Note: Sorry for the long update! I've been struggling to get my inspiration back and distracted with watching anime ^^;; Thank you x3Bella~ for the lovely suggestions and ideas! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
I do not own Kyou Kara Maou in any way!
The water in the Bathhouse rippled, and then turned into huge swirls with water crashing towards each other with great force. A moment or two passed and four figures gasped out for air, bobbing their heads out from the water. One of the figures, a double black started to wipe his eyes from the water dripping from his black short hair. His vision finally adjusted after the adventurous teleportation through water. The other three Mazokus started coughing out, still not used to the teleportation.
Yuuri looked around the bathhouse, confused that no one had welcomed them home. He then remembered that his precious daughter had gone world traveling with Lady Cheri. Greta had been persuading both Yuuri and Wolfram for a week before finally letting her go with her outdoor learning rather than learn about the world here in the castle. Yuuri forgotten that one of the reasons he came back to his country on a hurry was to see his daughter, who is now at the age of twelve. He frowned when he realized that he won't be able to see his daughter for awhile now.
"Ah, so you guys are back." A familiar voice bounced across the luxurious bathhouse, with footsteps echoing along it, revealing Murata carrying a few towels on his arm. Murata gave them his usual smile which Yuuri always wondered that he's hiding something from him again behind that smile.
The four of them get out of the baths, dripping wet ,took the towels Murata had gave to them and try to dry themselves up. Yuuri stared at Murata cautiously while slowly dried up his dark hair. Murata blinked and smiled,
"What's the matter, Shibuya?" Murata asked with his normal accent of his.
Yuuri turned away from Murata's deep gaze.
"Nothing. Even if I asked, you won't give me a complete answer." Yuuri murmured, half fuming.
"Ah! That's my Shibuya! I really know me well!" Murata replied happily and patted on Yuuri's shoulders, reassuring everything's alright. Yuuri wasn't convinced.
When Yuuri and Wolfram went ahead of them, Murata stayed behind and stopped both Conrad and Günter from walking out of the bathhouse for a minute,
"Gwendal wants to meet you two at his office after you guys changed. Do not tell Shibuya or Von Bielefeld about it.
~O~O~O*A*A*A*A~O~O~
"All looks peaceful here." Yuuri murmured loud enough for Wolfram to hear behind him. Yuuri's patrolling the castle with Wolfram by his side, while Conrad and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Wolfram's been awfully quiet today.
Yuuri took a glance at the blond behind him. He was eying the soldiers doing their regular patrols but somehow, Yuuri felt those aren't the normal patrols he always saw every day. The soldiers were carrying boxes towards the part of the castle where the medical troop and infirmary was located.
Yuuri eyed Wolfram carefully. He wondered if Wolfram knew what's going on in the castle.
Yuuri shook his head a little and turned to walk towards the direction where the infirmary was located. Wolfram blocked his way.
"You're supposed to go back to your office and finish off the paper work in there! You have loads of them to do since you've been away for so long." Wolfram scolded Yuuri like he used to. Somehow, Yuuri felt relieved.
Good. He's still Wolfram.
Yuuri scratched his back of his head sheepishly and replied,
"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me," and turned back to his original destination.
When he walked a few step forward, he noticed Wolfram wasn't following him anymore. He turned and saw Wolfram looking at the soldiers running and passing observantly.
"Wolfram?" Yuuri called out, concerned.
"Yuuri, you go and return back to your office and finish your work. I'll be looking for my troops and check on them." Before Yuuri could say anything, Wolfram was out of reach.
Suddenly, Yuuri felt lonely.
Come on Wolf, even you're leaving me alone here?
When Yuuri stepped into his office, he never knew that it was so spacious now that everyone wasn't with him in it.
"I guess, everyone's busy and all, but why do I feel that's something's wrong? Somehow, I just feel that I'm all alone here."
~O~*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A~O~
"You're back." Gwendal said with a hint of annoyance, without lifting his eyes from his paperwork when Conrad and Günter entered his office.
Conrad glanced across the room and detected Yozak standing beside the shelves of soft toys than Gwendal had knitted out of hobby and he winked at both Conrad and Günter.
Conrad just gave Yozak a nod as a reply.
"Why did you all came back this early? Didn't I tell you to take a break and keep an eye on the kid?" Gwendal asked the duet, still not taking his eyes off from his work.
Conrad and Günter exchanged shot glances.
"We did. Heika's old enough to take care of himself back on Earth and we did have a break" Conrad replied awkwardly, not entirely sure why his older brother was being so concerned on keeping them off from Shin Makoku.
There was a moment a silence until Günter broke off the awkward silence.
"Gwendal, you're hiding something from us. Just tell us."
Yozak eyed Gwendal, hoping to exchange glances with him but Gwendal just gave him a short nod without turning to look at the spy. Yozak stepped forward and sighed.
"Well, recently, the soldiers from the village patrols fell sick." The spy began, his arms crossed across his broad chest.
"The flu season started already?" Günter asked, confused why Gwendal should be worrying over the common flu.
