Chapter 11 – The Bite of the Thorn
Night in the forest was full of mysterious sounds, the echoes of the many forms of life creeping, flying, running and dying in the shadow. For Gakupo, the lack of any sounds related to human life was both exciting and reassuring. There was no judgment in the woods, no angry voices or hidden motives, just the bare fibers of animal existence.
He stood by the hut's door, without his cape or the uniform's jacket, watching the dark silhouettes of the trees. Near the limit of the light of his lantern, the horses were drinking from a trough he found in the back of the hut.
"You and Luka should go to sleep. I'll keep watch in case anything happens," a voice said from behind. Gakupo turned and found Kaito standing at the other side of the door. In the background, the purple-haired young man saw Luka preparing the cots.
Gakupo and Kaito watched each other for a few seconds before Gakupo realized Kaito was waiting for him to move out of the way. There was more than enough room for Kaito to cross the doorframe, but by now Gakupo had realized Kaito was carefully maintaining a certain distance from him at all times. It made things easier, in a way, but it also gave him an odd feeling. Kaito had never been the type to avoid physical contact.
As an experiment, Gakupo moved back a couple of steps. When Kaito walked forward, Gakupo returned to his previous position and grabbed Kaito's shoulders. His friend froze, caught by surprise.
"Does this eye unnerve you?" Gakupo asked, leaning so close that his bangs brushed Kaito's forehead.
"What?" Kaito uttered, flustered.
"Your eyes always seem to focus right here," Gakupo explained, releasing one shoulder to tap under the eye Verdigris gave him. "Some people dislike it, I've found; they find it ugly or unsettling."
"It's not-I can't forget what I did, not with you right in front of me. Even if Verdigris planted the seed in my head, it was me who attacked you. I can't escape that."
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Don't you get it? I don't need you to dismiss what happened or to blame yourself…I need you to forgive me!" Kaito interjected loudly. Over his shoulder, Gakupo noticed Luka was purposely doing her best to ignore them.
She's giving us some space to solve this. Gakupo considered the idea, and found it agreeable. If Kaito and Luka were truly back in his life, he wanted them to be their old carefree selves, the people they used to be before this whole mess. So he took the lantern over the stump near the door and shouted, "We'll be right back!" before heading for the trees.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Kaito followed him, stammering.
"We're going for a walk."
"Wait!"
"Let's go to the creek," Gakupo continued, stepping over some roots. Then, he jumped down an incline to the south of the hut.
"You call this a walk? Slow down!" Kaito stumbled after him. "Oh, what am I even doing?!" In this hand, a small ball of blue flame appeared. "That's much better." He carefully descended towards the spot where Gakupo was standing, mouth agape.
"You can use magic?!" Gakupo exclaimed and foolishly reached out to touch the ball of flame, before Kaito could extinguish it. But Gakupo's fingers touched it as if it was nothing.
"My powers woke right after yours, actually. I thought you knew, sorry."
"Why would I know?" Gakupo batted the ball of flame in a slightly feline manner, fascinated. "It doesn't burn."
"It does make sense if you think about it, if we are three fragments of the same being."
"Verdigris told me you likely had no magical skill."
"Another lie, what a shocker. He knows, Gakupo; he saw me using magic."
"And what about Luka?"
"She has powers as well."
Gakupo made an indistinct sound, his eyes still fixed on the blue flames. After a while, he asked frowning, "Why did Verdigris pick me, if we share the same power source?"
"I have a theory, actually. Luka and me, we work rather well as a team, since I focus more on the defensive aspects, and Luka can fire really powerful projectiles. But I don't know how well we'd fare on our own. Perhaps your skillset is more balanced."
"That could be the case." Gakupo suddenly let a small exclamation and added "Hey, I almost forgot. I forgive you, Kaito." He paused for an instant, like a performer after a trick, eagerly watching Kaito's face.
Kaito let out a half-suppressed snigger, then covered his mouth. "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just really happy," he hurriedly explained. "Thank you." He did sound tremendously relieved.
"I feel happy too, I think. Let's find the creek," Gakupo said and resumed walking. From behind, he heard Kaito chuckle again softly.
