Chapter Two: Wufei's Story
After passing through several doors, through the inner courtyard, down six flights of steps and over one under ground bridge, Duo arrived at what King Odin called the Dungeons. He'd heard stories about the high security of the Yuy Kingdom Dungeons, but he had never imagined a natural cavern under layers of strong rock.
Heero showed him through a wooden door labled 'Low Security.' Duo almost snorted at that. If this was low security, what was high?
They entered a small room with one table and two chairs, and little else. It was obvious not many people came down here. "Sit," Heero said, before looking around curiously. Seeming to realise something, he dug through a pouch on his belt and pulled out a clear stone. He rubbed it once and whispered something.
"Yes, Captain?" the stone said.
"Aoshi, look into the fact that three guards are missing from the Dungeons. You know the King's policy on shirking duties. When you find them, do what is needed," Heero said in his usual monotone.
"Hai, Captain," the stone replied. Nodding to himself, Heero put the stone away and leaned against the wall. Silence descended, but soon Duo couldn't take it.
"What was that about?" he asked curiously, hoping that the handsome Captain would say more than...
"Hn." Guess not. Duo sighed.
"Look, you gotta watch me, ne?" he asked. Heero nodded once. "So why don't you relax and talk to me? I get bored easily, and you don't wanna see me bored. Atleast, that's what the last guard who had to watch me said."
Silence descended again, but them Heero asked, "Why?"
Duo grinned. "First I started singing. Ya know, those tunes from the traveling shows. I'd pick the most annoying, bawdy song I could think of and sing it off key. Like this. Lie on your back, gi~rl! Open them legs to m~e! Lay on your--"
Duo was cut off by Heero's intense glare. He giggled, and Heero's glare intensified. After about ten minutes of being glared at -in which Duo admired Heero's gorgeous eyes- Duo sighed and began to whistle softly. A minute more he was humming. Two more minutes and he was singing softly.
"Allata me sora neysi rel keyo. Prta sora le keyo. Seyasa uferta. Mera telliosa..." Duo sang. Heero straightened and Duo saw it from the corner of his eye. He grinned inwardly and continued. After awhile he got bored with his own voice and turned to Heero again. "Ya like?"
"Yes," Heero said, surprising them both. He reddened very slightly and turned away. "Even though you are using magic."
"Magic? What's so bad about magic?" Duo asked, managing to fit his doubt about his magical abilities into his voice.
"Everything," Heero said. "King Odin banned it from the Yuy Kingdom after the Sorceress Dorothy went crazy and destroyed everything."
"Is that so? Well, your King has been hiding something from you," Duo responded. "For one, the little fact that the stone you carry around is magic itself."
Heero's face hardened. "No it isn't."
"Sorry to break it to ya, Heero, but it's magic. Take it from someone who knew a Shadow Walker fairly well." Duo sighed. "You Yuys, so freakin' hypocritical," he said sadly. He was remembering his mother, who had been killed by a Yuy who didn't like the fact that she was pregnant even though they'd told her not long before that it was perfectly fine.
"The people of the Yuy Kingdom are not hypocritical," Heero began.
"No, just their king," Duo interrupted. He gave Heero a serious look. "Where did you find the blonde with the forked eyebrows?"
Heero looked more attentive at the abrupt change of subject. "Do you mean Prince Lowell's concubine?" he asked coldly. "It is none of your concern."
"Just tell me, Hee-chan. It's important," Duo responded seriously.
Heero quirked an eyebrow. "Hee-chan?" Duo blushed, but looked impatient and defiant. "King Odin found Darline at the edge of Oz."
"Darline? Is that what you call her? Sorry to break it to you, Hee-chan, but Darline ain't Darline," the braided teen said.
"Well, then who is she?" Heero demanded, getting annoyed by Duo's sidestepping of the subject. "And don't call me that."
Duo grinned. "If I tell you a secret about Darline, will ya gimme a kiss?" he asked, widening his violet eyes at the stoic Captain.
"No," Heero said immediately.
"It could mean the destruction or safety of your kingdom," Duo sang, grinning wider when Heero's ears perked up. "So, will ya?"
Heero hesitated, then slowly nodded his head. Quickly, he recovered his cold disposition. "But if the information is not revelant, do not come near me on pain of death."
