Genre: AU, Fantasy
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5
Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words
Special Note: Dedicated to darkneko666 and Demonskid, this was a request to me. Hope you both like it!
Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language, angst-ish, MPreg (sort of, probably not what you're expecting), demons
Author's Note: I noticed the relationships in "In My Master's Arms" are taking a long time to develop, so I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen in this one. I likes writing lemons, and I know you likes reading them, lol. ;)
Stirrings in Asharon
"We don't get many demon or fey travelers," Relena told them, "so you probably haven't heard. Be very, very careful on the open roads. There are rumors of a group of demons offering a reward for the capture of other demons and fey. No one knows what happens to them if they're captured, but they're never seen again."
Quatre Winner nodded thoughtfully. "That would explain the sudden greed in that cartographer's mind."
As sprites went, Quatre was a typical sprite. Like all his kind he could take a nearly-human-sized form, which was the form he usually assumed. Like most fey he was from Sylandri, and that was the only place, usually, that sprites took their other form. That of a small being with butterfly-gossamer wings, only about six inches high. Sprites were known for making mischief and trouble, loving to poke their little fey noses where they didn't belong. Quatre was no exception. Which was why he and trouble-maker Duo got along so marvelously well. He just loved Duo. If it weren't for Trowa, Quatre might have been interested in his best friend. After all, Duo was nymph-pretty. Every being in the world thought nymphs were definitely the most beautiful of all beings, mortal or immortal.
Not that he'd asked every being in the world, but he was sure they did.
"Have there been demons or fey captured in Cancaredes?" Heero asked.
Quatre looked at Heero. He was a magnificent sylvan. Strong like his race, proud like his race. Humans called sprites 'fairies' and they called the sylvan 'vampires'. Quatre thought humans' propensity for giving people names that weren't correct was odd. Humans were odd creatures. And not very pretty. Unlike the fey. And demons. Especially the fiery, fierce efreet.
"Yes," Relena replied, the librarian brushing back her thick, shiny hair. For a human, she wasn't all that unattractive. "But it was a few years ago. That was the last time, to my knowledge, we've seen one in the city. Not that I blame them for keeping away. I get the feeling you five haven't come from any place ordinary, have you?"
"Nope," Duo chirped. "Not ordinary. Or mundane."
"Or boring. Or expected," Quatre added.
"Or typical. Or usual," Duo rejoined, giving the sprite a big grin.
"Or average. Or commonplace," Quatre threw in, returning the grin.
"Enough," Wufei muttered. "What else can you tell us, Relena?"
She looked amused. Quatre supposed she was probably a good eight years older than him. "Not a whole lot, I'm afraid. No one knows where they came from or why they're doing it. They keep to themselves. But I can tell you, the farther toward the southlands you get, the more dangerous it becomes. Rumors have also begun spreading about human villages being burned to the ground, all the inhabitants found dead."
Quatre frowned. A good time to set out to find this champion, he thought. He could sense his four friends thinking the same thing.
Heero rose. "We should be on our way. It's getting late, and we still have things to do before we can rest for the night."
"Wait," Relena said, rising as well. "There is one more thing I must tell you. But not here. If you'll come with me to one of our private studies?" She cast a slightly furtive look about. "No one else should hear this."
Mystified, Quatre followed Heero's lead and followed the pretty librarian. She led them through shelves and shelves of books, both new and old, and opened a locked door with a key and gestured them inside. She only followed once they were all in, and she locked the door behind her. A single, stained lamp burned on the center of what looked like a very unstable table. The flame flickered and cast eerie shadows on the walls. Relena reached into her too-large tunic and drew out an old-looking scroll. With reverent hands, she spread it on the table and used four round stones to secure the corners.
"This is the ancient prophecy," she said, "preserved using magic. I wanted you to see it in its original form."
The prophecy itself was written in beautiful, curving letters that looked like a derivative of both demonic and fey. Quatre could read it, though he'd never seen it before. 'In the time of greatest peril a champion will be born to the side of Light. He will be aided by the five Divine Elements in his quest to destroy evil.' Around the words were five symbols, drawn reverently in colored ink. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. The Divine Elements. Each symbol was surrounded by a larger pentacle.
"There was a sage who lived near Cancaredes years ago," Relena said, her fingers tracing the words, "when I was just a little girl. My mother used to take me to her to learn the ancient tongues. She was the one who told me of this prophecy, and when I was ten she had a strange vision. She said evil was growing stronger, and that the time of the prophecy of the Champion of Light was drawing near. She said she saw five young immortals, some of fey, some of demon, traveling into Cancaredes seeking answers about the prophecy. She said there would be one who possessed the power of each element, and that they were the prophesied ones who would help the Champion defeat the evil." She looked up from the scroll, her eyes burning into each of them in turn.
