I drew a Nendoroid version of this Gakupo. If you want to see it, look up narumo at Deviantart.
Endling – Chapter 3
A small crowd gathered around Kaito, watching him and the fae as they arduously tried to communicate in the language of the Warm Isles.
'Ask him if he's really the last of his kind,' a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt proposed through his data assistant.
'Ask him if there are any dragons left!' a blonde girl begged, practically shoving her own device into Kaito's face. Her t-shirt had a particularly impressive-looking red dragon on the front.
Kaito winced internally, wishing he had waited for a moment when the two of them were alone. Attracting too much attention to himself could have unexpected consequences. But it was too late to do anything but move forward. Ignoring the onlookers, Kaito examined the list of pre-made phrases he had written the night before. However, before he decided on what to ask, Gakupo began to write a rather long sentence on the sand of his cage.
The crowd looked on expectantly, as Kaito tried to decipher its meaning. There were a few words that didn't show up in his lists and deducing the meaning from the context proved impossible. Still, he managed to determine Gakupo was trying to tell him something about the circumstances of his capture.
'Too difficult,' he typed back, after a while.
Gakupo sighed inaudibly in response, then erased the symbols and tried something simpler. After a quick search, the meaning of the individual words became clear, although Kaito felt something had to be wrong.
'Where is Titania?' the symbols on the sand seemed to say.
Titania, queen of all magical beings? She was killed in battle many years ago, wasn't she? And what did that have to do with Gakupo's capture? Kaito didn't want to disappoint his friend, but there was no other way around it, so he typed in his data assistant: 'Titania is dead.'
Gakupo shook his head energetically. 'Titania dies, Titania rises. All queens are Titania.'
Kaito scratched his head. Titania's embalmed body was in the City of Enlightenment on display as a trophy, he had seen it himself. Finally, he just shrugged.
Gakupo lashed the ground with his tail in irritation, disturbing the symbols on the sand.
'ASK HIM ABOUT THE DRAGONS!' The girl with the red dragon t-shirt almost pressed her data assistant against Kaito's nose.
Kaito relented and searched for the appropriate words. Gakupo blinked at the resulting message and his eyes focused on the girl for the first time. After a moment, he nodded cautiously.
While the girl bounced around the room in joy, Kaito tried a few questions from his list. His lack of experience with the grammar of islander language rendered a good number of them incomprehensible, he soon discovered, and the answer to others was too complex for him to understand. Nevertheless, after some laborious back and forth, he managed to gleam a few facts about Gakupo: he was indeed the last of his kind, as far as he knew; he used to live alone before his capture, although he was in contact with other fae, and he wasn't expecting any kind of rescue from his friends.
It made sense. Magic was very dependent on long incantations and taking advantage of the energies of the natural world; a large city like the one they were in was a terrible battlefield of concrete and smoke for wind or wood fae, who seldom had the destructive capabilities of dragons or the sheer physical prowess of deep dwellers. There was no way Gakupo's friends could succeed in such an attempt.
Once that topic was exhausted, Kaito turned to more trivial matters: what foods the endling liked, his favorite color and so on; little details he wanted to know, just to complete the picture of the person before him. For Gakupo was a person, Kaito had decided, despite the arguments drilled into him throughout his life. It didn't matter what Gakupo looked like, he was a rational being; he belonged inside a cage as much as any of the humans surrounding Kaito, or Kaito himself. Once more, as he scanned the lists of words for the right terms, Kaito felt an overwhelming desire to spring Gakupo out and take him home.
Suddenly, two big hands landed on Kaito's shoulders and made him spin around. As he turned, Kaito's eyes briefly met Gakupo's, before his field of view was obscured by bodies wrapped in security uniforms. It was just a second, but his fear was palpable, and it spread to Kaito's heart as he watched the burly men towering around him. Their faces were alert and unfriendly; they were clearly ready to give him a very bad time. A step behind them stood a man with chestnut hair, round glasses and a goatee. Kaito recognized the naturalist that captured Gakupo right away, even before his lips curved in that familiar self-satisfied smile.
