Secrets, part 2
It had been more than a week since Kavi fell ill. The trouble was, this was no ordinary flu. He wasn't getting any better. In fact, he was getting worse. Whatever this was, it seemed to be feeding off his magic and that could be potentially deadly to a mage. Puck was away at the court of Avalon. If only he were home, he'd know what to do. At least that's how Jasper felt. He felt so helpless watching his brother slip a little further away each day. Blythe never left Kavi's side. Even when they brought him down to his old room in the sanctum, Blythe came with him. Once Veda deduced the nature of the illness, Kavi wanted to be quarantined from the rest of the guild. If Serpent Wing fell again because of a virus he'd introduced, he would never forgive himself. He told Blythe to leave, but the blood mage refused. He didn't care if he got sick. There was simply no way he would abandon his lover.
Out in the sanctum, Jasper stared into the floor. He leaned heavily on his knees as he sat in thought. What was happening? When Kavi first got sick, he'd been worried. He always was when his brother fell ill. Kavi had barely survived a horrid fever when they were younger, something Jasper never forgot. Most people assumed dragon slayers would be immune to such petty things as germs, but this was not the case. Kavi was actually quite frail in his health. He just chose not to show it. After all, he was the guild leader just under Veda. If he faltered, who would his friends believe in? He'd worked so hard to rebuild after Tanya slayed everyone he cared about. If not for Blythe, he was certain he would have ended his life. Jasper knew all about that, too. Kavi's emotional health had always been rocky at best, something the brothers shared. Now the incubus was fighting off his own demons as he worried for his beloved brother.
A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You don't look so good. Did you catch it?", asked Yona, placing her hand over his forehead. "Hmm, you don't have a fever. Maybe you just finally baked your brain from over-thinking", she teased, trying to lighten the mood. Jasper offered a faint smile to ease her worries. "I'm all right", he assured. "Then what's got you so gloomy?", she inquired, sitting beside him. He sighed heavily, a bad sign. "It's Mom", he said with a shaky voice. Yona tried to hide her concern. She hadn't considered that a virus could jump species, but if it fed on magic, the fey races would be an easy target and that meant Jasper was next.
"Does she have a fever?", she asked carefully. Jasper nodded sullenly. "But I don't think it's what Kavi has", he added, only confusing her. "What do you mean?", asked Yona. Jasper struggled to find the words. It wasn't something he was comfortable talking about. "It's happened before...When we were kids...I remember she was in a lot of pain and got very sick...Dad knew just what to do. Kavi and I were so scared for Mom, but within two days, she was fine again", he said. "So, what was it then? Did he tell you how to fix it?", asked Yona. He shook his head. "No, he didn't give details...We were just kids...", he trailed. Yona was starting to get an idea of what was wrong. "They called it a 'rotten egg'...", said Jasper shyly. Yona wasn't sure how to 'fix' the issue, but as least she knew what the problem was. "Won't it pass on its own?", she offered. Jasper looked worried again. "She said it would, but it's been three days. She can't even get out of bed", he said sadly.
His moping was cut short by a hard pat on the back. Yona grinned wide. "So, let's call your dad then", she beamed. Jasper gaped momentarily. It was true, there was a way to summon Puck from his homeland, but it was only meant to be used in dire emergencies. She stared at him blankly. She had no idea about that. "Well?", she ventured. Jasper shied his gaze. "He's not in Earthland right now. He had to go home to see the king", he stated. "I thought this was his home", she said flatly. Jasper grinned slightly. She had a point. "I mean where he came from. He's in Avalon", he clarified. He watched as Yona thought hard to recall where she'd heard of that place before. Then it hit her. Kavi had mentioned it once when he was trying to explain his family. "A different country?", she guessed. Jasper shook his head. "Avalon isn't exactly a country...", he began. How could he explain this? Before he could come up with an answer, Rani came running from Kavi's room, crying and panicked.
"What's wrong?!", asked Yona, worried. "He's not breathing!", cried Rani, tears flowing down her face. Both Jasper and Yona ran as fast they could. Slamming the door open, Yona stared as Blythe tried resuscitate Kavi with everything he had. "Come on, damn it! Don't you dare give up on me!", he shouted, beginning a new round of chest compressions. Jasper's heart sank. This couldn't be real. He darted forward and took over for Blythe's hands. "I've got this. You breathe for him", he ordered. Blythe nodded and the two worked in sync. Finally a deep gasp emanated from their patient and everyone breathed a small sigh of relief with it. Blythe cradled Kavi's face in his hands and stared mere inches from his face. "Kavi-kun?", he ventured, his tears dripping onto his lover below. Kavi's magic power was weak. All he could muster to 'say' was a raspy, "What?". He wanted to know what happened.
