Gynger Snap 4
Change of Scene
Cool crisp water splashed upon the silk of the Count as he walked along the beach. The soft foam caressed small, cute toes. "Hey, babe," Leon brought the hand he had clasped, interlocking the fingers with his own. "Should we even bother packing?"
"It would seem normal for families going on an extended stay somewhere to have luggage." Count D said in his deep, smooth voice that sent shivers along Leon when they were alone. "Especially when one is traveling with small children."
"Hey D," Chris chimed in shaking the water from his hair after his vigorous swim with Philippe. "Have you ever been to Colorado?"
"Mm," Count D nodded. "Back in 1860, Grandfather had a little shop in Aspen." Christopher blinked recalling that Count D was still referred to as child by his father. "It is really quite lovely. I am looking forward to some time away."
"Is it really okay to close the shop?" Christopher looked out over the beach.
"I do not think," Count D began to speak while thinking of his Grandfather. "I do not think that it would be okay not to. Father agrees, that until his younger brother is born, it would be best to shut the shop down, even if we were not leaving."
"Leon," Christopher turned his big blue eyes to his brother watching as the sun glinted off the golden hair identical to his own. "Why won't Dae just go away? He obviously can't win."
"He managed to defeat them once." Count D sighed thinking of the past battles of the Arcadian Royale. "Dae has tasted the success of a death of a Prince. He also nearly succeeded in killing High Princess Andromache. To come so close, he is thinking that if he just continues to try, he may yet be victorious."
Leon clapped a hand on Christopher's shoulder. "Ever vigilant, even when on vacation, we are going to be working, there is some sort of darkness covering the land there and if it can not be dealt with by normal means, it will be eradicated, so says that little Fairy chick, she said she and her team are Cleaners."
"I had wondered what she meant by that," Christopher, mused having had to hear the meeting from the back of the room with the other pages serving the table.
"It is a term used primarily in the underworld, or even in the military." Leon raised a brow as Count D began to explain. "When a problem can not be solved, it is destroyed. When the Arcadians could not take the mountain and gain access to High Prince Daphnus home, the mountain was destroyed, now we have an exclusive resort that the humans are not allowed to even know exists."
"They destroyed a mountain?" Christopher asked his mouth falling open.
"She," Count D corrected after a gentle hand on Christopher's chin closed the gaping orifice. "High Princess Andromache destroyed a mountain." Christopher stared in wonder at his brother and the Count. How much power did the Arcadian's actually wield? "I am sure that you will read all about it in the first tales of the Arcadian Royalty when you are officially squired and begin your training." Count D smiled happy to see the listless light fade from the once vibrant eyes. His first heart break had taken it's toll. With his smile buoyant, and his eyes bright, Christopher hurried to his room to begin to pack, planning to tell Pon-Chan all about the Royalty and that he would one day be a Knight of Arcadia.
Break
Peter tried not to frown as Erick stared at Rain. He too stared at the young man hanging by his feet from a tall balance bar in the backyard. Rain dangled with his legs spread pressing against the sides of the structure. He clenched his abs, visible as he was not wearing a shirt, to pull himself upright grasping the bar with his hands. Rain dropped his legs down swinging until he was on top of the bar. He dropped after spinning around mid air to land in a crouch. He stood then with his fists raised. Erick, Terry and Peter startled by the applause. "Good work Squire Rain." Now it was Peter's turn to stare in awe as High Prince Nestoir strode forward. His pale skin like marble glinting in the sun as a statue of an ancient Greek god would. He too, wore no shirt in the blistering heat of the day. "You have been working on the routines that I gave you to strengthen your core."
"Of course your highness," Rain bowed. He released his loosening hair to re secure it. "As you have bid." Rain grinned at his friends. "Ryo must be making a good breakfast for your Ryo-cooking sensors to go off." Rain chuckled swiping a towel over his face then draping it over a shoulder. "Are you staying for breakfast?" Rain asked Nestoir.
Nestoir shook his head sending his ravens hair to gleam in the early morning light. "As much as that buttermilk he is whipping into the pancakes smell like heaven, there is a lot to be done at the consulate before tomorrow. Rest up and make sure you are all packed."
"Packed?!" Peter gasped. "I thought you were not doing a tour this summer, what with the show doing so well and all." Peter was still glowing from the praise in the newspapers of his writing and Rain's songs.
"Right," Rain grinned. "I reek, mind helping Ryo set the table while I shower? We are going on a
vacation. It has been well earned." Rain grinned thinking with excitement of the new battle to be fought. Whatever it was coming their way, he would be ready. They all would. Peter sighed. He went into the house pausing to see Ryo held in Dee's arms. The eggs in their carton on the counter forgotten in the preoccupation with Dee's lips. "Hey," Rain frowned at his parents. "Dee's mouth may satisfy you, but what are the rest of us going to eat?" Rain smacked a hand on Ryo's bottom as he dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
"Burn his," Dee grumbled indicating the pancake batter.
"Mmm," Ryo winked. "Don't be a brat and make the coffee," Ryo said sliding the full grinder over. "You boys are here early today."
"Are you really leaving all summer?" Terry blurted out before he turned red. "I mean, can we help set the table?"
"Yes, and yes," Ryo smiled. "We are looking forward to some time away." Ryo tried not to think of what the little fairy; Kriss, was her name, she had indicated that things were bad. Very bad, or wrong to be exact. Ryo looked up at the perch stationed above the living room window. The large crow rested. His eyes glinting in the early morning light. On the couch, Lyo sat with his books reading while Atreyu took the time to peruse his notes and a new book that he had chosen to read. Atreyu wondered, on their vacation, would he still be in the same room with Rain? He looked up the stairs hearing the shower begin. He hoped not. There was no way for him to ever reconcile his feelings if he was constantly around the beautiful young man.