Duo grinned widely. "No problem, Captain Hee-chan. Just don't go back on your word," he said.
Heero stiffened. "My word is my gold, prisoner."
"Prisoner? Oooh, is Hee-chan having fantasies about me in a dungeon? Kinky," Duo said, laughing at the stunned face of the Captain.
"Just give the damned information!" Heero cried.
"Alright, alright. By the Light..." Duo mumbled, annoyed. "You'd think a man could have a decent conversation with a gorgeous Captain, but no, everyone is short-tempered these days. Why when I was young--"
"Novice," Heero growled.
Duo gulped. "Hehe...well ya see, Darline is...well she is...how should I put this..." he mumbled nervously.
"Novice!" Heero barked.
"Darline is really the Sorceress Dorothy, and from the looks of things she plans to take over the Yuy Kingdom through King Lowell, who is already immensely weak-willed," Duo blurted in a rush.
Heero stared at him. Darline was Dorothy? Dorothy was Darline? Lowell's royal whore was a conniving, evil, base being with powers that rivaled the gods?
A minute passed when nothing happened. Then Heero was on the floor behind Duo. He'd fainted.
(A/N: OOC Heero, I know. But you have to understand that Dorothy is really, really powerful, and struck fear into the hearts of the greatest monarchs in her time. Translation: she's damn scary!)
~~~~***~~~~
Slumped inelegantly on a long divan, Chang Wufei of Dragora sighed rather loudly for someone so preoccupied with appearances. No one saw him in such a common pose, since his slave Omi was outside guarding his door, instructed not to let anyone in.
Assured that his mental journey would not be interrupted, Wufei allowed his mind to go back in time, back several months to when he had met the ginger- haired General of King Odin Yuy's army. Back when he had experienced love for the first time. When he had known heartbreak.
**Flashback**
Just turned seventeen, Chang Wufei was a proud warrior of Dragora, one of the Emperor's finest. Today was the day he was to prove his worth to his liege by fighting the delegate from the Yuy Kingdom in hand-to-hand combat. It was a high honor.
Usually Wufei was confident in his fights, he expected to win. But lately he had been thrown off balance physically and mentally every time he encountered the ginger-haired, blue-eyed General of Yuy's army. The older man would touch him on the cheek or hand, and Wufei would momentarily lose the use of his limbs. It had been happening more and more lately, a warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach when ever they touched, draining Wufei's usual smug confidence to nothing. The young warrior feared for his soul and prayed to the Great God Nataku to forgive him for having unnatural thoughts about men. He knew that in the Yuy Kingdom, same sex relationships were not frowned upon. But he wasn't in Yuy, he was in Dragora.
Besides that, there was his fiance, the Shrine Maiden Long Meilan, worshipper and daughter of the Great One, Nataku. She was a direct descendent of the Great One, and it was considered an honor to marry her. Just by association Wufei was treated better. His heart hurt more as he thought of the General and his pleasant touches, then his heart hardened. He was destined to marry Meilan. General Treize Khushrenada had nothing to do with it.
**End Flashback**
Wufei shuddered as he remembered the argument between him and Meilan about the looks he kept throwing at Treize. Wufei had dodged them at the time. Meilan questioning him had been horrible, but necessary. Wufei understood perfectly. Which made him all the more guilty of what happened next.
**Flashback#2**
Before the fight Treize had made Wufei promise that if Treize won, he could do what he wanted to Wufei. He was flat on his back in the dirt in mere minutes. Several hours later, Wufei could be found flat on his back in Khushrenada's bed, the General beside him. Carefully, as if not to hurt him, the General stripped Wufei, casting his own clothes aside before attacking the rest. Hands, tongues, lips were everywhere. Wufei lost his will and dignity as he moaned and groaned in pleasure. His warrior's mind clouded and all he could do was feel. Treize filled his every conscious thought. When he found completion it was like nothing he had ever felt.
In the after math, Wufei lifted his head weakly to look into Treize's blue eyes, and ask a question. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked.
"Yes," Treize answered. He wrapped an arm around Wufei's waist. "Now go to sleep, Dragon." Wufei grew warm at the nickname, and for the first time knew love. All the little touches and caresses had been leading up to this moment. With a light heart, the young warrior slept.
