Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh or any of its characters
Claimer: I, chop4tess, own this story, its plot and any and all original characters
Welcome to chapter nine. Please enjoy
Chapter 9: Training
Wolfram gazed at the sky outside of the window, a hand gently rubbing his still flat stomach where his baby was growing inside him. Almost three weeks now, Wolfram thought to himself sadly. Wolfram was happy about having another child with Yuri, but it really couldn't have happened at a worse time. To be pregnant while his first-born child was missing, possibly dead, was almost too painful. Although Yuri had said that he was going to focus on Wolfram and their unborn child Wolfram understood how hard this was for him. Wolfram sighed and rubbed his face. Once his mother had heard the news about her beloved grandson's kidnapping she had turned around and hurried back to the capital with Greta in tow. Wolfram didn't think she knew about his latest pregnancy since he had only found out himself a short while ago and news didn't travel that fast in Shinmakoku. Wolfram remembered Yuri once complaining about it and wondering why he couldn't set up an e-mail system or something; this of course led to many confused people as Yuri tried, and failed, to explain the technological wonders of his home country.
"There you are Wolfram." Wolfram glanced up to see Yuri walking towards him with a bright smile. "I've been looking for you, are you ready to eat?" Wolfram nodded but turned his gaze to the window with a heavy sigh. "Wolf?"
"I miss him, so much." Wolfram whispered softly. "It's so hard to believe that he's really gone."
"I know, I miss him too Wolf. But you know Ryan wouldn't want us to mope about for the rest of our lives when his little baby brother or sister is on the way." Yuri sat opposite Wolfram and took his pale hands in his own.
"I hope that Ryan will get to meet his sibling someday, wouldn't it be great if Ryan could be here when he is born?" Wolfram smiled and Yuri titled his head to the side in confusion.
"He?"
"It's a boy." Wolfram said glaring at Yuri as if daring him to protest. Yuri raised his hands in surrender and Wolfram smiled softly. "Wimp." Yuri chuckled at his old nickname when a solider burst into the room making them both jump and Wolfram reached for his sword.
"Your majesties!"
"What is the meaning of this noise?" Wolfram asked his green eyes alight.
"Begging your pardon but the guards have found a couple of horses which they believe belong to the Prince's friends your majesty." Yuri leapt to his feet as Wolfram gasped.
"Where are they solider?"
"They are just coming into the courtyard now Sir." Yuri and Wolfram almost ran out of the room with the solider following behind. The royal couple entered the courtyard just as one of the search parties dispatched to look for Ryan came trotting into the courtyard with two ragged looking horses following. The guards dismounted and brought the two horses forward just as Conrad, Gwendal and Josak arrived in the courtyard.
"This one is Alviss' horse for certain." Josak muttered running his hand across the bay horse's flank. "They are in bad condition though, where did you men find them?" One of the guards stepped forward and bowed.
"Sir, we found them just below the dragon valley Sir. They were alone and had been alone for sometime I'd wager. Their tack had been removed and although we search for three days we could not find any sign of the two missing kids."
"Why did they abandon their horses there?" Yuri mused and Conrad's eyes narrowed as he gave the chestnut mare a pat.
"Maybe they found something they shouldn't of and whoever took Ryan took them as well. Guard, were there any tracks similar to the ones found on the night of the Prince's kidnapping?"
"No Sir, we searched the area thoroughly but most of the tracks had been washed away already. From what little evidence there was, we could see that the kids left their horses and went into the valley, more than that we can't say Sir."
"Very well, you did a good job. Have the horses put into a stable and make sure they are well fed. Then you can have the rest of the day off." The guards saluted and hurried away and Conrad turned to Yuri and Wolfram with a sigh. "Looks like some more children have vanished off the face of the earth."
"Where in blazers are they?" Yuri glared at the ground in frustration, "How are they pulling off these vanishing tricks?"
"Maybe they were killed by the dragons." Gwendal said earning himself a few black looks. "It could be true; dragons don't take too well to people, and don't forget that Elvira is human even if Alviss is of demon blood."
"I don't think so Gwendal, the guards would have found remains." Wolfram went pale and shivered. "The kids must have found something. I'll go out with some of my best men tomorrow to see what I can find." Conrad glanced at Yuri who nodded his consent. Wolfram glanced at Yuri then looked away.
