By the Red Moon Part 61
"You're serious?!" Anna exclaimed as she shot up from her place beside the campfire where she and equally shocked friends were gathered for the night.
When the young couple that had rejoined them could not contain their smiles any longer as they nodded, the archer laughed and ran around the pit to wrap her arms tightly around Relena while the others reacted and got to their own feet. Returning the embrace, the seer laughed excitedly with her dear friend.
Duo and Wufei were the first to reach Quatre. Pulling the thrilled empath into a one-armed embrace, the prince ruffled his hair and told him sincerely, "Congratulations, man." The swordsman followed suit with the hug and sentiment as the others caught up to offer their own rounds with the expectant pair.
After everyone had a chance to offer their well wishes and returned to their places around the fire with their steeds, Relena giggled, "I am so used to seeing things before they happen that it does sometimes take the surprise out of things."
Peering down to her stomach as she ran her hand over the new life that had only just begun to grow inside of her, she smiled, "This was a most wonderful surprise for us." To her right, Quatre swallowed past another lump that had formed in his throat and nodded before he placed a kiss against his wife's temple. Sand Rock craned his head around the girl to rest his head at her other side in a silent vigil.
Zechs bowed his head and vowed, "Well, since you plan on staying, you know that we will all be taking extra care to make sure that your little one has a good start in life." Her tail flapping, Peacemillion's eyes flickered with a determination in them to see his words through.
His own head nodding, Trowa smirked "That's right. They are going to have a lot of aunts and uncles when they do come into this world that will be looking after them." Snickering at his grinning steed, he patted Heavy Arms' head and added, "Even some of the scaly kind." From his flat bed nearby, Wing flopped his tail and snorted in agreement, making those around laugh.
Duo reached up and back behind him to rub the end of the white dragon's snout. Tilting his head, he asked, "So, with time being slowed in this world, how long does a pregnancy actually last?"
"Nine months," Catherine answered. "It is just a very long nine months here as compared to your old world, from what I have read up on it." Gazing about the darkness beyond the glow of their campfire, she mumbled, "And all things considered with what is going on now, that is not necessarily a bad thing."
For the expectant couple, they were not about to argue that. No one would want to bring a baby into the world under the shadow of the Keeper if they could help it.
But at least for the time being, they all had something to look forward to.
* * * * * *
"Treize is getting restless," Dorothy warned her master as they stood on his balcony to watch the Commander giving off orders to the scores of soldiers far below them. "I can sense it. He has been nervous in the past, but it had only worsened since that border was raised."
Dekim gripped the ledge and nodded, "I know but we still need him. His knowledge of warfare is what has kept us successful in our takeover and I am not about to lose that when we have the Alliance to deal with. Erasing his thoughts and freewill like our little puppet..." Peering over his shoulder to see Heero standing behind them with his glowing eyes and blank expression, he concluded, "is not an option."
Subtly looking back at her pet, the sorceress smiled to herself. She so loved having such an obedient servant at her beck and call.
Of course, Dekim would never stand for the two of them to be alone. Tempting as it was to see what other bits of... enjoyment the knight-in-training could bring her, the dark lord would be beside himself with rage and jealousy.
And she had come too far in earning her high ranking to lose it all by entertaining her curiosity. There were much more important things for her to spend her time on...
...namely figuring out a way that she would be the one to obtain Prince Duo's ability when they had him. If Barton was truly foolish enough to believe that Dorothy was content to forever remain his own lap dog, he was in for a most unpleasant surprise. He was not the only one who thirsted for the power to wield both light and dark magic.
She could not wait to see the old man's face when she took his most coveted prize right out from under him.
On the grounds below, Treize made his way of the large stairwell leading to the front door of the fortress. As he had every time before, he paused beside the great statue of the dragon at the top of the steps. Staring up at the massive head of the creature, the Commander looked on with a hint of yearning in his eyes.
