I owe you all an apology for the last chapter. I rushed through finishing it, and I found too many mistakes and weakly written points when I finally read over it all together. Aoi has been a sloppy dragon. I'll do better this time, and I won't be so careless anymore. Keeping my writing standards up seems only fair since everyone's been so nice. Plus, I really want this to be something I can be proud of. -niko- Thanks for reading.
Ah yes. Muraki. He seriously gives me the creeps. Prolly partly because Hisoka's my favorite, but still.... At any rate, the mad wizard finally makes his appearance. Can you feel the joy (heavy sarcasm)?
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (I finally figured out how to really get them together in this thing)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
~*~})|({~*~
It had been two months since Hisoka had agreed to become Tsuzuki's apprentice. During that time, he had started learning the basics of magic, and would often spend hours reading in the basement or tending to the gardens. Tsuzuki, in turn, learned a great deal about dragons. As time passed, Hisoka revealed more about his life, giving the mage even more insight about his pupil.
Unfortunately, he never did learn to stay out of the kitchen while the dragon was cooking.
"Tsuzuki! Kono baka! Didn't I tell you not to add all those spices to the stew?"
"Gomen nasai!"
"Out! Go find someone else to bother!"
"Hisoka wa hidoi! Just 'cause you don't like food that has any flavor to it--"
"Urusai! I like food that tastes good, unlike the stuff you cook!"
"What's wrong with my--is that pie?"
"What's it look like?"
"You made apple pie for dessert? Sankyuu, Hisoka!"
Tsuzuki glomped the dragon from behind, sprouting a set of puppy ears and a matching tail. The first time Hisoka had seen him do that had surprised him enough to cause him to drop a full watering can on his foot. Now, however, he had become accustomed to the random displays of genkiness.
Hisoka sighed and pried his teacher off with practiced skill. Undaunted, Tsuzuki wagged his tail and bounced over to sniff at the pie.
"That's for after dinner. I need bowls; the stew's almost done."
Tsuzuki obligingly retrieved two bowls, letting his ears and tail disappear. He held the bowls as Hisoka ladled out portions of the thick stew, and then carried them to the table. The dragon emerged from the kitchen with a pair of spoons seconds later, and sat down across from Tsuzuki to eat.
"Tatsumi wanted me to tell you hello," Tsuzuki said, before blowing carefully on a piping spoonful.
Hisoka looked up. "How's he doing?"
In the past two months, Hisoka had become much better acquainted with the businesslike elf. He had forgiven Tatsumi for his early mistrust, and now saw him as a trustworthy friend, though not as close a friend as Tsuzuki.
Tatsumi only knew the barest details of why he had sought out Tsuzuki, and nothing of his reason for becoming the mage's apprentice. Luckily, the elf was not the type to snoop, and left Hisoka alone about private matters.
"He's fine. He's asked the traders to look for colored fabric when they go out this time." Tsuzuki smiled. "I told him I was bored looking at an apprentice who only wore green and brown."
Hisoka scowled and turned his attention to his dinner, ignoring the mage's quiet chuckle. He was halfway through his bowl when Tsuzuki stood, done with his serving. The mage carried his bowl and spoon to the kitchen, and returned with the pie, two plates, forks, and a knife. He cut a large slice of the warm apple pie and transferred it to his plate.
"Na, Hisoka, you want some?"
"Iya. I don't like sweets."
"Why not? It's unnatural not to like pie."
Hisoka bit back a retort about it being unnatural to have dog ears inexplicably appear and disappear. Tsuzuki shrugged, giving it up as a lost cause, and dug in to his treat. The dragon gave the tiniest smile at the amount of happiness that rolled off the mage, and finished his dinner.
By the time Hisoka had cleaned and put away the dishes, Tsuzuki had finished off the apple pie, and was leaning back in his chair, content.
"You're going to fall," Hisoka informed him coolly, noting that only two of the chair's legs were resting on the floor. "You'll break your neck, and then where will the village be without a mage?"
Tsuzuki chuckled. "The same place they were before I came. Fifteen minutes away from this clearing."
"Baka."
"So. About your lessons...."
"I've finished learning how to call water."
Tsuzuki eyed Hisoka, unconvinced. The dragon's earlier experiments with the spell that he used to fill the tub with well water had been less than satisfactory.
"I did." Jade eyes glinted in irritation. "How do you think I got the water for the stew you just ate?"
"Thought it tasted funny...."
"I did not call water from the selkie's pool again!"
"I didn't say anything." Tsuzuki waved his arms in protest, succeeding in upsetting his already precarious balance. The chair fell over, taking the mage with it.
"I told you."