It was a great night to be outside, as far as Gakupo was concerned. The true aspect of the woods was only suggested by his lantern; beyond its light, there was an unknown vastness, a great uncaring void enveloping the small world of plants rustling against his legs, the faint hint of cold and humidity clinging to his throat and nostrils, and the smell of earth and conifers.
A few moments later, the vegetation ended and the creek was before him, mumbling endlessly. He was a little to the south of his favorite spot with the big tree, where he could sit and submerge his feet in the water. Here, a big flat stone jutted a bit over a bend of the creek and the broken reflection of the lantern on the flowing surface. Gakupo raised his eyes to the skies. Far from the lights of the palace, the sky looked frighteningly beautiful.
Kaito caught up with him and took his free hand. "Hey, stop running off on your own." A second later, he dropped it abruptly. "Sorry, I won't touch you anymore."
"I suppose it still makes me a little nervous." Gakupo grabbed Kaito's hand, pulling it towards him. He made Kaito's fingers touch a spot on his chest near the shoulder, then rest over his eye. "But you aren't going to hurt me again, right?"
"Never!" Kaito extinguished the small ball of flames and cupped Gakupo's face. "Do you believe me?"
"I believe you."
Kaito smiled from ear to ear, even as his eyes glinted with unshed tears. Gakupo smiled back, defying his own uncertainties. He really wanted to believe Kaito; but it was extremely frightening how easily Verdigris could pit them against one another, if given the chance. Let's not give him another chance, then. Don't let Kaito or Luka fall into his hands.
"I wish we could stay like this forever," Kaito muttered, caressing Gakupo's cheeks with his thumbs.
"No such thing as forever," Gakupo replied, quoting some old lyrics suddenly echoing in his head. "And no need for it, if we leave no regrets behind."
"If that's the case…maybe you can forgive me for this as well," Kaito's smile turned a bit mischievous. "I wouldn't want to leave regrets behind."
Gakupo opened his mouth to formulate a question, but before he could let out more than a syllable, Kaito pulled him down and kissed him. The surprise made him drop the lantern into the creek; its light fizzled out, leaving them in darkness.
Warmth; that was Gakupo's first impression. The heat of Kaito's mouth, of his body pressed against his, and the hands holding him in place. It reminded him somewhat of how feverish and exhausted his body felt sometimes after long sessions of magical training, but this was a comforting fire, a flame he could dive into and rise renewed. How strange it was to think only yesterday he was utterly convinced Kaito and Luka hated him, just like everyone else in Oto. And now here they were, and the message conveyed by Kaito's lips hadn't changed from those hushed last days in the tower.
Gakupo kissed Kaito back, even as a familiar concern began to plague him. Kaito enjoyed protecting others, he had admitted so himself. Even without that, Gakupo had always suspected he was tapping into Kaito's weak spots by being so helpless and pathetic. Kaito couldn't really be in love with him; in all likelihood, he was in love with the idea of protecting him, when no one else would.
At least, that was his usual conclusion. Gakupo had clung to that idea stubbornly, with a fixation only people with few outside distractions could achieve. Kaito couldn't love him; it was some sort of mistake.
But here Kaito's fingers were chipping away at the notion Gakupo had carefully maintained for so long. Here Kaito's mouth was pouring all his longing into him. Why? And what was Gakupo supposed to do? Gakupo examined the questions in his mind, without reaching satisfactory answers, as Kaito's hands left his face and began to tug at his shirt.
"Please…" Kaito broke away and whispered breathlessly into his ear. "I know, I know who and what you want. But I missed you so much!"
"What I want," Gakupo repeated; oddly, he felt like laughing. If that was true, Kaito knew more about him that Gakupo himself.
"Please, give me just this one night, that's all I need," Kaito's voice became more urgent, as his fingers fumbled with the buckle of Gakupo's belt.
With a small gesture, Gakupo called upon the fire inside of him. Small flames appeared all around them, swaying slightly in the air. Kaito looked up at him, surprised.
"I don't know how to feel right now," Gakupo admitted.
