Title: Lord of Death 17?
Author: Seraphim Grace
Archive: if you want it just ask.
Feedback: Always appreciated and replied to.
Rating: R.

Pairings: Burgeoning 1x2
Warnings: Angst.

Notes: AU, and features necromancy

Duo and Heero are taken to a strange world where Duo is worshipped because he calls himself Shinigami

Part 17

E'berta was a large manor house built into the side of a hill with sloping terraces that reached down to the valley floor to the east, at the bottom of the hill, stretching as far as the eye could see was a vast forest. After riding all day from Dathyl Heero was glad to see it, although he knew that Duo was fine in the carriage with Lady Minako, a carriage that had to be arranged at short notice when it became apparent that Duo couldn't ride, he wanted to see it for himself. He also hoped that whatever they had spoken about with Lord Terenz, who was going to E'berta anyway, that Duo was no longer in the foul temper he had been in before. He still was unsure why Duo had been so quick to anger, in fact he was unsure if it was something that Duo was awaiting an apology for.

A quick scan over the house revealed that it was well situated with very few strategic flaws, built as it was half way down the rather steep hill meant that it could not be approached from either side by unknown attackers, also by having exits to the ground on both the ground and third floors meant in the unlikely event of a fire there would be an easy escape, a fact made easier by two fights of stone steps. In fact the only query that he had was merely the number of entrances to the house on the ground floor, there were five that he could see, which would make it difficult to defend, but as he reminded himself, this was merely a villa and not a fortress, no matter how well situated, and they were only staying overnight.

Duo looked at the house with a look of wonder that caught Heero's breath in his throat. "ohmigod," he enthused, "it's beautiful, as those real grapes on the frame over the door," he touched the vine where it hung from the portico over the patio. "And, fuck," he swore, for the most part Heero had broken Duo of swearing, but when he got angry or very excited it sometimes slipped out, "a swing set, wow, how very good is that, buddy," he slapped Heero on the arm, "come on," he took Heero's arm, whatever anger there was between them had slipped away and he looked overjoyed, "I never got to go on one of these, come on."

"Want me to push?" Tobin said, appearing seemingly from nowhere.

"I will." Heero grated, he had his hand on his gun if it looked, for a single instant, that Tobin was not going to back away from Duo.

Tobin merely laughed, "and then you don't get to play, Jose, you push Duo and I'll push Heero. They've never been on swings before." The way Josian was stood suggested he would be much happier entering the house and availing himself of the bathing facilities.

"That is a tragedy," Josian said with a swallowed smile. "Fine, I'll push Duo." Heero looked at Josian as if weighing him up. "I know better," Josian said with a smile. "I'll keep my hands where you can see them."

With a cry of delight Duo sat on the seat of the swing and watched as Heero sat in the other, then with his hands flat on his back Tobin began to push, Josian grabbed the seat and pulled back, starting the swinging more violently than Tobin had.

Duo was laughing as he swung back and forth as Josian pushed him, "it's like flying." He said through laughter. "Come on, Heero, isn't this the greatest?"

And apart from the cold hands that pushed at his back Heero was forced to agree.

From the balcony over the portico Minako watched the two boys playing on the swing set and smiled to herself. "See, Mamoru," she said to the shadowy figure that stood behind her, "for all their bluster and maturity, at the heart of it, they are still children."

Duo's braid was snaking out behind him, and Heero's eyes were fixed on Duo. He was smiling, as Duo laughed and laughed.

"Our son would have been their age if he had have lived." Minako said sadly and finally lowered her eyes.

Mamoru put his hand on her shoulder, for as much as he hated her he could offer her comfort. "Will you tell them?" He asked.

She shook her head. "It will be time enough for them to learn on their own, lets give them a little happiness," she turned around and laid her head on his chest. Sometimes, just sometimes, for all his cruelty, he could be kind to her. He closed his arms around her. "It was more than anyone ever gave us."

"Are you sure that he's the one?" Mamoru said, laying his cheek against the top of her head, she smelt sweetly of rose petals.

"He is a lord of Meirin, the prophecy is specific, there has never been a lord of Meirin, the gift is female to balance life and death, without balance he must be the A'setra, the one to whom death is no barrier." She sounded as if she would weep. "The one to save or damn the world."

"He might just be a demon from the aether." Mamoru said, "we know nothing of his world, it might be a natural thing in his world."

"I am the last." Minako said sadly, "and I cannot have children, the hope of Meirin dies with me. That boy is either a demon, or the damnation of the world."

"Then tell him." Mamoru said.

"He is happy." She said, "if he is the A'setra, he will destroy the world, the dead will rise and the Lord of Meirin will become the Lord of Death, any son born to the house of Meirin has been killed since the dawn of time. If he is the A'setra his Senshisha will have to kill him."

"He is a sweet lad." Mamoru said ruefully. "It will be a shame," he took a deep breath, "though if he is the A'setra he will not stay dead."

"And if he isn't then he will stay as dead as our son."

Duo reached across and slapped Heero on the thigh, "tag, you're it," he said and jumped off the swing at full height. He hit the ground in a forward roll and was already sprinting when Heero reacted enough to jump after him. Although the drop wasn't very high, only six feet or so, the momentum meant that when he hit the ground he stumbled.

"I'll get you for that, Maxwell." He said, charging after Duo. Although Heero was physically stronger than Duo he was programmed into choosing his fight reflex over flight, where Duo was the opposite, and he was fast. With a laugh, he swung on a metal gate that was fixed in the side of the hill and into the room beyond. Heero was only a few steps behind, close enough that he stopped when Duo did.

