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Title: Maoh, A Day Late
Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.
Notes: Yuri deepens friendships and builds new ones, all with the power of love.
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Part III, Chapter 2
Those that follow
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"You summoned me, King Belar?" Conrart inquired, bowing respectfully as he slipped into the audience chamber. As he straightened, his eyes widened at the sight of the figure beside Belar's throne.
"Indeed, Lord Weller," Belar said, smiling. "I wanted to introduce a new addition to my guard. Although it seems you two already know each other... Isn't that right, Adalbert?"
"I wonder," Adalbert commented, aiming his own disdainful smirk at Conrart. "I certain feel like I'm looking at a man I've never met. Perhaps I was mistaken."
Conrart's eyes narrowed as cold fury stole across his face. It took an effort of will not to reach for his sword.
"After all, I cut off that man's arm myself," Adalbert continued, his mocking expression shifting into a harsh glare.
Forcing a faint smile on his face, Conrart spread his arms. "Perhaps that was someone else?" he suggested.
"Yes, it seems that way," Adalbert agreed, his voice heavy with an implication that made Conrart tense.
Belar had been watching their exchange with calculating eyes, but seeing that neither were willing to divulge anything further, he waved one hand in their direction. "Then I will consider this issue resolved," he said. "See to it that no... misunderstandings occur. After all, you are both now serving as comrades, for the glory of Cimaron."
The dismissal was clear, and Adalbert strode away without another word. He passed Conrart as the latter bowed again, shooting him another jeering smirk.
"And Lord Weller," Belar called out distractedly, "see to our guest's accommodations. He is, after all, a member of royalty, no matter how insignificant his country."
Conrart nodded, acknowledging the order. Following Adalbert out of the audience room, he carefully shut the double doors behind them, all the while keenly aware of the danger at his back.
"But you know, that arm was put to good use in Caloria," Adalbert noted, having lingered in the entry hall. "So if that was the real thing, what does that make you?"
"I am simply a man serving under Cimaron's banner," Conrart said. He had no desire to discuss anything with Adalbert, though he wished he knew exactly what the man had told Belar. He understood now why Big Cimaron's king had hesitated in Francia - he had been unsure if the Key he thought he had would even work.
The situation was more complex than Belar knew or could imagine, and Conrart could only guess what the man believed at the moment, though the most likely conclusion was that Conrart wasn't the same Conrart Weller who had held the Key to the End of the Wind and simply an imposter. That could prove very dangerous for Conrart, if his usefulness to Belar was no longer assured.
Adalbert, who held more pieces of the puzzle, continued to watch Conrart with a cold, considering look.
"You must be someone else after all," Adalbert said mockingly. "That man was always so high and mighty about his loyalty to the Demon Kingdom, always looking down on me for turning my back on them. Surely that patriot wouldn't have become a traitor just like me."
As Conrart remained silent despite his baiting words, Adalbert snorted. He turned sharply and began to walk away, the black coat of his new uniform blending into the shadows.
"You were right about one thing, Adalbert," Conrart said quietly, watching his back. He forced his fists to unclench, flexing stiff fingers. "You understood the nature of the Demon Tribe - to always follow the will of the Great One."
No matter what the cost.
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"-And thus our first king, hereafter known as the Great One, sealed away the Originators and founded our great nation!" Gunter concluded.
Next to Yuri, Heathcrife nodded thoughtfully. "Fascinating," he said, stroking his goatee. "To think that humans and Demon Tribe were able to come together in this way. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could achieve the same thing as our ancestors?"
It was his fault that Gunter had launched into a four hour lecture about the history of the Great Demon Kingdom (which turned out to be just a shortened name) after Heathcrife had asked, naively, why they were storing the Boxes in a tomb. The older man had held up far better than Yuri, who had barely caught the highlights after the first twenty minutes.
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Yuri said, "I think it would be better if everyone could come together because they want to live in peace, not just because we have a common enemy."
"That would be truly marvelous," Heathcrife said, smiling in that adult way. "And perhaps that goal can one day be achieved, but for now one step at a time may be the way to go, wouldn't you say?"
"Ah, Your Majesty," Gunter breathed, "your lofty goals are simply splendid! I will support you with all the life in this body! With my very soul!"
"Thanks," Yuri said, smiling awkwardly. He had given up trying to deny everyone's vows of loyalty and excessive (to him) devotion after Wolfram yelled at him about rudeness and rejecting his subjects' feelings. It seemed all he could was accept what they offered gratefully and try not to let them down.
"I will support that dream as well," Heathcrife agreed. "As I have told Lord Von Voltaire," he carefully pronounced the full title, knowing now its significance, "I will not allow Cavalcade to be moved to aggressive action against the Demon Kingdom, not even by our allies."
"You'll do that, Mr. Heathcrife?" Yuri asked, his expression bright and eager. He knew that what he believed in was right, but it was still heartening to hear someone agree with him, not just because he was the Demon King, but because they also believed in it.