**End Flashback#2**
When Wufei had awoken, Treize was gone. When asked, the emperor, His Majesty said that Treize had told him he'd gotten what he'd come for and was leaving. At those words, Wufei was struck down, in mind if not in body. All at once, his world shattered, fragmenting in on itself. There was no love in Wufei's heart. Only revenge. White hot rage filled him and it took actual effort to control it. Wufei had made a snap decision. Buy a slave and leave Dragora in search of the ginger-haired General. That was how he'd acquired Omi.
Omi Tsukiyono was the youngest son of a cloth merchant, a very rich yet greedy man. Many people had made offers for Omi, since the boy was fair of face. His long lashes, wide blue eyes and chestnut hair made woman sigh with jealousy. It also made men whisper of their lust. Omi was constantly ogled and fondled by old men and young passing by about their business.
Finally, Merchant Tsukiyono got an offer that made his greed dance a jig. The illustrious Captain Du Chi of the Dragon Warriors was offering for him. Du Chi was Wufei's half brother, and a worse person to own a slave you could never find. With a penchant for pain and torture, Du Chi treated even free born people like slaves, whipping them and hurting them. If the sadistic warrior ever got a hold of someone as pure as Omi, it would be, simply put, a massacre of purity. That was when Wufei made the snap decision that he wanted Omi.
In the War of A Thousand Nights the year before, the Emperor of Dragora, Shao Li, had promised him anything in his Kingdom as reward for valiant acts of honor in battle. Finally Wufei had something to ask for: Omi. Wufei was a frugal boy, and Emperor Shao Li knew that, which was why he ignored Du Chi's protests and gave the boy to Wufei immediately, assured that no harm would come to him.
Unfortunately the Emperor was very wrong. Ever since Khushrenada's betrayal, Wufei had been feeling edgy. He liked to take the edge off by fighting or training, but it soon became apparent that hitting inanimate objects was becoming boring to him. He took out his frustrations on Omi, everytime he was in a mood or just plain annoyed with the boy's performance.
Wufei realised that had to stop now, before he turned into his sadistic half-brother. He had never deliberately hurt another human being like this outside of war, and it scared him a bit that he could treat a slave like this. That was why, as Wufei's first act of kindness toward Omi -never mind that the boy didn't know of it- Wufei had come to Yuy not only to find Treize, but to find Omi's mother, Kaoru Tsukiyono.
Several years back, about seventeen, Kaoru had left Dragora, leaving her two month old son Omi in the care of his merchant father. It was hard to believe that the young looking boy was more than seventeen years old. Wufei even sometimes thought the boy was only fifteen, despite prior knowledge. Kaoru disappeared and Wufei planned to find her and drag her back. After all, she had been Emperor Shao Li's concubine at one time in her life and no matter how much time had passed, Shao Li would accept her back and give her captor full honors. Wufei needed that honor, since his was tarnished in the fight and subsequent downfall at the hands of General Khushrenada.
Straightening on the divan, throwing off his nostalgic thoughts, Wufei stood and changed quickly into a coal black wizard's robe and pulled his hair back in its usual tight ponytail. Satisfied with his appearance, Wufei opened the door to find Omi before it, lying close to the threshold, asleep. Wufei raise a foot to stomp on the recalcitrant slave, when he remembered what he had decided. No more hurting Omi. Sighing, Wufei raised one tanned and and waved it at Omi, watching dispassionately as the boy floated toward the long divan he had earlier occupied.. Once the boy was safely on it, Wufei straightened his robes once more, then headed off in the direction of King Odin's private meeting rooms.
~~~~***~~~~
"Why are you in my kingdom?" King Odin demanded, the minute they entered his private meeting room and Crawford situated himself at the door.
"No reason," Yohji drawled, sounding immensely relaxed. King Odin's face went purple with anger.
"No reason?! First you sneak into MY kingdom when you are a fugitive, then you insult MY sorcerer AND myself, and you say you have no reason?! Tell me the truth, or by Kami-sama, I will have you hung!" he shouted, breathing heavily.
Yohji justed watched him with a look of mild interest on his face, then went back to examining his nails. When King Odin didn't say anything more, he looked up. "Is that all?"
King Odin fairly exploded. He cursed Yohji under every god he knew, plus a few he made up, then raised his hand as if to slap him. He was as surprised as Yohji when it froze where it was.
