A/N: Ok. This fic has gone in a completely different direction than I originally intended. However, now at least I have some idea of how I will finally end this thing. Dont worry, it wont be this chapter.
To my anons:
qwertyuiop- I too, shall rot in this fandom forever. Together we shall rot our brains by engaging in reading and writing senseless fanfics until the day we die. Thanks for reviewing, I'm happy im still attracting fresh blood with this fanfic.
Chapter 18 awakening
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Outside the tent, a brewing sandstorm howled. During the day, the sun baked the earth with its hot rays, leaving no drop of moisture to spare for a desperate army stranded in the middle of the desert sand dunes. During the night, with no cloud cover to keep in the extreme heat, the temperature would plummet, leaving the desperate army shivering inside their tents.
Sara walked over and stuck his fair head outside the flaps of his tent. Wind and sand pelted his face with a fury that only nature could provide. In the distance, he could make out the light of the setting sun. Soon, the darkness would come.
Sara's face returned to the tent and he closed the flaps after pushing the blonde tangles of his hair out of the way. He then returned to the bedside of his charge.
The Maoh. Sara giggled with excitement. To finally be able to meet this man, even though he may be unconscious, was an absolute delight for the human king. He was a legend. A fairytale gone wrong. Years, the Maoh had spent trying to unite the human lands peacefully. Back then he had been a kind, benevolent king. Then something happened. The rumors say many things. Some say he finally tired of peace. Some say he was forced into the war. Some say his lover was kidnapped by humans. But no matter what had happened, somehow, this man had snapped. Now his name was feared throughout all the lands.
But as Sara looked upon the sleeping king's face, he was surprised to see that the man was quite human, not at all the monster the rumors all said him to be. In fact, he was quite handsome as well. So handsome that Sara could not help but peel the blankets off to get a better look at his exquisite body.
But the curse...
It really was a shame. The black marks had taken over his entire body. By all means, the man should be dead. No one, not even a king, could survive a curse this bad. But who was the man beneath? Sara was dying to know.
They were alone in the tent. Sara took hold of the handsome king's face, his fingers wound themselves in the black strands of hair. He leaned over the man curiously. What would it be like to taste those lips? Sara closed his eyes and kissed the man.
All hell broke loose.
Sara was thrown back. The pegs of his tent came out of the ground and the entire thing blew away. The wind howled and the sandstorm picked up.
"Your Highness!" Berias yelled from somewhere behind him. Sara didn't respond. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of what was in from of him. What...
Not a man. No, a creature. A horrifying thing that was surrounded by red maryoku. The dangerous maryoku leaked from him and Sara felt it seeping into his very soul, choking him, making him gag. He fell to his knees.
The Maoh...the beast was laughing. It was an uncontrollable, maniac laugh that resonated throughout the heavens and sent chills down Sara's spine. When he finally finished, the creature raised his hands, god-like, and spoke in a voice that transcended death.
"Arise...my army!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then Sara saw them. The corpses from the battlefield had risen to their feet and were dragging themselves to the one who had summoned them. They moved like puppets on strings, their limbs hanging limply at their sides. Sara watched them, horrified and frozen, until the Maoh's deep voice spoke again, this time giving out a single order to his newly awakened minions.
"Kill them all."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
An arrow struck Wolfram in the shoulder. He howled in pain as he finally came to his senses. He had destroyed the surroundings. Everything was burning.
No...No..
He had done it again without thinking. He had been consumed by the curse's power. He found his hands wrapped around a neck. It was that human; that white crow who knew his name. He was badly burned and his bow had been cast aside. He struggled feebly. His eyes met Wolfram's once more and all the sudden the blonde realized...he had seen them before. Many, many times. Many, many places. In his mind...scattered memories.
Footsteps behind him. "We should kill him while we have the chance."
A voice in the dark. "You can't keep him."
A dagger with the insignia on its handle sliding over his skin. "...Its not mine."
In a room, three men, one with a mask. "Don't think we aren't serious."
He was chasing the assassin through the forest. At the cliff. "Who are you!"
"You!" said Wolfram, "It's you!" his grip on the man's neck loosened, but his hands stayed in place. "You were the assassin! The man in the mask! My friend! You were "Shooter"!"
"Yes, I am many things to you, Wolfram Von Bielefeld, but I am not your enemy."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
As Ralph came to, the first thing he noticed was the trickling of a nearby stream. Fuzzy, jumbled thoughts began to morph into coherent ones and he felt his head begin to throb painfully. Something wet touched his face and he jolted awake, rolling over and drawing his sword in a single, fluid motion.
"Easy! Easy!" came the voice of a man, "I only wanted to clean you up a bit."
Ralph stared hard at the man. Unshaven, with wild blue hair growing in every direction, he was terribly familiar.
"Lawrence..." began Ralph slowly, "Lawrence Kaliope"
The man smiled warmly at Ralph and held out his arms.
"Come to me, baby,"
Ralph dropped his sword without a second thought and jumped into welcoming arms, kissing every inch of the man's face and grasping tightly at that spikey blue hair.
"Oh God! I thought you dead! Its been decades!"
"I know, and I'm sorry."
"You could have at least told me that you were alive! You are my husband!"
"I'll never leave you again, I promise." They shared another long kiss.
"Lawrence..." Ralph was looking down; looking at his husband's cloak with the emblem of the White Crowns stitched on the side.
"It's "Striker" now."
Ralph took a step back fearfully. "You're with them, aren't you?" He turned around to run but his husband grabbed him by the arm.