"Yeah, yeah, but lucky you, I didn't break my neck. If I had it would have ruined the nice little lesson I had planned for tonight."
"A lesson? Now?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Frowning at the mage's unpredictability, Hisoka crossed his arms and shut his eyes.
"What kind of lesson could a slacker like you have in mind this late?"
"It's not that late. The mist hasn't even risen."
"No, but it's after dinner. I've never seen you lift a finger after dinner." Leaf green eyes met laughing violet in challenge.
"Well you will tonight! Come on-time for your lesson, my dear apprentice!"
"I'm not your 'dear' anything," Hisoka muttered, following the grinning mage upstairs into the second floor hall. He watched as Tsuzuki pulled down a sort of trap door from the ceiling. A ladder extended from the hatch, and the square hole in the roof permitted starlight to shine down into the cottage.
"This way." With another smile, Tsuzuki led the way up the ladder and onto the roof.
Hisoka emerged to see his teacher reclining against the thatch. He hesitated for a moment before joining him.
"So what's the lesson?"
Tsuzuki pointed into the indigo circle above them. The dragon obediently looked up, expecting him to explain. Minutes passed, and the mage remained silent, watching the stars that shone overhead.
"...What's the lesson?"
"Shh. Relax. Just look."
Trying unsuccessfully to force down annoyance at the request, Hisoka did as he was told.
Below, the Forest's mist rose in its usual ghostly tendrils, swallowing up anything less than three feet tall. Crickets chirped, filling the night air with their familiar music. Other nocturnal creatures prowled under the canopy, rustling the leaf litter and undergrowth every now and then. Aside from the occasional bat, or even rarer owl, nothing moved within the field of vision of the two people who rested on the roof of the clearing's cottage.
Finally, Hisoka became tired of doing nothing and sat up to glare at Tsuzuki. The mage did not seem to notice him as his violet eyes remained fixed on the heavens above. His lips curved in a tiny smile as starlight bathed his form.
"Tsuzuki--"
"Have you ever met a faerie, 'Soka?" The hushed quality of Tsuzuki's voice encouraged Hisoka to remain quiet as well. He shook his head, irritation slipping away.
"I did once. He was lost. He had come through the veil. Have you ever heard of the veil?" Another shake of the head. "The veil is what separates this realm from the other three realms. Depending on how you open the veil, you could come out in the realm of Faerie, the place angels dwell, or the home of demons.
"Faeries are special. They're the only creatures that can cross the veil freely. They can't do it anywhere, but they can go back and forth in certain places. These places are areas with high levels of natural energy; places where the veil hasn't been disturbed by the intrusion of humans and human emotions.
"The faerie I met was young. He had come through the veil, but he had wandered off, and he couldn't get back home so close to a village. Especially...especially since the village had just discovered what I was."
Tsuzuki's voice had become softer, and his smile had faded. Hisoka watched him carefully so as not to be noticed. The mage's mood surprised him.
"It was getting dark, that's how I saw him. I was hiding just off the road outside the village, and I saw him hovering near me. He was tiny, and glowed with a soft, white light. I could feel how tired he was.
"I reached out to him. I wanted to help him. He told me what had happened to him. He didn't use words, but feelings to explain. He couldn't find his way back to the glen where the veil could be parted. He was hurting because of all the fear and hate and anger from the villagers.
"I helped him back to the glen, but it took a long time because I had to hide from the villagers hunting me. By the time I got there he...."
Tsuzuki sighed. "He didn't make it. He had been away from home too long.
"I remember...remember seeing his light go out, but it was blurred because I was crying. I hadn't been fast enough. I had let the villagers find out what I was, and their hate had poisoned him. I couldn't stand it.
"That's when I promised myself that next time I wouldn't be too weak. Next time, I would be able to save someone.
"Every time I look at the stars, I remember him, and I pray that his soul made it safely to the next life. And I remember my promise to myself, too, and I pray that I can keep it."
Tsuzuki stopped talking, and still his eyes did not stray from the silver-dusted velvet sky above. Hisoka remained silent, caught off-guard by the story. It was the first time the mage had revealed such information about his past, and he had no idea about what to say in response.
The night progressed, waxing moon sliding into view and coming to rest three quarters of the way across their circle of sky before Tsuzuki spoke again. He stretched and sat up to crawl over to the open hatch.
"Lets go inside and have some more pie, ne, 'Soka?" He smiled widely, with no trace of his earlier melancholy nostalgia.
Relieved to be dealing with something more familiar, Hisoka felt himself slipping into the odd routine of interaction with the mage he had developed in the past two months.
"You ate all the pie, remember? And my name is 'HI-soka'."
