Hey everyone!
I don't know what's been going on with my computer, but every time I try to upload something, it takes it down within the next couple of hours. So I'll try doing this one on the other computer, and we'll see how that works. Hm. Anyway, on with things.
Disclaimer-I don't own gundam wing. Or the idea for the dragon Nataku. That came from KC's willing slave. Ok, now for the fic…which I'm sure many of you will have been waiting for.
Sherpock-why would anyone wait for this? It sucks.
Yeah well, be quiet. I can hope, can't I? Oh yeah, and for the first part, you might want to go back and read over how Duo saved Quatre from the slave drivers. Then you'll understand better…and the first part in … is what Heero's seeing inside of Duo's thoughts, and after the first part, they're a person's thoughts. Understand? Good. That might help a bit.
Um, I'm introducing two new characters…but you'll understand when you get there. Anyway, enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 23
Um…can't think of a title yet…lemme write it and see what its about first…
A whip cracked, chains rattled, fear was everywhere. Fear of the slave driver, fear of losing their lives, fear of leaving the village, fear of becoming slaves…fear of their saviour…
Purple flames…"I will stop you"…a simple spell, so much meaning…
done it again…warning spell…he's killed so many…
Heero sighed and ended his spell. He didn't understand Duo's thoughts. He'd need an explanation from the shivering form in his arms.
"Heero…it's the city…Trowa's city…"
"What about it?"
"It's…gone…"
*~* new scene *~*
Wufei glanced at the hourglass that was sitting on a table beside where he was standing. Time was almost up. He thought back to the encounter he'd had with the head of the mage council earlier. He shivered at the thought, and decided he didn't like dark mages, even if they were on his side.
"Croik"
"I know Nataku. It's almost time."
"Croik"
"Hn."
"Croi-oi-oi-k"
"Stop laughing. Stupid onna. Why'd she have to do this?"
"Croik."
"I know she has no choice. It was a rhetorical question. Now if you could please leave me alone…"
"Croik."
Finally, some peace and quiet. Wufei sighed, and glanced at the hour glass again. He watched as the last two grains of sand slipped through the opening and landed on the pile that had been growing for the past 24 hours.
Wufei pulled a key from the key ring on his belt and slipped it into the lock. The door clicked open, the small noise echoing eerily in the empty hallway.
Wufei created a small ball of blue fire that provided no heat, only light, to see what was happening in the now dark room. It was late at night, and from what he could see, Wufei decided that he wouldn't have wanted to be in here during the 24 hours that had just passed.
Aria was sprawled out on the floor beside Quatre's bed, her form almost lifeless. Wufei headed over and picked her up gently. Her breathing was ragged, and it seemed she wouldn't last much longer. However, as promised, Wufei took her into the other room and laid her on the bed. He then returned to Quatre's room and picked up the small vial that had carried the liquid of fire. It was now empty, save one drop. He pocketed the small piece of glassware and checked on the small blond lying on the bed. He appeared to be just sleeping, ready to wake up any second. His breathing was regular, and Wufei could hear the winds whispering of what had gone on in the room during the time span of one day.
Shutting them out, he made sure the blond was comfortable. Although he was now a fully trained fire mage, Quatre wouldn't wake up until he received the vital herbs from Heero and Duo's trip to the mountains.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heero shifted in his saddle. He didn't like the way this was turning out. Duo was riding ahead of him, and both of their horses were nearing exhaustion. The sun was about to set below the horizon behind them, and Duo had called back that they were nearing Wufei's clan.
Urging his horse on, Heero's thoughts turned to Duo's vision. He'd said that Trowa's city had been overcome by shadows, though he wasn't sure if it had already happened, or whether he'd seen what was Trieze was planning to do.
Duo had also explained about the awakening spell he'd put on the slave driver, and how the magic alerted him if the older man was planning to hurt someone, wanting to hurt someone, or hurting someone, but he was never sure which it was.
Heero sighed. The wind was rushing around him, tousling his chocolate brown hair. Duo's braid was flying behind him, snaking and moving with the angel and his horse. Duo's black cloak added to his aura of mysteriousness as it blended with the darkness of Shadowswift.
Heero's heart skipped a beat as he remembered the feeling of the angel's lips melting with his own. However, these thoughts were lost to the back of his mind as they came to the top of a ridge, overlooking a valley. Duo barely stopped as he and his horse flew over the edge and continued galloping down into the valley below. There was a small village, and its lights sparkled in the dimness of the evening.
Heero followed down the slope at a slower pace, his mount not having the advantage of an angel's magic to provide a safe journey.
When the animal mage reached the bottom of the steep slope, he dismounted, finding himself on the outskirts of a small town, or what seemed to be a town.
There were a few smaller buildings, all surrounding two larger buildings. Heero could sense the presence of animals in one of the larger ones, and he guessed it to be a stable. Leading his horse forward, he joined Duo at the gates of the village. A large wall surrounded and protected the small group of buildings.
