Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Captivation (formerly The Spoils of War) ❯ Chapter Two: Foreigners ( Chapter 2 )

The day Shuichi went to the creek to escape, ended up being the day his father had planned to leave for Anjeu's livery market with a few of their horses. His sister had a large dowry and their father had been raising these horses to fetch just such a sum. Shuichi's disappearance had put off their departure by an entire day and so Al-chi, The youngest member of the Shindou family at nine years old, had been able to leave with them when he was finished with his tutor that week. There was no school in Palmere, but the Shindou family was wealthy enough to have a tutor come out from Anjeu and educate their children. Al-chi would much rather have been out doing things with his friends, or helping his father with the horses, but he was told having a tutor was a great privilege and to be happy he was getting an education. Somehow the boy never quite saw the benefits of this so called “privilege” and would still have chosen a day fishing with his friends over a day being “privileged” to sit cooped up in the dining room with a man who smelled of chalk, tobacco, and stale bread.

Given his dislike for lessons, Al-chi had never been so thrilled in all his life as he was when he had been told to pack his things to go to the market. Just himself, his older brother and their father trekking along the provincial road with several horses, making their way to the great city he had heard so much about. A boy's first trip overnight anywhere with his father was a special one, but because this was also a trip to the Capital city and one to do grown-up business no less, he was especially pleased to have been invited along.

 

After a two day journey through the countryside they arrived in the city's market place. The sights, smells and sounds of so many people doing so many things in such a compact area was overwhelming to the young boy. Al-chi promptly hid himself behind Shuichi's legs, clinging to his older brothers green tunic for dear life as he peered around at everything; fear and wonder held captive in his large brown eyes.

They arrived early at the auctioneers and Father set up the lot and stable numbers for the horse auction that afternoon. Al-chi relaxed some when Shuichi propped him up on one of the stall fences and then told him his favorite funny story. It was one about a silly old man, who wanted to sell his cow, but was too frail to walk the long road to get to town. He had no horse so he cleverly decided to ride his cow into the market. He sold his cow, and then found he had no way to get home!

The two brothers were laughing and at ease from a good hour of joking and story telling when they were told it was time to start preparing the horses for their time in the auctioneer's pen.

 

That afternoon, Al-chi was never more proud or happy to do menial tasks for his father. He was even allowed to take Shuichi's place, walking the gleaming white pair of fine boned stallions around the pen while a broad range of people placed bids on them. The horses behaved well and proper for the small boy leading them, as well as they would have for a full grown man. A few cheers rained down from the crowd as onlookers watched the small child expertly control both horses.

Al-chi had always been taught to respect animals, and he clearly remembered what his father had said about beasts being able to sense whether or not you meant them kindness or harm. It was apparent that these two yearlings were quite happy to have the small boy leading them around and felt completely at ease. They didn't falter in their steps or act up even once, which was impressive for such high spirited animals.

 

The horses sold for handsome prices, higher than any of the other horses auctioned that day and this thoroughly pleased Shuichi's father. Al-chi was certain they sold so well because he had done such a fine job grooming them before they were shown.

For such grand work Al-chi was rewarded with a large piece of salt taffy, a pat on the back and a shinning Gold Farthing, which he could spend on whatever he wanted. The boy could never have hoped for so much and his mind reeled with thoughts on how he would spend the money.

He first thought of buying a large bag of candy and perhaps a new toy boat. But, he reasoned, his mother wouldn't approve of the candy and he knew he had a perfectly good toy boat back in his room. It needed new paint and some pitch for the leaks, but it still floated well enough in the water troughs and ponds so there was really no need to replace it. He thought and thought about what to buy as he walked between his father and brother towards the inn, each of them seeming to be lost in his own thoughts as well.

 

He kept thinking of things he wanted and needed, but none of the things he came up with seemed important enough to part him with his money. And then, as they walked up the stairs to their room and passed a lovely lady in the hall, it hit him.

His sisters wedding.

He could use the money to buy her a grand wedding gift! But, what to get her? What did women like to receive as gifts? He knew his sister liked the bouquets of flowers, and pretty weeds, he picked for her, but he wanted to buy her something special, from a real shop. He fondled the large, warm, coin in his pocket thoughtfully and wished he were older, and wiser, so he could choose a gift for her himself. But the wishing for all for not. His mind kept drawing blanks.