Kaito reddened and rested his head on Gakupo's shoulder. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't be pushing you into this."
"It seems we can't talk without constantly apologizing to one another," Gakupo replied wryly, leaning his head slightly to rest his cheek against Kaito's head. "I should be saying something else entirely," he scolded himself and squeezed Kaito between his arms. "Thank you for being there, all those years."
"I'm in love with you, Gakupo. It wasn't exactly taxing." Kaito's voice dropped into a whisper.
"I don't understand that either. Why me? I had nothing to offer you."
"Well, it certainly wasn't because of your infallibility, because you couldn't be more wrong about that," Kaito laughed.
"If that's the case, what can I do to make you happy?"
Kaito pulled back slightly, flashing a conflicted smile. "If you didn't notice, a moment ago I was begging you to spend the night with me."
"Oh." It was rather perplexing.
Kaito laughed again, looking to the side. "That would make me quite happy. But if you need some time to sort things out, I won't pester you." His eyes met Gakupo's. "It's enough for me to have you back."
"I'm glad to be back," Gakupo hugged Kaito once more. Now that he was able to do it, he realized how much he had missed touching his friends and holding them close. No one he had met in the city of mages had come close to drawing out this emotion out of him. As he thought about it, his mind travelled back to the hut and he imagined Luka sitting on one of the cots, waiting. If he was to sort things out, he needed to talk with her.
"I'm going back to the hut now," Gakupo declared. Kaito's arms, until that moment circling around his waist, dropped to his sides.
"Then go," Kaito said looking at the ground. "I think I'll stay here for a bit and do some thinking." He made no attempt to light again the ball of flame.
Gakupo watched him for a couple of seconds and then hummed, extending a hand. A butterfly of light appeared at the tip of his finger, and then flew to land on Kaito's shoulder. A summoned creature like that could last for a while, even without his own magic to sustain it.
"There's no need to be in the dark," he said smiling in response to Kaito's surprised look, then began climbing back to the hut.
This is almost like the daydreams I used to have, Gakupo thought as he neared the top of the incline. The three of us, having an adventure; we're even facing an evil wizard of sorts.
However, on the matter of Verdigris, he had trouble reducing him to a simple label. The warmage seemed to genuinely want to run his nation in an effective manner. Aside from making him train extensively, he had never mistreated Gakupo once they began living in the palace together. So why had he done all those horrible things in Oto? Why not simply talk with Gakupo's parents and offer an apprenticeship? Was his need to control and manipulate others so strong?
When Gakupo entered the hut, he saw Luka on one of the cots, hugging her legs. She lifted her head when she heard him enter, surprised. "I thought you and Kaito…" she trailed off, wiping her eyes.
"Were you crying?" Gakupo sat in the opposite cot, watching her with concern.
Luka bit her lip. "I realize how dumb this is. It's not like I didn't know."
Gakupo tilted his head. "Know what?"
Luka frowned. "You can't be serious. Even you should be able to tell how much Kaito loves you."
"Ah, that."
"Ah, that? Really?! Don't tell me Kaito poured his heart out and you had that kind of reaction!" Luka replied, scandalized.
"Not exactly," Gakupo blinked. "Um, do you wanted me to say yes?" He hadn't expected Luka to want to see him and Kaito together.
"Of course not! I…I'm….Jeez, you are so clueless!" Luka blurted out, red-faced. "I want you for myself, but I don't want Kaito to be sad either. So you'd better not say anything stupid to him!"
Gakupo stared. "Can you say that again?"
"What?"
"Say you want me."
Luka seemed about to explode out of sheer embarrassment. Gakupo left his cot and kneeled before hers. After a moment, he took her hands into his, as tenderly as he could.
"Please, Luka. Let me hear how you feel," he begged.
"I really thought I was better at this now," Luka muttered. "But I see you and I regress into this dumb and awkward little girl." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
Gakupo waited in silence. He suddenly wondered how many times they had been in a similar position: she was wrapped in obfuscated silence, him waiting patiently for her to open up and explain what was bothering her. Sometimes he never found out the problem at all; then, he just settled for hugging Luka until her bad mood dissipated.
