Thanks for the comment, NattalaChao. I'm glad you find this approach to the pairing interesting.

Chapter 5

Once upon a time, a little winged boy lived in a tree house with his father and mother. Others like them lived among the ancient trees of that forest, stringing songs from branch to branch, hailing the moon and thanking the sun.

The boy's world was very small back then. Just the forest and the mountain refuge where his parents liked to spend the harsh winters, nothing more. He knew nothing of the sea, he had never seen a dune or the stark tundra…or the shining cities of metal and concrete, encroaching ever closer.

There was no real warning before the end. A whispered conversation here and there, words he had never heard before spat with fear or anger: 'aberrant', 'deprived', 'disjointed' and worse. The adults around him used many names, but the boy never heard the actual name of the menace until much later.

There was no time for explanations, when the invaders appeared wielding their terrible weapons: awful tubes of shiny metal, making horrible noises and creating even worse silences. Men and women fell from the skies like the leaves in autumn, wings paralyzed and throats constricted; every person the boy had ever known reduced to nothing. The boy's father picked him up in his arms and tried to escape, but he was cut down like all the others. The invaders dug a big ditch and rolled everyone in, including the dying father with the boy in his arms. More bodies fell on top of them, heavy and wet.

'Don't move, don't say a word,' said the father with the last of his strength. And so the boy stayed still, even when the invaders came down to finish the ones crying out in pain. They walked by very close to the boy, crunching delicate wings under their boots, their weapons roaring repeatedly in triumph. But after a while, they simply left.

Everything became very silent, as if they had killed every bird and animal in the forest. The sun shone above, and the boy felt hot and thirsty. However, he couldn't escape the ditch with his father and the others trapping him with their bodies. A disgusting smell surrounded the boy, growing fouler by the minute.

Uncountable ages after, he heard a very soft sound; from between the interstice of two rigid arms, he watched a huge creature descend into the ditch, sniffing the bodies. It was similar to the wolves of the northern end of the woods, but it stood in its two hind legs, and it was as big as a small tree.

Could it be friendly? His father had told him the northern wolves would never harm a fledging like him, but this one was so odd looking. He tried calling out to it, but his mouth and tongue were so dry and swollen he could only let out a pitiful mewl.

The ears of the wolf-like being twitched, and it quickly turned its head in his direction; its golden eyes surveyed the scenery with suspicion.

With a supreme effort, the boy tried to call the beast again; the resulting groan was just as unintelligible, but at least somewhat louder.

The beast approached his hiding spot, sniffing the bodies under his paws until it happened to see the portion of the boy's face peeking from under his father's torso. The luminous eyes widened, and it jumped forward. It quickly dug out the boy from the pile of bodies, and then held him at arm's length, with an expression of disbelief.

"Thirsty," the boy finally was able to mumble.

The beast let out a strange sound, taken by surprise. Then it nodded several times, and jumped out of the ditch cradling the boy. It ran across the forest, but the boy kept his face pressed against the shaggy fur and couldn't see where the beast was headed.

A sudden stop and the gelid touch of water gave him the answer: they were by the river. The beast ripped apart the boy's blood-soaked clothes and washed his body in the current, until it was satisfied that none of the blood was his. Then it wrapped him in a pelt and sat with him by a campfire. Using a goatskin flask, it fed him milk, little by little, until the thirst and hunger was gone. The boy fell asleep in the arms of the beast, completely drained.

Much later, he woke up to find himself in a sort of cocoon of furs and rope strapped to the beast's back. They were in a rocky terrain, with only a few squat trees. The boy looked around him in confusion, wondering what to do. Where was the wolf-like beast taking him?

"Are you going to eat me?" The boy asked.

The beast laughed gruffly. "A tiny morsel like you would get stuck between my teeth, pup. No, I'm not going to eat you."

"I'm not a pup," the boy protested.

"What should I call you then?"

"My name is Gakupo."

"Nice to meet you, Gakupo. I'm Goya the wolf-man. But you're going to be my pup, from now on."

"I need to go back to my parents!"

"They're dead, pup. I'm sorry."

