27-Nov-2004
Title: The War of Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 3. Accepting
Author: The Elemental (Djana)
Pairings: Defined- 2x5, 4x3. Rest remain pending. ^^
Category: AU. Fantasy.
Rating: PG-13. (WILL progress to R in later chapters)
Disclaimer: I don't own GW. Never have. It'd be nice though.
Warnings: AU, OCs, War, Death, Destruction, Flagrant use of concepts snagged from Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Tamora Pierce, and David Weber, all carefully modified to fit my (very) warped view of the world.
Good possibility of religion bashing. (Ie gods and blind faith, NOT a specific religion.)
Archive: GWAddiction, and my fic journal http://www.livejournal.com/users/elemental_fic/
Summary: Trowa recovers from Heero's attack, Howard, Duo and Wufei deal with some trouble while sailing to Thone and Isadora, and Duo still needs Wufei's help, but needs to convince Wufei he's telling the truth...
And look! A map! Just to help if you start wondering where all those countries actually are. Probably not fantastically to scale, but it gives you the basic idea. The names are where a specific person is from, btw, not where they are now. Everything else should be pretty obvious.
Onto the fic!
What are we running for?
We've got the right to be angry.
What are we running for?
When there's nowhere we can run to anymore...
(We make choices. No one else can live our lives for
us. And we must confront and accept the consequences
of our actions.)
Wufei was experiencing seasickness for the very first time. Thus far, he hated it.
Howard winced as the dark haired boy made a beeline towards the side of the ship again. He'd warned him about eating so much so quickly, but Wufei hadn't been in the mood to listen to experience. He clapped Wufei on the back and waited for the teen to pull his head up from its view of the rushing water.
The Arrow was a fair-sized ship, small enough to cut lightly against the waves, but large enough to carry passengers who were not expected to help with the work. Wufei wasn't the only person aboard discovering his 'sea-legs'. He was certainly the loudest however.
"Why can't my infernal stomach calm down? I can't control it!"
"It just takes a while for some people," Howard soothed "after all lad, you haven't left land your whole life. Hell, I don't think you ever left the city."
Wufei was almost pouting, but Howard wisely ignored it as the teen kicked at the ship in frustration. "You and Duo are fine."
"Aye, but I've spent almost as much time on the water as I have on land, and Duo has other things to worry about." He shot Wufei a knowing look, but the teen ignored it and he didn't comment further.
Truly, Wufei knew there was something wrong with Duo. The braided boy was preoccupied, almost ill. He'd sat at the table in their cabin the moment they'd boarded, and hadn't moved for the last three days. He appeared to be meditating, and as far as Wufei could tell he hadn't eaten, nor drank, nor moved at all. He was also much paler, and had stopped talking even to Howard for anything more than a few sentences. It was... slightly worrying.
Wufei still wasn't willing to accept what Duo had claimed however. So if the teen wanted to sit and sulk in the hold for the entire trip- well, it just meant that he was leaving Wufei alone.
A sailor approached, coiling rope and laughing at Wufei's obvious discomfort. He clasped hands with Howard and grinned. "How'd a bag-o-bones like you end up with a land-lover like this?"
Wufei scowled and started to reply, but quickly turned to the water, ill again. Howard chuckled lightly and kept to the story they'd created. "Aye, he's never seen the blue like this fer' sure. He's a nephew- my infernal sister wants him brought 'home' and I owe her."
The seaman whistled as he took another look at Wufei, currently loosing what little was left of his lunch. "Don't wanna know what she did ta make you owe so much!"
Howard smiled. "That's fer' sure. How's the water? This ship's a treat."
The man glowed and leapt at the change of topic, ignoring Wufei. "Aye, she's a beaut! Been on the water for the last ten years and still as good as new. Waters clear enough to see bottom in some parts, and we made it through the sandbank straight away. And the weather's set to be clear till we dock tomorrow."
"That's good to hear." Howard grinned, looking at the waters and smoothing out his moustache with a flourish. The seaman grinned out at the water as well, but it was strained and Howard noticed, raising an eyebrow in question.
The man sighed. "I'm worried," he admitted "We had reports of pirates, back in Mkann. Dunno how certain it's after being, but what with Malvern not patrolling and Mkann pulling their men to guard the walls, there isn't a better time for the vermin to attack." He spat and gripped the blade at his side reflexively.