This time, he was the problem, a rather peculiar position to find himself in. Perhaps, then, the solution was to exacerbate the issue, until Luka exploded at him. At least, that way he'd know for sure what she was thinking. Guided by that decision, he pushed Luka backwards and climbed on top of her. She lay there woodenly, watching him with wide eyes.
"Say you want me, Luka. Say it, and I'll do anything you ask," he whispered into her ear. No response. Undeterred, he placed a kiss onto her neck and began unbuttoning her dark dress. As Gakupo pushed away fabric and frills, uncovering more pale skin, he kissed her body repeatedly, drawing nothing out of her but a slight tremor.
"What are you thinking, Luka?" He asked again. Luka shut her eyes tightly, an amusingly pointless gesture given how exposed she was now. Gakupo pushed her thighs apart and bent down for a final kiss. Luka shuddered and moaned, but no coherent words left her lips, no matter how hard Gakupo tried to elicit an answer. After a while, he pulled away and rose from the cot. "I'm not doing this anymore."
She propped herself up on one elbow and watched him, surprised. She looked so vulnerable and beautiful that it was hard to resist the desire to just hold her, but Gakupo took a steadying breath and continued speaking. "Don't you realize how uncomfortable this is? All those things you said back at the palace, and when we arrived here, do you really believe any of that?"
"Yes!"
"Then why can't you do this one thing for me, Luka? Just once, be the one that reaches out. Even if you can't say the words, at least act like you're enjoying yourself!"
Luka's eyes filled with tears. Somewhere along the line, I became really good at making her cry, Gakupo thought guiltily. He was on the verge of apologizing, but stopped himself. Enough was enough.
"Pressured into it as you say she was, Maika never made me feel like I was a beggar at her door," Gakupo said. And yet, she never felt right in your arms, replied a voice in his head, but he ignored for the time being. He was trying to make a point. "We knew where we stood in relation to each other. But I left her and the palace behind, because you asked me to abandon them."
He turned away from Luka. "Kaito begged me to be with him tonight, you know? I don't expect you to be as open with your feelings as he is, but that sincerity pulls me towards him. I know he and I could be happy together. But what about me and you?"
Still more silence. It ached, but at least he tried. He began to walk away, without giving her another look. "Good night, Luka." He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do next, but whatever it was, it entailed getting away from her.
Gakupo was half-way across the front room of the hut when Luka ran like a madwoman after him, and tackled him from behind. They almost fell to the ground, but Gakupo managed to stay on his feet, barely. Luka was sobbing, mumbling and squishing her face against his back at the same time, which made it a little difficult to understand what she was saying, but the gist of it was clear. He smiled, overjoyed.
"I love you too, Luka."
Her sobbing quietened down and her grip around his mid-section loosened gradually until she was just resting her hands against his shirt. Gakupo turned to face her.
"I must look like a mess right now," Luka commented. She did look much less elegant than usual, given the blood-shot eyes, runny nose and tousled hair.
All the same, Gakupo's heart swelled at the sight of her expression. He picked her up in her arms, making her gasp. "It's too early in the season to be running around like that. Let's go back into the room."
Luka sniffed. "You wouldn't happen to have that handkerchief still, do you?"
"I have no idea where I put it."
"It's okay," Luka rubbed her face. As Gakupo carefully brought them across the door to the back room, she kissed him on the cheek.
"You know, I hope that these cots are sturdy enough for us," Gakupo said reflexively. Luka giggled a bit, hiding her face in his neck. He pushed one cot with his foot. "Hmmm." They did seem in good enough condition.
This time around, he lay back and let Luka do whatever she wanted. She started timidly at first, kissing him softly while she tried to open his shirt and pants. However, her fingers weren't quite up to the task due to nervousness, so Gakupo finished the job for her, after a formal, "Excuse me, ma'am."
Luka let out a little laugh; she seemed to calm down somewhat. She took his hands and ran them up and down her body. "I'm letting you have me, before anyone else."