It had been real. Every horrible part of it, and not some crazed nightmare. Even if the presence of the wolf-man made it obvious, the boy had still held a small ember of hope. But now it was gone. He burst into tears, squeezing his fists. The wolf-man ignored his sobs and kept traversing the wilderness in silence; in fact, there was no more conversation at all that day, not until they made camp for the night. The following day was almost as silent. Goya wasn't one for lengthy conversations, it seemed. It suited the boy's sullen mood nicely.

For a long, long time after, the boy's heart mourned the loss of his people, even as their faces began to blur in his mind. But he gradually grew accustomed to his life alongside the uncouth wolf-man, as they wandered the last wild places of the earth together.

It was a different type of happiness, but happiness nonetheless, at least for a while.

Something smelled quite good nearby. It reminded Kaito of home; his father was rather good at flower arrangements, and he always made sure that each room had what he called a 'green presence.' His little apartment wasn't at all suited for that kind of thing, though. So why could he smell flowers so close to his bed?

Kaito opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. Quite clearly, he wasn't anywhere familiar. In fact, the scenery was so peculiar that he wondered for a second if he was still asleep.

He was inside a cave, but instead of the relatively untouched nature of Gakupo's abode, this one showed extensive work done to it in order to be a comfortable bedroom. Its walls, floor and ceiling were smooth and clean of most stalactites and stalagmites. The ones that remained had been carved into decorative statues of dragons. Kaito rested on an equally decorated bed; to his right there was a chest, to his left a bench, with his clothes neatly folded above it next to his backpack. A small table near the bed had a ceramic vase with flowers. The furniture was wooden and very clearly handmade, but relatively normal; on the other hand, the iridescent cluster of crystals serving as chandelier in the ceiling certainly wasn't. It filled the room with clear white light, only slightly weaker than a fluorescent tube.

The magical source of light was enough to convince Kaito that he was in a fae hideout. But to make that fact even more obvious, the roughly cylindrical rock wall that encircled the bedroom opened into an arched doorway in front of him, allowing him a good look at the massive space beyond.

The bedroom was annexed to a huge circular cave housing an underground lake. Pillars of quartz of different heights emerged from the surface, connected by silvery chains. Daylight, in the form of gradually weakened shafts of brilliance, fell from a point far too elevated for Kaito to see from his position. By itself, the natural light was insufficient to illuminate the whole cavern, but balls of multicolored fire floated in the air all around the space, painting the stony surfaces with many tones. Thanks to them, Kaito could see many doorways like his leading into darkness, some well above the floor of the cave. There was one exception: almost opposite from his position, one opening casted white light on the dusty ground. It was hard to see any details within, but the room beyond the opening looked as deserted as the bare shores of the underground lake.

Was he the only person around? Where was Gakupo? What about the wolf-man? Kaito's hand gripped the small velvet bag hanging from his neck and he jumped out of the bed determined to find the fae. However, before he even began putting on his clothes, it dawned on Kaito that something wasn't right…or maybe it was more accurate to say that everything was too right.

Standing there in his underwear, it was clear that the skin of his stomach, chest and arms was almost completely devoid of bruising; perhaps more importantly, his head was remarkably free of bumps and his blood was safely inside of his body. Considering the beating the wolf-man had given him, it was more than a little surprising.

So someone bothered to heal me, for whatever reason…Ah, I'll worry about that later. I need to rescue Gakupo.

Kaito dressed quickly and examined the contents of his pack. Everything was there except the data assistant and the charger. He shouldered the bag and cautiously peeked outside, flashlight on hand. Now that he was standing by the doorway, it was clear that the lake was at the bottom of a large drop. Far, far above, Kaito could see a big hole festooned by vegetation. Large vines hanged from its edges. After his awe subsided somewhat, he examined the cavern, until he became convinced that the only movement outside was the endless dance of the flames in midair.

Where should I go? The illuminated doorway seemed like an obvious choice, and hence Kaito suspected it. Yet the idea of getting lost inside of the unlit underground tunnels seemed even less inviting. He began circling the lake, walking slowly and close to the cave wall, in order to stay away from the balls of fire. As he went along, he shone his flashlight into the darkened rooms inside. Some were bedrooms as the one he had woken up in; others seemed dining halls, living rooms or places of study. A few were simply the beginning of long hallways and narrow passages. The common element among them was the aura of decay and abandonment: dust reigned supreme over the fae refuge.

