Eclipse of Dusk
By: Hseru
Warnings: Shounen ai later on 1x2 3x4 5x? (poor Wuffers)
Disclaimer: I own not Gundam Wing, but I do own the world the G-boys traverse. Fear my god power.
Chapter 4
The plan.
Half of the elvish party would approach where they had scouted the dragon resting at. It was very dragon-ish, if there was really such a description. A rocky crag that rose from the lowlands and would eventually continue up into the mountainous Northern Reaches that bordered the north of both the Eastern and Western lands. It was treacherous footing at the best of times, and speed was in essence here for them to be able to catch the dragon at rest, if it was there at all. Which was why only one of the three whom had so recently joined the party would be going.
Wufei, being the one with the highest degree of ability when it came to sheer endurance, was chosen to accompany the elves.
It took three days of traveling to reach the place, as they neither rushed, nor tried to wear themselves down with unnecessary speed before hand. They suspected that all their strength would be needed for what lay ahead.
The nights were surprising easy, and restful. As Wufei had informed Heero about the silver wolves, he approached the subject with Milliardo, who assured him that these were not the same as those among wolf kind the stories little children were warned of were from.
Having given a guttural warble of sorts that such a throat would be scarce thought able to utter, the tall elf had called to the darkness, and a large wolf had materialized from the night shadows like a thing of mist.
"This is their pack leader, called Windshade in their own tongue." Milliardo had said, introducing the creature.
Not named 'silver wolves' for naught, the majestic creature's white gray fur had a dark silveron sheen to it that rippled when in motion. Silver eyes gifted with the spark of intelligence latched onto Heero's cobalt blue orbs as the wolf sat back on its haunches to gaze proudly at the soldier. And indeed, when sitting, the wolf came even with Heero's head, able to look him in the eye with no more than a shift of the head. Powerful looking jaws that were somewhat narrower than the average wolf's sported a single elongated pair of canines that peeked out from under the top lip, and were now pulled back in a wolfish grin that didn't seem all that menacing, despite appearances. It's long, lithe form was more reminiscent to a feline's than the solid sturdy muscle of a wolf, but the shape was there none the less. A long, somewhat bushy tail combined with the over large ears could spell out to even the most stupid of creatures what emotions were being conveyed behind those seemingly laughing eyes.
Now, ears up and tail giving an artificial wag, the silveron wolf gave a slow nod, which turned into a solemn bow, his noble head dipping past Heeros waist in respect. The blue eyed soldier returned the bow with a nod of his head, slight surprise on his face.
Then, turning on its haunches, the wolf again melted into the night to give a somewhat more comforting presence to the darkness than before. That they would always be there, watching, was almost comforting, if it had not been unnerving.
Another odd presence the three had to wonder about, was that of the green eyed elf, Trowa. He'd given to supping with them, often in companionable silence, but ever and anon close to Quatre. The little mage, surprisingly, didn't find his attendance unnerving in the least, but rather enjoyed the quiet aura he pervaded. And quiet was a bit of an understatement. Their first meeting must have startled him out of a life of silence, because he returned to it afterwards. The little blond had a time trying to get him to say anything, and after a day of tireless effort, sullenly added him to the growing list of acquaintances he kept that had no verbal abilities. It didn't seem to bother him too much though, and those days he could be found, often enough, trying to strike up a conversation while riding beside him on his white Arabian, or simply basking in the elf's quiet presence.
The day they reached the outskirts of the dragon's lair, however, everything and everybody tensed up.
Warning all of his riders against anything that might look or seem threatening, Milliardo reigned in his Illian, and dropped lithely to the ground. Gathering his party about him, he sketched out the current events.
"I don't want anyone to try anything foolish, do you understand me?" He questioned sharply. "This dragon already knows we're here, and we are trespassing on its territory. If we make it angry, there's no telling what would happen." At the somber faces of the elves and men surrounding him, the blond elf guessed that he'd gotten his point across.
"Ok. Get ready to move out."
Dismounting, the group tethered all of the mounts, including the Illians, and prepared for what was to come. Securely strapping his swords to his back, Wufei moved to join those going up, a group of the most able bodied elves of the party, which included Trowa.
Settling themselves in an almost enclosed outcropping of thick stone, the rest of the party watched as the seven bodies fought their way up the sheer looking cliff face with the aid of rock clamps, and the ability of each individual.
Quatre held himself poised to use a spell should the need arise, or one of them slip, but they all safely reached the rather large, flat outcropping of rock that created the entrance to the deep crevice the dragon resided in. Despite the fact that it was not the cliché cave that only the naïve believed true dragons lived in, it was damn close, which was beyond odd. No respectable dragon would truly nest in a filthy, damp cave. They were more apt to carve themselves a simple hollow out of the living rock with their diamond claws, someplace that was merely flat and comfortable to lie, up on high so that it was easier to launch themselves upon the roads of the vast blue.
Nearing the cleft of stone, the party of elves and a single man slid out of sight and into the dimmed darkness of the living rock.
...
Wufei's eyes adjusted quickly as they entered the darkened light. Though the blue sky could be seen far overhead, most of the sunlight was blocked from reaching the far flung ground. The air was chilly, and the faint, acrid scent of sulfur reached their noses as they moved along.
The ground was smooth, almost polished, and the sword master realized that passage of a large creature roughly over the rock would eventually hone it down to silken smoothness. Since the time the creature had lived there was so short, one could only surmise that it was big, incredibly so. The walls began to show a similar sheen as they went further, deep furrows dug into the hard granite of the walls and floors.
Despite the fact that all their senses were open and alert, none of the group could even tell if the dragon was present. The swift resonance of wind running through the passage hid any other sounds, and such a large beast would be felt moving, what with how the granite under their feet was apt to enhance any and all vibrations.
They finally came to a widening in the passage, where the semi close walls backed quickly away from the center path. There was nothing there. No evidence of the dragon could be seen other than the scratched ground and the heavy smells that permeated the air. A musky animal scent that seemed sharper, more clean, and the acidic sulfur.
Then, one of the elves signaled to the group that he'd found something. Or rather, someone, as they cautiously moved about the still figure on the ground. All that could be clearly seen was the disarray of the clothes on a thin body, and the long mass of what looked to be brown hair flowing from its head and over its body in messy loops.
Moving forward, Wufei knelt, and gently turned what he assumed to be female over on its back, and promptly held back a slight gasp.
Instead of a girl, this was a young man...
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Buddy-O!! Hey, who didn't see this coming? And I wonder who that mysterious longhaired guy is? *Whispers* shhh...its a secret...
I dedicate this chapter to all those whom begged me to write in a certain character….Merry Christmas ^_^
*dances the dance of the braided bakas* (he's my favorite char too, to those of you who said the same)
Tell me if I should keep going so I won't feel unloved!
Review, Review!!