"Aren't you going to hit me?" Yohji asked, staring in astonishment at the king's stonewalled look and the frozen limb.
"I'm trying," Odin said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, he stopped trying to move his arm and stared at Yohji. "I'm sorry for trying to hit you, Yohji-sama," he said, managing to sound sincere. His arm fell and King Odin looked like his coronation had come again. "I knew it! Mage! Magician! Magistor!! I'll have you hanged!! CRAWFORD!!!"
Shocked by the king's reckless yelling, Yohji stared for a moment, then his brain processed what Odin was saying. The king was going to have him hanged!!! Sufficiently frightened, Yohji turned and barreled through the door just as a startled Crawford opened it. He dashed down the private corridor until he burst back into the audience chamber. Courtiers stared as he sprinted past.
Yohji burst into the inner courtyard and skidded to a halt beside a guard. "Where is the dungeons?" he asked, panting. The guard stared at him. "Speak up, man!" Yohji yelled.
"Straight away down there and to the left, then down again," the guard said hurriedly, clearly frightened as he pointed a shaking finger toward a set of dirt stairs.
"My thanks," Yohji said as he took of. "The Light bless you!" He didn't see the guard look at him strange and murmur, "the who?"
Yohji reached the dungeon floor quick enough and followed the corridor all the way to a door marked 'Low Security'. He opened it and scanned the small room quickly. He was startled to find Duo and the Captain from earlier on the floor, Duo straddling the Captain's waist, the teen unconscious.
"What did you do?" he asked. Duo's head shot up.
"Yohji!" he cried, before flinging himself at his friend. Yohji caught him and hugged him tight, then set him back.
"Why'd you do that? We've only been apart for about twenty minutes at the most," he said, sounding mildly curious.
Duo looked sheepish and slightly embarrased. "Actually, I've always wanted to do that. I read it in a book somewhere and now seemed like the perfect time for it and you seemed like the perfect target so I--"
"Duo, you're babbling," Yohji interrupted. "Forget all that. Why were you straddling the Captain?"
Blushing bright red, Duo looked down. "Err, that's kinda a long story," he said.
Yohji looked indecisive, then sighed and hugged Duo. "Tell me about it later, Braid Boy. We have to go."
"Why?" Duo asked.
Before Yohj could answer a groan came from the corner where the Captain was. Both boys turned to see Heero moaning slightly and rubbing his head, half propped on the wall. Duo grinned. "Wakey, wakey Hee-chan!" he sang, dropping to his knees in front of the Captain. Heero glared at Duo, then opened his mouth. Duo nodded before he could say much else. With conformation that what he was told was true -and not some crazy dream- he stood on his own power and dusted off. That's when he noticed Yohji watching them with interest.
"King Odin has finished speaking with you, Your Highness?" he asked, his voice respectful.
Yohji's thoughts ran wild, trying to figure out a way to keep the stoic Captain from arresting him and bringing him back to the king. "King Odin and Queen Ryuka says that Duo and I are allowed to explore the city, as long as we are under supervision. I decided that since I was coming down here to get Duo anyway, I should ask you to be our escort. Will you?" Yohji said in one breath.
The Captain looked from one boy to the other, taking in their guileless faces, then nodded. "If it is under King Odin's command, then I will do it," he said. Duo grinned.
"Thanks, Hee-chan! Now as our first spot on the tour of Kunshu, I think we should see the South Gate," he suggested. Yohji nodded, smiling also.
"Great idea, Duo. We hear such stories about Kunshu's south gate, I just have to see it. How about it, Captain?" he asked.
Heero grunted. "The South Gate it is, then," he said, moving to the door of the room. As he walked out, Duo and Yohji shared a grin. They would soon be free.
~~~~~~~**Tsuzuku**~~~~~~~~~
Miaka, here. Sorry it took so long to get his out but I had a humongous writer's block that wouldn't go away. It's gone now, so expect more chapters from this, maybe one every week and a half. It'll take that long because I plan to start a schedule where I post Harry Potter and the Circle of Five once a week, and all my other smaller ones occasionally. And if you've read Blind Love, the last chapter will be out soon! I'm sure you've lost interest, but read it anyway and review. Thanks, luvs.
I truly am sorry.
