Dripping Wings
Yuugi looked on as Atemu stood up, leaned against the bed, and rested one hip on it. "I know you won't be able to do much today, so all we're going to start out with is sitting up. Are you ready?"
The teen sighed. "No, but I might as well try."
The Prince chuckled. "That's the spirit. Now, I want you to put your hands on my forearm. Should you start to fall, I'll be able to catch you quickly." Yuugi complied, pushing his chest off the bed as he rested on his elbows. The Prince's skin was warm under his touch, and he could smell a dark musk that lingered in his nose. The further he got up, the more Atemu was able to sit on the bed. Soon, there wouldn't be any place for Yuugi to fall but into his arms.
Yuugi started to break out in a sweat as he pushed against his support to try and sit up. "Gahh..." He squeezed his eyes closed as his muscles began to constrict on him. "It hurts..."
"Easy," Atemu stated. "Start bending your knees so you can draw your legs up beneath you. It will making it easier. Right now, you're fighting your own weight."
Yuugi did as he was told. He actually began to feel his head become vertical, until his arms gave out, and he fell right into the Prince's chest. Boy, did he smell good. What was the cologne he had on?
Or was it even cologne?
Yuugi groaned, his muscles feeling weak and useless. "Owe..." he muttered.
"Does it feel like you don't have much control over your muscles at the moment," he was asked.
Yuugi nodded, grateful when he was pushed upright the rest of the way. For the first time, he was actually able to look around the room he was in. It looked much like the rest of the compound, with the gothic structured pillars fanning out into the ceiling, tall windows so old they had a tint of yellow. He also saw for the first time that he had on a pair of white pants, similar to scrubs worn in hospitals, except for the fact they felt so smooth, so lightweight, and so fine, it just might have been possible to pull the whole garment through the hole of a needle. "It feels like my whole body has gone to sleep, and I can't get it to wake up."
"In a sense, it has. But unlike when you sit on your foot for too long and it starts to tingle, this is more like a deep sleep, and the only way to wake it up is by exercise." Atemu held him at arm's length.
Yuugi looked at him and pouted. "You know you're the one who's mainly holding me up. I'd fall flat on my face right now if you weren't."
The Prince laughed. "I know, but it's good for you to be up. Why don't you try taking a look at your wings? You haven't truly been able to see them yet."
The teen turned his head to the side, seeing the limp and lifeless new appendage draped across the many beds. He knew it would probably hurt, but he simply couldn't help it. Painfully raising a hand up to a mass of downy feathers, he touched to see how soft they were.
Whatever clouds felt like, he knew he put them to shame. And faintly, in the glimmer of the early morning sunrise, he could see a shimmer of silver lining under his wing. White on top, silver beneath. Even if those clouds above don't have a silver lining....I do. He decided to stop when moving a larger feather caused him to wince.
"They are pretty, Yuugi. You should be proud."
Yuugi scowled. "No I shouldn't. These things are going to be a burden for me from now on. Continually trying to hide them, attempting to hide from prying looks and curious questions.... does the country know what I look like yet? Am I going to be hounded for the rest of my life because of these?"
The Prince, for once, gave him a sad look. "Most everyone in the country knows what I look like. It has been said that you resemble me in an uncanny way. If you play your cards right, and if you know how to handle those awkward situations when they arise, then it won't be as much of a bother as you might think. Remember, Yuugi; out of sight, out of mind. If you hide something from the public eye long enough, especially something they've never seen, they won't remember you so readily. They might even forget. Life catches up with people eventually. As long as you don't go seeking the fame, you can find ways to avoid it."
Yuugi rubbed his forehead, and out of force off habit found his fingers wandering to his hairline and behind his ear. "I sure hope you're right. For my own sanity."
The Prince chuckled. "Well, since you've worked so hard for today, you can have a treat."
"And what's that," Yuugi asked.
Atemu held his hand out to a table that was towards the front of the room, and motioned his finger as though he were summoning someone from across the room. Yuugi turned his head as far as he could, finally able to see a bright red fruit drifting over on a silver cloud of dust. "You have got to teach me how to do that," Yuugi complained. "I had an itch on my thigh the other night, and for the life of me I couldn't reach it. I know I saw a backscratcher hanging on the wall behind me when I first got a tour of this place. I really could have used it."