Howard nodded slowly. "Aye, that's a cause for worry. But well, if they do attack, I've no doubt they'll regret it. After all, it's no good to take a bite of something if it's like as able to bite back!"
Wufei heaved again and the men laughed, leaving the conversation behind. His stomach was long empty, but that didn't mean it would stop trying. He took a swig of water from a hipflask and rinsed his mouth, then straightened.
"Felling better lad?"
"Ay- I mean yes." He scowled and glared at the two smug men, who thoughtfully kept their mouths shut.
"Good. Stay above deck. Fresh air is better for you."
Remembering the... unique smell the lower decks held, he grimaced and nodded, walking away from the men towards the back- no, the stern, he corrected himself- of the boat.
When evening came it brought fog, thick and muggy, working its way though every corner of the ship. It made it impossible to see anything clearly- Wufei had given up staying above deck when he walked into the mast for the third time. Now the three of them were in their cramped cabin. Duo was asleep, for lack of a better term, at the table and looked like a corpse in the lamplight. Howard was playing with a deck of cards, a game Wufei didn't recognize. Thankfully his stomach had finally settled- but he wasn't going to chance food on it just yet.
Duo cracked his eyes open and smiled as he caught Wufei's gaze. Stretching like a cat, he pulled himself upright and cracked his neck repeatedly before speaking. "Once we reach port, I'm going to have to leave you."
Wufei raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Howard cleared his throat, but didn't say whatever was on his mind. Duo continued.
"Shielding on the water like this just shows how much energy this is going to take and I don't think I can hold it up much longer. If I lose control, Odin will know I'm alive and know you survived as well. I'm not going to endanger you."
Wufei snorted in derision. "Know I'm alive? Why doesn't he know that now? He's supposed to be a god."
Duo sighed and massaged his temples. "He would, if he looked, but he hasn't. He will when he knows I'm alive. He'll look at every person on this ship to see if they're helping me, before he has Manannan sink the ship."
Howard drummed his fingers against the tabletop, snapping his fingers at the mention of the sea-god's name for luck. "Wufei-
A clanging bell tore through the quiet, muted under the fog but still frantic, followed closely by screams. Howard grabbed his sword and dagger from the wall and tossed Wufei the Fang before running out the door. "That's the call to arms! We're under attack!"
Wufei followed, drawing his sword from its sheath and noting idly that it seemed to glow faintly in the dark of the ship. They pounded up the steps to the doors and stopped to assess the situation. The deck was a mess; almost impossible to see through the fog, and what little movement they did see showed that there were enemies everywhere. Worse, crewmen would mistake each other in the confusion, and were attacking each other, making the invaders' task all the easier.
One man ran screaming towards Wufei, brandishing two double swords, short and curved and completely foreign to the teen. The pirate was stupid though, and didn't worry about Wufei's abilities, simply charging head on, allowing Wufei to kill him easily. But more were coming.
The fog was dangerous. You couldn't see more than a foot or two around you, and Wufei kept stumbling into barrels and people- friends and foe. Worse, the pirates seemed bent on simply killing everything they came across and weren't worried about their comrades in the least, while the seamen were trying to protect themselves, their passengers, and their fallen friends.
At some point, Wufei was back to back with Howard, in front of the door that led below deck and keeping the brigands back and away from the cabins and those still inside. There were children on board, hiding now he had no doubt, but that would do little good if the pirates made it past him and Howard.
"Can't you use that thing you do?" Howard panted, smearing blood from a gash across his forehead as he wiped it away from his eyes.
"On a moving ship?" Wufei had found the Dragon's Fang and Scabbard were indeed everything the legends had said. He was too occupied to be happy for this fact as he blocked another attack and removed the man's arm in a spray of blood. "I'd end up overboard, or in the ship." Wufei grimaced at the idea of re-appearing halfway through a door. Quickening accidents were rare, but they were always fatal.
Howard was holding his own, and the wall at their back gave them some protection, but the pair was surrounded, men appearing out of the fog to attack, then fade back out of sight. They were using the fog as though they had done so before. Wufei wouldn't have been surprised if they'd created it themselves. He doubted this was their first attack on a ship. It was far too... .practiced.
"We're outnumbered. Badly."
