The Legend of Ianto Jones – Chapter Six
Gwen arrived just in time to hear the last part.
Behold that of myth and old… Ianto Jones – the Dragon
It was not the right time. She knew better and especially in such company it would be so inappropriate that Jack would send her a psych evaluation. But then she just could not help it, Ianto – a Dragon?
She burst out laughing. Not just a quiet little chuckle but side-splitting bellowing laughter interspaced with snorts and having to wipe tears from her eyes. Only when something brushed past her arm did she let up but little fits still escaped like hiccups. Looking around through teary eyes she saw that the room had emptied leaving only the Torchwood team, Anita Blake, a guy that could only be Jean-Claude, another vampire with blonde hair hiding half his face – and of course Ianto and Jason.
For a moment Gwen was concerned she was the only one who found this amusing. Thankfully Owen was obviously hiding a grin and even Tosh seemed to be choking down laughter. Ianto seemed pensive while Jason was pacing up and down in front of a patient Jean-Claude.
"You know this for sure?" asked the wolf.
The master vampire shrugged. "Little is known about such things but it was a favourite subject of Bella Morte – so it was also a favourite of mine."
Anita snorted loudly. "More power games Jean-Claude?"
He ignored her and continued his explanation while walking around Ianto. "No-one knows what Dragons originally were. Perhaps your curious scientists will unearth one eventually but until then." He reached out a hand and tentatively touched Ianto who meekly accepted the vampires touch. "All we know is that it is like Lycanthropy but yet not – a survival mechanism to survive the ages by living in another organism."
Jack looked up at. "Are you saying this thing will devour Ianto – like some kind of parasite?"
Again Jean-Claude gave that shrug that could have meant anything. "The power of the Dragon is elusive – one has not been known during Bella Morte's existence – and that is a very long time."
"I have been changing too," said Jason joining Anita on the couch who instinctively put her arms around him. "As a lycanthrope that shouldn't be possible but even then… the changes started before I even met Ianto?"
"Ah yes." Jean-Claude hesitated and just for a moment Gwen could tell that whatever he had to say would be painful. Who would have thought vampires could have so many feelings?
"I tasted the change in you the morning before Ianto arrived. I suspected what it was but could not directly influence events."
Jason's head had dropped and he spoke into his hands. "So instead of helping me. Instead of explaining things to me you throw me out – humiliate me and give the go-ahead for anyone who wants to kill me." His voice was not angry or accusatory but bland, exhausted.
The Master of the City glided over and leant down, placing a kiss on Jason's head. "You were never alone mon pomme. By day a squad of Raphael's best watched you and by night."
"I did," a smiling Asher said. "I cannot tell you how hard it was Jason, but necessary."
Smacking Jean-Claude's hand away that had been resting on his head Jason bounded up and went and stood by Ianto. "Necessary!" His eyes blazed a fire red and a smell of sulphur permeated the room. "Even if you had me watched Jean-Claude it was only to safe guard another power base. You wanted a Dragon to feed on and to hell with how your rejection would hurt me."
Even Gwen, standing several yards away, could feel the heat now emanating from Jason and Ianto as Jason's tirade continued. "You have often told me of how precious a Pomme de Sang is, how inviolate the relationship between master and pomme – yet you throw all that away to secure what was only something you suspected!"
Two of Jean-Claude's bodyguards had entered and moved to flank Jason, they obviously feared he was about to attack. Too late Jean-Claude yelled to stop them but in a blur Ianto moved and the two were held against the wall with overly muscled arms covered in multi-coloured scales. Ianto growled and the sound revibrated in the enclosed space and Gwen felt it deep in her gut. This situation was about to go south.
One Block form the Circus of the Damned
Heath Kendal made the call to his master. In a very short time this area would become a powder keg. At this moment a message was being sent to Jean-Claude. A very simple message that requested he give up Jones and Schuyler, unless he wanted war on his door-step. Of course Jean-Claude would probably stall so he needed to be shown just what they were capable of.
Stubbing out his cigarette, he had lost count of them today, Kendal checked his pistol then turned to his team. He just knew this was not going to turn out well.
Circus of the Damned
"Jean-Claude." Jack knew he had to diffuse the situation and quickly. To do that he needed Ianto's attention and in order for that he needed information. He was sure that Ianto's curiosity would win out over violence – if that was still Ianto. "You said you sensed it before Ianto arrived – I'm assuming Ianto 'infected' Jason but how could he do that before even meeting him?"
The vampire looked between Jack and Ianto and finally nodded at Jack, acknowledging his strategy. "I believe that Dragons are prescient creatures."
