."

Nadil's hand fell back to his side and he glared at the elf. "And what would this condition be?"

"I want you to make sure you hold up your end of the deal. Let me go back to the Dragon Castle and as soon as I know that Lord Lykouleon is safe, and that there won't be anymore attacks on the Dragon Castle, I'll use Varawoo's power to come to you."

"You elves are tied to your words and thus meaning you cannot break them, so I will let you go. But, if you have not come to me in a month's time I will send all my armies in one savage attack against the Dragon Lord and I will take you hostage. Also, if you do not return, the curse on the Dragon Lord will return once again. Now go, and return to the Dragon Castle." Once again he placed a gentle kiss on Rune's lips before vanishing and leaving Rune alone in the clearing.

"Rath, Thatz, Rune, it's good to see you three again," Ruwalk greeted them as they walked into the Dragon Castle.

Rath and Thatz ran off toward the kitchens while Rune hung back with Ruwalk.

"How's Lord Lykouleon doing?" Rune asked quietly so that none of the servants could hear them.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" Lykouleon whispered as he came up on Rune's other side.

"Lord Lykouleon!" Rune said in a shocked whisper.

"Why are we whispering?" Lykouleon asked, though he himself was still whispering as well.

"Lord Lykouleon," Thatz yelled from in front of the three. "Can Rath and I talk to you alone?"

Rune avoided his fellow Dragon Knight's eyes as well as Lykouleon's and Ruwalk's inquisitive ones, as he turned around and headed back down the hall. He knew what they were going to talk about, and he didn't want to be there for it.

Lykouleon looked after the Water Knight before walking over to Rath and Thatz. "What's going on?" he asked in a serious, yet concerned voice.

"I think it would be better if we discussed this in private and not out in the hall," Rath said as Alfeegi came up and joined them as well. Lykouleon nodded and the two Knights, as well as Ruwalk and Alfeegi followed him to his office.

Once Rath and Thatz were seated, and the Officers were standing guard by the door, Lykouleon turned to the Fire and Earth Knights once more. "So, would you care to tell me what's going on?"

"Hello, Tetheus," Rune said as he came across the Black Dragon Officer.

Tetheus nodded in response. "Finally got Rath and Thatz to come home."

Rune smiled slightly as Tetheus and he walked out onto some random balcony. The two stood in silence for a while before Rune finally asked the question that had been bugging him. "Tetheus, has there been any demon attacks on the Castle lately?"

Tetheus was silent for a moment. "There haven't been for about two weeks now. It makes me wonder what could have happened to make them stop their assault."

"Tetheus," Kai-Stern said as he stepped out onto the balcony with the two. "Lord Lykouleon wants to see us."

"Tetheus nodded and they both left.

Rune hung his head. He knew exactly what had made them stop. Nadil had kept his end of the deal, now it was time for Rune to do the same.

He suddenly gasped and ran off. Lykouleon was probably going to tell Tetheus and Kai-Stern about Nadil making a deal with the elf. Tetheus would be smart enough to put two and two together and know that Rune had already given the Demon Lord his answer. If they knew that he was gong to try and leave then there would be no way for him to keep his end of the deal.

"So Nadil's willing to stop this war and let Lykouleon live as long as Rune goes to him willingly," Kai-Stern said. Rath and Thatz had just told him and Tetheus about what Rune had told them about his encounter with Nadil.

"But what would he want with Rune?" Ruwalk asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"We don't know but whatever it is we can't let Nadil get his hands on Rune," Thatz said.

"Then we have to find a way to make sure Rune's protected when Nadil tries to get an answer from him," Alfeegi added.

"Rath?" Lykouleon asked, seeing the grave look on the Fire Knight's face.

"Rune's smart, he would have made sure Nadil holds up his end of the deal. I think that Rune's probably already given Nadil his answer," Rath said.

"He's right." This caused everyone to turn their attention from Rath to Tetheus. "That must be why he wanted to know if there had been any demon attacks lately."

"In that case, we'll have to make sure Rune doesn't use his power," Lykouleon said as they all walked out of the room.

"Now the question is: Where is Rune?" Thatz asked.

"He'd be somewhere private so that he could use Varawoo's power," Alfeegi stated.

Everyone looked at each other knowing the most private place for the elf. "The gardens," they all said in unison.

Rune walked out into the gardens and down to a small lake that he always came to to calm himself. He looked around to make sure that no one was there and put up a shield, hoping that it wouldn't necessary though, and that no one would come looking for him.

He began to let Varawoo's power flow through him creating the portal that would take him to Nadil.

Just as everyone reached the gardens all the Dragons felt Varawoo's power pulse from a clearing a half-mile away. They all stood frozen in horror for a few moments before they began running to the spot where they felt the Demon Fish's energy, all hoping that they wouldn't be to late.

"Damnit! There's a shield!" Rath yelled as he slammed his body against the shield.

"Move!" Lykouleon yelled. A bright glow surrounded his hand and he blasted the shield.

They heard Rune's scream, but after that everything was silent. They all ran into the clearing to see Rune lying next to the lake. The half formed portal around him began to disappear.

"What happened?" Ruwalk asked.

"When Lykouleon broke the shield it must have caused Rune to lose control and took all his energy," Tetheus explained.

"Guys, I think we should get him to his room," Rath said from his position next to Rune.

"Right," Lykouleon nodded.

It had taken the Dragon Knights two weeks to reach the Dragon Castle and rune would be out for another two. Little did the Dragon Tribe know how much Nadil hated broken promises.

Yes, I know, it's another Rune fic. I just thought that since I was so mean to Nadil in Passionate Decisions that I would let him and Rune have a fic together. so, I hoped everyone liked. Review for next chapter.

Don't own Dragon Knights.

Preview:

"So, you'd really kill one of your own Dragon Knights, Lykouleon?"

"What do you mean Nadil!?!"

"You know exactly what I mean," Nadil said calmly. "An elf is bond to their word. For them to break it means their death."

"For someone who just signed away their freedom you sure are giving a lot of orders."

"And for someone who was suppose to take away my freedom, you sure give me a lot of free reign."