"Well then, HI-soka," the dragon frowned at Tsuzuki's light teasing. "I guess you'll just have to bake another one, ne?"
"If you honestly think I'm baking another pie this late at night, you're insane as well as stupid and lazy." Hisoka followed his teacher down the ladder, and waited as the taller man closed the hatch.
"I'm not lazy," he pouted.
"Oh really?"
"Yup. I pointed at the stars. I lifted a finger after dinner."
Hisoka frowned, "Baka," and went to bed. Tsuzuki retreated to his own room, smiling fondly.
~*~})|({~*~
It had been over two weeks since the elven traders had left their village to barter goods in the closest town outside the Forest, and they were due back any day. So, it was with no surprise that Tsuzuki answered a knock on his door just before dinner one night to see Tatsumi standing outside.
"Good evening, Tsuzuki. I came by to let you know that the traders have returned."
"Honto ni? Wonderful! Come in, Tatsumi. You can have dinner with us before we go back." The elf accepted his friend's invitation with a quiet thank you, and followed Tsuzuki to the dining room. He took a seat at the table as Tsuzuki peered into the kitchen to tell Hisoka that they had a guest for supper.
"Aa," the dragon replied. "That's fine. It's almost ready. Could you get the--DON'T TOUCH THOSE SPICES! Leave it be, Tsuzuki! My cooking is fine the way it is. Get the plates." Hisoka turned back to the rabbits he was roasting as Tsuzuki smiled sheepishly and did as ordered.
Tatsumi chuckled as Tsuzuki emerged from the kitchen, bearing a triple set of plates, cups, forks, and knives. The mage grinned and disappeared into the kitchen again, returning moments later with a loaf of fresh bread and a large bowl of salad.
"Lectured by your apprentice, Tsuzuki? I can see this idea of yours is going splendidly."
Tsuzuki laughed a bit at Tatsumi's teasing. "I only bother him so he'll loosen up a bit. You know how he is."
"Hai. I know. You're doing a wonderful thing, helping that one. I wouldn't have thought he could improve so much. He is much more open, even when he visits the village with you. Last week he offered to help Wakaba with her garden."
"Aa. I know. He likes gardening. I've rubbed off on him in that respect, at least."
"It's rude to talk about people behind their backs," Hisoka called from the kitchen.
"Well hurry up and come in here then, and we'll talk about you to your face, 'Soka!"
"That isn't my name, mage."
"You didn't mind it yesterday, or the day before that, or the day--"
"Enough!" The dragon emerged carrying the platter of roast rabbit. He offered it to Tatsumi and sat down between the elf and Tsuzuki. "Find something else to talk about."
Dinner was a relatively quick, but pleasant affair. Between bites, Tsuzuki chatted animatedly about Hisoka's progress, and asked about specific goings on in the elven community. After everyone had eaten their fill, the mage stood and stretched, grinning lazily.
"So Hisoka, wanna come with me to pick up the things the traders brought us?"
"Iya. I have work to do here."
"More work?" Tsuzuki made a face. "I know I don't assign you that much to do."
"It isn't an assignment," Hisoka snapped. "It's housework because you're such a slob! Did you know that I found something actually growing on that over-stuffed chair of yours in the sitting room?"
Tatsumi looked properly appalled by this statement, but Tsuzuki only laughed.
"Oh good. A new addition to the garden!"
Hisoka grumbled something unintelligible that was probably not very polite, and made his way to the kitchen to do the dishes.
"Thank you for the meal, Hisoka-kun. Take care." The dragon nodded in acknowledgement of Tatsumi's thanks.
The elf left to wait outside as Tsuzuki ducked into the kitchen, tugging on his black cloak. He walked up behind Hisoka and ruffled his hair, grinning at the half-hearted glare his apprentice shot him.
"I may be gone for a while. If it takes too long to go through everything, I may not be home till tomorrow. Take care of the house, and don't try to summon anything while I'm gone!"
"Baka."
Tsuzuki grinned and waited until Hisoka turned away from him to scrub a plate before he leaned over and kissed the top of the dragon's head, curious as to what the reaction would be.
Hisoka spun, blushing as red as one of the roses in the garden and hissed something at Tsuzuki that the mage correctly interpreted to be one of the lad's scathing draconian curses. He ducked as a dishrag came flying at his face, winked at his affronted apprentice, and dashed outside to safety.
The door slammed shut, leaving Hisoka alone in the cottage. He crossed the small kitchen to retrieve the rag he had thrown at the mage, muttering mild curses under his breath.
The dishes didn't take long to finish, and despite his earlier complaints about Tsuzuki's housekeeping skills, neither did the rest of his cleaning. It hadn't been an hour since the fog had risen when he finished.
