Disclaimer: I don't own them, no matter what I say or claim…. Can't sleep lawyers will eat me… Can't sleep lawyers will eat me……
~*Soul Food*~
Warnings? - No betas again…I really need to have spare and backup ones…or at least ones that are on at the same quirky hours I am… Oo;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mercury fumes could do that to you, ya know?"
"I just think he's naturally batty, if you ask me…."
"Aren't we assuming…?"
"Well, who else could it be!?"
The Dragon lord and available officers sat around an obscure meeting table, discussing the latest quip on Kaistern's unknown affair. One would think that gossiping would be only popular among the maids (and it was very much so) but boredom overruled priority sometimes and even the pettiest gossip would eventually waft its way up to the highest members of the castle.
Tetheus glowered on one end of the table, deep in thought. " well, has anyone else noticed the faint demon aura on him when ever he gets home? I can tell he tries to cover it up, but…"
Ruwalk blinked, everyone practically able to see the gears turning. "That just adds to the suspicion, doesn't it. Hmmm."
Alfeegi was also there, but not by choice as you could plainly see. He sat with his arms crossed, much in a matter that stated 'We should all be doing paper work and here we are sitting around talking like a bunch of teen-aged girls going on about the latest news on Oh-my-gawd-he-is-so-hot!' Not that anyone took time to notice. "I think your all just being petty, you think? I mean, who cares even if it is Kharl? Its not like its really effecting us…"
The Lord chuckled, an inward thought gracing his mind. 'Trying to cover up the fact your miffed that he keeps on running off, hm?'
As if he had been reading Lykoleon's mind, Ruwalk spoke up against the oddly twitchy officer in his place. "You know your worried about Kaistern as much as we are. That façade of yours isn't going to last very long. Ruwalk took care to use his most caramel-coated voice he had in the process.
Another twitch.
"Anyway, if your so determined to know why don't you just ask Rath? He probably knows the most about Kaistern anyway."
The Dragon Lord tilted his head, not really in deep of thought as his friend, but almost matching the expression. "Maybe we should try later..."
"If you put half this effort into your paperwork, I bet you could get it done in two hours, flat."
"Where's the fun in that?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaistern idly slid up to the large heavy oak door, being careful not to make the slightest unnecessary sound. Light mumbling could be heard for inside, incoherent but definitely there. Kind of like the high-pitched noise the television makes when you leave the sound off but keep the screen on.
After a few minutes of waiting and thinking, a light bump was felt on the back of his leg as he continually pondered about completely pointless things. Upon turning around, Kaistern was able to discover that it was none other than Sinistora looking lightly annoyed at the taller man.
" Hmm? What do you need?"
The demon dog stared intently at the door knob of the room.
"You want in, I take it."
Kaistern sighed once again, but then realizing that it was getting to be quite a regular practice, he decided that he was better off if he stopped.
'I swear this dog and that kid are ganging up on me…'
Unbeknownst to Kaistern, his suspicions were completely correct. Sinistora was very much devoted to Garfakcy, and Garfakcy was very attached to the left beast. They got along so well in fact, that Kharl just let Garfakcy take care of his own creation…It would keep him company when he was with Kaistern. He would get lonely after all.
So as things went along, the two shorter occupants of the castle felt rather dejected, as one can expect. And there is no better way to cure the loneliness than a bit of plotting…
Anyway.
Kaistern slowly turned the knob, not very fond of the fact he was having to be rushed into his intrusion of Kharl's Laboratory when he hadn't even thought up a half decent excuse for being late. But nonetheless, he pushed the door open allowing entrance to him and his canine companion.
"Kharl I'm really sorry-"
"What are you doing here? Did you give me a surprise visit? Or did you just want to come a week early?"
A bright smile peeked from behind some odd concoction or two, before Kharl found his way to the other pale man. A warm embrace followed. Kaistern was still reeling in shock, utterly confused to what was going on.
"Wah…early?"
"Yes. don't you remember?" A fake pout flashed across the violet eyed man's face. "You were supposed to come next week!"
Kaistern didn't know whether to feel grateful or just downright stupid.
"ah….uh….Well, I missed you so much that I decided to just come early!" He decided that bullshitting his way through this would be the least painful for both of them.
Kharl gave another one of those genuinely happy looks again, looking Kaistern straight in the eye. Kaistern had always been afraid that if Kharl ever wanted to, he could see right through him with those damn eyes…Even when he was happy, they seemed to have a mind of their own.
He moved closer to the cloak-bound man, their lips almost touching before Sinistora barked loudly, Causing Kharl to pull out of the welcoming cuddle.
"What is it, boy?"