Humming to himself as he watched, Dekim suggested quietly, "Perhaps it would not hurt if we rewarded him for his service and dedication. Such a gesture should remind him why we he 'chose' to side with us." He glanced over to his lovely counterpart and smirked, "Now that you have mastered the art of wiping a mind clean of its memories, you should have no trouble releasing our prisoner from his cold sleep."
"No trouble at all," Dorothy grinned without warmth in response. Chuckling, she complimented, "And I must say that the gesture is quite kind of you."
The dark sorcerer gazed back down onto the Commander sighed, "Yes, I know. I am quite the remarkable man. It is a wonder how more people do not see that in me." A pleased, toothy smile tugging his lips, he snickered to himself.
* * * * * *
At the start of the following morning, Duo woke before any of his friends and jumped from Wing's infirmary bed. Walking up to there the others were huddled close in their sleeping bags, he moved to restore the fire that was fizzling out and greeted the first stirrers with a quiet, "Good morning."
Wiping her eyes as she sat up, Catherine yawned and replied, "Is it really the morning? Pretty hard to tell as dark as it is all the time out here." She raised her hand to send a ball of flame into the fresh pile of wood that the prince had laid into the pit to create a brilliant blaze while the rest of the lot woke and sat up.
"I just got used to the feel of the time, I guess," Maxwell shrugged as he patted Scythe. Having greeted his steed, he took up the place between Wufei and Anna that they had opened for him simply out of the subconscious comfort of always having them close.
The sound of rustling in the bushes behind them had the band of royals, knights and gifted peering back to watch as a familiar trio of wolves stepped out from the thick leaves and branches.
At no real surprise to anyone, Mueller all but ran into the scene, panting from his effort to reach the spot. Clearing his throat as their guests returned to their human states, the Commander focused the real reason for his presence and nodded firmly, "Gloria. I hope all was well with your scouting."
Quietly snorting back a laugh, Anna lowered her head to conceal her reddening face. Even Duo and Wufei were having a hard time hiding their own amusement. Try as Muller may, there was simply no hiding how taken he was with the petite blonde clad in form-fitting black material. Wherever she was, somehow the Virgonian knight always found a way to be around her.
That little detail was clearly noticed by the girl as she tilted her head and smirked, "Yes it was, thank you Mueller. I certainly hope that you did not wind yourself too much in racing to get here to see me."
Anna did laugh outright then, falling back against Ingier's side while her contagious burst ran through the rest of the group. His narrowed eyes scanning them all, Mueller failed to conceal the change of color in his burning cheeks.
That embarrassment was soon replaced with surprise when Gloria closed the distance between them in a blink to drape her arms up around his neck. "And for the record, I missed you as well," she purred. Standing on the tips of her toes, she pressed her lips against the wide-eyed knight's for a quick peck before she dashed back to join the rest of her pack. Stunned, the Commander blinked and rested his finger tips against his opened mouth as another round of snickers ran through the audience.
Rising to his feet, Wufei regained his composure to focus on scouting the team. "What word have you received from the others that are watching the grounds ahead and around us?" he asked. At the question, everyone around instantly sobered.
"Much of the same," Alex answered as he stepped into the circle. "That there are no reinforcements being sent to Cygnus. However, our pack that is scouting further out seems to think there are a few solitary scouts of Dekim's army around; the closer they get to the city the stronger the foul stench of ogre on the wind."
Sylvia chewed on the inside of her cheek and thought aloud, "That would be the standard protocol for an army that has taken over a city to have lookouts sent out for miles to warn if anyone is coming for them. They never counted on us striking them, so they did not have the need to have that for Aries. I am sure that will no longer be the case since we took that city back."
Nodding with an impressed expression, Adodera replied, "That would be correct. But no need for alarm. We have paired off teams moving ahead of us to see that those extra eyes and ears are dealt with."
Duo rubbed the back of his neck and puffed out a sharp breath of air. "Well then, all we can do is keep moving and wait. At least they don't expect us to go this far out of our way for our next target if they still haven't sent reinforcements. Even if they did now, they wouldn't get to Cygnus before we dol."