The naturalist snatched the data assistant from Kaito's hands before he knew what was happening. His smile widened as he examined the device and its contents, then gestured to the security guards, who dragged Kaito towards the other exit. The crowd of onlookers parted, watching the scene in confusion, but no one moved to intervene. As for Gakupo, in one jump he returned to the top of the dead tree; from above, his eyes followed Kaito's figure with obvious concern.
Kaito allowed himself to be taken, not that he had any chance against such hulking men. For a moment, he wondered if they were taking him to the same staff room where Gonzalez sold him the lock of hair currently hanging from his neck inside a small bag. But the guards marched past the door and into the next room.
"Where are you taking me?" Kaito asked as soon as they entered a long hall with no sound treatment.
"Shut up." One of the guards replied, barely moving his lips.
"I wasn't doing anything wrong."
"I said shut up!"
Kaito bit his lip. These men had no legal authority to do anything to him! They were plainly taking advantage of the fact that he was a foreign student to push him around. That, or they knew how afraid he was not seeing Gakupo again.
The group crossed the museum in silence, until they reached the administrative side of the building. Kaito was led inside the senior consultant's office and forced to sit on an ottoman. One guard stood at each side of him, another by the door, and the naturalist sat across him on a regal armchair.
"What is this about?" Kaito asked, probably a bit more forcefully than it was wise.
"I just wanted to speak with you, Mister-" the naturalist paused to check the id screen of the data assistant. "Kaito Fuuga, student visa holder." He smiled once more. "You may call me Professor Silvestri."
"I know who you are, you hunted down Gakupo," Kaito spat.
The professor only showed the faintest reaction to his words. "Oh, is that his name? How commendable, you managed to communicate with the specimen."
"I used the islander language."
"Of course, what else could you use?" It was clear from the man's tone that he considered that an insultingly obvious thing to say.
"You knew? Why keep him there in isolation, when you could be studying his culture and language?!" Kaito eyes widened in disbelief.
Silvestri took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Spoken like a true idealist. Even academia must bow down before the golden idol, Mr. Fuuga. He has no tactical value, given that the military don't need to know how to exterminate his kind, which means no government grants. As for the private sector, inhuman studies are an unpopular subject, and public opinion has worsened even more since the Prima incident."
Once the glasses were back on his face, he continued. "Besides, what's the worth of a single individual, without the opportunity of observing him and his peers in a natural setting? Specially a young specimen like that, he must've been a child when the mass culling took place. I doubt he had the chance to absorb the culture, to put it in those simple terms."
"...Mass culling?" Kaito asked reluctantly.
"If I'm not mistaken, the last large flock of wind fae in this sector was destroyed around seven years ago."
Kaito lowered his head. Had Gakupo been alone for so long? How could a child survive without caretakers, no matter his species?
"Of course, you could argue that even documenting a dead language is a worthy pursuit, to have a more complete understanding of the world around us. But that sort of thing is a hard sell. Given the alternatives, selling him to this museum was probably one of the best things I could choose, whether you like it or not. They'll treat him well, as long as the visitors keep coming. So if you care about his well-being, maybe you should try bringing your friends with you more often."
"He's more…he's more than a freak-show attraction!" To his annoyance, Kaito found himself choking up. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of this man and his goons.
Silvestri examined his face, running a finger through the hairs of his goatee. "You know, if you are that interested, perhaps you could try buying him when his health deteriorates. It's bound to happen, unfortunately. But that may drop his price to a level you can afford."
"That's horrible!"
"It's just pragmatic advice, son. I understand the appeal of non-humans, I do. I wouldn't be in this field if I didn't. But you have to be aware of the realities of the world. By all means, study them, admire them even…just don't allow yourself to love them."
Kaito frowned. Was there some secret behind the veneer of respectability of the man before him? It seemed like very specific advice, making him wonder if it was something Silvestri had to repeat to himself regularly.
The professor rose and went to the desk. He connected the data assistant to the desktop computer. "If you don't mind, I'll be making a copy of the photos and other information you have compiled so far. I might not have the funds for a complete study, but I'm not about to pass the opportunity to have this kind of material." He smiled with a touch of mischievousness.
"Can I have the data assistant back when you are done?" Kaito asked cautiously.
"Of course, I'm no thief!" Silvestri seemed truly surprised for a moment.