"Who goes there?" A voice called out from the top of the wall. "and what business have you coming here at this hour with such haste?"
"We are Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy, on a mission for King Trowa Barton. We seek herbs to heal a wounded soldier, and require a place to stay for the night. Our horses are also in need of rest." Duo called back, pulling his cloak tighter around himself as a gust of wind rushed past.
The watcher grunted something, then blew a low note on a horn of some sort.
A few moments passed before another voice could be heard. "Why should we grant you entrance? You both wear the clothing of magic, and you are not welcome here."
Heero looked on as Duo's eyes narrowed.
"I am no mage." Duo called out. "And you have no need to fear me. Perhaps in the dimness of the night, you failed to recognize that my garments are a light shade of purple, and those of my comrade are brown. We mean you no harm, and are simply in need of a resting place for one night and one night only."
The guards talked in low voices for a few moments, then the second spoke up again. "We will not grant you entrance."
The doors stayed shut, and the second guard returned to his post.
Duo turned to Heero. "What do we do now?"
"You could just open the door."
Duo nodded, grinning slightly. "Yeah, that could work."
"It would save us time."
Duo nodded again. "Alright then."
He turned, and focused his powers. The two guards cried out in surprise as the door swung open with a heavy creak, and the two magics entered the walls with two horses and a mission.
Upon entrance to the clan, Duo and Heero were led into one of the smaller buildings. Both magics could tell the people of Wufei's clan were afraid of them and their powers. The horses were taken, with a promise that they would be cared for properly.
Duo sighed and flopped down on the bed that occupied the small building. Heero could tell the angel was tired from the journey, along with his vision and replenishing the horse's energy.
So, the animal mage decided to have a look around. The building that they were in was small, only about ten feet in length. The bed Duo had flopped on was pushed to one corner, and a small fire pit was on the other side of the room. There was a wooden table against one wall. Heero placed their belongings on the table, then headed to the pile of wood beside the fire pit. Arranging the sticks, branches and logs neatly, he pulled a small vial from his pocket. He added one drop of the clear liquid to his pile, muttered a few words, then stepped back as they burst into flame.
"What's that?" Duo asked sleepily from the bed.
"An old family recipe. You can have the bed I'll sleep on the floor."
Duo sat up with a yawn. "Is there any food left?"
Heero nodded, and headed over to the table where their belongings lay. He fished through a few bags, then handed some bread and dried fruits to the braided angel.
Duo ate them, then sighed contentedly, settling himself back on the uncomfortable bed. "Heero?"
"Yes Duo?"
"About my vision…what happened while I was out of it?"
Silence.
Duo sat up again to see Heero staring out the window, his whole body tense.
"Well?"
Heero turned slowly, his Prussian blue eyes trying desperately to hide the emotions that swirled in their depths. Then he shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind of unwanted thoughts, and muttered a "nothing".
Duo quirked an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe that? After such a long hesitation?"
This comment earned the angel a glare from the mage. Duo stood slowly. His head was pounding and his legs weak and sore from the long trip. He joined Heero at the window. "Tell my what happened."
*~*
Wufei awoke with a start, his hand flying automatically for his katana. Nataku was on the floor. She no longer fit on the bed. Her length had grown to 10 feet from the original 5 since they had arrived at the castle, and she was not yet fully grown.
The dragon's ears were perked, and she was glaring at the wall that separated the weather mage's from Aria's.
"What is it Nataku?"
The dragon growled a reply.
Then the noise came again, the same one that had woken up weather and his dragon.
Aria's scream rang out through the darkness of the night.
Wufei jumped out of bed, katana drawn and ready as he headed swiftly for the door of his room. Opening it, he stepped into the hall. A few guards were running down the passageway towards him, led by the king.
The scream pierced the air again, and Wufei was nudged out of the room by Nataku. He walked the five feet to Aria's room, and but he time he reached it, Trowa and the guards had joined him.
Wufei grimaced as Aria screamed once more, and then all was quiet. He reached out to open the door. The wooden frame was reeking of dark magic, and the mage could feel its pulse as his hand closed over the doorknob.
However, as soon as he turned his wrist, he cried out in pain as he was thrown away from the door, and his head hit the wall with an ear-splitting crack.
"Wufei!" Trowa rushed over to the weather mage and lifted him gently off the floor. Pointing to one of his guards, he started calling out orders. "You, go find Sally Po and bring her here. Tell her its an emergency. The rest of you, I want that door opened NOW."
"Yes your majesty."
Trowa nodded, then brought Wufei back into his room. He'd received a look from the dragon that warned him not to hurt the weather mage, and Trowa wasn't about to go upsetting a dragon, king or no.
So, Trowa laid Wufei out on the white cloths of the bed. Examining the boy's physical state, he found his hand badly burnt, the skin peeling away. There was also blood seeping into the pure white of the sheets. It seemed that it was coming from the back of his head. Lifting him gently, Trowa grimaced once again. Wufei's skull had cracked, and he was loosing blood quickly.
