By the Red Moon Part 66
Treize woke in the very early hours before the sunrise to fly with Noventa beyond the walls surrounding Taurus the day following its liberation. Perched atop one of his steed's front claws as they stayed within the boundary, he stared out to watch the full effect of the sun peeking over the horizon to make the visible clear sky brighten the heavens with a brilliant display of color.
His lungs filling with a deep breath, the king smiled as his eyes filled with a few tears as he shook his head at the wonder and beauty of actually being able to see the sun in all its glory.
Once the glowing sphere fully rose, Deathscythe soared over the Taurus walls and made a graceful landing beside Noventa. Grunting in greeting to the grinning purple dragon, the black steed lowered herself onto her stomach while Duo unfastened his harness to dismount.
Khushrenada watched the teenager from the corner of his eye and could not help but smile. In the short time that he had spent with Prince Duo, he could see clearly why his daughter, and everyone who had come to know him, were so taken by him. There was a natural and easy kindness about him. He was grounded and true to himself, even as he was still figuring out exactly who he was.
Truly, he was a unique and rare person.
Smiling over at his braided friend as he approached, Treize held his hand out towards the sun and said, "The greatest magic of all- the Creator's work at hand."
"I completely agree," the prince snickered as he sat on Scythe's claw placed beside Noventa's. Taking a deep breath, he stated, "I had a feeling that I would find you here, considering how long it's been since you've seen the sunrise."
The king peered back to the horizon and nodded, "Before my mind was taken, I had feared that I would never know its magnificence again." He paused when a lump formed in his throat that he had to swallow away. "I only wish that my wife could be here to enjoy this," he breathed. "It is killing me to not be with her, protecting her from Dekim."
Duo bit his lip, his heart going out to his new friend. The sentiment was more than understood as his own concerns over Heero came back to the forefront of his running thoughts. "I know the feeling," he managed.
At that, Treize sat upright and faced the youth. "I had a chance to spend some time with Heero," he began, knowing that his companion must have been aching for whatever information he could possibly offer. It was certainly the least the he could to... help piece together some of the missing links around the Commander's disappearance.
Sitting up, Maxwell took a deep breath and silently prepared himself for whatever he was about to hear. He shifted himself to completely face the man beside him and nodded that he was ready to listen. The good and bad of it, he was ready for it all.
Not wanting to make his friend wait any longer for the answers to his worry, Khushrenada began, "The spell that Dorothy had used on me erased all of my memories of the past, confused my knowledge of how I became involved with the Keeper. All that I knew was that I had given myself over to Dekim's plan of taking over this world."
Rubbing the back of his neck, he continued, "However, I was still allowed my ability to think for myself and I am sure that was for my general knowledge of warfare that I could react and respond to whatever was thrown at the army."
The king paused to chew on the inside of his cheek before informing quietly, "What Dorothy had done to Heero was very different. He is merely a shell... a body led by the sorceress' gift to serve her and Dekim without question."
Duo pulled in another deep breath as he shuddered. Of course they would have to completely undo everything that his lover was. If they allowed the Commander to retain any hint of himself, he would have fought them even if it meant his end.
"I am sorry," Treize frowned with a deep sincerity in his voice. "They needed a way of getting to you. They had managed to pull that off by taking Midi to get to me. If capturing Yuy was not enough to stop you, then they were certain that you might simply go to them. Either way, their plan would succeed."
His throat raw from the emotions running through him, the prince cleared it before inquiring in little more than a whisper, "Do you... do you think that there might be a chance that I could reverse the spell used on Heero? Knowing how he was when you were with him, what do you believe?"
The tall man took a silent moment to consider the question and really think over the situation. "I wish that I could give a clear answer," he sighed. "But magic is the furthest thing from my expertise. While I can tell you anything you would want to know in fighting and winning in battle, I could not tell you a blessed thing when it comes to spells and such abilities."
It was as fair and honest an answer as Duo could ask for and so he nodded shallowly while his head lowered.
While he also wished that he could have a certain response to whether or not he could save Heero, there was no sure way of anyone knowing. After all, he was the first to ever wield both light and dark magic from birth. There were no certainties. There were only hopes and chances.
A small smile tugging the corner of his mouth, Treize stated, "I do, however, believe that anything is possible. The moment one surrenders themselves to doubt is the same moment that they have lost an opportunity... not only in war, but in life. So long as there is a will, there is a way."
Slowly leaning forward, he said, "And I have never known a stronger will than yours, Duo. With all of the odds against you since you returned to this realm, you have not only met them head on but came out stronger every time. That is the making of not only a king but a remarkable person."
Raising his head, the braided prince did his best to fight back the tears that had formed in his eyes at the compliment and smiled back to his friend. "Thank you, Treize," he breathed. He cleared his throat once more and peered back to the sun along with the king as it continued to climb high into the skies.
