There will be magic, chapter 22, RukixKai, RukaxYomi
Title: There will be magic
Author: yukigafuru
Chapters: 22/?
Pairings: RukaxYomi, KaixRuki for now
Bands: Gazette, Naitomea, D... (and a surprise)
Rating: PG-15 for now
Warnings: will be angst, yaoi, a bit of gore here and there
Genre: AU, Angst, Romance
Disclaimer: I am not connected to the real persons. This is just a figment of my imagination and I don't make any money nor profit in any way out of this (well, except gathering your love that is).
Summary: The age of magic and mystery is coming towards its end. But what if someone that has the gift to see the future can join forces with others who have the power to stop it? What will be born then? What will be found?
Chapter 22
When the sun showed his sleepy face for the first time the next morning, the travellers suddenly sprang up from their beds, wide awake. All of them had heard something, something none could figure out exactly what it had been. It sounded like a far away cry, but it didn't sound human nor animal. It placed a heavy, cold burden on their souls, as if the cry had triggered an avalanche which had buried them alive. Due to his sensitive nature, Ruki felt it the most. He shivered, his body and heart anticipating something...
“Ru-chan, are you okay?” His lover came close and embraced him tightly from behind. “You're shivering.”
“I'm fine, Kai.” He cringed at the lie. And yet, his lips naturally gave that answer. What was more worrying than saying a white lie was the fact that even in Kai's arms, he still felt cold, his soul still felt frozen.
“We better go.” The dragon decided and without further discussion, all of them quickly packed up the few things that had been scattered around their improvised camp, mounted the horses, and headed for their next destination: Dred.
Because of the thick trees and unknown surroundings, the horses trotted slower than they normally would. At the slightest sound, their ears would turn towards that direction and listen attentively, ready to start galloping if something were approaching. But the forest was still mostly silent, like the first time they had entered it. There was no breeze, no song of birds, no cry of wild animals. Fortunately, there was no poisoning mist either.
All but for the panther, the heaviness in their hearts started fading away, leaving in its place platitude, stillness. Surrounded by the woods' silence and their own hearts' weariness, the travellers just embraced each other tighter and kept moving, no words exchanged between them. The panther was still shivering.
“Ru, you're still shivering. What's wrong?” Kai whispered, concern oozing from his voice.
“I already told you nothing is. Drop it!” Ruki barked and felt Kai cringe behind him. Something inside him rebelled for a second at the way he had treated his mate, something broke, but the next second, the ice spread and closed the fissure and there was stillness in his heart again.
One moment they were walking through the dead forest, a place where nothing, not even the trees seemed to breathe, and the next they were greeted by a multitude of sounds and colours and warmth, the heat of the sun, the soft caress of the wind, the gentle smell of the flowers... And in an instant, Reita had changed and growled. They had passed the border.
Yomi quickly descended and stood still in front of the majestic beast. It seemed to ascertain whether these beings were friends or foes, his white fur shining in the sun's rays as if it were made from diamond powder and his deep green eyes flashed into yellow from time to time when he seemed to discover something he found threatening.
Yomi waited. He truly could not feel Reita. In front of him was a beast, and nothing else, especially not his long time friend. He felt afraid for a moment, emotion which one should never allow in front of a predator, but the tiger just stared at him, his eyes the brightest yellow.
Yomi reached out, slowly, seeing if the white tiger would accept him, trust him. At the same time, his mind reached out towards it, murmuring words of friendship and acceptance. And slowly, the tigers eyes went back to their shocking green colour and the tiger started nuzzling Yomi's palm.
The vampire relaxed for the first time since Reita's transformation and even though he would still have loved to yank his lover away from the beast, he knew better than that.
Rather than climbing back on the horse, Yomi walked with the tiger, struggling to keep up with its pace. After a while, he felt his hip being nudged by the tiger's soft nose and when looking into its eyes, he could clearly read its wish. He smiled and decided to accept the offer, and climbed on the beast's back, leaving the other five staring in consternation.
