'...' thoughts
/.../ telepathy
Daystar's Prophecy Part 23
After leaving the Solan Mountains with their prisoner security tied to Malikai's back, Solo and the rest of the party found that their return journey would not be an easy one. Within only an hour of leaving the heights, it became painfully evident that the council had been quite busy during their time in the mountains when they came across a company of elven soldier, all wearing the high council's seal. Luckily, the elves seemed more interested in indulging in their lunch and they were able to hide themselves before they were seen. It was evident though, from the elves' conversations and their movements when they finally started out again, that they were searching for the missing Seeker and his friends. This then meant that the group of travelers would not be able to stay in any of the towns along the way seeing as Solo at least would be easily recognized even if the three human boys escaped detection. So, from that point on it became necessary for them to travel only at night, leaving them to try and find ample cover while sleeping during the day.
It was not an easy way to travel but fortunately they still managed to arrive at Howard's stronghold only six days after walking out of the foothills. Howard and Hilde of course were not too happy about the fact that Duo was not with them, but they managed to reassure the two of the fairy's well being before they set about insuring their horses were cared for. Then, the five travelers, along with their captive, followed Howard and three of his dwarves into the deepest recesses of the hold where the dwarf had had the foresight to create holding cells. However, up until that time, they had never been used and furthermore, they had never been designed to hold anyone with magical powers either. This then left Solo, Hilde, and Jess to use what spells they knew, mixed with a little dwarf ingenuity, to secure the cell before Gaison's unconscious body was placed inside. Then, after Solo released the sleep spell, they left the mage on the cold, stone floor, closing and locking the heavy, iron-barred door on their way out.
Within a few minutes, a low moan of pain could be heard inside the dimly lit cell and those gathered around the door watched through the bars as the dark mage carefully sat up and took in his surrounding.
"What the hell?" he murmured, causing Solo to snort derisively.
"You can't tell me you've forgotten already?" the green-eyed elf sneered, bringing the mage's attention toward the door.
"Oh, that's right." Gaison said at seeing them gathered there before he carefully scooted back to lean against the wall, a sarcastic smile on his still bruised face. "I was having a bit of fun with my precious little fairy when the lot of you interrupted."
"Duo is not your anything!" Solo snarled, his voice bouncing off the stone walls even as he lunged forward and grabbed the bars that separated him from the mage.
"Solo!" Hilde snapped as she placed a hand on his forearm. "He's just trying to goad you into reacting, don't let him."
The green-eyed elf gave his wife a sideways look, his expression dark as the events in the clearing once again ran through his mind. Hilde remained at his side though, the reassuring weight of her hand grounding him and after another few moments, he pulled himself back from the door and turned his back to the mage.
"Know this mage." he growled low in his throat. "Your time is coming up and if it's not me that finishes you, you can be sure that Heero will."
Then, without waiting for any further comments from the man, Solo stalked off down the hall with Hilde following close behind him.
"You really shouldn't have angered him." Quatre's soft voice interjected itself into the silence that followed the blonde elf's departure. "It was all we could do to keep him from killing you before we even arrived here."
"That silly little elf couldn't hurt a fly." Gaison snorted. "And I seriously doubt if you children could do much better. But tell me, where is my delicious little Duo, hmmm? Off spreading his legs for his little human?"
"You would do well to keep you mouth shut." Wufei snapped, his face clouded by the rage he felt at the man's words. "We may be only children to you and have no magic of our own, but I can guarantee that we are not weak."
The Chinese boy's speech earned him another snort of laughter from the imprisoned mage and Quatre could see that Wufei was dangerously close to losing what little control he had left. Turning to the tall boy beside him he said softly, "I think we should leave the prisoner alone for awhile, let him cool his heels, and come back later."
Trowa merely nodded his head in agreement before turning and taking Wufei by the elbow, his actions and pointed look conveying his blonde lover's intentions far better than words ever could. Once the two were out of earshot, the blonde pilot of Sandrock turned back to the cell and its still smirking prisoner, pinning him with a glare of his own. "If I didn't feel that your life was Duo's to do with as he pleased, then I'd eliminate you right here and now. But understand this, when he decides that you're no longer worth the air you're breathing, I will be the first in line to deal out his judgment."
"You are nothing to me." Gaison sneered, waving his arm in dismissal of the boy's words. "A mere fly on the wall, to be exact, one that, if you're not careful, I'll crush with just a word."