Rather than choosing to read or go to bed, Hisoka climbed the stairs to the second story, and pulled down the ladder to the roof. He situated himself comfortably on the thatch and gazed up at the stars, thinking.
Why in the four veiled worlds had that idiot kissed him? Even with his minimal knowledge of human interaction, Hisoka realized that such actions were out of the norm for master/apprentice relationships.
It was probably just more of his well-intended teasing. The dragon scowled at himself for getting confused over something so stupid. It didn't mean anything. He didn't want it to mean anything.
Satisfied with his explanation, he focused his attention on the stars overhead, picking out constellations he remembered from one of Tsuzuki's astronomy books.
It was well past midnight when he realized something was wrong. His body felt hot, and his thoughts were fuzzy. He shifted to get to his feet, wanting to get inside incase the feeling got worse.
Suddenly the curse that had been carved into his flesh flared, burning intensely, and causing him to lose his balance and tumble off the roof. He cried out when he landed, having fallen hard on his right arm. Something had cracked upon impact, and pain shot through the limb.
He stood, looking wildly back and forth amid the flowerbeds. The wizard had come. Muraki had found him. He backed toward the back door of the cottage, cradling his injured arm. The dark despair that he recognized as Muraki's empathetic signature permeated the atmosphere in the clearing, making it impossible to tell where the wizard was without seeing him.
Hisoka backed into something and spun, eyes going wide with fear and hatred as he realized exactly who he had bumped into.
Muraki smiled at the dragon whose form and innocence he had stolen less than a year before. He seemed part of the milky fog that he rose out of, spotless white cloak blending with the cloud tendrils that wrapped around him.
"How nice to see you again, bouya." His voice caused Hisoka to shiver in fright.
The dragon scowled, and stood straighter. He was no coward. He would face this disgusting human, dragon form or not.
"Why are you here, demon filth?"
"Such harsh words from such a little one."
"I asked you why you were here, you wingless bastard."
Muraki's features tightened almost imperceptibly, and Hisoka realized too late that he had made a grave error.
"I seek a mage, bouya, but perhaps I shall teach you a lesson before I continue my search." He reached for Hisoka, mismatched silver eyes shining with savage pleasure as the curse flared again, drawing a scream from the dragon's throat that echoed unheard in the dark woods.
Overhead the full moon shone a sickening blood red as the dragon once again fell victim to the mad wizard's lust.
~*~})|({~*~
Tsuzuki pushed open the door to his cottage, arms full of packages. "Tadaima! 'Soka?" He looked around, smiling as he called for the dragon. "Ne, 'Soka, you up yet?" It wasn't quite midmorning yet, but his apprentice should have been up hours ago.
He dropped the packages in a pile on the dining room table, and called downstairs, frowning when he received no answer. Perhaps he had gone out to tend the garden. Tsuzuki made his way to the back door and stepped out onto the porch. A horrified gasp escaped his throat, and he froze when he beheld the sight that awaited him.
Blood covered the flowerbeds, sullying the blossoms' petals. In the shadow of one of the rosebushes lay Hisoka, bruised and bloody. His skin had been sliced open in several places, some of which still bled. His clothes were several feet away, in tatters. His right arm was bent at an odd angle...and he wasn't moving.
Tsuzuki broke himself out of his shock, and rushed to the dragon's side, skidding a bit as he knelt without pause in the blood-and-dew-dampened grass. He tore off his cloak and flung it over Hisoka, lifting him to wrap the cloth totally around his slim frame.
"Hisoka! Hisoka, wake up! Answer me! I know you can wake up, now open your eyes! Hisoka!" The dragon's head rolled to one side, and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, but aside from that he remained completely still. "HISOKA!"
~*~})|({~*~
Author's notes. Yay.
Firstly, for all you ppl who believe in faeries, they ARE real. I've seen them with my own two eyes. They're about the size of the glow on a lightning bug, but they shine constantly, they don't flash on and off, and they're pure white.
A selkie, btw, is a water demon thing. I don't think they're particularly nice.
Also, all the stuff about the veils will be explained further in the next few chapters.
There is a reason Hisoka called Muraki a 'wingless bastard', and there is a reason that pissed him off. Again, I'll go into that further in the next few chapters.
Eesh. That last sentence concerning Muraki was awkward. I'm bad at describing anything even remotely citrusy. Blah. Plus I just really suck at writing Hisoka torture. I dun like it when da Hisoka-kitten gets hurt, unless he gets da rabu-rabu treatment from Tsuzuki right after.
