The next day they left and Kumajiro was more than happy to be out of that castle, though Matthew wished he could have stayed a little longer to learn more from Yao.
As Yao bid them goodbye, he complimented Matthew on his progress while they were there.
They then travelled a few days before they got to the edge of a forest. It seemed like this was the only path to the next kingdom, though Ivan had a feeling that this was the path that Matthew had not wanted to take earlier.
[So did you find a female?] Kuma asked hopefully.
[No! Now drop it, I am not mating with someone that I just happen to find attractive!]
[So we are back to where we were before...?]
Matthew groaned; he really didn't want his partner breathing down his neck to find someone to mate with. He quickly froze when he saw the Deadwood up ahead though.
Ivan stopped when he noticed Matthew freezing up. "Matvey?"
"T-that's the Deadwood..."
"Deadwood?" He tilts his head. "Ah, Kirkland mentioned this place while insulting me once."
"Do we have to go in there?"
"It is the only way since the other path has rocks at the end of it."
Matthew whined. "Can't we find another way around?"
"What is so bad about it Matvey?"
"How about... Dead?"
"Dead as in...?"
"Everything and everywhere."
"Matvey I do not understand what is so bad about going through it. It is just a forest, right?"
"Look, I have only heard stories about this place. There was a king that was so filled with blood lust and the joy of killing others that as punishment, the great kings of Vernal sentenced him to live in eternal death. Since he can no longer pass on and is stuck between life and the spirit world, he is filled with rage whenever a living being comes into his forest. He casts a curse on them so they can never leave without dying." Matthew swallowed in fear. "I-I also hear that he hates healers the most because they help others survive and continue living."
"Ah, well… they are only stories, right?"
"I don't know! I just don't want to go in there!"
"We do not exactly have an alternate path Matvey…"
"I don't want to go in there unless I know it is safe!" Matthew clung on to Kuma.
"Shall I go in and check it out then? You can wait out here with Kumajiro."
"But what if you don't come back!?"
"Then you knows not to go in there, right?"
Matthew was torn between not going in and making sure Ivan didn't get hurt. "F-fine, I'm coming with you!" Kuma squawked and looked shocked. What was Matthew thinking!?
"Matvey are you sure? You do not have to if you do not want to."
"I don't want to sit here and wait, only to have something happen to you!" Matthew moved to storm on ahead while Kuma just watched him with his jaw slack. Was he just doing all this to prove himself as a possible mate?
"Hold on Matvey." Ivan grabbed the boy before he could do that. "As a precaution, let me take out my blades so we have some defense, alright?"
Matthew stopped, though he was shaking a little as Ivan set down his pack and took out several blades, two for himself and two for Matthew, each in their own scabbard.
Matthew was bewildered once he was handed the blades. "You want me to use these?"
"Not necessarily. But if we are attacked, it would be beneficial for you to have some way of defending yourself, right?"
"That is true." He thought about it quickly. His magic probably wouldn't be that strong in these woods.
"Now we may proceed. I suggest we all stay close together."
Matthew nodded quickly and Kumajiro reluctantly had to follow. They all slowly proceeded further and further into the forest but nothing much happened. In fact, it seemed eerily devoid of life and Ivan didn't like that one bit.
Kumajiro was extremely restless, his ears always listening for anything, but there was not a sound other than their footsteps.
)*(
A few days had passed and still nothing had happened. It should have been a good thing, but with little light coming down through the dead canopy and not a spot of life seen or heard; the lack of life and sound was extremely unsettling, even more so today than the first few days. It was extremely hard to relax for Matthew and Kuma, and even Ivan was starting to become more wary with each day.
It was now nightfall and they were getting ready for bed. Ivan suggested that they sleep closer together tonight than they had been, with Matthew in between Ivan and Kumajiro for safety's sake.
Ivan had his back to Matthew, facing out so he could defend them should anyone or anything attack them. He was also asleep but not very deeply, he would wake should any threat get near. Hours passed and Matthew was finally sleeping but while they all slept, something different was going on this night; a ghost was watching them. It even came to float over the group, looking over Ivan and Matthew closely.
The ghost reached down and with a clawed finger, slowly cut Matthew's cheek. It was so little that he only flinched, but he shuddered like a cold wind had gotten under his covers when the ghost licked up the small amount of blood.
Ivan woke at Matthew's flinch. When he saw nothing, he turned to look at Matthew, frowning at the floating hand and part of a face in the fog. He reached out and swatted at it, scowling and now fully awake.
It hissed like a snake, startling Kuma awake. The ghost lashed out its claws at Ivan, scratching his hand and his right cheek, before it backed off to where the fire pit was. It didn't have a form anymore, but with the lack of moonlight, it was practically invisible.