*bows* Miaka
After passing through several doors, through the inner courtyard, down six flights of steps and over one under ground bridge, Duo arrived at what King Odin called the Dungeons. He'd heard stories about the high security of the Yuy Kingdom Dungeons, but he had never imagined a natural cavern under layers of strong rock.
Heero showed him through a wooden door labled 'Low Security.' Duo almost snorted at that. If this was low security, what was high?
They entered a small room with one table and two chairs, and little else. It was obvious not many people came down here. "Sit," Heero said, before looking around curiously. Seeming to realise something, he dug through a pouch on his belt and pulled out a clear stone. He rubbed it once and whispered something.
"Yes, Captain?" the stone said.
"Aoshi, look into the fact that three guards are missing from the Dungeons. You know the King's policy on shirking duties. When you find them, do what is needed," Heero said in his usual monotone.
"Hai, Captain," the stone replied. Nodding to himself, Heero put the stone away and leaned against the wall. Silence descended, but soon Duo couldn't take it.
"What was that about?" he asked curiously, hoping that the handsome Captain would say more than...
"Hn." Guess not. Duo sighed.
"Look, you gotta watch me, ne?" he asked. Heero nodded once. "So why don't you relax and talk to me? I get bored easily, and you don't wanna see me bored. Atleast, that's what the last guard who had to watch me said."
Silence descended again, but them Heero asked, "Why?"
Duo grinned. "First I started singing. Ya know, those tunes from the traveling shows. I'd pick the most annoying, bawdy song I could think of and sing it off key. Like this. Lie on your back, gi~rl! Open them legs to m~e! Lay on your--"
Duo was cut off by Heero's intense glare. He giggled, and Heero's glare intensified. After about ten minutes of being glared at -in which Duo admired Heero's gorgeous eyes- Duo sighed and began to whistle softly. A minute more he was humming. Two more minutes and he was singing softly.
"Allata me sora neysi rel keyo. Prta sora le keyo. Seyasa uferta. Mera telliosa..." Duo sang. Heero straightened and Duo saw it from the corner of his eye. He grinned inwardly and continued. After awhile he got bored with his own voice and turned to Heero again. "Ya like?"
"Yes," Heero said, surprising them both. He reddened very slightly and turned away. "Even though you are using magic."
"Magic? What's so bad about magic?" Duo asked, managing to fit his doubt about his magical abilities into his voice.
"Everything," Heero said. "King Odin banned it from the Yuy Kingdom after the Sorceress Dorothy went crazy and destroyed everything."
"Is that so? Well, your King has been hiding something from you," Duo responded. "For one, the little fact that the stone you carry around is magic itself."
Heero's face hardened. "No it isn't."
"Sorry to break it to ya, Heero, but it's magic. Take it from someone who knew a Shadow Walker fairly well." Duo sighed. "You Yuys, so freakin' hypocritical," he said sadly. He was remembering his mother, who had been killed by a Yuy who didn't like the fact that she was pregnant even though they'd told her not long before that it was perfectly fine.
"The people of the Yuy Kingdom are not hypocritical," Heero began.
"No, just their king," Duo interrupted. He gave Heero a serious look. "Where did you find the blonde with the forked eyebrows?"
Heero looked more attentive at the abrupt change of subject. "Do you mean Prince Lowell's concubine?" he asked coldly. "It is none of your concern."
"Just tell me, Hee-chan. It's important," Duo responded seriously.
Heero quirked an eyebrow. "Hee-chan?" Duo blushed, but looked impatient and defiant. "King Odin found Darline at the edge of Oz."
"Darline? Is that what you call her? Sorry to break it to you, Hee-chan, but Darline ain't Darline," the braided teen said.
"Well, then who is she?" Heero demanded, getting annoyed by Duo's sidestepping of the subject. "And don't call me that."
Duo grinned. "If I tell you a secret about Darline, will ya gimme a kiss?" he asked, widening his violet eyes at the stoic Captain.
"No," Heero said immediately.
"It could mean the destruction or safety of your kingdom," Duo sang, grinning wider when Heero's ears perked up. "So, will ya?"
Heero hesitated, then slowly nodded his head. Quickly, he recovered his cold disposition. "But if the information is not revelant, do not come near me on pain of death."
