And another rather monstrous chapter. Sorry, at the end it took me a little more than three weeks ^^U

WARNING: brief M scene and drama. Especially drama -.-


1 year later (5 years ago the present day)

For a moment Dezel thought that his last spin was going to make him fall. However, just at the last second he managed to recover his balance and finish with a little forced but still rather good stance. At least under his point of view.

"Wow, Dezel-chan, that last movement has been extremely graceful…"

Dezel snorted when hearing Zaveid's ironic tone.

"Well, I haven't fallen so that's what matters"

Dezel's superior smile caused Zaveid to laugh. They both were practicing on the tightrope and it was the first time that Dezel had been able to mimic Zaveid's movements almost perfectly. Consequently, the younger Wind Seraph was feeling extremely happy, and even if Zaveid was teasing him as much as always it was evident how proud he was of him.

"Okay, Dezel-chan, now be prepared for the most difficult movement of all the times"

Dezel rolled his eyes while adopting again his starting stance.

"Stop trying to scare me and get on with it, old man"

Dezel smirked when Zaveid half-closed his eyes at him when being called that.

"Very well, shrimp…", it was Dezel's turn to half-close his eyes at him, "…let's see if you can keep your balance with… THIS!"

Dezel let out a rather undignified high-pitched cry when suddenly Zaveid threw himself at him with a jump, causing the both of them to fall from the tightrope to land into the giant mat that was placed just under them in a mess of tangled limbs.

"Bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing?!", Dezel exclaimed, but he was making a really great effort not to laugh when seeing the childish triumphant expression that Zaveid was wearing at that moment.

"I just wanted to show you that you are still a shrimp that isn't able to keep his balance", he said with a purposely condescending tone while crawling over Dezel until being pining him down on the mat.

"Yeah, and the fact that I've fallen because a mad giant has stomped on me has nothing to do with it, right?", Dezel replied, smiling with irony and automatically opening his legs more to let Zaveid settle between them comfortably.

"Exactly. That was just a minor detail", Zaveid said with a nonchalant tone that caused Dezel to laugh because of Zaveid's nerve, but since at that moment the older Wind Seraph leant down to kiss him sensually slow Dezel decided that he could wait to keep insulting Zaveid later. Right then, he preferred to enclose his arms around Zaveid's back and enjoy the contact of his lips against his own.

Dezel sighed in delight when Zaveid began to slowly grind his body against him, creating a light but at the same time satisfying friction that Dezel immediately welcomed by beginning to move his hips up against Zaveid's ones. Damn, even if they had been together for more than a year Dezel kept feeling in the pit of his stomach that indescribable heat every time that Zaveid and him got intimate.

"What have I told you about using the mat for sexual purposes?"

Zaveid and Dezel stopped immediately when suddenly hearing Lafarga's voice, and although they were momentarily afraid when hearing the old man's serious tone, after seeing the affectionate smile that was adorning his face both Wind Seraphs relaxed instantly again.

"It's Zaveid's fault", Dezel accused immediately, "it's him the one who has begun"

"Buut you haven't stopped me so it's your fault as well", Zaveid replied with a smile, kissing Dezel briefly again before finally stepping outside the mat, followed by a resigned Dezel.

"So how has the training been?", Lafarga asked while looking at Dezel, and this one felt a wave of satisfaction when seeing the pride that was adorning as well the man's grey eyes, "it seems that you are getting more and more used to perform on the tightrope. With that rhythm of improvement you'll be able to do the show in a couple of months"

"Really?!", Dezel exclaimed with a genuine happy tone that caused the older men to laugh.

"Yes, really", Lafarga said before turning to look at Zaveid with a teasing glint in his eyes, "so be careful, Zaveid: if you don't train maybe your boyfriend steals your position as one of the main Wind Seraphs from you"

Zaveid snorted.

"Then you must be careful too because maybe we will both be the ones who steal the show from you"

Lafarga chuckled when hearing Zaveid's purposely provocative tone.

"Yes, I know that's going to eventually happen and I'm very happy about it, but as long as these old bones of mine keep obeying me I'm afraid that you won't be able to let me out of the show, young man"

Zaveid laughed with amusement before enclosing an arm around Lafarga's neck.

"What are you saying, idiot?", he said with an affectionate tone, "the three of us are the Wind Seraphs and that isn't going to change even when you turn 80, so don't you dare to think that you are able to rest just because you're a little older than us"

Lafarga chuckled again when seeing Dezel nod with emphasis, showing his agreement on Zaveid's words.

"Well, I'll try to meet your expectations and reach the eighties but I can't make any promises to have enough energy to keep performing"

After keeping chatting for some more minutes Lafarga left after asking the younger Wind Seraphs to rest well since they had a show to do that same night.

"Jeez, this week we've had to perform almost every day. We are going to die from exhaustion…"

Dezel threw a skeptical glance towards Zaveid when hearing his obviously fake protesting tone.

"Stop pretending that you don't like the fame of Zaveid 'the Ladykiller'", Dezel said with an ironic tone.

"Hey, you're no one to talk", Zaveid replied with a smile while crossing his arms, "if I remember correctly during the last two shows it was not me the one who was asked for a date by a group of charming ladies"

Dezel shrugged when hearing Zaveid's comment before interlacing his fingers together to raise his arms over his head, in order to stretch.

"Well, it's not my fault that those ladies had better taste than…", Dezel shut up when Zaveid disappeared from his view to reappear just behind him, so close that he could feel the man's chest against his back, "hey, what are you…?"

Dezel's sentence ended with a whine when Zaveid placed his hands over his shoulders and began to massage them.

"Helping you to relax", Zaveid said simply, although something in his apparent innocent tone caused Dezel to suffer a small shiver.

"I don't know if it's a good idea", he said before exhaling a soft whimper when Zaveid began to rotate this thumbs between his shoulder blades, "you know what happens every time that we do this"

Zaveid chuckled and leant forward to settle his mouth just in Dezel's ear, and the light contact mixed with Zaveid's amazing hands traveling down his back to keep applying exactly the perfect pressure caused the younger Wind Seraph to bite his bottom lip not to let out a moan.

"It's your fault for letting out such sexy noises when I do this…", Zaveid purred in his ear while applying extra pressure just on Dezel's lower back, which was extremely sensitive and caused Dezel to arch his body while gasping.

"Damn you…", Dezel managed to exhale, turning his head to throw a 'glare' at Zaveid, who was smirking without any shame.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you are so weak to this kind of ministrations. Besides…", Zaveid approached Dezel's face until their lips were almost touching, "…even if you protest it's evident how much you like it…"

Dezel blushed slightly when Zaveid pointed with his eyes his now evident erection, but fortunately after a year of being dating he had learnt how to reply to almost all Zaveid's replies.

"Tsk, don't pretend that I'm the only one who is affected"

While talking Dezel casually grinded his ass back softly, the action causing Zaveid to gasp, and Dezel couldn't help to smile with satisfaction when discovering that indeed he wasn't the only one hard.

"So?", Dezel turned around to be facing Zaveid, whose eyes were now shining with a light that caused Dezel to shiver again, "who is the one who is weak to this kind of ministrations?"

Dezel never obtained his answer. He just knew that barely ten minutes later he was struggling to keep his uncontrollable moans under control while Zaveid pounded into him fast and hard against the wall of the backstage, his legs and arms wrapped around Zaveid's body tightly in order not to fall.

"Ah…aah…", Dezel exhaled against Zaveid's parted lips while incrementing the grip of his arms around the older man's shoulders to secure himself a little more when beginning to meet down every powerful thrust with passion, "oh yes…"

They mouths met again in a bruising deep kiss while Zaveid used his hands to spread Dezel's buttocks a little more so that he could enter him even better, the deeper angle causing the younger Wind Seraph to throw his head back while moaning wantonly.

"Ooh yes…there…", Dezel exhaled in ecstasy while pushing his heels against Zaveid's bare ass to encourage the older Wind Seraph to enter him even harder, the action causing Zaveid to grunt with arousal.

"Dezel…", Zaveid incremented even more his pace and kissed the younger Wind Seraph passionately, swallowing his noises that were unconsciously growing in intensity now that his prostrate was being ravaged with every wild slam of Zaveid's hips, "I really love hearing you but if you aren't quiet someone is going to discover us…"

Dezel was about to reply that in that case it would be his fault but he didn't because it wouldn't be fair. After all he hadn't protested at all when Zaveid had pinned him against the wall to begin to make out wildly with him. In fact, now that he remembered when Zaveid had suggested to change locations it had been him the one who had practically broken Zaveid's pants in his hurry to open them, clearly hinting that he didn't want to wait a single second longer.

So no, definitely he couldn't blame Zaveid for anything but for being so damn good that it was impossible for him to remain quiet even if trying it with all his forces.

"Z-Zaveid…", Dezel whispered some moments later when feeling himself approaching his limit, and for the way Zaveid's pace was slowly becoming erratic he accurately deduced that the older Wind Seraph was about to finish as well.

"Okay…", Zaveid said with a nod while pushing out from Dezel to place him on the ground again, and even if Dezel immediately missed Zaveid's length filling him they had learnt from previous passionate outdoor experiences that finishing inside, even if hot, wasn't the best idea since the following process of cleaning was a pain to deal with it.

So, thanks the times that their sexual needs had been greater than his common sense resulting in similar situations like the one they were in, they discovered that even if it was less satisfactory it was way better to finish the way they were doing right then: with Zaveid masturbating their two members together while Dezel made sure to have the tissues prepared on hand. It probably wasn't the sexiest way to reach their climax together but definitely it was the most efficient one.

"Dezel…", Zaveid leant forward to capture Dezel's lips in another heated kiss just in time to prevent the whine that Dezel exhaled when Zaveid incremented the rhythm of his hand, using his thumb to tease alternatively the leaking tips of their respective members, "Dezel, now…"

Even if Zaveid's words were a warning and not a command, Dezel couldn't hold back anymore when hearing Zaveid's breathless voice and came, although fortunately he covered their respective members with a tissue in time, managing to do it just when Zaveid was finishing as well.

After partially recovering their recently lost breathing, Zaveid leant forward to kiss Dezel with calm while slowly getting down from the high of their recent sexual experience.

"I don't think that this can count as resting but I feel extremely refreshed right now"

Dezel chuckled still a little laboredly when hearing Zaveid's satisfied tone.

"Speak for yourself", he said with irony, "it's not your back the one who is going to protest tonight"

Zaveid laughed.

"Well, I can always give you another massage to try to fix it…"

Dezel chuckled again when hearing the way Zaveid had spelled that word.

"No, thank you. I think that I've had enough massages for today", he said, mimicking purposely Zaveid's tone and causing the man to smile with amusement.

"Oh, then that means that it hasn't been satisfactory enough?"

Dezel rolled his eyes when hearing Zaveid's casual tone.

"You love to be praised, don't you?", he said with resignation, but he was smiling when leaning forward to kiss Zaveid a little more intensely than usual, "yeah, it's been more than satisfactory"

Zaveid was genuinely surprised when hearing Dezel's words.

"Wow, Dezel, congratulations! You've managed to admit how damn good I make you feel without blushi…okay, false alarm: you're definitely blushing now…"

"Argh, shut up!"

Zaveid laughed openly and kissed a rather bright red Dezel with tenderness.

"I love you"

As always, Dezel's chest was invaded with a warm sensation when hearing Zaveid's words. Damn, he knew that after having been together for a year already he should be used to Zaveid saying things like that to him, the same way that he should be able to resist more Zaveid's natural sex appeal, but he couldn't help it and every time that the older man reaffirmed his feelings for him Dezel felt immensely happy.

And about their libido settling down…well, it had just been proved that they still had a long way to go until being able to remain alone and not feel the desire to jump into the other one. Not that he minded it.

