Hey everyone! So I'm sorry this has been taking so long! I've been having a SEVERE case of writer's block, and have been totally captivated by the wonderful world of Facebook RPing! I wasn't too much into thinking about updating til I found out my boyfriend had read one of my other stories and I'd written his favorite RusEng and didn't even know it! So for that, and for giving me the inspiration to continue this story, Arthur James Kirkland, I dedicate this chapter to you!

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- /Bruh...

Chapter 11

"Alright." Viktor started, nervously playing with the hem of the sleeve of his jacket. Tino and Berwald watched with frowns, wondering what was happening. "I want honesty here. I don't like lying, but sometimes it makes things easier to start," he said before swallowing hard, his eyes shifting up to the two before him. "I am the dragon you met yesterday, but before that, I was Ivan Braginsky."

"B'fore that?" Berwald asked, his hand sliding to the sword at his hip.

"We needed children. We were being civil, but this one village, when we went and spoke to them, they chained the children on the beach. They abandoned them to die in the sun if we weren't there on time. Half of them were dehydrated, and they were all starving by the time we returned," Viktor grumbled. "We attacked. On behalf of those children who were dying, for the total disregard they showed to the next generation. That's where I found Arthur," Viktor let out a soft sigh and Berwald hummed in relief, realizing this was a heartfelt confession, not a chance to attack. His hand slid down to his side as he listened, his eyes meeting with Tino's letting him know his thoughts.

He was safe.

"I tried to make him more... comfortable with me. It backfired, and when I tried to kiss him, he knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in the dragon's body, chained up in my own castle. I was stuck there for a few days, until they moved me to the ceremonial grounds. They brought out Arthur as the only sacrifice. He was to be the virgin twice sacrificed." He shivered. "I hadn't even considered a human sacrifice like that. I had considered him for the virgin sacrifice, but not for the death." He looked down at Tino's eyes, shaking his head, his eyes widening at recalling the horror he'd felt right then.

"There was another me there with him. I tried to escape, to get to him. I couldn't even tell with my eyes that it was Arthur there, he'd been beaten so badly. Alfred, not realizing who I was, helped me to break free, and I grabbed Arthur and flew. After we landed and had him healed, I couldn't tell him. I wasn't the best, but the other Ivan, he's terrified of him. I'll work for you. I'll help you defeat that monster, but when it's over, I want my kingdom back. I want Alfred and Arthur back, and I would like it if we could become friends," He spoke softly.

"If worse comes to worse, if I have to sacrifice something, it'll be the kingdom. Above all else, Arthur's safety is my priority right now, so if you take him on, I don't want him in a position to get hurt," Viktor spoke before sighing and waiting for the onslaught of questions or blades.

"'E... knocked ye out?" Berwald asked, his eyes wide as he stared, looking on the verge of laughing and pulling out his sword at the same time.

"It was magic. He yelled, then there was a flash of light, then just... nothing," Viktor mumbled and Tino's brow furrowed as he thought over what he'd heard.

"He really is a light magician, isn't he?" Tino asked, his head tilted up to Berwald, who was now frowning.

"I don't know. I've never seen magic like his before. It was intense when he started casting it. Magic was taboo where he's from, so he hasn't had a teacher," He spoke softly and Tino stared.

"Amazing! We'll have to try him and see what he can do! He said he lost his cloak and staff?" Tino asked, shifting through things on a bag tied at his hip while Viktor nodded.

"Take him to get new supplies, then come to the castle." Tino spoke, handing him a purse. "Ivan-"

"Viktor." He responded, softly shaking his head. "I am not Ivan here. I do not have the position as a king. I do not have the influence or power I had in Russia. I'm not even human anymore." He watched as Tino nodded, understanding.

"In that case, Viktor, if you betray me, I will kill you," He spoke in a soft tone, his eyes hard as he stared at the man before him.

"I would expect nothing different." Viktor spoke softly in return, but his eyes didn't carry the same subtle threat Tino's did, and Berwald sighed, nodding.

"If'n yer both in agreeance, let's head back fer now." He glanced over and Tino looked up, giving a short hum of understanding.