There was a great amount of comfort in that.
Peering over his shoulder, the braided prince caught Wing staring off to the north east just as he always would when he was not preoccupied. His heart sinking, Duo frowned deeply since he knew enough of the bond between a dragon and their rider to know why the white steed was always looking in that direction.
He was pointing to the direction where Heero was... off in the far distance where the Sanq kingdom once stood.
* * * * * *
"Treize," Dekim smiled as the Commander stepped into the room to stand before the throne. Gesturing to the young sorceress and her ever silent servant at his right, the old man said, "Thank you for coming to see us despite how busy you are at the moment."
Bent deeply at the waist in a bow, Khushrenada replied, "Of course, my lord." Straightening himself, he nodded firmly, "How can I be of service?"
Slowly rising, Barton chuckled as he stepped down from his perch to wrap an arm around the former king and turn him. "You have been most loyal to me for many years now, my friend," he said in a voice so kind that even he almost believed the sincerity behind it. "And I've decided that it is about time your dedication was properly rewarded."
A frown etching his face, Treize managed to hide his growing concern. "Rewarded?" he repeated. "But I have not stayed by your side expecting any rewards, Excellency. Simply being able to do the Keeper's work is more than enough."
Snickering, Dekim shook his head, "I know that you are not looking for anything." Instantly, the Commander's shoulders beneath his arm sagged in relief. Patting the breastplate of the knight's armor with his free hand, the sorcerer reassured, "And that is even more reason to why you deserve... a follower. Dorothy now has Heero and so for you..." He held his upturned hand out to the opened doors of the throne room.
The ground shook with a thunderous boom that filled the air. And a second. Then a third. His eyes widening, Treize swallowed roughly as the pace of what was clearly foot falls picked up as they neared the entrance. At either side of the doorway, the guards stepped back just before a massive head peered inside.
With a gasp, the Commander's jaw fell at recognizing the deep brown, antler-like horns and the smooth face that they framed. Indeed, the dragon that he had always found a comfort in being around was as alive as he was. Where its scales were once etched in cold stone, they were now smooth and moving with each breath that the creature took. Shaded a deep purple with brilliant gold highlights on its appendages, the beast blinked its black eyes at Treize.
Turning its huge body, the beast stepped into the room and approached the pair standing before the high throne. Once it reached the sorcerer and the knight, the dragon sat on its back hind to reveal that a saddle had been set in place. Completely beside himself, Khushrenada stared up at the large eyes that continued to focus on him.
"Marvelous, is he not?" Dekim asked quietly as he also looked up to their guest.
Finally able to take in a breath, Treize breathed, "He is incredible... every bit what I imagined him to be if he were real..." And the dragon certainly was. He was fit for a king. Looking back over his shoulder to where Dorothy sat with Heero standing ever close by her side, he questioned, "You can bring stone to life? You truly have come far in your gift, sorceress."
The young woman, amused to no end that the Commander was convinced the creature had never been a living thing to begin with, grinned, "There are many things that you cannot comprehend when it comes to what I can do. This act was mere child's play for me."
Ignoring the sorceress' boasts, Khushrenada raised his head back to the dragon watching him. Slapping his minion's back, Dekim stepped back and announced, "He will serve you very well as your steed, Treize. You should take some time to get acquainted with him, see how you fare with riding through the skies."
At that, the beast lowered his head until the end of his muzzle was pressed against the knight's chest. Blinking, the corners of Treize's mouth tugged up into a child-like smile as he reached out to run his hand over the smooth scales. "Noventa," he whispered. "That is what I will call you." Oddly enough... there was something familiar about the name even though he had no known history with it.
Little did he know that it came to him through Dorothy as an added mockery to how he could not recall his own steed from back before his memories had been taken. While they had each other now, they would never have what they shared in the past. Behind him, the gifted pair shared cruel smirks. "That is a fine name, Treize," the dark lord chuckled. "A very fine name."
