A/N: before you go any further, I must warn you that there is a Taito scene at the end of this chapter. it involves implied sex, boy x boy love, mentions of the courtesan's "art", and such things like that. It's not real racy(as far as I've seen) but people who don't like that sort of thing should skip the end of this chapter. The rest of it is okay. Anyway, enjoy!
"Stop! Don't kill this fox!", the person cried, but it was too late. Daisuke had loosed his bow, and the arrow was well aimed. However, the fox was faster, and dodged the arrow. It embedded in its shoulder, drawing blood. Daisuke just stared at the panting person who had run into him. "Tai..Taichi! Lord Taichi! I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I had no idea that you had claimed that vixen as your quarry. Please forgive your humble servant!", he said as he threw himself onto the ground at Taichi's feet, groveling and pleading. Taichi took a closer look at the groveling brunette, and saw his half-brother, Daisuke. "I wasn't hunting it, Dai. I was following it. She is leading me home." Daisuke just stared at Tai and the at the wounded vixen. She was gone, and in her stead was was a brown-haired druid with violet eyes and an arrow sticking out of her shoulder. She deftly broke the shaft and pulled it out, not even flinching with the pain. After she had bound the wound, she glared at Daisuke. He backed away, cringing under her baleful gaze.
Yamato figured that it was his time to step in, before the girl killed Daisuke. He made his way through their little camp and pushed in front of Daisuke. He stopped short, for there in front was the noble who had invaded his thoughts for the last few days. He swallowed once and said slowly, "I believe, I am the one for which you seek?" Taichi's eyes glittered in recognition, yet Yamato could read nothing in the brown depths of his eyes except for that. Just recognition then, Yamato thought. The girl sniffed and looked at him. "Never seen a noble dress like that. What are you, a fair clown or what? Wouldn't mind watching you do your stuff though, very good-looking for a clown.", she said, smirking. "I am..or was, a courtesan. However, the lord traveling with you seems to think that I am the crown prince.", Yamato replied, directing his own icy gaze at the girl. She glared back, but with a bit of humor in her stare as well.
"I'm Ruki.", She said simply. Daisuke jumped up and presented his dirt-covered hand to her. "I am Lord Daisuke of Courage and Friendship, half-brother to the Lord Taichi and heir to the throne of Friendship if the crown prince is not found. This is Yamato, courtesan and holder of the royal crest of Friendship, and that over there is Ken, also courtesan and friend to Yamato and myself." Ken looked up at his name, and worked his way over. "You forgot half-Clayr, Dai.", he said smiling. Ruki looked him over, curious to the fact that he had violet eyes as well, a bit darker that hers, but still a rare color. "Great. anyway, we were going to the house of Courage, so that the Lord here could get home. I think it's a good time to get going.", she said, turning towards the woods. "Hold on.", Taichi said, and he took her arm. "I need to talk to this group." Ruki snorted and shook her head, but went over to a log and sat, pulling out herbs from a small pouch at her belt.
Ken went over and sat next to her, facinated by sthe skill in which she ground the herbs and pasted her wound with them. She noticed him sitting there and asked,"Do you wish to learn some of this? I could use some help." "Sure.", Ken replied, and for the next hour she showed him the plans in her pouch and how to use them.
Yamato, however, was having a far different talk. he and Taichi had gone off by themselves to speak privately. "Taichi, I want to know what this thing can do. It's warm around my neck, and burns when my emotions change. I don't understand.", Yamato said, fingering the crest. Taichi looked at it and sighed. "Honestly, I really don't know. My family has a crest too, but it's different from yours." Taichi pulled out his own royal crest, made of the finest ruby gems and glowing like fires against his chest. "It can create heat and light, along wih fire.", taichi said. yamato just rubbd his crest, feeling its icy coolness and soft blue light comforting. He clenched it and deciding, said with a soft voice, "You know when you came into Arachne's shop?" Taichi looked up, then slowly said,"Yes.."
"You never did what you said you would do. I've never had anyone refuse me before."
"It wasn't my true purpose."
"No, but you paid for something you never received."
"So?"
"So..maybe you would like to see what I can do."
Taichi frowned at this, but he read clearly in Yamato's eyes the same longing that was in his own heart. His father would never know, no one would care out here in the woods. It was cold too, and his heart wanted to so much.. "Alright.", Taichi said, "But don't call me Taichi, everyone calls me that." Yamato smiled and whispered, "Then what should I call you?" Taichi thought as the sounds of young children ran through his mind. He remembered a little brown-haired boy, being chased by a little blond, and a musical voice rising up from the game. " You're so slow, Tai!" "I'm going to get you Tai!" "You can't hide from me, Tai!"
"Just call me Tai.", he said, then Yamato pulled him close and placed an incredibly passionate kiss on his mouth. His hands softly wrapped around Tai's neck, and caressed his cheek. Tai shuddered with pleasure, subbmitting to Yamato's games. The blond knew his art well, teaching Tai many things through his passion. Some where in the middle of Yamato's games, Tai could feel that it wasn't professional anymore. It was true unbridled love. Taichi felt the same feelings in his own heart, and let them go to sink into Yamato's carressing arms. "Now we dance..", purred Yamato and he ran his hands down to Tai's breeches.