Tino held out his hand, and Viktor took it, giving a hearty shake before Tino and Berwald turned, heading back to the castle.

Viktor walked back inside and Alfred stared before letting out a soft sigh of relief. "So, you told them?"

"Everything." Viktor responded as he sat back at the kitchen table beside Arthur and took a sip of his coffee. "They gave me a purse to buy Arthur a new cloak and staff." He glanced over and Arthur stared, his eyes widening in a combination of things, but joy won out and he grinned as he nodded.

"I'll need to go into the woods. I always have to choose my staff while it's still fresh on the tree." He spoke with a soft whisper, his eyes darting around the table subconsciously as he started to plan things in his mind, and Alfred frowned.

"There's shops that sell those, ya know." He watched with interest as Arthur rolled his eyes.

"A staff is like food. Anyone can make it, and you can get it anywhere, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's good. The only way to make sure it's not horrible is to make it yourself, to pay attention to what's put in, so you know better what will come back out." He watched, an almost regal look coming to him as he sipped his tea, a slight smile at the corner of his lip as he daintily crossed his ankles.

"What do you look for in a staff?" Alfred asked, now a bit curious. No one he knew had ever used one, so this was new and a little exciting for him.

"Well, obviously shape." Arthur nodded, ticking a digit in his mind. "It has to be solid and free of cracks, but knots are alright." He sighed as he looked at his tea, trying to remember what drew him to the last one. "I have to feel alright about the tree. Have you ever walked in the woods and you found a tree, and it may have been beautiful, but somehow it doesn't feel right? Like it's just out of place?" Arthur watched as both Viktor and Alfred shook their heads.

"Do people normally get feelings like that?" Alfred asked and Arthur nodded.

"We got it a lot in England. We even had some people claiming large trees seemed to come out of nowhere. It was weird, the trees they normally grew weary of were the ones that I felt shone the brightest." He smiled, remembering.

There had been instances of huge trees growing overnight. He remembered a favorite picnic spot he went to one day, having been only two days prior and a huge tree was in the middle. He laughed as he climbed the branches, nibbling his sandwiches from the top, looking over the village that was a good distance.

Viktor watched, curious as Arthur's eyes fell hollow, his mouth forming a soft pucker as he stared blankly into his tea. "Arthur?"

"Sorry." Arthur startled before looked up, a slight smile coming to him as he looked down, taking a sip before responding. "Got lost in memories for a second." He smiled, wondering what the chances were for picnics in the woods were now. Probably gone, he realized as he let out a sad sigh.

"What kind of memories?" Viktor wondered out loud, watching as a slight upturn came to Arthur's lip.

"I used to go on picnics, and once, during one episode where a tree grew overnight, it grew in my favorite picnic spot. I climbed to the top and ate my sandwiches there. I remember feeling so calm, considering such a huge tree grew out of nowhere. I remember the tree was so green and beautiful, and the scenery from the top, the village and the ocean, it was amazing." Arthur smiled his eyes hazy with such a kind memory, Arthur let out a soft chuckle as he took another sip of his tea.

"That sounds nice." Alfred smiled, leaning back with his arms stretched over the back of the chair, his feet firm on the ground with his knees hitting the arms of the chair. "I used to go on picnics all the time too. My mother, she was so pretty, she would always bring jerky and vegetables. We'd eat half, and plant the other half so if someone came by and didn't have enough food, they'd find some on their way. She was a good person." Alfred smiled, looking towards Arthur, but with the same haze of memories Arthur had just had.

"Was?" Arthur inquired, watching as Alfred's eyes shifted up to his lazily.

"Ah, yeah, she was killed in battle. Our village was attacked by foreign invaders. She tried to defend against them, but didn't survive the attack. Me and Mattie, my little brother, we escaped the village, and when he came back later, the invaders took us and sold us to the royal family in Russia as playmates and slaves to the child prince. Ivan was much nicer back then and offered us our freedom, but we stayed. We were best friends, the three of us." Alfred smiled.

"That sounds nice." Arthur smiled, watching as Alfred nodded.

