So I've had this idea swimming around in my head for about a year now. I wanted to throw a little twist on the classic "damsel in distress" tale. Of course, I chose my favourite fandom couple to deliver it. Kanda fans be warned- I like to make him the villain.
The day had gone particularly rotten for Lavi, even before he was ambushed in the woods and thrown into the mud. It didn't take him long to identify his situation after he pulled himself from the filth, but only after trekking astray between the bare trees did the enormity of it all strike him. He gazed upward, craning his neck in attempt to gain a baring on his location, but the rocky drop he sought was nowhere in sight. He knew only one thing about his current location- this was the Devil's Wood, without a doubt in his mind. He was now so deep in the woods, in fact, that he couldn't see more than a few yards in front of him. The trees, although totally deprived of their foliage, were so close together that they almost formed tunnels within their twisted roots. Lavi wasn't certain if it were day or night, but it didn't matter, for he knew that evil things lurked here.
If his situation weren't hopeless enough, he also seemed to have been transformed into a savage dragon.
Even if he were to somehow find his way back to Westcliff, it still became a problem when he considered that he would likely be impaled by the ballistae on sight. Damn that wicked Lord Kanda! Lavi was right about him, and now his twisted intentions were clear- albeit only to Lavi himself. If only he could get his hands- claws- on that backstabbing shark, Kanda would be a scorched kebab on the tallest spire of his own fort! His thoughts turned to his fiancé, Lenalee. It pained him to think of what sort of lies she would be told, that the man she was to wed within the week had fallen from the Reach, his remains scattered far below to be collected by the wolves. He stopped in his tracks.
The letter! His letter to her must have reached her by now! A flicker of hope ignited within. Perhaps she will be able to see the truth, that Kanda and his men would betray him, as per his suspicions he related in the note. His sullen march turned into a cheerful gait. If only he could find his way out of here. To his luck, the trees appeared to be thinning, and he was now able to see that it was very early in the morning. The stars were still visible overhead, looking like a plush cushion in the blushing sky. The dragon attempted to move swiftly, now confident the stories of evil lurking in this wood had all been falsehoods.
"CAW! WHO GOES THERE?!"
Lavi stopped so quickly his legs were unable to synchronise the movement, resulting in a great crash into the tree ahead. The crow shuddered with the branch, and to Lavi's absolute horror, dislodged its body from the talons gripping so fiercely to the swaying branch. The rest of the crow crashed to the dark soil rather unceremoniously, and did not move, its talons remaining glued to the branch above. Lavi picked himself up slowly, his back turned to the beast. He was definitely startled, but wasn't truly frightened until the bird lifted its little head and cawed at him again. The crow was missing several of its feathers, its black wings were matted and caked in mud, and Lavi was almost certain there was a maggot or ten crawling in between its beak and what used to be its eyes.
"You are surely the least intimidating dragon I've ever laid eyes upon!" A figure appeared from the trees, and Lavi wondered just how he hadn't seen him coming long before. The youth's white hair seemed to almost glow in the darkness of the woods. He knelt and gathered up the wretched creature in his arms, lamenting over the broken limbs. The demon crow clicked its beak.
"It's not his fault, Tim, you startled him! We can fix your legs, stop your whining." Lavi watched, dumbfounded, as the boy kicked the tree, and the bird's lost talons fell to the ground. They were propped up, and the boy set the crow on the stumps. It flapped its wings, a little angrily, and hopped in a circle. Lavi found himself petrified. This was something else. He immediately took back every doubt he had about this place being evil.
"So, dragon, what has you so babbity rabbity over a little bird?" He as talking to him. Lavi wasn't certain how to respond, or if there was even a point in doing so. He'd not previously considered the possibility that being turned into a beast would eliminate his larynx, and create a massive rift in communication. On the other hand- or claw- this boy didn't seem to be frightened of him at all, which could turn out in his favor.
"You aren't afraid of me?" Lavi chanced. He despaired when it sounded more like a long, deep growl than words, but the boy howled in laughter.
"You? Afraid of you? My pet bird, Tim, flies away from tea time, most rudely might I add, and finds you. Instead of slow-roasting him, you completely tucked your tail in between your legs! Look, even now!" Lavi's long tail was indeed seeking refuge below him. The boy continued, "I daresay you make a terrible dragon! You aren't intimidating in the slightest. Would you care to join us for tea, then?"