"Even flies can be dangerous, if given the right incentive." Quatre warned.
Once again, the dark mage simply laughed at the boy's words. "Do you really think you're a match for me, little human? Right now you're safe because of the bindings I can sense around this cell. But don't think I won't be able to break them down; those three little elves know their abilities are no match against my magic. And when I do finally bring them down, I'll take great pleasure in killing everyone within this hold before taking what is rightfully mine."
This time it was Quatre's turn to laugh as the blonde boy placed a menacing smile on his face and met the mage eye to eye. "Your arrogance and bluster mean nothing to me." he said, throwing Gaison's words back at him. "When and if that time comes, we'll separate the men from the children and you can expect to learn a hard lesson in the rewards of betrayal."
Quatre then, without a further word, turned and walked calmly down the hall, leaving behind a rather wide-eyed mage who could not understand the unease that the small, unassuming blonde had just filled him with.
********************
At around mid-afternoon the next day, Heero and Duo, astride Josadia's back, finally arrived at the stronghold's massive front doors. Almost as soon as they were on the ground, they were mobbed by the others and they graciously accepted each welcome before bidding goodbye to the dragon, who promised to remain close by incase his help was needed in the near future, then followed the others inside.
Since the scroll and the knowledge they had learned at Lissia's was burning a hole in Duo's pocket, he wanted to sit down and discuss their next steps. However, at learning that Gaison was in one of the hold's cells and fully conscious, Heero decided that next step was to confront the man and demand that he release the spell that bound the fairy's magic. At the mention of the dark mage, the fear the fairy had been hiding from resurfaced and he knew he would not be able to face the man just yet. Therefore, using the excuse of exhaustion from flying nearly non-stop since leaving Lissia's and the desire to sleep in a soft bed with his lover beside him, he managed to convince Heero to wait a few more hours. Fortunately, it did not take much convincing since the dark-haired boy could clearly see just how exhausted his little lover was and he let Duo lead him through the hold to their room.
Upon reaching their room, they quickly stripped down to just their undergarments before crawling under the thick blankets and curling tightly around one another. Only a second later though, Heero was more than a little surprised when Duo began placing small kisses along his neck and shoulders. Never one to pass up such an opportunity, he quickly pinned the smaller boy to the bed and proceeded to love him until Duo was sobbing from his release. Afterwards, Duo curled up again along Heero's side, laying his head on the blue-eyed boy's shoulder before slipping into a deep sleep within only minutes.
Heero on the other hand, lay awake for quite sometime afterwards, unable to sleep. Now that the passion of the moment was behind him, he was able to see that the lovemaking they had just enjoyed had been almost desperate in its intensity and that fact worried him. Not only were Duo's fears of finding the scythe weighing on his mind but the confrontation with the mage was undoubtedly affecting him as well. Unable to find a solution that could alleviate the fairy's fears though, he simply pulled the smaller body closer, murmured a few reassurances into the boy's ear, and finally allowed himself to drift into his own troubled sleep.
********************
Later that night, after only about three hours of actual sleep, Duo finally decided it was time to confront the dark mage. While he still did not feel up to the meeting, he knew the longer he put it off, the harder it would become. So, taking Heero's hand in his own, he followed Howard, Solo, Hilde, and the pilots through the hold to the mage's cell.
When they arrived at the cell, the longhaired fairy made his way to the front of the group, stopping just beyond arms reach of the bars as he waited for Gaison to sense their presence. It did not take long and Duo's heart clenched when those ice-blue eyes looked up to meet his own violet ones.
"Well, well, my precious has finally come to see me." the mage purred as he stood and walked toward the iron door. "I'd wondered when you'd come, although I hadn't expected it to be so soon." Gaison continued, raking his eyes over the braided boy's body. "I can see your wing is healed. Now who could've managed that task; I seriously doubt if your dear brother has that much talent."
"How it was healed is none of your business." Duo said, raising him chin in defiance of the man's hungry stare before going straight to the business he came here for, "I want you to release the binding spell."
"Oh, and why would I do that?" Gaison asked as he cocked his head to the side. "After all, as long as it's in place, you're completely at my mercy."
"Don't count on it." Heero growled and took a step toward the door but Duo's hand on his chest stopped him.
"That's where you're wrong." the fairy stated. "Just because I can't use my magic, doesn't mean I'm helpless. You can't own me unless I allow it."
