Chapter 5 / 37
Written by Jessi Maxwell - send C&C to Megami_no_Remon@hotmail.com
Shaiyra spoke with the flat tone of one not used to storytelling, and he made no efforts to embellish his tale or make it more impressive. Even still, Treize found himself ranging from skeptical to awestruck at the possibilities.
"My name is Shaiyra. I am jehan'draelis. A..." Shaiyra paused for a moment, sifting for a word. "...a shadow dragon. I do not know what strange world this is, and I do not care. I want no part of it, no part of you, and no part of the beast you seem so angry that I fought."
Treize eyed Shaiyra incredulously. "You are a dragon...?"
Shaiyra gave him an irritable look. "Yes, that is what I said. Pay attention, human, I do not like to repeat myself."
Treize decided to keep his mouth shut since the teen seemed willing to talk, although he had to force down a scathing retort. // Not very polite, this one. // "I heard you the first time. I merely can not believe it. Prove it."
Shaiyra hissed in frustration and stared at his hands. "I cannot. This damnable light and the lack of magic in this place have reduced me to nothing. I can barely weave the simplest of spells."
"Spells. As in magic?"
Shaiyra's look clearly showed what he thought of Treize's intelligence and comprehension skills, but he carried on with his story, wanting to be done with it. "I was out trailing a herd of easkii. Food has been very scarce since winter claimed our land and the suns went out."
Treize had no idea what to make of all that, but his blank expression was enough. Shaiyra heaved a long suffering sigh and made a brief attempt to explain himself.
"...Soon after my birth, the Demon Goddess Lycavilana broke free of her world and came to ours in conquest. She sealed away the old gods and named herself the only Goddess. When Fire and Light were sealed, the suns exploded. Ultimately, an endless winter seized the land. She uses Her power to make a new sun, and has brought to the people things from the frozen north that survive the ice and snow. The people survive, and Her providing to them elevates Her in their eyes. Even though She was the cause of the death of over half the world and their misery and their difficulties they sing Her praises now, and forsake the old gods. Besides...it's better than being executed for heresy. The price for worshipping or even mentioning the so-called False Gods is death."
"I...see. And an ...easkii...is?"
Shaiyra snorted. "A herd animal. Similar to a yote or an avangi." Noting Treize's continued blank expression, Shaiyra growled impatiently."....they are prey." The self-proclaimed dragon was silent a moment before glaring somewhat accusingly at Treize. "I was following the herd, but before I could make my move, the sky ripped asunder and swallowed me. I fell through a black nothingness and landed practically atop of your red beast. It attacked me and I fought it back until my ability to hold my true form faded. Magic does not survive in this world. I managed to gut the beast before the last of my strength faded, but as we hit the ground, it landed on me. I could not move its corpse. And then YOU made me prisoner."
Treize nodded a bit. "A very farfetched story you tell, my dear Shaiyra. Is there anything you can do to validate your wild claims? I shall admit that Epyon...your 'red beast'...was destroyed, and you were found at the scene. However, that doesn't mean anything else you've claimed is more than a story or a delusion and you simply have some sort of weapon at your disposal. I am, as you say, only human. I need proof."
"Sarsanna!" Shaiyra spat vehemently before jerking his fingers quickly through some motions. "Tumaris una actura." When he finished speaking, a dim orange spark flashed over his open palm, then slowly grew, forming a small, writhing ball of flame. Shaiyra was obviously concentrating on it very hard, though it only lasted a moment before it sputtered out. Shaiyra looked exhausted, on the verge of collapse.
"You humans and your damnable light and your broken world! I don't have the time for minor displays of hedge wizardry, and I don't have the capability to do anything bigger. Not here. Not like this."
Treize was staring in dumbfounded amazement. The boy had actually created a ball of flame from thin air. // Is what he's saying possibly true? Could he somehow be from a world we haven't made contact with and dropped here by sheer accident?// Treize snapped to attention a moment later when Shaiyra's hands clenched into his collar and yanked him close. He nearly lost his grip on his rifle in his surprise, and cursed himself for his inattention. However, he didn't fire and Shaiyra made no move to harm him, merely growled in his face.
"I do not have time for this, human! My brother needs me. He will die without me!"
Treize made an effort to extricate himself from Shaiyra's frighteningly strong grip or at least gain some breathing room. "Why will your brother die?"
Shaiyra released Treize and clenched his fists in helpless frustration. "He is...broken. Crippled. Several years ago we were attacked by a rogue dragon. It caught us by surprise. The thing was mad. It tackled my brother out of the sky. The impact shattered the left side of his body. We were able to set his arm, but his wing and leg did not heal properly. He cannot walk, cannot fly. He will starve to death without me. AND YOURE KEEPING ME HERE!"