Lavi found his jaw in a distinct 'O' shape. Not only was the boy unafraid of him, he could understand and speak to him, and had even gone as far as to deliver a swift castration of any dignity he might have held in this wretched form. And then invite him to tea. Something was definitely wrong with this picture. Any rational person wouldn't keep a long-dead animal for a pet, and no sane human would so boldly march up to something as dangerous as a dragon and laugh at it. There was, of course, the matter of this being the Devil's Wood. Lavi could feel a chill slithering in his bones as he considered that he may be in the presence of something far more powerful than himself. Any comfort he took in being a massive, fire-breathing dragon while in this wood was instantly extinguished. There was something mythical and ancient about the boy's presence, even if one were to disregard the unusually coloured hair. Lavi wouldn't have guessed him to be any older than fifteen, but the knowing depth of the boy's stormy eyes suggested something delphic lurked within. He wondered about the strange tattoo on the boy's face as well- it didn't seem to be there for vanity's sake.
"Who are you?" Lavi managed, fighting to hide any tone in his voice that would hint at his uneasiness. It wasn't a simple task considering he wasn't familiar with draconic socialization. The boy seemed surprised.
"Surely you've heard the rumours," he said, "I cannot think of one resident of these woods that is not me. I mean, of course, if you do, please say so now, I would like to have a word with them." Lavi pondered his words, trying to search his memory for anything that might answer his question. There was one urban tale of a demon whom lived deep inside the Devil's Wood. This child, he thought, couldn't be a demon. Could he? "Truthfully, though, I am rather more curious about you. I know who I am, but I do not know you," he added, "Oh! The tea must be cold by now." He vanished.
Lavi blinked in surprise, attempting to find where the boy had disappeared to, with no success. The crow bounced in front of him, it's awful, empty eyes gazing up at him. It seemed a little peeved about its legs. When Lavi finally dared to peer back at it, the crow extended what was left of its wings, turned, and hopped away into the woods. Against his better judgment, Lavi followed it. When the crow finally became airborne, it very ungracefully darted through the tree trunks at such a speed that it was a chore for Lavi to keep up with it. At last, however, the trees began to thin until he came to a fairly spacious clearing. What stood before him now weaved both anxiety and curiosity in his mind. He was standing in the shadow of a crooked little tower, big enough perhaps to fit Lavi inside, barely, but small enough that he feared it might tip over if the wind were to pick up. The crow flew haphazardly at the window, which was unfortunately shut. It rebounded off of the wooden barrier, falling on its back with its wings spread into the dirt, its poor neck bent at an unhealthy angle. Lavi cringed at the sight.
"Tim! Not again!" The boy opened the window and leaned out, but stopped and smiled to Lavi. "Ah, decided to join us after all! Come in, then, won't you?" This boy was friendly, a little too much so. He approached the door, and quickly found that it was far too small for himself. Instead, he waited outside. The boy returned, opening the door and peering outside, but when he noticed the dragon seated nearby, he recognised the problem. "Oh, bollocks. Well, that's alright, we can come outside." Lavi was alright with this- he wasn't particularly keen on venturing inside anyway. He disappeared into the tower for a moment, and then reappeared with an abnormally tall stack of teapots, spoons, cups, and a saucer full of sugar. Perhaps gravity worked differently in the Devil's Wood, because the stack of china was far above even Lavi's head. They were set out, however, effortlessly and even a blanket was tossed underneath. Between all of Lavi's confusion, the boy strode behind him to pick up the bird and snap its neck back in place. On his way back, he stopped next to Lavi's tail, observed it a moment, and then pinched one of the scales. A sharp pain shot up his back, and without warning, his mouth flew open and a torrent of flames spilled forth from his jaws.
"Ah, perfect! It's warm again!" the boy announced cheerfully, as he picked up the teapot. He then poured three cups and distributed them, one for the bird, Tim, himself, and one for Lavi. The bird merely sat there, seeming to eye the contents of its cup, before plunging its head inside and remaining consequently immobile. "Now you can tell me who you are, my newfound friend."
"Er, my name is Lavi, I am an archivist in Westcliff..." Lavi said slowly, unsure if it was safe to reveal more. The boy seemed pleasantly unvexed. He then dared to ask, "And I suppose you are some sort of demon?" The boy stared at him a moment, and then laughed darkly.
"Demon? Ha! Is that what they call me these days?" he crowed, setting his tea on the scorched blanket. "They used to call me the Whimsical Warlock of Westreach! But I prefer Walker." Lavi felt himself draw back in alarm. He was a warlock! Not a demon, but one that could harness magic. He stood up suddenly, understanding what that might mean. Kanda conspired with him! He knew Kanda was no witch himself, and had sought out Walker in order to take him out of the equation! He advanced on Walker with a snarl.
"Change me back, warlock!" he demanded. Walker was, of course, presently undaunted. He sipped at his tea.
"As you wish," he said, gently.