"I know." Wufei cursed his position- if the ship wasn't moving, however slightly, he'd be able to use the Quickening and deal with the attack with ease. Without it, he was just another fighter, and it bit at him even as he fought off another advance.
A new voice joined them, harsh and cracked. "Can't we do anything?" Duo stood in the doorway, tilted slightly to the left and looking like a walking corpse in the pale light. More pirates were appearing out of the fog, intent on breaking though the last defense and make their way below decks.
Wufei tightened his grip on the Fang, waiting for the next attack. "Can't you do something?"
Duo had been gripping the door frame for support. It creaked, then broke under the force of his grip. "I can't, not like this. Unshielded, Odin will sense me, and he'll just have Manannan sink the ship. That won't help you!"
The pirates attacked.
Wufei blocked one attack and barely dodged another, turning to bring the Fang around with full force, biting into the first pirate and exploding out the other side viscerally. The second stared in horror, and Wufei brought the Fang around to neatly remove his head, kicking the body out of the way as another attacked, wary. This pirate favored the double swords, and used them as Wufei was using the Fang and scabbard, to attack and defend at the same time. He was strong, and Wufei was forced to back up, tripping over a fallen body, twisting at the last moment so that the pirate's sword caught his arm, hard and deep. He cried out on pain even as he fought back, but there were too many, and there was no room to maneuver, the bodies and blood making it difficult to move.
Wufei managed to force his attacker back and quickly examined Howard and Duo. The older man was holding his own, but he was plainly outnumbered and visibly tiring. Duo was holding off attacker by simply dodging out of the way. Wufei watched the teen step behind the pirate and hit him across the neck. The man crumpled to the ground, and Duo looked up to meet Wufei's eyes.
Wufei made his decision, screaming even as he turned back to the fight. "Whatever the hell you have to do, do it now!"
Duo's voice was crystal clear, a roll of power over the screams and clash of the battle, despite the distance between them. "Are you certain?"
"Well, it's that or die." Wufei snarled. "Do it!"
Power coursed through Wufei like lightening, and he screamed- not in pain- but from the sheer overwhelming sense of it. It crackled in the air, smelling like sheared metal and blood and earth, filling his lungs with fire. His blood was boiling, but his skin felt as cold as if he'd been through a Quickening. His veins tried to escape his body, twisting like snakes as the power filled he very his core and spread. He looked around at the ship and saw the glow of magic in the air, and he knew the fog was indeed unnatural. He stared at the men around him who backed away in fear, surprised to find them traced in a copper glow. Looking down at an injured pirate who was scrambling away from him, he saw the copper fire light, then die, in the blood the man left behind. For one breath of a moment, Wufei felt connected to everything- he could sense life everywhere, not only the men on the ship, but in the water below them, and on the land that seemed only a throw away. It called to him, and he reached out to respond, but something held him back, blocking him from the power just a thought away. He wanted to snarl, to fight to claim the power, but couldn't. The force held him back, grounding him and tying him to the ship, drifting in the ocean that pulsed beneath him.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fire died and it was over. Wufei examined himself critically, but felt and saw nothing unusual. The copper fire was gone, and he sensed nothing but his own mind. He looked behind him. "That's it?"
He almost didn't recognize Duo. The teen stood straight, skin no longer pale and sickly, face no longer sunken. He radiated power, eyes glowing that surreal lilac colour as they had when Wufei had first met the god, and he couldn't help but shudder when Duo grinned savagely.
"I fixed your arm, didn't I? You were expecting something else?"
Wufei looked- the sleeve was still stained and torn, but the skin was unmarred, no sign of even a scar to mark where he'd been cut.
"You could have fixed the shirt. It's not even mine."
Duo laughed and stepped up to Wufei's side, ignoring the pirates as they stepped back, afraid. "Howard won't mind. Now let's get rid of these rodents."
Wufei nodded, examining the fog for the now barely visible forms of the pirates. Most were beginning to regain their bravery, and prepared to attack again. Wufei felt something move and twist inside of him and Duo spoke, laughter still in his voice. "Let's even the odds first."
Something... fizzed... in Wufei's head, and the fog slammed upwards, torn apart by wind. Wufei's ears popped painfully, but he could see now, as could everyone on the ship. He stared in disbelief. There were maybe twenty-five pirates, most of whom were centered around the main doors to the cabins. Now they found themselves revealed, and surrounded by the sailors who hadn't fallen during the original attack. Without the fog, the pirates were fighting on equal terms, and were plainly startled by the change in events.
