Part Three:
Fai was trembling. He clenched the reins tighter and smacked them down hard. His sole focus was on catching one of those demons for Yuui.
"Don't be a fool! Let me handle them," Kurogane shouted at him over the noise of the reindeer's feet slapping against the snow. Fai didn't answer, concentrating on guiding the reindeer. When they were close, Fai yanked on the reins and grabbed his staff.
"Don't get in my way," Fai warned. He jumped out too quick for Kurogane to grab him. The ninja followed, caught up to Fai, and clenched his elbow. Fai paused and looked at him.
"I've been spoiling for a good fight. I know how to wound them without taking the kill. Let me hurt one and then you can bind it with your magic, right?"
"Yes, I can do that," Fai said. He let Kurogane take the lead.
The ninja drew his sword and held it in a two handed grip. Something caught the demons' attention because they screeched and focused on them. One dove with a scream, but Kurogane took a huge swing towards the wings. A gold arch slice through the air and clipped the shoulder. The demon swerved off and headed back to the sky.
"Damn!" Kurogane swore. "They aren't acting normal."
"Maybe it's because they aren't use to the cold? Or Celes?"
"Celes is more like it," Kurogane said. The same demon dove again, but Kurogane realized this demon was honed on Fai. "Move!" Fai ran back and lofted his staff, but Kurogane was able to slice its leg before it attacked the blond. It sailed back up into the air with the other three. "Great! That must be the one that got your brother. That's bad news for you, mage."
"Why?"
"Because your brother and you have the same blood. It'll crave it once it has the taste. It won't be satisfied until it's drained you, since it didn't get enough from your brother. Demons have been known to feast on entire families."
"I'll have to show it Celes hospitality, then," Fai said, raising the pointed bottom part of his staff. He traced glowing runes and sent them flying at the one demon. The demon howled when the glowing runes smacked it, sending it backwards. The other three flew higher.
"They really can't stand the magic your kind uses," Kurogane said. "We could have used magic as bait, but now all we have is your blood."
"So be it," Fai said and tossed his staff back in the sled. "Wound it when it comes for me again."
"You're crazy!" Kurogane shouted as the demon dove towards Fai again. The mage stood still. If it meant Fai's life could be saved, he wasn't bothered by any harm that could befall him.
The demon swooped, but its right claws where sliced off by Kurogane's blade. The demon ignored Kurogane and pounced on Fai. He was pinned to the snow by the huge creature. Kurogane pierced its back and sent it scuttling off to the side. Fai rolled over and held his hands out towards the wounded beast. He stood and sent a binding spell at it. A pink orb encased the screeching demon.
"Gotcha!" Fai said. The demon thrashed and howled in the pink orb. The other three demons heard the call and dove towards Fai.
"Watch out!" Kurogane shouted, jumping to Fai's defense. Fai lost concentration of his spell when Kurogane shoved him to the ground and sliced a demon's throat before it caught the mage. The wounded demon and two others launched themselves in the air and disappeared. Fai stood up again and walked over to where Kurogane stood over the dying demon.
"Can we use it?"
"No, it's a goner. It was too fast to wound, and I wasn't going to let it kill you no matter how crazy you are." Sure enough, the demon dissolved into a black goo and evaporate into smoke. No trace of it was left.
"Yuui is the most important..."
"Save it! I need to talk to the princess, so get back in that sled," Kurogane ordered. Fai shut his mouth, got into the sled, and took the reins.
When Kurogane got in, Fai said, "King Ashura is going to kill me."
"If he doesn't, I will," Kurogane snapped and crossed his arms.
Kurogane wondered how they were to going get back into Luval Castle. Fai held up his hand. The sled levitated, reindeer and all. It drifted upwards in a pink swirl. They landed in what Fai had referred to as the stables.
The reindeer shook and fidgeted as their feet touched ground again. Three men came out to deal with getting the harnesses undone. Fai asked, "Where's the king?"
"In the botanical garden," one of the grooms answered. Fai grabbed his staff and lead Kurogane through the hallways in silence.
They got to a room that was steamy and bright. Kurogane found this to be the warmest he'd been in hours. Plants of all sorts were growing in containers, some as large as trees. Tomoyo and Ashura were in the center of the room by a large water fountain. Ashura looked up from the book he was consulting and fixed Fai with stern expression. He set the book aside and walked up to Fai.
"You cast two hexes and a binding spell. Why?" Fai didn't answer right away. He lowered his head and clutched his staff. "And don't think of lying, I sensed it all. Answer me, Fai."
"We went to check Vercasta, and everything was fine. I saw the demons to the north so I went to go catch one. I caught one, but another demon attacked me. Unfortunately, the one I caught escaped and Kurogane was forced into killing the attacking demon."
Ashura lofted his hand and struck Fai across the cheek; Fai's head snapped back with a loud crack. Kurogane admitted he got a little satisfaction out of the slap; he'd wanted to do it himself. Fai rubbed his ruddy cheek, looking stunned.
"You've just reduced Yuui's chances of survival and put Kurogane's life at risk along with your own." Ashura stepped back and shook his head. "I've been too permissive with you. No more."
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I didn't..."
"I'm not going to deal with your disobedience now, Fai. When we get Yuui healed, then I will punish you. Be certain of that."
"Yes, sir," Fai said, sounding utterly broken.
"Princess, I noticed something when we faced them," Kurogane said, itching to steer the topic away from this family drama. "There is a stone here that seems to irritate the demons. Fai calls it fluorite. He says they use it to direct their magic."
