By the Red Moon Part 19
The baby was crying.
Stirred from his light sleep at the first wail, Heero tossed his covers aside and scrambled to his feet to hurry by the makeshift bed of Wing's coiled tail and blankets. His steed's head was close to the child, his deep blue eyes wide and anxious as he searched his rider for an understanding to what was wrong with their little charge.
While Duo was known to cry for food or a changing, there was something very different about this. There was a hint of pain and urgency in his screaming voice. Whatever it was, it caused the hairs on the knight's arms to stand on their ends as he carefully picked the child up.
Cradling the little one against him, Heero urged gently over the cries, "Shhh." Once he had a hand free, he rested his palm over the baby's forehead and his eyes widened. The baby was feverish. Nearly as soon as that discovery was made, a series of little coughs broke the cycle of sniffles and fusses.
"Oh no, not now," the knight frowned deeply. With the portal now only a day away, they were so close to having the prince off to safety. He could not be sick now. No one knew exactly what kind of toll transportation through the magical veil would take on a healthy, full-grown person; let alone an ailing baby.
There was no question to what needed to be done as far as Heero was concerned. Even if it added on a day or two of traveling, he had to find a healer to look after Duo. And he needed one as quickly as possible.
Wing's ears were pulled back in full attention while he watched his rider intently for whatever direction he was to give. "We have to fly to Taurus," the teenager announced up to the large face before him. "It's the closest city." Gently lowering the whimpering child back onto the confines of his steed's tail, he hurried to pack the meager supplies that remained for the rest of the trip and doused the glowing embers in the fire pit that he had built.
Once everything was away, Heero threw on a fresh, blue tunic and pulled his arms through the baby holder. Lifting the sniffling baby and gently securing him against his chest, he whispered, "Hang in there, Duo. We are going to get you help."
Much to his relief, the little one seemed to understand his words and calmed a bit as he blinked his large eyes up at him. Sighing, the knight gently ran a hand over the back of the little one's warm head.
Ready to take off, Wing was not about to wait for Heero to take his mount when the baby was not well. Using his tail, he lifted his rider and their small one to settle them into his saddle in a silent reminder that time was of the essence.
Quickly locking himself into his own harness, the young soldier gripped the saddle's hand rest and called, "Fast as you can carry us, Wing." At that, the white beast opened his wings to flap them for lift.
Within seconds, they were soaring from the small opening in the trees that had surrounded them.
As it was already made clear, everything relied on them getting the young prince to cross through the portal safely. And Heero was bound and determined to see that through. Not only for the sake of their world and everyone in it... but for Duo's as well.
(End Flashback)
* * * * * *
Lowering the hood of her deep purple, floor-length cloak that covered her long black dress, she stepped into the dark throne room. Her steps sure and her stride purposeful, she laughed inwardly at how the guards standing by swallowed roughly in her presence while keeping their gazes from lingering on her.
It was such scenes that made selling her soul to the Keeper of Death worthwhile.
Just as she had always wanted, she was both feared and respected for what she was now capable of, even by some of the most horrific of creatures of the dark. And when this world was completely taken over, she would be among the highest of ranks to only be revered that much more.
Yes. Her conscience was clear.
Keeping her steady pace, she walked to the back of the room where the black seat waited, its backrest framed by jagged and sharp fang-like edges. A smirk tugging the corner of her mouth, the sorceress bowed her head and greeted, "You summoned me, Lord Dekim?"
The dark-clad leader leaned back in his throne and slowly eyed his guest from head to toe. "Yes, Dorothy," he replied with a smug grin of his own. "Something has come up and I am in need of your... talents?"
Intrigued, the young woman tilted her head and smiled mischievously, "Oh? And in what facet would that be?"
Dekim took a deep breath as the grin on his face faded into a frustrated scowl. "It has been confirmed that the sole survivor of the Sanq crown has returned to this realm," he informed. Her eyes widening, Dorothy froze in shock.
"You are sure?" she breathed. "Prince Duo has truly successfully crossed through the portal again? But I was certain... I thought that my spell blocking further prophecies from being seen also closed the doorway. Can your source with this information be trusted?"
Waving his hand in the air, the sorcerer answered, "Yes, yes. Apparently the portal is much stronger than we had imagined once the branch of the future had been seen and paved. Now, we have no reason to fear one mere mortal."
He shook his head and continued, "We have both looked deeply into the prophecies of old and there was no guarantee to be found that the prince will be of any concern of ours. Let us also keep in mind that we are not dealing with an experienced royal. He has been living in another world where the skills needed to lead and fight are not required for survival."
Dekim sighed, "Prince Duo is nothing more than a fleeting hope for those who are about to be smitten from the coils of this world. Your spell that closed off any further branches from being seen will render any oracle useless and doubts will set in as time passes."