In unison Duo, Howard and Wufei walked forward until they formed a half-circle of their own, protecting the doors to the hold and facing the brigands who seemed mesmerized by the on goings of the ship. Raising a hand, violet fire blossomed and pooled around Duo, forming a sword, made of black glass. Well, Wufei amended, it looked like black glass.
By some unspoken command, the silent tableau was shattered: The seamen attacked, the pirates attacked, and Wufei, Howard, and Duo attacked.
Wufei dodged a blow and grabbed the man's arm, throwing him over his shoulder and into the water. He spared a moment to look at Duo, who was carving through the attackers like a demon, the blade severing limbs and heads with almost no effort. The screaming was growing- not only from pain, but also fear- as was the rush of pirates attempting to leave the ship. Yet more disturbing was the figure Duo made, laughing harshly as he cut yet another down. Involuntarily, Wufei shuddered. A glance at Howard showed the man was still going strong; keeping anyone foolish from attacking Duo's exposed back.
The fight ended with the remaining pirates cutting the ties that moored them to the Arrow and fleeing. Several of their members who were left behind jumped overboard to avoid capture. The battle had been costly. Ten seamen were dead, another seven were injured. The pirates lost a third of their forces, but Wufei suspected still more would die before the night was over from their injuries. For one thing, he noted morbidly, there were more body parts on the ship than bodies.
"Will he be all right?"
"The blow broke his arm and severed one of his major veins, but I stopped the bleeding before he lost too much. I worry for infection or poison, if the demon's blade carried either, but I sense nothing unusual. He'll be weak for the next few days I'd gather, but he's unusually strong and might surprise me again. Just make sure he keeps that arm in a sling. So soon after the last break, it's going to be weak for a while and I don't want it hurt again. There's a point where the body will start fighting a healer."
"Thank you sister."
"You should be thanking him." Iria nodded to the figure asleep on the cot. "You're a fool to keep the meetings going at a time like his, and Ahmed says that demon was aiming for your head. If Nanashi hadn't stepped in like that... "
"I'm capable of defending myself. Don't worry. These meetings are necessary, no matter how many attempts are made. If I cancel them, the rumors would tear the streets apart. The people have to see I am still strong, still in control... "
"You still owe him your life." The blonde woman said simply, brushing heavy brown bangs away from a quiet face.
"I know. I'll thank him, don't worry." The boy nodded to Rashid, who carefully scooped the motionless body from the cot as though he weighed nothing and walked out of the room behind his king. Iria chuckled to herself lightly, missing the broad grins on her apprentice's faces, as had Quatre.
Trowa slept fitfully, aware of the pain, but not truly feeling it. He was drugged, and it pulled at his system as he slept. At one point, he was close to waking, but felt cool hands across his body. Years of instinct kicked in and he threw himself violently into unconsciousness. It was safer, he found, if he wasn't awake. It would hurt less, when he woke up.
The tent flap was thrown back and a figure entered, curtsying deeply despite the fact she was wearing pants.
"Hello Dorothy. I see you received my message."
The woman smiled brightly. "Of course. Now the question is, what could I do for you, your Excellency?"
Treize tapped his fingers against his desk and looked at the woman. "Apparently, my assassin couldn't destroy the Isadoran king because there is a changeling in his court protecting him."
The woman paled, and was silent for a long moment. Slowly, she asked "A changeling?"
"Yes."
She flinched. "You wish me to kill him and the King?"
Treize shook his head firmly. "No, nothing so crude. I'm sure the accounts of the court were exaggerated. Heero has always disliked failing. No, I need you to help guard Miss. Relena."
"Guard her? I wasn't aware she was imprisoned."
Treize's eyes were cold. "She is a bird in an elaborate cage and she knows it. As long as I control her, I control Sanq." Treize stood to examine the maps that lined the tent walls, each marked with different pins and flags to represent troops and enemy movements. He passed a hand over one of them and it began to glow, highlighting the country known as Sanq. "You will guard her, monitor her. Befriend her. She will 'convince' you to help her escape, and you and she will seek asylum in Isadora with their Golden king."