"Stop! Don't kill this fox!", the person cried, but it was too late. Daisuke had loosed his bow, and the arrow was well aimed. However, the fox was faster, and dodged the arrow. It embedded in its shoulder, drawing blood. Daisuke just stared at the panting person who had run into him. "Tai..Taichi! Lord Taichi! I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I had no idea that you had claimed that vixen as your quarry. Please forgive your humble servant!", he said as he threw himself onto the ground at Taichi's feet, groveling and pleading. Taichi took a closer look at the groveling brunette, and saw his half-brother, Daisuke. "I wasn't hunting it, Dai. I was following it. She is leading me home." Daisuke just stared at Tai and the at the wounded vixen. She was gone, and in her stead was was a brown-haired druid with violet eyes and an arrow sticking out of her shoulder. She deftly broke the shaft and pulled it out, not even flinching with the pain. After she had bound the wound, she glared at Daisuke. He backed away, cringing under her baleful gaze.
Yamato figured that it was his time to step in, before the girl killed Daisuke. He made his way through their little camp and pushed in front of Daisuke. He stopped short, for there in front was the noble who had invaded his thoughts for the last few days. He swallowed once and said slowly, "I believe, I am the one for which you seek?" Taichi's eyes glittered in recognition, yet Yamato could read nothing in the brown depths of his eyes except for that. Just recognition then, Yamato thought. The girl sniffed and looked at him. "Never seen a noble dress like that. What are you, a fair clown or what? Wouldn't mind watching you do your stuff though, very good-looking for a clown.", she said, smirking. "I am..or was, a courtesan. However, the lord traveling with you seems to think that I am the crown prince.", Yamato replied, directing his own icy gaze at the girl. She glared back, but with a bit of humor in her stare as well.
"I'm Ruki.", She said simply. Daisuke jumped up and presented his dirt-covered hand to her. "I am Lord Daisuke of Courage and Friendship, half-brother to the Lord Taichi and heir to the throne of Friendship if the crown prince is not found. This is Yamato, courtesan and holder of the royal crest of Friendship, and that over there is Ken, also courtesan and friend to Yamato and myself." Ken looked up at his name, and worked his way over. "You forgot half-Clayr, Dai.", he said smiling. Ruki looked him over, curious to the fact that he had violet eyes as well, a bit darker that hers, but still a rare color. "Great. anyway, we were going to the house of Courage, so that the Lord here could get home. I think it's a good time to get going.", she said, turning towards the woods. "Hold on.", Taichi said, and he took her arm. "I need to talk to this group." Ruki snorted and shook her head, but went over to a log and sat, pulling out herbs from a small pouch at her belt.
Ken went over and sat next to her, facinated by sthe skill in which she ground the herbs and pasted her wound with them. She noticed him sitting there and asked,"Do you wish to learn some of this? I could use some help." "Sure.", Ken replied, and for the next hour she showed him the plans in her pouch and how to use them.
Yamato, however, was having a far different talk. he and Taichi had gone off by themselves to speak privately. "Taichi, I want to know what this thing can do. It's warm around my neck, and burns when my emotions change. I don't understand.", Yamato said, fingering the crest. Taichi looked at it and sighed. "Honestly, I really don't know. My family has a crest too, but it's different from yours." Taichi pulled out his own royal crest, made of the finest ruby gems and glowing like fires against his chest. "It can create heat and light, along wih fire.", taichi said. yamato just rubbd his crest, feeling its icy coolness and soft blue light comforting. He clenched it and deciding, said with a soft voice, "You know when you came into Arachne's shop?" Taichi looked up, then slowly said,"Yes.."
"You never did what you said you would do. I've never had anyone refuse me before."
"It wasn't my true purpose."
"No, but you paid for something you never received."
"So?"
"So..maybe you would like to see what I can do."
Taichi frowned at this, but he read clearly in Yamato's eyes the same longing that was in his own heart. His father would never know, no one would care out here in the woods. It was cold too, and his heart wanted to so much.. "Alright.", Taichi said, "But don't call me Taichi, everyone calls me that." Yamato smiled and whispered, "Then what should I call you?" Taichi thought as the sounds of young children ran through his mind. He remembered a little brown-haired boy, being chased by a little blond, and a musical voice rising up from the game. " You're so slow, Tai!" "I'm going to get you Tai!" "You can't hide from me, Tai!"
"Just call me Tai.", he said, then Yamato pulled him close and placed an incredibly passionate kiss on his mouth. His hands softly wrapped around Tai's neck, and caressed his cheek. Tai shuddered with pleasure, subbmitting to Yamato's games. The blond knew his art well, teaching Tai many things through his passion. Some where in the middle of Yamato's games, Tai could feel that it wasn't professional anymore. It was true unbridled love. Taichi felt the same feelings in his own heart, and let them go to sink into Yamato's carressing arms. "Now we dance..", purred Yamato and he ran his hands down to Tai's breeches.