"Thank you." His hands came alive on her skin, first squeezing and teasing her, then pulling her down for a kiss. There it was again, the growing flame, as their tongues circled one another. The impulse to be one, pushing him relentlessly to take her. She felt it as well, clearly; she broke the kiss to mirror his actions from before, slowly working her way down his body with her mouth. There was only a small hint of inexperience to her motions.
"Luka…" Her caresses made him moan her name over and over, his senses lost to anything that wasn't Luka's body.
It was time. Just a few whispered words, a slight correction to her position, and suddenly they were moving as one, burning as a single flame. Luka only felt discomfort for a little while, he made sure to be careful. Soon, she swayed on top of him, crying out with every thrust, so delectable he wanted to consume her to a crisp along with him, over and over, until the end of time.
An oppressive feeling stretched its tendrils inside his chest, causing him to arch his back with delight. Without words, a part of him that wasn't completely his was rewarding Gakupo for bringing them together.
However, it wasn't completely satisfied.
Sometime later, Gakupo woke up. Luka's head was resting on his chest; her hair smelled faintly of flowers. The candle in the corner of the room had burnt away at some point, leaving them in darkness. It was probably a couple of hours until dawn.
Something was different. There was a current of indescribable quality, a commanding presence inside of him. Make us whole. Gakupo had to comply. He wanted to obey, more than anything he had ever wanted. Slowly, he withdrew from Luka and laid her on the cot, resting on her side. She mumbled a few sounds, barely awake.
"I need to go to make water," he replied. It was a lie, the first time he had ever lied to her.
Luka returned to sleep almost immediately, judging from her breathing. Gakupo stepped over the clothing strewn on the floor and went straight for the door, guided in his path through the darkness by a sense he didn't have the previous day. He opened it and immediately felt the difference in temperature, as the air outside began to cool his bare skin. It didn't matter.
The door of the hut was open. He could see a long leg in dark pants and boots and the side of a white coat. Kaito was sitting on the stump, dozing off. Gakupo approached him and observed his sleeping face fondly. The butterfly of light was perched over his knee, batting her wings from time to time.
We must give him what he wants, or he'll leave us. Make us whole.
"But I chose Luka…" Gakupo replied to the invisible presence.
You don't want him gone, you need him. Make us whole.
It was true; Kaito was always going to own a big part of his heart, no matter what. The idea of losing him so soon after their reunion was unthinkable.
Gakupo knelt down and roused Kaito awake. His friend almost slipped off the stump when he realized Gakupo was naked before him, in what probably constituted one of the weirdest awakenings of his life. The butterfly traced circles over their heads, casting wavering shadows.
"Gakupo, what in the world are you doing!?"
"I took Luka," Gakupo said. "I made her mine."
"Um." Kaito blinked. "Congratulations?"
"I don't want you to go, so I should also lay with you. But if I do that, Luka will be angry. I must keep us together." The presence inside of Gakupo was almost completely overpowering his own thoughts, demanding he made Kaito happy.
Kaito's eyes became round as saucers, and he struggled for a good ten seconds before he could form a reply. "I- I love you, you numbskull! I would never force you into doing anything you don't want to do!" He cried out raggedly.
You want to do it. Make us whole.
"I…I want to make you happy, in any way I can. It's different from what I feel about Luka, but you're pretty important to me. If things were different…"
Kaito laughed, rubbing his eyes. "You already make me happy being here, saying those things. I'm not going anywhere, not when I need to take care of you and Luka. Now go back inside, you bloody exhibitionist."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise I'll stay with you forever," Kaito said, caressing Gakupo's face. "Go sleep."
"I love you, part of me." The words spilled out of his mouth not completely his, but Gakupo found they felt proper, nonetheless. He leaned forward and kissed Kaito's forehead, then rose and walked calmly inside.
Stay together.
"Yes," Gakupo replied. "I'll do whatever it takes to stay with them."
The presence, satisfied, went back to sleep.
The cot felt strangely empty. Gakupo patted around him, but he quickly reached the edges without sensing Luka. He rose, rubbing his sunset eye. It was too dry, as usual. He stopped a moment later, when he realized where he was. Luka was still sleeping on the cot to his right, smiling in her dreams.