"It was. We went on picnics with Ivan fairly often as well, and planted some of the food, but since their food is usually cooked first, we would take seeds from the kitchen to plant while we were out. We had a nice garden going for a while." Alfred grinned, leaning forward, his memories fading away as his mind sunk back into the present. "Unfortunately, one day after we picked the newer plants and took them into town to distribute to the poorer of the village, the garden was struck by lightening and nothing lived. After that we were too busy to start over again." He let out a sigh.

"It did give us the chance to make our first proposal, though. We opened a garden in the center of the poor district. The magicians kept it watered and warm, and the foods that grew were free to anyone who came through. From what I understand, it's grown nearly twice in size and actually is able to provide most of the families with enough to eat, so their money can go to other things, like houses and clothes to survive the winters." He smiled, honestly a bit proud of himself and Viktor stared, wide eyes focused on the man across from him.

"It grew that much? I never realized it had become so popular." Viktor admitted and Arthur looked over, surprised to see such a warm smile on his face. "When we get back, I'll have to go see it." He watched as Alfred nodded with a grin.

"You really should. I know people would be happy to see the nobility come down and see them. You're too closed off sometimes. Me and Mattie practically live in the slums. We're always there to help out and do what we can for the people." Alfred stilled, his eyes wide as they shifted to Arthur, who was staring at Viktor with wide eyes.

"You're nobility of Russia?" He asked, cautious tones to his voice let it be known he was feeling out the situation and Viktor nodded.

"I am." Warm red eyes turned to Arthur, a slight smile showing on his lip. He wouldn't lie, just skirt around the one truth he knew would ruin any chance he had with the other.

Arthur stared. His eyes widened, his breathing picked up, his chest ached and he stood, nearly tossing his teacup down onto the table. "I need to go." He mumbled and Viktor jumped up, startled at the sudden and quite intense change in the man before him.

"Arthur? What's wrong?" He asked, grasping the arm of the retreating man. Arthur turned to him with wide eyes, staring at Viktor in shock for a moment before he stepped back, shaking his head.

"I need air. I'll return, but I need a moment to think." He made sure to try and keep his voice even as he turned and left, nearly running out of the door.

"What was that?" Alfred asked, his eyes wide at the shift in atmosphere that just seemed to shatter the cheerful ambiance of the room.

"I think he figured it out." Viktor frowned, his eyes looking hurt.

"Don't follow him. Give him space. He needs it, then. He said he'll come back, and I can tell, Arthur's a man of his word." Alfred spoke softly, trying to calm Viktor, who nodded carefully, but stood blankly, staring at the closed front door Arthur had just left through.

"I'm going to go for a minute as well." Alfred stood, stretching out and Viktor turned to him, his eyes wide.

"Please don't leave..." Viktor started to panic and Alfred smiled, shaking his head.

"I'm gonna go back to Russia. I'll grab Mattie and Yao. I don't want them stuck with that monster. It should only be a few minutes, alright?" He asked, knowing when Viktor was afraid he could turn horribly childish.

"Oh..." Viktor looked down, a frown breaking his previously cheerful disposition. "If it's for their safety, I can't disagree. Go ahead." He sighed as he stepped back, allowing Alfred space. "Just... close the portal. I don't want him finding it." He watched as Alfred nodded.

"Can do." He said before lowering his hand in the air, a tear in space appearing at his fingers. It looked black, like a shadow with a dark purple, almost blue hue around the edges, spiraling like the galaxies they often saw in the sky. Alfred smiled and stepped through, offering a slight nod before the portal closed and Viktor sat on the couch again, staring at the two empty seats around him.

Both of them had left their cups on the table, but Viktor found his eyes drawn to the tea. He stared, slowly reaching out for it and brought it to his lip. He could smell the slight spice, the subtle aroma and sweetness of the liquid inside and looked around before taking a sip where he'd seen Arthur's lip on the mug before.

From now on, he had a feeling this was the closest he'd be able to get to him.

This was about the time Arthur reached the treeline of the woods, pressing his back hard against the closest tree, his chest shaking in outright fear.

Viktor WAS Ivan. It was the same gazes, the same smiles, the same tenderness the man had shown before he had changed.

So Ivan and the dragons had switched places? Did that even make sense? Arthur thought, walking ahead after a moment of trying to stop the pounding of his chest that made his ribcage ache with such movement. What kind of spell had he hit the man with to throw him out of his body?

