Original: "Three Trials, One Reward" Slash
Summary: Seisin is the guardian of the most boring forest ever to grow, which is why no one ever comes to visit on purpose.
The instant Seisin noticed that someone had crossed over into his forest he set off to find out if whoever it was had lost their way.
It was the nice thing to do, really, because no one ever crossed the border on purpose. The fact of the matter was that Seisin's forest was boring. There were no bandits or gypsies lurking in the shadows, no hermit wizards or witches, or rare magical creatures. The forest was completely devoid of princesses needing rescuing and it was rumored to have the rudest and ugliest guardian in all the land.
Seisin suspected he knew who had started that rumor, but Genya would never admit to it. He would only give Seisin a smirk and go on about the dozens of heroes traipsing through his own forest. He was just overwhelmed by it- not that Seisin would really understand, of course.
Heart fluttering a bit at the thought of some company after a year of near solitude- not counting visits from Genya, who hardly counted as pleasant company- Seisin leaned against a tree that shaded the path. He watched the lone traveler approach on foot and once he was in hearing range, called out.
"Are you in the right forest?" he asked. "There's really nothing worth seeing in here."
The young man glanced up, clever blue eyes peeking from beneath his flop of curls. His mouth was set in an amused smile.
"Don't bother trying to distract me, wraith," he said, trudging onward without giving Seisin a second glance.
"This forest doesn't have any wraiths," Seisin pointed out. He fell into step with the man. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"
"Oh, and I suppose it doesn't have a truth speaking pool that answers the seeker's question without deceit."
"Well- no, it doesn't," Seisin agreed. "I think you want the next forest over." He knew for a fact that Genya's forest possessed such a pool. His words, however, did nothing to slow the man, though he did offer Seisin a curious glance.
"I won't be tricked," he insisted, readjusting the strap of his satchel. "I was warned about the trials."
"Look, I'm not trying to trick you. You're not even in the right forest." Seisin had to skip a couple of steps to keep up with the man's long-legged stride. "What do you want to ask Genya's pool anyway?"
"It's none of your business, wraith," the man said, beginning to sound annoyed. His frown did nothing to lessen how attractive Seisin found him. "Only the truth pool will hear my question, after I've surpassed all three trials."
It was interesting to see the flush dusting the man's cheeks as he announced this. Apparently the question was of an embarrassing nature. Well, Seisin was hardly going to send Genya another attractive, embarrassed, and somewhat misled would-be hero. He made up his mind.
"Fine." Crossing in front of the man's path, he stepped in the middle of the trail. "You've surmised my true nature and have passed the first trial."
The man folded his arms, suspicious but apparently willing to listen. Seisin was pleased to discover his acting had not suffered for his lack of audience.
"For your second trial, you must tell me your name." There was a moment’s pause as the man considered the task, during which the perfectly ordinary birds could be heard calling through the trees.
"That doesn't sound much like a trial.”
"That's what you think," Seisin countered, resisting the urge to stick out his tongue. The man's gaze lifted to the sky as he judged how much time remained before nightfall.
"Carey," he said finally. "Carey Milien, son of-"
"Pleased to meet you." Seisin grinned, throwing out a hand to shake. "I'm Seisin." Something of a smile returned to Carey's lips as he shook Seisin's hand.
"What about the third trial?" he asked.
"Kiss me."
Seisin had expected the man to argue, or at the very least to complain. What he got instead was a firm press of lips against his own. Carey smelled like honey and sweat, the taste of both an odd mixture in his mouth as well. It was a good kiss, one he enjoyed giving as much as receiving.
"Ask your question, seeker," he said, a bit breathlessly, when Carey pulled away. The blonde’s cheeks were dark and he avoided Seisin's gaze.
"You're not the pool."
"Representing it," Seisin lied easily. "Wouldn't you rather ask me than some murky bit of water?"
Carey considered, then gave in with a nod.
"Is there any way for me to get out of the marriage that my father has arranged?"
That was the question Carey had come so far to find an answer for? Seisin was luckier than he had first realized to have caught the man before Genya did.
" Of course there is,” he replied, unable to resist a grin.
"Really?" Carey’s surprise was evident on his face. It was as though a great weight had dropped from his shoulders. He rushed forward and took Seisin’s hand in his own. "Please, tell me how."
"Easy," Seisin said. There was nothing quite like everything going his way. He pulled a pendant from his pocket and pressed it into Carey's hand. "Take this back to your father and tell him it means you've been claimed by a forest guardian."
"But you said you were-"
"There's one condition," Seisin continued, speaking over him. "You have to come visit me once every week and give me a kiss. Or else I'll let your dad marry you off."
"Just a kiss?" Carey asked, a bit hopeful as well as surprised.
"Well, preferably a kiss and then some chatting. Maybe dinner sometime later on and possibly sex. But you're only obligated to the kiss. Do we have a deal?"
Carey hesitated, studying the charm in his hand. When he looked back up at Seisin there was a bright smile on his face.
"I'd like that, yeah." He leaned forward and kissed Seisin's cheek gently. "Thank you.”