* * * * * *
"Over fifty thousand dead and another thirty thousand wounded," Anna announced from her final tally to the officers gathered around for their meeting. "As bad as those numbers are, we could have been much worse off considering how caught unawares we were."
Heads nodded, but faces were pained with grief over their lost. While the hit was by no means a death blow to the Alliance with so many more soldiers remaining than the dead and wounded combined, it did not take away the strike against their morale that the ambush made.
Seated beside his daughter, Treize remained silent and swallowed roughly. Much to his appreciation, not one pair of eyes turned towards him in a show of putting the blame on him. In fact, every one of the soldiers treated him with the respect that a king was used to receiving. Sylvia turned her head towards him and smiled when she saw that her father seemed to be dealing with his demons well.
Wufei folded his hands onto the cracked table as he looked to the map before him. "We have some options as to what kingdom to reclaim next," he stated. "From Taurus, there is a city in the north, south, east and west that are all less than a couple of days away. If we move soon, then there would not be time for the Keeper's army to know what land we would be heading for..."
As the swordsman continued, Duo sat to his right while his vision clouded over in thoughts that took over. There would always be a city to liberate at the rate that they were going. As quickly as they moved, it would be an exhausting ordeal and there was not a way that the Alliance would always have the element of surprise on their side.
Dekim's men had managed to get the better of them once. They would have it again... with the chance that they would be more successful in devastating them in the process. The game of cat and mouse was turning once more. And it would only be a matter of time before one bad move would cost them everything.
The progress that had been made was necessary. It served to send the message that the Alliance wanted passed on to the dark sorcerer while at the same time gaining ground and strategic victories that would only serve them in the long interim of things.
But now it was time to take the steps to really end the war.
"We need to go to Sanq," Duo heard himself declare in a clear voice. "Take the battle directly to Dekim and put a stop to him." His vision refocusing, he gazed around to find every face around staring at him with wide eyes and slack jaws.
Shaking his head, the prince shrugged, "We're taking too much of a gamble by continuing the way we have been. We have to cut off the head of the snake." A thought coming to him, his own eyes widened as he spoke it aloud, "He wants me and so I could get into his castle to give the rest of you time to come and take care of the soldiers in Sanq."
At his other side, Anna breathed, "D-Duo? Do you realize what you are saying? You cannot willingly go to be taken by Dekim or you'll die." Holding her hand out to the young man across from her, her voice grew as she stated, "King Treize told us of the sorcerer's plan to bleed out your gift so that he can have it for himself. If he accomplishes that, nothing will be able to stop him from claiming this world."
Duo met her concerned blue eyes and told her quietly, "That won't happen. I promise that I won't let it come to that." Biting her lip, the archer lowered her head to control her overwhelming fears over the suggestion and what it would mean for her friend.
Focusing on the king and princess, the braided teenager commented, "Sylvia, all of the advice that you have given in our strategy as to what cities to take and when were all because you knew that they would catch Dekim the most off guard... shock and awe him from knowing what to do next, right?"
Treize's eyes widened anew as he turned to face his little girl and sputtered, "Y-you were the one who came up with taking Cygnus and Taurus?" With the corner of her lips curling up, the princess nodded. "Excellent calls, dear. You always were my best pupil," the tall man chuckled as he rubbed the top of her head as she beamed with pride.
Quickly recomposing himself, the king locked onto the violet eyes watching him and replied, "Surprise is always the best weapon for any army. You have to think like they do and try to come up with what they would consider the last thing that you would pull." Even as he spoke the words, a realization filled his own widening eyes. In little more than a whisper, he stated, "And going straight to Dekim would be that."
Silence fell over the room.
"Dear Creator," Chang muttered as his skin paled. "There really is no other way of looking at it." Biting his lip, he looked on Khushrenada and questioned, "Would you know the best way for us to reach Sanq without being noticed by any of the armies spread throughout the north?"
Anna shot her husband a fierce glare and snapped, "Wufei! There has to be another option! We cannot allow Duo to be a sacrificial lamb!"
Those gathered around the table held their breaths. As Prince Duo's Sword, the Commander was on the side of his friend's motion to strike their enemy. As his Shield, the archer remained focused on Maxwell's safety at all time.
For the first time, those principles and values were at complete odds with each other.
It was the prince who broke the heavy quiet as he reached over to rest his hand over his 'sister's.' Squeezing it, he urged gently, "It's going to be okay, Anna." Gasping, her reddening eyes fell on him and he offered a sad smile. "You have to trust me just as you always have. I know that you're concerned for my protection, but this really is the only way that we might get through this war."
A stifled whimper escaped the archer. She still did not like the idea. She hated it and that was more than evident. .. But she was not about to argue against her prince's wishes. Taking a deep breath, she gulped roughly. After a long hesitation, she finally gave a firm nod.
His smile growing, Duo squeezed her hand again and addressed the group, "I can fly ahead of the army on Scythe to provide a distraction for Dekim while you are catching up. We just need to come up with the best way of getting there safely."