Duo grinned widely. "No problem, Captain Hee-chan. Just don't go back on your word," he said.
Heero stiffened. "My word is my gold, prisoner."
"Prisoner? Oooh, is Hee-chan having fantasies about me in a dungeon? Kinky," Duo said, laughing at the stunned face of the Captain.
"Just give the damned information!" Heero cried.
"Alright, alright. By the Light..." Duo mumbled, annoyed. "You'd think a man could have a decent conversation with a gorgeous Captain, but no, everyone is short-tempered these days. Why when I was young--"
"Novice," Heero growled.
Duo gulped. "Hehe...well ya see, Darline is...well she is...how should I put this..." he mumbled nervously.
"Novice!" Heero barked.
"Darline is really the Sorceress Dorothy, and from the looks of things she plans to take over the Yuy Kingdom through King Lowell, who is already immensely weak-willed," Duo blurted in a rush.
Heero stared at him. Darline was Dorothy? Dorothy was Darline? Lowell's royal whore was a conniving, evil, base being with powers that rivaled the gods?
A minute passed when nothing happened. Then Heero was on the floor behind Duo. He'd fainted.
(A/N: OOC Heero, I know. But you have to understand that Dorothy is really, really powerful, and struck fear into the hearts of the greatest monarchs in her time. Translation: she's damn scary!)
~~~~***~~~~
Slumped inelegantly on a long divan, Chang Wufei of Dragora sighed rather loudly for someone so preoccupied with appearances. No one saw him in such a common pose, since his slave Omi was outside guarding his door, instructed not to let anyone in.
Assured that his mental journey would not be interrupted, Wufei allowed his mind to go back in time, back several months to when he had met the ginger- haired General of King Odin Yuy's army. Back when he had experienced love for the first time. When he had known heartbreak.
**Flashback**
Just turned seventeen, Chang Wufei was a proud warrior of Dragora, one of the Emperor's finest. Today was the day he was to prove his worth to his liege by fighting the delegate from the Yuy Kingdom in hand-to-hand combat. It was a high honor.
Usually Wufei was confident in his fights, he expected to win. But lately he had been thrown off balance physically and mentally every time he encountered the ginger-haired, blue-eyed General of Yuy's army. The older man would touch him on the cheek or hand, and Wufei would momentarily lose the use of his limbs. It had been happening more and more lately, a warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach when ever they touched, draining Wufei's usual smug confidence to nothing. The young warrior feared for his soul and prayed to the Great God Nataku to forgive him for having unnatural thoughts about men. He knew that in the Yuy Kingdom, same sex relationships were not frowned upon. But he wasn't in Yuy, he was in Dragora.
Besides that, there was his fiance, the Shrine Maiden Long Meilan, worshipper and daughter of the Great One, Nataku. She was a direct descendent of the Great One, and it was considered an honor to marry her. Just by association Wufei was treated better. His heart hurt more as he thought of the General and his pleasant touches, then his heart hardened. He was destined to marry Meilan. General Treize Khushrenada had nothing to do with it.
**End Flashback**
Wufei shuddered as he remembered the argument between him and Meilan about the looks he kept throwing at Treize. Wufei had dodged them at the time. Meilan questioning him had been horrible, but necessary. Wufei understood perfectly. Which made him all the more guilty of what happened next.
**Flashback#2**
Before the fight Treize had made Wufei promise that if Treize won, he could do what he wanted to Wufei. He was flat on his back in the dirt in mere minutes. Several hours later, Wufei could be found flat on his back in Khushrenada's bed, the General beside him. Carefully, as if not to hurt him, the General stripped Wufei, casting his own clothes aside before attacking the rest. Hands, tongues, lips were everywhere. Wufei lost his will and dignity as he moaned and groaned in pleasure. His warrior's mind clouded and all he could do was feel. Treize filled his every conscious thought. When he found completion it was like nothing he had ever felt.
In the after math, Wufei lifted his head weakly to look into Treize's blue eyes, and ask a question. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked.
"Yes," Treize answered. He wrapped an arm around Wufei's waist. "Now go to sleep, Dragon." Wufei grew warm at the nickname, and for the first time knew love. All the little touches and caresses had been leading up to this moment. With a light heart, the young warrior slept.