Ivan sat up and glared at where it had gone, tensing and squinting at where it had disappeared. Kuma was trying to listen for it, but it was not going to help him. Where did it go...?
"It disappeared." Ivan growls unhappily, staring for a bit longer before turning back to look at Matthew. "It scratched Matvey."
Matthew having not woken up from any of this yet, suddenly jolted awake and looked about before his eyes landed on the prince. Though it was very hard to see anything. "North's winds-! Ivan you scared the life out of me."
"Something was here Matvey. It scratched your cheek and got me as well and then it disappeared." He frowned. "It was foggy and half formed. I only saw a hand and part of a face."
Matthew swallowed, he didn't even notice and it was freaking him out a bit. "W-well that's all fine and dandy, b-but could you let go of my legs? You did promise you wouldn't touch me in my sleep..."
"…Matvey I'm not touching you."
"Wha-" Matthew didn't get a chance to finish, it was like a trap was sprung as the boy was suddenly sent falling over their campsite and into the dead brush.
"Matvey!" Ivan reacted nearly instantly and got up, scrambling after Matthew. Kumajiro screeched and galloped after Matthew with startling speed. "Matvey?!" Ivan was following after the sounds coming from Matthew.
Matthew's body and wings were getting cut from rocks and branches that he was dragged over; he tried to get his legs loose of what ever he was tangled in, but whatever was pulling him this fast into the deep of the woods was holding strong. Matthew was freaking out and flapping his wings whenever they weren't getting scraped across the ground. "Ivan! Kuma!"
"Matvey!" Ivan chased after Matthew, running faster when he finally caught a glimpse of him but Kuma was already charging him down and Matthew was suddenly dropped in a small cloud of dust, but the hippogriff was still going. Then a blood-curdling screech rang out with the sound of wood cracking. The two of them lost in the pitch black.
Ivan ran faster at the scream, calling out for Matthew and Kumajiro, his voice sounding a bit frantic with worry after the screech rang out.
"I-I'm over here, Ivan!" Matthew called as he slowly stood up, flinching as he heard more pained cries echoing through the woods.
"Stay there and keep speaking." Ivan says, making his way in the darkness towards the voice, tense and on edge with all the cries.
"I don't know what I should say."
"Anything Matvey. I cannot see you. You need to speak so I can hear where you are."
"My wings didn't break."
"That is good. You are unhurt, right?"
"Yes, I'm healing the small scratches right now... I don't want to lure anything out here with the smell of blood."
"Good thinking. I have scratches from whatever scratched you in your sleep though."
"Oh, I can heal those for you."
"All right. How are your wings?"
"They're fine now." He gave them a good flapping to get the dirt off them.
"That is good. I think you should hide them so nothing can grab onto them right now. Make yourself less of a target, you know?"
"I'll do that." He then took a moment to hide them.
"Good." Ivan's voice sounded a lot closer than before and he reached out, bumping into Matthew's arm with it. "Ah, Matvey? That is you, right?"
"Ivan!" Matthew quickly latched onto him. He was still shaking a bit from the shock of being dragged though the Deadwood. He thought he was going to be eaten.
"Matvey." Ivan gave a sigh of relief, pulling Matthew into a secure embrace, holding him close.
"I-I told you this place was bad!" The guardian whined and lightly hit his back.
"Yes, yes. You were right Matvey." He agrees softly, stroking Matthew's hair soothingly. "Call Kumajiro and we will return to our campsite, alright?"
Kuma snorted; he was only a few steps behind them and the sound made the boy jump. "K-kuma! P-please don't scare me any more, l-let's just get back..." Matthew whimpered and reached out his hand for the beast, but did not let go of Ivan. Once his hand was on his back, Kuma began to lead them back to the camp. He was going off by the faint smell of burnt wood that only an animal could pick up on.
Ivan walked back with the two of them, finding the campsite the same as when they left it. He sat down with Matthew where they had been laying beforehand and draped a blanket over Matthew's shoulders. Then he fed the hot coals for a little light.
"T-thank you both. I-I thought I was going to be a goner." Matthew snuggled up in the blanket.
"Shh Matvey, we would not have let it take you." He soothes, pulling the boy close. In the light of the tiny fire he could see that the scratches on his hand more clearly now.
"Oh your hand." Matthew frowned and reached out, holding it between his own.
"It got my cheek as well." The man comments. "Whatever it was."
Matthew didn't say another word as he focused his magic into Ivan's hand, his own hands giving off a faint glow as the wounds closed up. Ivan watched as Matthew healed the wounds on his hand, smiling a bit. "Thank you Matvey."