"I understand."
Treize smiled. "No, you don't, but you will do this anyway. This is why I am sending you. I need someone I trust in Isadora. Feed false information to the king of my movements. Gain his trust and find out who is loyal to him in the court. I already have one of his men, but I need more. Find out if the tales of a changeling are true, and why he's helping my enemy. I thought I was controlling their movements, but obviously not enough, for one to escape."
"He's probably a renegade," Dorothy's voice was cutting with contempt. "No one would endanger the others willingly otherwise. If he exists, he may well be killed before we even reach Isadora."
Treize looked the woman over in satisfaction. "True. Leave now, a guide will escort you through to Sanq. And I suggest you change. Relena will probably be more receptive to someone... friendlier?"
He watched in satisfaction as the woman began to shift before him, her face lengthening, hair growing long and hanging loosely down her back; platinum blonde and flawless. She grew shorter, younger, the form fitting clothing hanging loose on her modified frame. He never ceased to be amazed by the doppelganger powers.
Which was exactly why he had to control them.
Brilliant, trusting, young blue eyes stared back at him below razor-sharp forked eyebrows. He sighed. "Couldn't you fix those?"
Dorothy laughed, voice lighter, and ran a finger over one of the brows lightly. "I rather like them. Besides, I hear her majesty is rather vain. It wouldn't do me any good to be prettier than her, now would it?" She laughed again, tossing her new locks over her shoulder. "I'm going to need a new wardrobe though."
"See the quartermaster for something to hold you over, and visit a tailor in Sanq."
"Of course." The much-changed woman curtsied again. "May I ask- does Zechs know of this?"
Treize returned the curtsy with a mocking bow. "No, you may not." He followed her out of the tent, giving orders as he passed though the camp. They would be moving tomorrow, to begin the attack on Isadora in full.
Trowa woke to music.
He sat up. It was a violin, being played in the next room. He had been returned to his own room, in fresh linen pants and little else. There was no blood to be seen, and he felt... whole.
He examined himself. Where the assassin had struck him should have been a bloody mess, but the cut in his arm was healed; leaving a thin, white scar. The bone was solid, but he could feel it was still weak. He assumed the loop of fabric at the foot of the bed was meant to be a sling. Closer examination showed no bruises, and he was in no pain from any part of his body. He wondered if his dreams had been no more nightmares, and if he'd truly been left alone while he slept. He wasn't, however, alone now.
"Master Quatre's healer sister does good work." The boy spoke in common. "I'm supposed to ask if you want anything, but I don't know how Master Quatre wanted you to answer." The black boy who had originally guided him to Quatre smiled, speaking far more plainly than his perfect speech of before. "C'mon, he's been waiting for you to wake forever!"
Trowa stood, letting the room settle as it spun once, then briskly left the room. The boy yelped, grabbing the sling from the bed and chasing after him.
Quatre, standing to the back of the room, stopped playing the moment Trowa entered and rushed forward. "Nanashi!"
Trowa bowed deeply, but was brought short and forced upright by cold hands. "Don't! Please, you saved my live, you almost lost your arm- Saejun! Where is the sling?"
"Here, Master Quatre. He left without it."
"I can see that," Quatre replied, "Here," he looped the fabric over Trowa's head quickly and lifted the teen's arm with gentle hands. "You need to wear this for a while, or you'll hurt your arm even more."
Trowa allowed him to place his arm in the sling, slightly confused. The king was acting... strangely. Surely nothing was more important that a ruler's life? His arm was hardly significant in comparison. Admittedly, Trowa had not had a lot of experience with royalty. But Treize would never think of the men under him, nor did King Daelon. It was his job to take the blow meant for the king- nothing more. Thankfully, Rashid, a Maguanac leader who was easily one of the largest normal men Trowa had ever seen, walked into Quatre's room and distracted the blonde from fussing over Trowa any further.
They switched into their native tongue, speaking too quickly for Trowa to even understand the more simple words he could normally pick out. He reminded himself to slip out later and listen to the palace workers. He was never going to get any better at understanding Sumerian if he didn't hear it, and Quatre seemed determined to speak common around him.
Whatever it was Rashid had come for, it was important. Quatre swore, (something Trowa could always recognize) then turned towards the changeling. "I'm needed in the council room. Rest, please. I'll be back."