And why in the hell did he give a different name now? That didn't even make sense! Was he trying to trick him? He had said he wanted Arthur to love him back this morning.

The same thing Ivan had said. He was trying the same thing, to make Arthur his slave, but without him actually being his slave. Did that even make sense? Arthur fought with his mind, trying to figure out what to think, what to do, what this all meant when he noticed a shimmer out of the corner of his eye and he looked up, seeing a tree in the center of a small clearing, light seemed drawn to it. "Oh, one of you trees." He smiled as he walked up, running a hand over the bark, only to hear it giggle.

Arthur's eyes widened as he stared, a slight face coming out of the cracks in the bark. "Hello, little human!" The tree cheered, a light and feminine voice as Arthur looked up, looking over the tree a little closer.

"Are you a faery?" He asked softly and the tree looked at him surprised for a moment before giggling.

"Maybe, I don't know. You're a human, right? Why do you look so troubled, little human?" The tree asked softly and Arthur frowned.

"I'm sorry, My name's Arthur." He stared in surprise. Above all else, he needed to try and keep his manners.

"I'm Lignum Vitae! It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur!" She grinned and Arthur smiled, again running his hands over her bark.

"It's a pleasure, and an honor to meet you as well." Arthur smiled, knowing it wasn't very often a tree would talk to someone. She must have been very bored.

"So, what has you so sad looking out here? I don't see people out here too often, and when I do, if they're sad, it usually doesn't end well." She frowned, her brows lowering in worry and Arthur understood.

She meant people on their way to die. "Are you sure you want to hear? It's a long story, and will probably be horribly boring for you." He sighed, watching as she nodded and shifted, a branch tilting down to Arthur's height.

"Come sit up in the branches then! No use getting all dirty on the ground!" She spoke softly and Arthur smiled and nodded climbing up into the tree.

"Well, if you really want to hear." He sighed as he leaned back, his back pressing against the large trunk and the face moved up, coming beside him to listen more attentively. "It started I believe about two weeks ago, with a dream about a fire."

. . . . .

Alfred landed in the castle, having followed the space to Mattie. He closed the portal and looked around, not seeing his brother anywhere, but as he glanced in the darkness he could hear something. He wasn't sure. If it was Ivan, maybe he could transport away quickly, but what if it wasn't? He walked forward cautiously, trying his best to not make a sound as he moved forward in the darkness, his eyes not adjusting and reached out, trying to find something on the walls, some sort of light he could use. He eventually found a sconce and touched the base, finding himself in the dungeon. His eyes widened as he looked around, realizing with horror what must have happened and turned, trying to find his brother.

"Al?" He heard and turned, finding Mattie chained to the ceiling, beaten and whipped, thin and fragile looking, stripped down to nothing.

"What happened to you?!" Alfred gasped as he ran over and grasped Mattie's hips, lifting him so the cuffs would unlatch from the ceiling.

"Ivan, he said I would betray him next, just as you had." He groaned out, a soft whisper of a voice as Alfred frowned, holding him carefully.

"Can you walk?" Alfred asked quietly, trying to keep from drawing the attention of the guards, not even realizing he'd nearly yelled when he'd first found his brother.

"I can try. Thanks for remembering me." Mattie whispered and Alfred nodded, moving his hand down, opening a portal to Yao.

They stepped through and Yao sat up, having been in bed when he noticed the purple glow of the portal. "Alfred? Is it you?" He asked, a thick accent marring his words and Alfred stepped out, Mattie nearly being held up by his arm. Alfred ran his hand over the portal to close it before immediately opening another.

"It is me. Come on, we're escaping this hell." He mumbled and Yao slowly slid from the bed, his eyes darting to the door.

"Let's go quick. He's on his way!" Yao took off, helping to grab Mattie's other side and they walked through. Alfred heard the door open and looked up, seeing the narrowed eyes of confusion on Ivan's face as he smiled and waved, taking one last step before closing the portal behind himself.

That had been stupid and dangerous, taunting him like that, but at the same time, it had been a little freeing.

He got to taunt that dragon bastard.