Growth, part 2

There had been an awkward silence since Camille revealed that Van's estranged older brother, Takeshi, would also be home during his visit. Yona wanted to know more, but Camille's sad expression and Kavi's stern eye prevented further questions. It was time to set camp for the night. They were just at the edge of the treeline. Tomorrow would be a day full of snow. Van was unusually serious while he helped get everyone settled for the night. It seemed he had a lot on his mind.

"How long are you going to pout?", taunted Yona, handing him the next piece of firewood. "I'm not pouting. I'm brooding", replied Van without looking up. Yona rolled her eyes and sighed. "So what's the big secret? You never told me you had a brother." Van ceased his motions, rigidly staring into the trees. "I don't", he stated grimly. "What's your deal?", asked Yona, more serious. She'd rarely seen her friend act this way. "Nothing. Just drop it and hope you don't have to meet that asshole", muttered Van, returning to work. "What are you hiding?", inquired Yona skeptically. Van turned at gave her a fierce look, a sure warning to back off. She instinctively took a step back at such an expression. Something was definitely wrong.

"That's enough, Yona. Why don't you go check on the trailing party?", said Kavi, trying to break the tension. "I don't like secrets. You know that", stated Yona, annoyed. Van shied his gaze and took a deep breath. "Just let it go...Please..." His face looked so sad with those words. Yona wasn't sure what had happened in the past, but it was clear not all siblings were close. Striding passed her, Van asked Kavi for a smoke. It was rare for him to do so, but when he did, you knew his nerves were shot. The two men walked into the distance as not to bother their friends with the scent of tobacco. Feeling eyes on her, Yona turned to find Camille staring. "I know you're worried, but please let him be. He'll tell you when he's ready", she said. Yona sighed. There was no use pushing the issue further.

"Speaking of telling secrets, you still have to meet the rest of our team", grinned the dragon slayer. Camille glanced around and realized there were fewer bodies present than expected. Yona watched her count in silence. "Niisan said they would be three more of you", observed Camille. "Yeah, they're close by", replied Yona. Turning, she shouted, "Hey, Jasper! Come on out and say hello! We're still pretty far from town!". There was no response. "Why does your friend hide?", asked Camille, "Is he shy?". Yona laughed at the last question. If only she knew...

"Yeah, but that's not why he's hiding. He's...not like us. Van said his appearance might cause trouble when we get to town", sighed Yona. Camille seemed to think this over, but couldn't draw a conclusion. "Is he disfigured?", she inquired shyly. Yona smirked. "No. He's actually pretty hot, but don't get any ideas. He's mine", she teased. Camille blushed faintly at the statement, but nodded with a quaint smile. "He isn't human", stated Yona bluntly. Camille stared at her in wonder. What could that possibly mean? Yona scanned the area, looking for a shadow. She knew Jasper and the twins were close. She could smell them. "Jasper, if you don't come out, I'm gonna roll around naked in the snow!", she shouted. Her friends looked at her funny, but laughed it off, used to her antics. A sudden spurt of blood erupted from behind a thick tree nearby. "There he is", pointed Yona. Camille wasn't sure how to react to such threats, but she could see why her brother liked this girl.

A small form stepped out into the snow. "Do you always have to be so crude?", sighed Ronen, wiping blood from his face. "Sorry", chuckled Yona. A tall, cloaked figure then stepped out with another tiny form upon his shoulder. Camille stared at the exceed. She'd never seen a talking cat before. "He's...so cute", she blushed. "I didn't know oni could be so adorable", she added shyly. "He's not a demon. He's an exceed. There's lots of them out there", explained Yona. As Rani landed lightly on her feet, Camille seemed to light up all over again. "A girl!", she beamed, sweeping the twins into her arms for a hug. She showed little interest in the hooded stranger before her when such cute creatures where around to love upon.

Shaking her head, Yona stepped beside Jasper and pulled his hood down, exposing his face. Camille ceased her cuddling on the exceeds with breathless anticipation. She stared for a long while without a word causing the ever shy incubus to blush faintly. "Jasper, Camille. Camille, Jasper", said Yona, pointing back and forth. "It's nice to meet you", said Jasper politely. Free from her grasp, Ronen took a deep breath before introducing himself and his sister. Camille nodded to each in greeting, but was transfixed on Jasper's odd appearance. Taking a step closer, she uttered, "Oni...", softly. "Incubus, actually", corrected Yona.

Before anyone could go into further detail, Kavi and Van had returned. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag", smirked Van. Camille gazed at her brother. What strange friends he'd made. "That's not a problem, is it?", asked Kavi carefully. "No, of course not. Any friend of niisan's is welcome in my home", replied Camille with a friendly smile. Yung-Li grinned to himself at her response. He knew she wouldn't reject them. Koko signed something too quickly for Van to catch. "Huh?", he uttered. She signed again, more slowly. "She really is", beamed Van. Apparently his dear sister had gotten a compliment.

