Love Conquers All Part 6
Hand over hand, foothold to foothold the Light and Dark and human scaled the unforgiving cliffs. Each placement was crucial for they had climbed high enough that any mistake in grip or judgment would prove fatal. Actually Quatre and Trowa could simply float in the murky fog swirling about the cliffs, could use their levitation powers to glide to the top but they promised Heero they would remain with him and they always kept their promises. Also by being at the mortal's side they might be able to save him from a long and nasty fall. Heero was not opposed to stopping on one of the narrow ledges to rest. He was corporeal, not spiritual and thus given to waning energy. He believed that neither the Fair One nor the Dark One would think any less of him or his "human" qualities.
The fog evaporated as they reached the top. The moisture and slick green moss that thrived in the wet environment also was not as abundant. Grabbing onto a protruding granite shelf Heero completed the final pull that brought his body over the crest. As he lay panting at the advanced altitude and the thinner air that went with it, the King's Captain wheezed hoarsely. He didn't notice that Quatre and Trowa did cheat a bit as, hand in hand, they floated the last ten feet over the ridge to settle down effortlessly beside him.
Heero pushed up on his elbows gasping for air. Quatre laid a hand on his arm encouraging him to be quiet. "Rest." he advised seeing how Yuy's damp hair hung limply about his shoulders. "Drink." he insisted calling up three cups of water from of his never ending supply of magic.
"But..." Heero began struggling to get up.
Trowa rolled his eyes hoping that he would not have to engage in another battle of wills with the stubborn mortal. "If you don't rest you will fail. Do you want that?"
The tall God's line of logic could not be argued against. Heero eased back on the grass littered with grainy pebbles, "Minutes but no more than that." he informed the concerned pair as he slowly sipped his water.
"Agreed." Quatre nodded taking the opportunity to enjoy a few restful moments in his lover's arms while sharing their water.
"How far from here?" Heero asked craning his neck to see past a stand of bowed saplings permanently bent by the fitful wind.
Trowa's green sight followed Yuy's gaze, "Twenty maybe thirty minutes at the most."
Heero stood up deciding that rest time was over, "Let's go." he ordered raising his hand to shield his face from the pelting bits of sand tossed by the wind. Duo's red ribbon whipped in the stiff breeze. "I'm coming my love." he whispered lowly, "Hold on I'm coming."
The Soldier and his comrades used what little vegetation grew in the harsh setting as cover as their moved closer to their goal. The meandering course took more time but saving a few minutes would not matter if they were discovered. Closer and closer they traveled and with each step the sunlight seemed to be swallowed up by a creeping, vague darkness. At last they squatted in the thick undergrowth of a scrub bush staring up at the high stone wall guarding the Dragon's Lair. A battering draft hit their faces as they peered up at the fortified stronghold.
A foul current, different from the wind that funneled up from the cliffs, blew raw and cold. Like the sunlight, no warmth was allowed any sway. Great black birds, their broad wingspans silhouetted against the graying sky, cast dense shadows as they circled the castle's twin towers. Their haunting cries echoed repeating again and again in the wind's pitiless blowing.
Staying low the trespassing trio ran the last fifty yards pulling up at the wall's base. There were no trees or other growth strong enough to climb and from their vantage point the wall was solid in both directions. "We can't climb over or go through," Heero observed, "and I don't think we can dig under unless one of you can transform into a gopher." he grinned feeling the need to lighten the mood.
"There appears to be a gate." Quatre announced pointing to the left. "See over there." They moved left, another twenty yards took them to the desire location. Of course it would have been too much to expect the tall iron gate to be opened. How foolish to think that Ryuujin would leave the threshold to his keep any way but shut up tight and bolted from the inside.
Quatre and Trowa exchanged an odd smile immediately telling Yuy that a plan was being hatched. Without any words between the immoral lovers Trowa stepped back, closed his eyes and began to glow. His body sparked as he reverted back to his "ball of blue energy". Growing lighter the bits of his shimmering orb seemed to be scattered by the wind. Then in a blink of an eye Trowa was gone.