"What you love is teasing me", Dezel replied with irony despite he was smiling like an idiot in love.

"Yeah, that as well", Zaveid admitted without any shame, "and I know that you like it more than you want to admit"

Dezel rolled his eyes but his smile kept being in place because Zaveid wasn't wrong.

"Come on, let's go. Rose and Edna have to be about to come here to train. And by the way…", Dezel surprised Zaveid with a soft peck on the lips, "…me too"

It took Zaveid a moment to realize that Dezel had just answered his previous declaration but when he did Dezel found himself gasping for air when Zaveid kissed him with vigor.

"Damn, Dezel, you're too cute for your own good"

"O-Oi, don't call me that!"

"Well, don't be and I won't call you"

"Oh god, you're so exasperating…"

"Yeah, but I know that you like that as well"

And again, unable to negate the older Wind Seraph's statement, Dezel just kissed him violently in an attempt to remove that too satisfied smile from his face without any success.


After discarding the used tissues and rearranging themselves the best they could they left the tent just when Rose was entering.

"Oh, I didn't know that you were still …", Rose stopped talking, a mischievous smile appearing on her face while her eyes fixed on a particular point in Dezel's neck, "…training"

Dezel automatically settled a hand over the place that Rose was staring, the action betraying him and causing the girl's smile to grow.

"Don't bother to hide it, Dezel-chan", Zaveid said with a completely relaxed tone, "you have more on the other side of your neck so…"

Dezel glared at his smirking boyfriend while Rose suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh, come on, don't look at me like that", Zaveid said with a conciliatory tone, "they aren't too visible so I don't think that anyone but our observant Rose 'the Rose' notices them"

"Notice what?", just at that moment Edna approached the tent and with her usual imperturbable expression she fixed her eyes on Dezel before continuing speaking, "the giant red mark that Dezel has on his neck?"

"WHAT?!"

Zaveid and Rose burst out laughing when hearing Dezel's mortified tone, and when seeing the way Edna was suppressing a smile the younger Wind Seraph discovered that the blonde had just mocked him.

"Ha ha ha, very funny", Dezel tried to use an irritated tone but Rose and Zaveid's laughs were making that task difficult.

"Oh, there you are"

At that moment Lailah joined the group as well.

"Hey, Lailah-chan!", Zaveid said with a smile, "you've arrived just in time to tease Dezel. You and Eizen are the only ones left"

Lailah chuckled when seeing Dezel show an expression full of patience.

"Maybe later", she said with a smile, "right now Lafarga wants us to go to the main tent"

"Let me guess", Rose said, "another stupid nobleman that is trying to convince us about how good it would be to cede the rights of the Windriders?"

Everyone chuckled when hearing Rose's ironic tone. During the last year the Windriders circus had prospered a lot and consequently it was rather common that people came to the circus asking to join them, what was great. But being more famous also meant that certain self-interested people tried to offer them deals that only aimed to obtain benefits at their expenses. Fortunately, those last visits were much less frequent.

"The nobleman part is true", Lailah explained, "the visitant certainly seems powerful and rich but at least if he wants to take advantage of us he is doing it way more subtly than our previous opportunists"

"Well, it's a little pointless to begin to guess without knowing the man himself", Edna commented.

"You're right but I still bet that he is an opportunist", Rose insisted stubbornly, causing Edna to roll her eyes while smiling a little.

"And Eizen doesn't come?", Dezel inquired while beginning to follow Lailah towards the tent where the reunion was taking place.

"He is already there", Lailah explained.

"Of course he is", Zaveid said with a purposely condescending tone, "we all know that he is Lafarga's favorite and consequently he is always informed first"

Lailah hit Zaveid's ribs playfully.

"Idiot, you know that's not true. He just happened to be first and for that reason…"

"I know, silly. You don't need to defend your fiancé", Zaveid interrupted her with affection while ruffling her hair, causing the long-haired woman to half-close her eyes at him 'threateningly', but since she was blushing happily her glare lost all her effect.

"Oh, that's right, it's just three months until that!", Rose exclaimed while joining her hands together with enthusiasm, "hey, are you sure that you don't want to move up the wedding?!"

Lailah chuckled.

"We've talked about this already", she said with a patient but at the same time affectionate tone, "these two months are usually the busiest since we have way more visitants than in the rest of the year, so we prefer to wait until autumn since we'll have more free time"

"Mmm, and after that how much until the babies?", Zaveid asked with a teasing smile, his comment causing Lailah to blush even more.

"I-it's too soon for that!", she exclaimed, "we are still too young: I'm just twenty-two a-and I don't feel prepared yet to…"

"Lailah, ignore him", Dezel intervened while hitting Zaveid on the back of his head, causing the man to exhale a soft 'ouch', "he is just teasing you"

"And what about you?", Edna intervened, looking at the two Wind Seraphs, "were are you going to marry?"

"WHAT?!", Dezel exclaimed, causing the girls to begin to laugh.

"Oh god, your face has been priceless!", Rose exclaimed while Dezel glared at her, and he was about to reply when Zaveid intervened.

"Well, even if Dezel is already seventeen I would like to wait until he is at least twenty to propose"

Dezel stared at Zaveid in disbelief when hearing Zaveid's serious tone, his eyes opened at his maximum.

"Are you serious?", he managed to say, and he felt his heart skip a beat when Zaveid smiled at him with tenderness.

"Yeah, I am. After all I know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you ,so to marry would have a lot of sense, don't you think?"

After a moment of silence Dezel enclosed his arms around Zaveid's neck and kissed him passionately, causing Zaveid to smile against his mouth while enclosing his arms around his body.

"Well, for your reaction it seems that you don't dislike the idea…"

"Idiot", Dezel snapped with a trembling voice before kissing him again. It was incredible that the man who always teased him and usually acted so childishly was able to say those breathtaking things as well. Things that made him be even more in love with him if possible.

"Look at those idiots in love", Rose said with a teasing but happy tone.

"They are cheesy as hell", Edna snapped, but she was smiling too.

"Yes, but they are so cute", Lailah replied while settling both of her hands over her chest, her tone trembling a little with sincere emotion.

At that moment Dezel finally realized that they weren't alone so he immediately stopped the kiss, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"W-well, umh, we should go to the tent already", he babbled, causing the rest to chuckle before finally following his completely red friend inside the main tent.

As Lailah had commented, Eizen was already there together with Lafarga and a man that obviously was the nobleman that had came to visit.

However, unlike the previous noblemen that they had met, the strong aura that surrounded the visitant together with his rather imposing presence made evident that the man in front of them was used to rule. Also, the way he was sitting on the table, with his back completely straight in a firm but at the same time relaxed stance and his fingers interlaced over the table made clear that it was a man used to discuss, the same way that his polite but also lightly condescending smile showed that he was used to get what he wanted, and when detecting that Dezel couldn't help to adopt the same determined stance while looking back at the man with his most determined look, as if wanting to remind him that right then he was in their territory and that consequently that meant that at that moment they had the upper hand.

"It has taken you a while", Lafarga's amicable and relaxed tone effectively destroyed the interchange of glances between Dezel and the stranger, "everyone, take a sit. There is something that we have to discuss together"

Lafarga waited until everyone took his usual place to speak again.

"Windriders, this is Lord Hedalf", the man inclined briefly his head towards the rest when Lafarga introduced him, "he belongs to one of the most important noble families of Rolance and he is here to make us an offer that, according to him, we aren't going to be able to reject"

"Well, it's not the first time that we've been told that and we haven't accepted any single offer yet"

Dezel was surprised when Lord Hedalf chuckled. He was the first person who came to visit them to offer them a deal that reacted so well to Zaveid's purposely rude comment instead of feeling insulted.

"That's because until now you haven't received such a nice offer like the one I'm going to propose you right now"

Dezel had to suppress the impulse to roll his eyes, because one thing that Lord Hedalf did share with the other nobles was that certainly annoying overconfident attitude.

"In that case let's hear that impossible-to-reject offer", Eizen intervened with a soft smile despite his eyes were showing alert.

Lord Hedalf showed a smile full of teeth that evoked the image of a wild lion on Dezel's mind for a brief moment before beginning to speak.

"Alright, first of all let me congratulate you for the absolutely amazing circus that you have managed to create. I've come to see your performances several times and I must praise you for being able to make similar but at the same time different shows that are always really appealing to see"

"Flattery is not going to be enough to convince us, you know?"

"Edna!", Lailah scolded Edna lightly while Dezel bit his bottom lip not to laugh, and the cough that Zaveid suddenly suppressed sounded really suspicious.

"Don't worry, it's understandable that you think that way", Lord Hedalf said immediately with a smile that again didn't look bothered at all, "however what I'm saying is completely true: I think that your circus is spectacular and that has potential to become the best of the world, and for that reason I would like to offer you to associate with me"

"And what exactly is that association about?", Zaveid asked without bothering to hide his reluctance.

"It's really simple", Lord Hedalf's smile widened, "I'll take care of all your expenses, including the animals care and the assembly of all the installations. Also, the benefits that you obtain for your shows will keep being yours and yours only, and you'll keep having complete freedom to do your shows as you've been doing until now.

"In exchange, there are a couple of conditions that you should fulfill.

"First, instead of keeping traveling from city to city you'll have to be installed in my domains. Of course, I compromise to make the appropriate publicity so that all the cities have word of all your shows, but the difference is that the visitants are the ones who will move to see you perform, and not the contrary"

"And second, since I'm a really popular man (I don't mention it for boasting, it's just the simple truth) I use to reunite with several important people to make business, and sometimes the reunions can end being difficult, tiring and boring, lasting even more than one day. Consequently, I would like to count with your services and disposition for those occasions. Of course you wouldn't have to do a complete show, maybe some shorter actuations would be enough. Like a private show for my clients in order to entertain them"

After Lord Hedalf spoke there was a rather long silence in which all the Windriders remained lost in their thoughts.

"So?", Lafarga ended saying, his tone and expression as calm as always in a way that it was impossible to know what he was really thinking, "what do you think?"

Dezel hesitated. Thinking carefully about it, Lord Hedalf's proposal was not so bad, since it would be a relief to be able to forget taking care of the most annoying things like cleaning the animals, buy the equipments, checking the assembly of the tents…

Besides, now that they were famous enough maybe it would be a nice change to be established in one single place, since it would be assured that people was going to come to visit them. After all, like that they wouldn't lose so much time traveling between cities and they would have more time for themselves as well.

Yeah. Lord Hedalf's proposal was rather good. But…

"With all my respects, I don't like the idea of anyone ordering me around", Zaveid's honest words resounded in the suddenly silent room, "so even if associating seems to be more profitable in several aspects I still prefer to remain as we are"

Dezel gulped, looking at Zaveid in awe while feeling extremely proud and at the same time jealous of his boyfriend for being able to say aloud what he (and probably everyone) was thinking with such determination. Damn, he still had a way to go until being able to have such a strong personality that allowed him to talk what he really thought with that security.

"I think the same way", Dezel said immediately. At least, even if he hadn't been the first one in talking he would be the first in supporting Zaveid's opinion, "I would prefer to keep being able to choose the shows that I want to do and how and when to do them"

"You'll be able to keep doing that", Lord Hedalf intervened, a little too hurriedly, "the only difference is that besides those shows that will keep being accessible to all the public you will also do more concrete shows just with certain special clients"

"That's precisely the condition that we don't like very much", Eizen explained then, a slight apologetic but firm smile on his face, "we want our circus to reach everyone and anywhere. We want to be able to entertain people no matter their condition, position or money. And what you are proposing is precisely the contrary"

"We appreciate the offer", Lailah said with a soft tone, "we really do. But it's as Eizen has just said: we don't want to make exceptions in our shows with anyone, much less to restrict shows just to certain people"

"And about not having to move anymore I personally enjoy the travels a lot", Rose added, "and I think that forcing people to come just to a single place is a little selfish"

"So, in conclusion, sorry but we are afraid that we can't accept your offer", Edna finished with her characteristic conclusive tone"

After everyone expressed their opinions, there was another silence in which Lord Hedalf looked at them alternatively with an evident disappointed expression on his sharp factions, just on the contrary than Lafarga, who was smiling to himself with a rather satisfied smile, as if he was proud of the responses that they all had given.