"No problem Ivan." He then placed one hand gently over Ivan's cheek and did the same as he did with Ivan's hand.
Ivan waited patiently for Matthew to do so before thanking him again before turning to look at Kumajiro. "You are all right?"
The bird slowly looked over at him. He was a mess, not injured, but his beak and antlers were covered in black grime. It must have been from the creature that had attacked them. "H-he's fine, Kuma can be hard to hit..."
"That is good. I am glad we are all okay." Ivan nodded. "From now on until we are out of the forest, we should take turns keeping watch and not all go to sleep at the same time anymore."
Kuma gave a sharp nod.
"I-I agree as well... so what should we do tonight?"
"Well I do not feel very much like sleeping now. If you would like to, you and Kumajiro may try to go back to sleep and I will stay up and keep watch."
"I will try..." Matthew then lay down. "Be careful."
"I will." He ran a hand through Matthew's hair soothingly. "Try to get some rest, alright? I will not let anything else try to take you again."
Matthew blushed a little from the touch, but smiled and welcomed it rather than flinching away.
Kuma's eyes were locked on Ivan's hand for a good moment before sharply glancing up at the man's eyes. Ivan had been smiling down at Matthew fondly but feeling Kumajiro's stare, he looked up at the hippogriff, arching an eyebrow at the staring.
The animal then crossed his legs before resting his head on top of them but continued to look at Ivan. The man continued to look at Kuma for a few moments before looking back to Matthew.
Matthew sighed contently as his eyes slowly closed and Ivan smiled a little, continuing to stroke Matthew's hair soothingly until he was asleep.
)*(
Ivan was up all night, watching for any threats but nothing else came to attack them that night.
Little did anyone know, Matthew was again having dreams of Ivan, but this time he would start with petting his head and then he'd lean in and... Kiss him! Not just some random phantom, him! Matthew! This was all new to him, too new. He didn't even know how it felt to be kissed, but his mind was really making it feel believable. His face was no doubt burning red as it repeated over and over, feeling like new each time. "I-Ivan..."
Ivan looked down at the sound of his name but found Matthew still asleep. He reached out again and stroked his hair softly, thinking the boy was having a nightmare and wanting to soothe him. Matthew flinched, but quickly eased into the touch. "Ivan..."
"Shh, it is all right Matvey. You are safe, alright?" He whispers softly to the sleeping boy, continuing to stroke his hair soothingly.
"D-don't stop.." The boy mumbled.
"Hm?" Ivan tilted his head at this curiously but continued to stroke Matthew's hair soothingly.
Come morning, Matthew seemed to be avoiding any sort of contact with Ivan. "Are you all right Matvey?" Ivan asks after breakfast, once they'd started walking again.
"Mmhm, just- still a little freaked out from being grabbed."
"All right." Ivan nods. After a few hours Ivan spoke again. "Matvey, do you think it would be better for us to go back to sleeping during the day and moving at night? Nothing much seems to happen during the day anyway."
"... You know that might be a good idea but how will we see the road at night? We don't have a lantern."
"Ah, right… how about a torch?"
Matthew felt dumb; they were in a forest full of dead trees. They could set the place ablaze if they wanted to.
)*(
Several days passed and they'd switched to travelling at night, still taking turns keeping watch while the others slept. After a while, they could see what looked like a castle in the distance but even from here it looked eerie and foreboding.
"Oh. No... N-NO! W-we have to get out of here! Now!" Matthew all but freaked and started to back up; even Kuma took a step back at the sight of it.
Ivan grabbed his arm to stop him and lifted a hand quickly to cover Matthew's mouth to stop the shouts. "Matvey. Please calm down. Lower your voice. We do not want to attract attention by shouting, alright?"
Matthew was visibly shaking and tearing up. I-I want to get out of here... I want to get out of here. Everything is cursed! And we'll soon be next!
Ivan stared at the boy for a moment or two before removing his hand from his mouth and pulling him into a hug. "It is all right Matvey. We will not go that way. We will hurry to get out as quickly as possible, alright?"
"L-let's go... p-please." He whimpered and hugged him tightly. Then Kuma started to hiss and his feathers ruffled up.
Ivan was about to agree when he heard the hiss, pulling Matthew closer and looking around for the cause of the hissing.
"Good evening, weary travelers. What brings you to his majesty's woods?" A gruff voice asked from the shadows. It was hard to tell if he was angry or just uncaring. Either way it was scaring Matthew out of his wits. Not more ghosts. Kuma clicked his beak in warning and raised his wings a little.
"We are just passing through. The other path to our destination has a rockslide at the end of it." Ivan says calmly and evenly.
"No one passes through these woods without paying a fee."