Aria's scream sounded again.
"Duo and Heero had better get back soon." Trowa thought. "Or we might not last much longer."
*~*
Heero's eyes narrowed at Duo's persistence, but there was a certain amount of danger hidden in the violet eyes that Heero didn't want to encounter.
"Why do you want to know?"
Duo turned his gaze out the window. The clan hadn't extinguished their torches yet, though it was getting quite late. In fact, they seemed to be lighting more. "When I have my visions, my subconscious mind takes over, acting on my emotions. I have no control over what I'm doing. I need to know if I hurt something, or if I produced any magic or spells."
Heero shook his head. "No spells."
"Then why won't you tell me?"
Heero simply glared his response.
"Fine then. Be afraid. I don't care anyway…mmph!"
Duo's eyes widened as he tried to turn away, but Heero had grabbed his arm and pulled him so close their bodies were touching.
"Just remember that you asked." The animal mage growled before pulling Duo closer, their lips crashing together in what seemed like an endless waltz.
Neither of the two heard the door creak open, or the footsteps of someone entering the small cabin. It took a meaningful clearing of a throat to alert the magics of its presence.
*~*
Sally got to her feet and shook her head, braids swinging slightly with the movement. "It would take a miracle to save him now. He's lost too much blood."
And indeed it was true. Wufei's once white sheets were stained red, and although his head was bandaged, he had lost too much blood to survive much longer.
Trowa's guards had failed to get Aria's door opened, thought the screams had stopped. Trowa feared the worst, and Nataku didn't seem extremely happy either. With a loud roar, she had taken to the skies a few minutes earlier.
Trowa sighed heavily. Without Aria, Wufei, and Quatre they wouldn't' stand a chance against the army Aria had warned him about.
He dismissed sally, and she left, knowing she could be of no more help here. But on her way past Quatre's room, she noticed a dim glow emerging from under the doorway.
Deciding it could be dangerous, and now knowing of the events of the past few days, she opened the door without a second thought.
Her eyes widened as they met a spectacular light show. Quatre was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands.
The fire mage was glowing red.
Deciding matters here were out of her hands, Sally Po called for the king.
Trowa heard his name being called and he reluctantly left the dying Wufei, leaving a guard at the door to watch on the injured weather mage.
When her reached Quatre's room, the fire mage had gotten to his feet, his glow intensifying to an almost unbearable brightness. Quatre was heading for Aria's door, and he wasn't about to be stopped.
"Did you find him like this?" Trowa asked Sally, who was looking on in awe.
"Yes, but I think he's still unconscious…"
Trowa nodded, watching Quatre as best he could as the blond reached for Aria's doorknob.
"Shouldn't we try to stop him your highness?" One of the guards suggested.
Trowa shook his head. "I don't think we could."
Sally nodded in agreement, then shielded her eyes as Quatre's glow became even brighter, almost to the extent of glowing white, then subsided, dimmed and went out.
Trowa opened his eyes to see Quatre collapsed on the floor, and Aria's door wide open.
*~*
Heero pulled away from Duo, the angel moaning in protest, not yet aware of the other occupant of the room.
"Can we help you?" Heero growled, eyes narrowing at the sight of the intruder, one hand still resting on Duo's waist, though the angel had turned to see the person who had interrupted the answer to his question.
There was a girl of the dragon clan standing in the doorway. Her black hair hung loosely around her shoulders, her eyes close to the colour of those of Wufei's.
"Yes, actually, you can help me." She said, entering the room further and closing the door behind her. "I'm looking for the one called Wufei Chang, and the winds have told me you are his comrades."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, we're leaving tomorrow, if you would like to join us, but I warn you that coming would put you in grave danger."
The girl snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't' seem to realize what I am, or who I am. My name is Meiran, and I'm the daughter of the chief of the dragon clan. I was supposed to marry Wfuei, but the dragon chose him from the many young men of our clan. He refused to marry me, because as the chosen one, he would not be permitted to return to the clan after he departed with the dragon, and I would obviously not be allowed to go with him. He didn't want to cause me pain, so he refused to marry me. He wanted me to move on, and enjoy my life. We were very close, since we grew up together."
"Ok, ok, enough history. We get the point." Duo said, rolling his eyes. He didn't know whether he trusted this girl yet.
"How can you read the winds?" Heero demanded, his glare fixed on the girl.
"The first daughter of the chief is given the "curse of the winds". Our clan is afraid of anything to do with magic, and women are considered to be weaker than men. I have been granted the power to speak with the winds because of these silly superstitions. In any case, we must make haste. Take only what you need, the other clan members are coming."
"What?" Duo glanced out the window. It was true. The clan was approaching their small building with pitchforks and torches.
"Follow me." Meiran ordered, leading them through a back door. The two mages grabbed their cloaks, and followed the chief's daughter to a back entrance in the wall.