Grinning, the Commander asked his steed, "Well then, Noventa, shall we venture out?" The dragon answered by raising its head high and opening its webbed wings.
* * * * * *
What should have been a five-day journey to Cygnus was made by the Alliance in four. It was nearly what would have been daybreak by the time they hid themselves in the tall hills surrounded the western edge of the city. Unlike their experience with taking Aries, there was enough coverage around that the great army could comfortably stay out of sight less than a mile from the outer limits.
Carefully peering his head over the top of the steep hill that he hid on the slopes of along with his Sanq officers, Duo took a good look at what lay ahead with the assistance of his gift to help him see through the lingering darkness. From his vantage point, he could make out the soldiers patrolling the emptied streets of the nearly leveled villages.
Also unlike Aries, disturbingly enough, there was not a single good soul to be found within the confines of this land. Every civilian had either run or was killed long before the Alliance could be of any aid to them.
But on the good side, just as the map and Sylvia had confirmed, the prince could see the great northern river making its way to the heart of Cygnus where it branched off into dozens of other rivers that ran off in nearly every direction. And many of them were carrying rafts that had been loaded with supplies. It was why they had targeted the city in the first place. The takeover of that waterway meant that just as many armies stationed through the north would be starved of that needed cargo.
Feeling the presence of another before he could even hear the footsteps, Duo looked back to see Alex walking towards them alongside a tall man with short, brown hair. Wearing a clinging leather 'skin' of red from the base of his neck to his feet, the new werewolf nodded in greeting to the violet eyes on him. Lowering their weapons, Wufei and Anna stepped aside for their prince to walk past them and greet their friends.
The blonde pack leader held a hand out to the red-clad youth and introduced, "Prince Duo, this is Trent. He and several others of our kind have been out handling the scouts of Dekim's army. For his efforts in killing five as recently as this evening, I thought it fitting that he have the chance to relay his team's report in person."
A wide smile spreading across his face, the braided teenager held out his hand and greeted, "Pleasure to meet you, Trent. I really can't thank you and your accomplices enough for all that you have done in securing the area."
Chuckling, the red wolf accepted the hand in a firm shake as as his sharp human face smirked, "Believe me, the pleasure was all ours, your highness." He gasped with wide eyes when one of his exposed fangs dripped a large droplet of dark blood down his jaw. Quickly reaching up to wipe it away, he bit his lip and looked back up. Much to his shock, the prince's grin only grew.
"That is the mark of a job well done," Duo reassured. "There was a time when I may have been scared by a sight like that, but like my knights here, I am now just as thirsty for those monsters' blood to be spilt as you are."
His transparent brown eyes blinking in surprise, Trent laughed to his 'brother,' "You were right, I do like him." Alex smirked and nodded firmly. Refocusing on the prince, the red werewolf informed, "The grounds around Cygnus have been cleared and every scout within miles will not be of any concern of yours."
Grinning, Maxwell complimented, "Excellent work. When this strike is over, I hope that you will bring the remainder of your team forward so that I may thank them myself."
Trent's chest rose with pride. "I will certainly do that," he replied with a deep bow at the waist. "They will be most honored to have your recognition of their efforts."
Like so many time before, Wufei and Anna shared knowing smiles over the impression that their braided friend never failed to make on others. The only thing that would have made the moment even more perfect were if Heero were there to enjoy it with them.
With a deep breath, the swordsman told the prince, "The soldiers and gifted are waiting for you to lead the charge whenever you are ready, Duo. Whatever you have planned, they are waiting for your signal."
Cracking his knuckles the boy responded, "Then let's not keep them waiting. Any requests before I get going here?"
"Only one," Anna answered. When the violet eyes fell on her, a sinister smile lifted the corner of her mouth as she winked, "Please be a dear and try to save a few of them for us." Her husband snickered and nodded to second the sentiment.
Duo smirked, "I'll see what I can do."
TBC...
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