"Really?" Lavi said, relinquishing the previous ferocity that gripped him. He stood his ground, however, as Walker pulled the hood of his robes over his head, effectively darkening his face. His eyes, however, seemed to glow from under the cowl. In his hand appeared a deck of playing cards, and he set them in between himself and Lavi.
"I am not above doing favours for anyone daring enough to find me in the Devil's Wood," Walker explained, his tone noticeably darker, "However, my magic is never free of cost."
"What do you mean?" Lavi asked, uneasily. Walker smiled, pushing the deck forward.
"The first hand will decide whether or not I help you," Walker said, his smile unwavering, "The second will determine to what extent, and the third will determine what you will give me in return for my help." Lavi hesitated. Was Walker being serious? He seemed to be ready to draw a hand right now, and all too eager to proceed. Perhaps this is exactly what Kanda did. Lavi pondered what he could possibly have traded Walker in exchange for transforming him into this terrible monster. Then it struck him- Walker had not been conspiring with Kanda at all. Rather, Kanda had come to Walker to strike a deal in the same fashion he proposed to Lavi. Land, wealth, perhaps a few men to feast on, it couldn't have been difficult for Kanda to provide whatever it was Walker wanted in exchange. Lavi found himself outraged. Walker had no desire to side with anyone but himself. It was clear already that he was ready to betray his deal with Kanda in order to make a new one with Lavi. It would be foolish to trust him.
Walker seemed to sense Lavi's conviction. With a disappointed yawn, he drew back and sipped again at his tea.
"I do wonder what that Eastern fellow wanted so badly that he wished to have you gotten rid of," he casually mentioned. Lavi snorted. So it was true. It was Walker's fault he was like this. "Whatever it was, I hope he'll settle for my version. He wasn't specific in the details. I reckon he intended for me to kill you. But, that's no fun, you see, and after all, he asked me to 'be rid of you', and those are some rather loose terms, wouldn't you say?" Walker winked at him. Lavi was trying to determine what Walker meant by these words. Was he trying to tell him that he saved his life by turning him into a dragon, rather than slaughtering him?
"Why a dragon?" Lavi asked. Wouldn't it have been more 'fun' to make him a frail little hare, or even a caterpillar to feed to his crow?
"Because! Dragons are fantastic! Certainly not enough of them, I say!" Walker cheered, throwing up his arms. Lavi wasn't certain if that was a legitimate answer or not. The warlock paused, as if deep in thought. Then, his head snapped up at Lavi. "It's a woman, isn't it? It is! See, you're blushing!" Even if Lavi was blushing, it wouldn't matter, because his scales were a deep red either way. He decided not to bother pointing this out. The urge to crush the little trogg had come and gone, and in its place was a stronger resolve. If Walker was capable of changing him back, then he would have to do whatever he wanted in order to make that happen. He allowed a deep breath, and as he exhaled, a tendril of smoke curled from his nostrils.
"Alright, I'll do it."
Walker seemed pleased by his decision, and turned to the cards again. Sixteen cards flew from the stack instantaneously, startling Lavi. Eight cards hovered before him, face down, while eight were in front of Walker. "The winner shall name the terms. First hand, then," Walker said, and the cards flipped over. Lavi had two of a kind, but Walker had three of a kind. Lavi peered up from his cards, dreading his answer. The first hand determined if Walker would even help him.
"I win," he declared, and the cards shuffled themselves back into the deck. He peered into Lavi's eyes, and for a moment Lavi felt as if he were reading his mind. "If I am to assist you, I want to know why. Tell me your story, Lavi, and I will determine whether you are deserving of my assistance." Lavi hesitated momentarily, his trust in Walker teetering. He wondered if Kanda had told him his story, and what about his story had so compelled Walker to lend him his magic. Perhaps they were all lies. Lavi would only have to tell him the truth. He wasn't certain where to begin. He thought back to the fox hunt, and what had led to it, and came to the conclusion that he ought to begin with Lenalee.
"Well, you were right about the woman. The woman Kanda is after... she is... was... my fiance."
Lavi had spent the bulk of the morning in the library, pouring over old tomes and maps. He found himself particularly enchanted by history, and was often spellbound by the intricate detail of a cartographer's hand. He took notes with his quill, marking places of interest with the help of the map. His fingers glided over a large, blackened smudge on the paper's surface. It wasn't terribly far from his current location, he decided, perhaps only a day's ride from the Westcliff. The smudge wasn't of an inky nature, as if a well was spilled over it. It seemed to be burnt, very precisely he noted, an almost symmetrical circle in the heart of the Devil's Wood. He scribbled the coordinates on his notepad. Lavi was aware of the tales about the Devil's Wood- evil things lurked in there. It was a dark and massive sea of trees lurking below Westcliff. To the south, sharing the top of the cliff with the township was the Brighton wood. The people were far less superstitious of them, even claiming it housed a mythical Pool of Immortals.
