Title: Haven: Kitsune
Chapter: 2
Story Notes: Part of my "Haven" series. This is the story focusing around the race of the Kitsune. Fantasy based and takes place in the same world as the rest of the "Haven" stories. BUT they are all completely separate from one another. AU really but in the same world.
Chapter Notes: I almost feel bad dragging this scene in the story out, but I think it is needed. We will get to a bit more explanation of the mysterious captive as this story develops.
The color of the ocean during high noon, always together... unable to be separated, set in a case of the purest white ivory. The pair of large eyes in front of them had all of those traits. Strangely void of pupils and any reflection of the world around them. Obscured by wisps of pure white hair, falling in tangles almost to the ground.
Heero's mind was forcefully kicked backwards in time to mentally run over the conversations that had taken place with the client for that night's job. Had he missed an inkling that this job was not actually for 'gemstones', but instead for a person hidden away in a secret tower room.
"Who are you?" Bared teeth, fit only for a canine, spit out the question in a octave just deep enough to warrant that the captive was male. The overly large silk hood on top of his head quivered from the exertion his body put forth to simply keep his head in an upright position. The aquamarine gems that had started their treasure hunt were unfocused, trained straight ahead where the slight noise had originated from, awakening him from the numbed blanket of unawareness.
The rough question was left to die in an unanswered echo. Strength quickly waining, the prisoner's shoulders drop back down into the same deep bow. Heaving breaths pushing aside the dust on the stone floor mere inches from the folds of silk.
The mission had been a riddle. No wonder the price tag had been larger then Heero deemed necessary for the simplicity of stealing a couple of stones. But that, also, did not change that fact that they had accepted the job and would deliver the goods no matter the obstacles they encountered. Failure was outside of the realm that the Kuroi worked in.
"Duo, pick the locks."
Closest to him, Wufei sucked in a hissed breath, then countered. "You can not be serious Heero." He moved closer to keep from unconsciously raising his voice. "We were paid to bring back a pair of gems, not babysit a living 'thing'. Who knows why he is locked up to begin with!"
Finally taking his eyes away from the unexpected figure, Heero turned to meet the other's black gaze evenly. "The reason does not matter." The simple answer had Wufei clenching jaw. "We were paid to do a job, and we 'will' see it to the end." While the situation had taken a completely unseen and potentially dangerous turn, Heero trusted each and every one of them to obey his orders as if their life counted on it.
Though, while they would always follow the given orders, that did not mean they would always agree either. "This is not something we planned for. How are we supposed to get him out of here unnoticed?" The hand not covering his face to keep the Opium from entering his lungs, swung back towards the plant filled room in angry swipe. The window that was their only exit.
Slanted eyes glanced back to their braided companion, bent over the shining silver cuffs, working to unlock them, before coming back to the Kuroi leader. He knew Heero was serious as soon as he issued that order to Duo. But it put a real kink in their escape route. Given the amount of poisonous smoke in the room, the prisoner would have to be carried while they scaled back down the exterior of the tower. Those white robes would shine like a beacon in the full moon's light. And if he refused to remain perfectly silent, the walking guards would be onto them quicker then they could reach solid ground.
Whoever he was, to be chained, drugged, and locked away in a hidden room. Wufei could only fathom that the collapsed figure was held in a position of value MUCH higher then that of the entirety of precious gems they had found in the prior room.
A pained cry instantly brought both Kuroi out of the heated discussion and turning their attention towards the wall extricate glass.
Wufei's eyes widened to the fullest at the sight of blood shining brightly against Duo's pale skin. Trowa was the first to react, pushing their companion out of reach of the razor sharp teeth that had sunk themselves in the the rogue's right arm.
Seconds later, Heero had the figure in white knocked onto his back and pinned violently to the stone. The chain connected to the silver collar around his neck snapped taut, at its limit, and remained suspended in the air, mere inches above the floor. The captive was no longer the only one baring teeth, Heero now mirrored the snarl from his offensive position, iron grip crushing down a wrist and the other's neck.
"He bit me!" Duo croaked, cradling his injured arm to his chest. The blood rain small rivulets down his skin to speckled the floor in crimson droplets.
Confident he could handle the situation, Heero gave a stern command to their healer, verbally pushing him in Duo's direction. Knowing that any injury had to take top priority or it could hamper their movements later on. The weak struggles from the one under him would not pose any sort of threat. Their number one may not be the largest in bodily stature, but he had an unnatural strength that surprised even the strongest of royal guards.
Raw malice looked back up at him from narrowed lids. If Heero had not already seen the metal chains holding the being securely to the center of the room, he might now question if this was actually a prisoner locked away against his will. Even the adding of physical restraint only seemed to fuel the hatred of the pale young man lying on his back.
