Dragonheart Part 3
Ahead the path crooked to the right. Heero didn't waver for he was now totally entranced by the angelic music. Just beyond a stand of saplings a moonlit meadow was tucked away in secret security. Heero pushed aside a handful of slender branches being careful to keep himself well hidden.
His eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat at what the parted branches revealed. A person knelt by a rocky outcrop and even though he could only see the person's back Heero knew at once that it was his absent host.
Duo's thick braid had been undone. The freed hair cascaded over his shoulders, flowing in henna-hued waves that glistened like fairy wings and the lengthy gossamer mane did not stop until it pooled on the ground.
Heero drew in an involuntary breath and held it in utter fascination. Duo was singing, no, chanting out the verse but the words were foreign to Heero's ears. Duo's entire body swayed in time with the repetitious phrases and with each sideways movement his hair slithered across his hips like a silky serpent.
Heero tilted his head trying to decipher the ancient dialect, to understand the tongue. He had never heard anything akin to the language but he knew that even in his eighteen years he had learned very little about the world beyond the Great Mountains.
Then the next mystery unfolded. Directly in front of Duo a large hole yawned from the hillside. The cave's entrance was at least six times as tall as Heero, more that fifty feet wide and so black that even the full moon's brilliance was kept at bay.
Had Heero stumbled upon some pagan rite? Were spirits or demons or the devil himself being summoned from the Nether World? His corporeal part told him to run, to get Wing and ride away before his soul was lost. His curious nature, the part that usually got him into trouble, begged for further investigation. Had he been right to question Duo's place in his world? Was the mysterious man human or spawned from another realm?
"Duo who are you and why have you beguiled me?" Heero whispered as the wind blew hot against his face.
After an internal debate, a struggle between his rational reason and his bothersome inquisitiveness, Heero's need to learn the truth won out. Again without regard to his safety or the possible dire consequences, the soldier slipped from behind the trees and boldly marched into the clearing.
As Heero walked closer the peculiar chant grew louder until it seemed to bounce inside his head. The baffling words, that defied identification, became a source of frustration that unraveled Heero's already threadbare patience. Now his steps were guided by a compelling urgency, as he was afraid that Duo might vanish before he had a chance to discover the boy's true nature.
The closer Heero moved the warmer the air blew and there was a faint odor that also could not be named. It wafted from no particular direction but he could strongly smell, even taste, the strange scent.
Several long strides closed the gap. Duo continued his chanting and swaying unaware of Heero's approach. One more step and Heero was near enough to touch Duo's hair-caped back. A deep breath fortified his courage, a slow exhalation shored up his nerve.
"Duo." he called not wanting to startle the obviously entranced man. "Duo." he repeated louder but received no response.
Heero's hand trembled as it closed over Duo's shoulder. It brushed through the reddish strands and a tingle coursed up his arm as his fingers found bare skin beneath the smooth mane.
At the slight touch Duo let out a yell that reverberated across the trees. He shot straight up and stumbled backwards colliding with the equally shocked soldier. Arms flailing against his unknown attacker Duo brought both fists to bear on Heero's chest. He gritted his teeth fighting through the curtain of hair that tangled about his slim body.
Heero threw up both arms to block the flying fists and stepped aside to avoid the kicks that had been added to Duo's punishing assault. Intercepting the wild punches Heero grabbed each wrist in a firm but gentle hold. Using his taller height to his advantage the trained soldier stepped forward, jerked down Duo's arms and pinned them to his side.
"It's all right." he declared trying to stay clear of Duo's still free feet. "Duo it's Heero."
Duo let out a throaty growl that sent chills up Heero's spine and made him once again question his origin. Realizing that Duo's protective instincts were not going to be reached any other way Heero gave him a sturdy shake, "LOOK AT ME!" he screamed.
Duo's head snapped up at the stern command. His fear-enlarged violet eyes locked with Heero's cobalt glare that was designed to demand his attention. Then as if all the fight left him at once, Duo drooped in Heero's grasp. Panting to the point of faintness and damp with sweat he tottered on rubbery legs as Heero's supported his almost dead weight.
Quickly Heero's glare lost its intensity as he realized the Duo's was naked except for his breechcloth. A simple silver cross hung from a beaded cord making another contradictory statement. Pale moonbeams glistened over his moist creamy skin and danced on his hair creating a thousand pinpoints of ruby-tinted light. Duo's chest heaved from his exertion. His eyes, even though they had lost some of their wild sight, still bored through Heero into his soul.
"I..." Heero began but his ability to form rational thoughts was overcome by the seductive sight of Duo's barely clothed body. He swallowed hard to find his voice and to gather in his wandering concentration. Finally he was able to construct a halfway intelligent sentence.
"I'm sorry." he apologized hoping that he hadn't scared Duo too badly. "I never should have intruded." he added knowing that he had trespassed on Duo's privacy.
"What are...you...doing here?" came the husky question as Duo fought to regulate his breathing.
"I woke up and you were gone and I...." Heero began to explain before a low rumble echoed from the cave.
The distant growl rapidly rose in volume. A monstrous bellow boomed off the rocky walls and a blinding flash lit up the blackened hole. The subtle odor that Heero had previously noticed was now more potent as a mixture of sulfur and smoke shot into the suddenly super-heated air.