Leaning back in the old chair, he pushed his mane of red hair behind his head and stretched.
"I really ought to have slept more," Lavi yawned. After all, there was a day full of wedding plans ahead of him, and a hunt... yes, Yu Kanda himself, the Lord of Fort Honning, had invited him to a fox hunt in celebration of his engagement to the Baroness Lee. He ought to have felt honoured. The truth was, however, the notion didn't sit well with him. Yu Kanda, after all, couldn't have been all too pleased that his arrangement with the House of Lee had been forfeit. The Kanda family was not nearly as wealthy, but they did control a vast amount of land, and a strong local militia. The House of Lee had plenty of wealth to spare. A union was inevitable between the two.
He heard movement beneath the table, the sound of the flap on his knapsack opening. He kicked the thief away, and it let out yowl of surprise. The black cat jumped on the table and took the liberty of sitting on top of the cartography, eying him with serpent-like eyes. It stared a while, then began to lick its paw.
"Stupid cat," Lavi grumbled. Who lets a cat into a library, anyway? He had run into the beast several times in the past years. It was a mangy little ball of fur, matted under its arms and wearing a permanent scowl. There was an objectionable amount of hair protruding from its ears, so much that Lavi always wondered how it wasn't deaf. The animal was starting to grow on him. Lavi had learned, of course, to keep his precious lunch safely tucked away where the cat couldn't get its claws into it. He suspected the little glutton was beginning to learn how to get into that, too.
In defeat, he scratched the cat behind her ears, and she leaned into his palm as if asking for more. Lavi began to close his tomes and roll up the maps. Storing them in their places, the cat followed him as he tucked the notes into his pack and hauled it over his shoulder. He needed to see Lenalee before the hunt today. Lavi had the faint feeling he was walking into a trap, but he couldn't just say no to the offer. Not only so, but announcing his suspicions to the entire house of nobles was out of the question- the House of Lee didn't favour him as it was. Turning down the fox hunt under the pretense that his outfitter was attempting to murder him would be scandalous. Things weren't so simple. He had to confide his suspicions in someone, should anything happen to him- or Lenalee.
When he reached the estate, he and the doormen spent a few minutes trying to scare the cat away. It was certainly persistent, but eventually it grew bored and pranced away along the wall. Lavi knew he would see it again, one way or another. He ignored the calculating eyes as he crossed the hall, his own gaze focused ahead. It was the only way to keep himself from becoming enthralled by the lavish portraits lining the walls, telling of the family's history to onlookers. Lavi was interested in knowing more about the Lee family, but much of their personal memoirs were tucked away. It was a shame, really. As rich and influential as they were in Westcliff, the family was awful quiet about their well-to-do lives. Even Lenalee knew little of her own family origins. She knew only that they came from the East, helping establish the township after crossing the land many decades ago.
"Well, well, if it isn't the groom-to-be."
Lavi was startled by the voice. Its owner, Lavi swore, must have just appeared through the wall, because there were no doors on either side of him. It was the Grand Magister. Not one of Lavi's favourites.
"Ah- hel- an Honour it is to see you!" Lavi stumbled over his own words. He would never grow accustomed to this noble-people talk. The man smiled pleasantly, although Lavi could almost smell the insincerity.
"If you're here to see our dear Lenalee, she is away at the moment," he informed him, pouring a glass of red wine. Lavi was almost certain it wasn't in his hand a moment ago.
"I wasn't informed," Lavi said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "If I may, where has she gone to?"
The man chuckled, swirling the drink in the glass and indulging. Lavi waited with as much patience as he could. The Grand Magister was an imp if he'd ever seen one. He would pull every individual hair from a lion's rump for as long as the lion would put up with it, then turn its throat into a trumpet at the first sound of dissent. Finally, the man responded.
"She is away, in Pemberley, as of last night. It is her last days as a maiden, after all." Lavi didn't at all like the way he said that. There was something like seeping venom in his words, as if he was speaking to a child. The man was observing him like an old coat covered in the dust of centuries. "Best you meet with Kanda, the lad has already left to make preparations for your hunt today."
"Right," Lavi returned frigidly, "Thank you, Sir."
The man called to him on his way out. Lavi stopped, only sparing him a look over the shoulder. The Grand Magister tilted his hat, his long red hair consuming him like a giftwrapped mummy.
"Do take care today, I would hate to lose another bright mind to the darkness."
As perplexed as his words left Lavi, it didn't matter, because in the next moment, the Grand Magister had vanished.
I'll try to keep this updated when I can. Please leave me some feedback- it's extremely motivational for me. =)