"You are the Divine Elements. You are the ones in the prophecy. You will help the Champion drive the evil from our world and make it safe once again."
o8o o8o
Chang Wufei prided himself on his quick, keen mind. He knew Heero relied on him and his quick thinking. And his strong sense of justice. He was a Way demon, an old and proud race of demon that dated as far back as dragons and the sylvan. Right now, however, he felt like he was floundering. He looked to Heero, saw the sylvan looked every bit as lost as he did.
Duo, naturally, was the first to recover from this shock, though he looked flummoxed. "Say what? How could the prophecy possibly know that?"
Heero stirred. "This is what the druids told us, nearly enough, at the Pool of Hidden Truths," he pointed out.
That made Wufei feel a bit more centered. Yes, that was very true.
"But this prophecy is way older than that," Duo protested.
"Vashti and Hanthra are goddesses," Wufei chipped in.
Duo subsided with a little frown.
"But the druids told us many times, the future is not pre-determined," Trowa said slowly.
"A prophecy is not the same as predicting the future," Quatre chimed in, sounding like a lecturing druid. "Prophecies are generally self-fulfilling, because when a person believes the power of prophecy, they set events in motion to ensure the prophecy comes true."
"And we can predict the future," Wufei added, nodding, "to a certain degree. I can predict we will find this Champion based on the fact that we are looking for him."
Quatre giggled.
"There is more," Relena brought their attention back to her. "These demon-hunters I told you about, they're also searching for the Champion. They want to slay him or her and capture the five Divine Elements to use for their own purposes. You five must be careful in your search, and find the Champion before they do."
Heero frowned. "How do you know all this?" he demanded.
Echoing precisely what Wufei was wondering.
Relena reached beneath her tunic and pulled out a small pendant. "This pendant is worn only by the Order of Secrets. We have sworn ourselves to the service of Vashti and Hanthra, and we keep their secrets here on this world. Vashti and Hanthra have placed the Champion here to fight and defeat evil, therefore we are sworn to protect him or her. And the five of you. When you leave here, head east toward Etharod. It has been foreseen that the Champion is somewhere between the provinces of Sovinth and Etharod, in a village."
"Because that's not a small area to begin," Duo snorted.
Wufei privately agreed.
"You will know the Champion," Relena went on, seemingly unperturbed, "when you see these three signs. The sky will open and weep. Blood will rain. And the Champion will see through the eyes of a hawk."
"Obnoxiously obscure," Duo muttered.
"I can only pass on what I have seen or been told," she said, sounding apologetic. "And I will, of course, do whatever I can to help." She handed Heero a small mirror. "If you have any questions, speak my name and your question to the mirror. I will hear and answer if I can."
Heero took it and looked at Wufei. The Confessor knew what he wanted without having to hear it. He nodded. "She's not lying."
"Of course I'm not," Relena said, sounding brisk. "Now, you must finish gathering your supplies and then rest for the night. And Heero, I know you are very strong, but you haven't fed in a long time. You must, or you will grow too weak to help your friends."
Heero blinked, but his expression of surprise rapidly cooled into one of borderline hostility. "That isn't your concern," he said frostily. "Thank you for your help." He inclined his head. "It's time we were on our way."
As they filed out of the room and then the library, Wufei fell into step alongside the fey he believed to be his closest friend and even leader. "Is she right?" he said softly. "Has it been long since you fed?"
He could see the muscles of Heero's jaw clench. "I'm fine," he said shortly.
"Not the question I asked," Wufei said, lightly rapping his knuckles on Heero's upper arm.
"He's right, 'Ro," Duo abruptly inserted, appearing to Heero's right. "You can't just eat like we can. You need to keep up your strength."
There were times, Wufei thought, that Heero reminded him of a powerful force under pressure. Push too much in just the wrong way and the force would be unleashed. There were things on which it was okay to insist. This was not one of them. Sylvan were strange about their needs. Especially this sylvan. Recognizing the growing tension in Heero's posture, Wufei grabbed Duo in a headlock.
"You never shut up, do you?" he demanded, mussing Duo's wonderful hair.
"Gah! Let go of me!" Duo grunted, pushing futilely against Wufei's arms.
Quatre, never one to let Duo have all the fun without him, quickly joined in to help free his best friend. As soon as Duo was free, the nymph hybrid gave Wufei an affronted glare, looking quite rumpled. Quatre snickered.
"But you know, Duo," he said slyly, "he's right." He jabbed Duo in the ribs.
"No one was even talking to you, you traitor!" Duo cried, jumping on Quatre's back.
Amused and pleased by the sprite's impeccable timing, Wufei looked back to Heero to see the sylvan grinning faintly. The tension was gone. Safe to broach the subject again, only carefully this time.