"The herbs you seek are not far from here. We must hurry. I fear your friends are in danger." Duo nodded, and grabbed Heero's hand, pulling him along behind Meiran and into the woods. Heero's fingers tightened around his, glad to have some form of comfort in this time of fear, though he would never admit to it.
They reached a small stream, where the two horses were waiting, both of them restless, and not at ease.
"I'll get the herbs." Duo muttered, jumping the stream and disappearing into the forest.
Heero could feel Duo's weariness. The angel was in dire need of rest.
"If you can read the winds, why do you not wear the clothing?" Heero grunted at Meiran, trying to pull his thoughts from the braided angel.
The clan was in denial that one of their members other than the chosen one should be a mage. I cannot do much else other than speaking with the winds. My powers are limited.
Heero nodded. He felt like this girl was hiding something from them, but he was sure she would tell them when the time was right…if it wasn't too late…
Duo soon reappeared, his pouch slightly larger.
"Ok, I can take two of us back. Meiran, will you return on foot with the horses?"
"What do you mean take two of us back?" Heero demanded, eyes narrowing as he fixed his glare on Duo.
"These herbs, the leaves of a dog tooth violet, are good for more than one thing. They can be used for teleportation."
Meiran stood from where she had been sitting. "The horses know the way back?"
Duo nodded, kneeling down and placing the leaves in a small dish. "Take this." He said, removing the wooden cross necklace he was wearing. "If you have trouble break the cross, and help will come. Use it only in an extreme emergency."
Meiran nodded. "Then I will leave now. I warn you that the villagers are following our trail." And with that, the daughter of the dragon clan departed, leading the two horses forward.
Heero crouched on the ground beside Duo. "I don't trust her."
"Neither do I."
"Then why?"
"No other choice."
"Hn." Heero nodded in understanding.
Duo then turned back to the spell he needed to finish. Pulling a small dagger from a hidden pocket in his cloak, he closed his eyes and started the magic. The blade glinted in the moonlight as Duo brought it down, and with a quick swipe, drew it over the bare skin of his left wrist.
Heero glared at the angel, and opened his mouth to say something, but decided it was a waste of his breath. Duo wasn't listening.
Working quickly, the braided angel allowed the thick red liquid to flow into the small dish. With a small rock, he mashed the liquid and leaves together.
The only sounds that filled the clearing for the next few moments were the slight murmurings and grindings from Duo's spell, and the ever growing sound of the approaching clan members.
Suddenly, a sickening feeling developed in the pit of Heero's stomach, and his head started to pound loudly. Duo's spell became louder and louder, until the angel was practically yelling out the ancient lyrics.
The clan members watched from the safety of the forest, both mages glowing purple, and with every passing moment they brightened. The glow reached a certain point, and in the next instant they had both disappeared, leaving nothing behind to tell anyone they had once occupied that space.
*~*
Trowa watched as Quatre collapsed on the ground, and was almost immediately at the fire mage's side.
He picked up the blond gently, and carried him back to his chambers, giving him the order that no one was to enter Aria's room.
He deposited Quatre on the bed, leaving him with Sally.
Trowa then looked in on Wufei. The weather mage's pulse was weak, and his fresh bandages were already soaked in blood. Wufei's breathing could just barely be heard. Trowa ordered the guard to replace the wet cloth on Wufei's forehead, then headed for Aria's now open door.
Glancing in, his eyes widened. He could see the sky, and the last fading stars through Wufei's window, but no light would enter Aria's room. The shadows seemed to chase the light and its brightness away.
The king could just barely make out Aria's form on the bed.
Trowa could smell blood. He knew he had to help the weather-spirit mage, or she could die. Even she was mortal.
"Heero and Duo have to get back, they're our only hope." Sally said from beside the king.
Trowa nodded silently. "No one is to enter this room. If the light will not enter, neither will we. Our kind have no power or knowledge of magic and its force."
Sally nodded as a guard positioned himself at the door.
"Your highness, we have a problem." Another of the soldiers said, his eyes glued to whatever it was he could see through Wufei's window, a look of fear etched in his features.
*~*
Heero couldn't see. He also couldn't smell, hear or touch anything. His body was being ripped apart from the inside; his mind was being torn apart. A darkness was creeping over his skin, and with it came a pain that was so terrible it couldn't be described in words.
And then he fell to the ground, gasping for air. When he'd caught his breath, he looked around. They were in the castle courtyard, Duo's spell had worked.
Duo…where was he?
Heero stood up, glancing around quickly. Duo was sprawled on the ground a few feet away, face buried in the grass.
Heero crouched by his side, rolling him over gently.
Duo's violet eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, sitting slowly.
"Did it work?"
"Yeah, but it hurt like hell."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, sorry I didn't warn you…we didn't really have time."
Heero grunted and got to his feet. "We should check on the others."
Duo nodded. "Meiran said they were in trouble."
When the two reached the second story of the castle, a guard met them at the top of the stairs.