BTW, anyone ever see 'Nightmare Before Christmas'? Remember the 'Kidnap the Sandy Claws' song? Did you know that 'Muraki-san' can be substituted easily for 'the Sandy Claws'? -niko- 'Kidnap Muraki-san, chop him into bits....' ...Sorry. ^^*
Ah yes. Muraki. He seriously gives me the creeps. Prolly partly because Hisoka's my favorite, but still.... At any rate, the mad wizard finally makes his appearance. Can you feel the joy (heavy sarcasm)?
Pairings: Tsuzuki/Hisoka (I finally figured out how to really get them together in this thing)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
~*~})|({~*~
It had been two months since Hisoka had agreed to become Tsuzuki's apprentice. During that time, he had started learning the basics of magic, and would often spend hours reading in the basement or tending to the gardens. Tsuzuki, in turn, learned a great deal about dragons. As time passed, Hisoka revealed more about his life, giving the mage even more insight about his pupil.
Unfortunately, he never did learn to stay out of the kitchen while the dragon was cooking.
"Tsuzuki! Kono baka! Didn't I tell you not to add all those spices to the stew?"
"Gomen nasai!"
"Out! Go find someone else to bother!"
"Hisoka wa hidoi! Just 'cause you don't like food that has any flavor to it--"
"Urusai! I like food that tastes good, unlike the stuff you cook!"
"What's wrong with my--is that pie?"
"What's it look like?"
"You made apple pie for dessert? Sankyuu, Hisoka!"
Tsuzuki glomped the dragon from behind, sprouting a set of puppy ears and a matching tail. The first time Hisoka had seen him do that had surprised him enough to cause him to drop a full watering can on his foot. Now, however, he had become accustomed to the random displays of genkiness.
Hisoka sighed and pried his teacher off with practiced skill. Undaunted, Tsuzuki wagged his tail and bounced over to sniff at the pie.
"That's for after dinner. I need bowls; the stew's almost done."
Tsuzuki obligingly retrieved two bowls, letting his ears and tail disappear. He held the bowls as Hisoka ladled out portions of the thick stew, and then carried them to the table. The dragon emerged from the kitchen with a pair of spoons seconds later, and sat down across from Tsuzuki to eat.
"Tatsumi wanted me to tell you hello," Tsuzuki said, before blowing carefully on a piping spoonful.
Hisoka looked up. "How's he doing?"
In the past two months, Hisoka had become much better acquainted with the businesslike elf. He had forgiven Tatsumi for his early mistrust, and now saw him as a trustworthy friend, though not as close a friend as Tsuzuki.
Tatsumi only knew the barest details of why he had sought out Tsuzuki, and nothing of his reason for becoming the mage's apprentice. Luckily, the elf was not the type to snoop, and left Hisoka alone about private matters.
"He's fine. He's asked the traders to look for colored fabric when they go out this time." Tsuzuki smiled. "I told him I was bored looking at an apprentice who only wore green and brown."
Hisoka scowled and turned his attention to his dinner, ignoring the mage's quiet chuckle. He was halfway through his bowl when Tsuzuki stood, done with his serving. The mage carried his bowl and spoon to the kitchen, and returned with the pie, two plates, forks, and a knife. He cut a large slice of the warm apple pie and transferred it to his plate.
"Na, Hisoka, you want some?"
"Iya. I don't like sweets."
"Why not? It's unnatural not to like pie."
Hisoka bit back a retort about it being unnatural to have dog ears inexplicably appear and disappear. Tsuzuki shrugged, giving it up as a lost cause, and dug in to his treat. The dragon gave the tiniest smile at the amount of happiness that rolled off the mage, and finished his dinner.
By the time Hisoka had cleaned and put away the dishes, Tsuzuki had finished off the apple pie, and was leaning back in his chair, content.
"You're going to fall," Hisoka informed him coolly, noting that only two of the chair's legs were resting on the floor. "You'll break your neck, and then where will the village be without a mage?"
Tsuzuki chuckled. "The same place they were before I came. Fifteen minutes away from this clearing."
"Baka."
"So. About your lessons...."
"I've finished learning how to call water."
Tsuzuki eyed Hisoka, unconvinced. The dragon's earlier experiments with the spell that he used to fill the tub with well water had been less than satisfactory.
"I did." Jade eyes glinted in irritation. "How do you think I got the water for the stew you just ate?"
"Thought it tasted funny...."
"I did not call water from the selkie's pool again!"
"I didn't say anything." Tsuzuki waved his arms in protest, succeeding in upsetting his already precarious balance. The chair fell over, taking the mage with it.
"I told you."
"Yeah, yeah, but lucky you, I didn't break my neck. If I had it would have ruined the nice little lesson I had planned for tonight."
"A lesson? Now?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Frowning at the mage's unpredictability, Hisoka crossed his arms and shut his eyes.