"But you do need to feed," he said quietly. "I don't mind giving, if you need."
A grimace passed quickly over Heero's face. "Thanks, but . . . maybe."
Well, that was better than nothing. Wufei accepted it for now.
o8o o8o
Thanks to Quatre and Wufei, it was simple to procure horses and supplies all for fair prices. They wound up buying three horses, two for riding and one for packing. Wufei disdained, saying he was fine with transforming and keeping pace. If he needed to rest, he told them, he could simply turn himself into a small bird and sit on Heero's shoulder. Which made Heero snort softly and subside.
They found lodging for the night, and the innkeeper offered to give them a discounted rate if Wufei would serve as a Confessor over a matter between him and his partner. Confessors were rare these days, they said, and no one would mete out justice with more fair impartiality. Wufei, of course, agreed. He settled the matter and satisfied both parties, and Heero was pleased by his friend's calm abilities. They ate a warm supper and retreated to settle for the night.
Which presented a difficulty Heero had neglected to consider. He was now alone with Duo in a small room. No one else was there to distract him. And despite what he'd told Wufei, Relena was right. It had been more than a month since he'd last fed, and he was starving. He always fed sparingly, loathe to cause anyone harm. But when the doors were closed and the noise gone, Heero almost reeled when his senses greedily absorbed the feel and unique smell of Duo.
His blood was like an intoxicant. Rich and strange, Heero could smell both the demon and the fey in him. Together they created a whole new aroma, something no one else on this world had. Totally and completely unique. It excited and strangled Heero's senses, tempting him. Taunting him. Begging him to come taste. He knew if he ever gave in to that temptation, he would be addicted. Which was why he never, ever drank blood.
Duo sat on the edge of the only bed, wide though it was. "All right," he said, his eyes unusually serious, "you need to feed. Come on." He patted the space beside him.
Heero shook his head. Not even for Vashti's blood.
"Heero," Duo said, sounding exasperated, "you just gonna let yourself starve? What would I tell Wufei and Trowa?"
"You'd think of something, I'm sure," Heero said, amused in spite of himself.
"Come on," Duo said, rising, using his most cajoling tone. "You don't have to drink, you've done it before. You're so careful it doesn't even hurt." He wrapped his arms around Heero's shoulders in a loose hug. "Whaddaya say, Hee-ro?"
Shit, he was so close. Heero's vision blurred without his permission, changing Duo from a clearly defined shape to a hazy myriad of color and light. What a person looked like when reduced to their essence. The point at which life pulsed strongly in them all. "Okay," he breathed, leaning forward until his lips rested against Duo's temple. He drew in a deep lungful of air and light and color, and it was so sweet it was almost painful. He swallowed the vivid essence, felt it warm him and entice him. He felt his own arms come up under Duo's, dragging him closer, crushing them together. Sweet, he was so sweet. So warm and sweet and strange and spicy and unusual and hot and . . .
Stay in control, he thought, forcing his senses to clear. This was one thing humans deeply feared about the sylvan. It was so easy to kill. A single sylvan couldn't drain one person's entire essence, but a small group of them could. Three, maybe four.
His heartbeat slowed, his breathing evened. He drank down the sweet nectar that was Duo, and he felt strength and heat flood his veins. The light and color focused back into Duo, and Heero could feel the nymph trembling. He stabilized his friend. This wasn't the first time he thought how good and right it felt to have Duo in his arms like this. He loved holding Duo. He always had. He was the leader and protector of their little circle, a role he took seriously, especially with Duo.
"You okay?" he murmured, lips brushing against Duo's skin.
The demon hybrid drew in a shaky-sounding breath. "Yeah. It's just so intense. 's like I can feel you inside of me, somewhere I didn't realize there was a place for you to be."
A soft chuckle escaped Heero. Unlike blood, life essence regenerated quickly. "Let's go to bed. We'll both feel better in the morning."
"No arguments here!" Duo agreed, releasing his hold on Heero and flopping down on the bed. He watched Heero take off his boots. "Ne, Heero, thanks."
Heero blinked. "For what?"
Duo smiled. "Trusting me. I know you don't like doing that. So thanks for letting me do it for you."
That intoxicating smell still filling Heero's head, the sylvan was strongly tempted to lean down and kiss that impertinent little mouth, to push open his shirt and lick his chest, and to . . .
"No one else I trust more," he said softly.
Something sparked in Duo's eyes. Something . . . was that what he thought it was? Desire made Duo's maddening scent seem even hotter and sweeter, and Heero resisted the urge to lick his lips. Perhaps it was worth exploring. Because if Duo wanted him and he wanted Duo, then what was left but to act on their desires? Nothing, he thought with a private grin as he climbed in beside his best friend. Nothing at all.