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 6
The party of warriors rode across the open planes in search of an expanse of covered ground to take shelter in for the night.
Though Milliardo had not approved of the youth's accompanying them, he begrudgingly allowed it. As long as the young man was in the care of the three humans, and nothing untoward befell his warriors because of it, he would leave the matter alone.
The youth had been placed upon Wufei's destrier, the swords master holding the still unconscious teen from falling to the ground as they rode. It was expected that the movement of the horse underfoot might wake him, but he twitched not a muscle the entire ride, of which both Wufei and Quatre were concerned. The blond was continually asking whether or not the youth's condition had changed, and the dark haired warrior's answer was always the same.
No.
For some reason, Wufei felt responsible for the waif that rode before him. It was quite understandable, as the young man's condition had elicited a response even from their stoic commander. Heero had backed their decision, as non-verbally and non-emotionally as possible, it's true, but the messy haired soldier had agreed to it nevertheless without a dispute. They all knew if he didn't desire the long haired youth to be taken, he would have endeavored and succeeded in having the lad left behind.
Reaching a copse of large oaks, Milliardo called a halt, the elf sending two scouts ahead to get a general idea of the area before they decided to camp. It didn't take long before the scouts returned with an 'all's well', and the party dismounted. Care for the horses and Illians came first, their tack and saddles taken off, a brushing administered to every one, and water and oats for each animal. Only when that was completed, did they go about making the site suitable for the night.
Again, the double circle was used, and the sentries began their paces even as the fires were being set up.
Whilst caring for his horse, Wufei had laid the young man amidst the action of the camp so that there were always eyes on him should his situation change. It didn't.
The only reason they knew he lived was because his of his shallow breathing, and constant pulse. It seemed to be continually racing for some reason, and Quatre suspected it was the adverse affects of the collar.
As night fell, the mage felt the irresistible urge to try and remove the horrible thing. The various fires, four by count, had brightened the area considerably as dusk had fallen. They had laid the young man next to the one the three accompanied; made four by the now expected and welcomed presence of Trowa. Atop a blanket, with one tucked around him, the young man looked still as death.
Scooting over, Quatre peered at the youth with an appraising eye, pondering just what he might do to try and remove the hateful band from around the boy's neck. The ever present Trowa was at his back, but facing the fire, so didn't yet see what he was trying.
Soothing his thoughts, the little mage gathered his control on the magic, like a skein of light about him that he could pull on and bend to his will. It was no wonder that there were so few magic users, because it had taken him years as a boy to merely be able to grasp a hold of the magic for more than a few scattered moments. Those with the gift could see and perhaps control the magic for small things simply by nature, but it took training to have any real amount of command. Even if one did manage to get a better hold of the magic, without proper limits, unspeakable things could happen. Quatre himself had seen what even a good spell could do if not limited properly.
A hedge witch, as she was called, very highly gifted, had tried a more advanced healing spell on a young woman in the end stages of birth. Something inside had gone terribly wrong, and it was probable that the woman would have died of internal bleeding if something was not done. The magic user's spell had indeed healed her, but the baby had been born without its skin. The spell had used the skin of the unborn child to heal the mother, almost killing the newborn in the process. Luck had been with them that day, for both Quatre and his teacher, the court mage by the name of Marius, had not been far off, and had been able to save the life of the little one.
Now, Quatre thanked his training as he gathered the power about him. He figured he would try a simple Word of power that would hopefully unlock the iron band and free the youth from its influence. Taking a breath, he held a hand over the cool seeming metal, not touching it, and spoke.
The drain was small, at first, seemingly normal, but suddenly something took a hold of him, and Quatre felt his powers being sucked from him in vast amounts. An immense and absolute darkness rose before his eyes like there was something sucking him into a never ending oblivion. He tried to move, to pull back, but the ability to move was stolen from him, and he felt an unexpected flaring pain go shooting through his hand and up his arm, like he'd just stuck it in the roaring heart of a fire. Somewhere above his level of consciousness as it dragged him further down, he heard someone yelling, and vaguely made the connection that it was not him causing the noise as he collapsed forward.
It seemed like an eternity passed in the dark, and a strange, all encompassing numbness spread throughout his body. He floated unmoving in a sort of limbo, barely aware. 'So this is dieing…' The strange thought came slowly to him, and suddenly, his tunnel of vision narrowed until there was a single point of light amidst the dark, pulsing with different colors like the great beat of a heart. He strived towards it for some reason. It called to him, beckoned for the mage to join it.
…
"Quatre…Quatre!"
Trowa shook the unconscious mage again, striving to wake him. Both Wufei and Heero were right next to him, as well as quite a few of the elves who'd been brought by the noise.
Actions controlled, the elf was frantic nevertheless as he called again. When the little blond had collapsed, the elf had jumped over, finding Quatre there with his hand clasped tightly around the collar about the boy's neck, the iron searing him like a red hot coal.
Careful not to touch the metal, as elves themselves possessed a natural magic that might be pulled in as well, he'd pried the mage's fingers from the iron band, and now cradled both the injured hand, and the mage himself in his lap as he strove to rouse him.
"Gods…he's barely breathing." Wufei muttered, hazarding a glance at the prone youth still lying next to them, only to divert his eyes back to Quatre's inert form held protectively in Trowa's lap.
Because of this, he didn't see when the youth opened his eyes. Eyes that seemed to pulse with a faint light. Eyes the color of the sky at sunset.
Eyes that angled over to the three crouched around their fallen comrade.
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Dun dun DUN!!! *ducks thrown objects* eep! I'm sorry!
*hides*
Heh…I actually finished this chapter the night I started writing it, also the night I posted the last chapter. Feh, so I lied about the 'it being late' part. I'm sure you're not mad, right?
*wink wink, nudge, nudge*
*Gets pelted with various plushies*
Review, Review!!