"What kind of lesson could a slacker like you have in mind this late?"
"It's not that late. The mist hasn't even risen."
"No, but it's after dinner. I've never seen you lift a finger after dinner." Leaf green eyes met laughing violet in challenge.
"Well you will tonight! Come on-time for your lesson, my dear apprentice!"
"I'm not your 'dear' anything," Hisoka muttered, following the grinning mage upstairs into the second floor hall. He watched as Tsuzuki pulled down a sort of trap door from the ceiling. A ladder extended from the hatch, and the square hole in the roof permitted starlight to shine down into the cottage.
"This way." With another smile, Tsuzuki led the way up the ladder and onto the roof.
Hisoka emerged to see his teacher reclining against the thatch. He hesitated for a moment before joining him.
"So what's the lesson?"
Tsuzuki pointed into the indigo circle above them. The dragon obediently looked up, expecting him to explain. Minutes passed, and the mage remained silent, watching the stars that shone overhead.
"...What's the lesson?"
"Shh. Relax. Just look."
Trying unsuccessfully to force down annoyance at the request, Hisoka did as he was told.
Below, the Forest's mist rose in its usual ghostly tendrils, swallowing up anything less than three feet tall. Crickets chirped, filling the night air with their familiar music. Other nocturnal creatures prowled under the canopy, rustling the leaf litter and undergrowth every now and then. Aside from the occasional bat, or even rarer owl, nothing moved within the field of vision of the two people who rested on the roof of the clearing's cottage.
Finally, Hisoka became tired of doing nothing and sat up to glare at Tsuzuki. The mage did not seem to notice him as his violet eyes remained fixed on the heavens above. His lips curved in a tiny smile as starlight bathed his form.
"Tsuzuki--"
"Have you ever met a faerie, 'Soka?" The hushed quality of Tsuzuki's voice encouraged Hisoka to remain quiet as well. He shook his head, irritation slipping away.
"I did once. He was lost. He had come through the veil. Have you ever heard of the veil?" Another shake of the head. "The veil is what separates this realm from the other three realms. Depending on how you open the veil, you could come out in the realm of Faerie, the place angels dwell, or the home of demons.
"Faeries are special. They're the only creatures that can cross the veil freely. They can't do it anywhere, but they can go back and forth in certain places. These places are areas with high levels of natural energy; places where the veil hasn't been disturbed by the intrusion of humans and human emotions.
"The faerie I met was young. He had come through the veil, but he had wandered off, and he couldn't get back home so close to a village. Especially...especially since the village had just discovered what I was."
Tsuzuki's voice had become softer, and his smile had faded. Hisoka watched him carefully so as not to be noticed. The mage's mood surprised him.
"It was getting dark, that's how I saw him. I was hiding just off the road outside the village, and I saw him hovering near me. He was tiny, and glowed with a soft, white light. I could feel how tired he was.
"I reached out to him. I wanted to help him. He told me what had happened to him. He didn't use words, but feelings to explain. He couldn't find his way back to the glen where the veil could be parted. He was hurting because of all the fear and hate and anger from the villagers.
"I helped him back to the glen, but it took a long time because I had to hide from the villagers hunting me. By the time I got there he...."
Tsuzuki sighed. "He didn't make it. He had been away from home too long.
"I remember...remember seeing his light go out, but it was blurred because I was crying. I hadn't been fast enough. I had let the villagers find out what I was, and their hate had poisoned him. I couldn't stand it.
"That's when I promised myself that next time I wouldn't be too weak. Next time, I would be able to save someone.
"Every time I look at the stars, I remember him, and I pray that his soul made it safely to the next life. And I remember my promise to myself, too, and I pray that I can keep it."
Tsuzuki stopped talking, and still his eyes did not stray from the silver-dusted velvet sky above. Hisoka remained silent, caught off-guard by the story. It was the first time the mage had revealed such information about his past, and he had no idea about what to say in response.
The night progressed, waxing moon sliding into view and coming to rest three quarters of the way across their circle of sky before Tsuzuki spoke again. He stretched and sat up to crawl over to the open hatch.
"Lets go inside and have some more pie, ne, 'Soka?" He smiled widely, with no trace of his earlier melancholy nostalgia.
Relieved to be dealing with something more familiar, Hisoka felt himself slipping into the odd routine of interaction with the mage he had developed in the past two months.
"You ate all the pie, remember? And my name is 'HI-soka'."
"Well then, HI-soka," the dragon frowned at Tsuzuki's light teasing. "I guess you'll just have to bake another one, ne?"