Lilac streaked hair bustled around the room, looking for what was going on to upset his left beast. Another tap at the window alerted Kharl as he pulled open the shudders, allowing Right bird to flutter in and land on his shoulder. "There you are!"
Kaistern secretly smiled to himself, watching his boyfriend absent mindedly searching about for something or other. He really didn't have that much contact with people other outside of his creations and Garfakcy, did he. He must have been lonely…
"There is it!"
Kharl Pulled out a slip of paper, examining it before handing it to the dragon officer. It was just a piece of paper, with something or other scrawled in it in some magic runes or something. He never really was good with magic.
"Ano…thanks. But what is it?"
Kharl Was petting his beloved Demon dog, as Right bird perched on his shoulder preening its silky black feathers.
"It's a spell. It can allow you to get here by doing something the equivalent of teleporting, except with out all the loud noise. You just have to hold it In your hand and say the spell on it. Quite easy actually…."
"Why didn't you give this to me before!?"
Kaistern recalled the countless times he had to sail across the sea god, he hated the sea, spend weeks in advance catching up on paperwork, avoid Alfeegi's Lectures, make more excuses than he could count…
A hurt look crossed Kharl's face, the once cast aside pout returning for a second round.
'He's to good at that…that really has to stop…'
"Well, I couldn't just hand over the key to my castle to a dragon without being fully sure he was trustable!"
"You didn't trust me?"
"Well, you never can be too safe. Its not that I didn't trust you, its just that I don't trust people in common."
"Kharl?"
"Yes?"
"You need to move."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rath squirmed in his seat, as all eyes fixed on him. Lykoleon felt guilty putting his son on the spot, but what had to be done had to be done.
"Rath…."
"Hm?"
Rath hated all of the people surrounding him, so it really didn't improve his mood. So now what? Did he do something wrong?
"Do you know if…Kaistern has any strange relationships?"
Rath twitched, a memory coming back to him from a few weeks earlier.
"Ne, Kaistern?"
"Nani?"
"Who are you seeing?"
A sweatdrop shown over The Blue dragon officers head, a dead giveaway to all the world.
"Ano…I don't know what your talking about?"
"Awwww…come on Kaistern! I tell you Everything! Can't you just tell me this one little thing?"
Rath pulled on his best pout, knowing that the taller man was so susceptible to such antics, even if he knew it was just an act.
"Don't you love me? I wont tell anyone! I promise."
A grin pulled across the fire knights face as a sigh escaped from the white-haired man's lips.
"You'll be angry…."
"Would it make my father upset?"
A blank stare was the answer, as Kaistern tried to avert his eyes.
"Then, you can tell me, cant you?"
Kaistern never did tell him. All Rath managed to do was put a huge guilt-trip on him, even with all that work. Damn.
"No, not that I know of…"
Rath felt a tingle in the back of his head, as a voice started talking from the depths of his mind.
'you should tell him what you know…'
Many people didn't realize it, but you do get complications from absorbing people into yourself. Like, for instance, where did the SOULS go? Well, the answer was obvious, they just never thought about it. That's what Rath supposed anyway.
'I SAID-'
'oh, shut up Gil!'
Yup. He had to put up with several people ( who didn't necessarily get along ) bickering in his head, 24/7. Then they wonder why he's so grumpy all the time….
"Rath?"
"What!?"
The lord and his officers just stared. He seemed awful touchy today…even more that usual.
"Fine then…your dismissed."
Rath got up and left in a hurry, not caring how rude or abrupt he seemed. He had some things to sort out. Speeding up, he tried to get to his room so he could yell properly without getting accused of being schizophrenic or something to that extent.
The marble halls were beautiful, truly elegant if you really thought about it. Gold snaked its way around the intricately carved corners, Tree-like pillars dotting the walls. Not that Rath took notice like most would.
He finally reached his room, pulling the doors open while practically flinging himself in.
"Will you both shut up for once?!"
'Huh?' Bierrez couldn't quite look up, but if he could he would. The best he could do was actually say it, and he wasn't that desperate for simple gestures.
'We didn't do anything..' Gil also retorted, giving off the sense that he was slightly undignified. He would have been able to hide his emotions if he was in his body, but his emotions were an open book to Rath now. That was probably the reason he was so irritated, unlike when he was 'alive.' He hated when people could see right through him.
"You two...I otta…"
Bierrez was less that amused. "It's you fault for killing us…"
"Damn you both."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/n: Ne, ne, okies chappy 2 up….*blink* Oo; my Cheek is bleeding…(no, really Oo; ) woah, quite a bit…*sweat drop* I'm gonna have to wash my hands and face…. Weird…oh well, hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll try to start chappie 3 soon! ^^;
~*R&R, it makes me unbelievably happy...onegai?*~