For a second, he wondered if he had simply imagined being with her the previous night. But he was naked, and Luka seemed to be so as well, under the blanket. Not surprising, given that their clothes were all over the floor around her cot.
"So I got up in the middle of the night and changed cots…" He muttered to himself. Odd, but he had done weirder things before.
The door to the room opened, and Kaito poked his head in. He gave Luka a quick glance, and then turned to Gakupo. "Good morning. You gave me quite a scare, last night," he whispered.
"I did?"
"Come on, what did you expect me to think, appearing in front of me like that?" Kaito smiled sheepishly. "I hope the cold air didn't mess you up."
"I feel fine," Gakupo said, but inwardly, he wasn't so certain. What was Kaito talking about?
"I'm glad." Kaito's expression shifted, as he stared at Gakupo with twinkling eyes. "You and Luka should go down to the creek and wash up. I'm making breakfast."
"Alright."
"I love you, part of me." Kaito winked and retreated.
Gakupo watched the space where Kaito's head had been for a few seconds. Was he losing time again? It hadn't happened to him for a while. Pensive, he picked up his pants from the floor and put them on. Then, he sat on the edge of Luka's cot.
"Luka," he said softly, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. Luka blinked a few times, before focusing her eyes on him. "Good morning."
"Good morning," Luka replied, blushing.
"Is everything alright?"
Luka sat, smiling self-consciously. "I feel a little sore. But I guess it'll pass." She hesitated, then embraced him. Gakupo hugged her, caressing her back.
"Kaito says we should go down to the creek and bathe. Not a bad idea, if you ask me."
"Sure," Luka disentangled herself from him and picked up her dress from the floor.
"Luka, do you remember if I got up at any moment in the night?" Gakupo asked, trying to sound casual.
"Huh?" Luka paused in the middle of inspecting her bloomers. She gave the question some thought, but shrugged. "Perhaps, I'm not quite sure. Why?"
"Kaito mentioned something about me going outside, but I don't remember that at all."
"Maybe he dreamt it? He shouldn't have been on watch all night, to be honest. I bet he was tired."
"Maybe…" Gakupo twisted a lock of his hair, thinking.
"If I may change the subject," Luka said abruptly, "did you decide what to do about Oto? Where are we going now?"
Gakupo's fingers stopped, and he stared intently at the purple strands. "I'm scared of them. So, so scared of them. Because of them, I'll never be the person I was going to be before they locked me away. I'll never see my parents again, and they'll never see me become a parent. I lost Gumi. I lost Lily. I almost lost you and Kaito. I lived so many days expecting to die at their hands. No, I'm not ready to forgive them."
"Gakupo…"
"But I'll help your family if I can, Luka. I'm not going to let the town Captain Fuuga protected be destroyed. I owe him that much. Just don't ask me to walk those streets again."
Luka's expression switched from sadness to relief in an instant. "No, of course not. We can go to Shinwa and warn them, or…I don't know, we'll figure something out! Thank you!"
"Don't mention it." Gakupo slung his shirt over his shoulder and rose, offering a hand to Luka. She grabbed it, smiling. He smiled back, as confidently as he could manage.
They emerged from the bedroom a while later, after Luka placed soap and a few other things in a bag. Kaito was sitting on one of the benches in the front room, and smiled brilliantly at them. For someone so tired, he seemed remarkably bouncy that morning, playing with the summoned butterfly while waiting for the pot of water to boil over the small fire pit.
"You guys better hurry up, I'm almost ready here." He pointed over his shoulder at the table. It was a modest breakfast (Kaito was never an exceptional cook, even when he had an actual kitchen to work with), but it was abundant enough for the day of travel ahead of them.
"How awfully cheery," Luka commented once they were outside. "Not that I mind, but that's an expression I haven't seen in ages. He looked so sad before."
"Losing Captain Fuuga so cruelly must've really affected him," Gakupo said. He carefully helped Luka descend the inclined path towards the creek. "I'm happy he's doing better."
"You're back with us; that really helps."