Now they could go faster, the fastest they felt like going, the forest seeming as familiar to them now as the expanses of brown and green through which they used to play when they were kids and seek comfort in when they grew older.
At their current rhythm, by the time the sun grew weary of his mundane job and decided it was about time to leave his workplace, the seven companions had long left the forest and discovered the Downing gorge.
When emerging from the forest, they suddenly realised that they were several hundred metres above the middle lands. Now, before them, or better said, beneath them, spread the plain of the middle territories. At least it was supposed to be a plain, for in reality, it looked more like a desert, barren and grey or like hell, deep and dark and lifeless. Whereas the forest from where they had just emerged had been colourful and filled with songs and noises, below them stretched only sand and mud and earth. Only here and there could you see a patch of weeds striving to survive the harsh conditions, or a shrivelled thin tree, bending his trunk in desperation, as if trying to hide his shame from the world.
They had truly found the border. Too entrapped by the view in front of them, none noticed the expressions that passed on Ruki's face or the chilling smirk that had appeared for a brief moment before being replaced by a cold mask. If they had witnessed the changes, they might have thought twice about descending into the depression and heading for the small point in the distance that looked like a town, Dred. They might have thought better about the town's name and location and decided it were better if they picked another route. However, none observed Ruki and even though their heart might have given a pull towards leaving that place, their mind and fierce spirit impeded them from listening to it.
Following a small path that led downwards, cutting into the very heart of the steep walls, slithering towards the land below, the seven of them descended.
Down, in the depression, temperatures dropped considerably and the seven of them gathered tightly together, trying to get some heat. They couldn't even start a fire because of the lack of wood. They were more than grateful for the horses' and the tiger's high body heat, that allowed them to warm up better and faster than they could have done by themselves. Tired by the hard descent of the valley's walls, without even having dinner, the travellers fell asleep.
It seemed miraculous how the dark, heavy clouds covered the whole sky except for a small patch of it, where the queen of the skies should have made her presence known and shed some light over the poor creatures below. But the moon that night was obviously attending her monthly banquet because the sky was black and light-less and the depression below seemed like a black hole sucking everyone and everything in. Sometime during the night, a small burning fire flickered for a few seconds over the bodies wrapped one in the other at the foot of the valley's walls. But Ruki closed his eyes and his eyelids trapped even that small warm fire. When morning came, his gaze was as cold as a lump of ice.
It seemed like ages since they had last spoke. The stillness around them prevented them from even attempting a joke or a cheerful comment, so the travellers simply strived onwards towards the town, hoping that at least there they could finally become themselves again.
However, they were thoroughly disappointed when several hours later they reached the town of Dred. It seemed more like an abandoned settlement than a town and they wondered if anyone could still be alive within the walls of the decayed houses they passed.
Grey walls, corroded wood and rusted iron everywhere they looked while walking on the dusty road that separated the town into two. Not once did they see a bright colour or some cloth drying itself in the wind, indicating a family lived there, not once did they hear voices or even the howling of dogs. Only when they reached the saloon, for that was what was still visible of the old sign barely hanging above the entrance, did they think they heard whispers coming from inside. Without needing to even consult between themselves, the king and Kai went inside while Asagi, Yomi, Ruki, Ruka and the tiger waited for them outside, next to the horses.
The smell of sweat and alcohol and decay assaulted the two that dared go into the old building, but their nose seemed to deceive them for inside, the house looked as if it had been newly built, every surface shining with cleanliness, while at the tables, decent-looking men were staring at the new comers with curious eyes. Not sure what to make of everything, the dragon and the roc approached the counter and ordered the house's drinks. They received some kind of liquid that burnt their throats and threatened to take the life out of them.
Seeing their reaction, a loud laughter erupted from the men inside the tavern and a lazier and less tense atmosphere settled. The two breathed and relaxed a bit. The man behind the counter seemed like a kind-enough fellow, with his protruding belly, twinkly eyes, big hands and white teeth, arranged in what seemed to be a welcoming smile. The king and Kai took turns in asking him about the town.