"If you honestly think I'm baking another pie this late at night, you're insane as well as stupid and lazy." Hisoka followed his teacher down the ladder, and waited as the taller man closed the hatch.
"I'm not lazy," he pouted.
"Oh really?"
"Yup. I pointed at the stars. I lifted a finger after dinner."
Hisoka frowned, "Baka," and went to bed. Tsuzuki retreated to his own room, smiling fondly.
~*~})|({~*~
It had been over two weeks since the elven traders had left their village to barter goods in the closest town outside the Forest, and they were due back any day. So, it was with no surprise that Tsuzuki answered a knock on his door just before dinner one night to see Tatsumi standing outside.
"Good evening, Tsuzuki. I came by to let you know that the traders have returned."
"Honto ni? Wonderful! Come in, Tatsumi. You can have dinner with us before we go back." The elf accepted his friend's invitation with a quiet thank you, and followed Tsuzuki to the dining room. He took a seat at the table as Tsuzuki peered into the kitchen to tell Hisoka that they had a guest for supper.
"Aa," the dragon replied. "That's fine. It's almost ready. Could you get the--DON'T TOUCH THOSE SPICES! Leave it be, Tsuzuki! My cooking is fine the way it is. Get the plates." Hisoka turned back to the rabbits he was roasting as Tsuzuki smiled sheepishly and did as ordered.
Tatsumi chuckled as Tsuzuki emerged from the kitchen, bearing a triple set of plates, cups, forks, and knives. The mage grinned and disappeared into the kitchen again, returning moments later with a loaf of fresh bread and a large bowl of salad.
"Lectured by your apprentice, Tsuzuki? I can see this idea of yours is going splendidly."
Tsuzuki laughed a bit at Tatsumi's teasing. "I only bother him so he'll loosen up a bit. You know how he is."
"Hai. I know. You're doing a wonderful thing, helping that one. I wouldn't have thought he could improve so much. He is much more open, even when he visits the village with you. Last week he offered to help Wakaba with her garden."
"Aa. I know. He likes gardening. I've rubbed off on him in that respect, at least."
"It's rude to talk about people behind their backs," Hisoka called from the kitchen.
"Well hurry up and come in here then, and we'll talk about you to your face, 'Soka!"
"That isn't my name, mage."
"You didn't mind it yesterday, or the day before that, or the day--"
"Enough!" The dragon emerged carrying the platter of roast rabbit. He offered it to Tatsumi and sat down between the elf and Tsuzuki. "Find something else to talk about."
Dinner was a relatively quick, but pleasant affair. Between bites, Tsuzuki chatted animatedly about Hisoka's progress, and asked about specific goings on in the elven community. After everyone had eaten their fill, the mage stood and stretched, grinning lazily.
"So Hisoka, wanna come with me to pick up the things the traders brought us?"
"Iya. I have work to do here."
"More work?" Tsuzuki made a face. "I know I don't assign you that much to do."
"It isn't an assignment," Hisoka snapped. "It's housework because you're such a slob! Did you know that I found something actually growing on that over-stuffed chair of yours in the sitting room?"
Tatsumi looked properly appalled by this statement, but Tsuzuki only laughed.
"Oh good. A new addition to the garden!"
Hisoka grumbled something unintelligible that was probably not very polite, and made his way to the kitchen to do the dishes.
"Thank you for the meal, Hisoka-kun. Take care." The dragon nodded in acknowledgement of Tatsumi's thanks.
The elf left to wait outside as Tsuzuki ducked into the kitchen, tugging on his black cloak. He walked up behind Hisoka and ruffled his hair, grinning at the half-hearted glare his apprentice shot him.
"I may be gone for a while. If it takes too long to go through everything, I may not be home till tomorrow. Take care of the house, and don't try to summon anything while I'm gone!"
"Baka."
Tsuzuki grinned and waited until Hisoka turned away from him to scrub a plate before he leaned over and kissed the top of the dragon's head, curious as to what the reaction would be.
Hisoka spun, blushing as red as one of the roses in the garden and hissed something at Tsuzuki that the mage correctly interpreted to be one of the lad's scathing draconian curses. He ducked as a dishrag came flying at his face, winked at his affronted apprentice, and dashed outside to safety.
The door slammed shut, leaving Hisoka alone in the cottage. He crossed the small kitchen to retrieve the rag he had thrown at the mage, muttering mild curses under his breath.
The dishes didn't take long to finish, and despite his earlier complaints about Tsuzuki's housekeeping skills, neither did the rest of his cleaning. It hadn't been an hour since the fog had risen when he finished.
Rather than choosing to read or go to bed, Hisoka climbed the stairs to the second story, and pulled down the ladder to the roof. He situated himself comfortably on the thatch and gazed up at the stars, thinking.
