Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Dimension Gate ❯ The Plot Thickens ( Chapter 3 )

Author's Notes: Yah, I'm on a writing streak right now. Hope everyone likes what I have so far. Don' forget, ya'll have props as far as the other pairings go, so let me know what you think!

 

Warnings: same as the first chapter. I hate repeating myself.

 

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own `em. But I've got a lawyer on the case! (Quatre in the background speaking to the lawyer: “I'll pay you any amount you ask if you disappear.” Authoress appears, glaring. Quatre eeps and flees back inside his closet to be with Trowa.)

 

Chapter 3: The Plot Thickens

 

Deep in the heart of Laerun, there was a stone townhouse, a particularly fine building fashioned of black granite. Tall, elegant, and narrow, the house was located on the main road between the Bazaar and the First Dock.

 

Blackstone House, as it was called, was one of many properties that Heero Yuy, an elven adventurer and sell-sword, owned in Laerun. The noble used the house infrequently, since it was too stark and angular for his taste, but it was ideally equipped for his purposes that early morning. He dismounted from his horse, tossed the reins to the servant that ran out to meet him. Once inside the house, he sprinted up the winding staircase to the chamber on the topmost floor.

 

The room was dark and empty save for a single pedestal. Removing a silk cloth, Heero revealed a dark crystal globe that floated in the air several inches above the pedestal. He passed a hand over the smooth surface of the crystal, murmuring the string of arcane syllables that would activate the globe's magic. The globe began to shine, dimly at first, and mists swirled within its depths. The light gradually increased until it lit the entire room and the image came into focus.

 

“Lord Yuy.” Sally Po set aside the tray of tea she had been in the process of picking up. “Quickly - I am entertaining guests and cannot be absent from their presence long.”

 

“Natasha? Faran of Bluronis Lake?” Heero asked tersely. At her surprised nod, he smiled grimly. “I am too late, then. Is there a way you can leave the house and escape without notice?”

 

“Yes, there are several entrances that I had built for just such an occasion.” Sally's eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you going to explain why I must abandon my guests so rudely?” If there was one thing which the lovely mage was absolutely finicky about, it was courtesy.

 

“They are party to a plot that I have spent six months trying to prevent coming to fruition. Since you are a frequent visitor to Laerun, it is safe to assume that they know of your connections to me.”

 

Sally's eyes narrowed even more. “Is that so? Forgive me, but I must express some doubt. I have been very careful, Heero.” Since the woman was renowned for her skill in tracking and avoiding being tracked, both in the wild and in more - civilized - surroundings, this was no small assurance.

 

“I am sure you have, but...” Heero' hands, tucked as was his habit deep into the pockets of his trousers, curled into fists. “Get out of there as fast as you can, Lee,” he said bluntly. “The plot which I was assigned to prevent has blown up into something much bigger than it originally was. Everyone I am connected to is in danger.”

 

Sally saw the urgency that Heero strove to conceal despite his best efforts, no small feat, and nodded abruptly. Heero Yuy would not get alarmed unless it was something bad, and it had to be very bad. “Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

 

“If you can get to the Alessandra Inn before the week is over, then do so. Otherwise, run. Get as far away from Suzonia as you can.”

 

Shocked, the mage gaped at Heero. “Just what is going on?”

 

“I was assigned to prevent a portal between this world and another from being opened to all who could see it,” Heero said grimly, no longer caring if the magical channel was insecure and another was listening in. “I was too late. I cannot stop what is in motion, but I can rally the few who can fight to keep the damage minimal.”

 

“A portal...” Sally repeated in horror. “But what fool would dare to tilt the Balance in such -?!” She froze, then whirled away. “Someone is coming. I must go. I will see you at the Alessandra Inn within two days.” The image winked out, and Heero was left with a plain, white light that immediately began to dim. In almost no time at all, the globe was as dark as it had been when Heero had first pulled the cloth away from it.