Ashura picked up his staff and lowered the topper towards Tomoyo. "You have nothing like this in your realm?"
"No. I've never seen anything like it. The demons are drawn to magic in our realm."
"It seems to repulse them here, or rather the style of magic they use. The king should have been attacked when they first got here, because he cursed them. But he must have used this crystal and that's why they fled," Kurogane explained. "Now they keep to the sky."
"Of course. The ley lines in Celes are located under veins of fluorite. The demons are probably trying to avoid them, if what you say is true," Ashura said. "They maybe headed further north where there is a small void of fluorite. It's a two day trip from here, but we can't leave until morning. It's almost nightfall and it'll be entirely too dangerous to travel."
"That's fine. I can make the poultice from these herbs, Highness." Tomoyo held up some plant clippings in a basket. "It'll keep him safe for up to a week, but not much longer."
"Fine," Ashura said. "I'll help you prepare it. Fai, you and Kurogane get dinner."
Tomoyo and Ashura left. Kurogane looked over at Fai, who was still wearing a stupefied expression as he rubbed his red cheek. Kurogane said, "Let's get something to eat," starting to feel a little sorry for the brat.
Fai just nodded and led Kurogane to the kitchen. The cook took tons of time fussing over Fai and trying to cheer him up before presenting them with a type of stew. When the cook left them alone at a thick wood table, Fai said, "I'm sorry about putting you in that position."
"That's done. What you need to do is get your head into the game. Especially since one of them has a taste for your blood."
"Will the demon keep coming after me?"
"Yes."
"Then I have a plan. King Ashura won't approve, but I think I can convince him."
After dinner, they joined Ashura and Tomoyo in the twins' bedroom. Yuui was still sleeping, but now he had fresh bandages and clean, sable robes.
"Tomorrow morning, Kurogane and I will head north. Fai, you'll stay and assist Princess Tomoyo."
"But I have to be the one to go," Fai said.
"Why?"
"Because the one that wounded Yuui is hunting for his blood. Since I have the same, it's lured to me as well. Kurogane and I can set up a trap for it."
"You tell me this and expect my permission to go?"
"Yes. It gives us the best chance to catch one. Please, Ashura, I need to atone for my mistakes. Let me do this. I promise to not take any stupid risk." It was the most sincere thing Kurogane had heard from the mage's mouth.
Ashura turned to Kurogane. "Well?"
"Having bait would help, since the magic here is repelling them. I'll take him along and protect him, so long as he's more careful."
"Thank you," Fai said with a bright smile.
"I'll let you handle this on your own," Ashura said. "I've thought this over. Yes, it is your responsibility to correct what you've done, as much as I do want to protect you. But know this, Yuui's life is in your hands. Do not let him down."
Fai quickly hugged the ruler, and Ashura returned the embrace. "Get some rest and leave first thing in the morning."
Ashura held Fai by the shoulders at arm's length for a moment before leading Tomoyo out of the bedroom. Fai turned to Kurogane. "I want to leave right away after we get some rest, so you can have my bed."
Kurogane was used to futons, so it was strange sleeping in such a large, soft bed. He looked over to where Fai flopped down on his stomach beside his brother. He flung his arm over his twin and then look over at Kurogane. "Night, Kuro-rin."
"Spoiled brat," Kurogane snapped, and then shut his eyes.
This time Kurogane braced himself for the long drop from Luval Castle. Once again, his teeth were rattled, but it wasn't as bad this time. Thankfully, the idiot mage was silent for a while, but it didn't last too long. He suddenly started grinning and held up the reins towards Kurogane.
"Would you like a turn. It's pretty easy."
Kurogane shrugged. "Why not. It'll give me something interesting to tell my parents when I get back home."
Kurogane took the reins with his gloved hands. Fai whispered with frosty breath, "Now all you have to do is shout 'hyuu, hyuu' to get them go faster."
"I'm not shouting 'hyuu, hyuu' like and imbecile!" Kurogane bellowed.
Suddenly, the reindeer surged forward, knocking Kurogane back into the seat hard. He shook it off when Fai burst out in a fit of laughter and collapsed on the floorboard. Kurogane's foot lashed out and connected with Fai's shin.
"Ow! Kuro-tan is so mean and violent!" Fai howled, giving Kurogane the most false pout he'd ever seen. The unmanliness of the expression pissed off Kurogane and made him uncomfortable all at the same.
"Keep it up, you spoiled brat, and I'll introduce you to Ginryuu personally!"
Fai stopped his nonsense and got back into the seat beside Kurogane. He placed his hands over Kurogane's and yanked their right hands back. He then shouted, "Hyuu, hyuu!"
Kurogane snatched his hands back and dropped the reins. Fai picked them up and smiled. "I guess, Kuro-kuro knows I'm a trouble maker for sure."
"You don't have to cover your guilt with stupidity," Kurogane spat out, glaring at the mage. He was satisfied to see the fake glee falter.
"You have me all figured out, don't you? You don't know where Yuui and I came from." There was a chill in that tone that paled next to the Celes atmosphere. Kurogane shivered when those blue eyes narrowed and concentrated on guiding the reindeer through a forest.
Kurogane crossed his arms and said, "I don't give a crap about your past. Just put it away until we can get a demon, or else you'll screw up your twin's chance of survival."
Fai's hood dropped over his head and obscured his expression; however, there was a nod. The rest of the trip was uncomfortably silent.
To be continued.