Break
Maintain humanity.
The litany had been engraved on the hearts of the royal delegation headed to the vacation resort. As always, the airport was a wild conflagration of humanity. Bustling through the trod upon ceramic tiles dragging their beleaguered luggage behind. Not deviating from the norm, as soon as the group was recognized, several cell phones and cameras were flashed. The basilisk and Minotaur guards stalked beside the royalty obvious protection while the smaller salamanders were disguised as valets. Misaki walked beside Ryo as his squire. He saw Spike at his side feeling a pang of regret that a noble knight was relegated to the duties of a squire. While Spike did not seem to mind so much. Ryo looked back to make sure that Rain and Bikky were not too bombarded by fans as they performed their duties for their knight masters.
Maintain humanity.
Rain heaved the suitcase onto the belt wondering what Nestoir had packed into the case. It felt like bricks. Ryan, set his and Julie's luggage on the belt next to theirs having chuckled as he recalled his father's perturbed look as they had both packed about 3 outfits in the same suitcase. Julie had told their mother that the Arcadians usually provided what they would need. Misaki breathed sigh of relief as the jet came into view. The private machine glistened silver and white with bright streaks of stylized green scales. "Air Arcadia, right on time." Rain smirked at the Salamander flight attendants. The tiny culls turned their noses up at Misaki as he held his head high walking beside his husband. Yet another first for the species. Before him, no cull would have thought to try for a knighthood, let alone a spouse.
Seeing the stares, Spike places a hand on the small of Misaki's back. As soon as the last Arcadian boarded the plane the doors were shut leaving not a chance for a stealthy photographer to get a glimpse inside. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Ryo did his best not to laugh as he heard the recording of King Laton over the speakers. "Your patience is appreciated as we lose the trail of the human escorts. We will head to Colorado as a normal vessel and check into the hotel at the base of the mountain range in Aspen, from there we will use our doors to get to the inside where our cabins are awaiting us. Please enjoy your trip."
"Was he bored when made that?" Dee whispered to Ryo.
"Yes I was," Laton answered from the cockpit. Dee could feel his cheeks heat as his grandfather in law had heard him.
"As soon as I get you alone I am tossing those pants into the nearest fire place and having my wicked way with you." Dee whispered then to Ryo. As expected, Laton stuck his head out with a frown at Dee. Dee winked happy to see that the cockpit was empty inside except for a large canister of lemonade. Beside him Torcha chuckled holding Allyssa in her lap bouncing the darling tot.
Jack sat beside Ianto watching his fiance twirl his engagement ring around his finger. Jack was not sure if Gwen would return for their wedding. She was shocked to find that the Arcadian's had the hub replaced. He had expected, in the time they had been gone, for merely the rubble to be cleared away. Jhaymes had assured him that by the time they returned from the vacation that his home would be built. Did they have magic hammers? Jack wondered if he would begin to miss his old life in Wales. Waiting for aliens to thwart, waiting for the Doctor to return. Glancing at the beautiful pale man beside him, Jack knew that he would not. As long as he had Ianto with him. He knew that life would be an adventure. Feeling his eyes, Ianto looked over. Returning the brief kiss that Jack pressed to his lips. "I packed you a suit to wear."
"Really?" Ianto grinned having seen the erstwhile time detective shoving a small bag in the suitcase after their assigned page had packed it. "A swim suit?" Ianto raised his brows.
"Well, yeah but don't wear it in front of any one but me." Ianto felt his cheeks heat at Jack's lascivious smirk.
Behind them, Buffy giggled. She looked over to where Dawn sat with Nari. The Squire, even on the plane exclusive to Arcadians, sat up looking around. The craft had been aloft for a little more than an hour when the bored voice of Laton could be heard over the speakers. "The US air force is rather more tedious than usual today. If it is not too much of a bother, can we have a dense fog surround us so that we can leave them behind?"
Rain pulled out his cell phone, "I'm calling Wyld Wynd now to get us some cover." He explained his request to the Thunderbird. Rain shook his head as he could hear laughter on the line before it disconnected.
"Fantastic," Laton grinned taking the vessel higher leaving the escort air craft lost in the swirls of dense fog and the sudden storm for good measure. Before Spike could even begin to wonder at the elevation the craft was preparing to land. There was no change in pressure, or the sudden feeling of the stomach drop. The only indication of the plane having landed was the lurch of the gear hitting the strip. "Now Get off me," Laton grumbled. Taking Misaki's hand, Spike disembarked from the air craft. He turned long enough to see the facade of the creature dissolve leaving behind a giant Red dragon with gold tipped scales.
"Air Arcadia," Bikky laughed holding on to Carol's hand, glad that she had accompanied them on this working vacation. Before he could say more he turned to face the magnificent landscape before them. In a shelter of surrounding mountains were mansions of wood edged by a sparkling lake. Tall trees dotted the landscape where several large boulders jutted out from the mountain face leaving water falls to add sparkling rainbows to the sweet smelling air.
"How... were... we... I mean," Ryan glanced from the dragon to the mountain and back again.
Bikky placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Do you really want an explanation?" Ryan inhaled to answer, then shook his head.
"Good, now," Bikky faced his knight master, king and grandfather. "Which one is ours?"
"Find it?" Laton instructed. "Which one feels like where you belong?" Bikky looked around, the clearing amazed that an entire mountain had been demolished. He saw the 'cabin' made of deep, dark wood black whorls standing out against the shining sun. The porch wrapped around vanishing behind a waterfall. "Good, now lets go ahead and get settled in Kriss and her team will be by for a debriefing at lunch time."
To Be Continued.