What was I supposed to think, being dragged here like this? Though I guess I should be glad they aren't beating me up for being friends with Gakupo…
"You can go home when I'm done. Yes, home. I'm going to take this opportunity to do the specimen's monthly health check-up. I was told he's not eating enough."
Kaito thought back, worried. It was true; Gakupo seemed to drink plenty of water when he was around, but he seldom saw him eat from the bowls of grain and fruit next to his den. But who could blame him, being trapped like that? Anyone would lose their appetite.
"Maybe his diet has to be adjusted. I guess we'll see." The professor disconnected the device and handed it back to Kaito. "Escort him out, gentlemen. And you Mr. Fuuga, don't skip classes again."
Kaito gulped.
"If you want to keep a fae as a pet, you'll need a large salary, my friend. Study hard." The professor went to the desktop computer, apparently done paying attention to Kaito.
The guards made Kaito stand and wasted no time dragging him to the exit. Soon, Kaito was standing outside, staring at the poster of the endling. He touched it with one hand, his fingers lingering over the figure's heart.
"A pet…"
Was there no place in the world where they could live together as equals? If their roles were reversed and they had met in one of the hideouts of non-humans, would they face the same issues? The colorful illustration clouded before his eyes. Kaito wiped his face with a frustrated groan. How embarrassing, tearing up out here in the open where anyone could see him…It took him a minute or two to get himself under control, before he turned his back to the museum, but thankfully no tears rolled down his cheeks.
As he walked away, an idea began to sprout roots inside his mind, tiny but persistent.
He had to get Gakupo out somehow.
Silvestri was right about one thing: it wasn't a good idea for Kaito to skip classes or act strangely, not if he wanted to develop his plan in peace. So he decided to space out his visits to the museum and stay less and less time, pretending to be slowly losing interest. It stung to see Gakupo's hurt expression after it dawned on him what was happening, but it was risky to try and explain. From then on, the endling seemed significantly less cheerful when he saw Kaito arrive.
Much later, Kaito wondered if that sense of betrayal had contributed to Gakupo's illness. Mood had an effect of health, after all, and he was probably one of the few things Gakupo had to keep his spirits up inside the cage. Whatever the case, a couple weeks after Silvestri and Kaito spoke, he arrived to the museum, only to find Gakupo curled up inside his den, hiding behind his wings.
As always, Gakupo sensed his presence. At first, all he did was to partially unfurl his wings and give Kaito a wan smile. His eyes shone feverishly, and even from a distance Kaito could see he was shivering. After a while, the fae stood up clumsily, almost tripping on his own tail. Perhaps he wanted to write a message on the sand outside, but halfway he had to crouch down, exhausted with even that little effort. Kaito watched with horror as Gakupo traced a single unreadable word on the sand, then staggered and landed on the ground, unable to return to the den.
Kaito pulled out his data assistant, ready to call an ambulance, before he realized what he was doing. After a moment of hesitation, he send a message to the museum's contact address instead, and another to Gonzalez.
The next half hour was one of the hardest things Kaito had to endure throughout his life. He could do nothing but watch as Gakupo dragged himself closer to the bars, reaching mindlessly towards him. There was nothing to do but to grab the railing, cursing the metal bars that kept him from comforting his friend.
Help did arrive, eventually. Gonzalez arrived with three other people; a woman with a white lab coat and two guards. Kaito stood by the cage's door, hoping to at least be allowed to hold Gakupo's hand as they treated him, but Gonzalez gestured towards him and the guards pushed him out of the way, despite his trashing about. The guards were all smirks as they pinned him against a wall of the chamber.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez carefully turned Gakupo face up, and the woman began to examine him, taking care not to kneel on his wing. Kaito watched as she peered closely into Gakupo's eyes and mouth, measured his pulse and blood pressure, and took a blood sample and inserted the tube into a small diagnostics machine. After the machine displayed its findings on a small screen, the woman injected Gakupo with the contents of two syringes from her pack, and then nodded to Gonzalez. They both stood and exited the cage, leaving Gakupo where he laid.
