Secrets, part 3
In the caverns beneath Serpent Wing, Jasper stared into nothing, exhausted. He hadn't slept in days, especially since almost losing his brother. Yona tried everything short of physically knocking him out, but nothing worked. She leaned against his shoulder, slumbering peacefully. He grinned lightly as he glanced at her sleeping face. With luck, she wouldn't get sick, too. They remained in the sanctum as not to infect the rest of the guild, but there was no guarantee they were safe. Now, the incubus waited patiently for his father.
He let out a deep sigh as he fought himself to stay awake. "Please hurry", he thought. Veda was in no better shape than she had been and Kavi was barely clinging to life. If Yona fell ill, Jasper was certain he'd lose all hope. What could he do in the face or a microscopic foe? Finally, the familiar sound of wing beats drifted in from above. A white falcon dove through the crevice in the roof and landed in a flurry of mixed energies. The dust settled and Puck stood to his full height. "Dad", uttered Jasper with relief. Yona sat up and quickly said, "I wasn't sleeping!" Looking forward, she noticed the elf. Coming back to reality, she grinned. "About time you got here", she smirked.
Puck ignored her banter. Swiftly stepping toward his son, he looked the boy over with worry. "What's happened?", he inquired sternly. So much for a happy reunion. Jasper filled in as many details as quickly as he could. The situation left time for him to question his father's injuries. Puck didn't bother asking why Jasper seemed so ragged. It was obvious, considering what had transpired in his absence. Puck let out a deep breath as he stared at the sand. Things were bad, indeed. Meeting his son's gaze, he set a firm hand on his shoulder and said, "You were right to call me. Where are they?" Jasper seemed to relax a little at that statement, glad he hadn't over-reacted. "Mom's in your room. Kavi's in his down here. No one else from the guild has been down and none of us have left since we moved him", explained Jasper. Puck nodded in approval.
"Good. Let's keep it that way", he said, striding a few paces away from his son. Yona watched without question. She knew Puck would only give her the evil eye if she interrupted. He cast a barrier that separated the main sanctum from the area that led to the staircase to the surface. "Once someone passes in, they won't be able to pass through again", he explained. Without missing a beat, he stepped back toward the teens with a determined look. "You may already be harboring the virus, but this will at least slow it down. Hold still", he said, grasping Yona's shoulders. He stared her firmly in the eyes as he uttered some lost language. Her body went numb. Jasper rushed to catch her as she collapsed.
He lowered her gently to her knees. "What the hell did you do to me?", demanded Yona, dazed. Puck's expression softened. "I sealed your magic", he stated. With an encouraging nod, Jasper rose and received the same 'treatment'. Puck let him down carefully. "Take a few minutes to get used to it. I'll be right back." With that, Puck took off toward the bedrooms. Yona held her head in her hands. It felt like her brain was going to implode. Slowly coming to terms with it, she glanced at her hands. She couldn't feel any trace of her magic. Her connection to the sea had been severed. Somewhat devastated, somewhat angry, and even partially relieved, she shook her concern and turned to the incubus beside her.
"You okay, Boo?", she asked. He never liked being called that, but if nothing else, it would at least tease a smile out of him. He looked up with a faint grin. "You know I hate that", he sighed. "Well, you really hated 'Spooky'...", she taunted. Then something caught her eye. She got very close to his face without warning, prompting his reflex to blush to kick in. "Wh-what is it?", he stuttered. "You have a moon on your face", she stated flatly. He reached toward his forehead where she stared without thought. Of course, a mark was there. It was the only thing sealing his magic from the virus. A small, black crescent moon sat centered over his brow. The look on his face when he realized everything made Yona reach for her own forehead. "What kind of stupid symbol did I get?", she asked. Jasper smiled gently, "A wave." She blushed faintly at the look in his eye. He obviously thought it was cute. She hated 'cute'.
Their banter was interrupted by swift footfalls. Puck stared at them as if waiting for them to join him. They got to their feet a little shakily, but managed to find their balance quick enough. Hurrying to him, Jasper asked what he could do to help. "I've sealed the others", stated Puck, a little distracted. "What is it?", asked Jasper, reading his father's expression. The elf clenched his eyes shut and drew a deep breath. "Kavi's very weak...I'm not sure he can be saved." Yona darted her eyes toward her lover at that statement. He looked as if part of his soul had just been ripped out. He was so horrified by the thought, he didn't seem to even be breathing. She put a hand on his arm to bring back to reality. He took a few breaths as he wrapped his mind around the possibility that maybe his father wasn't as powerful as he thought. He'd always seen him as some sort of god, but he really was mortal like the rest of them.
Puck set his hand on Jasper's opposing shoulder with a heartfelt look that said more than words ever could. Finally he said, "Go to him. I'll tend to your mother. That, at least, I can fix." Jasper nodded slowly, still numb. "Yona, come with me. I need your help", ordered Puck. She glanced between them and sighed. "All right. Just a minute." Puck turned and headed for his wife. Yona stepped in front of Jasper and tilted his face in her hands to look him in the eye. "Kavi will be fine. You know him better than any of us, right?" He nodded, unsure. "Your brother's a tough bastard. Give him a chance", she teased. Her way of saying things somehow made things seem a little better. "Go on and help Mom. I'll be waiting when you're done." She kissed him softly and hurried after Puck. Jasper took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Yona was right. Kavi would be fine, wouldn't he? Either way, Jasper didn't feel he could face Blythe with doubt in his eyes. Pulling himself together, he strode on.