As the initial surprise over the news passed and those words sank in, Dorothy eased again. "Yes, you are right," she nodded. "One last spark before their world darkens forever." She chuckled deeply, "It is almost poetic."
Rolling her shoulders back and holding her head high when a sudden realization struck, she questioned, "Would this announcement have anything to do with your requesting the need of my ability, then?"
The corner of his mouth tugging up in a smirk, Dekim responded, "I thought that I would give you the opportunity to welcome the prince home on our behalf. My spy has recently confirmed that he has been in Virgo and successfully recruited the entire army there to join the forces that have been growing over the years."
Leaning forward he advised, "While we do not yet have the exact location of where those soldiers are, that source also passed on that the prince and his friends will be traveling through Icilia during their travel back. I thought that might be a fitting place to let him know exactly what he is up against."
Visions of that wintry land flashed through the sorceress' mind and her smug smile returned to her face. "Oh, I believe that I have the perfect welcome home present for Prince Duo in mind already."
Dark eyes fixing her where she stood, Dekim frowned, "He is also with them. I certainly hope that it will not be a problem for you to carry out what you must."
There was no need for him to elaborate on who 'he' was to Dorothy and she remained unmoved by the information. His touch and his warmth were long forgotten.
Nothing about him reached her as it had when they were together... when her great opportunity arrived and he shunned her for her decision.
Set in her plan, the blonde young woman stated firmly, "Trowa is no longer a concern of mine. He had a chance to join us and he refused. In doing so, he ended any ounce of caring that I had for him. Should he get in the way, it will only be a sooner end than later for him."
More than satisfied in hearing that, Dekim grinned, "Very good. Time is of the essence as the team traveling with the prince leave this morning and so they will reach Icilia within a few hours."
"I take my leave to set to my work, then," Dorothy replied as she bowed deeply from her waist. Turning on her heels, she reached back to pull her hood back over her head. even with her icy eyes somewhat concealed, the ogres and other creatures flanking the room cast their gazes down in her wake.
Her skin practically tingling in the anticipation of casting the dark spell she was planning, the sorceress could not hide the cruel smile on her face. Killing the prince was not her intention necessarily. Dekim was not about to have it be that simple, either.
A good scare, however, was more than called for.
* * * * * *
Deathscythe smiled and bent her large head down to nuzzle the side of her braided rider when he entered her stall.
Lightly running a hand over the end of her nose, Duo muttered, "You're going to take it easy on me for this trip, right, girl? I'm putting my life in your... claws by trusting you." His steed's response was to just nuzzle against him harder with a rumbling purr.
That morning had been a flurry of activity in Virgo. A consistently scowling Mueller had prepared his soldiers to be ready to march just as ordered. The civilians lined the streets to wave their armed men off while throwing flowers and handkerchiefs in respect for their service as the many without dragons marched past on horseback.
In the stable next to the black dragon's quarters, Heero peered over from his perch in Wing's saddle. "I do not think that she would try anything with this one watching," he snickered as his mount's blue eyes watched intently from over the wall that blocked off the two stalls. "Luckily, this will just be a straight forward flight back to camp."
Across from the Captain, Anna climbed into Ingier's saddle and secured herself as she smirked to the prince, "Of course, if you ever get the urge to try something a little more challenging along the way-"
"Yea, that's not going to happen, so I don't even think about it," Duo warned with a lopsided smirk, cutting her off. "It's enough that I'm trying this solo flight in the first place." The archer and her lover in Nataku's stall one space over just laughed in amusement.
Howard approached the end of the line at the same time that the braided teenager seated himself atop Deathscythe. "I have a message from Queen Une," he announced while scanning all of the guests.
When all eyes were on him, he relayed, "Those of us that can fly will be heading out in a couple of hours so that we can make sure that we are not leaving behind anything that we may still need. We have the coordinates to follow if you would rather get a head start now."
Nodding at the front of the pack, Trowa suggested, "I think that we ought to move out right away. The sooner we can regroup with the forces we have, the better we can prepare them for the number of reinforcements coming." The others all saw the logic there and voiced their affirmatives.
The Head Squire grinned and waved, "Okay. Safe journey to you all, then. We'll catch back up at your camp." With that said, he hurried back through the main doors along with the rest of his staff to be out of the way for their take off.
Wing stepped out of his stall first and faced the opening. Head lowered and eyes focused ahead, he took a running start and spread his wings as soon as he was clear of the stables to take the wind he had created upward.
Not about to be outdone by the white dragon, Deathscythe stepped out of her own space in preparation to follow closely.
Duo gripped the hand hold of his saddle after making the sign of the cross with a whimper. Screaming when his steed charged out and took to the skies, he fought to regain his normal breathing when they caught up with Wing and the Captain.
"I don't think that I'll ever get used to this!" the prince exclaimed when he was able to find his voice once they fell into an easy glide. He could feel Scythe's body beneath him bounce slightly with what he was sure to be a quiet laugh from her.