"You had better hurry, something's gone wrong…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dun dun duuuuun….*laughs manically*
Ooo…I love putting them through torture. It's too much fun…
I don't know what's been going on with my computer, but every time I try to upload something, it takes it down within the next couple of hours. So I'll try doing this one on the other computer, and we'll see how that works. Hm. Anyway, on with things.
Disclaimer-I don't own gundam wing. Or the idea for the dragon Nataku. That came from KC's willing slave. Ok, now for the fic…which I'm sure many of you will have been waiting for.
Sherpock-why would anyone wait for this? It sucks.
Yeah well, be quiet. I can hope, can't I? Oh yeah, and for the first part, you might want to go back and read over how Duo saved Quatre from the slave drivers. Then you'll understand better…and the first part in … is what Heero's seeing inside of Duo's thoughts, and after the first part, they're a person's thoughts. Understand? Good. That might help a bit.
Um, I'm introducing two new characters…but you'll understand when you get there. Anyway, enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 23
Um…can't think of a title yet…lemme write it and see what its about first…
A whip cracked, chains rattled, fear was everywhere. Fear of the slave driver, fear of losing their lives, fear of leaving the village, fear of becoming slaves…fear of their saviour…
Purple flames…"I will stop you"…a simple spell, so much meaning…
done it again…warning spell…he's killed so many…
Heero sighed and ended his spell. He didn't understand Duo's thoughts. He'd need an explanation from the shivering form in his arms.
"Heero…it's the city…Trowa's city…"
"What about it?"
"It's…gone…"
*~* new scene *~*
Wufei glanced at the hourglass that was sitting on a table beside where he was standing. Time was almost up. He thought back to the encounter he'd had with the head of the mage council earlier. He shivered at the thought, and decided he didn't like dark mages, even if they were on his side.
"Croik"
"I know Nataku. It's almost time."
"Croik"
"Hn."
"Croi-oi-oi-k"
"Stop laughing. Stupid onna. Why'd she have to do this?"
"Croik."
"I know she has no choice. It was a rhetorical question. Now if you could please leave me alone…"
"Croik."
Finally, some peace and quiet. Wufei sighed, and glanced at the hour glass again. He watched as the last two grains of sand slipped through the opening and landed on the pile that had been growing for the past 24 hours.
Wufei pulled a key from the key ring on his belt and slipped it into the lock. The door clicked open, the small noise echoing eerily in the empty hallway.
Wufei created a small ball of blue fire that provided no heat, only light, to see what was happening in the now dark room. It was late at night, and from what he could see, Wufei decided that he wouldn't have wanted to be in here during the 24 hours that had just passed.
Aria was sprawled out on the floor beside Quatre's bed, her form almost lifeless. Wufei headed over and picked her up gently. Her breathing was ragged, and it seemed she wouldn't last much longer. However, as promised, Wufei took her into the other room and laid her on the bed. He then returned to Quatre's room and picked up the small vial that had carried the liquid of fire. It was now empty, save one drop. He pocketed the small piece of glassware and checked on the small blond lying on the bed. He appeared to be just sleeping, ready to wake up any second. His breathing was regular, and Wufei could hear the winds whispering of what had gone on in the room during the time span of one day.
Shutting them out, he made sure the blond was comfortable. Although he was now a fully trained fire mage, Quatre wouldn't wake up until he received the vital herbs from Heero and Duo's trip to the mountains.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heero shifted in his saddle. He didn't like the way this was turning out. Duo was riding ahead of him, and both of their horses were nearing exhaustion. The sun was about to set below the horizon behind them, and Duo had called back that they were nearing Wufei's clan.
Urging his horse on, Heero's thoughts turned to Duo's vision. He'd said that Trowa's city had been overcome by shadows, though he wasn't sure if it had already happened, or whether he'd seen what was Trieze was planning to do.
Duo had also explained about the awakening spell he'd put on the slave driver, and how the magic alerted him if the older man was planning to hurt someone, wanting to hurt someone, or hurting someone, but he was never sure which it was.
Heero sighed. The wind was rushing around him, tousling his chocolate brown hair. Duo's braid was flying behind him, snaking and moving with the angel and his horse. Duo's black cloak added to his aura of mysteriousness as it blended with the darkness of Shadowswift.
Heero's heart skipped a beat as he remembered the feeling of the angel's lips melting with his own. However, these thoughts were lost to the back of his mind as they came to the top of a ridge, overlooking a valley. Duo barely stopped as he and his horse flew over the edge and continued galloping down into the valley below. There was a small village, and its lights sparkled in the dimness of the evening.
Heero followed down the slope at a slower pace, his mount not having the advantage of an angel's magic to provide a safe journey.
When the animal mage reached the bottom of the steep slope, he dismounted, finding himself on the outskirts of a small town, or what seemed to be a town.
There were a few smaller buildings, all surrounding two larger buildings. Heero could sense the presence of animals in one of the larger ones, and he guessed it to be a stable. Leading his horse forward, he joined Duo at the gates of the village. A large wall surrounded and protected the small group of buildings.