"You are a fairy, my dearest Duo. That in itself makes you helpless." the mage stated. "Fighting back is not in your nature."
Those words, earned the mage another growl from Heero, which Gaison simply ignored; his whole attention centered on the longhaired vision in front of him.
"So tell me, how is Lissia? I haven't seen her in quite a few years."
"She's fine actually and sends her regards." Duo shot back, if he was shocked by the mage's knowledge of just who healed his wing, he did not let on. "She also showed me a few things."
"Ah, so she told you about the scythe, did she?" Gaison smiled, and this time Duo's eyes did open a little wider in shock. "Oh yes, I know about that as well as several other things you might find quite interesting."
"But how?"
"You are, after all, a very interesting subject to study." the mage explained. "I made it my business to learn everything I could about you before our first meeting. What better way to plan my seduction."
"You bastard." Heero growled and launched himself at the bar, intent on ripping the man's head from his body.
"Heero!" Duo shouted, wrapping both his arms around the dark-haired boy's waist and pulled as hard as he could. "Stop it, please."
It took a moment, but Heero finally backed off once again and after reassuring himself that the blue-eyed boy was not going to try again for the moment, the fairy turned back to the mage. "What things?"
"Oh no, it's not that easy to get the information I have." Gaison stated. "If you want to know, you'll have to give me something in return."
Swallowing convulsively at the response, Duo felt himself begin to tremble in anticipation of the answer to his next question, "What do you want?"
"You of course, willing and prepared to participate."
"NEVER!" the dark-haired boy roared and this time, it took the combined efforts of Trowa, Wufei, and Solo to keep him from ripping the door off its hinges and tearing Gaison to pieces.
"So what's it to be precious." the mage continued, ignoring the dark-haired human's outburst. "Do you want the knowledge or not."
"Choose something else." Duo demanded even as he was well aware of the struggle still taking place behind him.
"What else could I possibly want that you could give me?" Gaison asked.
"Your life." the fairy whispered, the sound very low but the mage and the others could clearly hear it and it caused Heero to stop struggling as he stared in wonder at his lover.
"You're not a killer, dear one, so that's not something you can offer."
"No, I'm not a killer." Duo agreed before turning to give his brother a pointed look. "But what I don't know, won't hurt me."
"You won't dare; allowing him to kill me would be just like doing it yourself." the mage protested, although his face darkened at the comment. "Besides, wouldn't you rather use such a strong threat to have me remove the binding spell? Even if I answer your questions, you'll still be defenseless."
"I'll find another way of removing the spell." Duo stated calmly, keeping his inner conflict hidden; he did indeed want the seal removed, but was not ready to give up the search for the scythe. If Gaison had information that would help them, he would live without his magic a little longer to have it. "So what'll it be?"
Gaison took a moment to weigh his options as he continued to stare at the boy he thought he had known so well. Even though he made a brave show earlier, he knew he was pretty much defenseless himself as long as he was locked inside the cell. Both the elves and the dwarves had done a good job of securing him and keeping his magic tightly under wraps. As such, he would not be able to defend against a magic or physical attack if it was launched from outside. Even if the elf stepped into the cell, he could only fight back using his hands and feet and he did not like his chances in that scenario.
"Very well, I'll give you the information you seek." he finally conceded. "Of course, my offer still stands for the magic seal's release; all you have to do is give yourself to me."
"That's not going to happen." Duo snapped. "I'd rather die defenseless than willingly let you touch me."
"You may change your mind once I've told you what I know." Gaison retorted, earning him a glare from the violet-eyed boy to which he simply smiled. "Now where to start...."
********************
By the time Gaison finished his narrative, the sun was rising on a new day. Tired and still trying to process all the information they had been given, the group made their way back to the large meeting room where they each collapsed into a chair.
"How is any of it possible?" Quatre asked, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen around them.
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that once the scythe is found, we'll be able to ask the spirits themselves." Duo offered from where he had laid his head down on the table. The few hours of sleep they had managed had not been nearly enough and after the confrontation with Gaison, he was beyond exhausted.
"But how are you supposed to get to it?" Wufei asked. "Shouldn't you've been able to sense it being inside of you all this time?"
"Lissia told me to try meditation and that since the other weapons've been found, finding the spirit of darkness should be easy." Duo explained. "As for the other part, I just don't know."
"It doesn't matter right now." Heero stated firmly, standing from his own chair and pulling the violet-eyed boy from his. "Duo needs sleep and so do the rest of us."