"Or maybe something found them."
:-:
Elvira gently cleaned the wound on Alviss's chest with cool clean water then patted the skin dry before wrapping it with clean bandages. The wound was now stitched up and healing nicely but the medicines she gave Alviss for the pain made him drowsy. She sighed as she glanced at Alviss's pale face and heard his soft breathing. She still found it hard to believe that he was alive, even if he was slowly recovering thanks to the old man's vast array of medicine, which made Elvira a little suspicious. The old man had called himself Kashikoi but wouldn't answer any questions about himself or where they were. Elvira had been hiding under a cart load of straw when he brought them to his house a few days ago. And since the guards were still looking for them, she had no choice but to remain hidden inside the house and not be seen by anyone in case they reported it to the castle.
Elvira was still wary of Kashikoi but she knew that she had no choice but to trust him for now. She had spoken to Sliver and she had agreed to wait a little longer for them, hunting for food in the forest. Yesterday she had told Elvira that a huge mass of humans dressed for war had left the town and were marching north. Elvira had wanted to call for Sliver and fly to the demon kingdom at once to warn them but she knew that her place was with Alviss right now, Sliver hadn't been able to see if Ryan was with the marching force or if he had been left behind.
"He is making good progress." Elvira jumped slightly as Kashikoi suddenly appeared at her side.
"Yes, but the army is marching already, and every day they get further and further away."
"By the God's child, do you know how long it takes for an army to march across distances? They could have a week's head start and you would still overtake them. Don't forget that you have a dragon on your side as well."
"Yes, I guess you're right." Elvira turned away and buttoned up Alviss's shirt pulling the covers over him so he wouldn't get cold.
"I have something to show you, come with me." Kashikoi turned and walked away before Elvira could even protest, with a sigh she got up and followed him into the dining room.
"I don't –"
"Have patience child." Kashikoi pushed a piece of wood panelling and Elvira gasped when it slid smoothly back to reveal a secret compartment. Inside was a large rectangle box which Kashikoi pulled out and sat on the table.
"Wow; that was cool." The old man laughed and opened the box to reveal a pair of gleaming short swords. The blades were brightly polished metal that shone in the light with sliver hilts with a large blue jewel set into the middle of the hilt. Words that Elvira couldn't read were etched into the blades with god-like perfection.
"These swords have been in my family for centuries, it is said that only a female human can use the sword's power to their fullest extent. Since I am the last of my family there is no one to use them and it is a shame to leave such beauty hidden away in a stuffy box." Kashikoi took the blades from their box and offered them to Elvira who stepped away shaking her head.
"I couldn't take something like that; I have nothing to give in return."
"Nonsense child, they have no use to an old man but you may find them very useful in your battles to come." Elvira hesitated then took the swords and gasped.
"They are so light!"
"The metal will never chip or break." Elvira twirled the swords in her hands. Each sword was just a bit longer than her forearm and the hilt fit her hands perfectly, almost as if they had been made for her.
"I don't know what to say."
"How about you practise with them for a bit? You can train here." Kashikoi opened a door and Elvira looked in to see a large practise area.
"Why does an old man have swords and practise areas in his house?" Elvira asked frowning at him. Kashikoi laughed and patted her on the back.
"Like I said, this house has been owned my family for many years. The warrior girls would train and learn new skills here using those very swords. Now it is your turn my dear." Elvira tightened her grip on the swords and nodded her face set. Kashikoi is right, I have to train and get stronger. I was useless in the fight at the castle. This time I will not let Ryan or Alviss down!
:-:
Josak walked to his and Conrad's wing of the castle thinking about the three missing children. Josak had encountered many strange things during his time as a warrior and spy for the demon King but this really took the cake, so to speak. Three kids had just vanished and no one had any idea what had happened. First the Prince was kidnapped then his friends road off in the dead of night and then they disappear too. Josak knew that Alviss and Elvira cared about their horses and it was strange that they had just been abandoned. Maybe Alviss and Elvira had thought they would be coming back. The Great Sage had locked himself up in the temple and wasn't seeing anyone. Josak assumed he was doing Great Sage things.
Josak opened a door and was greeted by the noise of an argument between his two young sons. Joey and Seth argued more than Josak thought possible but they were also very close and loved and hated each other in equal amounts.
"It's my turn to play with it!" Joey shouted.