"Well, it seems that your master was right when warning me that his disciples were extremely hard to satisfy"

Dezel was surprised when Lord Hedalf answered with a polite and understanding tone, since he was expecting a condescending or almost insulting reply when hearing the Windriders' negative. Well, it seemed that his first impression about the man not being able to accept a no for an answer had been wrong.

"My apologies, Lord Hedalf", Lafarga said with a sincere tone, "your proposal was really generous but I'm afraid that the Windriders are too free to belong to anyone"

Dezel was surprised when suddenly Zaveid leant forward casually towards him to whisper just in his ear.

"That's a lie. I belong to you"

Dezel couldn't help to blush from head to toe when hearing Zaveid's words, and when seeing the man wink at him discretely with a wide smile on his face he didn't know if he wanted to hit him or to kiss him furiously. Probably both. Although the balance was inclining more for the second one.

"Alright, something has just occurred to me", Lord Hedalf said after some seconds, "I suppose that you know about it already but have you heard about the festival that is going to take place in Ladylake in a couple of months?"

"Yeah, of course", Rose said unable to hide her enthusiasm, "it's the most famous festival of Hyland. All the most famous artist dream to go there to do their shows"

"If you are disposed to pay the fees that are required to be able to perform in the capital", Eizen added with a resigned tone, and just after talking he opened his turquoise eyes wide while staring at Lord Hedalf with astonishment, "wait a minute, don't tell me that you are suggesting…"

Lord Hedalf smiled, his overconfidence back on his factions again.

"What I am suggesting is that in case you wanted to go, I could easily pay those fees together with all the equipment that you need to perform"

"So, in other words, that's a bribery to make us accept your previous proposal"

Lord Hedalf laughed when hearing Edna's comment.

"Bribery is a really ugly word. I just want to show you how much I'm disposed to invest in order to be able to associate with you"

"Lord Hedalf, I am afraid that the answer is going to be the same", Lafarga said with an apologetic tone.

"Maybe you are right", Lord Hedalf agreed, "but I still have the hope that you change your mind after seeing what it means to work under a man who is disposed to pay for everything without caring about the price at all. So please, even if you don't accept my proposal yet, at least accept this opportunity. Consider it as a petition from an eccentric rich man and a prove of my admiration for you"

After Lord Hedalf stopped talking, everyone interchanged hesitant looks, this time Lafarga included, because as Rose had commented Ladylake's festival was probably the best of the world and the only reason for which they hadn't gone yet was because the registration fees were exorbitant and they preferred to use that money in less famous but more abundant festivals in other towns.

However to be able to do a show in the capital guaranteed to be well known in the entire world, so it was a great opportunity that no artist would dare to let pass by.

"So?", Lord Hedalf said with a calm tone, "will you accept?"

"Sorry, but there must be a trap", Zaveid snapped even if his shining eyes proved that he really wanted to go to that festival, "there is something that you must gain from this or you wouldn't be so generous when knowing that we can reject your association at the end"

Dezel was surprised when Lord Hedalf smiled even more instead of being bothered by Zaveid's words.

"You're really distrustful, Zaveid 'the Ladykiller'. Although you have guessed right. There is something that I would like you to do for me: to accept my daughter as you apprentice in your circus during these two months".

Expressions of surprise appeared in everyone's faces when hearing that totally unexpected petition, so Lord Hedalf decided to expand his explanation.

"She has always dreamt to become a circus artist and I know that working with you would make her immensely happy. Besides, she is very talented, although of course I understand that you'll think that I'm just speaking as a loving father so you'll have to be the ones in having the last word about her skills. However…", Dezel was surprised when Lord Hedalf gulped before continuing speaking with a tone that carried an undeniable sadness in it, "…there is also something that you must know about her and it's that she is mute. She has been since the moment she was born, what unfortunately has caused a lot of people around her to see her like a disabled despite of my attempts to stop that from happening since she is a perfectly sane girl, both physically and mentally. Consequently, she is extremely shy and has problems to interact with the rest, resulting in her being in her own world more than she should, to the point that sometimes she even disappears for hours to be alone", Lord Hedalf smiled a little apologetically, "I'm aware that to treat with a person like this can be bothersome and uncomfortable, but I would really appreciate that you consider to have her with you. Of course, I don't mean that she has to remain with you forever, it would be just these two months so…"

"We'll accept her", Lafarga said immediately, obviously moved after hearing Lafarga's explanation, "and what is more: if after these two months she wants to keep being with us we'll accept her gladly. Right, Windriders?"

"Yes, if that's your condition to participate in the festival we'll fulfill it gladly", Eizen agreed with a smile.

"We'll take good care of her", Lailah said with a reassuring tone, "you can be at ease in that aspect"

"Mmm, maybe I could convince her to become a Wind Seraph", Zaveid said thinking to himself, "we've never had a female apprentice and it surely would be a nice change, don't you think Dezel-chan?"

"Why are you asking me?", Dezel asked with surprise, "you and Lafarga are the teachers, not me"

"Well, but if she decides to join our show you would be teaching her as well", Zaveid replied, "after all you know the basics like the palm of your hand so you could teach her perfectly"

Dezel's mouth and eyes opened wide in disbelief and satisfaction.

"She will join the Wind Seraphs no matter what the cost"

Rose snorted while the rest laughed again when hearing Dezel's enthusiastic tone.

"Sorry, guys, but I will be the one in convince her to do a combined show with me and we'll be the BEST dagger performers of all Ladylake's festival", Rose said with conviction.

"And why don't you let the girl decide for herself?", Edna said with a resigned tone.

The Windriders kept discussing during almost another minute until Lord Hedalf interrupted them with an extremely grateful tone.

"Thank you, Windriders. You don't know how much this means for me. I'm sure my daughter will be happy no matter what show you decide to put her in"

"Well, as long as she is at least fifteen she will be able to be in all the shows", Lafarga said with a smile.

"Oh, perfect, because she just turned sixteen the last month", Lord Hedalf said with a relieved tone.

"And what's her name?", Zaveid inquired with an amused smile, "after all Lafarga will have to think about an alias just in case she decides to join us definitely"

Lord Hedalf smiled openly before finally answering.

"Symonne. Her name is Symonne"


"Woooooow!"

Rose's enthusiastic cry together with her funnily astonished expression caused the rest of the Windriders to begin to laugh, and Dezel was grateful for that because he had been about to have the same reaction than Rose, since the sight that welcomed them when entering the capital of Hyland was simply wonderful. The colorful decorations that were adorning the main street to the point that the streetlights and balconies of the houses were barely visible; the almost countless stands full of merchants of all ages selling food, accessories or souvenirs; the musicians that were walking through the already crowded main street while playing diverse instruments to liven up even more the already lively ambience.

Definitely Lafarga hadn't been lying when saying that Ladylake's festival was the best of the world.

"Dezel-chan, don't try to pretend that you aren't excited: your eyes shine even more than Rose's ones"

Dezel couldn't help to blush while half-closing his eyes at Zaveid, but before he could reply Eizen intervened.

"Look who is talking", Eizen signaled with amusement the big balloon that Zaveid had just confiscated from one of the streetlamps and that was shamelessly carrying attached to his belt.

"H-hey, I've already told you that I've only grabbed it for Symonne-chan", Zaveid tried to justify himself rather poorly before looking around, "by the way, where is she?"

"Oh no, don't tell me that she has gone lost again", Lailah exclaimed with a worried tone while beginning to look around as well, although more hysterically than Zaveid.

"Nope, she is right there", Edna signaled one of the accessories stands where Symonne was standing quietly, apparently observing with deep interest a pair of orange flower-shaped hair ties.

"Thank goodness", Lailah let out a patient sigh and approached Symonne to, supposedly, scold her, although at the end the only thing she did was to buy the pair of hair ties, causing Symonne to tense up when Lailah began to comb her hair in two ponytails.

"She keeps being as distracted as always", Lafarga commented with a resigned but also affectionate tone.

"And it seems that even after being these two months with us she hasn't get used to Lailah's maternal nature yet", Zaveid commented with an amused smile, and he was right because during the time that Lailah had been combing her hair Symonne had been staring fixedly at the floor, her normally pale cheeks lightly red.

"But she is more relaxed than when she entered the circus", Eizen added, "at first it was impossible to make her join us in our meals"

"She wasn't probably used to have such a chatterbox next to her…", Dezel commented while throwing a glance towards Rose.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?", she exclaimed with an offended tone.

"She is a weirdo", Edna said with a completely natural tone, "but we all are so that's not really a problem"

"Yeah, you are right, we are no ones to talk", Zaveid chuckled before speaking again with a more serious tone, "and I really think that she would be better with us than with her father. He seems to be a really strict man"

"Yeah, he certainly didn't look like the most affable father of all the times but he must love her daughter if his only condition to allow us participate in this festival has been to accept her", Eizen reasoned, his argument causing Zaveid to end agreeing with a nod, and since at that moment Lailah and Symonne finally joined them again everyone decided to stop talking about the girl.

"Alright, Windriders, pay attention", Lafarga said at that moment, "according to the letter that Lord Hedalf sent us we have to go to speak with Lady Maltran, one of the main organizers of the festival, in order to sign a couple of papers before being able to act tomorrow"

"Wait, what kind of papers?", Dezel asked with a suspicious tone, because even if Lord Hedalf had always been extremely nice and polite the couple of times that they had seen him again during those two months, he didn't let pass any opportunity to emphasize how good it would be to join him, so a part of Dezel feared that the man tried to trick them and consequently he was not keen on getting along with the man.

With Symonne, on the contrary, he didn't feel like that. In fact, after discovering that Lord Hedalf hadn't exaggerated when saying that she was talented in practically all the activities, Dezel found himself enjoying the times in which she had come to ask him to try to use the pendulums, because it was evident that the girl was dying to learn new things and she was a really fast learner, so working with her was really funny. It was true that the fact that she was mute complicated the communication at first, but in very little time they all managed to understand the girl's gestures.

However, even when they managed to communicate, Dezel noticed that Symonne never mentioned anything about her father, and the few times that Rose had tried to ask for details the girl had completely ignored them, what made Dezel suspect that maybe the man wasn't such a loving father as he wanted them to believe. And yes, he hadn't the right to judge Lord Hedalf without proves, but he couldn't help to suspect that the man wasn't as understandable as he pretended.

"Relax. It's just a formality", Lafarga said with a reassuring tone, "since we are going to use borrowed materials and installations, Lord Hedalf recommended me to make an insurance to make sure that in case something breaks, we are extent to pay for it. And don't worry: I can assure you that I've re-read those papers several times and there isn't any trap in them"

Dezel visibly relaxed after hearing Lafarga's words. Well, if the old man said that everything was fine there was nothing to worry about.

"Alright, in that case while the old man is going to do the boring paperwork stuff let's go to enjoy this festival at its fullest!", Zaveid exclaimed with such enthusiasm that everyone laughed except Dezel, who shook his head with a resigned smile for having such a childish boyfriend. Although the truth was that he was as excited as the rest.

"Have fun!", Lafarga desired with a smile, "and make sure that you don't lose Symonne!"