Before Heero could question his vanishing there was a scrapping heard behind the iron entrance. The hindrance to their forward motion groaned as the weather-encrusted hinges gave way and the gate opened just wide enough for the remaining pair to slip inside. Heero couldn't help the shudder he felt as the sturdy iron creaked back into place shutting off their only escape route.
"Now we find a door." Heero stated looking across a desolate courtyard. Again no sizable vegetation grew to provide cover for a stealthy dash from the wall to the castle. Trowa and Quatre might be able to dissolve into nothing but Heero was not blessed with such wondrous abilities. Nevertheless the trek, cover or no cover, had to be made.
The hint of footsteps could just be heard above the howling wind. The Captain's training automatically kicked in as he flattened on the wall. The two immortal allies followed Yuy's example. Now Heero was really wishing for just one broad tree trunk to hide behind. They were exposed and no amount of wishing was going to change that fact.
A lone figure stepped from a doorway that, until then, Heero had not seen. But he had quickly learn since his first encounter with "the beings from the parallel realm" that nothing was ever as it seemed to be. As the "person" moved outside the castle's veiling shadows Heero was certain that it was a man. The male was slender but muscular dressed in trim pants, a flared-sleeve shirt and a quilted overvest. All the garments were the color of blood. His pant's hems were tucked into knee-high black boots. Heavy ebony hair hung well passed his shoulders. He moved in graceful strides but Yuy's trained eye told him that there was a deceiving quickness hidden in the casual gait.
Quatre drew in a startled breath and Heero could sense a tenseness suddenly come upon the gentle Light God. "Who is he?" the Captain asked realizing by Quatre's reaction the man was known to him.
"Chang Wufei." the Fair One hissed growling out the name with an uncharacteristic ruthlessness.
"He doesn't look so dangerous." Yuy observed then reminded himself once more that looks can be deceiving.
Trowa moved beside his Fair One placing a hand on his shoulder. "We believed the same thing until he transformed into Ryuujin and slaughtered most of our army." There was a tremble in his voice as he recalled that horrible day.
Heero recalled the story of Chang's deadly metamorphosis, "We should take him now while he is human." he declared reaching for his sword.
Trowa grabbed Yuy's arm, "No Chang can change in a blink of an eye."
"So I can't reach him with my sword but Quatre has the crossbow surely he can bring down Chang from this range." Heero reasoned.
Trowa shook his head, "The Son of Satan would transform long before the arrow hit its mark. Any action now would alert Chang that something was wrong. Our only hope is to catch him off guard. We need to rescue Duo first only then can we be certain of his safety." he replied, "Let the bastard go for now that will give us time to find Duo. The Dragon always returns to his liar, always."
"Yes we will secure Duo then lie in wait until the opportunity for a sure victory presents itself." Quatre agreed, "Duo first then the Dragon."
Again the logic was flawless. Heero forced himself to relax but did not take his eyes off the Dragon God. "When I finally come face to face with the hell-spawned beast," Heero stated locking his brooding blue eyes on his comrades, "I want him to myself. No interference and no help, understand?" he declared sternly, "The vile servant of the Devil took what is mine, claimed my lover and for that he will pay with his life."
Quatre nodded in agreement, "That has been our intention from the beginning. Why do you think you are the chosen one Heero Yuy? If we had not been absolutely certain of your ability, your skill as a warrior, we would not have come to you. From the day of your birth you were destined to unite our realms, to be the means to slay Ryuujin and bring peace to both your people and ours as well."
"We will support you in every confrontation, every challenge that Chang might mount up against us but you have our solemn oath that Ryuujin will be yours to destroy." the God of Darkness sincerely pledged.
Chang moved on leaving by the front gate. When Heero and the others were sure he was gone they began to look for a way inside the ancient keep, a way to Duo. A whitish mist drifted over the courtyard's ground. The same chilled wind that had buffeted the warriors by the wall swirled the pallid fog in a most fitful fashion. Once more Heero shook off a foreboding shiver.