"I am. But even supposing I was to release you right now, how would you get to your brother? You know a way back to your home world?"
Some of Shaiyra's rage seemed to deflate, but not his bitter frustration. "...no."
"What you have told me is a lot to digest, and I'm not sure you've been truthful with me." Shaiyra seemed on the verge of another explosion when the door burst open.
It was Treize's turn to glare in extreme annoyance. "I left specific orders I was not to be disturbed."
"Sir, I'm sorry, sir, but you must come quickly. We've had a major security breach. At least one intruder was in the base."
"And this sort of thing could not have been taken care of without me? I enjoy being informed but you do not need me to hand-hold you through dealing with a security breach!"
"They escaped with Zechs Merquise as a prisoner."
Treize couldn't keep from gasping, and he charged out of the room, pushing past the soldier and practically running for the medical wing.
~ * ^ * ~
"So...you're tellin' me...a dragon fell out of the sky, ripped up Epyon, then turned into a kid my age? I got this right?"
"I thought you said you were a 'believing kind of guy', I think it was?" Zechs retorted with a wry half-smile.
Duo frowned a bit. "Well yeah. And I know somethin' happened to you, but damn, Zechs..."
"I don't care if you believe me or not. You asked for my story, and I told it. Under any pain or duress, it won't change. I am not the sort of man to create such fantastical stories for no purpose. It sounds both ridiculous and ludicrous."
"Well, yeah...I didn't figure ya would make this sorta thing up, Zechsy. But you can understand why I'm havin' a hard time with it."
"Don't call me that."
Duo grinned. "Why not? You forget, you're my prisoner and I'm the big bad evil terrorist. That means I can do whatever I want."
"I am not your plaything and not here for your amusement." Zechs said with a huff.
With a chuckle, Duo kicked back onto his bed and folded his arms behind his head. "Eh, if you've really told me the whole truth and OZ captured some sort of dragon, and ya don't have anything else...I'm running out of excuses to keep you prisoner. Other than, y'know, saving you for a rainy day. I can't very well kick you out on the street in your condition, OZ'd shoot me down before I got close - Treize must be hoppin' mad - and the postal office really wouldn't treat you with appropriate tender loving care. Besides, I don't have a big enough box. So maybe you could say I AM keeping you here for my own amusement."
Zechs sighed but had no choice but to accept the braided teen's logic. "Fine." He paused for a moment before continuing. "At least grant me one favor as a measure of good faith...or two. I find I am rather hungry."
Duo blinked and sat up. "I can probably do that. What's up?"
Zechs smirked wryly. "Since we're going to be...roommates for a time...at least tell me your name. I refuse to go about calling you Shinigami and '02' is...aggravating."
Duo toyed with the end of his braid, then flashed Zechs a sunny smile "Eh, don't suppose it could hurt too much." He sketched a slight bow from his sitting position and flourished grandly with his arm. "Duo Maxwell, at your service."
"Are you..."
Duo blinked then smirked. "Well, I said I'd take care of you, and I never lie. So I suppose I am...to a point."
"Then help me sit up and quit starving me or I'll be a much less lucid, agreeable prisoner."
With a slight flush, Duo hopped up. "Oh...right." He headed over and helped ease Zechs into a more upright position and prop some pillows behind him. He had to use the ones he had brought for himself, too. //Hey, no big...I'm sure Quatre's got plenty more squirreled away in this place somewhere or other. Damn...this guy is more solid than he looks.//
Zechs winced as he managed to achieve something close to a sitting position. Fresh pain shot through his injured ribs and his vision swam briefly. Despite the pain, though, he knew he was on the mend. Treize had been sure that some of OZ's newest medical procedures - very expensive medical procedures - had been used on him. The biotechnological patches they had applied to his cracked and broken bones were healing them at a far greater rate than he could have healed on his own.
Duo eyed Zechs for a moment, concerned at the pained expression that had overwhelmed his patient for a moment. "Hey, man, you goin' to be alright?"
Zechs managed a nod after a moment. "Yes."
Duo noticed he still had his hands on Zechs and jerked them away abruptly, as if the older teen had suddenly burst into flame. "Er...Good. I'll go see about that soup." Duo whipped around and scurried for the door, punching in the code and darting out as the door hissed shut behind him.
//A strange creature, this Duo Maxwell...// Zechs thought, leaning his head back with a sigh. He spent a moment trying to place the exact fragrance that clung to the pillow Duo had given him. His mind wandered and he briefly entertained an idea of freeing Duo's hair from that braid, running his fingers through those silken strands and burying his face in them.
Zechs jerked his head up and then cursed as the sudden motion threatened to leave him unconscious. //Mrr...must be the morphine...I'm not thinking clearly. Imagine, entertaining thoughts like that about a Gundam pilot! //