The Prince laughed, allowing Yuugi to fall back against him and handing him the fruit. "I'm not allowed to teach you any new magick tricks yet, you're too weak. Maybe next week."
Yuugi pouted again, running his fingers over the smooth skin of the fruit. It was shaped similar to a pear, with a bright purple leaf on top. "So what is this, anyway?"
"This is fruit called dragon's blood. Dragons eat these like crazy when spring time rolls around. It's the only fruit that grows all winter long."
Yuugi took a bite, intrigued. The inside was a deep purple in color, with specks of lime green here and there. It was a bright citrus taste, perhaps a cross between a...a... Yuugi grinned. "I know what this tastes like."
"What's that," Atemu asked.
"Like a cross between an orange and a seven up."
He got a strange look. "And those would be...?"
It was Yuugi's turn to laugh. "Never mind. You'd have to try it yourself someday." He finished the fruit, leaving only the large seed that was in the center and the stem and leaf on top.
Atemu shifted position, gently placing the teen back down on the bed again. "You should get some more rest, because tomorrow you're going to try and stand up."
"Oh, ambitious," he replied, chuckling. "Thank you for the fruit. It was delicious." He heard the flutter of wings as Atemu lifted over his wing and to the other side of the room.
"You're more than welcome."
Suddenly, Yuugi felt weight added to the bed behind him, and heard a bottle cap pop open. "I'm going to put a balm on your back, Yuugi. It will help with muscle strain and speed up your recovery."
"All right." He certainly wasn't going to turn something down that sounded like a massage.
Just as the balm hit his skin and those warm, gentle hand began kneading his sore muscles, he thought back to something that his friend Jou had once said. Dude, if anyone you don't know ever offers ya a massage, turn 'em down. Ninety five percent of all massages end up in sex. And who knows what they could slip in yer drink then!
Yuugi, sadly, fell asleep before he could indulge anymore on such thoughts. However, it did leave his unconscious mind to wander...
xxx
After three weeks of repeatedly trying to stand, repeatedly trying to move muscles that simply didn't seem to be there, and repeatedly trying to pout his way into some much needed sunshine, he had made little progress in the way of the sunshine factor.
He had been asleep when the talk started, this he knew, and he also had a feeling they hadn't intended to wake him. But what they also didn't know was that when he was healthy he was an instinctually light sleeper. He'd learned to be one at an early age when he found out the boogy man truly did creep around your door at night with a rusty, bloody knife and a masked face.
Atemu was holding his hand again as he slept. He did that a lot. He could also feel the grip was tighter than normal, almost protective in a way.
And he didn't sound too happy.
"Some fresh air would be good for him, you can't deny that."
"Yes, I know. But the risk factors are too high."
Yuugi kept his eyes closed and controlled his breathing. He'd also learned to do that at an early age, too. He found he had an incredible talent; he could hide under blankets and not be noticed, so long as he was still and quiet enough.
"You said when he could walk out of here he could get some sunshine. Why are you keeping him here?"
"Tell me you haven't seen the commoners and magi alike lined up outside these compound walls. Do you really think that's safe? To take him out there?"
"What about the open courtyard in the center of the compound? Why can't you let him go there?"
"Because of the students there. He can't leave until he can hide his wings."
"You know that won't happen for another month or so. It takes a long time to develop that talent."
"Then you'd better start teaching him!"
It grew silent again quickly. Yuugi could feel the tension in the room, he didn't have to see the look on the people's faces. He knew now that the Prince was arguing with the Priestess.
"You're out of line, Headmistress."
"And you're infatuated, Prince."
Yuugi's stomach fell to his knees. Oh, this was getting bad. He'd had a feeling about the Prince since he first met him. It had been possible that the people of this realm had smaller personal space bubbles, but Yuugi highly doubted it.
The Priestess had a lot of balls talking back to royalty, even if she was female.
"I told you of my foresight, Headmistress. I am looking at what is to come, while you are being blinded by fear and control issues."
"I am worried about him! You, however, are worried about what lies between your legs!" Yuugi felt the grip on his hand become tighter. "Damn it, it's my fault he has these wings right now! I was the one he heard on that rainy night! I was stretching my own wings, allowing them to feel the rain and air since no one was supposed to be out, and it drew him out! It's my fault he ran into those fire gifted! His wings should not have come out for another two years, at the minimum!"