"Don't worry, we will!", Rose exclaimed before grabbing the girl's arm with energy and beginning to run towards the rest who were already disappearing into the crowd.


Some hours later everyone finally decided to stop at the inn after having spending the whole afternoon going from one stand to another to play the fair activities that had been mounted and of course to also taste practically all the food that was offered. In fact, they had eaten so much that everyone decided not to have dinner, so they just accommodated themselves in the common room of the inn to wait for Lafarga's arrival while talking calmly.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't long because Dezel could feel his eyes beginning to close after spending such a funny but extenuating day.

"Alright, everything is done", Lafarga announced with a tired but satisfied smile the moment he entered the common room.

"It has taken you a while", Lailah said with a surprised tone.

"Bah, surely Lafarga has been flirting with Lady Maltran and he has been late for that reason", Zaveid said with a teasing tone that made Lafarga chuckle.

"I have to admit that the woman was rather interesting but she is too young for me", he said with a smile, " so no, I'm afraid that the reason for my delay is I've checked that we had all the material we needed"

"Hey, you could have asked us for help", Dezel protested.

"Yeah, it's unfair!", Rose exclaimed, "you haven't had time to enjoy the festival!"

"I still can visit it tomorrow", Lafarga said with a dismissive tone while sitting on one of the sofas, "besides, it should be the youngest the ones who should enjoy the festival the most. And speaking of that, where is Symonne"

"She has gone to sleep already", Lailah explained, and after hesitating she added, "she looked really tired"

"And sad", Edna added, saying aloud what everyone was thinking because they had noticed that the girl's behavior during that afternoon had been a little more taciturn than usual, almost melancholic

"Well, it's something logical", Eizen commented, "since after tomorrow show maybe she comes back with her father"

"But we have told her already that she is free to remain with us if that's what she wants!", Rose exclaimed.

"Yeah, but maybe Lord Hedalf doesn't let her do so. After all, when we asked him if she could participate with us he rejected the suggestion by saying that she wasn't prepared enough", Dezel snapped with a ruder tone that he had intended and that caused Lafarga to chuckle.

"I see that your opinion of Lord Hedalf isn't very positive", Lafarga spoke with an amused tone.

"And it seems that you care for Symonne-chan more than it seems at first glance", Zaveid said with a teasing tone that caused Dezel to blush a little.

"I-I'm not worried, I just don't want her to be unhappy in case of coming back with her father"

"That's precisely what being worried means, Dezel", Eizen intervened with a smile, making Dezel blush even more.

"Don't worry, Dezel", Lafarga said with a reassuring tone, "if at the end it's as you fear and Lord Hedalf doesn't want that Symonne remains with us I'll go to speak to him to convince him"

"Yes, to 'convince' him…", Edna repeated pointing at her umbrella with such a threatening look that Dezel couldn't help to laugh together with the rest.

After spending some more minutes of calming chat, the yawns became gradually more frequent so everyone decided to call it a day.

"Okay, but before going to sleep…", Dezel was surprised when suddenly Lafarga approached Zaveid while extracting a coin from his pocket, "…heads or tails?"

Zaveid smiled and crossed his arms over his chest with confidence.

"Tails, of course"

Dezel observed with a confused expression Lafarga throwing the coin in the air and Zaveid letting out a slight frustrated sigh when the result was heads, and when seeing the way the rest of the Windriders were smiling knowingly he felt even more confused if possible. Why was he the only one who didn't know what was that about?

"Okay, Dezel…", Lafarga said with a wide smile fixing his grey eyes on him, "…you better rest well because tomorrow you are going to join me in the tightrope show"

It took a Dezel some long seconds to assimilate Lafarga's words, and when he did the loud 'WHAT?!' that he exclaimed caused the innkeeper to enter the room hurriedly to check that nothing bad had just happened, and when seeing the way everything was laughing happily the poor man left the room with a sigh while muttering to himself a resigned 'damn artists'.

"Congratulations, Dezel-chan", Zaveid said, smiling proudly at him, "you've finally made it"

"Yeah, congratulations!", Rose repeated with enthusiasm while patting his back with such force that Dezel almost fell forwards, but he was too busy opening and closing his mouth alternatively trying to find something to say to mind the girl's rudeness.

"You are going to make a great debut", Eizen settled a hand over Dezel's shoulder, "not everyone has the luck of doing his first performance in such an important festival"

"Oh god, I'm so happy for you!", Lailah exclaimed with a touching tone, her eyes way brighter than usual, "I still remember when you always protested for not being able to use a pendulum and now look at you…"

"Yeah, and when he finally began to use it he was so clumsy that there wasn't a day in which he didn't break something", Edna added.

"H-hey, I didn't break so many things!", Dezel protested, but it was just half-heartedly because he was really fighting to push back the giant lump that had settled on his throat.

Damn, he didn't want to make a scene but it was being extremely difficult to hold back the tears because after a whole year of hard training he was finally going to accompany Lafarga in his show, during the most important festival of all the times, and damn if that wasn't worthy of crying out of happiness.


Barely five minutes later Dezel was removing his clothes to enter the bed where Zaveid was already lying with just his boxers on and his hands crossed behind his head. Dezel smiled to himself, knowing that if he wasn't so tired he would have surely felt aroused for that vision but all the emotions of the day together with the news of his imminent debut had caused his desire for his boyfriend to be replaced by his desire for the comfortable bed.

"So?", Zaveid inquired while shifting a little to the side so that Dezel had enough space in the bed, "are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"Nah", Dezel replied immediately with a dismissive tone, but when seeing the way Zaveid raised his eyebrows skeptically he exhaled a defeated sigh, "okay, yeah, I am"

Zaveid chuckled.

"It's logical. After all it's the first time that you are going to do the tightrope show in such an important festival. And in such a high place. And with so many people looking at you"

"Zaveid, you're making a great job calming me down…"

Zaveid laughed when hearing Dezel's sarcastic tone.

"But despite all that, if Lafarga has allowed you to perform that means that you are prepared enough", Zaveid deposited a reassuring kiss on Dezel's lips, "for that reason I'm sure that you'll do it awesomely. And hey, if you end screwing it up the only thing that will happen is that you'll fall aaaaall the way down to the mat and I'll be laughing for hours, so it's not such a big deal"

Dezel couldn't help to laugh when hearing Zaveid's carefree comment.

"Jerk", he snapped, but the smile was still in his face when he leant forward to capture Zaveid's lips in an intense grateful kiss. As always, that idiot happy-go-lucky had managed to put him at ease just with his words, "sorry to disappoint you but I'm afraid that you aren't going to have any motive to laugh. I'm going to do such a fantastic show that I'll become the most famous Wind Seraph of us"

Zaveid chuckled when hearing Dezel's now overconfident tone.

"That's the way a proud Wind Seraph should always talk", he approved, "so make sure to keep believing in it when you perform and everything will be more than alright"

Dezel nodded, and after hesitating he added.

"I wish we three could do the show", he couldn't help some frustration to slip in his words, "I would have really liked to do that show with you"

Zaveid smiled and kissed Dezel again, slowly and languidly but also with intensity, causing Dezel to let out a satisfied sigh while feeling Zaveid's tongue join his with calm.

"Me too", Zaveid admitted before adding with a purposely sensual tone, "buuut that also means that after the show you'll have to find a way to cheer me up…"

Dezel rolled his eyes with patience but he was smiling.

"And let me guess: that cheering you up is going to imply to 'test this bed resistance', right?"

Zaveid laughed when hearing Dezel's ironic tone.

"It has been a while since the last time I heard that expression", Zaveid kissed Dezel again, "and yes, Dezel-chan, you have guessed right, so you better be prepared because tomorrow after the show…", Dezel's breath hitched when Zaveid leant over him to whisper just in his ear while using his sexiest tone, "…I plan to make love to you so passionately that the cries of the audience when you do your show are going to be nothing compared to the way you are going to cry my name"

Dezel felt his member twitching after hearing Zaveid's erotic words, and in fact he had to take a deep breath not to do something as incredibly stupid as straddling Zaveid's lap to begin to kiss him senseless.

"Okay, but as you've said that's for tomorrow", Dezel snapped while forcing Zaveid to lean his head on the pillow again, "so stop trying to tempt me and sleep"

"Kay, okay, I'll leave my seduction techniques for tomorrow", Zaveid said with amusement while turning off the bedside lamp, and Dezel automatically adapted to Zaveid's body when the older Wind Seraph spooned him from behind, letting him enclose his arms around his waist to embrace him tightly, "good night, Dezel 'of the Green Eyes'. And don't worry. Tomorrow you're going to do it great"

Dezel smiled with his eyes closed while settling his hand over Zaveid's protective arms.

"Good night, Zaveid 'the Ladykiller'. I love you"

Dezel felt Zaveid smile against the back of his head before depositing a soft kiss on it.

"Me more, Dezel. Me more"

As always, when Dezel fell asleep there was a happy relaxed smile adorning his face, and this time it was not just for Zaveid's loving words but also because the next day he knew for sure that it was going to be a day that he would never forget.


"Oh god, oh god, I don't know if I can do it…"

"Rose, if you don't calm down I'm going to hit you with my umbrella"

"It's okay, sweetie, you don't have to be nervous: just think that it's going to be like any normal actuation"

"Yeah, with the only difference that there is almost the triple of people that usually comes to visit…ouch!"

"Idiot, I told you already that's not the way to calm someone down"

"But you calmed down yesterday when telling you that…"

"Yeah, well, but that was yesterday, do I look calmed to you right now?!"

"Sssh! Lower your voices or people will hear you!"

All the Windriders shut up when hearing Eizen's warning. They were at the backstage waiting for the people to finish entering and the more time it passed the more nervous everyone was.

Dezel gulped, feeling his heart pound hysterically in his chest. Damn, until some moments ago he had been perfectly fine. In fact, in the whole day he hadn't been nervous at all. They had spent a rather peaceful morning enjoying the festival this time together with Lafarga until the old man decided to go to check one more time that everything was perfectly mounted, thing that wasn't necessary because the contract that they had signed covered all the installation of the stage but Lafarga had always been really meticulous in that aspect. At least that time he didn't go alone because Symonne offered to accompany him, and since it was the first time during the last two days that the girl had showed real interest, Lafarga gladly accepted.

So, in conclusion, the day has been really relaxed and Dezel had seriously thought that he had his nerves under control. But now that they were about to perform and after seeing the almost frightening quantity of people that had come to see them, he discovered that he had been mistaken. And that all the nervousness that he hadn't felt during the day had decided to invade him. Damn, he couldn't even stop trembling, and even if Zaveid, Lailah and Eizen were pretending to be calm it was evident that, although not as much as the youngest ones, they were feeling nervous too. The jumps that they all gave when Lafarga appeared on the backstage confirmed it clearly.

"Hey, what's with those faces?", Lafarga said with an amused tone, "don't tell me that after all the time that you've been performing you are nervous now"

Dezel was about to deny Lafarga's word but Zaveid was faster.

"Yeah, we are", he admitted, surprising not just Dezel but the rest as well, "but I'm positive that this is going to be the best show that all those people have seen in their entire life so I don't think that it's bad to have extra adrenaline"

Lafarga laughed when hearing Zaveid's words, and that bright sound that contrasted so much with the stressed mood automatically caused everyone to relax at least a little.

"Well said. That's exactly the spirit. So, Windriders…", Lafarga situated an arm just in front of him with his palm down, "…can you remind me once more what is our circus motto?"

Dezel was the first one in putting his own hand over Lafarga's one, then Zaveid followed putting his hand over his, and then one by one the rest of the Windriders did the same until all his hands were joined and that was the moment on which they began to recite at the same time:

We always have to do our best while performing, without caring about being watched by one person or by thousandths

"Exactly", Lafarga approved with an affectionate smile, "and since the most important thing about that motto is to always give your best and I know that you always do, there is nothing to worry about: you're going to do it great, as you always do"

Everyone nodded, now all their previous nervousness completely vanished.