Once outside, the woman nodded once more to the men and exited the room. Gonzalez went the opposite way, towards the disguised door; a while later, he returned with a pile of bedclothes. He made a makeshift bed outside the den for Gakupo and sat at his side unenthusiastically. A moment later, he gestured at the guards to take Kaito away.
No! Kaito kicked the back of the closest guard's knees, making him stumble. The young man managed to evade the other one's arms and dashed inside the cell. Gonzalez didn't move, staring with a mix of surprise and amusement as Kaito dropped next to the fae and pulled him into a hug.
Damp locks of hair, sticking to scalding skin. A trembling hand, seeking his. A silent mouth, repeating his name. So close to what he had wanted for so long, yet painful to behold. Kaito couldn't reason, couldn't think, couldn't question why he was allowed to remain where he was, rocking Gakupo softly. He only recovered some semblance of rationality when Gakupo fell asleep, seemingly alleviated by the medications.
Kaito timidly met Gonzalez' gaze, and he found his mocking smile somewhat softened. The guards were standing by the cage's door, and Kaito realized the maintenance man had stopped them from entering.
Gonzalez typed a message on his data assistant and held it in way only Kaito could see the message. 'I'll take care of him. Leave before they kick your butt.'
Kaito took another glance at the guards' faces and then back at Gonzalez; he nodded. He slowly extricated himself from Gakupo's arms and exited the cell, fully expecting to be aided in his retreat by a kick or two. Nothing happened, fortunately, and he exited the museum without incident.
Once outside, he ran away without stopping; his body wanted to return to Gakupo's side so badly that Kaito knew he wouldn't be able to resist the pull if he gave himself time to breathe. He ran aimlessly, past the train stop, past the crowds of humanity and the stores full of shiny, useless baubles. The city was too vast a cage to be crossed on foot, and he had no destination, no shelter besides his apartment and his books. As the night closed in, he returned there, to his small life. Uselessness weighted down on him.
"They sold the little thing. He's going to be taken away by the end of the week. I guess he wasn't as profitable as the administration hoped, or the sickness got them spooked, and they want to get rid of him while they can still fetch a good price. In any case, if you want some time alone with him, you better make up your mind fast, kid."
The message had come unexpectedly two days after, while Kaito was at home preparing for an exam. Suddenly, a notification flashed on his screen, bearing Gonzalez' name. Kaito stood from his chair, dropping a few of his things to the floor. He didn't care one bit. His eyes were fixed on the static image of the maintenance man.
"I suggest you do it today. I might not be able to come to the museum tomorrow or on Thursday. Just let me know and I'll get things ready."
Kaito stared at the screen without really seeing it. Like a torrent of cold water, his thoughts rushed inside of him, crushing every certainty. They were taking Gakupo away from him. Just like that, before he had time to figure out what to do to save him, or where to hide him. No, he couldn't allow it. He would have to improvise. With shaky hands, he quickly replied to Gonzalez, with a simple, 'I'll be there.' Kaito then ran to his room, to put together a bag.
The sleeping bag limply bounced against Kaito's leg, as the train slowed down to a stop. He stepped out into the platform, squeezing the strap of his backpack. The last stragglers of the day moved past him, going back to their homes after a tiring day. A few more followed him as he walked towards the exit, towards their night shifts.
Kaito glanced at a pleasant-looking man, studying the map of the stations on one wall. His gentle features reminded him of his father; the immediate result was a lump on his throat. Would his father ever forgive him for this? Would he ever understand the feelings inside of Kaito's chest?
I have to do this. I have to.
The entertainment sector shone in the night with many garish colors; despite being a weekday, there were many people milling about the rides and food stalls. Yet the stretch of street next to the museum was poorly lit and deserted, except for a black car with tinted windows parked in front of the main door. Kaito approached it with caution; there was no reaction whatsoever. Perhaps the museum director was working late. Kaito shrugged and turned left and into the narrow alley between the museum and the next building. According to Gonzalez, he was waiting at the back door.
The back of the building was even grimmer than the front, just a small parking lot and some trash cans next to the dirty walls. Kaito raised a hand to knock on the unremarkable door, but stopped midway. After a moment's deliberation, he took off his backpack and hid it with the sleeping bag behind the trash cans. Gonzalez might get suspicious if he saw Kaito carrying such a heavy pack.