Striking eyes and un-human teeth aside, being now, in a close proximity, Heero couldn't help but noticed another unique trait. Tattoos, deep black and winding. The arm he held, partially freed from its silk sleeve, was intertwined by the flowing vines of ink all the way to the finger tips. They were also on his neck, peeking through the length of snow white hair scattered in all directions. The harsh contrast standing out from skin, thick collar, and mane.
Deep blue eyes pinned the pupil-less ones with threat. "You..." The Kuroi started, speaking slowly in a deep and clear tone. "...are going to be released from these chains. And we 'will' take you with us, away from this place. Is that not something you wish for?" He easily kept the arm in place as muscles bunched under his hold.
"A-And then what?!" The captive struggled to speak with the restraints limiting his airway. "You humans are ALL the same!"
Humans? Heero cocked an eyebrow and filed the statement away. For when they had a bit more time to unravel the mystery of the mission they were on. Humans definitely were not the only beings of the land. But hundreds of years had come and gone from the time when all the races shared the land as equals. After the Blood Wars there had been a divide and each race followed their separate path, never to cross paths as they once had. It was a clue as to why this creature was held in such secrecy.
"You are not the first.. nor will you be the last..." The smaller being continued with a weeze. "I hope the gold offered was... enough." Pale eyelashes drooped downwards, over the eyes Heero could not see his reflection in. The silk clad body beneath him quaked at the exertion, reminding the leader of the Kuroi that time was currently their enemy. The longer they remained in the room blanketed in white smoke, the worse off their escape would become. The effects of Opium included drowsiness, numbness, and a general loss of worry. All which were deadly in their line of work.
Turning his attention to his brothers in arms, Heero first addressed the injury. "Duo, are you okay?"
The other nodded, lips set in a annoyed pout. A bandage was neatly tied around his arm, but already the surface was discoloring to a rust orange. After a hand up, he joined Heero's side, kneeling to the floor. Knowing he had a job to finish on the silver locks, worry cast aside now that the captive was restrained fully and by one of their own.
"The guards will have changed for the night." Trowa stated, carefully peaking out the edge of the large glass window to the garden below. "We have been here longer then planned, we will not be able to leave the same way we came in." With every change of guard came a new path their patrolled, it wasn't predictable by the time of night, but instead by the person posted that particular time. It had taken them several days to mark which guard walked what line around the outskirts of the manor. They would need to get a look at the new guard before deciding the best escape route.
Agreeing, Heero remained focused the task at hand. "Work with Wufei and find us a safe way out. I do not want anyone knowing we have been here until the Master of the house returns. The more distance between us and this place at that point, the better."
Trowa gave a nod, following Wufei out of the small room to make sure the tower's green house was left in exactly the way they had found it. The Opium filled room would be an obvious signal of an intruder, but it was just something they could no longer hope to avoid. Perhaps if they had been privy to the full conclusion from the start, then they could have planned for the situation accordingly.
Duo carefully handled each of the silver cuffs as they clicked open. Unhinging then placing them quietly down to the stone floor. He only hesitated a few seconds before going after the lock on the collar encircling the prisoner's pale neck. Bite mark or no, it had to come off before they could make their way off of the property. Once free of each binding the uncovered expanses of skin was indented and raw, telling of the length of time it had been since they had been put into place.
"Use the the extra rope to bind his wrists."
Heero's statement to his companion caused the newly released prisoner to give an angry snarl. Bucking his hips upwards in hopes to unbalance the thief on top of him and throw him off. Gaining his freedom as a result. But he had been in the Opium filled room for too many days straight. The haze over his mind was not something that he could break through logically. Not to mentioned that none of the manor's caretakers dared to come into the hidden room unless the Master was present. It had been days since he last saw any semblance of food or water.
His wrists were all too easily forced together, despite his protests. Tied expertly and tested to make sure they could not be easily freed. The world spun sickeningly as he was hauled to a standing position. His legs almost immediately buckled when needing to support his weight. The two Kuroi were forced to bodily carry him out of the room so it could be closed and relocked, as if they had never disturbed any of it.
Trowa was gone by time they rejoined their companions. Off, on a roof top adventurer to figure out which walking guard they would be dealing at that time of night. Wufei was slowly fishing their rope back out the window. It still remained their only option as an exit until they reached the ground. The single staircase leading from the room was just an accidental trap waiting to spring on them.
"You won't be able to hold him and climb down safely." Wufei noted nonchalantly. He removed his long black cloak, idea in mind to solve the very issue he pointed out.
With bound wrists placed over Heero's head as an anchor, they used the wool material to create a sling that accomplished a dual purpose. Securing the drugged individual to the strongest of the four's back, and covering over the shining white robe he was donned in. The remaining bandages from Duo's pack were also utilized as a gag to keep him from creating too much noise. Not to mentioned that it also served as a safety precaution against the extended canines that had already proven they could, and would, be used as a weapon.