Rani glanced around with worry. Blythe was nowhere in sight. Kavi offered a kind smile, reading the feline's concerns. It wasn't long before the blood mage returned to camp with dinner. He carried several rabbits over his shoulder as he came into the warmth of the fire. Everyone was glad to have him around. Even though he wasn't familiar with the terrain, he was still an expert tracker, and thanks to that, everyone went to bed with a full stomach. As the night set in and daylight faded, Camille watched over her brother with soft eyes. Would things be all right once they got home? Even she didn't know everything that transpired between her brothers, but she did know enough to understand Van's attitude toward the subject. Only time would tell.

-

The rest of the journey went smoothly. Everyone enjoyed Blythe's wonder at the snow. A boy from the desert had never seen such a natural wonder in abundance before. As they approached town, Jasper drew his hood and did his best to keep his face down. It wasn't easy considering his height, but he did what he could. Blythe had the opposite problem; He was petite and was easily lost in a crowd. Still, the mages made their way through town without incident. No one really questioned a hood or cloak with the cold air, so Jasper ended up being fairly invisible.

Once they reached Van's family home, they all stared up in disbelief. Who knew he'd come from money?! The place was huge, but it only made sense to be since it was being run as an inn. Van eyed a specific window with a mild glare, but said nothing. He was just glad to be home. Once inside, everyone was glad to be out of the snow. "Why do mountains have to be so freaking cold?!", whined Yona, cozying up to the fire pit. Van teased her, laughing it off. He grew up here, so it didn't bother him. He followed his sister to the registry to set up the rooms. "Two people to a room should be fine", nodded Camille. "Don't worry about mixed company. We're all used to sleeping near one another", assured Van. His sister didn't seem to mind the room being split by team. What Van had said was true enough.

After settling in, everyone was anxious to enjoy the springs. The men settled in, enjoying the steam. Blythe was so excited to be there. Kavi smiled shyly at his lover's enthusiasm. Yung-Li soaked quietly while Jasper dumped a bucket of hot water over Ronen, rinsing away the suds. Once all were in the water, a peaceful quiet settled over them. At least until a familiar voice came from the dividing wall. Yona was hanging over the top with a broad grin. "What's up guys?", she beamed. Jasper turned bright red and sank deeper into the water, saying nothing. Yung-Li sent Kavi an odd look and Blythe just rolled with it, smiling back. "It's boring over here. Nothing personal, but Koko's not much for conversation", said Yona flatly. Rani popped up over her shoulder, chiding her to get down. The only one missing was Van, but everyone assumed he was tending to more private matters.

Kavi sighed. Yona was used to jumping in with the boys on their jobs, but this was different situation. "Yona, please behave yourself. We're guests here", he said. Between him and Rani, Yona didn't want to listen, so she just stuck out her tongue and slid down the wall to her own side. Jasper let out a sigh of relief once he was sure she wasn't coming back. "Is the water too hot for you?", inquired Yung-Li, observing his beet red face. "N-no..I'm fine", stuttered the incubus. Blythe simply grinned. He thought Jasper's shy nature was adorable. He did his best not to sit too close to Kavi in the water. Being close in public was something they tried not to do, especially in a place like this. It mattered little. Blythe knew they had their own room and they could speak freely later.

Deciding to add to the fire, Blythe asked, "How are things going with Yona-chan?". Jasper shifted hues, only managing to blurt out, "Fine." Kavi sent his lover a sly look that asked him not to torment his brother. Moving on, the blood mage turned his sights on Yung-Li. "And Koko-chan?", he beamed. The speed mage handled it gracefully, explaining they were good friends and team mates. He didn't feel the need to express anything further to his guild mates. It seemed everyone knew about his true feelings apart from the one person that he pined for. Maybe Koko did know and just didn't acknowledge it. He wasn't sure, but he bided his time with patience.

Conversation petered out after that, everyone lost to their own thoughts. Jasper couldn't shake Yona from his mind. He had made a promise, after all. Kavi did well to keep an even expression, though he wondered about the future of the guild. Blythe relaxed, giving in to the heat and letting his troubles melt away. Eventually, Yung-Li had enough. He said something about checking on Van and never came back. Jasper turned in soon enough, as well, leaving the lovers alone. On the other side of the wall, only Yona remained. She loved being in almost any kind of water, even if it wasn't the sea. About the third time Rani came to check on her, she agreed to come to bed. It had been a tiring trip. Hopefully Van would relax, too, but he still hung in the dragon slayer's mind. Would her best friend be all right?

-

To be continued...