Title: Lord of Death 20?
Author: Seraphim Grace
Archive: if you want it ask.
Feedback: Always appreciated and replied to.
Rating: R.
Pairings: Burgeoning 1x2
Warnings: Angst. Some gore.
Notes: AU, and features necromancy
Duo and Heero are taken to a strange world where Duo is worshipped because he calls himself Shinigami
Part 20
Heero looked at the small chapel critically before he dismounted the horse. It was well situated with it's back to a sheer rock face and water running to both the east and the west of the building. It was small though, but solid. "The Chapel of Many Colours." Tobin said, swinging down from his horse. "Probably the holiest spot in all Dramathen, even if it doesn't have an oculus." Heero ignored him. The other Senshi, the tall pale man that called himself Fiore said nothing, just raised an eyebrow as if in despair at that answer. Heero didn't know what an oculus was nor why it was so important. When Fiore, who had introduced himself as the captain of the Okiya guard, had explained that he was being taken to the chapel to maintain his vigil in preparation for the testing to make sure that he was the true Senshisha Heero had understood.
Often before missions he spent the time in what appeared to be quiet contemplation when in reality he ran over variables in the mission parameters over and again until he was sure that they were within an acceptable framework. It was something that he had worked harder at since he had met Duo. For some reason any variable that threatened Duo had to be eliminated. He hadn't been allowed to see Duo when he was taken from the city, but he felt secure that he had left him with Mamoru, who was thorough and would let no harm come to him. In fact Heero was sure that harm would come to Minako before it would come to Duo as Minako's heir.
A priestess in ash grey robes met them at the door, she bowed to all three, a slight inclination of the head that gave no admission of rank to any of them, she would have bowed the same to beggars. For no reason that Heero could see she reminded him of Noin.
With a gesture of her head she led them into the small chapel whilst Tobin wittered on in his ear about the history of the chapel and that it was used primarily for the manufacture of something called Meirin Blood Wine.
Like the mausoleum of E'berta this small chapel caught Heero unawares. It had a solid stone wall past the mahogany floor and screen partitions, and painted on it were small figures. "May I?" He asked looking at the mural. The priestess nodded and then stepped backwards acknowledging the request. She did not speak.
There were seven distinct paintings.
The first one showed a figure with a pair of golden wings holding a glass ball in one hand, but on the other side at his feet was a shattered globe.
The second image showed two winged figures battling with matching black swords. They were both aloft and they destroyed each other as behind them a forest burned.
The third picture showed a golden woman holding the glass sphere and a black sword, behind her there was a loom that had been shattered.
The fourth image was the winged figure helping someone out from a grave in a fabulous cathedral.
The fifth showed an image eerily like the fourth but the winged figure had clearly killed the body.
The sixth figure was unambiguous, it was a ship sailing with tattered sails and all aboard it the crew was dead.
The six images were strange but the seventh image chilled Heero to the bone. The winged figure was strangled by silver threads but the wings weren't his, a second figure was behind him with hair like golden fire and arms about his waist. One hand held aloft the silvery globe, the other globe had fallen almost carelessly, and around his neck was a torque, the mark of some kind of rank, but there were three shadowy figures at his feet. Both had the figure holding him wore imperial crowns. It was not that that had disturbed Heero, The man had only one wing, the other had the other wing, but both had lavender coloured eyes.
"What is this?" Heero asked the two Senshi. The room was surrounded by the pictures.
"This is the Chapel of Many Colours." A baritone voice said behind him, "and these are the A'setra prophecies of the Draima Rei." It was the Senshi Fiore who had answered him. Heero got the impression that it was these paintings that made the chapel as important as it was. He would spend the night in contemplation of them, not the battle he would fight the next day. The paintings were what was important, they referred to the Lord of Death. They referred to Duo in ways he didn't understand but he didn't like variables. Variables caused things to go wrong.
"Explain these to me." He said to the Senshi Fiore because he did not like nor trust Tobin despite everyone's counsel to the contrary.
"No one alive understands them, the Seraphim have theories, nothing more. The figure is the A'setra, the one to whom death will be no barrier and here," he pointed to the ghost ship, "is his army of the dead. The Lady of Meirin can speak to the dead, the A'setra will raise them. His flesh will be like water and he can control the flesh of others and he will not stay dead. He will save the world or damn it." Fiore's tone was even as if he was reciting scripture. "Because of it every male child born to the Lady of Meirin has been executed within days of it's birth." Heero took the information and savoured it. There were answers that he could divine on his own from such information.
"The ship is called the Perseverance." Tobin said, "Adam told me that, being a Seraphim Angel and all he's open to sensitive information that the Seraphim wouldn't share with the rest of us mere mortals. There are other versions of these prophecies about but these are the originals, Rei painted them herself. They call this one," he pointed to the last picture, "the one winged angel. As Fiore said the A'setra will either save or damn the world, though most of us wouldn't even notice the difference. It was to prevent the A'setra that the Seraphim was founded all those centuries before."
"Will they make a move against Duo?" Heero asked, willing to abandon his vigil as new information had come to light which made it seem riskier.
"In Dramathen no, not with so many Senshi present and especially this close to the Day of the Dead, and if they did," Fiore said, "there would be no mercy. The Seraphim walk a tenuous legality and their lord would not risk it when attacking them on the road could be that much more effective. Duo is safe in the Dairai or we would not have left him behind."