"Who goes there?" A voice called out from the top of the wall. "and what business have you coming here at this hour with such haste?"
"We are Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy, on a mission for King Trowa Barton. We seek herbs to heal a wounded soldier, and require a place to stay for the night. Our horses are also in need of rest." Duo called back, pulling his cloak tighter around himself as a gust of wind rushed past.
The watcher grunted something, then blew a low note on a horn of some sort.
A few moments passed before another voice could be heard. "Why should we grant you entrance? You both wear the clothing of magic, and you are not welcome here."
Heero looked on as Duo's eyes narrowed.
"I am no mage." Duo called out. "And you have no need to fear me. Perhaps in the dimness of the night, you failed to recognize that my garments are a light shade of purple, and those of my comrade are brown. We mean you no harm, and are simply in need of a resting place for one night and one night only."
The guards talked in low voices for a few moments, then the second spoke up again. "We will not grant you entrance."
The doors stayed shut, and the second guard returned to his post.
Duo turned to Heero. "What do we do now?"
"You could just open the door."
Duo nodded, grinning slightly. "Yeah, that could work."
"It would save us time."
Duo nodded again. "Alright then."
He turned, and focused his powers. The two guards cried out in surprise as the door swung open with a heavy creak, and the two magics entered the walls with two horses and a mission.
Upon entrance to the clan, Duo and Heero were led into one of the smaller buildings. Both magics could tell the people of Wufei's clan were afraid of them and their powers. The horses were taken, with a promise that they would be cared for properly.
Duo sighed and flopped down on the bed that occupied the small building. Heero could tell the angel was tired from the journey, along with his vision and replenishing the horse's energy.
So, the animal mage decided to have a look around. The building that they were in was small, only about ten feet in length. The bed Duo had flopped on was pushed to one corner, and a small fire pit was on the other side of the room. There was a wooden table against one wall. Heero placed their belongings on the table, then headed to the pile of wood beside the fire pit. Arranging the sticks, branches and logs neatly, he pulled a small vial from his pocket. He added one drop of the clear liquid to his pile, muttered a few words, then stepped back as they burst into flame.
"What's that?" Duo asked sleepily from the bed.
"An old family recipe. You can have the bed I'll sleep on the floor."
Duo sat up with a yawn. "Is there any food left?"
Heero nodded, and headed over to the table where their belongings lay. He fished through a few bags, then handed some bread and dried fruits to the braided angel.
Duo ate them, then sighed contentedly, settling himself back on the uncomfortable bed. "Heero?"
"Yes Duo?"
"About my vision…what happened while I was out of it?"
Silence.
Duo sat up again to see Heero staring out the window, his whole body tense.
"Well?"
Heero turned slowly, his Prussian blue eyes trying desperately to hide the emotions that swirled in their depths. Then he shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind of unwanted thoughts, and muttered a "nothing".
Duo quirked an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe that? After such a long hesitation?"
This comment earned the angel a glare from the mage. Duo stood slowly. His head was pounding and his legs weak and sore from the long trip. He joined Heero at the window. "Tell my what happened."
*~*
Wufei awoke with a start, his hand flying automatically for his katana. Nataku was on the floor. She no longer fit on the bed. Her length had grown to 10 feet from the original 5 since they had arrived at the castle, and she was not yet fully grown.
The dragon's ears were perked, and she was glaring at the wall that separated the weather mage's from Aria's.
"What is it Nataku?"
The dragon growled a reply.
Then the noise came again, the same one that had woken up weather and his dragon.
Aria's scream rang out through the darkness of the night.
Wufei jumped out of bed, katana drawn and ready as he headed swiftly for the door of his room. Opening it, he stepped into the hall. A few guards were running down the passageway towards him, led by the king.
The scream pierced the air again, and Wufei was nudged out of the room by Nataku. He walked the five feet to Aria's room, and but he time he reached it, Trowa and the guards had joined him.
Wufei grimaced as Aria screamed once more, and then all was quiet. He reached out to open the door. The wooden frame was reeking of dark magic, and the mage could feel its pulse as his hand closed over the doorknob.
However, as soon as he turned his wrist, he cried out in pain as he was thrown away from the door, and his head hit the wall with an ear-splitting crack.
"Wufei!" Trowa rushed over to the weather mage and lifted him gently off the floor. Pointing to one of his guards, he started calling out orders. "You, go find Sally Po and bring her here. Tell her its an emergency. The rest of you, I want that door opened NOW."
"Yes your majesty."
Trowa nodded, then brought Wufei back into his room. He'd received a look from the dragon that warned him not to hurt the weather mage, and Trowa wasn't about to go upsetting a dragon, king or no.
So, Trowa laid Wufei out on the white cloths of the bed. Examining the boy's physical state, he found his hand badly burnt, the skin peeling away. There was also blood seeping into the pure white of the sheets. It seemed that it was coming from the back of his head. Lifting him gently, Trowa grimaced once again. Wufei's skull had cracked, and he was loosing blood quickly.