"What kind of fee?" He asks warily, eyes narrowing.
"One of three things. Flesh... or as you would put it, bodily pleasures, livestock," Kumajiro growled. "Or blood, and lots of it."
"…How much blood?"
"I assure you it is more than your body can handle." The man huffed.
"Why do you require so much then?"
"I am not the only one here with you this evening and the King gets his share."
"...His share of what, the blood?" Ivan's eyes narrowed and he stepped back closer to Kumajiro, shifting slightly to put Matthew mostly behind him while still keeping a hold on him.
"Of course, though he'd much prefer fresh flesh over livestock or blood. The more you please him, the easier it will be to carry on." He paused. "Unless you would have something else you would like to bargain with?"
"I have money and several flasks of vodka from Solstice as well as a few well made blades."
"Money means nothing and blades bore us. As for alcohol..." The man hummed in thought. "Show us how much you have and it better be good."
Matthew was still shaking and he leaned closer to Ivan so he could whisper. He had to warn him. "I-Ivan... M-my heart i-is racing like it was b-back at my home."
Ivan runs a soothing hand through Matthew's hair. "Try to calm down a little Matvey. It will be all right, I promise." He whispers back before removing his pack and pulling out twelve flasks full of vodka. The flasks held about 18 ounces of vodka each. "This is all I have on me. This drink is not sold in Vernal to my knowledge so I have not been able to acquire more than this."
"Hmm..." The man came out of the shadows to have a closer look. The man was so pale he was almost white, his brown hair was spiked, and he looked to be not much older than Matthew, but his eyes were a piercing red. "This, may cover most of your expenses..."
"Just mine or all three of ours?" Ivan asks, his eyes narrowing.
"For you, perhaps we could come to a deal to include your friend, but as for your livestock... I'm afraid not. You may need to offer something... more." His gaze fell onto Matthew's golden head.
"He is not livestock." Ivan says firmly with a glare. "He is an equal."
"I-Ivan.." Matthew whimpered as he felt his wings moving under his skin. He could feel the other man looking right at him and he was feeling cornered.
Ivan paused a moment to hold Matthew close. "Shh, close your eyes and calm down. Everything is all right Matvey. I promise I will get you out." He murmurs to him softly.
"If he is an equal, then the price has gone up." The man said slightly louder to get the attention back on himself as he watched Ivan's interactions with the other with some interest. "Something the matter with the pretty little firefly? Not scared is he?"
"Leave him alone." Ivan growls out; his grip on Matthew tightening defensively. "Is that enough to get the two of them out?" He asks, nodding towards the vodka.
"Oh? You are no longer placing yourself in the deal? Do you know what that means?"
"I will make a separate payment to get myself out." Ivan scowls. "I am asking if that payment is enough to get them out."
"H-how much blood?" Matthew spoke up.
"Enough to fill six of those vodka bottles, firefly. Though your flesh would be more than enough." He answered without so much as batting an eye.
"His flesh is not up for debate." Ivan pulled Matthew closer defensively. His eyes narrowed as something Kirkland had said months ago finally clicked. "Nor is his blood."
"Well I do not think you can pay it all off yourself-"
"Wait!" Someone else called out from behind them in anger. "One of them smells like Lars! We haven't seen him in nights."
"We were attacked several nights ago. He-" Ivan nodded down at Matthew. "Was being taken from us. His partner-" He nodded at Kumajiro. "Defended him."
"To kill one of us is punishable by death! Kill the beast!" A chatter rose around the forest like screeching bats. Kuma hissed and flapped his wings, readying himself for an attack.
"No! D-don't hurt him!" Matthew cried out.
"Silence." The man barked harshly and ended the buzz of noisy voices. "This is something that must be brought in front of the King now. This has become more than some petty fee." He then started walking down the road to the castle. "Grab your things, you will need all you have to get out of this alive."
"Do not order me around vampire." Ivan snarls, loading his bag up with the vodka again and putting it on his back, tightening his grip on Matthew. It was almost painful, but Matt didn't care right now. "I deal with enough of your kind in Solstice."
The vampire gave a shrug. "Not my problem."
"Do not treat me like a traveler, I am a royal and I expect to be treated as such." He growls, drawing himself up to full height despite the weight of his pack, a cold stony glare on his face.
"Ah, we do not get much royalty out here and we don't care. You have no army with you so we could very well eat you and nothing you say could be done about it." He replied in an uncaring tone. "So you have the same status as everyone else that travels though here."
"I-Ivan, t-this is really bad..." Matthew was quickly shaking again and tearing up. "W-what if we don't e-ever come back out?"
Ivan snarled at the man. "Just lead us to your king."