 

With a weary sigh, he replaced the cloth and strode out of the room and down the staircase. He nodded briefly to two house servants, a pair of highly trusted finra, a type of tree fairy whose spirit homes grew in the private garden kept in the back of the house, and hurried out of the house. He needed to get to the Alessandra Inn, and quickly. Dendrick Esetar was a highly valued contact of Heero's, and he would know the current whereabouts of Rathan Silverspur and Treize Kushrenada. The most powerful High Mage in Suzonia and his well-connected demon friend would have to be warned of the coming disruption in the balances of nature and magic of this world.

 

 

 

The elderly mage chuckled to himself. Heero Yuy may have been famed as a warrior and adventurer, but he was not as skilled a mage as Wufei Chang, and had not detected the presence of an eavesdropper.

 

“So Heero Yuy thinks to fight us,” he mused aloud. “If he succeeds in gathering his allies before my clumsy servants can get to them, and of course he will, then this should get interesting.” He chuckled, a raspy sound that was somehow wrong. “How much he thinks he knows, and how little he actually does.”

 

“You are a fool.”

 

“Am I?” the mage responded without turning around.

 

“Yes. Just for that, I should kill you where you stand. But if I tried to kill all the fools in the world, I wouldn't have time to sleep. Still, what makes you think you can get away with this? The High Mages will not stand by and let the world as they know it crumble because a half-assed dark wizard decided to meddle with forces he did not understand.”

 

“I don't expect to get away,” the mage responded, amused. “After all, I'm only a lowly lackey.”

 

There was a silence. The elderly mage received the impression that he had surprised his questioner.

 

“You didn't think I was behind this all by myself, did you?” He laughed outright. “Oh, how amusing. You actually thought I had the power to open a gate between this world and whatever is the closest one to ours?”

 

There was a pause, and his questioner's voice suddenly deepened ominously. “Turn around.”

 

“Why?” the mage asked lightly. “You're obviously a demon of some kind, or you couldn't have gotten past the wards on this tower. What is the point of looking at your probably-ugly face?”

 

When his questioner spoke again, magic forces blended with his voice, magic forces that compelled and beckoned. “Turn around.” Against his will, the petty sorcerer found himself moving.

 

When he saw just who had been questioning him, he froze in shock - and utter terror.

 

He felt the magic driving into his brain, probing his every thought and memory, and could do nothing to stop it, nothing to prevent it.

 

The high demon's lip curled contemptuously. “You are useless to me, and to the cause you so mistakenly support.” A blast of dark power issued forth from the demon's fingertips. Seconds later, the mage was gone. In his place was a blackened spot on the marble floor, still smoking faintly. The demon considered cleaning the mess, and decided to ignore it. Let the mage's servants make of it what they would.

 

Treize looked thoughtfully into the distance. Any plot that Heero Yuy was involved in smelled of adventure, and the demon was rather bored. Perhaps he'd join Heero on this latest venture to protect the world, perhaps not. Still, the future demon king had to wonder if the good elf knew where the gate was supposed to be opened. He sighed. Royal obligations were such weighty, annoying things, but Heero Yuy was a fellow royal. Besides, the elven adventurer wasn't all that bad from the demon's point of view, a rare assessment on Treize's part, and more importantly, he was a friend to Rathan Silverspur, the one intelligent being from whom Treize would consider obeying a command. Treize Kushrenada made a single arcane sign and disappeared.

 

 

Two days passed by swiftly.

 

 

Sally Po tossed the reins of her horse to a servant and strode wearily towards the inn. She'd been riding for a day and a half without rest. Clad in well-fitting black tunic, trousers, and slouchy black boots, she cut a somewhat mysterious figure. A billowing cloak with a deep hood concealed her face and trailed almost to the floor, adding to her mystery. It also served to hide the long sword that she wore belted at her waist.

 

Stepping inside the tavern hall, she noted that she was not that unusual a figure, as there were many who kept their faces covered in the bright light. A slight smirk crossed her face as she thought to herself that although perhaps she was not so mysterious, she was probably one of the more beautiful people in the room who were there for purposes other than to drink.

