Bastard!! Fan Fiction ❯ Rapture. ❯ Part 1. ( Chapter 1 )

' I hate this fucking cold! ' Schneider grumbled to himself as the North pole's harsh, forever winds whipped cruel ice fingers at his form, blinding him from time to time with snowy breath. He secured the last peg of his tent and quickly entered inside, making sure to the bind the entrance flaps tightly before pushing back his furred hood. His gaze fell upon the slightly shivering form on one of the two cots. The floor beneath was layered with a waterproof treated furred blanket and a single oil lamp hanging on one of support poles offered the only light. The wind pushed against the sides of tent as if it could knock it down, but the tent held its ground. Pushing back the other's hood he looked at Yoko with an almost father scolding look when she glared at him for pushing back her hood and making her even more cold.

" You wanted to come along, " Schneider reminded the fuming red head.

" Hai, hai, I know, Lushe, but it's for Kall, " she reminded him. Yoko gazed up at him with doe like eyes whenever she wanted something of him that normal threatening wouldn't grant her, " Will you warm us up?"

Schneider smirk, " Be more then happy to. " He rose to join her on the cot when the girl stopped him with longed practice. One had to be careful of what they said or requested of the powerful wizard, whose favorite pastime consisted of his limbo.

" I mean cast a spell, " Yoko said. " After all, I'm only sixteen! " She added.

Schneider sniffed. Yoko was the one woman who refused him time and time again. As much as anticipation made the act of what two hot bodies could do under silk sheets and in private all the more better, it had been two months since the snow haired wizard had gotten some, Arshes' departing gift, and Yoko wasn't the kind of girl to warm up a man's bed without an exchange of wedding vows. The great bachelor wasn't ready to tie the knot anytime soon. And her being the only female around wasn't helping " So? Hasn't stopped me in the past before. I've had plenty of women at my feet, " he retorted.

" And telling a girl of one's past victories isn't the best way to win her over either, Schneider! I'm not like those other girls and if I'm going to be a mother one day- If ever! - I'd expect just a little something more then a casual invite for a hop in the sack or whatever sap you save for Nei! " Yoko spat.

Those with short tempers shouldn't mate together, thus any apologizes wouldn't come for a long time between the two would be lovers. Or would they? Schneider frowned to himself and cast a simple temper-changing spell to warm the tent. Few things in life the wizard hated was to be at odds with those he loved. He plopped onto his cot with a quiet huff and stretched out. Yoko glanced at Schneider from the corner of her eye and gave a little sigh. She moved to his side and leaned over his line of vision.

" Lushe, I'm sorry. We're both cold, tired, and frustrated and snapping at each other isn't going to make finding Kall any easier, " she said.

Schneider looked up at her and nodded, his apology silent. He was almost startled when Yoko joined him on his cot, resting her head upon his strong broad chest and taking comfort in the sound of his heart beat in this land of ice, snow and howling winds. Absentmindedly, his hand came to play with her fire red hair and Yoko enjoyed these moments where Schneider wasn't the loud, comic, horn dog of a man the rest of the world seemed to know. Rather, a serious, thoughtful, and presently worried man.

" He's got to be okay, " Yoko said.

" If he isn't, I will personally kill him when we find him, " Schneider replied.

Yoko chuckled. Lushe was just as worried about the ice mage too, but admitting it wasn't his strong hold. Schneider was a typical male. An upfront of muscular egos and ambitions, but also harboring a fragile side with an inherited ability of not being able to show his emotions to the world that not even over four hundred years could outgrow. And admitting that he was worried about the young man who was almost like a son to the great wizard who was Schneider could be viewed as weak by men he towered over.

The red head huffed, " You men are so typical. "

" And yet without us, the world would be boring, " Schneider laughed.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered making their shadows move and offered the great wizard something to gaze at in the stretch of silence. Eight months had passed since anyone had seen Kall Su. The young mage had up and vanished six months ago without a word to anyone. Not that the young man really had anyone to inform of his whereabouts except Schneider, maybe Yoko, or least of all, Gara. The violet-eyed wizard would have laughed at the idea of dropping a hint to Arshes. Schneider could understand that, he mused, the two hadn't gotten along with each other for years, but Kall Su didn't even tell him where he was going! Not a word! No note, no dropping hints, no seeking Schneider out and pulling him aside, just nothing! Usually Kall always told Schneider if he was heading off somewhere! Granted, he would just wave the boy off and return to whatever he had been up to before Kall Su informed him of his plans. Maybe that's why Kall had failed to do so this time.

