Chapter 15 : It won't be long now
"We will be there shortly Wolfram. Just an hour or so until we reach our destination." The blonde had become increasingly more irate as they traveled along, and they bickered more than talked during most of their trip.
"Conrad you are delusional if you think that you can calm me down with updates on our proximity." Wolfram snapped out bitterly. His older brother's incessant belief that this was all somehow going to be just fine grated on his nerves. Wolfram's horse pawed at the dirt and snorted in derision matching his rider's irritation.
"You would do well to remember where we are headed Wolfram. We need to go into this calmly. There is still a high probability that Yuuri is just fine." Wolfram rolled his eyes at the comment and bit back a response.
Conrad was much more the optimist than his younger brother and had maintained certainty on Yuuri's well being despite Wolfram's gut feeling. They continued in silence for quite some time...until they noticed the scout following them.
"Someone is there, at the treeline." Wolfram observed with as casual a tone as he could muster. Conrad nodded.
"Yes, he's been following us for a few miles now." Wolfram huffed noisily. They didn't need to be dealing with a sidetracking mission right now. A band of idiot humans would only slow him down and piss him off.
"If he is with a band of robbers, the two of us can easily dispatch them." Conrad observed, nodding to the treeline. There didn't seem to be any worry evident in the brunette's tone. Wolfram agreed hesitantly.
After they noticed the young man darting off and a messenger bird taking flight, Conrad's feelings faltered and their journey had sped up significantly. This was no band of common thieves.
"There is no reason for a scout to be following two travelers. Something is wrong, and our enemy knows we are coming. We're walking into a trap." Wolfram observed with finality. Conrad could only nod.
"Your highness." Dorian voiced as he knocked on the dark oak door that Yuuri was behind. The young king looked up from the book he had found in the room to occupy himself with. He set it down haphazardly on the table and stood to face the only exit in the room.
"Going to let me out now?" Yuuri asked as the door wedged open, not that he believed that was truly an option in the cards. Dorian laughed lightly and shook his head taking a sip of water from the tall glass in his hand, it was just warm enough for condensation to gather and drip onto the floor.
"I'm afraid not. I'm going to need to keep you here for now. I do have something that I need you to sign however." Yuuri blinked. Paperwork? He couldn't catch a break.
Dorian placed his glass on the desk, and pulled out the small pouch from his jacket pocket along with a piece of parchment.
Yuuri stepped back out of reflex, he wasn't used to the way the esoteric stones affected demons. Even in the pouch, he could feel that they were sapping small bits of strength from him. He wondered how Wolfram and the others had stood up to it so well.
Dorian placed the parchment on the desk before pulling the stone out of the pouch. The effect was immediate. Yuuri dropped to his knees and put his hands around his middle tightly. There was no way he was going to be able to do any damage while the stone was out of the pouch and so close to him.
"Now, if you would be so kind?" Jacoby asked politely and stepped away from him. Yuuri struggled to his feet and worked his way slowly to the desk. He glanced at the paper in front of him and mentally cursed himself.
It was in the traditional demon language and he couldn't read a word of it. Wolfram had warned him again just a few weeks ago not to give up on his studies of the language. Damnit Wolfram and your always being right!
"I can't read it." Yuuri said quietly. "I'm not sure I want to sign something that I can't read." Dorian seemed to have expected this response.
"My dear Yuuri," He started with a smile that dropped into a lower tone. "I was counting on it. Now sign." Yuuri wrinkled his brow and examined the paper.
No matter how hard he tried, the only words he could make out were 'king' and 'demon'. There was no way that he could sign this thing without knowing what it was that he was agreeing to.
"No." Yuuri replied, setting down the parchment. "I won't sign it." This also seemed to be an expected answer, as Jacoby smiled deviously.
"I'm afraid refusing isn't an option. You see a scout has just informed me that there are two men headed towards this estate and I'm sure that you know who they are." Dorian crossed his arms in front of his chest. Yuuri blanched, knowing exactly who would be headed this way.
Wolfram was too stubborn to stay away. Yuuri knew that a broken heart could never keep Wolfram away. He was sure that the blonde was on the way to kick his ass and drag him back home.
He was also sure that Gwendal and Conrad would try hold their younger brother back as long as they could, but obviously the blonde had put up enough of a fight to have his way. As if anything else could be expected of the young Mazoku. Yuuri nodded sullenly.
"I would hate for them to arrive so quickly, only to be killed before even getting to see their king." Yuuri cursed as Dorian moved the stone closer to him and he dropped back down to the floor as a ringing shook through his body. Jacoby bent down next to his ear and he winced as his now overly sensitive skin burned with the older man's breath.
Yuuri was not so foolish though, to buy into the threat so easily. His friends had been threatened before, and Yuuri knew that Wolfram and whoever he had convinced to attend him could take care of themselves regardless of Dorian Jacoby's intimidations.
Now that Yuuri knew what Dorian wanted of him and that he wanted it in a hurry, he just had to stall for as much time as he could.
"I'll sign your damn paper." Yuuri bit out and sagged with a look of defeat. "Give me the quill."
Dorian dropped the quill into Yuuri's lap and stepped away. Far enough away that the ringing in Yuuri's ears dulled and his strength returned enough for him to stand, not that he showed it right at that moment.
"I...can't...the stone." Yuuri groaned slowly. Dorian took a few more steps back, but did not pocket the glowing stone. This is probably as far away as I'll get him.
Yuuri rolled over to his knees and felt his demonic strength returning bit by bit. He reached up towards the table deliberately slow with his right hand and let it slip off twice before grabbing hold and hoisting himself up. Jacoby let out an irritated breath of air, obviously wanting him to hurry.