Blythe fought his instinct to hug him, knowing he needed air. Jasper set a soft hand on his shoulder with an encouraging nod. Yona stepped forward, the twins at her heels. "Dude, don't scare us like that!", she chided. A faint smirk crossed Kavi's lips. Even though she'd never admit it, she really did care deeply for her team mates. Garbled sound almost like static, filled the air. "Shh! Don't try to talk! Your magic can't handle it right now", said Blythe, still fretting beside the fallen dragon slayer. "He's right", said Jasper, offering a pen and pad, "Here." Kavi sighed. He hated being stuck in silence. He'd gotten so used to 'speaking' with his magic and so good at synching his lips that no one would ever be able to tell if they weren't in on his secret. His hand shook as he grasped the pen, but he managed to scrawl out, "I'm sorry I scared you." Blythe held his free hand tightly, glad he was still alive. Jasper offered a kind smile. "Don't worry about that. Just try to get better", he said. "Yeah, and don't pull that crap again", added Yona.
Rani climbed back onto the bed and sat beside Kavi with worry in her eyes. He gave her a weak grin as she reclaimed her place by his pillow. Placing a cool rag on his forehead, she sighed. Would he really be okay? Her brother, Ronen, stood on the nightstand on the far side of the bed. He wasn't going to leave again without good reason. "Are you all right?", whispered Jasper, leaning down to Blythe. He was clearly shaken pretty badly, but he nodded. As long as Kavi was breathing, Blythe would be okay. Yona sent the incubus a look that said, "Call him!". He gave her a low nod. He had no choice. Jasper set his hand on Blythe's shoulder and looked Kavi in the eyes. "Try to get some rest. I'll be back in a few minutes", he said. Kavi sent him a pleading look. He knew what his brother was up to and he didn't want to bother their father, but Jasper's resolve stared back at him without wavering. After a brief stare down, Kavi caved and nodded.
Taking Yona by the hand, Jasper led her to Veda's room. The naga was sound asleep thanks to her hooka. Sweet smoke hung in the air. Yona covered her sensitive nose. "What is that?!", she asked, nearly overwhelmed by the smell. Jasper motioned for her to keep her voice down as he started rummaging through drawers. Yona tiptoed beside him. "What are we looking for?", she whispered. "A talisman. It's about the size of my hand and made of an odd wood", he replied in hushed tones. She nodded and made her way to the far side of the bedroom. This room was huge, but considering its occupant, it had to be. Both searched for several minutes. Finally Yona waved Jasper down and held something up. He smiled in relief. She'd found it. Sneaking back out, they closed the door behind them.
Staring at the talisman, Yona couldn't place what exactly it was made of. It was covered in strange symbols and seemed to change color depending on how the light hit it. "What is this thing?", she asked, turning it over in her hand. "That's how we call Dad", said Jasper, grasping the object. "Okay, so how does it work?", she asked as they made their way away from the bedrooms. "I've only seen this done once...", he trailed, unsure of his ability to use it properly. "...Do you want me to try?", offered Yona. Shaking his head, he said, "No. It has to be one of us. It won't work if anyone else tries", he replied. Yona shrugged. That made sense. Arcane artifacts usually had some kind safety device or death trap attached. Considering it was meant for family, the first one seemed to apply here.
The duo walked out into the open where the sun shone through a massive crevice overhead. This was where Fairy Tail had met Veda. It was also where Puck usually entered when coming home. Yona watched in silence as Jasper tried to concentrate. He seemed to almost meditate for a moment with his eyes closed. When they opened, he bit his thumb open and pressed it onto the talisman. As his blood seeped over the wood, it was pulled into the grain, again shifting the color. His eyes took on their characteristic glow as he simply pleaded, "Please." A narrow beam of light shot out through the open cavern roof, parting the clouds and possibly escaping the atmosphere. "One hell of a calling card", uttered Yona in awe. Jasper stared at the light with hope. "Don't worry. Only fey and those with the guild mark can see it", he stated. She sent him an odd look. Did that mean anyone else who wasn't human could follow it to the source? Couldn't that be a problem? Her concern faded as she stared at him. He peered up at that beam with such hope. It seemed the slightest determent would crush him.