Heero grinned as he turned his gaze towards him, "A little more time and I am sure that you will be accustomed to this. Believe it or not, I have helped train knights that had a more difficult time adjusting to flying than you have shown. I have complete confidence that you will be as used to this as I am one day."
Actually relaxing a bit, Duo admitted, "Well, that's reassuring."
Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Heavy Arms, Nataku, Ingier and SandRock not far behind. Between having the Captain at his side and his friends so close he was able to ease his tense shoulders knowing that he had backup should he somehow manage to fall from his harness.
There was another advantage of flying solo that Maxwell soon realized. He didn't have to shout so loudly over the wind to be heard while soaring beside another rider. And he was, for all intents and purposes, alone with Heero.
No better chance to get to know him better.
Smiling as he settled even more comfortably in his saddle, the prince focused his violet eyes back on the soldier and questioned, "So... uh... how long have you actually been a knight for Sanq?"
Heero met his stare and replied, "Almost since my birth a few hundred years ago. Odin had taken me in at a young age and more or less raised me. It only made sense to me that I learned the way of becoming a knight under his guidance. The whole training came naturally and I was happy to have the chance to defend my homeland."
At that, Duo frowned, "He... took you in? What about your mother and father?"
"I... never knew them," the Captain answered quietly.
Violet eyes widening, the braided youth felt his stomach knot up. Looking ahead as a long silence lingered between them, Heero stated, "It is one of the things that you and I have in common... being without our birth parents. Only I had been told that my mother died birthing me and it was all too much for my father to raise a child on his own."
Even more sick to his stomach over being the one to draw such a painful thing out of his friend, Duo breathed, "Heero, I... I'm sorry. I didn't know."
The Captain gave him a small smile and responded, "Which is exactly why you have nothing to be sorry about." His smile faded after a brief pause he said quietly, "Having to leave you behind all of those years ago..." To Duo's amazement, Heero's voice actually hitched enough that he had to stop and clear his throat.
Quickly casting his cobalt eyes ahead again, he all but whispered, "It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do in my life." Leaning forward, he lightly tapped the side of his steed to urge him to fly ahead by a few feet.
Deathscythe moved as though she was going to try and catch back up when Duo urged, "Easy, girl. Let's let him have some time alone."
A sad frown marring his face, he watched his friend with a profound sense of loss for him. Having been abandoned himself, he could only imagine how difficult it had been on Heero to have to leave a child behind.
Just knowing that there was someone who cared and worried about him... someone who did not even really know him at the time was the most profound thing for Duo to experience at that moment.
Flying for some time, his heart aching, the prince reached up to wipe a stray tear that broke through his walls to roll down his cheek.
* * * * * *
Dorothy drew the ends of the circle to complete the last drawing on the walls of her nearly blackened spell room. The only light came from the eerie glow of the images she had etched all around.
Every line and curve that she had created burned a different hue. Hieroglyphic words from the Underworld that had come to her in visions ran across the space between vague shapes and symbols that were all required for the magic she was about to call upon.
Drawing back the hem of her dress as she knelt in the center of the empty floor, the sorceress held her right hand out to press her finger on the wooden floorboards. Slowly turning herself, a yellow line to create a perfect circle around herself appeared in the wake of her fingertip while she began chanting the creed in the Keeper's tongue.
Just as each line and curve on the wall needed to be precise, every word needed to be spoken exactly or her life would be taken. Now used to the ways of dark magic, the act was one that took little to no effort on her part.
When the circle was completed, Dorothy bent forward at the waist until her forehead touched the floor. closing her eyes, she continued her quiet mantra of words, drawing her power out of her while envisioning the creature that she had dreamed up.
Imagining the frozen land of Icilia, she pictured how the icy winds and snow could be used to her whim. Without ending the stream of words that continued to flow out almost on their own accord, she rested her palms flat on the floor above her head.
Time had no meaning. Life had no meaning. All that mattered was chanting those words exactly as they needed to be, lest the effort be for naught.
Details were focused on when the spell was nearly complete. Speed. Agility. Power. Flight. All of these elements would be needed for this creation to carry out his task. More and more, it was all becoming a vivid realization of those wishes.
In reaching the end of her incantation, the sorceress could hear the low rumble of a growl respond. A pleased smirk tugging the corner of her mouth, she pushed herself up to sit back on her heels. Sharp fangs were revealed as long, black lips pulled back in a sneer behind her whitened eyes.
Oh, this one would serve her well. More than enough to cause a fright and then some.
"Go, my pet," she ordered smoothly. Her grin growing, she chuckled, "Let the prince know just how happy we are that he is home."
While there were no windows to allow so much as a draft, a sudden and large gust of wind whipped past her and the glowing symbols in the room disappeared just as quickly.
In the pitch darkness, Dorothy giggled.
TBC...
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