"Not that he could be with you on your vigil," Tobin said with a knowing smile, "now how are we going to do this, do you want to spend the night in prayer, practising with Fiore and me or in the bottom of a bottle?"
The sound of the violin music distracted Duo from the book he was staring at and pretending to read whilst he worked over scenarios where people could be killed in mock fights in his head.
Minako had retired to her bed in a fit of feminine weakness, as the Hentai called it, when really she had drank most of her own weight in sake and was now sleeping it off. The Hentai were sitting around the room engaged in specific tasks that were designed to waste time. Two of them were playing cards, a few were reading, one was sketching, Diamond was writing in a leather bound volume, Emerald was staring out of the window grating and at least three worked together on a large tapestry whose silk was spread over the floor. Opal was singing in the corner to entertain them, lightly plucking on the kouta, but the violin music wound its way through the room. Duo dropped his book, the music reminded him of Quatre who he was pretty sure he'd never see again, and the song was sweet and sad. He closed the book over, using one of the stray threads from the tapestry to mark his place although he doubted he'd lift the book again.
"Where are you going?" Diamond asked, closing her book over and hanging her brush from a small frame designed for it.
"I," he started, "the music, I wanted to learn who was playing."
"You are in our care." Diamond said quietly, "I will attend you, it grows late and I would like a turn about the veranda before supper. Give me a moment to alert the Senshi and I will walk with you."
Although it was phrased almost like a request there was no doubt that Duo was being given an order. Diamond was the first of the Hentai, the Khatha, and with Heero away on a vigil and Mamoru watching over Minako his care was left in their hands. Of course that made the strange assumption that Duo could not take care of himself. "Besides, Duo-sama, I like a walk about this time of evening and I do not always have a brave warrior to defend my honour."
Duo laughed, Diamond was fun like that. She was faintly teasing, but not enough to be insulting, and she was incredibly lovely with a mind that few would cross behind a pair of eyes the same colour as his own. From an attendant she took a heavy jacket and a veil which she arranged over her hair, "come, my brave champion, let us see who beguiles the hentai of the emperor with the sweet trilling of his violin." Smiling despite himself, still worried about Heero alone with a man he despised and a stranger, he offered the Khatha his arm.
In the centre of the Dairai was a series of formal gardens where small bushes gathered around artfully placed rocks and streams. It was heavily secluded and was obviously based on the cloisters of Halcyon. Sitting on one rock, like something from a mythology, wearing only a pair of linen shorts that ended above the knee and a head scarf despite the early evening chill, was the violinist. His head was lowered over the instrument and his eyes closed as he coaxed music from the strings.
Duo had watched Quatre play many times, it was something of precision and skill, Quatre played like he was ticking off the notes in his head, this man seemed to have no agenda when he played. The music poured from him and it was only when Diamond coughed that he even realised that they were there.
"Diamond-khatha." He acknowledged her with a low bow of the head as one would greet a queen. "I am honoured by your presence. Will you introduce me to the lovely lady beside you."
"My name's Duo." Duo grated, annoyed that he had been mistaken for a girl, "and I'm a boy," he said. "We heard you playing."
The sprite of a man smiled, but it was a private smile, "the song is called Setsunakutemo." He said, "the legend is that Imperator wrote it for his beloved wife, I think it's lovely." It was obvious that this man had played for himself. "I'm sorry, I'm being awfully rude, Duo-sama, not to introduce myself, I am Danan D'Karioni."
"The Seraphim adjutant in training." Diamond finished darkly. "You know better than to play such songs here."
"I was homesick." He answered, pulling the kerchief from his head to reveal loose black curls that framed his face delicately and reminded Duo of Tobin, "it is not a Seraphim song, it's from the Dathyl opera. I did a season there to practise my music, it is not a crime to play such a song, Diamond-khatha, it is not as if I played Acuya in her glory." There was a firm rebuke in what he said. "And I am only here for the Day Of The Dead, if my presence offends you so much then I will retire to my chambers and play there, but it was such a nice night."
"You play beautifully." Duo managed quietly. "What business does a Seraphim have with the day of the dead?"
"I play beautifully." Danan answered with a smirk that was eerily reminiscent of Tobin's, "the empress asked for the greatest musicians in Dathyl and she included me, I may be Seraphim," his expression was cold, "but I am still a violinist."
"You must watch your step in these gardens," Diamond said, "the empress gifted you with your violin and the steps are wet, it would not do to break it." Duo got the distinct impression that that was a threat. "Come along, Duo, there is statuary in the garden that I would like to show you." Duo didn't know who the man was other than he was Seraphim but he got the distinct impression that Diamond didn't like him.
Author's Note
I got a review on about the definition of the word recursive, without looking it up in a good literary dictionary
recursion: where a primary world character (or characters) is inserted into a secondary world. Eg where a modern character is inserted into the past, ie Gordon Dickson's The Dragon and the George, or a modern character is inserted into a fantasy land ie The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. This is traditionally a subset of the fantasy genre.
Rant over.
Dictionary:
Senshi - soldier
Dairai - imperial palace
Okiya - the harem
A'setra - the lord of death
kouta - a stringed musical instrument
Yep, another character, Danan D'Karioni is the adopted brother of Matherion D'Karioni and is in line to be the Seraphim Adjutant. Keep an eye on him, unlike Fiore and Teishi this one's really very important. And he is meant to look like Tobin.