"It's not a normal flu. Günter, have you been feeling uncomfortable lately?" Gwendal replied with an unusual hint of concern in his voice.
"Nothing in particular, then again…" Günter's voice trailed off, hesitating if he should tell Gwendal what had happened to him back on Earth.
Conrad cut the chase,
"Is something terrible happening here in Shin Makoku?"
"Well, you could say that, Captain. A strange disease is spreading across Shin Makoku. We have yet known neither where the source is nor the cause of it."
"This disease, does it affect us all?"
"As far as Gizela and the others had investigated, half mazokus and humans aren't affected to this disease. The disease only affects full blooded mazokus. From what they had found out recently, the disease is eating up or sucking away the Maryoku . Those with weak Maryoku aren't badly affected and only suffered normal flu like symptoms since they don't really use their maryoku in their daily lives. But if they overwork, they'll get tired easily and collapse, though once they regained consciousness, their condition remains the same."
Conrad touched his chin with the top of his thumb and eyed his elder brother, whom was closing his eyes, hard to detect what his expression is.
The beautiful lilac turned to face Yozak with a worried look on his delicate face of his.
"How about the ones with strong Maryoku?" Günter finally asked.
Yozak glanced Gwendal for awhile and turn to face the lilac again.
"They would be much sicker. Soldiers from both Gwendal's and Wolfram's troops had been reported sick and immobile. Two from Gwendal's and five from Wolfram's. At first, they suffered from light symptoms like the common flu but later on, they started to bleed easily. Being stubborn as they are, they ignored the symptoms and carried on working, until they collapsed. Now they're under intensive care. They're unable to move, if they try to, they will feel pain. They can't eat properly either and could only swallow liquid food. Their weight and appetites decreased. When they knocked themselves accidentally, they'll bleed easily and lose a lot of blood, the wound would be impossible to close, causing possible deaths." Yozak explained with his eyes focused on both Conrad's and Günter's faces.
Günter's eyes widen in shock, Conrad as well. Conrad wondered if he should tell Gwendal about what happened back on Earth but like Günter, he hesitated.
"Gwendal, have you received these symptoms?" Günter asked worriedly.
Gwendal rubber his forehead in between his eyebrows and sighed,
"No."
"But the scary part is, you won't know you have the disease until it's too late"
"How about Heika and Geika? Won't they got affected?" Günter asked warily.
"Gizela had examined Geika. He showed no symptoms at all. His Maryoku isn't deteriorating in any way. It's probably because of his strong healing maryoku inside of him that's preventing the disease to reach him."
Both Conrad and Günter gave a sigh of relief but the relief didn't last long. They're worried about their loved ones.
"Now, we couldn't prevent or cure the disease from spreading any further. The medical troops are decreasing as each of them contracted the disease as well, despite their healing maryoku. Theirs aren't that strong as Geika and Heika's. Actually now, the only one doing its best is your daughter, Von Christ. I'm afraid she has her hands full."
After hearing that particular sentence, Günter excused himself and exited the room. Conrad exchanged glances with his friend and he shrugged.
"I just hope, she won't end up like Julia did."
~O~O*A*A*A*A*AA*AO~O~
"Oh everyone's busy with their work and me doing paperwork all alone. With no tea break…" Yuuri fumed as he signed his paperwork as quickly as he could so he could find his comrades.
While Yuuri had been doing his paperwork, he had been listening to Gizela's lectures and scolding's from outside. Her lectures were awkwardly strict and rather desperate to Yuuri. Most of her shouts were filled of, "Hurry up!" or "Carry those things properly!"
Yuuri rubber his nose bridge, deciding to take a short eye breaks and went towards the window, stretching himself. When Yuuri looked out of the window, he couldn't depict Gizela anywhere.
"But I thought I heard her just a moment ago. Wait, isn't that Günter?" He told himself when he saw a familiar lilac walking across the clearing and disappeared behind the pillars. Yuuri thought that Günter had been walking rather quickly.
Yuuri blinked and turned his head at the desk full of unsigned paperwork, sighing.
"No point going after him, he'll lecture me non-stop if I did."
~O~O*A*A*A*AA*A*A*A~O~O~
Wolfram walked from corridor to corridor but he still couldn't find his troops anywhere within the castle. He was getting frustrated.
Wolfram walked into the clearing and walked aimlessly towards the flower bed located near the Clearing's Garden.
The flower bed wasn't coated with beautiful colors but gloom and dried up flowers. Wolfram kneeled down and touched the withered 'Beautiful Wolfram', one of its petals dropped when he started to caress the withered flower.
"What happened while we were gone," He murmured to himself.
Suddenly, he felt an excruciating pain on his chest, as if his heart is being clenched by something big and powerful. Wolfram held onto his chest tightly, closing his eyes shut, hoping the pain would go away.
Damn! It's happening again!
Wolfram suddenly felt wind fluttering above him, as if something was flying above him, he looked up and saw a familiar bearbee flying above him.
For a moment, he thought that after looking at the bearbee, the pain was gone.