Finally, as the trio headed down to the tavern to sit for supper, he decided he would ask his father and brother for advice. They were older and seemed to know much more of women than he did.

Women can be so vexing, so perhaps leaving it up to Father and Shuichi is for the best.

 

~*~*~

 

That evening, an ageing, gray-haired man with a very strange accent came to the inn to pay for the horses. He gave Shuichi a double take the moment he saw him, though this hardly came as a surprise.

It happened to him more frequently when he visited the Capital, this odd gawking behavior.

His exceptional set of features, being almost indistinguishable from drawings of ancient Ashnae Porta men in history books, was impossibly rare. It was rare enough to possess just one feature of the lost race, such as odd colored eyes, strange hair coloring or even exceptionally fine facial features, but to be blessed with everything that had made the jeweled ones so highly sought after was almost never seen anymore. Often times people took a second from whatever they were doing to stare at Shuichi when he walked by, some even coming out of their booths and stands to speak with him. Looking at Shuichi and his sister, for most, was almost like looking into the past, at what the Ashnae Porta had once been.

Only in far less extravagant clothing.

 

The old man clipped out that the team of steeds had been purchased in the name of a wealthy lord from a very distant country and then continued to openly stare at Shu for the remaining length of their dealings. The young man was fairly used to this behavior, but for some reason the particular way this man was staring at him gave him a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Many men gave him immodest glances, clearly implying that they had a sexual interest in him. It happened a lot. Eventually though they would realize he was not a woman and fervently hurry in some other direction, hoping nobody they knew would catch their blunder. This pale, graying man in the dark auburn robes was giving him the same type of look even though he had clearly acknowledged Shu's gender in his speech. Perhaps he was hard of sight or had trouble hearing? Maybe he was slow in the head?

 

“Forgive me sir, but might I ask if you are hard of sight?” Shu asked politely.

“Oh, and why might you ask that?”

Shu blushed. “Well, it's just you've been staring at me for some time and, perhaps you are…mistaken?”

The mans face contracted into confusion for a few seconds.

“Mistaken? Why what do you…,” His eyes lit up with laughter when he realized what Shuichi had been implying.

The old man continued to chuckle and took the boys hands into his own. He patted them first, then began to trace them slowly with his, relishing their youthfulness. Shuichi found this custom very strange indeed, but assumed it was common place wherever this man was from and tried to be accommodating.

 

“Forgive my wayward eyes young master, but rest assured my sight is just fine. I'm well aware that you are no woman, though I must say you are much more attractive than any I've see in decades!”

Shuichi wasn't sure how to respond. Should he take what the man said as a compliment or an insult? Shu realized he had odd, some would even say exotic, features, but he didn't think he looked like a woman, exotic or otherwise. He figured he looked like himself and, when he had only his reflection for comparison, he didn't see anything spectacular. Even only having a female twin to compare his rather unique features to, he was able to see the vast differences between them. Especially those linked to their genders. He had broader cheekbones and a higher forehead for example, and she had a much finer nose and a pointier chin. But, to the unaccustomed eye, he understood that he might look more striking than those around him, man or not. It was an unwanted but necessary understanding, the fact of which he did not hold in especially high admiration, as it was often times more of a hindrance than a help.

 

Shuichi decided to let the man's comment slide, not wanting to insult the man buying their livestock. He returned the slightly odd bit of flattery by giving a simple acknowledging smile.

Shu then took a second to really assess him. He was past his prime for sure, or had just aged poorly. Living a hard life can do that to some, though others just have rotten luck. His skin was wrinkling around the forehead and eyes, his hair more gray than brown. In fact, he looked just like any other old man, with the exception of his odd accent and his slightly irregular form of dressing. Yet, for some reason, his very presence was disconcerting.

To help quell his growing discomfort, Shu flicked luminous eyes in the direction he had last seen his father. The relief the gesture gave him was short lived however, when he realized his father was busy talking to Al-chi about something and was no longer paying any attention to the conversation between his oldest son and this strange foreigner.

 

The old man followed Shu's gaze and then, seeing he was in the clear, quickly pulled the young man close enough to whisper in his ear.