Aria's scream sounded again.
"Duo and Heero had better get back soon." Trowa thought. "Or we might not last much longer."
*~*
Heero's eyes narrowed at Duo's persistence, but there was a certain amount of danger hidden in the violet eyes that Heero didn't want to encounter.
"Why do you want to know?"
Duo turned his gaze out the window. The clan hadn't extinguished their torches yet, though it was getting quite late. In fact, they seemed to be lighting more. "When I have my visions, my subconscious mind takes over, acting on my emotions. I have no control over what I'm doing. I need to know if I hurt something, or if I produced any magic or spells."
Heero shook his head. "No spells."
"Then why won't you tell me?"
Heero simply glared his response.
"Fine then. Be afraid. I don't care anyway…mmph!"
Duo's eyes widened as he tried to turn away, but Heero had grabbed his arm and pulled him so close their bodies were touching.
"Just remember that you asked." The animal mage growled before pulling Duo closer, their lips crashing together in what seemed like an endless waltz.
Neither of the two heard the door creak open, or the footsteps of someone entering the small cabin. It took a meaningful clearing of a throat to alert the magics of its presence.
*~*
Sally got to her feet and shook her head, braids swinging slightly with the movement. "It would take a miracle to save him now. He's lost too much blood."
And indeed it was true. Wufei's once white sheets were stained red, and although his head was bandaged, he had lost too much blood to survive much longer.
Trowa's guards had failed to get Aria's door opened, thought the screams had stopped. Trowa feared the worst, and Nataku didn't seem extremely happy either. With a loud roar, she had taken to the skies a few minutes earlier.
Trowa sighed heavily. Without Aria, Wufei, and Quatre they wouldn't' stand a chance against the army Aria had warned him about.
He dismissed sally, and she left, knowing she could be of no more help here. But on her way past Quatre's room, she noticed a dim glow emerging from under the doorway.
Deciding it could be dangerous, and now knowing of the events of the past few days, she opened the door without a second thought.
Her eyes widened as they met a spectacular light show. Quatre was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands.
The fire mage was glowing red.
Deciding matters here were out of her hands, Sally Po called for the king.
Trowa heard his name being called and he reluctantly left the dying Wufei, leaving a guard at the door to watch on the injured weather mage.
When her reached Quatre's room, the fire mage had gotten to his feet, his glow intensifying to an almost unbearable brightness. Quatre was heading for Aria's door, and he wasn't about to be stopped.
"Did you find him like this?" Trowa asked Sally, who was looking on in awe.
"Yes, but I think he's still unconscious…"
Trowa nodded, watching Quatre as best he could as the blond reached for Aria's doorknob.
"Shouldn't we try to stop him your highness?" One of the guards suggested.
Trowa shook his head. "I don't think we could."
Sally nodded in agreement, then shielded her eyes as Quatre's glow became even brighter, almost to the extent of glowing white, then subsided, dimmed and went out.
Trowa opened his eyes to see Quatre collapsed on the floor, and Aria's door wide open.
*~*
Heero pulled away from Duo, the angel moaning in protest, not yet aware of the other occupant of the room.
"Can we help you?" Heero growled, eyes narrowing at the sight of the intruder, one hand still resting on Duo's waist, though the angel had turned to see the person who had interrupted the answer to his question.
There was a girl of the dragon clan standing in the doorway. Her black hair hung loosely around her shoulders, her eyes close to the colour of those of Wufei's.
"Yes, actually, you can help me." She said, entering the room further and closing the door behind her. "I'm looking for the one called Wufei Chang, and the winds have told me you are his comrades."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, we're leaving tomorrow, if you would like to join us, but I warn you that coming would put you in grave danger."
The girl snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't' seem to realize what I am, or who I am. My name is Meiran, and I'm the daughter of the chief of the dragon clan. I was supposed to marry Wfuei, but the dragon chose him from the many young men of our clan. He refused to marry me, because as the chosen one, he would not be permitted to return to the clan after he departed with the dragon, and I would obviously not be allowed to go with him. He didn't want to cause me pain, so he refused to marry me. He wanted me to move on, and enjoy my life. We were very close, since we grew up together."
"Ok, ok, enough history. We get the point." Duo said, rolling his eyes. He didn't know whether he trusted this girl yet.
"How can you read the winds?" Heero demanded, his glare fixed on the girl.
"The first daughter of the chief is given the "curse of the winds". Our clan is afraid of anything to do with magic, and women are considered to be weaker than men. I have been granted the power to speak with the winds because of these silly superstitions. In any case, we must make haste. Take only what you need, the other clan members are coming."
"What?" Duo glanced out the window. It was true. The clan was approaching their small building with pitchforks and torches.
"Follow me." Meiran ordered, leading them through a back door. The two mages grabbed their cloaks, and followed the chief's daughter to a back entrance in the wall.