“Seems like a very nice place you have here.” The king started. As expected, that got the man to talk about his business. What was unusual though was the way he carefully chose his words, as if not willing to say something he shouldn't.
“This wee place, bout it with the greens got from my marriage gifts. Hell of a trouble me had with the missy when starting this baby.”
“The inside certainly looks different from the exterior...” Kai tried.
The man's eyes narrowed.
“Me dzn't know whatcha fellas are talking about. Whacha wrong with me tavernz face?”
“Nothing... How about the town? We're actually looking for some comrades that might have come through here a while ago. Kind of got separated during our travel.”
“Not gettin to see many new feisiz around hia.”
“No one came in town in the last couple of years or so?”
“Notin much to see, notin much to buy either. Why would they come?”
“Isn't it a border town?”
“With those walls in front of us, not a many fellas come here. Makes one wonder why yee are. And where you came from.”
It was weird how the man's speech would slip into this really correct language at times and then revert to an unintelligible thing the next minute.
“We kind of got lost.” The king replied. “We're heading for the sea, actually. Our companions... they're sailors, dealing with an... unusual trade, to say so.”
“Yee shud hev said so from the beginning. We knows the pirates, knows them well, too. Were dealt a lot with, round these parts...”
There was a dark tone to the man's words, so the king and Kai realized they probably shouldn't have claimed they were companions of the pirates.
“We're not exactly friends with them. They actually took one of our friends... and we'd want to take him back.” the roc said, a sharp gleam in his eyes.
“Sorry to say you will probably never get that chance.” The man changed his speech again and all of a sudden, every single customer in the tavern was charging towards them.
Outside, Ruki was laughing, drenched in blood.
A/N: The barman's speech is filled with errors not because I don't know English, but because he's supposed to talk like that.
I know... big cliffy. Good news, I'm on spring vacations, so will be updating regularly from now on. yeehee
That said, am still waiting for your love.
Author: yukigafuru
Chapters: 22/?
Pairings: RukaxYomi, KaixRuki for now
Bands: Gazette, Naitomea, D... (and a surprise)
Rating: PG-15 for now
Warnings: will be angst, yaoi, a bit of gore here and there
Genre: AU, Angst, Romance
Disclaimer: I am not connected to the real persons. This is just a figment of my imagination and I don't make any money nor profit in any way out of this (well, except gathering your love that is).
Summary: The age of magic and mystery is coming towards its end. But what if someone that has the gift to see the future can join forces with others who have the power to stop it? What will be born then? What will be found?
Chapter 22
When the sun showed his sleepy face for the first time the next morning, the travellers suddenly sprang up from their beds, wide awake. All of them had heard something, something none could figure out exactly what it had been. It sounded like a far away cry, but it didn't sound human nor animal. It placed a heavy, cold burden on their souls, as if the cry had triggered an avalanche which had buried them alive. Due to his sensitive nature, Ruki felt it the most. He shivered, his body and heart anticipating something...
“Ru-chan, are you okay?” His lover came close and embraced him tightly from behind. “You're shivering.”
“I'm fine, Kai.” He cringed at the lie. And yet, his lips naturally gave that answer. What was more worrying than saying a white lie was the fact that even in Kai's arms, he still felt cold, his soul still felt frozen.
“We better go.” The dragon decided and without further discussion, all of them quickly packed up the few things that had been scattered around their improvised camp, mounted the horses, and headed for their next destination: Dred.
Because of the thick trees and unknown surroundings, the horses trotted slower than they normally would. At the slightest sound, their ears would turn towards that direction and listen attentively, ready to start galloping if something were approaching. But the forest was still mostly silent, like the first time they had entered it. There was no breeze, no song of birds, no cry of wild animals. Fortunately, there was no poisoning mist either.