"Blood or not, you have no right to speak to the ruler of your country in such a fashion! I don't care what drove him out that night, it wasn't intentional! You didn't do it on purpose! Good goddesses, Aunt Lillian, stop being ridiculous!"
Aha. That explained her wings. She was royalty, too.
"I am sorry that your daughter was killed in this same way, but that doesn't mean it will happen to Yuugi too! At the very least let me take him to the palace gardens. He will be safe there, I promise you."
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, Yuugi thought. Sometimes, it really payed off to be able to feign sleep.
"Alone? No, I don't think that's such a good-"she stopped. Yuugi could here the Prince snarling. "If you're afraid I'll steal his innocense, Lilian, why don't you take him yourself?"
Silence again. Yuugi hoped no blood was going to be shed anytime soon, especially over his sake.
"He's been here three weeks. Why don't you just go straight to the aviary. Give him some first flying lessons."
The grip on his hand loosened. The Prince was holding his hand lovingly again. "I'm glad you see it my way, Headmistress. I'll take him in the morning."
xxx
The air was tense that morning as Yuugi awoke. The Prince was still dozing in the armchair next to him, holding his hand like he always did. Yuugi yawned, stretched his muscles, and began to sit up, causing Atemu to wake as well. "Good morning, Yuugi," he yawned. He looked like he'd received little sleep that night, and Yuugi knew exactly why.
"You look tired, Atemu. Rough night?" he asked innocently.
"No, no it was fine."
Liar.
"We're going to the aviary today, Yuugi. You're going to get some of your fist flying lessons."
Yuugi frowned. "Let me guess. Is it enclosed?"
"I'm afraid so. But as a treat, I can take you to the garden area afterwards. The roses smell beautiful this time of the year." Roses seam to be a universal thing. Always the symbol of love. Oh, Yuugi had to stop himself. He wondered if this was foreshadowing anything...
Goddesses above, was he actually anticipating something to happen? Did he even want it to? He supposed he ought to give it some thought now, just so that it didn't come as a shock to him later.
And what did that cryptic statement from the night before mean? I've told you of my foresight, Headmistress...
"Atemu," Yuugi asked, standing up and doing his routine stretches.
"Yes," the Prince asked, untying a velvet pouch from his belt.
"What is 'foresight?'"
"Hmm? Oh, it's the ability to tell the future."
The teen touched one tip of his wing to the far wall. "How accurate is it?"
"It gives the viewer the ability to see the possible future as events lay right now. Being able to see which future comes about is the real talent."
"Does that mean a lot of magi have foresight?"
"No, it's rather rare."
Yuugi finished, and Atemu held out a hand for him. "Ready?"
"I'm ready."
Yuugi had learned that the large circular room he had first been brought to and transported through was in fact the, with the most original title Yuugi could ever come up with, transport room.
It really didn't sound all that exciting. And for the most part, it wasn't. It was an ability most magi strived for decades for, and when there wasn't the statues of all thirteen goddesses surrounding the magi, it was even harder, even dangerous at times to try.
The two of them headed down there quickly, Yuugi making easy work of the steps. He'd even managed to jump off one of the beds in the healing ward when no one was looking, and only came out of it with a couple of bruises and a satisfactory smile.
Ryou, Anzu, and a boy Yuugi didn't recognize were standing in the hall talking with one another. Anzu looked over at him and smiled, waving her hand. "Yuugi! You're up! How are you?"
Two other heads turned his way, and the teen smiled. "I'm better! You?"
"You missed a good lesson in healing today, Yuugi!" Ryou called. "I can grow bones back together!"
His heart sunk, and the Prince didn't miss the slight frown that momentarily marred his face. Yuugi brightened back up, though. "That's good, Ryou! Keep up the great work!"
He kept waving goodbye until they were out of sight. Oh, how he really wished he hadn't missed any class.
"Don't worry, Yuugi. You'll learn it all."
Yuugi frowned, starting to focus on the knot that had been eating away at his stomach for a while. "Why do I have a feeling that it won't be fast enough?"
Atemu frowned hard. He whispered something to himself, but Yuugi heard what he said. "Probably for the same reasons I do."
xxx