Why in the four veiled worlds had that idiot kissed him? Even with his minimal knowledge of human interaction, Hisoka realized that such actions were out of the norm for master/apprentice relationships.
It was probably just more of his well-intended teasing. The dragon scowled at himself for getting confused over something so stupid. It didn't mean anything. He didn't want it to mean anything.
Satisfied with his explanation, he focused his attention on the stars overhead, picking out constellations he remembered from one of Tsuzuki's astronomy books.
It was well past midnight when he realized something was wrong. His body felt hot, and his thoughts were fuzzy. He shifted to get to his feet, wanting to get inside incase the feeling got worse.
Suddenly the curse that had been carved into his flesh flared, burning intensely, and causing him to lose his balance and tumble off the roof. He cried out when he landed, having fallen hard on his right arm. Something had cracked upon impact, and pain shot through the limb.
He stood, looking wildly back and forth amid the flowerbeds. The wizard had come. Muraki had found him. He backed toward the back door of the cottage, cradling his injured arm. The dark despair that he recognized as Muraki's empathetic signature permeated the atmosphere in the clearing, making it impossible to tell where the wizard was without seeing him.
Hisoka backed into something and spun, eyes going wide with fear and hatred as he realized exactly who he had bumped into.
Muraki smiled at the dragon whose form and innocence he had stolen less than a year before. He seemed part of the milky fog that he rose out of, spotless white cloak blending with the cloud tendrils that wrapped around him.
"How nice to see you again, bouya." His voice caused Hisoka to shiver in fright.
The dragon scowled, and stood straighter. He was no coward. He would face this disgusting human, dragon form or not.
"Why are you here, demon filth?"
"Such harsh words from such a little one."
"I asked you why you were here, you wingless bastard."
Muraki's features tightened almost imperceptibly, and Hisoka realized too late that he had made a grave error.
"I seek a mage, bouya, but perhaps I shall teach you a lesson before I continue my search." He reached for Hisoka, mismatched silver eyes shining with savage pleasure as the curse flared again, drawing a scream from the dragon's throat that echoed unheard in the dark woods.
Overhead the full moon shone a sickening blood red as the dragon once again fell victim to the mad wizard's lust.
~*~})|({~*~
Tsuzuki pushed open the door to his cottage, arms full of packages. "Tadaima! 'Soka?" He looked around, smiling as he called for the dragon. "Ne, 'Soka, you up yet?" It wasn't quite midmorning yet, but his apprentice should have been up hours ago.
He dropped the packages in a pile on the dining room table, and called downstairs, frowning when he received no answer. Perhaps he had gone out to tend the garden. Tsuzuki made his way to the back door and stepped out onto the porch. A horrified gasp escaped his throat, and he froze when he beheld the sight that awaited him.
Blood covered the flowerbeds, sullying the blossoms' petals. In the shadow of one of the rosebushes lay Hisoka, bruised and bloody. His skin had been sliced open in several places, some of which still bled. His clothes were several feet away, in tatters. His right arm was bent at an odd angle...and he wasn't moving.
Tsuzuki broke himself out of his shock, and rushed to the dragon's side, skidding a bit as he knelt without pause in the blood-and-dew-dampened grass. He tore off his cloak and flung it over Hisoka, lifting him to wrap the cloth totally around his slim frame.
"Hisoka! Hisoka, wake up! Answer me! I know you can wake up, now open your eyes! Hisoka!" The dragon's head rolled to one side, and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, but aside from that he remained completely still. "HISOKA!"
~*~})|({~*~
Author's notes. Yay.
Firstly, for all you ppl who believe in faeries, they ARE real. I've seen them with my own two eyes. They're about the size of the glow on a lightning bug, but they shine constantly, they don't flash on and off, and they're pure white.
A selkie, btw, is a water demon thing. I don't think they're particularly nice.
Also, all the stuff about the veils will be explained further in the next few chapters.
There is a reason Hisoka called Muraki a 'wingless bastard', and there is a reason that pissed him off. Again, I'll go into that further in the next few chapters.
Eesh. That last sentence concerning Muraki was awkward. I'm bad at describing anything even remotely citrusy. Blah. Plus I just really suck at writing Hisoka torture. I dun like it when da Hisoka-kitten gets hurt, unless he gets da rabu-rabu treatment from Tsuzuki right after.
BTW, anyone ever see 'Nightmare Before Christmas'? Remember the 'Kidnap the Sandy Claws' song? Did you know that 'Muraki-san' can be substituted easily for 'the Sandy Claws'? -niko- 'Kidnap Muraki-san, chop him into bits....' ...Sorry. ^^*