“I could give you such a life, Boy,” he rasped, “With comforts you couldn't even begin to imagine. Far from mucking stalls and raking windrows in the field. You'd never have to lift a weighted finger again, if only you would come away with me.”

Shuichi yanked his hands and his body away immediately. He was certain this man had more devious things in mind than he let on, and he was letting on plenty enough as it was.

“Thank you for the offer,” Shu bit off defensively, holding his arms in case the old man decided to grab for them, “but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I like my life just as it is.”

 

The old man shied away, his face caught somewhere between anger and embarrassment. He was about to make a harsh comment about the correlation between high levels of superficial beauty and low levels of intelligence when a finely dressed and very handsome young man walked over to them. Wearing clothes and adornments indicative of highly positioned foreign nobility, he looked very much out of place in the meager tavern. Ornate gold embroidery covered most of his clothing, but even as intricate as it was, it paled in comparison to the embroidery of his glistening white cloak. There, nestled amongst more gold trim and dotted with jewels, were strange depictions of brightly colored birds, the likes of which Shuichi had never seen before.

They were very large in body, with lengthy blue, green, and gold tail feathers sprouting up proudly behind them in glittering spotted fans. It must have taken several weavers years to make such a piece of clothing and it's price had probably reflected such dedicated work.

The marvelous cloak, and it was hard to believe that was all it was, billowed out softly behind the man as he walked, betraying the buoyancy and light weight of the unknown fabric it was made from.

 

“Tohssa!”

The old man in front of Shuichi jumped visibly and then proceeded to bow as low as he could.

“M-my Lord Tatsuha! I th-thought you had retired to bed for-”

“To bed? And what, just leave you down here to harass helpless young girls, Tohssa? Honestly what have I told you-- Oh?” He stopped then, and bent to give Shuichi a close, scrutinizing once over, “I apologize, you aren't a girl at all are you?”

Shu froze for a moment, lost in the wonderment that swirled around his brain. This young lord had the same strange lilt to his speech as the old man. Obviously, they were traveling together and from the same place, though from where exactly was a mystery. It was an accent Shuichi had never heard before and could not seem to place for the life of him. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact just the opposite. Shu found himself wishing the young lord would speak again so he could hear more.

Where are these men from?, He wondered.

 

“Is he deaf?” The nobleman asked Tohssa in a serious tone of voice, motioning vaguely to one of his own wonderfully adorned ears with a gloved hand. Shuichi found the motion and glitter of the jeweled metal rings captivating, but soon came to the realization that he was standing dumbfounded in front of a nobleman, jaw damn near hanging off it's hinges. He quickly gave a deep, apologetic bow to rival that given by the lord's varlet moments earlier.

“Forgive me for being rude Sir, but I was just trying to place your accent. Where is it that you come from my Lord?”

 

The dark haired man gave an honest smile to reward Shuichi's inquiry, but it was a smile that said he regrettably couldn't say everything he wanted to. The sides of his mouth curled pleasantly. “Oh, not from anywhere exceptional I assure you. I travel so much, here and there, that it's hard to say where home really is anymore. But I must say this country of yours is really something spectacular. Such peace here, in the south any way. Can't say I've any desire to travel too far north. Heard there's a bit of a war going on.”

Shuichi realized then that the man was equivocating on purpose, and trying to avoid the topic of his homeland. He wasn't going to get a definitive answer from this striking outlander, but decided he really didn't care as long as the man would keep speaking. Every word he uttered wrapped around Shuichi's body like a warm blanket.

 

“Ah, yes, well we all hope that the war stays as far north as possible. I don't think anyone around here goes north if they can help it anymore.”

The lord gave a charmed smile.

“And you aren't afraid of being drawn into the conflict here, so close to the capital?”

“Well to be honest Sir, no. I mean it's not as if they can force us to fight or do things against our will! We're a free people and that is how we will stay.”

 

The elegantly dressed man looked down for the first time, avoiding Shu's gaze. His face fell; blank, unmoved, yet pained by some knowledge he seemed to be withholding.

“Free?” he gave a small sigh. “You'd be surprised by what can be taken from you, if someone wants it badly enough. And you'd be shocked by just how quickly and easily they do it.”