"No." the longhaired fairy said with a shake of his head that had him listing to the side, forcing Heero to pull the boy close to his body to keep him from falling. "I want to try and find the scythe."
"You're too exhausted; you won't be able to concentrate enough to meditate right now." The dark-haired boy coaxed. "A few more hours sleep and we'll try tonight after you've had something to eat."
At the mention of food, Duo stomach gave a loud growl, which brought a bright blush to his cheeks, and he finally realized just how long it had been since he had last eaten a decent meal. "Alright." he conceded softly with a smile at the other boy. "Sleep, food, and then we'll try."
His answer earned him a soft smile in return from his blue-eyed lover that more than anything made his decision worth the wait he had agreed to. So, with that decided, the group broke up as they each went to rest up as well. Arriving back in their room, Duo and Heero once again settled themselves in the large bed. However, when the violet-eyed fairy tried once again to initiate another round of frantic lovemaking, Heero stopped him, pulling the boy down to rest against his chest.
"I'm not going anywhere, love." He cooed to the shaking boy. "You don't have to do this to be close to me."
"I know, I just--"
"Shh, go to sleep; I'll be here when you wake."
Within a few minutes, Duo's shaking stopped and a few minutes after that, the boy was sound asleep.
********************
That evening, per Heero's promise, the group once again met in the meeting room in preparation for the retrieval of the scythe. Sometime during the day while they were all asleep, Howard had had two cots brought in and they were now place near the bookcase at the far end of the room. Taking the one closest to the door, Heero waited for Duo to situate himself on the second before turning to the waiting group.
"No one, and I mean no one, enters this room once we begin, understood?" he said and received an answering nod from each one present. Wufei and Jess had already taken up positions on either side of the doors leading in while Solo and Trowa had intentions of joining them as soon as Heero and Duo had entered their meditative states.
"I just hope I can get this right." Duo muttered, remembering the various attempts in the past that had always ended up in disaster.
"Just follow my lead." the dark-haired boy instructed before reaching across the small space and taking both of the fairy's hands in his own. "Now close your eyes and concentrate on the sound of your heartbeat; letting everything else fall away."
Doing as Heero told him, Duo closed his eyes and allowed himself to become perfectly still as he began measuring the beats and letting the sound and feel fill his world until the only outside stimulus he could sense was Heero's hands in his own. A short time later and as if from a large distance, he heard the blue-eyed boy's voice float to him, this time instructing him to slow his breathing and thus slow his heartbeats as well. Heero's last words to reach him called for the fairy to feel and visualize the breath move through his body as if it was a living force and then, a second later, everything went dark.
For his part, Heero was quite shocked that Duo seemed to settle into the meditation to easily, especially after the fairy had complained so adamantly about his previous attempts. Not five minutes after they started though, Duo had managed to reduce his breathing and heart rate to near sleep states; something that Heero could only sense through their connected hands since he too was rapidly losing touch with the outside world. Then suddenly, he felt Duo let go of his hands, causing his eyes to snap open in shock. Instead of seeing the inside of the meeting room and his small lover sitting directly in front of him, he found himself surrounded by pitch darkness.
Immediately he froze, allowing his senses to take over as he tried to figure out exactly where he was and how he had ended up there. Before he could gather enough information, a bright light flared to life not far from where he was standing, forcing him to shield his eyes. When he was able to see again, the sight that affronted him caused him to gasp. Duo was spread eagle, and apparently held against a midnight black wall, no more than ten feet away. The fairy was still wearing his clothes, thankfully, but he appeared to be unconscious since his head hung forward and his breathing was slow. Starting forward once the shock subsided; Heero's only though was to release his lover from whatever it was that was holding him. However, before he could take much more than a step, a pair of muscular arms wrapped tightly around his waist and pulled him back into an equally muscular chest.
Heero immediately began to fight, quickly finding the attempt useless; he could not break the person's hold nor could be turn to see who it was that was holding him. So, stilling his movement, he growled deeply in his throat, "If you've hurt him I'll kill you." since he was sure that the person was also responsible for Duo's current state.
"I would never hurt him." a deep, velvety voice purred in his ear. "He is, after all, very important to me."
"Who are you?" Heero snapped, once again trying to break the man's hold.
"I go by many names." he said, his tongue sneaking out to caress the dark-haired boy's earlobe. "But you may call me Shinigami."
TBC...
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