 

She proceeded to one of the bars. “Can one find Dramsonal here?” she inquired, carefully keeping her voice to a husky murmur.

 

“Dramsonal, milady? Of course.” The man behind the bar poured her a glass, and his eyes widened as Sally absently tossed back the entire contents of the glass in one go. No wonder. The elven spirits she had just named had a kick like an overly-angry mule, but the lovely human woman might just as well have been drinking water.

 

You haven't changed.

 

Sally turned about, startled, then smiled as she recognized the weire` standing behind her, a member of the telepathic race that resembled giant wolves. “Epyon,” she said, greeting him aloud and telepathically simultaneously. “What brings you here?”

 

A demon, actually.

 

“Really?” Sally followed the weire` back to where he had been comfortably situated by one of the blazing fires, glancing about discreetly but seeing as yet no trace of her friend Heero. “Are you being hunted, or are hunting, for some reason?”

 

No, nothing like that. Epyon dismissed her concerns easily. As a matter of fact, this one's a friend of mine, by the name of Treize. I need to speak to him, and this tavern is one of his favorite haunts. If he is not here himself, there will be others who know where he is.

 

“Ah,” Sally said, and asked no more, knowing well her friend's love of privacy. It would not be courteous to inquire further. They continued to make polite small talk, but it was obvious to both of them that the other was there for purposes of some urgency.

 

“Master Epyon?” The great weire` looked up sharply; he had a strong dislike of being addressed by titles.

 

Yes?

 

A handsome elven man stepped up to the place where Sally and Epyon sat sprawled comfortably in front of the fire. Keen emerald eyes noted the woman, and he bowed to her before continuing. “My name is Trowa. I am an adventurer, of sorts. May I speak with you regarding the demon Treize? I understand he is a friend of yours.”

 

Sally looked up from her drink, startled. “What do you want with Treize?” she asked in a tone sharper than she had meant to use.

 

Trowa took another, sharper look at the woman sitting beside the weire` lord. He recognized her face from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place her, and it bothered him. “May I know your name, my lady?”

 

Sally hesitated. She had no idea of Heero`s plans, and so decided to be cautious. “You may call me Lee.”

 

“Lee,” Trowa repeated. Again he was assaulted by that wave of familiarity. Who was this woman? Frowning and pointedly not answering her earlier question, he said to Epyon, “I often work with Rathan Silverspur. I believe you know of the good mage?” At Epyon's slight nod he continued, “Rathan has asked me to locate his demon friend, since he has not the time to do so himself. Would you happen to know his whereabouts?”

 

Epyon stared at Trowa with the full power of a weire`'s stare, and Trowa met the gaze head-on, causing Sally to regard him with some admiration. Only those whose intentions were without the taint of self-gain could meet such a stare and not be blinded with pain.

 

Finally, Epyon said, I am sorry, but I am of no help to you. I too search for my demon friend, for a number of reasons. I have not been successful in my search.

 

Trowa sighed. “I thank you.” He began to turn away, but was stopped by Sally's voice.

 

“Why does Rathan have need of his demon companion?”

 

He glanced sharply over his shoulder. “That is not your concern.”

 

“I think it is.” Sally rose smoothly to her feet. “Since Heero Yuy is working with Rathan at the moment, and I operate under Heero. Not to mention the fact that Heero has been looking for Treize as well. Your demon seems to be well-connected.”

 

Trowa turned to stare at Sally. “Who are you?”

 

“Sally Po,” she said with some satisfaction, enjoying the quick flicker of shock that flashed across his face, too swiftly for him to control it. “Now, will you be so kind as to tell me what is going on?”

 

He feigned a look of confusion that would have fooled anyone else. “I am sorry, but I don't understand what you mean.”

 

“Yes, you do,” she said, a trace of something that might have been called irritation flickering in her voice. “You have obviously been in contact with Rathan Silverspur if he has asked you to search for Treize, and Rathan is the one that set my Heero on the trail of the - problem - that he is currently being forced to deal with. You must know something of recent events that have been cause for concern to the great mage, and I ask that you tell me of them. I am tired of having to sift through bits and pieces of information. For once, will you at least give me a straight answer to my question so that I do not have to find out the difficult way?”