He left quickly with Rashid in tow, and Saejun looked up at Trowa, who stared back impassively. "Well, he didn't tell me any different, so I expect I'm still to look after you. So, do you need anything, leastwise anything you can ask me for?"
Trowa looked around and thought, then returned to his 'room'. A second of searching found him a shirt, which he slipped on, taking care to place his arm back in the sling. Saejun watched, yelping as Trowa exited without as much as a glance his way. The teen crossed through Quatre's rooms and exited to the main hallway, watching the guards by the door warily. Saejun grabbed his shirt before he could go any further. "Where're you going? You're supposed to be resting!"
Trowa paused for a moment before pantomiming eating.
"Hungry? Well, the kitchens are good for that. But not that way," the boy pointed "here, we take the servant's stair and you're there in half the time. C'mon Nanashi."
Trowa followed.
The kitchens were incredibly busy and noisy, packed full of people and smells, far different than the last castle kitchen he'd been in. Trowa found this kitchen was much larger, and far cleaner. It also wasn't on fire, but that was beside the point.
The walls were white stone, places burnt black by stove fire but otherwise almost cheery. A woman was apparently in charge, briskly ordering everyone about in accented Sumerian. She wasn't overlarge, but built on stocky lines, and had the fair-skinned, dark-haired look of a Silvan. She ignored Trowa and Saejun as the boy led them to a table where several women were working, peeling and cutting several different types of fruit. They greeted Saejun warmly, even as he stole several items from the table. He in turn chatted back as Trowa studied the women. They were young; in their twenties he'd guess, and dressed in sensible wear for a kitchen- loose pants and a shirt that dropped to the knees, the sleeves tied back to free their hands. Instead of a veil, the women wore scarves over their hair, keeping it tucked securely under the brightly coloured fabrics.
Saejun stopped his dialogue long enough to introduce Trowa to the girls, as far as he could understand. The women laughed gaily and welcomed him, pulling him briskly to the table and offering him grapes and soft cheese. He ate gratefully, listening intently to their gossip with Saejun. He knew the language, he realized, it was simply the accents were so vastly different that it seemed completely foreign when spoken quickly. Compounded by the fact that hadn't known every word being used and that his Trader was rough to begin with and no wonder he'd had problems.
He ate and listened intently, slowly beginning to piece together an understanding, comparing what he knew of Trader to their Sumerian. Some sounds were held longer, he noticed, while others were sharper and harsh. And everything was spoken incredibly fast, as though the speaker was afraid of running out of breath before finishing their statement.
They sat for an hour, perhaps more, and gradually, the cook's chatter behind him and the women's gossip in front of him became less like noise and more close to something he could actually translate. As he began to understand more, he listened even more intently, stringing entire sentences together without too many pauses.
Very gradually, he began to blush.
The ship docked in Isadora's main port city of Thone without any further troubles, for which Wufei was immensely grateful. Turning away from the ship and water the teen flexed his fingers, then his arms and shoulders, happy to be on solid land again. Confident that everything was in working order, he climbed back up into the wagon, taking his place beside Duo who currently held the reins. Howard had already climbed into the back with their belongings and promptly fell asleep.
Biting the inside of his lip as he thought, Wufei watched the terrain without really seeing it. "I don't feel any different."
"Good. You're not supposed to."
Wufei frowned. "What exactly did you do?"
"Remember what I said about Quon and the Dragon?" Duo asked, "I had put some of myself into their blending, and that gave me the ability to take physical form. They, and later your people, gave me the anchor I needed to tie myself to... to solidify myself."
"But if you already had that, then what did you need me for?"
Duo shrugged. "My form wasn't meant to hide me. It didn't shield any of my essence, my power." He grimaced. "I never thought I'd need to hide... Anyway, I needed a place to... put my power, my being, I suppose, so that if someone were to look at my mortal form unshielded they wouldn't sense anything unusual. If I used something inanimate, it'd be easy to find and very dangerous to me if someone came across it. And if I tried just any mortal creature I would likely kill it. You already had a place for me... so I simply filled it."
"So why won't anyone notice if you use your power now, but you couldn't before?"