The double black's eyes noted the quill, but darted further down the desk to the discarded water glass. He splayed his right fingers and felt the water react. He smiled, perhaps he could do a bit more than stall.
Yuuri turned to face Jacoby and glared at him. "Why are you doing this?" He asked. Jacoby tsked at him impatiently and took a step forward just to make Yuuri flinch.
"I'll not have you stalling anymore Heika. Please just sign the paper so we can be done with this." The older man spat out. Yuuri shook his head in response, a hint of a smirk playing at the edge of his lips.
"I won't." he said darkly, the water glass shook from the aura trying to emanate itself from the young king. "You cannot force my hand to do any unjust act." His voice had dropped an octave and Jacoby looked at him strangely.
He had heard rumors, only rumors of the king's ability to transform into a more powerful being. Already the room was darkening as the power began to take over.
"What are you doing?" He stepped forward and held the stone up to him. It glowed brightly, but just as quickly, a dark energy engulfed the stone and snuffed it out. When Jacoby looked up, Yuuri's hair had grown longer, and he looked taller than he had a moment ago.
"Do you think, Jacoby, that you can manipulate the true king of Shin Makoku?" Jacoby stepped back and grasped at the door handle behind him as if trying to escape the room. The king advanced on him slowly, his strength building as he moved.
"I-I think, Your Highness," Jacoby stated with a feigned stutter. His confidence returned as he flung open the door. "That I have you outmatched."
The door opened to reveal several men who threw back large sheets to uncover some of the biggest esoteric stones that the king had ever seen. His more powerful self stood taller momentarily to appear unaffected, but Yuuri could already feel himself returning to his body.
"It...Cannot be…" Yuuri's voice cracked as the ringing in his body returned, the king stepped away, his posture faltering as he tried desperately to remain standing.
The men all filed into the room and it glowed a deep blood red. "You will face justice Jacoby, believe me you will." The aura faded away and Yuuri was back, curled into himself on the floor as every fiber of his being fought against him.
"Do you think me stupid young master?" Jacoby roared, his eyes turning bloodshot with rage. "Do you think I did not foresee every last outcome of this plot? That I didn't know of your other self and thought enough ahead to contain it? That I would bring water into your room whilst knowing that it was your chosen element by accident? You will do as I ask Your Highness. There are no more options left for you. Sign the damn contract!" His tone was menacing, and Yuuri was now feeling ill.
Yuuri retched dryly as he returned to himself. The pain was so strong that he couldn't even cry out. Jacoby waved his hand and most of the men left the room, the red glow thinning as they left. The door was shut behind them.
Yuuri gasped for air and his muscles begged for strength, but when they couldn't find any. He passed out.
"I don't feel too well." Wolfram commented as they neared the estate. They could see it standing stark against the setting sun, a striking silhouette on the horizon.
Conrad looked over to his brother and noted the green shade to his features. Wolfram was trying with much difficulty to remain steadfast, but his posture was waning in the saddle.
"Stones?" He questioned, though he already knew the answer. The stones affected Wolfram more so than most demons, but from such a distance?
Wolfram nodded weakly confirming Conrad's suspicions. Apparently Jacoby had enough to hold back a demon army.
"I'll be useless if we get too much closer." Wolfram sighed angrily and slammed his fist into the palm of his opposite hand. "He knew I would come."
Conrad nodded in response. It was very likely that Jacoby had predicted Wolfram's coming. Even outlying countries knew of Wolfram's dedication to the pursuit of his king.
"The scout surely told him you were not traveling alone. Though I am not affected by the stones, they have planned for it undoubtedly. There are likely other sentries closeby." Conrad reasoned mostly to himself.
Wolfram nodded this time in agreement, but he was out of his league here. Strategy was not his forte.
"So…" The blonde started. "How do we proceed?"
"They are here sir." Yuuri heard the voice faintly as he came to. He stayed his breathing and remained on the floor to hear more. "Lord Weller and the boy."
"Proceed as planned." Jacoby responded impatiently. He paced back and forth a bit before muttering to soldier.
"They are here too quickly…I need more time. Once I have Yuuri sign the marriage contract I can begin my siege of the kingdom, but Lord Wolfram will not be easily captured. Especially with Lord Weller so close at hand. I'll admit I did not plan for his coming along...no matter.
The stones will incapacitate the boy, kill Lord Weller. I only need one chip to bargain against the king. No one will blink if we say that Weller has gone off to fight in some crusade or other. Go now." Jacoby dismissed the man and walked back over to Yuuri.
Dorian pulled out a stone which caused Yuuri to wince giving away his state of consciousness.
"Eavesdropping Your Majesty? How unbecoming. Though I did plan on revealing my plan after you had signed of course."
"You think a marriage contract will get you into the kingdom? And that I would just let you do it? I'm not that stupid you know." Yuuri retorted, sitting up.
"You would if it meant saving your lover's life, would you not?" Jacoby teased. Yuuri stiffened at first but shook his head to clear it. He attempted to stare the older man down.
"You don't even have Wolfram in your grasp yet. What makes you think you have any pull on me?" Yuuri said threateningly, though his head snapped up when shouting could be heard from outside the walls of the house. The clanging of metal on metal made Yuuri falter. Apparently the battle had begun.
"It won't be long now." Jacoby sneered.
Another Chapter! Hope you all like the new updates as they continue to develop. I had to re-read and change so much of this story that I feel like I'm writing it anew. Let me know what you like in a review!