"It's a pity that Lord Hedalf hasn't let Symonne join us…", Rose commented with a sad tone.

"Well, one more reason to do the show even better than usual", Zaveid reassured the redhead with a smile, "let's make sure that we do a performance that she doesn't forget. So Dezel-chan, make sure to fall into the mat because that way I'm sure that no one will forget the show…"

"Ha ha ha", Dezel said with sarcasm while the rest began to laugh, but when Zaveid enclosed an arm around his shoulder just before kissing him playfully he immediately responded, although he bit the older Wind Seraph's bottom lip briefly as a punishment but also because he knew that doing that drove Zaveid a little crazy, and the way his orange eyes glinted when he did that confirmed Dezel that Zaveid hadn't lied when boasting about what he planned to do to him later that night. Damn, he couldn't wait to that either but now he had to focus. Now he had to make sure to give his best in his debut. Lafarga had given him that great opportunity and like hell if he was going to waste it.

"Alright, then…", Lafarga winked at everyone while placing his hand to slowly begin to open the curtain that covered the backstage, letting the enthusiastic murmurs of the waiting audience be even more audible, "let's go, Windriders: we have a crowd whose heart we have to win"

When Dezel finally walked into the stage and stood just in front of the audience that had already begin to applaud hysterically after seeing the Windriders entrance, he knew that his fear of becoming nervous again had been stupid, because the only feeling that was invading his body at that moment was a warm excitation and emotion for being able to be there that day, together with everyone.

In fact, while waiting to do his combined show with Lafarga, he observed that the performances of his companions looked even better than usual. The way Lailah danced with the rhythm of the music while moving her origami birds just before being caught in fire. Eizen and Edna's juggling and acrobatic show that made everyone hold their breathings. Rose's bold but calculated movements while using her daggers to hit standing but also moving targets, that somehow looked to be even more far away than usual. And the admiring cries of the public when Zaveid entered the stage with his always proud nonchalance to make his pendulums look alive with every imposing but also graceful movement of his body. All those performances, which were incredible already, looked even more captivating than usual.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Dezel realized that his turn had come.

"Leave them speechless, Dezel", Zaveid whispered with an encouraging smile just when he was passing by his side, grasping Dezel's hand subtly with his own, and although Dezel would have liked to stop Zaveid in his tracks to kiss him he knew that it wouldn't probably be the most adequate behavior, so he limited to smile at him with all the affection he allowed himself to show so that the rest of the audience didn't notice it.

"Are you ready?", Lafarga said when they finally reached the pillars of almost 20 meters that held the tightrope and that allowed them to access to it.

"Yeah, I am", Dezel said with confidence, and after Lafarga offered him an approving smile they both began to climb their respective pillars.

When Dezel finally reached the top, he took his time to exhale a couple of deep breath to put himself at complete ease, and after seeing Lafarga nodding at him from the other side of the tightrope to indicate him that he was ready, they both began to slowly walk through the tightrope.

As always, the audience remained silent at first with their breathings contained and their eyes opened wide observing in awe the two figures of the Wind Seraphs slowly approaching the center of the high tightrope. However, when Lafarga and Dezel finally extracted at the same time their pendulums and began to move them at unison, admiring mutters and then enthusiastic shouts resonated inside the whole place.

Dezel smiled, unable to hide his happiness when finding himself completely comfortable while making the moves that had taken him seven years to learn, and for the way Lafarga was smiling as well, proud and with emotion, he knew that he had really made it. Finally, he was a true Wind Seraph, and when they finished their show Dezel knew without any doubt that he had just did the best performance of all his life. The way the entire audience stood up on their sites while shouting and applauding at them almost hysterically confirmed it.

But then, just when Dezel was treasuring that day as one of the best of his life, the nightmare began.

The lights that were illuminating the whole place suddenly began to flicker until they all broke at the same time with a short-circuit, causing people's shouts of joy to be replaced by surprised and scared ones while expressions of fears assaulted the face of the children that until now were observing the show with pleased eyes.

And that was just the start, because just when the rest of the Windriders that were waiting at the backstage came out to try to calm the now frightened audience, a horrifying iron breaking sound invaded the place when one of the sustainers that were keeping the ends of the tightrope attached to the pillars gave in.

By when Lafarga and Dezel realized what was happening it was too late, so when the tightrope fell down a little because of the broken sustainer, the sudden change of balance didn't give time to the two Wind Seraphs to react in time and they both ended hanging on the tightrope.

"Dezel! Lafarga! Hang in there!"

Dezel gulped loudly when hearing Rose's scared tone calling them from below, feeling his heart beating frantically in his ears when looking down and seeing everyone looking up at them with concerned eyes. Damn, he hadn't ever had fear of heights but now he was horribly unaware of the distance that separated Lafarga and him from the floor. A distance, he realized, that could be fatal if any of them…

"Dezel…", Dezel forced himself to push aside his dark thoughts when hearing Lafarga, and he was somewhat relieved when seeing the man completely calmed despite the precarious situation they were in, "just focus on not releasing the tightrope. Everything will be fine, okay?"

Dezel gulped again and after nodding shakily he dared to throw another glance down. He distinguished Rose looking up at them and crying encouraging words at them while Lailah and Edna indicated people to get out the tent, and although he couldn't see Zaveid and Eizen at first it didn't pass much time until he heard the voice of his boyfriend from a blind spot just below Lafarga and him, unusually angry.

"Damn it, why the hell the emergency mat hasn't inflated automatically?"

"I don't know but it's useless to complain now: we'll have to do it manually"

Dezel frowned confused. Of course, he had forgotten the mat! When they trained there was always a traditional mat placed below the tightrope, but during the real shows the mat that was under them wasn't inflated but thanks to a sensor placed just at the level of the tightrope it could detect the presence of a person. That way, if a tightrope walker had an accident and fell, the mat would inflate automatically in just split of second allowing the falling person to reach the ground safely.

However, this time it seemed that something has failed with the sensor, because even if he couldn't see Zaveid and Eizen, he could hear them struggling perfectly.

"Damn, it isn't working"

Zaveid's voice seemed frustrated, and that caused Dezel's chest to clench in apprehension because that wasn't a good signal. He hadn't ever seen Zaveid lose his calm with the exception of when his stepfather came to visit, so that must mean that the situation Lafarga and he were in was worse, much worse, that he had initially thought.

"What's happening?", Lafarga asked, and Dezel admired deeply that the man kept being able to speak with calm when he was about to lose his nerves at any moment.

"I-It's the mat!", Rose explained with a trembling voice, "we don't know why but it doesn't work, not even manually!"

"Edna, go with Lailah and see if you can find something else to cushion the..."

Eizen's demand was cut when suddenly other of the sustainers broke and the tightrope fell a little more, causing the Windriders (Dezel included) to let out a strangled gasp that mixed with the cries of the people who still remained there despite Lailah's attempts of making leave the place.

"Fuck, there is no time", Zaveid suddenly moved, allowing Dezel to see his strained expression, "Lafarga! Dezel! You have to get on the tightrope again to reach the pillar. It's the only way to…"

"No"

Dezel stared at Lafarga in disbelief, that monosyllabic answer spelled with such a firm tone making everyone become silent during several seconds, until it was Zaveid the one who broke the overwhelming silence with a rude tone.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Dezel felt a cold sweat invade his body when Lafarga smiled apologetically. Damn, that was an expression that he didn't like one bit.

"Sorry, everyone. But there is not time. I'm afraid that there is only a solution"

Dezel's expression turned horrified when seeing Lafarga release the rope with one of his hands to remain hanging just with the other, the action causing everyone down there to gasp again.

"Wait, no…NO!", Dezel shouted with desperation when realizing what Lafarga planned to do.

"Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing?!", Zaveid practically snarled, the fear on his tone painfully evident.

"Please, Lafarga! There must be any other solution! You…you can't…"

Rose's voice failed her when she began to cry. Edna, who was next to the redhead, tried to speak in her place but she only managed to let out a sob while beginning to cry silently as well, so at the end it was Lailah the one who spoke, her voice faltering.

"Lafarga, please, don't do anything reckless. You two still can do it. You are not so far away from the pillar so maybe if you move slowly…"

"It's useless"

It was Eizen who had spoken, and even if his tone had sounded extremely composed his eyes were showing deep sadness.

"Lafarga is right. By when we manage to find something to soften the falling it will be too late. The tightrope won't sustain both of their weights. The only solution is…"

Eizen didn't need to finish the sentence because just at that moment the tightrope came even looser again, as if it was confirming his terrible words.

"Damn it…", Dezel exhaled while looking around in a useless attempt to find something that could liberate them from that nightmare, "it must be something that we can do. Something that…"

"Dezel…", Lafarga's tender but at the same time firm tone made a lump appear on Dezel's throat, "...it's no other way. The tightrope can't sustain both of us like this and we can't move because it would break. The only way is to release some weight. And I'm afraid that there's only one way to do it"

"But you'll die!", Dezel shouted, unable to hold back the tears anymore, "l-look, we have just to wait a little longer until the rest brings something to reduce the impact so if we just…"

Another sustainer gave in, the metallic sound interrupting what Dezel was saying.

"Damn it…", Zaveid growled with gritted teeth, "…damn it, is there really nothing that we can do…?"

"Lafarga…", Edna muttered. Rose kept sobbing nonstop and Lailah and Eizen interchanged a look full of impotence.

"There is not time, Dezel", Lafarga reasoned, "We'll both die if we don't do something now and I'm not letting any of my children die. So…"

Lafarga looked down alternatively at everyone with a calm smile on his features. A smile that showed that he had just accepted his fate with no regrets.

"Zaveid…Lailah…Eizen…Edna…Rose…Dezel: you don't know how happy I am for having been able to see you grow up until becoming the great men and women that you are now. I'm really proud of you and I feel blessed for having been able to act as a parent to you all. I wish we could spend more time together but I'm afraid that it isn't possible"

Lafarga turned his head to fix his eyes on Dezel while using his free hand to caress Dezel's cheek with affection, removing some of the tears that kept falling nonstop from his face.

No. It was impossible. It couldn't be happening. He had to be dreaming. That was it. It had to be a dream. A damn horrible dream because it wasn't possible that Lafarga was going to…

"Take care from now on, Dezel. And you too, my little Windriders", Lafarga looked down again, his grey eyes shining with emotion and tenderness, "I love you all"

And then, Lafarga released the rope. And Dezel felt how the entire world around him froze except the image of Lafarga falling in almost slow motion, his always gentle smile not leaving his affable factions for even a single second. Not even when his body finally reached the ground. Not even when his life escaped from his body.

Dezel stared down, unable to act, unable to hear the words of his companions who urged him to begin to move towards the pillar. Unable to assimilate that Lafarga, the man who had raised him, who had shown him all the wonderful things of working on a circus, who had loved him since the first moment with no conditions, who had been his friend, his master, his parent...had just died. And that he hadn't been able to do anything to prevent it.

"Dezel!", it was Zaveid the one who was shouting his name with all his might, "Dezel, can you hear me?! You have to move now!"

"Dezel, sweetheart, move, you're really close!", Lailah exclaimed.

"W-why isn't he moving?!", Rose practically shouted in an hysterical tone.

"I think he is paralyzed", Eizen replied.