Duo grinned. "It's easy. First of all, I am death. The anthropomorphic personification of it anyway. So by putting my power into something alive it almost cancels it out. Everyone is dying, always. Having a little more will make no difference- no one will even realize it's there. The second reason is that as far as anyone is concerned, I'm not using my powers. When I do anything, it's done through you- you felt me raise the fog, right? Well, so will anyone who can sense magic. They'll just assume you're doing it, and ignore me. Essentially, if anyone examines you magically, they'll see nothing strange. And if they look at me, they'll see a reflection of you."
The two were silent for some time. In the back of the wagon, Howard snored peacefully. And loudly. Wufei had never known the man was able to fall asleep so quickly or deeply before their travels, but now he realized what a useful ability it was. Turning over their discussion in his mind, he turned back to Duo. "Why would putting your powers into an object be dangerous?"
Duo flinched and tried to cover it, but he was silent for too long and Wufei began to wonder exactly what he'd hit upon when Duo spoke again.
"Because if someone found the object, and it wouldn't be hard to find, they could use it to control me. Or destroy me."
"I thought you couldn't die?"
Duo shook his head. "I don't stay dead. Dying hurts like hell."
Wufei thought this over, examining the words to see why Duo would hesitate. "So, if someone has your essence or power or whatever it is, they can control you?"
" ...Yes."
"That means... " Wufei trailed off, mentally refusing to believe his thoughts.
Duo flicked the reins lightly and turned to Wufei, face unreadable. "Yes, Wufei. By joining with you I gave you control over me, if you were so to choose to use it."
Shocked, Wufei pulled away from the other teen. "Why the HELL would you give someone that kind of power!?" He shuddered at the thought. "Can you imagine what they'd DO with it!?"
Howard stirred but remained asleep. Duo was likewise unfazed by the outburst, face expressionless. "I know exactly what someone would do. This isn't the first time I've merged, I know all too well what a human can become with that kind of power at their disposal." Briefly, Duo's face clouded over, a mixture of sadness and anger, but his features smoothed out before he continued as though the moment hadn't even existed. His voice was strangely formal and quiet. "You are not 'someone' Wufei Chang. I didn't come to you simply because I could use you. I trust you. I know you. I know you won't abuse this. You're probably one of the most honorable people I've ever known."
"Ya gotta figure kid, he's probably met a lot of folk with a job like his," Piped up a voice from the back- which promptly resumed snoring.
Make that sleep lightly. Was the man even asleep to begin with? Wufei snorted as the tension of the moment left the air. Duo was right- he had never found the abuse of power appealing, and it certainly wasn't going to change now. He was angry more because the idea of giving anyone that kind of power over another was frightening, to say the least. He doubted he could ever have done it, had their positions been reversed. But it was Duo's choice, and it wasn't as though he planned to prove the... well, the god wrong. Mentally Wufei sighed. He was never going to get used to thinking of Duo as anything more than just a teen his own age.
The silence becoming uncomfortable, he cast around for a different topic. "What exactly is in this exchange for me anyway? And how do you plan to help me defeat Treize? You said you can't just kill him."
"No, I can't. As for you, well, don't expect to stay injured for very long. You're not invincible, but any damage that's done to you I can repair almost instantly, like I did on your arm. As long as you'll allow me to use you- for lack of a better term, you'll be more or less immortal."
"More or less?"
"If a person, or several people, attacked us both at the same time and killed us at the same time, I couldn't stop it. Otherwise yes, immortal." The teen grinned and added lightly; "It's a pretty good deal if you ask me."
"And nothing strange?" Wufei asked, "I'm not going to accidentally kill something if I touch it, this won't affect the quickening or anything else?"
One of Duo's hands snaked out to brush lightly across Wufei's cheek and tug at his ponytail. "Nope. I certainly don't kill people by touching them; I don't see why you should."
Wufei shook off the touch. "Good. But you still haven't said what your plan for Treize is."
"Oh, well we're going to Masada, to offer our help to the king. It's why we're in Isadora in the first place. You certainly can't hide here- you'd stick out like a sore thumb, even with how many different races live here."
"What?" Wufei was skeptical- He knew of Masada, the capital of Isadora, of course, but in a detached, scholarly kind of way. Visiting a land that was usually described as 'deadly' and 'harsh' and its people 'warlike fanatics' did not instill a great mount of faith in their current destination. Still, he really didn't have many options... .