**End Flashback#2**
When Wufei had awoken, Treize was gone. When asked, the emperor, His Majesty said that Treize had told him he'd gotten what he'd come for and was leaving. At those words, Wufei was struck down, in mind if not in body. All at once, his world shattered, fragmenting in on itself. There was no love in Wufei's heart. Only revenge. White hot rage filled him and it took actual effort to control it. Wufei had made a snap decision. Buy a slave and leave Dragora in search of the ginger-haired General. That was how he'd acquired Omi.
Omi Tsukiyono was the youngest son of a cloth merchant, a very rich yet greedy man. Many people had made offers for Omi, since the boy was fair of face. His long lashes, wide blue eyes and chestnut hair made woman sigh with jealousy. It also made men whisper of their lust. Omi was constantly ogled and fondled by old men and young passing by about their business.
Finally, Merchant Tsukiyono got an offer that made his greed dance a jig. The illustrious Captain Du Chi of the Dragon Warriors was offering for him. Du Chi was Wufei's half brother, and a worse person to own a slave you could never find. With a penchant for pain and torture, Du Chi treated even free born people like slaves, whipping them and hurting them. If the sadistic warrior ever got a hold of someone as pure as Omi, it would be, simply put, a massacre of purity. That was when Wufei made the snap decision that he wanted Omi.
In the War of A Thousand Nights the year before, the Emperor of Dragora, Shao Li, had promised him anything in his Kingdom as reward for valiant acts of honor in battle. Finally Wufei had something to ask for: Omi. Wufei was a frugal boy, and Emperor Shao Li knew that, which was why he ignored Du Chi's protests and gave the boy to Wufei immediately, assured that no harm would come to him.
Unfortunately the Emperor was very wrong. Ever since Khushrenada's betrayal, Wufei had been feeling edgy. He liked to take the edge off by fighting or training, but it soon became apparent that hitting inanimate objects was becoming boring to him. He took out his frustrations on Omi, everytime he was in a mood or just plain annoyed with the boy's performance.
Wufei realised that had to stop now, before he turned into his sadistic half-brother. He had never deliberately hurt another human being like this outside of war, and it scared him a bit that he could treat a slave like this. That was why, as Wufei's first act of kindness toward Omi -never mind that the boy didn't know of it- Wufei had come to Yuy not only to find Treize, but to find Omi's mother, Kaoru Tsukiyono.
Several years back, about seventeen, Kaoru had left Dragora, leaving her two month old son Omi in the care of his merchant father. It was hard to believe that the young looking boy was more than seventeen years old. Wufei even sometimes thought the boy was only fifteen, despite prior knowledge. Kaoru disappeared and Wufei planned to find her and drag her back. After all, she had been Emperor Shao Li's concubine at one time in her life and no matter how much time had passed, Shao Li would accept her back and give her captor full honors. Wufei needed that honor, since his was tarnished in the fight and subsequent downfall at the hands of General Khushrenada.
Straightening on the divan, throwing off his nostalgic thoughts, Wufei stood and changed quickly into a coal black wizard's robe and pulled his hair back in its usual tight ponytail. Satisfied with his appearance, Wufei opened the door to find Omi before it, lying close to the threshold, asleep. Wufei raise a foot to stomp on the recalcitrant slave, when he remembered what he had decided. No more hurting Omi. Sighing, Wufei raised one tanned and and waved it at Omi, watching dispassionately as the boy floated toward the long divan he had earlier occupied.. Once the boy was safely on it, Wufei straightened his robes once more, then headed off in the direction of King Odin's private meeting rooms.
~~~~***~~~~
"Why are you in my kingdom?" King Odin demanded, the minute they entered his private meeting room and Crawford situated himself at the door.
"No reason," Yohji drawled, sounding immensely relaxed. King Odin's face went purple with anger.
"No reason?! First you sneak into MY kingdom when you are a fugitive, then you insult MY sorcerer AND myself, and you say you have no reason?! Tell me the truth, or by Kami-sama, I will have you hung!" he shouted, breathing heavily.
Yohji justed watched him with a look of mild interest on his face, then went back to examining his nails. When King Odin didn't say anything more, he looked up. "Is that all?"
King Odin fairly exploded. He cursed Yohji under every god he knew, plus a few he made up, then raised his hand as if to slap him. He was as surprised as Yohji when it froze where it was.