The illuminated doorway turned out to be the entrance to a tunnel, somewhat larger than the other hallways Kaito had passed. Curiously, warmer air seemed to flow from it, drenched in a smell couldn't identify. Perhaps the passage led to thermal vents. Kaito advanced slowly, dearly wishing he had a weapon, any weapon at all.

Preferably one loaded with silver bullets. Kaito wasn't sure the old myth about wolf-men was correct, but it seemed a good moment to find out.

Step by step, the air of the passage grew warmer and thicker. Kaito turned a corner, sniffing the vaguely sulfuric air with distaste. Without warning, the light of his flashlight illuminated a familiar silhouette.

Gakupo was coming towards him from the other end of the passage, carrying a basket of fruits. One of the balls of fire hovered above his head, illuminating his path and tingeing his white pants and cape with a bluish hue. Thankfully, the endling seemed completely unharmed and healthy. He had a distracted expression on his face, barely giving his surroundings any notice; it took him a couple seconds to raise his face and notice the human in his way. When he did, his eyes widened and the basket fell from his hands, spilling berries everywhere. Gakupo stared guiltily at Kaito and took a few steps back; it seemed almost as if reading himself to bolt in the other direction.

"Gakupo! What's wrong?!" Kaito asked, closing in.

The endling grimaced, letting his gaze fall again to the ground. Then, abruptly, he kneeled down, touching the stone floor with his forehead. "Please forgive me for getting you involved in my troubles, Kaito Fuuga. I will return you to the city as soon as you are ready to travel," he pronounced the words slowly but clearly; it was without question a memorized speech.

Kaito ran forward and kneeled beside the prostrated fae. He pulled him into a hug, with no resistance of any kind. The fae seemed like as unresponsive as a doll in his arms. "What are you talking about? We need to get out of here before that wolf-man finds us!"

For a while, the endling didn't reply nor move. When Kaito tried to make him meet his gaze, Gakupo again evaded his eyes. "…I was so scared you won't wake up," he finally muttered.

Wait..."How long was I unconscious?"

Gakupo bit his lip, fighting back and ultimately losing to a surge of emotion. He threw his arms around Kaito's neck, saying in a choked voice, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I should've known Goya come check on me when the return spell became spent! I'm sorry!" The words became more and more unintelligible as he continued to apologize, drowning in his thick accent, but the jump in language proficiency was staggering. That made Kaito suspect he had enjoyed the hospitality of the fae hideout for a while.

"It's okay, shhh. Let's get out of here before whatshisname comes back, we'll talk things over later."

"I distinctly recall ordering you to bring the human to me once he woke up, Gakupo," a voice above them suddenly interjected. Kaito lifted his eyes to look at the ball of fire, surprised, and Gakupo flinched. "Escort him to my hall immediately."

As if pulled by wires, Gakupo rose, pulling Kaito up by the hand. "Let's go."

"Wait, who's-" Before Kaito could finish the sentence, he had the answer right on his lips. "Prima."

Gakupo nodded, tight-lipped.

"The cave back there leads to the outside, right? Let's fly out of here!" Kaito whispered urgently, pointing in the direction of the underwater lake.

Prima laughed. The sound seemed to come from the ball of fire, but at the same time there was an echo in the distance, along with a slight disturbance of the air and a barely perceptible rumbling. "I just want to talk, little human. I promise I won't eat you."

Kaito considered. On one hand, her condescending tone irritated him, particularly the dismissive way she addressed Gakupo. On the other hand, arrogance was a characteristic typical of her kind. Perhaps from her point of view, she was being perfectly civil, even kind. And the opportunity to meet the most despised non-human of them all was actually intriguing, in a morbid sort of way.

"…All right, lead the way," he said, squeezing Gakupo's hand.

"I'm sorry," Gakupo whispered again, before turning back towards the far end of the corridor.

Fae and human began walking in silence, ignoring the basket and fruits on the floor. The ball of fire dutifully followed them, mixing its light with the shine of Kaito's flashlight. The passage gradually became more inclined, its walls rougher, and the air warmer and warmer, giving Kaito the impression that he was approaching a huge furnace. He pulled at his muffler, discomfited. "Um, by the way, where's my data assistant?" He asked to distract himself from the uncomfortable heat.