Finally, the light came crashing back into the talisman, sending a nasty jolt through Jasper's blood into his hand. It made an audible 'zap'. "Give me that thing!", said Yona, snatching it away. She set it aside and waited for Jasper to show her his hand. He clutched it close. "That must have hurt", she offered. He nodded, not wanting to add to it. "Come on, let me see", she sighed, prying his arm loose. His thumb was no longer bleeding. The wound had been burned shut. A strange mark ran down it into his palm. Faint light pulsed through it. "What the hell?!", she spat, looking close. Gently pulling free, he assured, "I'll be fine. It'll fade...Mom's did." Damn artifacts always had a price, she thought. "So, now what?", she asked, shaking the mark from her mind. "We wait", stated Jasper, staring skyward. Would Puck return home in time?
-
Somewhere far from the guild, two strangers stepped off a ship. "Did you see that, Tepin?", said a woman with mismatched eyes. "What do you think it means?", asked the younger woman. "It means an old friend of mine will be on his way home. Let's go", said the first, walking toward the signal. "Okay!", beamed the girl, almost skipping behind her. It seemed Jasper was right. Any fey would see the light, but who were these strangers?
-
Even further away, somewhere completely separated by space and time, the court of Avalon glanced up at the sky. Chatter arose before the king demanded silence. "What is the meaning of such a beacon being used in Earthland?", demanded Oberon. "Husband, it was a boon to your loyal servant when he got his family, remember dear?", replied Titania. "Of course I do. I only meant to ask the nature of what probable cause they would have to use it", he corrected. Puck kneeled on one knee. "Forgive me, my lord. I'm sure it's very important", he stated respectfully. "Do you wish to call off the duel, Sire?", asked another man. He stood several paces behind Puck with some form of ancient weapon in each hand. Puck ignored the minor wounds on his body. His mind was consumed with worry for his loved ones.
"Puck, step forward", ordered the queen. He obeyed, stepping beyond the shimmering veil that separated the thrones from the court. On the far side, it made the king and queen look hundreds of feet tall. In truth, it simply an illusion, a show of power. Very few people were permitted to even get close to the barrier, let alone step through it. Puck bowed low as he reached the throne. "Yes, my lady?" She stared at her husband with sympathetic eyes. "He must return home", she said softly. Oberon was tense. "You expect me to just call off this duel? Such an act could cause war in several planes", he said stiffly. "I am honor-bound to complete the task assigned to me, my lord. I ask only that I may leave as soon as everything is over", said Puck humbly. "So be it", stated Oberon, waving him off. Titania offered him a kind smile. "Then hurry in your duty. It would seem your family needs you", she grinned.
-
Back in Fiore, a certain group of mages walked through the countryside. Since they broke their master's rule and left the guild, the least they could do was avoid the cities where the virus was thought to lurk. "But won't we get in trouble when the master finds out?", fretted Wendy. "Undoubtedly", said Charle. Lucy smiled gently. "Try not to worry. Natsu does this all of the time", she sighed. "Don't expect me to protect you three when Erza comes after you", stated Gray, trying desperately to ignore Juvia. "Why'd you even come?!", spat Natsu, annoyed. He didn't need protection, especially not from Gray! "What about us?", asked Happy, sad he hadn't been counted. Charle ignored the sleight. She had only come along for Wendy. Gray smirked back at the dragon slayer, "Somebody has to babysit".
The two simmered, exchanging smart remarks, as they went on. Once they'd camped for the night, everyone was tired. They were pushing their pace, but they were making very good time. Lucy stretched her legs before her and placed her sore feet near the fire. "Remind me why we're going so fast again", she whined. "Less time in the open means a smaller chance of getting that virus, right?", grinned Natsu, proud of his flawed logic. Charle simply glared at him as if to say, "If Wendy gets sick, you're going to pay for it." Juvia looked over the map they'd brought along. It looked like they'd reach the coast soon, maybe even the next day.
"Do you think exceeds can catch it?", inquired Happy, somewhat concerned. Gray seemed amused by the thought of Happy ditching Natsu when he inevitably caught the bug. "Don't be ridiculous", said Charle, "There have been no such reports." Wendy sent a soft smile his way and added, "It's true. Lector and Frosch are just fine." Natsu hooked his arm around her neck without warning and pulled her in with a wide grin. "Besides, even if we get sick, we've got Wendy! She's our secret weapon", he beamed. No one really knew if her magic would be helpful or not. At any rate, no one was anxious to find out, especially since she herself was a dragon slayer, she was more prone to catch whatever that horrid germ was.
After idle banter and a simple meal, everyone turned in. Lucy couldn't sleep. She stared at the stars and wondered about Valentine's fate. Would she be able to help him? Besides, if it were possible to make him human again, what he ever do with himself? Did he have a plan? "Don't worry so much", said Natsu, nearby. She turned to look at him, a little surprised he was still awake. He grinned, trying to assure her things would work out. After all, it was Lucy. She'd worked wonders before.
-
To be continued...