Heathcrife chuckled. "I may no longer live in Cavalcade, but I was once their crown prince. I wish for the country of my birth to avoid war, if at all possible."
"Of course, of course," Yuri agreed, nodding. As the full meaning of Heathcrife's words reached him, he froze. "Wait. Crown prince?!"
Heathcrife laughed, thankfully amused and tolerant of Yuri's shocked reaction. "It seems I was able to surprise you with my identity as well," he joked. "But yes, the king of Cavalcade is my father. I gave up my claim to the throne when I fell in love with a merchant's daughter, and the two of us moved to Hildyard together. With my brother's passing, my daughter Beatrice is the current heir to the Cavalcade throne."
Staring in shock, Yuri could only nod dumbly. "That explains why you were entrusted with the problem of the Box in Francia," he muttered.
"We will be honored to work with you toward a lasting peace between our nation and Cavalcade," Gunter said far more eloquently, taking over for his shocked sovereign. "We as well have no wish for war."
'That's right,' Yuri thought, relief spreading through his gut as he watched the two older men talk, 'Gwendal won't have to prepare for war anymore. Come to think of it, I should tell him about all this. I wonder where he got off to? I have seen him since around the time Gunter arrived.'
Gunter and Heathcrife had fallen into another discussion of Demon Tribe history, so Yuri took the chance to quietly slip out the door.
Setting out in search of Gwendal, Yuri quickly found himself stymied by the castle's still unfamiliar layout. When he tried to ask the servants, the response was less than encouraging, and not in the usual way. All of them shuddered as soon as he mentioned looking for Gwendal and stutteringly turned to look in the same direction. Some even made signs for warding off evil.
Following their particular brand of directions led Yuri to an isolated wing of the castle. As he walked, strange stains and singe marks began to appear on the walls. Several rooms seemed to have had their doors blown off their hinges. Peering inside, Yuri could sometimes see unidentifiable wreckage in the corners.
Finally, he heard the sounds of a woman's voice, giving strident commands from a room just down the hall. Moving to stand in front of the door, Yuri hesitated before opening it as he remembered the fear in the servants' faces. Just what had scared them that much? Could it be... fear of Gwendal's reaction should Yuri interrupt whatever he was doing? Was Gwendal with his-?
Before Yuri could complete the thought, the woman behind the door barked, "Don't slack off! Jump! Jump!"
That... sounded weird, but not like that, at least.
Gathering all his courage, Yuri knocked. Unfortunately, his attempt was far too timid, and the only response was mad laughter from beyond the door. Gritting his teeth, Yuri pounded on the door and called out, "Excuse me! Um, I'm looking for Gwendal!"
There was a moment of silence, then the clicking of approaching heels. Suddenly, the door was flung open, and a young woman with brilliant red hair regarded Yuri impatiently.
"He's busy assisting the progress of my genius inventions!" she declared. "Just have Gunter deal with it!"
She paused, finally noticing Yuri's appearance. Understanding dawned on her face at the sight of double-black coloring.
Feeling thoroughly intimidated, Yuri stammered, "I, uh, would like to speak with him for just a bit...?"
"You must be... the new Demon King," the woman concluded. "I can hardly refuse His Majesty. Please, come in."
As she stood aside, Yuri nervously slunk in through the door. The room beyond looked like a mad scientist's lab, with beakers and burners on the table, strange machinery lining the walls... and Gwendal, confined into one particularly odd apparatus that looked to Yuri rather like a trampoline with monitoring equipment around it.
"I am Anissina Von Karbelnikoff," the mad scientist herself said. "It's an honor to have you visit my laboratory. The reason I have... borrowed Gwendal is to power my latest invention. Let me present it to you, though it's still in the testing phase!"
She gestured grandly toward the trampoline, where Gwendal knelt - or perhaps collapsed - clearly exhausted. Yuri could only stare in bemusement as Anissina began to explain. She looked, if anything, like the kind of heroine his mother would like - passionate, independent and a little eccentric.
"This device uses earth element magical energy to detect movements within the soil and rock. I call it Mr. All Across the World Serenity Sensor," Anissina said, the strange name making Yuri twitch in surprise. "As you know, the Box opened in Caloria created a great deal of instability in the earth. We felt the tremors in some parts of the Demon Kingdom, and small aftershocks continue even now. And the effects didn't just spread out in a circle! They come to a head in unexpected places."
She spoke cheerfully, but her words sent a shiver down Yuri's spine. He could still easily remember the scene of devastation in Caloria. The haunting city, devoid of life and shrouded in mist, the bell tolling its sporadic warning, would remain with him for a long time yet.
Anissina continued on, passionately, "I believe that those areas possess a unique resonance due to having previously been affected by the power of a Box! By feeling the movements of the earth, where there is an answering vibration, we should be able to determine the areas where the influences of the Boxes seeped deep into the ground. And thus, we may be able to find where the Boxes have been, or even where they currently are!"
It took Yuri a moment to realize that her explanation had ended. He had zoned out a little in the middle of her litany of words. It was a bit like listening to Murata when he really got going. Yuri wished that she would provide a short summary, like Murata had taken to doing.