Heero had to relocated his sword's sheath to his hip, allowing the long leather holder to be far closer to his legs then he cared for. A possible tripping hazard if he needed to run or dodge, but it was the only option under the circumstances. Once finished, he carefully adjusted the weight on his back and eyed his long haired brother, who was carefully repacking his bag, keeping each piece separated so they did not make any unwanted noise. "Are you going to be okay to climb?"
The other nodded, twisting his injured appendage to prove the silent word.
"I'll go down first." Wufei cut in, undoing the binding of his low ponytail, using the curtain of black hair to cover the skin beneath. Without his cloak, he'd be more easily spotted under the bright moonlight. "I can assist if he has any issues.." Casting a final glance around the room, he gave the area a final approving sweep. It was time to go. "Trowa said he'd meet us at the bottom. Ready?"
The remaining Kuroi agreed, carefully climbing over the stoned window sill and back into the chilled air of the night. Luckily the wind had died down in the time they had been inside. It made the long climb down to the ground easier, though without it, even the slightest sound echoed far too loudly off the wall they scaled.
Strapped securely to Heero's back, their hostage had stilled, surprising the Kuroi leader. He had expected a struggled since his own hands were now preoccupied, hanging onto the rope. Instead the young man remained unmoving, panting quietly just behind his ear. Unnatural heat seem to radiated from the extra baggage. It could, simply, be that the prisoner had use up all the energy he possessed 'or' that a fall to his death was not an acceptable form of escape.
After seeing the environment the other had been forced into for, who knew how many years, that simple survival instinct was held in high respect. And allowed for his carrier to safely finish the first leg of their journey out of the enclosed Manor grounds.
True to his word, Trowa appeared just before they reached the bottom, baring news of which guard they had to worry about. An older man by the name of Alfred, well seasoned in his duty and had worked for the family before the younger Master had even been born. His route posed the most problems because he was much for thorough then the younger guards, weaving in and out of all the areas within the intricate garden. He was talented in both the sword and a cross bow that was slung across his back.
"We'll need to head to the east wall." Wufei state after Trowa's news. "It is the farthest from the guard station and the last place for the guard to reach." The healer stepped closer to Heero and pulled back a corner of his black cloak to double check on the one beneath. The alluring eyes of their hostage were closed, creased at the corners.
Giving the black haired man a moment, Heero looked up to mentally curse the full moon high above them. Knowing the shadows they had been privy to while coming in, would now be virtually non-existent. "Trowa, scout ahead. We will have to hurry to beat the guard. Give a warning if he is ahead of schedule." A quick acknowledgment and the taller man silently crept away in the direction Wufei had indicated.
Counting off a predetermined amount of seconds, then unsheathing his weapon, saving him the few precious seconds it would take later on, if he needed the black bladed sword. "Lets go."
All in agreement they headed out to finish the last leg of their mission.
Heero, barely kept a surprised curse silent as he tripped, the extra weight on his back throwing off his balance enough to bring him to hands and knees. Wide deep blue eyes starred to the lush grass he almost came face to face with. The hell! He was, by no means, clumsy. Not only that but this was the third time he had lost his footing, though the first two he had managed to stay upright.
Shooting an annoyed glance backwards his eyes came to rest on a unkempt vine, pigtailed at the toe of his right boot. With how pristine the garden was kept, the sight of the scraggly foliage was unusual. Following the same lines of the broad leafed plant that his sheath had caught to yanked him sideways, then the soft moss that his foot had sunk down to his ankle in, and now this vine. He was beginning to think that the plants were out to see them all caught.
Without words, Wufei grabbed him by the upper arm and helped ease the rise vertical. Those black eyes looked at him in a concerned manner, no doubt worried that the Opium had played to mute Heero's awareness of objects close to him. It was a concern that Heero waved off, signally that they had to keep moving forward. They could, now, see the tall wall that surrounded the full estate. A few moments before Trowa's tweeting call warned that the walking guard was closing in of their exit position. He was not going to risk that the white haired stranger would see them as the greater of two evils and cause a racked while they needed to hide from Alfred's old, yet still keen eyes. They were going to get over the outer the wall before that point.
Pushing forward they soon came upon the last of their party. Waiting, crouched, on top of the stone wall, right where the two walls met to make a corner. Their rope in his hands and ready to be put to use. Taking a quick surveying look around, Heero jerked a finger to the healer, then up to Trowa. Again Wufei would be the first on the rope, where he could then help Duo, and if need be, Heero over the tall structure.
Once over, they were far enough away from the post of the outer guards to worry about line of sight, and just a quick swim away from the occupied land they had infiltrated.
The shining moonbeams where the only observers to the departure of the famed Kuroi. Not that they were going to whisper their knowledge to a soul. What accrued on the earth was there for their entertainment only. Though the slight peek, when the last black figure crossed the tall expanse of gray stone, of aquamarine eyes was interesting. For many cycles the shafts of light would faithfully sooth that child with a pure white caress through the wall of glass. But never had they seen him outside, it was a new development in his story. One that they were happy to watch over and light the way.