Something massive moved just inside the hollow hillside. A hulking form slowly materialized from the deep darkness. Moonlight flickered across what appeared to be green scales. With a swiftness that betrayed its huge size a long-necked beast emerged from the cave's ebony recesses.
Heero froze in place as the unearthly creature covered the space between them in one leap. He stood in frightened amazement as webbed wings unfurled from broad shoulders and fluttered in apparent rage. Two eyes the color of blood bore down on the stunned soldier. A scaly snout puffed out spark-laced smoke that rankled in Heero's nose and sent a nauseous wave crashing in his gut.
The combination of fear and sickness quickly sapped Heero's strength and his weakened knees began to wobble. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again but no sound escaped over his ashen lips. His hands slid off Duo who was now on his own if he wanted to remain standing.
Somewhere in Heero's mind his military training seeped into his muddled senses. An adrenaline rush surged through his muscles triggering sudden activity. Clumsily he fumbled for his sword only to discover that it was still lying beside the bed. His fingers clawed at where the weapon should have been and snagged nothing but thin air.
His feet made an attempt to move but his legs wouldn't follow suit. In his panicked rush to get away Heero stumbled backwards but his unsteady gate became entangled in gnarled tree roots. With an awkward flinging of arms to keep his balance Captain Heero Yuy went sprawling on his backside and hit with a thud as his buttocks met the ground.
Helplessly Heero sat among the tangled vegetation staring up into scarlet eyes that seemed to blaze with inner fire. The winged creature leaned nearer to the terrified warrior who, even in the fiercest battle, had never known such gripping fear.
The beast's lips curled back to expose twin rows of yellowish teeth. Another hellish breath belched from the sneering mouth and a green forked tongue slithered over the razor-tipped fangs tasting the air. A long tail with a barbed end twitched raising drifts of leaves from the forest floor.
"Holy saints save me." Heero pleaded as the tongue lapped close to his face. Shutting his eyes he prayed that his death would be quick and reasonably painless and that he would not spend the next several days slowly digesting in the great beast's belly.
Heero could feel the hot currents gushing against his face, smell the stench from the creature's rancid insides. "Please let it end quickly." he begged the heavenly deities or whatever fates ruled man's destiny.
"Shinigami down." Duo's voice broke through Heero's terror-swamped mind. The air cooled and the sickening scent decreased in its severity.
Cautiously Heero cracked opened his eyes ready to squeeze them shut if the monster was still hovering above him but as his sight readjusted to the light he saw the green beast lying docilely by Duo's feet. Its scaly head was propped up on a rock and its eyes were half-closed in pure pleasure as Duo stroked its snout.
Blinking to be certain that his vision was not playing tricks Heero took a long, confused moment to decide if what he was seeing was real. "Duo?" he called meekly afraid that any loud noise might rouse the contented creature.
Duo, his skin so perfect next to the rough scales, looked like a porcelain doll. His unbound hair covered his nakedness and stray chestnut strands lay in the creases of the beast's leathery hide. It was an odd picture, the boy and the beast, one that caused Heero to recall a boyhood story about a lady that by her beauty alone could tame the most fearsome creatures.
Duo glanced around at the Heero as he sat humbly in the soggy soil. A slight smile graced his lips before he spoke. "It is all right, come here." he invited with a wave of his hand.
Shivering like a gale-battered leaf and his heart hammering in his chest Heero did not feel like a soldier at all. Even though he had no reason to doubt Duo's assurances that it was all right to move, the giant reptile made him hesitant. Duo seemed to have control but if the beast believed that his master was threatened...well...better to be safe than sorry.
Duo sensed the shaking soldier's reluctance to stir from his sanctuary but even with the dividing distance that Heero perceived as secure, Duo knew that Shinigami could swallow up Heero before he had time to think much less move.
Leaning closer to where Heero figured was Shinigami's ear Duo whispered another command. With a lazy stretch the winged beast rose to his clawed feet, nuzzled its master's hand and strolled back into the cave. But Heero could still see twin pinpoints of red staring from the gloom putting him no notice that he had better treat his master with respect.
With extraordinary grace Duo glided over the clearing. It did not appear to matter that his feet were bare or his lithe body was exposed to the unfriendly elements. "Come here." he invited as he offered his hand.
One look into Duo's violet orbs and Heero immediately stopped shaking. Duo nodded and he responded without delay taking his hand. As he centered his feet and stood on stronger legs, Heero again wondered how Duo could so easily hold sway over both beasts and humans alike.
Duo tucked Heero's hair behind his ears then let his fingers brush lightly across his cheeks as his hands dropped away. "Are you all right?" he asked as a single moonbeam flashed over his expressive eyes.
"Yes." Heero replied discovering that his voice was also stronger. "What in the hell just happened?" came the next question as his mind was still overwhelmed by confusion.
"Let's go back to the house and I will explain everything." Duo promised as the night chill raised goose bumps on his skin.
Heero removed his cape and wrapped his around Duo's perfect porcelain body. "I believe I need a sturdy sip of wine." Heero announced as they started down the path.
Inside the cave, veiled in comforting darkness, the great nocturnal beast curled up, rested his snout on his paws and closed his fiery eyes. A faint puff of smoke was expelling with a contented sigh before Duo's dragon drifted off into dreamland.
TBC...
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