All but for the panther, the heaviness in their hearts started fading away, leaving in its place platitude, stillness. Surrounded by the woods' silence and their own hearts' weariness, the travellers just embraced each other tighter and kept moving, no words exchanged between them. The panther was still shivering.
“Ru, you're still shivering. What's wrong?” Kai whispered, concern oozing from his voice.
“I already told you nothing is. Drop it!” Ruki barked and felt Kai cringe behind him. Something inside him rebelled for a second at the way he had treated his mate, something broke, but the next second, the ice spread and closed the fissure and there was stillness in his heart again.
One moment they were walking through the dead forest, a place where nothing, not even the trees seemed to breathe, and the next they were greeted by a multitude of sounds and colours and warmth, the heat of the sun, the soft caress of the wind, the gentle smell of the flowers... And in an instant, Reita had changed and growled. They had passed the border.
Yomi quickly descended and stood still in front of the majestic beast. It seemed to ascertain whether these beings were friends or foes, his white fur shining in the sun's rays as if it were made from diamond powder and his deep green eyes flashed into yellow from time to time when he seemed to discover something he found threatening.
Yomi waited. He truly could not feel Reita. In front of him was a beast, and nothing else, especially not his long time friend. He felt afraid for a moment, emotion which one should never allow in front of a predator, but the tiger just stared at him, his eyes the brightest yellow.
Yomi reached out, slowly, seeing if the white tiger would accept him, trust him. At the same time, his mind reached out towards it, murmuring words of friendship and acceptance. And slowly, the tigers eyes went back to their shocking green colour and the tiger started nuzzling Yomi's palm.
The vampire relaxed for the first time since Reita's transformation and even though he would still have loved to yank his lover away from the beast, he knew better than that.
Rather than climbing back on the horse, Yomi walked with the tiger, struggling to keep up with its pace. After a while, he felt his hip being nudged by the tiger's soft nose and when looking into its eyes, he could clearly read its wish. He smiled and decided to accept the offer, and climbed on the beast's back, leaving the other five staring in consternation.
Now they could go faster, the fastest they felt like going, the forest seeming as familiar to them now as the expanses of brown and green through which they used to play when they were kids and seek comfort in when they grew older.
At their current rhythm, by the time the sun grew weary of his mundane job and decided it was about time to leave his workplace, the seven companions had long left the forest and discovered the Downing gorge.
When emerging from the forest, they suddenly realised that they were several hundred metres above the middle lands. Now, before them, or better said, beneath them, spread the plain of the middle territories. At least it was supposed to be a plain, for in reality, it looked more like a desert, barren and grey or like hell, deep and dark and lifeless. Whereas the forest from where they had just emerged had been colourful and filled with songs and noises, below them stretched only sand and mud and earth. Only here and there could you see a patch of weeds striving to survive the harsh conditions, or a shrivelled thin tree, bending his trunk in desperation, as if trying to hide his shame from the world.
They had truly found the border. Too entrapped by the view in front of them, none noticed the expressions that passed on Ruki's face or the chilling smirk that had appeared for a brief moment before being replaced by a cold mask. If they had witnessed the changes, they might have thought twice about descending into the depression and heading for the small point in the distance that looked like a town, Dred. They might have thought better about the town's name and location and decided it were better if they picked another route. However, none observed Ruki and even though their heart might have given a pull towards leaving that place, their mind and fierce spirit impeded them from listening to it.
Following a small path that led downwards, cutting into the very heart of the steep walls, slithering towards the land below, the seven of them descended.
Down, in the depression, temperatures dropped considerably and the seven of them gathered tightly together, trying to get some heat. They couldn't even start a fire because of the lack of wood. They were more than grateful for the horses' and the tiger's high body heat, that allowed them to warm up better and faster than they could have done by themselves. Tired by the hard descent of the valley's walls, without even having dinner, the travellers fell asleep.