"No it's my turn!" Seth shouted back.
"What seems to be the problem this time?" Josak asked trying to keep his patience.
"Joey stole my game piece." Seth said before his older brother could say anything.
"Not true!" Joey pouted, "Dad said we could take it in turns and it's my turn now." Josak sighed and rubbed his temples. Sometimes he really wished he hadn't brought that game for their birthday last year.
"You were the knight last time!"
"Alright! Seth you can be the knight this time. When the game is over Joey can be the knight ok?"
"But dad!" Joey made his eyes go all big and teary while Seth punched the air. "Seth won't play again if he can't be the Knight."
"I will play with you next ok?" That seemed to settle the argument for now and Josak went to his and his husband's bedroom and opened the window. The sound and smell of the palace gardens soothed his nerves and he closed his eyes as he felt his muscles relax. Something needed to be done about the missing kids, and soon. Yuri and Wolfram were affected badly by the loss of their child and the fact that Wolfram was expecting again just made it worse.
"Are you ok Josak?" Josak turned his head to smile at Conrad who came up behind him and hugged him.
"I should be asking you that."
"I'm fine, though I am worried about Yuri and Wolfram. Wolf looks so lost and I'm worried that he may lose the baby if he's not careful." Conrad bit his lip as he thought about his unborn nephew (Wolf insisted that his baby was a boy) and the mental state of his younger brother.
"I know what you mean; I can't imagine loosing Joey or Seth like that." Josak felt Conrad's arms tighten around his waist before letting go. Josak turned around and gently cupped Conrad's chin. "Conrad?"
"It's nothing." Conrad avoided Josak's eyes and Josak frowned.
"You know you can tell me anything right?" For a long time Conrad said nothing and Josak knew better then to push him so he waited quietly.
"Something is wrong with the whole 'kidnapping' business." Conrad said finally. "Why would anyone want to kidnap Ryan? We are at peace with almost all the kingdoms and I would have thought that Yuri or Wolfram would be bigger targets for a kidnapping. Yet they take Ryan, and since that first note we haven't heard a thing. Surly if they went to all the trouble of capturing Ryan they would fight a bit to get what they want."
"Hmm, maybe but wouldn't Yuri or Wolfram be too strong to be kidnapped? Ryan's fire powers aren't that powerful and they don't always come when he commands. It made him and easy target. Also Yuri and Wolfram and quite plainly shown that they will go to great lengths to protect Ryan. Maybe they thought Ryan was the leverage against us that they needed?" Josak looked into the gardens thoughtfully while Conrad frowned.
"I think we're missing something here, there has to be a reason why Ryan was chosen. Why not Greta? More people know about her and she's away from the protection of the castle. We still have no idea how the kidnappers got in or out, but it must have been quite a task."
"I agree," Josak nodded, "But I can't think of anything that sets Ryan apart form any other noble except for his heritage. Maybe he has some dormant powers that we don't know of yet but the kidnappers do?" Conrad's head shot up and he stared at Josak in shock. "What?"
"Josak that's it!" Conrad threw his arms around Josak's shoulders and kissed him. "You are the most brilliant person I've ever met!" Josak smiled but looked confused.
"I know that, but what's 'it'?"
"You said it yourself; Ryan must have a certain power that we don't know about. He is only 15 remember, very young for a demon and most demon's full powers don't show until their between 20-30 years old. Remember Wolfram's powers? They didn't start until he was 18 and then were not at full strength until he was 25."
"A damn good thing too." Josak muttered making Conrad smile.
"Indeed. Maybe Ryan has some sort of power the kidnappers wish to use for themselves, that's why they haven't contacted us again. If we didn't give up the kingdom then they would use Ryan's unknown power to take it by force." Conrad nodded as he thought it through but Josak wasn't sure.
"I don't think Ryan could be forced into destroying his own kingdom, he maybe the rightful heir to the throne. There's no way he would attack it."
"Oh I agree with you, but I still think that's what they want to do. They must have some sort of plan."
"But what power? Maybe he inherited Yuri's powers? We still don't know who is chosen to be the next Maoh, it might be Ryan since he is Yuri and Wolfram's first born son."
"You know as well as I do that the system doesn't work like that Josak. Maybe another from Yuri's world will come here." Josak groaned.
"Oh I hope not."
*End Chapter*
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