"The herbs you seek are not far from here. We must hurry. I fear your friends are in danger." Duo nodded, and grabbed Heero's hand, pulling him along behind Meiran and into the woods. Heero's fingers tightened around his, glad to have some form of comfort in this time of fear, though he would never admit to it.
They reached a small stream, where the two horses were waiting, both of them restless, and not at ease.
"I'll get the herbs." Duo muttered, jumping the stream and disappearing into the forest.
Heero could feel Duo's weariness. The angel was in dire need of rest.
"If you can read the winds, why do you not wear the clothing?" Heero grunted at Meiran, trying to pull his thoughts from the braided angel.
The clan was in denial that one of their members other than the chosen one should be a mage. I cannot do much else other than speaking with the winds. My powers are limited.
Heero nodded. He felt like this girl was hiding something from them, but he was sure she would tell them when the time was right…if it wasn't too late…
Duo soon reappeared, his pouch slightly larger.
"Ok, I can take two of us back. Meiran, will you return on foot with the horses?"
"What do you mean take two of us back?" Heero demanded, eyes narrowing as he fixed his glare on Duo.
"These herbs, the leaves of a dog tooth violet, are good for more than one thing. They can be used for teleportation."
Meiran stood from where she had been sitting. "The horses know the way back?"
Duo nodded, kneeling down and placing the leaves in a small dish. "Take this." He said, removing the wooden cross necklace he was wearing. "If you have trouble break the cross, and help will come. Use it only in an extreme emergency."
Meiran nodded. "Then I will leave now. I warn you that the villagers are following our trail." And with that, the daughter of the dragon clan departed, leading the two horses forward.
Heero crouched on the ground beside Duo. "I don't trust her."
"Neither do I."
"Then why?"
"No other choice."
"Hn." Heero nodded in understanding.
Duo then turned back to the spell he needed to finish. Pulling a small dagger from a hidden pocket in his cloak, he closed his eyes and started the magic. The blade glinted in the moonlight as Duo brought it down, and with a quick swipe, drew it over the bare skin of his left wrist.
Heero glared at the angel, and opened his mouth to say something, but decided it was a waste of his breath. Duo wasn't listening.
Working quickly, the braided angel allowed the thick red liquid to flow into the small dish. With a small rock, he mashed the liquid and leaves together.
The only sounds that filled the clearing for the next few moments were the slight murmurings and grindings from Duo's spell, and the ever growing sound of the approaching clan members.
Suddenly, a sickening feeling developed in the pit of Heero's stomach, and his head started to pound loudly. Duo's spell became louder and louder, until the angel was practically yelling out the ancient lyrics.
The clan members watched from the safety of the forest, both mages glowing purple, and with every passing moment they brightened. The glow reached a certain point, and in the next instant they had both disappeared, leaving nothing behind to tell anyone they had once occupied that space.
*~*
Trowa watched as Quatre collapsed on the ground, and was almost immediately at the fire mage's side.
He picked up the blond gently, and carried him back to his chambers, giving him the order that no one was to enter Aria's room.
He deposited Quatre on the bed, leaving him with Sally.
Trowa then looked in on Wufei. The weather mage's pulse was weak, and his fresh bandages were already soaked in blood. Wufei's breathing could just barely be heard. Trowa ordered the guard to replace the wet cloth on Wufei's forehead, then headed for Aria's now open door.
Glancing in, his eyes widened. He could see the sky, and the last fading stars through Wufei's window, but no light would enter Aria's room. The shadows seemed to chase the light and its brightness away.
The king could just barely make out Aria's form on the bed.
Trowa could smell blood. He knew he had to help the weather-spirit mage, or she could die. Even she was mortal.
"Heero and Duo have to get back, they're our only hope." Sally said from beside the king.
Trowa nodded silently. "No one is to enter this room. If the light will not enter, neither will we. Our kind have no power or knowledge of magic and its force."
Sally nodded as a guard positioned himself at the door.
"Your highness, we have a problem." Another of the soldiers said, his eyes glued to whatever it was he could see through Wufei's window, a look of fear etched in his features.
*~*
Heero couldn't see. He also couldn't smell, hear or touch anything. His body was being ripped apart from the inside; his mind was being torn apart. A darkness was creeping over his skin, and with it came a pain that was so terrible it couldn't be described in words.
And then he fell to the ground, gasping for air. When he'd caught his breath, he looked around. They were in the castle courtyard, Duo's spell had worked.
Duo…where was he?
Heero stood up, glancing around quickly. Duo was sprawled on the ground a few feet away, face buried in the grass.
Heero crouched by his side, rolling him over gently.
Duo's violet eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, sitting slowly.
"Did it work?"
"Yeah, but it hurt like hell."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, sorry I didn't warn you…we didn't really have time."
Heero grunted and got to his feet. "We should check on the others."
Duo nodded. "Meiran said they were in trouble."
When the two reached the second story of the castle, a guard met them at the top of the stairs.
"You had better hurry, something's gone wrong…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dun dun duuuuun….*laughs manically*
Ooo…I love putting them through torture. It's too much fun…