"Aren't you going to hit me?" Yohji asked, staring in astonishment at the king's stonewalled look and the frozen limb.
"I'm trying," Odin said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, he stopped trying to move his arm and stared at Yohji. "I'm sorry for trying to hit you, Yohji-sama," he said, managing to sound sincere. His arm fell and King Odin looked like his coronation had come again. "I knew it! Mage! Magician! Magistor!! I'll have you hanged!! CRAWFORD!!!"
Shocked by the king's reckless yelling, Yohji stared for a moment, then his brain processed what Odin was saying. The king was going to have him hanged!!! Sufficiently frightened, Yohji turned and barreled through the door just as a startled Crawford opened it. He dashed down the private corridor until he burst back into the audience chamber. Courtiers stared as he sprinted past.
Yohji burst into the inner courtyard and skidded to a halt beside a guard. "Where is the dungeons?" he asked, panting. The guard stared at him. "Speak up, man!" Yohji yelled.
"Straight away down there and to the left, then down again," the guard said hurriedly, clearly frightened as he pointed a shaking finger toward a set of dirt stairs.
"My thanks," Yohji said as he took of. "The Light bless you!" He didn't see the guard look at him strange and murmur, "the who?"
Yohji reached the dungeon floor quick enough and followed the corridor all the way to a door marked 'Low Security'. He opened it and scanned the small room quickly. He was startled to find Duo and the Captain from earlier on the floor, Duo straddling the Captain's waist, the teen unconscious.
"What did you do?" he asked. Duo's head shot up.
"Yohji!" he cried, before flinging himself at his friend. Yohji caught him and hugged him tight, then set him back.
"Why'd you do that? We've only been apart for about twenty minutes at the most," he said, sounding mildly curious.
Duo looked sheepish and slightly embarrased. "Actually, I've always wanted to do that. I read it in a book somewhere and now seemed like the perfect time for it and you seemed like the perfect target so I--"
"Duo, you're babbling," Yohji interrupted. "Forget all that. Why were you straddling the Captain?"
Blushing bright red, Duo looked down. "Err, that's kinda a long story," he said.
Yohji looked indecisive, then sighed and hugged Duo. "Tell me about it later, Braid Boy. We have to go."
"Why?" Duo asked.
Before Yohj could answer a groan came from the corner where the Captain was. Both boys turned to see Heero moaning slightly and rubbing his head, half propped on the wall. Duo grinned. "Wakey, wakey Hee-chan!" he sang, dropping to his knees in front of the Captain. Heero glared at Duo, then opened his mouth. Duo nodded before he could say much else. With conformation that what he was told was true -and not some crazy dream- he stood on his own power and dusted off. That's when he noticed Yohji watching them with interest.
"King Odin has finished speaking with you, Your Highness?" he asked, his voice respectful.
Yohji's thoughts ran wild, trying to figure out a way to keep the stoic Captain from arresting him and bringing him back to the king. "King Odin and Queen Ryuka says that Duo and I are allowed to explore the city, as long as we are under supervision. I decided that since I was coming down here to get Duo anyway, I should ask you to be our escort. Will you?" Yohji said in one breath.
The Captain looked from one boy to the other, taking in their guileless faces, then nodded. "If it is under King Odin's command, then I will do it," he said. Duo grinned.
"Thanks, Hee-chan! Now as our first spot on the tour of Kunshu, I think we should see the South Gate," he suggested. Yohji nodded, smiling also.
"Great idea, Duo. We hear such stories about Kunshu's south gate, I just have to see it. How about it, Captain?" he asked.
Heero grunted. "The South Gate it is, then," he said, moving to the door of the room. As he walked out, Duo and Yohji shared a grin. They would soon be free.
~~~~~~~**Tsuzuku**~~~~~~~~~
Miaka, here. Sorry it took so long to get his out but I had a humongous writer's block that wouldn't go away. It's gone now, so expect more chapters from this, maybe one every week and a half. It'll take that long because I plan to start a schedule where I post Harry Potter and the Circle of Five once a week, and all my other smaller ones occasionally. And if you've read Blind Love, the last chapter will be out soon! I'm sure you've lost interest, but read it anyway and review. Thanks, luvs.
I truly am sorry.
*bows* Miaka