Gakupo patted the small satchel hanging from his belt with his free hand. "Data Assistant taught me a lot of things while you were asleep." He inclined his head. "Do you want her back right now?"

"Ah, no, that's okay, you can have, um…Her. I'll buy a new one when I get back to the city." If I return…Prima might burn me to a crisp when she's done talking.

"Thanks," Gakupo replied, a small smile coming to his lips. He kissed Kaito's cheek and quickly added in a whisper, lips grazing the skin, "If in trouble, I'll get you out. I'll protect you." That done, he moved away and resumed walking, staring ahead innocently.

I should be the one vowing to protect you…It was hard to believe that Gakupo was involved with such unsavory creatures. The different kinds of non-humans weren't nearly as friendly towards each other in the old days, before the technological revolution allowed humanity to claim dominance. Times had truly changed.

The tunnel made a sharp turn to the right. The short stretch that followed was illuminated by a red glow that surpassed both the flashlight and the floating ball of fire. To Kaito, it seemed as if he was entering hell. Then again, there were western sects that regarded all non-humans as demons, so it was rather fitting.

A few steps more, and the walls of the passage gave way to a cavern, so tall that even the warm glow couldn't reveal its ceiling. To the left and right of Kaito, the curved walls revealed more passages coming from all directions, but he gave them just a cursory glance, before the being in the center of the cavern demanded his complete attention.

Like many humans of his day and age, Kaito had never been in the presence of a large predator. And Prima was enormity and desolation, claws and black scales and a hint of fire between long teeth, and intense eyes that pierced him. Prima the dragon, the horrific beast that had leveled a complete city after some idiots decided to set up an exhibition with her mate's bones. She was curled up over many eggs that glowed like embers: the source of the warm light, each one pulsing with life.

Gakupo was being sincere to that girl…here be dragons. Not only they had survived the attacks of the military, a new generation of beasts was waiting to wreak havoc across the world. Despite the heat, Kaito felt a shiver come down his spine.

"Welcome, little human. Come here," the dragon said, and Kaito could feel the power of her tones rumbling in his chest. He gripped Gakupo's hand even tighter, and they both stepped forward, until they were between Prima's massive talons. Gakupo kneeled again, touching the ground with his forehead, while Kaito stood awkwardly, only belatedly remembering to turn off his flashlight.

Prima lowered her massive head, and the warmth and sulfuric smell intensified. With effort, Kaito kept himself from gagging, although he was unable to stop his trembling. He focused his eyes on a random scale of Prima's shiny black coat, to avoid the mesmerizing eyes.

When Prima's jaws were at a terrifyingly close distance from his head, she breathed in deeply. After a moment, she chuckled lightly, causing another movement of air. Kaito's blue hair danced crazily in the displaced hot current. "Yes, you'll do nicely. Aren't you glad Gakupo? Your error turned into a good opportunity for us," the dragon said in a satisfied tone.

"Yes, Prima," the endling replied mechanically. He straightened his back, but his gaze remained stoically fixed on the ground.

"In light of this, I believe I can forego your punishment."

"Merciful."

"What? Error, punishment, what are you talking about?!" Kaito interjected. The exchange had rekindled his irritation at Prima's tone, and some of that anger reflected on his voice, despite how unwise that was.

Prima puffed another whiff of scalding air. "He used the return spell I gave him, when he saved you from the men of the Pale Line. He was supposed to surrender to them and only use the spell when he found his target."

The more Kaito considered the implications of what the dragon was saying, the more the little niggling details that had been bothering him made sense. And yet, the idea of Gakupo in the hands of those men was appalling. "Why would you want him to get caught?"

"The Pale Line gathers non-humans as tools for the debauchery of the rich. That alone would be cause enough for me to destroy them, if I knew where to find them. But they work covertly, and the easiest way to track them was to present them with a succulent prize. Gakupo is not only pleasant to the human eye, but he could mate with the female fae they have in their power, to breed more slaves for them. I knew they wouldn't be able to resist." The dragon narrowed her eyes. "Without your intervention, it would've been a success."

"Sorry about that," Kaito said in an insincere tone.

"You don't know how important this matter is. There is more to this than simple revenge. They have her."

"Her?"

"Titania, our queen," Gakupo interjected. He looked gravelly at Kaito. "They took our queen."