 

Shuichi's curiosity could take no more. Whoever this man really was, where he was from, he was hiding it. And what was more, he was hiding something that Shuichi feared had to do with him. He wasn't sure what exactly, just, something. He could feel it. Their conversation had taken so strange a turn, that the boy could no longer hold himself back.

“Who are you Sir, really? And what is it that brought you here, to Anjeu? Or to the country of Maric at all for that matter? And what does your being here have to do with me?”

 

“Shuichi! For heavens sake stop pestering the man with such questions! Learn your place and show some respect!”

Quickly, the elder Shindou marched over to the small group, Al-chi in tow. He boxed Shuichi's ear to the boys complaint, and turned to the young master in question.

 

“Please forgive the boy's loose tongue my lord, he meant no offense. I am Bo-kan and these are my two sons. My oldest, Shuichi-” he put a hand on Shu's shoulder, “-and this is my little Al-chi.”

 

Al-chi's eyes burned as he glared up at his father. “I am not little! I lead the horses today didn't I? I groomed them until they shone didn't I?”

All the men in the circle gave a soft chuckle at the boys youthful pride, however it was Lord Tatsuha who gave the most enthusiastic response. Smiling, he stepped around his vassal Tohssa so he could squat down next to the young boy. Al-chi backed up a few steps, and meant to duck behind his fathers legs, but then, resolve and determination on his face, he stepped forward to face the man now down at his level. If he claimed he was no longer a little boy, then he wouldn't hide away like one when things frightened him. He would face his fears head on just like his father and brother did.

The other three men just watched in silence as the situation unfolded between the dark haired lord, so polished he seemed to shine even in the dim light of the tavern, and the young boy, who didn't appear to have a square inch on him that wasn't covered in dirt or grime of some kind.

Al-chi, not used to making direct eye to eye contact with anyone, especially not with grown nobleman, gave the man in front of him an apprehensive sideways glance.
Tatsuha just mirrored him, patience and amusement masking his face.

 

“I-I'm not afraid of you, Outlander!” The boy finally declared, gaze instantly shooting past the man and fixing somewhere on a distant wall.

The lord beamed back at him.

“Oh? And why not? On my home pl- w-where it is I come from, I'm known for being quite fearsome. Rarr!”

He curled his hands into claws and made a monstrous face as he growled.

 

Al-chi laughed. Here was this important man making a complete fool out of himself. And for what?

“No,” the boy giggled, “I'm still not afraid. I even caught a snake once!” The youngster puffed out his chest proudly as he told the tale of how he alone had caught the blue garden snake who'd been terrorizing his mother and sister all summer. When he finished the lord made a show of putting a hand to his mouth, as if in shock. The onlookers chuckled, but the boy seemed not to notice.

 

“No! And you caught him with your bare hands?! My, I must say you were a very brave boy to do that for your mother and sister.”

 

He then turned, hand resting on Al-chi's shoulder, to flick his piercing gaze up at Shu.

“He must have learned a thing or two about catching snakes from his older brother, no?”

 

Shuichi blushed when all the attention was suddenly directed at him. “Well, I wouldn't know where he learnt to catch snakes Sir, but I do teach him what I can.”

Tatsuha gave an agreeing nod. “As all good brothers should, though not all of us-” he turned to ruffle Al-chi's hair kindly, “-are blessed with such kind and thoughtful siblings.”

“Sire…” Tohssa remarked, his tone of voice oddly cautionary.

Lord Tatsuha shot the old man a menacing look as if daring him to speak out of place again.

 

Bo-kan took the somewhat uncomfortable break in speech to end the conversation. He pulled Al-chi, who was looking quite sleepy, to him and picked the boy up.

He then offered the stooped nobleman his hand, which the lord took as he stood. “It was a great honor doing business with you my Lord, however indirect it was. Hopefully the horses will behave as well for you as they have for me. This one here looks a bit tired though i'm afraid, and I did make a promise to his mother to make sure he got his rest. I regret we must call it a night.”

 

“Indeed, thank you. I'm sure they will make resplendent mounts for years to come. ”

He then reached out to shake Shu's hand. The moment their palms connected the older man's gave a short pulse. Not enough to cause Shu pain, but definitely something out of the ordinary. Their eyes connected and the lord continued to speak.