-
Almost an hour later, Yona stepped into Kavi's room. Ignoring the searching gazes around her, she stumbled to a seat and uttered, "I can't unsee what I've just seen." Jasper sent her a thankful grin. "Is the master better now?", inquired Blythe, his face red from crying. "Puck says she'll be fine in a few days", replied Yona. She noticed the red droplet marking her team mate's forehead - blood, that made sense. The twins each bore a single wing. When she stepped close to the bed to get a look at Kavi, his mark was barely visible, a sure sign of how weak his magic had become. She leaned close to figure out what it was. "A music note", she smirked. She made her way around the other side of the bed and sat beside Jasper. He took her hand with a strong grip. He was worried sick for Kavi, but also very grateful that she assisted his father with Veda. Blythe's worried gaze lightened faintly at the sight or their intertwined fingers. They rarely showed any contact. Then he turned his eyes back to Kavi. Would he feel the dragon slayer grip his hand ever again?
Everyone sat in silence, listening to the wheezing, shallow breaths emanating from the bed. Kavi didn't look well at well. He was pale and drenched in sweat. They'd managed to bring him back once, but would they be able to do it again? Where was Puck and why wasn't he doing anything? Those questions only lingered briefly. The elf strode into the room and offered Blythe a kind smile. "You've done well to look after him", he ventured. Blythe nodded, but shied his gaze. Done well? He'd nearly died. Puck could see every thought on his pale face. "Blythe, don't blame yourself. Your magic isn't made for this...No one's is." Tears started falling once more. Blythe looked up in mild surprise; He was sure he'd run out. "I'm sorry", he uttered, his voice cracking. Puck gently pulled the lad's head to his chest in a gentle hug. "You need to rest. What will Kavi say when he wakes up and sees you like this?", he said softly.
After some proverbial nudging, Blythe agreed to at least put his head down, but he never left Kavi's side, simply leaning onto the bed, the dragon slayer's hand still tightly held in his own. Rani cuddled up beside his arms, leaning onto him, trying to rest, too. Ronen grinned to himself, glad they were finally looking after themselves. He simply crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall, nodding off while sitting up. Puck stared at his son as if to say, "You, too." Jasper really didn't want to, but he had little choice. Puck was more than capable of handling things from that point and he knew if anything happened, he'd be notified immediately. So, with little argument, he conceded and went to his own room.
Puck stopped Yona in the hall after closing Kavi's door. "Thank you for your help. I know its not how you planned on spending your afternoon", he grinned. Yona smirked, amazed the elf had a sense of humor in the current circumstances. After a moment, he asked, "Aren't you going with Jasper?". She shook her head. "Nah. He'll sleep better by himself. I'll crash out here somewhere." Puck simply nodded. As he stepped passed her toward his own room and his wife, he whispered, "Is it wise to leave him alone?". Yona turned to face him, but he didn't stop for an answer. He knew she'd gotten the point. Yona sighed and took a deep stretch. She was pretty tired, too.
Making her way down the labyrinth of halls, she slowly opened Jasper's door. He was already in bed. He smiled gently as he caught sight of her. Without harassing him for a change, she climbed in beside him and snuggled up. One arm wrapped around her waist with a grateful cuddle. Sneaking a glance, she was pleased to see he wasn't turning colors. After all, he knew they were both far too tired for her to try something. She leaned against his chest and listened as his heartbeat slowed. Finally, he was asleep for the first time in days. He had a vice grip on her, making it impossible to roll over, but she didn't care. After a while she drifted off just as she was.
-
A day's walk away, team Natsu was glad to be reaching the end of their journey. No doubt Erza would soon be hot on their heels, but they tried not to worry about that. They were close to seeing their friends again and that was incentive enough. As they walked, Wendy kept pulling her eyes from Lucy's pack. Was Valentine's book really made from his flesh? She had no idea how the spirit mage planned to use the tome when the eclipse came, but hoped things would go smoothly. She tried to focus on seeing Blythe's bright smile again, completely oblivious to Serpent Wing's current predicament. The report that included Kavi as one of the virus's victims came in after they had made their escape. She had no idea they were walking into the den of the germ they were supposed to be avoiding.
-
Several miles away, a small group of people gathered in a darkened room. They all wore thick coats or cloaks. Their clothing underneath was covered in strange markings. Some could be recognized as fallen guilds. Others seemed to be an arcane from of writing. "She's here. There's no denying that", said an older man. "But what can we do about it? She's no ordinary mage", said a woman. "I'll take care of her", offered a middle aged man across the room. He sat comfortably with his boots propped onto a nearby crate. His hat shadowed his eyes, but the order knew him just the same. "Can you, Judd? The last time you went after someone half of her caliber, you came back with your tail between your legs", smirked a younger man. Judd set his feet on the floor and tipped his hat to glare at his comrade. "I can handle her, make no mistake, Boy." The eldest of them all stepped forward. "See that you do. Magic must be eradicated. That is our purpose - to extinguish the lives of mages, those who defile the name of humanity with unnatural ways." Everyone chanted in agreement. "I reckon I'll be just fine", said Judd, adjusting his coat. Even in the low light, the shine of metallic weaponry could be seen against his body. Spinning a gun around his trigger finger, he smirked at the group around him. "Don't forget. I've got the fire power", he smirked. No one said anything more as he made his way out of the clandestine order's hideout. As he stepped into the sun, he said, "Get ready, Nechual."
-
To be continued...