"Prescient?" a deep voice mumbled. It was Ianto who still held the bodyguards but was now looking at Jean-Claude.
"Existing slightly out of time they can sense the future – Jason would be a Dragon so his transformation began even before being infected. It is why I could not tell him." He was staring at Jason intently and Jack knew that look even though it would seem stone cold to anyone who did not know Jean-Claude. It was an expression that begged forgiveness. Jack would forgive him in an instant, how could you not when the guy was so gorgeous. Then again Jack had no idea if Jason would, and if he did not then would he help to stop Ianto or not?
"If you had told me what was to happen I would have tried to stop it," Jason said thoughtfully.
"But you could not – not without dying." There it was knew Jack. Jean-Claude rarely opened up but by this admission he was showing what Jason meant to him. Obviously Jason understood this as he moved close and ghosted a kiss across Jean-Claude's lips.
"Thank-you," murmured the wolf before striding to Ianto and whispering in his ear. Jack could not hear what he said but Ianto released the guards and his arms shimmered back to human.
"You want to tell us how you do that?" asked Owen as he approached Ianto and started checking him as only doctors can.
"I'm not sure," answered the Welshman, his voice back to normal. "It's as if when I need to I can change but its… ethereal." Jack almost wept at the sound of Ianto's normal voice, a sound he often fell asleep to and one he wanted close to him right now. Instead he had to remain impassive while the man he cared for was in such turmoil.
"Will I eventually change into some fire-breathing monster?" He asked it with humour but Jack recognised the fear behind it.
Once more the vampire shrugged uncertainly. "Not enough is known. You should be able to change at will – the fire breathing, I think… not."
Ianto and Jason both looked up at the same moment and in the same direction. "Jean-Claude?" asked Jason, "Did you happen to summon about a hundred re-enforcements."
"Non."
"In that case," said Ianto as his voice once again deepened, "We're about to have company."
Jason was studying Jean-Claude and Asher intently. "There may be more – I just realised that I cannot sense vampires at all. It is as if when I can't see you…you don't even exist."
"Makes sense," said Jack as he checked his gun and nodded at the team. "Dragons pre-date vampires – any extra senses they have would only be for things that are alive. No offence J.C."
Any response from Jean-Claude was blocked by Ianto who stood in front of Jack and placed a hand on is shoulder. "You're not going out there Jack – none of you are." His eyes bored into Jack's and the Torchwood leader found himself unable to respond. Two dark orbs that glinted like obsidian froze him in place. Jack's gaze fell to Ianto's lips, lips he desperately wanted to kiss just because and also if he was honest he wanted to be able to say he had made it with a dragon. Ianto must have read his mind as a scorching hot mouth latched onto his own. Time seemed to stretch but it was only a few seconds then Ianto faded as he pulled back and the Dragon emerged.
The clothes on Ianto suddenly burst into flames as scales emerged across his torso and spread across his back and down his arms. Hands became clawed talons and tendons twisted and enlarged. He retained basic human shape but his entire body was now reptilian. No, thought Jack, not reptilian but like some kind of living stone. Like his eyes the scales looked like flakes of obsidian and reflected the light in a myriad of colours. His face was the last to transform. The nose flattened above a lipless mouth that now held an array of ferocious fangs. His ears receded into slits below hair that had thickened into some kind of rope-like membrane. Skin became scales and eyes became dark pools devoid of any white.
All this happened in only moments so that embers of clothing were still falling when his transformation was complete. Ianto the Dragon flexed his powerful arms and clicked his talons together. A hunt is just what I need His voice echoed and revibrated and seemed to echo inside Jack's head. However he did it the voice was more than just sound.
The Dragon walked over to Jason, truly towering over the smaller man and touched a claw to cheek. You are not yet ready – stay and I will return for you
"No!" yelled Jason, "We do this together – you can't stop me."
>The elements are mine to control
Leaping to the middle of the room the Dragon roared in his multi-toned voice and the entire room shuddered. As the Dragon pointed an arm at the door the floor lurched and the entire side of the wall collapsed. The only exit form the room was now well and truly blocked.
In almost the same motion Ianto brought his arms in and flexed biceps. In a sound like cracking logs a pair of wings spread out, easily twice as wide on each side as Ianto was tall. With only a couple of test swings the Dragon leapt up and flapped the wings and in a rush of air headed up towards the ceiling. Moments before reaching it he roared once again and a large portion shattered. Everyone ducked and turned away as debris showered down.
When Jack looked back up Ianto had gone.
to be concluded in Chapter 7...