The previously unnoticed door, fixed securely in the castle's outer wall, blocked the group's advancement. Heero took hold of the handle's large iron ring and pulled. The door didn't budge. Again he put all the strength he had into moving the stubborn barrier but the results were unchanged.
"It's locked from the inside." he stated an exhausted breath sliding over his words.
Quatre stood quietly before the unyielding entrance, "No there is no lock." he proclaimed running his hand over the rough surface, "You and Trowa try again."
Trowa folded his hand above Heero's. Together they combined their efforts. Muscles bulged, swear broke out across their faces, which surprised Heero since he had believed that immortals did not possess any human qualities. Maybe they had used their magic so often that the superior Gods had gotten soft. He and Trowa paused to catch their breaths, to sure up their grips as moist hands wanted to slip then tugged once more.
Heero cursed under his breath. The irreverent pronouncements graphically describing the inanimate object's questionable parentage were repeated with more volume bringing a pink tinge to Quatre's cheeks. "We have to get this opened." Heero hissed clenching his teeth with another hard pull. "Don't you have a spell or something to move this damn thing?" he snapped directing his question to both immortals.
Quatre shook his head in a negative manner, "Sorry no spell for this situation."
"We can do this." Trowa declared lending all the physical power he could muster to pulling.
The door seemed to give a little. Heero prayed that the movement was not his imagination as he kept up a firm, steady pressure on the handle. Ever so slowly they began making progress. A narrow crack showed in the doorframe. Again rusty hinges groaned, "Doesn't that bastard have any oil?" Trowa wondered aloud as the grating sound assaulted his ears. Flecks of rust sprinkled on the ground and blew back in their faces. It took two more pulls but the obstinate door finally began to slide back.
Dank, cold air hit their faces as the open space revealed nothing but a blank blackness. The icy flow blew steadily but its source was not known. The breeze made a low mournful cry that carried on the currents with a spine-chilling wail.
"I can't see anything." Heero announced daring to lean into the dense darkness.
Quatre smiled seemingly very pleased with himself, "Now I CAN do something about the lack of light." he stated waving his hand high into the air. "Three brightly-lit torches arrived from that same mysterious place where everything else he conjured up came from. Each warrior took a light aiming it into the perpetual night. The angry current battered the flames trying its best to snuff out the intrusive brightness.
Quatre had to hold his torch to one side to keep the fire's backwash fluttering from hitting his face. "This is an awful place." he declared as a stout shiver coursed up his spine.
"And I don't believe it will get any better." Trowa stated wrapping an arm about his lover's quivering body.
Heero stood in silence knowing that his soul mate was in Quatre's "awful place". He put his torch out in front holding it high, "Come on." he said taking the lead. One cautious step and he was inside Dragon's Lair. Quatre went next, Trowa formed the rear guard. Gradually the torchlight was swallowed up by the opaque shadows. One by one the lights faded into nothingness and all proof of the warrior's presence were gone.
*********
Across the courtyard, sitting atop the outer wall, Chang watched the invaders move into his hellish stronghold with a mixture of satisfaction and amusement. "How delightful." he sneered as he began his transformation. Ryuujin perched on the wall's rim holding on with long curved talons.
"Follow them." he ordered addressing a dark outline standing at his side. The dim form balanced perfectly on the irregular rim. "I want to know their every move." the Dragon finished his instructions. "Meanwhile I shall resurrect three of my sleeping demons. Three challengers created from nature to test the human and those pesky relics from my realm."
The Dragon God reared up on his hind legs stretching to his full height, "If they do not survive my champions it is just as well. If they do then I will know that the mortal will be a worthy opponent, someone who will give me a good fight before I kill him. When the human is eliminated I will vanquish those impotent Priests to hell so they can never interfere again. Yes with Duo's soldier gone my precious pet will have no hope then his soul will truly be mine forever."
"Yes Master." the Shadow Spy answered with a respectful bow. "I will follow and report." he bowed again before his dusky form joined the wind and blew into the opened doorway to pursue his quarry.
Ryuujin flicked out his forked tongue tasting the air, licking up the human's and the immortal's lingering scent. "Delightful indeed." he hissed.
TBC...
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