 

“No need,” a new voice said quietly from the many shadows. Epyon's ears swiveled up, and his pearly white fangs flashed in a wolf's smile of welcome.

 

It's been a long time, old comrade.

 

Sally looked up sharply. “Who -?”

 

A tall demon stepped from the shadows. With his shock of red-gold hair that fell past his shoulders and glowing blue eyes, he was a striking figure. He moved with a lazy grace that spoke volumes to anyone that had studied hand-to-hand combat, and his height only served to make him more intimidating.

 

“My, my,” he said in a powerful baritone filled with mockery. “So many people looking for me. Now when did I become so popular?”

 

Now, whoever said that? Epyon asked. Perhaps we all are looking for you because we can't decide which of us wants your head the most. That is what happened the last time a group of people went looking for you, isn't it?

 

The demon chuckled, a surprisingly merry sound. “Yes, indeed. But I'm afraid you can't bluff this one, Epyon. Rathan told me you'd be here.”

 

“What?” Surprised, both Trowa and Sally turned to Epyon.

 

The weire` closed his eyes wearily. What is that expression humans use, Treize?

 

Treize realized he had made an error, but naturally, didn`t treat it as one. Rather, in a sweet tone, “The cat's out of the bag?”

 

That's the one. The cat is well and truly out of the bag now. Thanks ever so, Treize. I had wanted to work alone in this. Humans will be pointless baggage where I'm going for Rathan. Now I will have to deal with tagalongs.

 

Sally had rarely heard Epyon speak so disparagingly of humans. “We're not all bad, are we?” she protested.

 

It's not a matter of being good or bad. Now that the rest of you know I too am working with Rathan, he will insist on my taking one of you with me, to demonstrate - what is that word that irritates me so?

 

“Teamwork?” Treize suggested with a smirk, knowing well his weire` acquaintance's tendency to prefer solitude when on an assignment from another.

 

That's it, Epyon agreed sourly. Humans and demons - here he opened his eyes to glare briefly at Treize -will be of no use whatsoever to me. They will simply be a burden.

 

Treize scowled. “I am not a burden,” he said in a dangerously even tone. “I have never been a burden unless I wished it, and I never will be unless I wish it.”

 

Epyon sighed. Oh, stop your glaring before your face gets stuck that way.

 

Treize blinked, caught off guard. Then he chuckled again, and the mockery was gone from his tone, to be replaced by something akin to admiration. “Only you would dare to speak to me in such a way.”

 

It is because I'm not human or elven. Epyon glanced apologetically towards Sally. Meaning no offense, my friend, but weires simply do not have certain types of fear - among them, the silly fear most humans seem to have for demons.

 

“No offense taken,” Sally said easily. She leaned back against Epyon, resting against his warm, sweet-smelling fur, the firelight playing over her face in an attractive way. Noting the demon's appreciative stare and enjoying it, she adopted a lazy tone and said, “So you're Treize.”

 

“At your service,” the demon said, sweeping her a bow of graceful elegance.

 

Sally surprised him when she stood up and returned the bow in full, also responding in the correct formula. “Sally Po, at the service of you and your family.”

 

“Ah.” Recognition flashed in Treize's eyes. “Mi'lady Po. Your reputation precedes you.”

 

Sally smiled, and that smile was fully as dangerous as Treize's spoken tone had been a moment ago. “I'm sure.” Studying it, Treize began to smirk again. Maybe this would be interesting after all.

 

“There you are.”

 

As one, the group turned to face the sweet, bell-like tenor that had spoken, as Wufei Chang made his way over to where they were all gathered. His brilliant eyes flashed over those gathered swiftly, then he turned that gaze on Trowa. “Have you had any luck?”

 

“I have, as a matter of fact.” Trowa turned so that he was between Treize and Wufei. “Master Treize, may I make you known to Wufei Chang, heir to Rathan Silverspur?”