"That sounds very impressive," Yuri finally said, trying to come up with some better response. "It would be very helpful. Have you had any luck?"
Anissina glared at Gwendal, who had recovered enough to shudder and try to back away. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to gather enough magical energy to properly power my great invention," she said. "I borrowed Gwendal because he's one of the greatest magic users within the Demon Tribe, but even he is insufficient."
"We'd like to have him back," Yuri suggested, a little scared of her. "Mr. Heathcrife and Gunter need him to discuss a peace treaty with Cavalcade."
Her considering gaze turned on him, making Yuri break out in cold sweat. "It's too bad Your Majesty's contract is with the water spirits," she mused. "But I heard that the Demon King should be able to call all spirits to his command..."
Anissina advanced, looking thoughtful, while Yuri retreated desperately. "I-I think that maybe you should use another power source!" he cried out.
"Another power source?" Anissina repeated, drawing back in surprise.
"Yes!" Yuri exclaimed, desperate not to be her next guinea pig. "I mean, if magic power isn't enough..."
"But what could possibly be more powerful than magic?" Anissina demanded, her eyes narrowing.
Yuri panicked, and his mouth moved without any input from his brain. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Love!" What was he saying? "That's what my mom said! Love is the greatest power in the world! Love is even stronger than magic!"
Miko Shibuya had indeed said that, and more. Yuri had put it down to the sort of cheesy thing girls liked, and he felt embarrassed just repeating it, even in his desperate quest for survival, but Anissina looked contemplative.
"Love," she repeated. Turning the thought over in her mind, she nodded slowly, then more decisively. "Your mother is a truly wise woman, Your Majesty. Raised by such a fine woman, I believe you will be a good king after all," she said, rather backhandedly. "Yes, love! Haven't kisses been the most reliable way of breaking curses for ages past? Of course!"
Yuri could only stare at her in shock as Anissina began another technical lecture, only this time at no one in particular. He felt a tug on his arm and realized that Gwendal had escaped the device and was pulling Yuri out of the room. Nodding, Yuri followed him.
They needed to escape while they had the chance.
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They walked through the castle in silence. Yuri kept stealing looks at Gwendal's imposing figure, but the man's dark expression never wavered. Abruptly, Gwendal stopped, making his companion almost run into him.
"Was it true?" Gwendal demanded. "What you said to Anissina, a treaty with Cavalcade."
"I think so," Yuri stammered uncertainly. "Mr. Heathcrife wants to make sure there's no war between our countries, and I'm sure he can make it happen. He said he's the former crown prince!" Gwendal remained silent, even as Yuri tried to judge his reaction. "...So you don't need to prepare for war anymore," Yuri added quietly, almost pleading.
"...Not with Cavalcade," Gwendal allowed, starting down the corridor again.
Yuri hurried after him, but he could barely keep up with the man's long strides, leaving him too breathless to ask anything further.
"Your Majesty!" Gunter's call reached them as they made their way out of Anissina's off-limits wings of the castle. "Your Majesty! I have urgent news!"
The aide looked oddly serious, to Yuri's perception, as he hurried toward them. He didn't even comment on Yuri sneaking out or try to embrace him, as he had taken to doing since they had been reunited in the Karbelnikoff territory.
"What is it?" Gwendal asked sharply, his darkening even further.
"Your Majesty, did you by chance ask anyone else to do something for you?" Gunter asked, turning to Yuri. When the boy shook his head, he sighed. "I was afraid of that. It seems we have more unexpected visitors. One of our patrol ships reported intercepting a Francian vessel. One of the people aboard claims to be their king's aide and is demanding to speak with us."
"Lyla's here?" Yuri repeated. His expression of confusion quickly gave way to worry and something like fear. "Oh no, it couldn't be..." Spinning around, he hurried away. Over his shoulder, he called out Gunter, "Have them let through! I'll meet with her myself!"
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((You know what I wish I could see? Demon Queen Anissina. She's the only one of the Three Great Witches who didn't get a crack at the throne, one way or another. Also, coming with Anissina device names is haaaaard.))
((The names of the Boxes are pretty interesting. Be sure to remember that the End of the Wind and Ends of the Earth are completely different and come from different Japanese words. End of the Wind is more like "finished, over" and Ends of the Earth is more like "limits, boundaries". Hellfire/HellsFire/Hell's Fire in Frozen Land is pretty straightforward, though I've seen Frozen Land also rendered as Tundra.
((Of course, the confusing one is Bottom of the Mirror. Despite what you might have heard elsewhere, it's not the Mirror at the Bottom of the Sea. At all. The Mirror is possessive here, and the word used for Bottom really means bottom, of a river or sea specifically. I think a more refined way to say it might be the Mirror's Depths or the Depths of the Mirror, to keep with the pattern.))
And finally, you guys did pretty good but slacked off a little. You spoiled me! I'm not gonna go back to updating with a dearth of reviews. Or I will, but with greatly hurt feelings.