"Titania has been turned into a plaything, the last insult to all that breathe magic," Prima growled. The low rumbling made dust fall from the invisible ceiling. "They mock us and they cripple us, keeping the key to the beautiful land beyond our reach."

"Look, I told Gakupo...Titania died ages ago, I've seen the body."

"You saw a Titania. All the queens take that name when they ascend into the role. The fae that is meant to take the mantle is like a hidden lantern, calling to us…but we don't know the way." Prima's voice abruptly adopted a sugary tone that was rather unsettling, when she added, "You could help us find her. You have a touch of non-human in you, but you know the world of men and their technology. Use their wondrous tools against them."

Kaito's mind had stopped accepting new inputs after her second phrase reached his ears. A touch of non-human, she said?

Prima again chuckled. "Once upon a time, one of your ancestors went into the deep wilderness of your homeland. There, she met a boy with blue hair and clawed hands that nevertheless knew how to be gentle. They spent a night of pure joy together and you are the result. You are what we need to survive, son of human girl, son of mountain ogre."

Kaito gasped, and his eyes briefly left Prima's belly to meet her gaze, before he remembered how dangerous it was to look a dragon in the eye. He stared at his own shoes, his mind in a whirl.

He had always known it was likely that one of his ancestors had committed an indiscretion. Even though at some points in history the relations between humans and the other sapient species weren't as bad as the present, he now had to carry the burden of what had become a sin. Luckily, his hair was the only indication that something was wrong with him, so most people back home just assumed he was a juvenile delinquent or a misfit. It made finding friends difficult, but it was better than to be seen as a half-breed. Kaito had often told himself that he was used to it, but hearing his defect so plainly stated was still a bitter pill to swallow.

The dragon continued, completely uncaring. "You look human enough to pass unnoticed, but I can store spells inside of you like I did with Gakupo. And unlike him, you know the technology of the humans. You will use you gifts and find Titania for us."

"You're asking me to do a very dangerous thing," Kaito grumbled. If that even constituted asking in the first place. But he was beginning to see where the conversation was headed.

"If you refuse, I'll send Gakupo out there again on his own. Those men might be savages, but he knows his sacrifice is worth it." She gave a toothy smile. "You know that, Gakupo?"

"Yes, Prima." The whisper didn't give any indications of what the fae really thought of the matter.

"I won't leave him alone!" Kaito cried out, just as he was expected to do. He knew it, but he didn't care. He was going to protect his endling, no matter what.

"Good. Once Yuki judges you're fully healed, we'll start with the magic infusions." Her powerful gaze turned to the kneeling fae. "She and Goya will be back later today, take him back to your room for now. He's not to wander around the tunnels unsupervised." She closed her eyes, evidently done with them.

The fae again whispered an acknowledgment and stood up. He and Kaito silently headed towards the tunnel, hand in hand.

Only when there were back in the solitary underground lake did Kaito ask, "Why do you serve her? She treats you like dirt!"

Gakupo stopped, his free hand resting on the curved stonewall, and he observed Kaito quizzically. "Dirt?"

"Badly, I mean."

The fae's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "But she's a powerful dragon and our leader. I'm nothing aside Prima."

"That's no reason to treat you like that! Without you, what would she do to find this queen of yours?"

Gakupo looked at the balls of fire dancing over the lake and over their heads with apprehension, and Kaito realized too late that the dragon was probably listening to their every word.

"Don't worry, I'm going to help Gakupo." He said out loud, stressing the last word. The only response was a slight hint of a huff.

A few minutes afterwards, they reached the room where Kaito woke up. The ball of fire left them to join the others above the waters, and Gakupo pulled a heavy curtain over the door; that was as much privacy as they were likely to get in that place.

Kaito took off his backpack and dropped onto the bed with a groan of frustration. "How did you get involved with that conceited overgrown gecko?"

Gakupo kneeled next to him. "Prima?" His expression suggested that he didn't understand that those words were an insult.

"Yes, Prima. Come here."

Gakupo obediently draped himself over him and hid his face in Kaito's neck. He remained silent for a while, before finally mumbling, "Goya adopted me after…long ago. He works for Prima, going from place to place, visiting last living of us."

"And he was fine with you embarking in this mission?" Fine parent he was, if that was the case.

"I didn't ask for permission. Not fine."