"I can tell you exactly the best course," Treize announced. "Having been the one to send the armies out, I know where their numbers are spread the most thin. With the rivers of the north frozen over, I can also point out the cities that will be the easiest to ransack for any needed supplies along the way. Many of the armies at those locations would only need a few days to really begin suffering from the lack of reinforcements sent by boats."
Folding his arms, Alex reached a hand up to rub his chin and said, "And my kind will continue to wipe out the scouts that they will have as we move, just as they have been doing all along. That would provide us more room to breathe."
More and more confident by what he was hearing, Wufei nodded, "Okay. Then, we have a goal in mind." Staring at the map of the lands that he knew very well, he said, "As quickly as we can mobilize and trek, we could very well arrive at Sanq's fallen walls in one week."
Nodding after a moment, Treize commented, "I agree with that conclusion. Should there not be a need to stop for very long for any reason, we could be there even sooner."
That realization hit everyone gathered. To know that they were that close to the heart of the Keeper's reign was both thrilling and frightening.
"Are you sure that you're up for this, Duo?" one of the soldiers asked. To the prince's shock, he tuned his head towards the source, Mueller.
The Virgonian Commander tilted his head and reassured, "No one would consider you a coward should you change your mind." Shrugging, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and admitted quietly, "While your offer to hold Dekim off is a noble one, we could always use your help here." His eyes scanned over to a beaming Gloria across from him.
Grinning back to the knight, the prince smirked, "I'm sure. And I have all the faith in the world that you'll all be able to handle yourselves without me. If I didn't think that you would get to me in time, I never would have offered, I promise that."
On that note, the remainder of the meeting concerned the full layout of the plan to be set in motion as early as sunrise the following morning. It was determined that Scythe would take her time in getting Maxwell to the cusp of Sanq, leaving him in Dekim's clutches for two days before the Alliance would be able to reach him.
That time would allow both Duo the chance to work out the best way of attacking the sorcerer directly as well as buying the army the chance to get close. It was not the most appealing thought to anyone around to have him remain with the sorcerer that long, but the opportunity that it would provide was not one that they could pass up... so long as it was successful.
When the doubts and fears began to set in during the discussion, it was Treize to point out that in the course of history, it was proven that the boldest play often decided the victor in warfare. And there would never be a more daring move than what they were planning out.
At the end of the meeting, the officers took their time to all personally shake the brave prince's hand and extend their most profound appreciation for his risky offer. When only their closest of friends remained, Anna bit her lip and returned to her husband's side. "I am sorry for my snap, love," she whispered with a deep frown on her face. "It's just..."
Chuckling, the swordsman wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and kissed her cheek. "It is your responsibility to always look after Duo's safety," he replied. "I would have thought less of you if you had not spoken up in protest, so there is nothing for you to be sorry for." A small smile tugging her lips at that, the redhead kissed him soundly before she turned to face their braided friend and her heart broke again.
Maxwell opened his arms to her for a tight embrace and kissed her cheek. "Everything's going to be okay, sis. Take it from your fellow misfit."
Anna pulled back and giggled as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Well, you had better make certain that this goes to plan," she responded with a light punch to her 'brother's' arm. "If anything happens to you before I have the chance to prevent it, I'm going to be pissed." Duo's head fell back as he laughed at the phrase that she had picked up from him.
Walking up to the prince, Treize met his violet eyes and told him, "A warning to you, my friend. Yes, Dekim is the leader of the dark army and so he tends to be the main point of interest."
He raised a finger and informed, "However, Dorothy Catalonia is every bit as much a threat that you must be extremely cautious of. In the time that I came to know that vile witch woman, I am convinced that she is not one who plans to remain the sorcerer's pet. She is cunning, ruthless and should never be underestimated the way that I am certain Dekim has."
Swallowing roughly to hold back his growing nervousness, Duo gave a firm nod and replied, "Got it. I appreciate the tip." Slowly taking a deep breath, he turned to the small group around him and suggested, "We better get back to the others so that we can be the ones to tell them what's going on."
* * * * * *
Oh, the night in the dark sorcerer's room had been every bit as uncomfortable as Dorothy had imagined that it would be. Bruised and sore all over from his violent turn in bed, she did not dare heal herself. Dekim wanted her to remember her punishment for her failure to not only capture Prince Duo but for allowing Treize to be freed from her grasp.
Her punishment would not soon be forgotten, only not as means to scorn herself for her mistake but as added fuel for her hatred of the old man. He would rue ever crossing her path when she had her hands on the prince's gift.
Quietly, with Heero in tow, the sorceress made her way to the balcony beyond the throne room to stare off to the boundary that had drawn closer.
Licking her lips, she recalled the feeling of that power that had stuck her. If Barton thought that he wanted that ability, she desired it even more. Whatever it took, she would make sure that it was her veins that Maxwell's magic flowed through.
Then she would be the one to rule over all.
TBC...
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