"No please! Listen to what I have to say. I can explain everything."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
"Explain!" demanded Wolfram letting his captive get up and catch his breath. "I want to know everything. Enough of my chasing and enough of your hiding!"
"hn." said Shooter as he gasped for breath, "Those who are out for revenge will never be done chasing. Never will their blood lust be satisfied."
"Tell me what I want to know and you wont become part of my blood lust."
"You don't see the big picture yet? It will become clear soon enough." he coughed and wiped blood from the side of his mouth. "You've been hunting the wrong people."
"No I haven't!" countered Wolfram, "You're working for a bigger organization...one that set up this entire war with the humans.
Shooter smiled, "Ah but you dont really care about that, do you? What is it that you really want to say?"
Wolfram narrowed his eyes, "It's your fault I've had to kill so many people. It's your fault that Yuuri and I aren't together!"
"Wrong. It is the curse that has done that."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
"The curse?" asked Ralph, "Don't be ridiculous! His majesty is in perfect health."
"You've seen it, don't lie. You must have seen how the Maoh suffers from it. Maybe you've seen it on his very skin. He must have bedded you several times since you became "Wolfram"." Striker said, a streak of jealousy entering his voice.
"I have never lain with His Majesty."
Striker scowled disbelievingly. "Been living a comfy life, haven't you? All cozy in the Maoh's palace while I stole and begged for my living."
"I would've come with you. You only need have asked. I just don't understand why you would become one of them. They are enemies of the mazoku race. For so long I thought they had taken my cousin away. Now they have taken my son away. Why would you do such a thing?"
"My dear husband, have you ever considered that perhaps you are on the wrong side?"
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
"Wrong side? Ha! What a laugh!" said Wolfram. "Me? Evil? I dont think so," even as he said it, his eyes sparked with red maryoku and the cursed blood burned through his veins. "Now if you don't have anymore to tell me, I think I will take your life finally. After all, you did sell me into slavery."
Defiant eyes met Wolfram's. Wolfram dragged the old man up by his collar and held a flaming ball of fire to his face.
"Say good bye, Shooter."
All of the sudden, a great torrent of water hit Wolfram, disorienting him and causing his flame to go out.
"What the..." began Wolfram, "Murata! What are you doing here?"
The Great Sage stood between them, water dragons coiling around his body and his hands held out calmly.
"I'm afraid, Von Bielefeld, that we must hear him out a bit longer. I cannot allow you to take his life." His water caught and held a struggling Wolfram.
"You're betraying me, Sage? You said we'd take them down together!" Wolfram shouted.
Murata, ignoring Wolfram, turned to Shooter. "Now it is my turn for answers. Who is the man that has my memories?"
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Shinou stumbled through the undergrowth. He was silent as he followed the strange man named Jenus. He couldn't place his finger on it, but there was something about the man that hypnotized him.
"I dream about you," said Shinou suddenly. He wasn't answered but he continued anyway, "All the time. You are always in my dreams. Sometimes you tell me how to win battles, sometimes we have long talks as friends, and sometimes..." Shinou stopped and blushed. Jenus turned around.
"Hush child." He extended his hand and cupped Shinou's chin. His eyes were soft as he spoke. "It must be very confusing for you, but for now, you must follow me." With a swish of his cloak, Jenus was hurrying though the trees again. Shinou followed.
They walked for an hour in silence. Shinou was tired and it was beginning to get dark. The owls hooted in their trees.
They came upon a rundown temple. It was long abandoned and falling down in some places. The windows were boarded shut and the door hung on rusty hinges. Jenus walked up to it and placed his hand on the door. He turned to Shinou and stared at him for a moment.
"This will do."
He forced open the door. Rats and spiders scampered out of the way. Dust hung in the air long after the door had been busted down.
"Come and sit on the altar, my dear boy. It is time for your awakening." Shinou sat shyly on the dusty wood. He stared at Jenus as the man used horyoku to put interesting designs on the floor, preparing for some sort of ritual. Then Jenus approached Shinou, his face expressionless, and slowly slid the shirt of of the boy's shoulders. Shinou shivered. Next his boots and pants were off, as well as his underwear, until he was completely naked and exposed. He was scared.
"What is this all for? Tell me...who I am. I need to know. I've known that my entire life has been a lie and I think I'm ready to know the truth," Shinou whispered.
Jenus's eyes looked suddenly into Shinou's striking blue ones and the man began to speak. "The parents that you have known your entire life are not your parents. You are the son of the forbidden union of a Mazoku and a human. Your soul...is that of a king thousands of years dead."
"The soul of a king?" Shinou's eyes were wide.
"You are the child my country...no, this world, has been waiting for." Jenus reached into his cloak and pulled out a golden sword. "Hold out your hands," commanded Jenus. Shinou obeyed and Jenus placed the sword into his open palms. Shinou could feel the power of the sword coursing through his body.
"This sword is a holy sword. It, alone, has the power to rival a demon sword.
"W-What do I do with it?"
Jenus smiled. "Close your eyes." Again, Shinou obeyed. The world was dark but Shinou could feel Jenus up real close. When the man spoke, Shinou could feel his breath on his neck and his voice resonate in his ear.
"You must embrace your destiny, my dear boy."
Any words that Shinou might have wanted to say were cut off as another pair of lips closed over his own. Hands were in his hair and his head was tilted back. His eyes misted over and suddenly he felt something inside of him begin to change.
Jenus was kneeling on the floor.
"Welcome back, my king."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
A/N: This chapter was meant to explain. Hopefully the next chapter will have lemony goodness.