They shouted again trying to make Dezel react, but their voices couldn't reach the younger Wind Seraph, who kept staring at the place where Lafarga had fallen while the terrible reality of what had just happened resounded on his head as a horrible inner melody: Lafarga is dead. Lafarga is dead. Lafarga is dead

"Okay, enough. I'll go to take him"

"Wait, Zaveid!", Lailah exclaimed when seeing Zaveid with the clear intention of climbing one of the pillars, "you can't do that. The pillar is too unstable and it won't be able to sustain your weight…"

"Lailah is right", Eizen reasoned, and just when Zaveid was opening his mouth to protest the blonde spoke again, his tone full of determination, "I'll go. I'm lighter than you"

"Brother!", Edna's turquoise eyes shined in fair when Eizen began to climb the pillar without waiting any second longer.

"Eizen…", Lailah called, trying to show calm on Edna's behalf even if her expression was horribly scared.

"It's okay", Eizen said with a soothing smile, "I'm the best acrobat around here, remember?"

"Wait, take my pendulum", Zaveid said, reaching to the pocket of his trousers to take the object and throwing it to Eizen, who caught it in the air easily, "maybe this makes him react"

At any other moment, Eizen would have managed to reach the top of the pillar in less than ten seconds, but he couldn't risk to climb it too hurriedly because the iron crash sounds that were invading the room indicated them how little time they had until the rest of the sustainers broke.

Consequently, it took Eizen almost a complete minute to reach half of the pillar, where he stopped to try to call Dezel again.

"Dezel! Dezel, can you hear us?!"

Again, Dezel didn't answer, so Eizen grabbed the pendulum that Zaveid had lent him and threw it up trying to make it pass over the tightrope so it remained hanging just in front of Dezel unfocused eyes.

It took him a couple of attempts but at the end he managed to do it, and as Zaveid had guessed when seeing that object that he knew so well just in front of him Dezel woke up from his trance and looked down to find everyone looking up at him with strained and concerned expressions.

"Dezel!", Zaveid shouted in relief when finally seeing Dezel's react , "Dezel, Eizen is there to help you, okay? But you need to move a little towards the pillar or he won't be able to reach you"

Even if Dezel was initially confused, he recovered enough to nod and do as Zaveid had indicated, beginning to move slowly, focusing on not looking at the lifeless figure of Lafarga down there and pushing back the tears that kept falling from his reddened eyes. He would have time to cry later but right then they needed to get out from there before someone else ended hurt because of him.

"Come on Dezel…", Lailah exhaled, her hands interlacing as if she was praying, "come one, you are almost there"

"Yeah, keep going like that", Zaveid encouraged while Dezel kept moving slowly but without pause, "you're doing it great, Dezel, just a little more"

But Dezel didn't make it.

Because at that moment the final sustainer of the other side gave in and the opposite end of the tightrope finally ceded, causing Dezel to swing towards the pillar on which Eizen was waiting for him, and since the Wind Seraph had enough with managing not to release the rather slippery rope, he couldn't avoid the hard impact against the pillar that made him lose his consciousness almost instantly when the side of his head was hit with force.

However, Dezel was able to hear everyone calling his name and Eizen's one while beginning to fall to his imminent death just before feeling something hard impact against him. Something that resulted to be 'someone' who enclosed his arms protectively around his body just before Dezel finally fell into a deep sleep.


When Dezel recovered his consciousness he was on a bed. He opened his eyes, still dazed, and he was surprised when the darkness that had invaded him just before fainting kept surrounding him, stopping him from seeing anything of his surroundings.

"He is alright…he is alright…"

Dezel almost jumped when hearing Rose's trembling voice just next to him but he hadn't time to say anything because at that moment a big figure that could just belong to Zaveid leant over him to deposit a kiss on his forehead.

"Damn it…", Zaveid let out a relieved sigh, "damn it, for a moment we thought that we had lost you as well"

Dezel blinked a couple of times with force, trying to get used to the extremely dark room to at least pinpoint the faces of Zaveid and Rose without any result.

"Are you hurt somewhere?", Zaveid asked again with a worried tone, "We've called a doctor and when he finishes checking Eizen he will come to see you"

Dezel frowned. Eizen? Why did the doctor have to check Eizen? And damn, why the hell was the room so damn dark?

"Dezel?", Rose inquired with concern when seeing Dezel blink his eyes forcibly again while looking around nervously.

"Yeah, I'm fine but why is everything so dark? Can't you turn the lights on first, please?"

Dezel's tone came more impatient that he would have liked but he couldn't help it. Not being able to see was making him extremely uncomfortable, especially when the last image that he had vivid on his mind was Lafarga falling from the tightrope.

"Umh…Dezel…", Rose whispered, "the lights are already on"

After Rose spelled those words, a tense silence fell on the room and Dezel felt a sticky cold sensation settling on his body.

"Dezel…", the named one turned his face towards the place where he had heard Zaveid's voice, "can't you see us?"

Dezel gulped and shook his head shakily, and after another silence Zaveid spoke.

"Don't worry, Dezel-chan", he said with a confident tone, "I've read that it's pretty normal that people who have suffered from a big hit lose momentarily their vision, but it's just temporal"

"Yeah, I've heard that too", Rose added immediately, "so don't worry, you'll be fine in no time"

Dezel nodded and let Zaveid help him to incorporate on a sitting position on the bed, more relieved after hearing Rose and – especially – Zaveid's reassuring tone, although if he had been able to see he would have detected that the expressions that both Windriders had at that moment weren't as optimistic as their words.

"So…", Dezel gulped, trying to summon up the courage to make the question whose answer he already knew, "…so Lafarga is…"

He didn't need to see to know the answer. When Zaveid's reaction was to hug him closely and tightly, Dezel knew that his hope of having misinterpreted something when being the tightrope had been stupid. He hadn't misinterpreted anything.

Lafarga had died. Or better said, he had sacrificed himself to save him.

"I'm sorry, Dezel", Zaveid whispered against his hair with a frustrated voice, incrementing the grip of his embrace, "I'm really sorry. I couldn't do anything"

Dezel felt Rose cling onto him from behind to lean her forehead against his back, and for the way her thin body was trembling he guessed that she was crying. Dezel gulped, trying to find something to say. Like he was the one who was sorry. Like he was the one at fault for Lafarga's death. But at the end the only thing that he was able to exhale was a strangled gasp, so he stopped trying to do anything that wasn't enclosing his arms around Zaveid's body to sob desperately against the man's chest.

Not even half a minute had passed when someone knocked at the door and without waiting for an answer Lailah entered the room. She looked extremely pale and her eyes were incredibly red, as if she had been crying for quite a lot time before reuniting with them.

"Oh, thank goodness", Lailah exhaled with a trembling voice full of relief while approaching the bed to hug Dezel as well, "thank goodness that you are alright"

Dezel was about to say that he wasn't completely fine because he couldn't see yet but somehow in the way Lailah was hugging at him with much more force than she usually used to use told him that it wasn't the moment to mention that.

"Where is Edna?", Zaveid asked then, "and Symonne? I haven't seen her since the function began"

"Edna is still with the doctor", Lailah explained, releasing Dezel, "and I don't know where Symonne is"

"So…", Rose voice sounded hesitant, almost scared, "what has the doctor said?"

Dezel frowned. The doctor…? Oh yes, Zaveid had mentioned something about that.

"Yeah, where is Eizen? Why the doctor has gone to check him?"

There was a silence so long and thick that Dezel felt his chest tightening in a really unpleasant way.

"What happens?", Dezel asked again, his voice strained because of the worry because he somewhat knew that even more bad news were about to come.

"Dezel…", it was Zaveid the one who spoke, "do you remember what happened when the tightrope broke and you fell?"

Dezel frowned, trying to remember.

"I just remember the hit on my head and that I began to fade so I released the rope. And then while I was falling I think that I crashed against something more because…"

Dezel froze and shut up, his throat suddenly dry.

No, it couldn't be…

"Wait…", Dezel's voice was almost a whisper, "…wait, don't tell me…"

After taking a deep breath Lailah was the one who answered, her voice trying to sound firm without much success.

"When you began to fall, Eizen had already climbed half of the pillar. He managed to grab your arm in the air but his precarious position made impossible to hold both of your weights. For that reason he…", Lailah cleared her throat before continuing with a voice that trembled slightly, "…he ended falling together with you, but at the last second he managed to grab you and reverse your positions so he received most part of the impact of the falling"

Dezel began to breath heavily, his heart beating at an impossible rate. No. No no no, not again, not again!

"And how is he?", he practically shouted, "he is fine, right?! He is…"

"Yes, he is alive", Dezel was about let out a relieved sigh but then Lailah kept talking, "but, because of the impact, he has fallen into a coma"

Dezel felt his heart crack for second time that day.

"And is there any possibility that he recovers?", Zaveid asked with a tone that tried to sound neutral but the tension on his body was evident, the same way that the way Rose's body was shaking next to him indicated him that she was crying again,

"The good news is that his vital functions are stable. But…", Lailah gulped and tried to speak again, his voice now barely audible, "…but the doctor has said that for now he can't assure that he…that he…"

Lailah didn't manage to complete the sentence when new tears began to fall from her eyes.

Dezel felt Rose standing up from the bed to jump into Lailah's arms to hug her but he couldn't do anything but staring with blind eyes at the darkness in front of him while his breath became even more uneven, his head beginning to spin at an incredible rate.

It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be real. Lafarga had died to save him, and now Eizen was in a coma for the same reason.

It was all his fault. He was the culprit. He was a murderer.

"Dezel?", Zaveid's tone sounded worried, "oi, Dezel, are you alright?"

Dezel wasn't able to respond, his breathing becoming so fast that at some point he began to gasp for air, finding himself unable to breath.

"Damn, he is having an anxiety attack: Rose, call the doctor!"

"Dezel", Lailah approached the bed as well, "Dezel, can you hear us?! Please, you have to calm down!"

However, Zaveid and Lailah's attempts to calm Dezel down were useless. They had to wait until the doctor went to the caravan to force Dezel into a sleep with a tranquilizer. A sleep rippled with nightmares of his master and one of his best friends falling over and over again into an impenetrable darkness.


After the doctor examined Dezel, he decided to put him into an induced coma during three days, since he considered that because of the trauma that Dezel had experienced, it would be good that he rested to recover completely.

During that time, Eizen was momentarily moved to the hospital at Ladylake, and since Lailah and Zaveid had to take care of Lafarga's funeral and of the paperwork that implied the death of the chief of the circus, Edna decided to be making company to her brother and Rose remained in the improvised camp that they had established out of the town to take care of Dezel. About Symonne, they hadn't seen her again since the incident.

"Well…", Zaveid exhaled while rubbing his eyes over the table where Lailah and him were revising a bunch of papers related to the circus maintenance, "…it seems that finally we have managed to leave everything settled.

"Yes, although we still have to receive the report of the installation"

Lailah began to organize the papers methodically while Zaveid crossed his arms over his chest with a confused expression.

"I seriously don't know how it happened. I mean, I'm sure Lafarga went to check personally that everything was fine so how…?"

Just at that moment, a man whose uniform indicated that he was one of the men of Lady Maltran entered the main tent with a closed envelope in his hands.

"Good afternoon", the man said while approaching the table, "Lady Maltran had just asked me to deliver this to you. It's the report that you asked about the installation"

Without waiting for an answer, the man disappeared with a slight faster pace that he had used to enter, as if he had really hurry to leave the tent.

"I didn't know that I looked so scary", Zaveid commented with irony, trying to lighten a little the tension that had settled, "do you want to read it first?"

"It's okay", Lailah, said her eyes fixed with intensity on Zaveid while the Wind Seraph finally opened the envelope.

During the almost first minute Zaveid read the report silently, since it was just a detailed description about the assembly method and there wasn't anything weird on it.

However, when he began to read the back of the paper Zaveid's eyes opened wide, his expression turning pale while the grip on the paper became harder.

"What happens?", Lailah asked immediately when seeing Zaveid change of reaction, "Zaveid?", she added when seeing that the Wind Seraph didn't react.