With that done, he finally knocked. The door opened to reveal Gonzalez with a cigarette hanging from his lips. He gave Kaito a crooked smile and dropped the cigarette on the ground by the door. After stomping on it, he walked inside, gesturing to Kaito over his shoulder. The young man followed him in silence.
A couple of turns later, they arrived to the dilapidated corridor adjacent to the cage room. Gonzalez stopped before the door, a hand over the dark wood.
"Listen up. Whatever happens inside of the cage, I'm not responsible, ok? If the little thing bites something off, don't come crying to me. If someone sees you getting busy with him, you sneaked in on your own." He pulled a small metallic thing out of one pocket and handed it to Kaito. "Look at that, you know how to force doors open, you cheeky devil." He chuckled at his own words. "Just come to the staff room when you are done playing. Got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Enjoy yourself, kid."
They walked into the silent room, shrouded in darkness aside from a couple of emergency lights. Gakupo was lying outside of the den in the makeshift bed. He sat up blinking when the shaft of light from the flashlight hit him on the face. His eyes widened when he saw Kaito standing next to Gonzalez, and his surprise only grew when the maintenance man casually opened the cage and let the younger man inside.
Gonzalez handed Kaito a second flashlight, gave him a thumbs up and retreated, without even sparing a glance to the confused fae.
He looks healthier. The light casted severe shadows around them, but Kaito could see that the fae's gaze seemed more focused and alert. Bless modern medicine.
Gakupo stood up and took a hesitant step forward. Kaito approached him, feeling pretty nervous himself. They stared at each other for a long minute, as if it was the first time they had laid eyes on one another. Abruptly, Gakupo jumped forward and draped his arms around Kaito. The flashlight fell soundlessly on the blankets on the ground, casting its light on the far wall. Soft feathers tickled the side of Kaito's face; a bit further down his cheek, he felt the slightly raspy sensation of tiny scales rubbing against his skin. Gakupo's hands clung to his long jacket, digging into the white fabric with almost manic energy.
Kaito's knees almost buckled under him; if not for the silence of the room, a stream of incoherent words would've poured from his mouth, as his hands hesitantly touched the skin of the fae's back. The oppressive absence of sound seemed like an ally for once, shrouding him from the rest of the world as he held Gakupo in his arms. Everything else seemed distant, every place and person he knew, far and faded like old tales. Time tiptoed around them; the night looked away, complicit.
But as much as Kaito wanted to stay unmoving, it was time to go. He gently ended their embrace and crouched down to recover the flashlight. Gakupo watched him with no inkling of what to expect, if his unsuspecting face was any indication. Kaito's intentions quickly became clear when he took one of Gakupo's hands and began pulling him towards the cage's door.
Gakupo looked more troubled than relieved, surprisingly. Kaito had to coax him patiently to walk the few steps until he was beyond the bars, and the endling seemed about to run back at any moment. Kaito persevered, swallowing his own nerves, until they were next to the entrance of the service corridor. Kaito brought a finger to his lips, hoping the gesture would be understandable to the endling. He then opened the door at a glacial pace.
Kaito was used to Gakupo's inhuman appearance by now, but against the drab scenery of the corridor, he once more was struck by the uniqueness of his figure. It was quite the contrast, the fae in simple white pants and handmade jewelry, against the metals and plastic of the modern age. The turquoise eyes studied every control panel on the walls with curiosity; wondrous technology was all around them, the accumulated effort of many human lives across the ages. And it was but a fraction of all Kaito could show the endling, if only he had the chance.
The walls were so close together that Gakupo's wings brushed slightly against them, making a faint sound. Given the control he had over them, Kaito suspected Gakupo could position them in such a way to avoid making noise, but he wasn't sure how to convey the need for it. It was better to just move forward and hope Gonzalez wouldn't hear it inside the staff room, instead of stopping mid-way to check his data assistant.
The exit was close now, just a few more steps. They could make it. The door opened with a creak, and Kaito's heart almost leaped out from his chest. But they were outside. Outside! The two of them together in the cold night, with the whole world before them!