"It's funny, I always thought things would be simpler if I accepted my own lack of worth," Gakupo said, almost more to himself than Luka, when they reached levelled ground. The big tree was right ahead. "It can't hurt me when someone says it if I already know I'm nothing, you know? But it feels good knowing that you two need me."
"I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing you again, but you have a lot of things to take pride in…wow, this spot is so pretty!" Luka said distracted by the intricate roots of the tree and the water falling around them in tiny cascades. To complete the picture, the spring flowers were already blooming at both sides of the current.
Gakupo took off his clothes and waded into the backwater just after the tree. The surface of the current reached up to his hips. "Uah, it's cold!"
"So it seems," Luka stated, looking downwards. "Well, here I go." She undressed shyly and joined him, wincing a bit. "Gah, my favorite part of the outdoors, no warm water….and I forgot the soap." She ran back to the bag and their clothing and returned, making a face. "After we're done saving Oto, let's go to a warmer country, please."
"I've always wanted to visit the Ay Pacha."
"I hear that some tribes down there practice polyandry. Maybe I can claim both you and Kaito as my husbands," Luka joked, rubbing her skin with the soap.
"I thought you didn't want to marry." Gakupo sat down on a rock underwater. After the initial jolt, the water felt refreshingly pleasant.
"I could be persuaded, if you give me enough reasons," Luka continued, her cheeks red.
"I've learnt some gourmet tuna recipes from the palace cooks," Gakupo smiled.
"Not bad, I might take you into consideration."
"I also promise to love and protect you until the stars burnt out," he added, more earnestly.
"Keep going," Luka whispered while handing him the soap.
"Hmmm," Gakupo pondered, turning the soap around in his hands. "I don't have any material possessions, but I'll offer myself fully to you, all that I am and I can do."
Luka wordlessly took the soap from his hands and placed it on a rock, before sitting on his lap. "What can you do?"
"A trick or two," Gakupo continued, smiling. He leaned forward to kiss her but stopped midway. "Wait, did you hear that?"
"What?" Luka's intrigued expression changed into alarm in instant later, and she whipped her head in the direction of the sound.
Screaming and roaring, and heavy sounds that were more difficult to identify.
"Come on!" Gakupo stumbled to dry ground, his throat constricted by fear. Kaito was in trouble.
They ran to the hut half-dressed, their wet skin uncomfortably chilly. Before they could reach its walls, the reason for the strange sounds became clearer, as the ground shook and trees dangerously near became uprooted, displaying a baffling and violent scene.
The clearing around the hut had suddenly grown at least twice bigger, thanks to the destroyed vegetation. The hut was in shambles, as was the roof next to it. The horses were gone. In the middle of the clearing, Blanca stood casually next to a huge being with coarse brown fur; it looked like a male goat standing on its two hind legs, if the animal was twice as large as the average human and had a thick mane and front paws like a lion. It had very familiar magenta eyes.
Kaito was hovering face-up in the air above the clearing with iridescent vines twisting around his limbs. His body was surrounded by the mantle of flames, but Gakupo could see that the magic was beginning to falter. The young man struggled fiercely to get free, to no avail.
"My improved vines are working perfectly," Blanca said with gusto. "I hope Master Verdigris lets me dissect him, I've been dying to see how they work."
Castelo, for it clearly was him, suddenly sniffed the air and turned his horned head towards the spot where Gakupo and Luka were crouching, paralyzed with horror. A growl came out of his long snout.
"Oh, they are here, about time." Blanca's gaze followed Castelo's extended claw and she smiled ferociously. "I've waited so long for this." Following the savage movements of her hand, Kaito suddenly slammed against the ground and rose again into the air; one, two, three times he impacted the ground, before the green mage tossed his limp body into the ruins of the hut.
Gakupo numbly felt Luka screaming, as she clung to his side; he stared vacantly forward, clutching his chest. He felt as if Blanca had ripped him in half, without ever touching him. It hurt; it hurt more than any physical wound, more than the constant hand of fear squeezing his heart. He turned to meet Luka's tear-filled eyes, as Blanca burst out laughing. Her cruel voice bounced inside of them, scratching old barriers and setting loose unknown energies.
The beast awoke, enraged.