“And thanks to you as well, Shuichi, for being such a refreshing pleasure. It's not everyday I get grilled like a salmon, so to speak, and I thoroughly enjoyed your vigorous conversation.”

“Your welcome.” Shu replied curtly, his trust in these strangers fast fading.

The lord turned to Al-chi, meaning to thank him for such a riveting tale, but found the boy was already fast asleep against his fathers shoulder. He chuckled softly.

“Oh my, the poor lad's out cold. I fear the retelling of his grand escapade with the snake has taken the last of his energy. But, I'm sure some recumbence in a warm bed will do him a might of good. Mothers do know best after all, don't they? Miles away and they still manage to look after our sorry selves.”

“Ah, That they do, that they do, Sir,” Bo-kan chuckled, thinking of his own mother and how she had coddled him even after he had left her house and built his own. He put a hand on Shuichi's shoulder and directed his son toward the stairs.

“I wish you and your man a good evening my Lord. May the rest of your stay here in Maric be pleasant.”

Lord Tatsuha nodded his affirmation and gave a small wave of his hand as he watched the small family troupe up the stairs.

 

When they were out of sight he whipped around and grabbed Tohssa by the collar, dragging him to a dark table in the corner of the tavern.

“If you ever see fit to correct my speech in public again I will end your service to me in a manner most unpleasant. Do you understand?”

Tohssa bowed low once again. “Yes my liege, of course. I was out of place to caution you, but I swear I did it out of habit and had nothing more than your well being in mind. I forget Lord Eiri is miles from here, but the habit is hard to suppress.”

 

Tatsuha gave a defeated smiled. “You are a good man, Tohssa. Forgive me for losing my temper. That was very stressful for me though. I've never actually met their…I've never seen…met…talked to, who I'm taking them from before. I didn't realize how difficult it would make things.”

 

“My Lord?” Tohssa questioned pensively. “You aren't suggesting we leave this one here and--”

The lord waved his hand as he slowly ran the other through his hair.

“No, of course not,” he groaned, “We've been looking for one like this for years. He's perfect. I'm not about to let my emotions drive me into starting my search all over again. Who knows if there are any others left? We've been everywhere, looked everywhere…”

“So you've already implanted the tracer then?”

“Yes, yes, it's done.” He turned and gave the old man a look of satisfaction.

“All we need to do now is wait for the right moment.”

Tohssa grabbed and began eating a hunk of brown bread from the bowl on the table.

“Why wait? We could take him now, while his family sleeps and be on our way back to--”

“No! Not yet. I know you're anxious to return home, and I must confess a part of me is as well, but the timing isn't right. All of Acceria's nobility have been waiting years to see this bet come to a close. They can bear a few more weeks of waiting.”

Tohssa sighed. “It is such a shame he's male though. A female would have been worth so much more. I mean, won't your father be…upset?”

 

Tatsuha grinned mischievously. “He didn't specify a gender.”

The lords vassal cringed.

“Do you think it's wise to be so cocky? I mean, you know his harem hasn't had males in it for over two decades, what makes you think he's even going to want this boy, Angelis or not?”

 

“Are you an idiot? It's because he's an Angelis that my father wants him, Tohssa! Everyone believes they went extinct years ago. What man in his right mind would give one up, regardless of it's gender? He'll be the crowning jewel in any collection and I'm certain he'd fetch millions in the market.”

He laughed, now very happy with his success, despite the extra emotional baggage it seemed to be bringing along.

“Imagine the looks on their faces when we get off the ship with this little beauty in tow! He bet me, in front of a packed ballroom, that even I couldn't find and capture an Angelis. You know, you were there. Now after years of searching I've nearly done it! We've got a tracer implanted, all that we need now is time. And as for the boy, I'll leave it up to father to decide what will be done with him when we get there. The point is I'll have done what he and so many others said couldn't be done and that's all that matters to me. My reputation will be intact and I'm sure business will only get better because of it.”

 

Tatsuha got up from his chair and took a few steps toward the door. He stopped and turned back to Tohssa. “However, you posed an interesting question my friend. On that note, if Father does decide to prove his insanity and sell him, I'll be sure we get a fair share of the profits. I didn't go traipsing across the galaxy for years to come up completely empty handed.”