"A bearbee? Why is it alone?"
"Nogisu nogisu!" It said while it circled around Wolfram then sat on top Wolfram's shoulders
"Hey, you're heavy!" He chuckled as he stroked the bearbee pleasurably.
~O~O*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A~O~O~
"Yuuri! The bearbees are back!" Wolfram excitedly shouted as he barged in Yuuri's office. Yuuri quickly looked up, almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
A bearbee was sitting on Wolfram's shoulders, the normal size of a regular bigger.
"They're back? Where I they? Though I could only see one here." Yuuri asked as excited as his fiancé was.
"Only this one came to me earlier on."
Yuuri went closer towards Wolfram eagerly wanting to touch the bearbee. The bearbee then got off Wolfram's shoulders and blocked Yuuri's way, as if protecting the certain blond. When Yuuri touched it, it simply grazed away from Yuuri.
"Eh? Why wouldn't it let me touch it?"
Wolfram wasn't listening. He was staring right behind Yuuri, eyes wide.
"Yuuri! Look! Bearbee!"
Yuuri turned to see a bearbee trying to get through the transparent window. Yuuri rushed towards the window and opened it.
The Bearbee crashed onto Yuuri. It caressed Yuuri's face with its own soft cheeks rubbing against Yuuri's cheeks.
Hey there! What are you doing here?"
"Nogisu!"
"Of course, I can't understand it."
"Wimp." Wolfram muttered.
Wolfram carried the Bearbee with his hand and put it down on the floor but it got up and flew above Wolfram again.
"But this bearbee had been following me eversince. Did something happened to their family?"
Yuuri patted the other bearbee who had crashed onto him earlier and gave it a tickle. He suddenly remembered something.
"Oh yea! I better check on the infirmary."
"Infirmary? What for? "
"I saw Gunther going there."
"Of course he had gone there, his daughter's working there remember?"
"But he was walking in such a hurry."
Wolfram folded his arms. He stared at Yuuri for a moment.
"What?" Yuuri asked,
Wolfram pointed to Yuuri's desk.
"Right.."
~O~O*A*A*A*A*A*A*A*A~O~O
"I am finally done!" Yuuri cried and ran out of his office, with the bearbee following behind him.
He was still wondering why the bearbee had been following both him and Wolfram around. Wolfram had gone earlier to check on some things 10 minutes before Yuuri finished his work.
Yuuri was about to find Conrad but he stopped and smelled himself. He felt wet and didn't know he sweated so much for just sitting long hours signing papers. But then the weather had been rather warm today so it wasn't really a surprise.
Yuuri decided to take a quick bath before heading for dinner.
The bearbee still followed him around and would not leave Yuuri alone. He had no choice but to bring the bearbee along with him in the Royal Baths.
When Yuuri entered the baths, he had heard the water running and splattering of water splashing, echoed across the luxurious baths. He rubbed his eyes for him to see clearly through the fog and he saw a bearbee. Yuuri blinked. He looked behind him. His bearbee was still behind him.
Yuuri went closer towards the bearbee and he could make out a figure sitting in the baths. Yuuri could finally see through the fog and saw that the figure was Wolfram, with the bearbee flying beside him.
Yuuri had wanted to call out to him but he realized that Wolfram was staring into space, as if deep in thought.
"Nogisu!" Yuuri's bearbee called out. Yuuri panicked.
"Yuuri? Why didn't you tell me you were there?" Wolfram's voice was unusually calm and soft,
"Well, you were looking distracted."
"Sorry, I'll be going now," Wolfram said as he got up, grabbing a towel near him. Yuuri examined Wolfram.
Fresh scars, as if from a battle.
When Wolfram walked passed Yuuri, Yuuri grabbed Wolfram's wrist, halting him from leaving just yet.
"Yuuri? What's wrong? Sorry for intruding, I guessed I was distracted to know that I'm here."
Yuuri gritted his teeth.
"That's not it! Wolfram! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" Wolfram eyed Yuuri, confused.
"What do you mean? I wasn't hurt!"
"How could you lie to me with those scars? They're fresh!" Yuuri touched the scars located at Wolfram's back and arms. Yuuri then glared Wolfram, his eyes ablaze with rage.
"Scars…" Wolfram looked over his arms. His eyes widen with shock.
"So Wolf? How are you going to explain yourself for lying to me?"
"I did not lie to you! These scars were from 3 months ago when I was out patrolling with my troops and encountered some bandits. I remembered reporting that to you as well! And I remembered going to Gizela to get it closed." Wolfram snapped.
"If that's the case, they should have been healed a month ago!"
Wolfram took a step back, knowing what Yuuri said was the truth. Wolfram got off from Yuuri's grip and ran out of the baths, the bearbee following him quickly.
Yuuri's bearbee started circling around him , as if trying to cheer him up. Yuuri's rage turned into a mixture of agony and frustration.
Why Wolf? I thought you wouldn't lie to why are you lying to me now?
TBC…
Reviews please! I would love to hear any chances of improvement! ^^ Thank you!