"Sorry. Umh…", Zaveid gulped, frowning in utter confusion, "according to the report after checking the lights, the emergency mat and the sustainers of the tightrope, it's really probable that someone purposely sabotaged them so that they failed"

An expression full of stupor appeared on Lailah's face.

"What?", she muttered before fixing her confused eyes on Zaveid, "but…but that can't be. It has no sense at all: who would want to manipulate them?"

Zaveid gulped while re-reading the report, trying to find a meaning in the words that were written there. Lailah was right. Lafarga himself had checked that everything was right. There was no way that he overlooked something as important as a broken mat and some broken sustainers. The lights maybe, but not all the rest. So how…?"

"Good afternoon"

At moment a familiar overconfident voice sounded just at the entrance of the tent, and Zaveid and Lailah's stupor grew even more when finding Lord Hedalf standing there.

"Lord Hedalf?", Lailah asked with surprise.

"We didn't know that you were in Ladylake", Zaveid commented.

"Oh, I wasn't. But after hearing the news I had to come. What a terrible loss, you have my most sincere condolences"

Lailah and Zaveid frowned at the same time, in tension, because Lord Hedalf's words clearly contrasted with the wide satisfied smile that was adorning his sharp features, which made him look like a wild lion more than ever.

"However…", Lord Hedalf continued, "I can't say that I didn't warn you. I insisted you several times that an association with me would be the best option. And that it was an offer that you shouldn't reject. So if you had been clever…", Lord Hedalf's smile grew even more, "…you would have deduced that going against my desires was going to bring bad consequences"

After a couple of seconds on which both Windriders remained staring at Hedalf in disbelief after hearing the implications of his words, Zaveid stood up as fast as lightning and walked towards Hedalf, his face contorted in rage.

"Wait, Zaveid!"

Lailah reached Zaveid and grabbed him from behind with force, managing to somehow stop the furious man's advances.

"Zaveid…", Lailah implored, feeling herself dragged forward when Zaveid kept walking despite she was using all her forces to prevent him from doing so, "Zaveid, please, stop…"

"Oh, and I will stop. After I kill this miserable", Zaveid hissed in a threatening tone. He didn't understand everything yet but a thing was clear: Hedalf was involved in Lafarga's death and Eizen and Dezel's state, so he wasn't going to let him keep living one second longer.

"You should listen to the lady, Zaveid 'the Lady Killer'", Hedalf commented with a completely impassible tone, as if he hadn't the least fear of Zaveid killing aura, "I warn you that I have quite influence in Ladylake. You really don't want to do something as stupid as hurting me, much less to kill me"

"Zaveid, think about Dezel", when hearing that name, Zaveid immediately stopped in his tracks, although his hands kept being turned into fists and were trembling because of the effort of not using them on Hedalf.

"And think about Rose", Lailah continued, "and about Edna. And about me. If you kill him now, even if he deserves it, you'll be send to jail, and I'm not going to allow that. We've already lost Lafarga, and Eizen's condition is uncertain. So please", Lailah embraced Zaveid's even more tightly, "please, don't make us lose you as well"

After some tense seconds, Zaveid close his eyes and after exhaling a long sigh he nodded, indicating Lailah that it was fine and that, for now, he wasn't going to kill anyone.

"Good decision, Zaveid 'the Ladykiller'", Lord Hedalf approved, "I see that despite your appearance you are a man who can come to his senses. And now that we are all calmed again why don't you let me explain the reason of my visit?"

"No, the first thing that you are going to explain is why our master and father had to die, why Dezel has been about to die as well and why my fiancé has ended in a coma", Lailah demanded, her tone still calm but full of a quiet anger that was even more fearsome that Zaveid's previous outburst, "we want to know what we have done according to you to deserve such terrible things. You owe us that at least"

Lord Hedalf sighed softly and smiled softly, as if he was pitying them.

"The answer is simple, Windriders. You have a power in your hands that you don't know to fully appreciate nor use. The power of capturing the heart of the people with your performances. The power of entertain them, of making them forget how the real world is. And to be able to make people feel that way can be extremely useful. Especially for a guy like me that need the people's support and taxes to keep my lands on float"

"So that's why you wanted to associate with us", Zaveid said with a tone full of disdain, "to assure the entertainment that we provide to make your shitty business more profitable"

"Well, I wouldn't have phrased it that way but yes, that was the main reason", Hedalf admitted, "however, there was another secondary one and it is that I'm afraid to admit that one of my defects is that I really enjoy fame…"

"Yeah, you're a presumptuous bastard. We've got that"

"…and consequently…", Hedalf continued ignoring completely Zaveid's comment, "…I don't like very much when people around begins to speak about other people more than about me. And I'm afraid that again, Windriders, you have way more fame that you know you have. Even the king of Ladylake is a fan of yours. And that is something that any influent people like me craves to have. You know, I really liked Lafarga…"

"Don't you dare to mention that name…", Zaveid hissed in a low tone, causing Lailah to grab him arm again in order to prevent him to lose control.

"…I really admired his convictions and his deep sense of duty towards you. He was a really admirable man", Hedalf tone's sounded sincere, and that only made everything even worse, "so believe me when I say that I would have really liked that things were different. And about your fiancé…", Hedalf turned to look at Lailah, "…I'm really sorry to admit that he was a collateral damage. It didn't occur to me that he was going to play the hero to save that kid, so what happened to him was not my intention at all"

"And what about Dezel?", Zaveid practically snarled, "he was also a collateral damage?"

Hedalf sighed.

"No, that was another unexpected development. Because the truth is…", Hedalf fixed his eyes on Zaveid again, "…that I was expecting that it was you the one who was up there with Lafarga. That way I would have made sure that the two main pillars of the Wind Seraphs would be…inactive. Because let's speak clear: one of the reasons of the incredible fame of the Windriders is your tightrope show. If that show disappears, your fame won't be as spectacular. No offense intended", Hedalf added looking at Lailah again, "your origami show is really fantastic. I would really want to know how you manage to make them catch fire without getting hurt"

"Oh, if you are that curious I can give you a demonstration. Although I don't guarantee that you don't end hurt and burning to death with my most powerful flames"

Lord Hedalf chuckled when hearing Lailah use those sharp and hateful words with such calm.

"In that case I prefer that it remains as a mystery", he said with a smile, "and now that I have answered your questions, my lady, let me tell you the reason of my visit: I want to offer you again the possibility of an association"

Lailah and Zaveid stared at Hedalf in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right?"

Hedalf laughed widely when hearing Zaveid's incredulous tone.

"No, I'm not. After all I made the previous offer to Lafarga but now I'm making it to you"

"Do you really think that we are going to accept your offer after all you've done to us?", Lailah said with astonishment.

"Think about the status of your circus: you have lost two of your best performers, so that leaves you with a circus of just two adults and three kids. Besides, maybe you don't know it but maintaining someone in a coma is always expensive. Do you think that you are going to be able to keep with all the people that you have hired and to pay for your friend's treatment? I can assure you that an association with me would be the best option…"

"Associating with you is not even an option", Lailah immediately replied, "we are never going to associate with you. Never"

Hedalf exhaled a resigned sigh.

"In that case you don't leave me any option", he said extracting from his pocket a paper, "do you know what this is?"

The Windriders didn't answer so Hedalf continued.

"It's the report of the doctor that has gone to check on Dezel 'of the Green Eyes'. Oh, don't put such surprised expressions. You should know that I have enough influence to obtain a simple medical report. Well, the thing is that according to the doctor, it seems that the kid hasn't recovered his eyesight yet…"

"That's temporal", Zaveid interrupted him with a determined voice, but his tense body said the contrary, "the doctor says that he can eventually recover and…"

"Yes, but the thing is that right now he is blind", Hedalf continued, and this time his smile had unmistakable cruelty in it, "and I'm afraid that according to the license of the circus that you signed when you became one, all the performers have to be in perfect condition or otherwise they will have to resign"

Zaveid's hands turned into fists again.

"Bastard...", he said with his tone full of anger, "so if we don't join you, you'll make the medical report public to expel Dezel"

Hedalf's smile widened.

"It's a pleasure to speak with people who understands everything so fast", he said with an insulting approving tone, "so I'll ask you one more time, Windriders: would you join me?"

There was a silence in which the Windriders just looked at each other, and when Zaveid finally answered his tone showed resolve.

"No, we aren't going to join you", Zaveid said with a cutting tone, but just when Hedalf was going to speak he continued, "but in exchange, I'll leave the Windriders"

"Zaveid!", Lailah exclaimed, but Zaveid ignored her and kept talking.

"You yourself had said before that you wanted to get rid of Lafarga and me because we were the cause of the Windriders fame. For that reason you've come here to offer us another association, right? Because I am alive. Well, in that case I resign. I won't be a Wind Seraph anymore, nor a Windrider either. That way you will be at ease that our circus isn't famous enough to suppose a threat to you", Zaveid's tone was incredibly calm despite the implications of what he was saying, "in exchange, you will turn a blind eye to that report that says that Dezel is impaired. After all, if Dezel is really blind he won't suppose any problem for you, right?"

"Zaveid, please…", Lailah stared at Zaveid with begging eyes, "…before taking such a decision it wouldn't be better if…?"

"Alright, I accept", Hedalf's satisfied words made Lailah close her eyes in defeat and sadness, "I would still prefer an association but I must admit that your proposal is really reasonable. Indeed, since you aren't going to perform anymore I could search a job for you in my lands… "

Hedalf's words were cut when Zaveid approached him to grab him by the front of his coat, and this time not even Lailah stopped him. She was too busy biting her bottom lip in an attempt to prevent its trembling.

"Just make sure that you leave my family alone. Because if I discover while I'm away that you have hurt him in any way, I can assure you that I'll go after you, without caring about what could happen to me. And believe me: you really don't want that"

Zaveid released Hedalf with a rude shove, and this time Hedalf couldn't suppress a gulp when hearing Zaveid's threatening tone. And because something in the way Zaveid's eyes were shining with a killing intent told Hedalf that the now ex Wind Seraph wasn't lying.

"I'll keep my word", Hedalf's tone sounded convincingly firm, "I won't do anything with that report. In fact, to prove you how reasonable I am, I'll just ask you to be out of the circus at least five years. After that time, you can come back if you wish"

"And why is the reason for such generosity?", Lailah asked with sarcasm.

"Oh, let's just say that after that time I'm pretty sure that no circus will be able to rival my fame", he said with a confident tone, "and now, I'm afraid that I have to leave. I'm a busy man and I have several matters to attend"

"One last thing", Zaveid said just when Hedalf was about to leave the tent, "how did you do it?"

"Excuse me?", Hedalf raised a confused eyebrow.

"How did you manage to manipulate the installation?", Zaveid clarified, "because we know that Lafarga checked everything so how?"

Hedalf looked at them for a moment before laughing.

"So you really don't know yet?", Hedalf chuckled, "well, in that case why don't she explain it to you?"

Zaveid and Lailah were about to ask how did he mean with 'she' but it wasn't necessary because at that moment a new figure appeared on the tent. A figure that caused Lailah and Zaveid to open their eyes at their maximum.

"Symonne?", Lailah exhaled with a whisper.

"Symonne-chan?", Zaveid repeated in disbelief.

To Lailah and Zaveid's surprised, the girl clicked her tongue while averting her eyes.

"Please, can you stop saying my name with such lame voices? It's going to make me puke"

Lailah and Zaveid's eyes opened even wider.

"You…", Lailah began, "you can speak…"

Hedalf began to laugh again when hearing Lailah's confused words.