"We're going to Masada, and you'll offer your services as a Xi'an military master for the king's forces. Treize is going to attack Isadora. He has Sanq, has always controlled the Naryian Principalities, has Xi'an now, and with Malvern's fall he's got half of Nasetia under his thumb and running mad. Isadora is next: If he can control it, then Circe, Rijnway, and Biet Shaen will likely surrender to avoid further bloodshed. If he fails to conquer it, Isadora's large enough to command an alliance from the remaining free countries against Treize, and he'll have to fight to keep what he's gained."
"But why would they need my help?"
"I'm surprised you don't know. The Isadoran military is based almost completely on defense. There's tribal wars, yes, but more often or not they're settled by single combatants. Even when there is direct warfare, it's done with skirmishes, small hits on another until one surrenders. They've never dealt with the idea of large, planned attacks. They're going to need more than defense against Treize. And you, Wufei, have been trained for years to lead wars. They need an offensive force, and you're going to lead it."
"And I'm just going to walk up and they're going to give me an army? Why in the world would they do that?"
"Well, you'll tell them of course. And I'll be your... assistant. A seer, who directed you there because they needed help. Trust me, the king is new- his father was killed the same time Xi'an and Malvern fell. He's going to need all the help he can get, I'd bet."
Alone in the room with Rashid, Quatre studied a map. "What we need is an offensive force. Something we can use to stop Treize's smaller forces from moving in too far into position. Something we can send out after large battles when lines are about to break. Our defense lines are holding, but they're not the problem. We've got too much border and people to protect, and not enough men to protect it. Treize outnumbers us two to one at last count. We have to do something."
"True, sire."
"Please don't call me that Rashid. You changed my diapers for goodness sakes."
"Yes, Master Quatre."
Quatre sighed, but he knew the Maguanac would never risk offence by calling him anything else. It was still better than 'sire'. "Why don't we have any sort of offensive force in place? I can plan our defense until I turn blue, but Treize will still win."
Rashid stared at the boy who sat across from him, meeting the blonde's deadly serious gaze. "Master Quatre, there's no one to lead such an army. Our defensive strategies have always served us well in the past; there has never been any need for anything more... active."
"Well we need one now, and it has to start somewhere. As for who to lead it, well there has to be someone with the training, or at least the drive. What about Rajiv?"
Rashid shook his head. "He hates fighting- he's just very good at it. He'd never accept."
"Abdul?"
"Mechanical wizard, yes. Leader of men he is not."
"You're more familiar with the guards than I am, can you think of anyone there?" Quatre asked exasperated.
"Guards are chosen based on their loyalty and ability to follow directions, not necessarily their leadership skills. If they showed any aptitude, they would have been moved to border defense."
Quatre sighed and shook his head. "Anyone already leading the defense is no good- they'd never learn to change their way of thinking fast enough."
"True, Master Quatre."
"Damnit!"
Relena beamed at the girl who walked through the door to her room, well, her suite of rooms really. Treize had said she was being sent a 'protector', but the princess knew the woman would really be guarding her from escape, not would-be attackers. Still, it would be nice to have the company, and she might even be able to convince the newcomer to allow her to leave her rooms to walk in the gardens, as she once had.
She noted with some surprise that the woman was really little more than a teen her own age. A touch taller than herself, with beautiful blonde hair and, Relena noted with some jealousy, a much further developed chest which was only emphasized by her dress. Her eyes were hard, a cold metallic blue, framed by strange, forked eyebrows. Relena fancied she saw some carefully hidden sadness buried within that gaze. Perhaps she could coax it out, and they could become friends. She smiled warmly as the girl curtsied deeply, obviously out of respect.
Dorothy met the girl's wide, open eyes and mentally crowed. This was going to be far too easy, she realized. It would hardly be any fun.
She curtsied deeply, knowing it would only please the princess more. "Hello Miss Relena. My name is Dorothy Catalonia. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
End Part 3
*taps glass* Feedback is good, ya!
I know this doesn't answer everything... But if I did that, it wouldn't be any fun!
But I hope you liked it... *bites nails* And prepare for chapter 4. Quatre and Trowa meet Duo and Wufei, Wufei proves a point or two (and gets shot by an arrow in the process), Trowa angsts, and Duo is... Duo. And Zechs will finally make an appearance. ^_^
(:./elemental/war3)