A tiny knot of anger directed at himself for having ignored the young man when he needed him and Kall's failure to inform Schneider anyway, mixed with regret for ignoring Kall Su tightened in the man's chest. Even with a loss of fifteen years, Kall Su had always been in his preferred circle of those he associated with; always by his side from the day he had taken the boy in as his own, even if at the time it had just been for Schneider's own gain until he found the perfect host. But like for the privileged few, Kall Su had become something more to Schneider then that and the wizard had prided himself on keeping those who belonged or with him forever by his side. It was how Schneider liked it, a man of few habits, but allowing himself this one. But in the end as the moon haired wizard and his precious few adjusted to life in the royal palace with grand feasts, more frequent balls in the peaceful aftermath of war with the city's economy rising, hunting parties to charm and secure allies, the free flowing wine, luscious ladies of the court and the occasional pretty kitchen maid, Schneider had failed to notice that absence of the blond, violet eyed mage at his side, the boy's withdrawal from Schneider who was the closet to family Kall Su had had in a long time and the out side world. Locking himself away in his room with the castles' books on magic and legends with his own insecurities and inner demons brimming back to the surface after years of suppression to now keep him company. There had always been something fragile about the boy and perhaps, now that he had time to reflect, Schneider had absorbed it without really paying attention to it at the time.

Then after six months Kall Su's disappearance was finally noticed. Oh, Yoko had noticed he was gone long before the six months carried out, she being the only female the boy seemed to kind of warm up to and made friends with. In her nature, she kept tabs on the boy's well being like a sister; making sure he had eaten, getting enough sleep; did he need anything, and all that? He had told her he was fine and he needed nothing. Sometimes, just sometimes before the young mage had left, Kall Su would delightfully inform Yoko on an important find in his searching the palace's books on magic and legends. A growing feeling inside the red head of unease nagged at her that this constant searching and researching might be heading for a disastrous destination, but Yoko also didn't want to betray Kall Su after gaining some of his trust. And when it finally happened Yoko hadn't said anything until she was positive Kall Su was gone and not in the sense that he was coming right back.

Perhaps she should have said something sooner, Schneider mused, but would he have listened? Sometimes he truly was a bastard. A quick search of the boy's room and library had answered their questions. From the number of books and scrolls that occupied Kall's room it was clear that he had been searching for something and whatever he was looking for, he had found. An open page in an old book of ancient legendary beings told the story of a kind of breed of Sirens that occupied an enchanted land in the North most pole of the world. Their song enchanted and entrapped anyone who dared set foot on their land. Once you do, there was little chance of escape. This breed of Sirens' song was sweet and soothing that many a man would kill to hear just a note, but not without its price. The siren's song erased the listeners' mind leaving any a man to wander the rest of the earth a thoughtless soul and if they desired you, for beauty or any means, their victim would be encase in a crystal ball so they might keep you forever unharmed.

The book went on about their lands, some legendary men captured by these magical women, and where they could be found up in the Northern pole. From the maps of the North and the crumbled pages of calculations to the open scrolls with dozens of similar tales of these Sirens, Kall Su had discovered their whereabouts and had gone in search of these maidens. In all his years of scaling the globe in his desire to conquer the world and his hundreds years of living, Schneider had heard of these maidens and knew they existed without the aid of ancient scrolls. Sirens were dangerous, in many ways, and he purposely avoided any lands said to inhabit by these creators no matter how beautiful and pleasurable they were said to be. Sirens, Succubus, and genies were just a few of magical beings Schneider avoided testing his powers against. All three were fickle creators, which made them unfavorable possible allies, and the wizard had no desire to face off against any. Especially if he couldn't win. Schneider had his pride, of course!

' Why did he leave? Was it to find these Sirens? Kall Su may be intrigued by any forms of magic, ancient or not and strive to master all kinds if useful, but even he would know the dangers of stepping onto a Siren enchanted land. I told him enough in my years of teaching him the ways of magic, ' Schneider thought and when he thought this, something tightened in his chest. If this breed desired beautiful things, Kall Su was ripe for the picking. ' Maybe he did know. '

Being a great lover of the ladies, Schneider was a little reluctant to admit that Kall Su was…pretty? Handsome? Beautiful? Soft, white gold hair, depthless violet eyes that could flash with anger or soften within moments to reveal a soft, caring, and sometimes fragile soul under his exterior of cool indifference. Hmmm… what else? Flawless, ivory skin, lighter then his own, from the bits revealed of the boy's earlier attire from his battle clothes before donning less attention gathering tunics in his days of living in the castle. Then there was the way his fair hair fell into his face, or the way he would chew his bottom lip when he found something really interesting to read, or staring at nothing in particular out a window in his favorite position; one check resting on his knee pulled up to his chest while the other leg footed on the floor and a free hand curling his hair like he was a small child again. Or even the way he herded off the unwanted attention of the princess who saw the boy as an Schneider substitute. Ugh, he really hated how that girl latched herself onto Kall Su like some kind of blood sucking leech.

Still, Schneider had to trust Kall Su to keep himself out of trouble till he arrived.

TBC.