 

~*~*~*~

The week leading up to his sister's wedding had Shuichi running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. He was not the only one being run ragged however, Al-chi and their father were forced to lend helping hands as well. The boys help came in the form of herb collection mostly, and just staying out of the house so he wouldn't get underfoot or muss something his mother had set straight. Bo-kan did pretty much the same and stayed out of the way.

It had been nearly a week since his encounter with the strangers in Anjeu, and still Shu couldn't shake the odd feeling they had given him. His left palm, the one he had used to shake hands with Lord Tatsuha, gave a regular tingle and this alone was enough to keep the foreigner fresh in his mind. He was certain now that something had been amiss with that handshake and the where's and why's of the whole ordeal seemed to be all he could think about. It wasn't until Al-chi came racing home with news of capital city officials approaching the town, did the thoughts of the encounter leave Shu's mind. Suddenly, he had more pressing matters to worry about.

 

~*~*~*~

 

AN: Hmm…intriguing no? Not exactly the turn you were expecting? At least this chapter is much longer than the first one!^_^

I can only imagine what's going through your heads right now. If it's not already clear this is an AU, so please be prepared for some alterations to any existing characters and a whole host of new ones. So far things have been going smoothly and, yes I do have a plan for this one, and some sturdy direction. It's not a “make it up as I go along” type story so start formulating theories and plotting up how you think this is going to end!

And for a few of you who read my other stories, no I won't be abandoning them in favor of this new project. I'm going to try and work out a rotation for chapters on each. But I have to go where the muse takes me. I'm lucky enough that this story is really different from my other one's as it's set god only knows when and where, and my other works are all set in the present and current universe. Makes deciding where to use ideas a lot easier. Fortunately, I am in the process of procuring a new laptop for myself so I can be 100% mobile and travel with my writing to new locations for better inspiration. I've got my desktop and I love it dearly, but sitting in the same place, looking at the same things and thinking about the same stuff is not helping my creativity. I realized I do some of my best thinking, plotting and imagining while driving, walking in the park, and especially while I'm at work, where I have a steady stream of new inspiration walking in and out of the doors and I get plenty of exercise to get the blood flowing. I've finally decided to capitalize on this by bringing my writing with me to work for when I have down time. What does this mean for you guys? Better and much more plentiful reading material. Huzzah!

Oh and also, here is a short play list from my ipod that I put together to give myself inspiration for this story. I've been listening to them endlessly and I feel very connected to the story when I hear them. Thought maybe you might find them interesting to check out as well.

 

“Bittersweet” by Apocalyptica

“Nothing Else matters” by Apocalyptica

“Resilience” from A series of Unfortunate Events: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

“VFD” from A series of Unfortunate Events: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

“The Islander” by Nightwish

“Tender Memories” by Vangelis

“Gardens of Delight” by Vangelis & Irna Valentinova-Karpouchina

“One Morning at Pella” by Vangelis

“Roxane's Dance” by Vangelis

“Nothing Else Matters” by Scott D. Davis

“Nothing Else Matters” by Inflagranti

 

For Gurabite Reviewers:

 

Black Neko: I'm quite happy to see you are willing to read the strange fic this is going to turn out to be. Very pleased. You're awesome, and thanks for taking a chance on it with me!

 

Bakayarona: You don't know the half of it I'm telling you. If you think things are well thought out now just wait until a few chapters from now. I'm thinking you'll only continue to be impressed. Some of the ideas I have are so pronounced in my head that I'm almost racing to get to them! Unfortunately, this is my first time writing this type of fic and a lot of research is being done along with it to get things as right as I can. I mean, I spent a couple of hours the other day researching proper capitalization for the word “lord“, and all it's many uses…what fun that was. Didn't' really come up with a whole lot except for religious sites, so I am going with what little advice I could obtain and my gut instinct as a writer to guide me on that one. Research slows the writing down, but it is all worth it in the end and some of it is even a little fun.

 

Eiri-chick: So nice to have you here reading my dear, you are so loved! Hopefully my next few installments will not disappoint and I hope you continue reading to get a feel for the full scope of my idea. It may come across now as being a bit unoriginal, but just keep reading. I had to be as vague as I could on details in my summary while being as honest about the plot as possible so people knew what they were getting into, without me giving all the twists away. I will try not to disappoint.