"Yes, she can. However, I instruct her no to because it would be very evident that she was older than sixteen", Hedalf explained, "besides, it is well known the fame of the Windriders of adopting children with difficult pasts, so making her act as a shy girl with problems of interaction would make you accept her more easily. Besides, that way you wouldn't consider strange that she disappeared from time to time. That was really convenient so she could send me her reports"

"So it was you the one who manipulated the installation. For that reason you insisted so much on accompanying Lafarga. So that you could manipulate everything without him to suspect you", Zaveid said, his astonished tone turning in a knowing one.

"Why, Symonne?", Lailah whispered, her tone sounding confused and hurt, "I know that Hedalf is your father but Lafarga loved you as his own daughter even if the little time you remained with us so why? Didn't you feel anything about him? About us?"

"No, I didn't!", Symonne practically shouted, "I was only following Hedalf's orders, so no, for me it did mean nothing to be with you. Nothing. It was just a job. That's all. Besides, it was…", Symonne averted her eyes to the side and gulped, her voice coming out a little trembling, "…it was that old man's fault for trusting me so much. Why did he have to be such a fool?"

Hedalf chuckled.

"Well, actually I'm not his real father: I just adopted her when she was little and from then on she has been serving me very faithfully. However, I have to praise you once more, Windriders because it's the first time that my little Symonne has hesitated in her orders"

"Lord Hedalf!", Symonne's eyes turned to look at Hedalf with fear, "that isn't true. I've never dared to doubt your orders. I just…"

Symonne's words stopped abruptly when Hedalf hit her with such force that the girl fell into the ground, and even after knowing Symonne's true identity Lailah couldn't help to approach the girl to help her to stand up.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't touch me!", the girl snarled, hitting Lailah's hand away while standing up on her own, "stop trying playing to be my friend. I don't need that. I just need Lord Hedalf"

Hedalf chuckled again while Lailah and Zaveid stared at Symonne with eyes full of sadness.

"Well, you have your answer Zaveid 'the Ladykiller'", Hedalf said with a smile, "although since you are not going to be a performer anymore I suppose that calling you for that appellative is a little useless now"

Again, Hedalf turned to leave this time accompanied by Symonne, but this time it was Lailah the one who stopped them.

"Wait a moment", Lailah grabbed a paper full of annotations and offered it to Symonne, "this is for you?"

The girl frowned her eyebrows with suspicion.

"What is that?"

To the girl's surprise, Lailah grabbed her hand and deposited the paper on it.

"These are the alias that Lafarga was thinking for you in case you decided to join us", Symonne's eyes opened wide in disbelief, "he was really looking forward that to happen. I think that you should know it"

Symonne gulped again before clicking her tongue.

"As I've said, what a fool man"

Symonne spoke with disdain, but even if she wrinkled the paper she didn't throw it away. She kept it in one of her tiny pockets of the almost nonexistent suit that she was wearing before turning around rudely, as if she was trying to hide her expression from the rest.

"Goodbye, Windriders", Hedalf said with a smile, "as always, it's a pleasure to make deals with you"

After Hedalf and Symonne left, Lailah and Zaveid remained silent for several moments until he was the one in breaking the silence.

"Okay, I'll go to take my things"

"What?! Don't tell me that you are planning to leave now! Dezel hasn't even woken up and…"

Zaveid put his index and middle fingers over Lailah's mouth softly, effectively making the girl stop talking,

"Rose is going to hear you if you speak so loud", Zaveid reproached.

"Don't try to avoid this discussion: she has gone to buy some things at the city so there's no way that she can hear me right now", Lailah protested half-closing her eyes and causing Zaveid to chuckle.

"Sorry, Lailah-chan, but there is nothing to discuss", Zaveid said with a resigned smile, "I have to go. And about what you've said about Dezel not having woken up…", Zaveid gulped, "…that's precisely the reason for which I'm leaving now. If I wait for him to wake up and he discovers what I'm planning to do, there is no way that he allows it. He will try to follow me and I can't let that happen"

Lailah opened her mouth to protest but at the last time she closed it with a defeated sigh.

"So you are going to leave without telling him anything?", Lailah said with a trembling voice, "you know that it will break his heart, right?"

Zaveid nodded, but despite the pain in his eyes his tone when speaking had no doubt on it.

"Yes, I know, the same way it's breaking mine. But it's the only option if we don't want to destroy his future as a performer. And I'm sure that that will break his heart even more"

"I'm not so sure about that", Lailah rubbed her forehead while closing her eyes, before speaking again, "so I suppose that I can't say him anything"

"No, you can't", Zaveid said with tenderness, removing with his thumb the tears that had begun to fall from Lailah's closed eyes, "the same way that you can't tell Rose anything because she will do exactly the same"

"Alright, but please, tell Edna at least", Lailah practically implored, grabbing Zaveid's hands between her own, "after all she already said that she didn't plan to come to the circus in a while since she preferred to take care of Eizen. At least like that, you wouldn't be completely alone"

Zaveid chuckled and hugged Lailah tightly.

"I will. And I'm sorry. I know that you would prefer to take care of Eizen too but those two are going to need you more than ever"

"Eizen is in good hands", Lailah assured, "And Dezel and Rose will be under my care so they will be fine as well. The only thing that bothers me is…", Lailah buried her head on the crook of Zaveid's neck, "…what the hell am I going to tell Dezel when he asks me about you?"

Zaveid laughed when hearing Lailah's curse, but it was a rather empty laugh compared to the ones he used to exhale.

"Just pretend not to know anything"

"And are you really sure that I can't at least tell him that you will come back in five years?"

"Lailah, if you tell him that he will suspect", Zaveid reasoned while caressing the girl's back with tenderness.

"I know, but It's just so unfair…", she muttered with frustration.

Zaveid just smiled resignedly.

"Yes, it is. But this is how things are"

Lailah exhaled a deep breath before nodding, and after remaining embracing her friend for some more seconds he finally released her.

"Okay, I better go before Rose comes back", Zaveid said, "can I borrow a couple of pants from Eizen? I would prefer not to make a lot of noise while searching for them in our caravan"

"Yes, and a couple of shirts and jerseys in case you finally decide to look presentable again wouldn't be bad either", Lailah said with a patient tone that caused Zaveid to chuckle.

"Okay, take this", Lailah said offering Zaveid a bag with much more things than the pants that the man had requested, "and also this"

Zaveid took with confusion the envelope that Lailah was offering him, and when seeing that it contained a nice quantity of money he immediately returned it to the girl.

"Nop, I don't want this"

"Zaveid, please, don't discuss and take it"

"Look, I'm not dumb: that's the money that you and Eizen have been saving up for the wedding"

"A wedding that I'm afraid is not going to take place for now, so shut up already and take it. Eizen would have done the same"

"Lailah, I'm not taking it. If you want to use that money save it for the circus or for Eizen's treatment, but don't waste it on me. Don't worry. I'll manage"

Laiah exhaled a deep sigh.

"At least take just this", she insisted, taking some bills, "this will pay your stance in a not-very-good inn for some days"

It was Zaveid's turn to exhale a sigh.

"Okay. Damn, you sure are stubborn"

"Look who is talking", Lailah replied with a smile, and then after a moment of silence she grabbed his face between her hands to deposit a kiss on his cheek, "please, take care. And make sure to come back in five years or I'll personally drag you back"

Zaveid smiled and hugged Lailah again with force.

"Don't worry, I will. You just worry to take care of the kids, and make sure that when I come back we have an awesome circus to show that bastard that no one can beat the Windriders"

Lailah smiled as well before finally letting Zaveid go.

"Don't worry, I will", she said, "and now at least go to say Dezel goodbye. It doesn't matter if he is still sleeping: do it or you'll regret it"

Zaveid took a deep breath and nodded, and after Lailah checked for third time that he had all the necessary he walked towards his own caravan.

Zaveid entered noiselessly and he was relieved when seeing that Dezel kept being in a deep sleep. He approached the bed and remained looking at the sleeping figure without saying anything, making sure to burn with fire into his memory every single feature, although he knew it was not necessary. It was just an excuse to look in silence his lover when knowing that he wasn't going to be able to see him in five years.

There were a lot of things that he wanted to tell Dezel. Things like that he didn't want to leave. That he wanted to be there to dry his tears during the hard moments that were about to come. To keep laughing with him. To keep training with him until ending exhausted to get gradually better together. To keep teasing him to see him put that funny sulking expression that he adored. To keep spending his nights with him, sleeping or making love, it didn't matter, but knowing that when he woke up Dezel would be there, clinging onto him during the cold nights and protesting during the warm ones because Zaveid's body was too suffocating. That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him.

Yeah, there were a lot of things that he wanted to tell him. But he couldn't. And he knew that precisely for that, probably when he came back their relationship wouldn't be the same. And that probably after all that time, after leaving without saying anything, Dezel would rightly hate him. And damn, that hurt. More than anything that he had experienced. But it was necessary. And if that was the price that he had to pay to guarantee Dezel's future, like hell if he wasn't going to pay it willingly and with no regrets.

After taking another deep breath, Zaveid dared to lean over Dezel to deposit a tender kiss on his forehead. Dezel frowned briefly but he almost immediately relaxed again, so Zaveid dared to tempt his luck by depositing a soft peck on the lips of his sleeping lover. After all, he didn't know when was going to be the next time that he would be able to do it.

"I love you, Dezel 'of the Green Eyes'", Zaveid whispered, "I promise you that I'll come back. You have my word. And I'll never break my promises"


When Dezel opened his eyes the darkness that had invaded him when he suffered his anxiety attack kept being there. Surrounding him. Embracing him.

"You are finally awake!"

Dezel's breath left his lungs when Rose practically jumped over his bed to hug him.

"How are you? Can you see already?"

Dezel gulped and shook his head, missing the way Rose's face turned worried just before speaking again with a reassuring tone that sounded just a little forced.

"W-Well, the doctor says that it's not something to worry about yet and that probably by the end on the week you will be perfect again"

Dezel nodded, although he had the feeling that Rose was too optimistic.

"How much time I've been sleeping?", he asked while incorporating and rubbing the side of the head where he had received the impact, because it still hurt quite a lot, "Are we still at Ladylake?"

"Three days", Rose explained, "and yeah, we're still at the capital but we were planning to travel to Marlind today, so Lailah had gone to buy some supplies for the travel"

Dezel waited for Rose to keep talking but when the girl didn't continue he was the one to speak.

"And Zaveid and Edna?"

Rose let out a sigh before answering, and Dezel was surprised when hearing the redhead's trembling voice.

"Edna has decided to leave the Windriders to take care of Eizen. And Zaveid…"

Dezel's hear skip a beat when Rose sobbed before speaking in a barely audible whisper.

"…and Zaveid has disappeared. And we don't know if he's ever going to come back"

The words that the redhead said stabbed his heart like sharpened blades. Blades that carried incredible pain and confusion, and that inevitably remained inside him during most part of the five years that were still to come.


Goddammit, this chapter is finally over! For a person who doesn't like drama, you can't imagine how damn hard it's been to write this chapter -.-

Besides, I still have a lot of doubts regarding this chapter because I'm not sure if I've been able to describe the dramatic situations well enough. I have the feeling that I've tended to describe everything too fast and that probably kills the dramatic mood but believe me when I say that I've tried my best to do it right ^^U Also, I think that Symonne and Hedalf are a little OOC. Especially Symonne, because I don't know why but when describing her I feel that she resembles more to Agria of Tales of Xillia than the original Symonne…So if there's a fan of those characters I'm sorry: again, I've described them the best I could.

Despite all that, I hope that you have enjoyed more or less the chapter :) The next one will take place in the present time and I don't think there will be more flashbacks.

Also, I finally finished all my exams (at the end I've managed to pass them all, I still can't believe it) so I hope that in three weeks I'll be able to have the next update, although as always I don't dare to make any promises :)