The cave was a mausoleum, and it was well lit. A grate in the ceiling revealed a lake of sunlight that bounced off mirrors around the room, and from the grate was also an iron chandelier that was rich in torches and candles. It was the most unusual room that either Heero or Duo had ever seen. The walls were lined with shelves covered by marble plaques explaining the names and brief details of the lives of the occupant. What was unusual was the catafalques that surrounded the room. Catafalques generally lay on biers to remind the living what the dead had looked like, and for the most part were either austere or sleeping. The catafalques of E'berta were standing, and in some cases, dancing.

It was obvious it was the dead of many generations because of the changing clothing and statuary styles. Women sometimes carried their babies. Some men had dogs curled around their heels. One little girl was kneeling with a stone puppy that she offered stone treats to. One man had a violin to his chin. In the corner a man had a woman against the wall with her skirts up around her waist. It looked for all the world as if they would, at any moment, burst into life. Duo walked into the room and then stopped after a few steps and took Heero's hand, wanting to explore, but for Heero to explore with him.

"What do you think this place is?" Heero asked.

"It's a tomb." Duo said with wonder listening to the chattering of the dead around him, "it's where they buried all but their emperors, E'berta has always been a D'Cevni place and they are ancient."

"This is Alister's place?" Heero asked, Alister was the lord secretary, and as far as he could tell the eldest of the D'Cevni.

"No," Duo said, cocking his head to listen better, "it's Tobin's." Then an impish smile spread across his face. "Hee-chan," his voice dipped low as he said it, "would you like to see Eluneth?"

Heero didn't have to think of an answer, "yes," he said, "I would like that very much."

When Duo turned to smile at him Heero was caught by just how close Duo was, and how easy it would be to lean forward and kiss him.

"Here you are." Adam said from behind them, causing Duo to jump in the air "Josian said that he thought he saw you go in here." He took a long look around himself, "you know, I never get used to this."

"Who are they?" Duo asked. "Show us Eluneth."

"What is all this fascination you two have with Eluneth?" Adam asked, moving through the statues with the grace of a dancer. "He's asking me all about her and now you're asking me to reveal her." He looked back at them, "are you coming?"

Eluneth, it seemed, was right at the back of the room, making a daisy chain with marble daisies, there were several threaded through her hair. She was laughing. "That," Adam said proudly, "was Eluneth D'Cevni, before her suicide, she was the most beautiful girl in the kingdom."

"Not suicide," Duo muttered, noting just how much the statue actually looked like Eluneth as the dead told him about death masks and measurements. "Murdered."

"well," Adam said, "you'll have to talk to Alister about that when you get back, he always said it was an accident. Well, come on, you two, Arian and Breda have made us supper and if you want a bath before bed then you'll have to hurry. We have an early start in the morning."

"Why don't we go through the forest?" Heero asked.

Duo was driven to his knees by the cacophony of voices all telling him not to. Heero looked down at him as he smiled up weakly, "just a headache," he said. It was true, the constant chattering of the dead was giving him a headache.

"That's not any forest." Adam said as they reached the gate and the sunlight beyond, "that's the Termigent where the world was born and will die. It's haunted. Do not, for any circumstance, ever, ever, ever, go into the forest."

The sunlight seemed to, for the most part, appease the dead, who settled down to a dull murmur. "Don't go to the forest, gotcha."

"Just that forest," Adam repeated as they went back up the hill to the manse, "if the wildings don't kill you then the trees will."

Heero snorted in derision.

"It's true." Minako said quietly. "The forest is haunted, the trees will rip you limb from limb and if they do not then Vivika will have you. Promise me, both of you, not to go into the forest."

They promised although she knew that neither of them believed her, strangers to Dathyl never believed about the forest until they saw it for themselves, she hoped they never would.

"If you break her promise I will make you wish the forest had got you." Mamoru said dryly. "It is a dark place filled with the damned, those driven out from the rest of the world, and the trees remember."

"now if we're finished with the threats, this feast looks wonderful as always," Tobin said changing the subject deftly.

"Arian, Breda, you have excelled yourself, is this real goose liver pate?" Josian said, complimenting the two servants where they stood by the door.

Duo looked down at the spread of food, the hot slices of beef and pork, the pot of pate and the thick viscous gravy. "I think I'm going to be sick." He excused himself, leaving the dining room at a run back outside where he noisily vomited, Heero close behind him.

Mamoru looked at Minako who would not meet his gaze.

"Are you all right?" Heero asked, rubbing Duo on the back.

"The meat." He answered, "I didn't see it as meat, I saw it as quivering lumps of flesh and gristle," he could feel the bile rising in his throat again, "and I knew if I ate it…" he was cut off as he vomited again.

"Shush," Heero said, kneeling beside him, holding his braid in one hand and rubbing his back with the other. "I think your gift has just made you a vegetarian." He said.

Author's Note:

There's a lot of information and plot in this chapter and I've been keeping it close to my chest, it's a balance thing that Duo can't eat meat, I watched the series carefully and we never actually see him eating meat (I am a carnivore so I'm not just doing it to espouse the idea of vegetarianism, vegetables are good, meat is good, and I'm not getting involved in that argument.

Also the forest is very important to Dathyl but not so much to this story, it is haunted, it will do what I said, and it is at the bottom of the hill from E'berta so it is there for them to ask, it's important later that they fear the forest so they had to have a warning at some point and this was as good as any.

Also the A'setra of prophecy, the Lord of Death, to whom Death will be no barrier. I will explain it, honest, just be patient, you're not meant to understand except that Minako is terrified that Duo is the one, and if he is, they will kill him.