As Seisin watched him taking the path back out of the forest, he couldn't help but grin. Take that Genya, he thought to himself. It didn't seem likely he'd be lonely in the future.
The instant Seisin noticed that someone had crossed over into his forest he set off to find out if whoever it was had lost their way.
It was the nice thing to do, really, because no one ever crossed the border on purpose. The fact of the matter was that Seisin's forest was boring. There were no bandits or gypsies lurking in the shadows, no hermit wizards or witches, or rare magical creatures. The forest was completely devoid of princesses needing rescuing and it was rumored to have the rudest and ugliest guardian in all the land.
Seisin suspected he knew who had started that rumor, but Genya would never admit to it. He would only give Seisin a smirk and go on about the dozens of heroes traipsing through his own forest. He was just overwhelmed by it- not that Seisin would really understand, of course.
Heart fluttering a bit at the thought of some company after a year of near solitude- not counting visits from Genya, who hardly counted as pleasant company- Seisin leaned against a tree that shaded the path. He watched the lone traveler approach on foot and once he was in hearing range, called out.
"Are you in the right forest?" he asked. "There's really nothing worth seeing in here."
The young man glanced up, clever blue eyes peeking from beneath his flop of curls. His mouth was set in an amused smile.
"Don't bother trying to distract me, wraith," he said, trudging onward without giving Seisin a second glance.
"This forest doesn't have any wraiths," Seisin pointed out. He fell into step with the man. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"
"Oh, and I suppose it doesn't have a truth speaking pool that answers the seeker's question without deceit."
"Well- no, it doesn't," Seisin agreed. "I think you want the next forest over." He knew for a fact that Genya's forest possessed such a pool. His words, however, did nothing to slow the man, though he did offer Seisin a curious glance.
"I won't be tricked," he insisted, readjusting the strap of his satchel. "I was warned about the trials."
"Look, I'm not trying to trick you. You're not even in the right forest." Seisin had to skip a couple of steps to keep up with the man's long-legged stride. "What do you want to ask Genya's pool anyway?"
"It's none of your business, wraith," the man said, beginning to sound annoyed. His frown did nothing to lessen how attractive Seisin found him. "Only the truth pool will hear my question, after I've surpassed all three trials."
It was interesting to see the flush dusting the man's cheeks as he announced this. Apparently the question was of an embarrassing nature. Well, Seisin was hardly going to send Genya another attractive, embarrassed, and somewhat misled would-be hero. He made up his mind.
"Fine." Crossing in front of the man's path, he stepped in the middle of the trail. "You've surmised my true nature and have passed the first trial."
The man folded his arms, suspicious but apparently willing to listen. Seisin was pleased to discover his acting had not suffered for his lack of audience.
"For your second trial, you must tell me your name." There was a moment’s pause as the man considered the task, during which the perfectly ordinary birds could be heard calling through the trees.
"That doesn't sound much like a trial.”
"That's what you think," Seisin countered, resisting the urge to stick out his tongue. The man's gaze lifted to the sky as he judged how much time remained before nightfall.
"Carey," he said finally. "Carey Milien, son of-"
"Pleased to meet you." Seisin grinned, throwing out a hand to shake. "I'm Seisin." Something of a smile returned to Carey's lips as he shook Seisin's hand.
"What about the third trial?" he asked.
"Kiss me."
Seisin had expected the man to argue, or at the very least to complain. What he got instead was a firm press of lips against his own. Carey smelled like honey and sweat, the taste of both an odd mixture in his mouth as well. It was a good kiss, one he enjoyed giving as much as receiving.
"Ask your question, seeker," he said, a bit breathlessly, when Carey pulled away. The blonde’s cheeks were dark and he avoided Seisin's gaze.
"You're not the pool."
"Representing it," Seisin lied easily. "Wouldn't you rather ask me than some murky bit of water?"
Carey considered, then gave in with a nod.
"Is there any way for me to get out of the marriage that my father has arranged?"
That was the question Carey had come so far to find an answer for? Seisin was luckier than he had first realized to have caught the man before Genya did.
" Of course there is,” he replied, unable to resist a grin.
"Really?" Carey’s surprise was evident on his face. It was as though a great weight had dropped from his shoulders. He rushed forward and took Seisin’s hand in his own. "Please, tell me how."
"Easy," Seisin said. There was nothing quite like everything going his way. He pulled a pendant from his pocket and pressed it into Carey's hand. "Take this back to your father and tell him it means you've been claimed by a forest guardian."
"But you said you were-"
"There's one condition," Seisin continued, speaking over him. "You have to come visit me once every week and give me a kiss. Or else I'll let your dad marry you off."
"Just a kiss?" Carey asked, a bit hopeful as well as surprised.
"Well, preferably a kiss and then some chatting. Maybe dinner sometime later on and possibly sex. But you're only obligated to the kiss. Do we have a deal?"
Carey hesitated, studying the charm in his hand. When he looked back up at Seisin there was a bright smile on his face.
"I'd like that, yeah." He leaned forward and kissed Seisin's cheek gently. "Thank you.”
As Seisin watched him taking the path back out of the forest, he couldn't help but grin. Take that Genya, he thought to himself. It didn't seem likely he'd be lonely in the future.