It seemed miraculous how the dark, heavy clouds covered the whole sky except for a small patch of it, where the queen of the skies should have made her presence known and shed some light over the poor creatures below. But the moon that night was obviously attending her monthly banquet because the sky was black and light-less and the depression below seemed like a black hole sucking everyone and everything in. Sometime during the night, a small burning fire flickered for a few seconds over the bodies wrapped one in the other at the foot of the valley's walls. But Ruki closed his eyes and his eyelids trapped even that small warm fire. When morning came, his gaze was as cold as a lump of ice.
It seemed like ages since they had last spoke. The stillness around them prevented them from even attempting a joke or a cheerful comment, so the travellers simply strived onwards towards the town, hoping that at least there they could finally become themselves again.
However, they were thoroughly disappointed when several hours later they reached the town of Dred. It seemed more like an abandoned settlement than a town and they wondered if anyone could still be alive within the walls of the decayed houses they passed.
Grey walls, corroded wood and rusted iron everywhere they looked while walking on the dusty road that separated the town into two. Not once did they see a bright colour or some cloth drying itself in the wind, indicating a family lived there, not once did they hear voices or even the howling of dogs. Only when they reached the saloon, for that was what was still visible of the old sign barely hanging above the entrance, did they think they heard whispers coming from inside. Without needing to even consult between themselves, the king and Kai went inside while Asagi, Yomi, Ruki, Ruka and the tiger waited for them outside, next to the horses.
The smell of sweat and alcohol and decay assaulted the two that dared go into the old building, but their nose seemed to deceive them for inside, the house looked as if it had been newly built, every surface shining with cleanliness, while at the tables, decent-looking men were staring at the new comers with curious eyes. Not sure what to make of everything, the dragon and the roc approached the counter and ordered the house's drinks. They received some kind of liquid that burnt their throats and threatened to take the life out of them.
Seeing their reaction, a loud laughter erupted from the men inside the tavern and a lazier and less tense atmosphere settled. The two breathed and relaxed a bit. The man behind the counter seemed like a kind-enough fellow, with his protruding belly, twinkly eyes, big hands and white teeth, arranged in what seemed to be a welcoming smile. The king and Kai took turns in asking him about the town.
“Seems like a very nice place you have here.” The king started. As expected, that got the man to talk about his business. What was unusual though was the way he carefully chose his words, as if not willing to say something he shouldn't.
“This wee place, bout it with the greens got from my marriage gifts. Hell of a trouble me had with the missy when starting this baby.”
“The inside certainly looks different from the exterior...” Kai tried.
The man's eyes narrowed.
“Me dzn't know whatcha fellas are talking about. Whacha wrong with me tavernz face?”
“Nothing... How about the town? We're actually looking for some comrades that might have come through here a while ago. Kind of got separated during our travel.”
“Not gettin to see many new feisiz around hia.”
“No one came in town in the last couple of years or so?”
“Notin much to see, notin much to buy either. Why would they come?”
“Isn't it a border town?”
“With those walls in front of us, not a many fellas come here. Makes one wonder why yee are. And where you came from.”
It was weird how the man's speech would slip into this really correct language at times and then revert to an unintelligible thing the next minute.
“We kind of got lost.” The king replied. “We're heading for the sea, actually. Our companions... they're sailors, dealing with an... unusual trade, to say so.”
“Yee shud hev said so from the beginning. We knows the pirates, knows them well, too. Were dealt a lot with, round these parts...”
There was a dark tone to the man's words, so the king and Kai realized they probably shouldn't have claimed they were companions of the pirates.
“We're not exactly friends with them. They actually took one of our friends... and we'd want to take him back.” the roc said, a sharp gleam in his eyes.
“Sorry to say you will probably never get that chance.” The man changed his speech again and all of a sudden, every single customer in the tavern was charging towards them.
Outside, Ruki was laughing, drenched in blood.
A/N: The barman's speech is filled with errors not because I don't know English, but because he's supposed to talk like that.
I know... big cliffy. Good news, I'm on spring vacations, so will be updating regularly from now on. yeehee
That said, am still waiting for your love.