Kaito almost sang with joy, before the rational part of his brain reminded him that the hardest part was yet to come. He had to get Gakupo away from the illuminated entertainment sector, somehow. Nevertheless, it was hard not to feel happy with the fae by his side. He squeezed his hand before approaching the trash cans to retrieve his backpack and sleeping bag. Once they were hanging from his back and arm respectively, he turned towards Gakupo.
Gakupo was looking past him with a frown, towards the front street. A shiver went down Kaito's spine, even before a jovial voice rang out.
"That's our rightful property, young man."
At the other end of the alley, three figures stood, their backs illuminated by the car with the tinted windows. The jolly man at the center was small and stodgy, not the type of person one usually associated with dangerous encounters in dark alleys. But the men at both sides made up for that by looking as menacing as they could in their dark suits. With a jolt, Kaito recognized one of them as the man he had witnessed taking photos of Gakupo.
"Come here; slowly, if you please."
If only he could tell Gakupo to fly away! The men wouldn't risk hurting him. Did the fae understand what was going on? He seemed to recognize that the men were dangerous, if the nervous way he was clinging to Kaito's arm was any indication. Kaito almost had to drag him as they inched forward, until they were a few steps of the strange trio.
The short man also noticed Gakupo's fear; he smiled in a way that probably was meant to be reassuring. "It's alright. We're taking you to a very nice place, very fun!" He spoke slowly; as if stressing every syllable would make Gakupo understand him.
The endling, of course, just looked at the man with a puzzled expression.
The man pulled out a velvet bag from one of his coat pockets, and from it extracted an ornate necklace of white gold and purple jewels. Even in the relative darkness of the alley, metal and crystal shone invitingly; it was clearly an expensive piece, not something one would buy at the beachside market. Gakupo let out a little gasp of awe.
"Very pretty, isn't it?" the man smiled, luring the fae with the necklace. "You like shiny things, don't you? You'll have as many shiny trinkets as you want at the Pale Line; all you need to do is your job."
That name was familiar...after racking his brains, Kaito made the connection. Given the context where he first heard the words, the job they wanted Gakupo to do was obvious. The mental image made Kaito sick just thinking about it; also, the way the man was treating the fae didn't help matters: he was dangling the necklace in front of his face, as if trying to entice a kitten.
Gakupo took a step forward swishing his tail. He seemed almost hypnotized by the glow of the object, and he stretched one hand forward, a blissfully childlike expression on his face.
The man laughed, withdrawing his arm. With his other hand, he patted Gakupo's head benevolently, while the fae pouted. "You have to make me happy first, cutie."
"Gakupo, no!" Kaito grabbed his arm and pulled him away, earning a strange, anxious glance. That brief look was enough for Kaito to realize that Gakupo's behavior was an act of some sort. But why pretend?
The man's smile didn't falter one bit, even as his voice took a more malicious tone. "Dispose of that kid and get the fae into the car," he ordered the men.
The pair moved forward, pulling out formidable-looking weapons. At the sight of them, Gakupo again hugged Kaito, draping his wings around their bodies. Just for a second, Kaito and the man's eyes met, before the feathers of Gakupo's wings shrouded him. The amount of malice transmitted by those dark pupils left him breathless.
But Kaito had little time to worry about that, before several things happened in quick succession: the ground under his feet seemed to wobble and transformed into a slippery incline. Both Kaito and Gakupo wavered like reeds on a current, losing their footing. Once gravity forced Gakupo to tumble backwards, Kaito realized that the world around them was completely changed. Gone were the men, the dark alley and the museum: Kaito and Gakupo were on the slopes of a mountain, out in the wilderness, surrounded by a fierce storm. Gakupo was trying to get up; Kaito bent down to help him but slipped, sending them both rolling downhill in a confused mess of feathers, mud and screaming. At one point, Kaito felt the data assistant in his pocket crack against a rock; later still, the sleeping bag hit him squarely in the face and bounced away into darkness. By some small miracle, he managed to hold on to the flashlight.
Finally, their descent brought them close to a twisted tree and Gakupo grabbed hold of one of the branches. Kaito held on to him with his free hand until he put the flashlight away into a pocket. Gathering his strength, he swung and clutched another branch. He looked around pointlessly at the dark landscape, out of danger for the time being but utterly confused. What was going on? What was this place?