That made more sense. After all, he had gone absolutely bonkers when he saw his child in a compromising position with a human.

"I still don't get why you would agree to something like this. Don't you understand what those men would do to you?"

Gakupo sighed. "I wanted to feel necessary."

"What do you mean?"

The answer didn't come right away; obviously the fae didn't actually want to elaborate further. After Kaito insisted, Gakupo pulled out the data assistant to check for a couple of words before he again hid his face in Kaito's neck. Another deep sigh later, he continued mutedly, "…I survived all of my kind…Why me? I keep asking, but I have no answer."

"And here I thought our communication problems were behind us," Kaito said softly. He gently pried Gakupo off him, enough to see him in the eye. "Why shouldn't be you the one to survive?"

The endling didn't reply.

"Maybe we were meant to find one another, how about that?" Kaito asked with a small smile.

"You make joke of me," Gakupo said sulking.

"Not at all." Kaito pressed their foreheads together. "Perhaps it's selfish of me to phrase it like this, but I'm very happy to be with you, right here and now." The corners of Gakupo's mouth twitched a little at this, even if his mood still seemed subdued. It was more than enough encouragement for Kaito, who added, "the proper thing to say right now would be 'me too' or something like that."

Gakupo stared at him fleetingly, before he tilted his face slightly and kissed Kaito, which probably was an even better way of conveying his thoughts. He rested his head on Kaito's chest, grinning.

Kaito ran his fingers through Gakupo's hair reflexively; it felt silkier than silk, lighter than a drop of dew on his skin. He moved past the shiny strands, then his fingertips rubbed the skin around the spot where instead of an ear, purple feathers adorned the fae's head. Gakupo made a small sound in response, almost like a purr.

"So what does Goya think about us? Did you tell him we...you know..."

Gakupo stiffened. "Not fine."

"Because I'm human?"

"Part of it, yes."

"Just part of it?"

"Goya should decide my mate, he thinks."

"Huh." Having a parent arrange your marriage without your input wasn't exactly unheard of, especially in traditional parts of the East, but it was strange to see it in action here of all places. "I guess he's just looking out for you."

"Looking out? He knows I'm here."

"No, I mean he wants to find someone good for you, you know?"

Gakupo actually gave a little derisive snort at this. "Goya controls. Pup knows nothing, he says. Pup is small and stupid." His voice was equal parts angry and defiant, but even without seeing his face Kaito could tell his attitude was hiding a deep sadness.

"Gakupo…" The last thing Kaito wanted was to poke at fresh wounds, but he couldn't let this slide. He had assumed Goya's attack had been an extreme reaction of an overprotective parent, but this painted a different picture. "Did Goya ever do anything to you?"

Gakupo straightened up, looking at him with a weird, undecipherable expression. "Not now."

I took a second for Kaito to realize Gakupo was saying that he didn't want to talk about it at that moment. "Sorry, it's not any of my business." He raised his hands in surrender.

Gakupo stared at him with narrowed eyes and eyed the curtain acting as door. Kaito almost expected him to fly out of the room, but he simply rested on top of him as before. The silence of the room had definitely taken another quality, however.

There's so much about him I don't know. Perfect understanding may not necessary for us to be together, but it sure would help.

To steer them away from the uncomfortable mood, Kaito decided to ask Gakupo about the fae refuge. With the help of the data assistant, the endling informed him that until a few decades prior, it had been home to a community of dark fae. He had no idea when Prima moved in, but it had been after the upper levels had been abandoned. As far as Gakupo knew, dark fae were completely extinct. At the present time, the only permanent inhabitants were Prima, Yuki and a clan of deep dwellers that lived in the lower levels serving the dragon. Other non-humans like Goya and Gakupo came and went, so the endling didn't know exactly how many followers Prima had.

The conversation was cut short when a series of noises outside attracted Gakupo's attention. "They're here," he exclaimed, and jumped off the bed. He then sat on the bench preening his feathers with a neutral expression on his face.

I guess he doesn't want Goya to see us cuddling again. It was probably a good idea. Kaito sat up on the bed, hiding a little smile. It was curious in a way, how unafraid he felt of the huge beast man, despite of the beating. But there was nothing here, fur, scales, claws or fire, which could dissuade him from staying at Gakupo's side.

He'd come this far, after all.