Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of Knights of Destiny ❯ Part 3 Creatures of the Night ( Chapter 4 )

Part 3 - Creatures of the Night

The clearing was draped in a dim light, illuminated only by a crescent shaped moon. The man hiding in the shadows had been sitting in the dark long enough for his eyes to adapt. The figure itself blended perfectly into his surroundings. His black clothes and dark hair made him nearly invisible, as he watched the two large cats. One of them was a lion, majestic looking with yellow golden fur and a full dark mane, the other one a panther, muscular with black fur shining in the light of the moon. Two powerful and deadly animals, yet they were playful as kittens as they chased each other over the clearing. Totally oblivious to their surroundings and the man stalking them, the mighty predators were unaware that they had become the prey tonight.
Eventually the cats got tired of their little game and settled down.

With a thin smile, the hunter reached for his crossbow, pulled an arrow from his quiver and loaded the powerful weapon. The arrow he had chosen was specially prepared, its tip soaked with a strong sedative. He had no intention to kill tonight. The idea of taming and forcing his will on one of those wild beasts seemed much more intriguing to him. There was nothing more satisfying than the feeling of having power over another being.
He raised his crossbow. Well aware that he would only be able to fire one good shot, he tried to decide which of the animals to aim for. Suddenly the black cat froze looking straight in his direction. Maybe the wind had shifted and carried his sense toward the large felines; maybe the sensitive ears had picked up a sound. Suddenly realizing the danger, both cats bolted.

The hunter fired his weapon instantly, swearing when he missed. Quickly he reached for another arrow, loaded aimed and fired just before the two felines disappeared in the thick underbrush. He couldn't tell if his arrow had found its target or not.

The man swore again as he headed back to the spot where he had left his horse. The large black stallion was waiting for him patiently. The hunter mounted the horse and drove his spurs into the soft flanks. He found the spot where the cats had entered the brush with ease. With the experience of somebody who had done this many times before he followed their trail through the woods. Even in the dim light he had no problem reading the tracks. After a while the hunter noticed several dark stains on the forest floor. He dismounted, pulled off his leather gloves and crouched down to touch one of the stains. When he brought his hand in front of his face, his fingers were smeared with a rust brown substance. Blood! So his second arrow had found its target after all. He smiled wickedly. Soon the drug would take its toll on the animal. It was just a matter of time. He only had to patiently follow the trail.

***

Yvonne Catorce glared into one of her crystals at the image of a figure in a dark cloak kneeling in front of her.

"I thought I told you not to contact me unless absolutely necessary?" she spat angrily.

"I know, Mistress," the man replied submissively, his eyes never looking up. "Forgive me, but I believe that I have news that you would want to hear right away."
"What is it?" she asked in a still exasperated voice.
"I found one of the Knights of Destiny."

"What? Where?"

The man allowed himself a little chuckle. "He was practically under our nose all that time, we just didn't know it. I've learned that about six years ago a young child was brought to the royal palace and left there to be cared for by the Peacecraft family. Nobody seemed to know where the boy really came from and those who know are not allowed to talk about it. However I found out anyway that no other than Odin Lowe brought the boy to the castle…"

"…The kings ward, Heero Yuy? I'll be damned. And here I was thinking the whole time that boy was just a little bastard the king had out of wedlock with some no-name slut." The sorceress smiled complacently. "You are sure about that? Did you see his mark?"

The cloaked man chuckled again. "In fact I did. I was doing duty in the hall when I accidentally walked in on him in the bath. I could have sworn I heard him call for a guard, but maybe he didn't."
"My, my, that was quite devious." She seemed amused. "Well done."

"Thank you Mistress. I've learned from the best. - But I'm afraid my other news are not as good."

"Let's hear them anyway."

"The king called Captain Khushrenada back to the castle and put him in command of the crown prince's security. The prince will no longer be able to leave the palace on his own, and I lost my position in his guard. I'm afraid I'll no longer be able to watch him as closely as I used to." The cloaked man continued. "Mistress, may I ask you a question?"

"Ask!" the woman said, feeling gracious.
"Why haven't you killed the prince a long time ago? You certainly had the power to do so."

"Yeah I most certainly do. But for some reason I had the feeling that some day he might be of better use alive and it seems to me that day has come. Don't worry about him being put on a short leash by his father. In fact it might just suit my plans," the sorceress said thoughtfully. "I have an idea and I'll need your services again my friend. If everything works out how I imagine it will we will take care of the crown prince and his little friend Lord Yuy in one swift move."

"I live to serve you, Milady. Tell me what you want me to do and consider it done."

***

Under the cover of darkness Quatre had once again slipped out of the duke's castle and headed for the woods.
He kept his eyes glued to he soft forest floor, searching for special herbs and roots that could be used to make brews and ointments.
The air was a little chilly, but not cold enough to really bother him. The night-sky was clear and covered with stars. The moon was beautifully crescent shaped. Quatre loved the sounds of the night, or more precisely the lack thereof. Everything was so peaceful. Suddenly that sense of tranquility was broken by his own startled yelp as he ran into something rather large and semi soft. Startled he almost dropped the small basket he was carrying. Quatre looked up at the huge black stallion and rider that seemed to have come out of nowhere, and involuntarily took a step back.

"Forgive me, my Lord. You surprised me. I didn't except anybody to be around." he stammered sheepishly.

"Is that so?" the man, dressed in black spoke; his voice dark and husky. "Then I should be the one asking for forgiveness. I did not mean to scare you."

He dismounted his stallion, which was easily bigger than any horse Quatre ever had seen. The man himself was big too, towering over the blond boy, making him look almost small and fragile in comparison. Quatre swallowed. He had to force himself not to back off any further.

"What is a boy like you doing all alone in the woods at this time of the night? Don't you realize how dangerous this can be?" the man asked.
"I thank you for your kind concern, my Lord, but I assure you I'm very capable of taking care of myself."
The man smiled thinly. Quatre looked up and for a moment their eyes meet. The boy shivered under the cold and scrutinizing glare. There was absolutely no emotion in those dark eyes glaring down on him. Quatre could have sworn the man didn't have a soul.
"Do you have a name?"
"I'm Quatre."
"Quatre! What an unusual name." the man mused. "I'm Isard Catorce. I was tracking some prey, but it appears that I've lost it. And in the progress I have gotten myself lost as well, I'm afraid. Tell me where we are, Quatre."

"This is Oakwood County, my Lord. You are on Duke Dermail's land," Quatre informed him.

*****

The hunter nodded in acknowledgement. So, I have crossed over into the Sank Kingdom.
Not that he really cared. His prey didn't accept man-made borders and neither did he.
"Is there a tavern nearby, some place where I can find food and shelter for my horse and myself?"
The boy nodded. "There is a small inn in a village only three or four miles to the north. If you wish I can show you to the road?"
"Thank you, that's very nice of you."
Quatre led the way and Isard followed him on foot. Neither of them spoke while they were walking, and the hunter took the opportunity to study the boy from behind. He was slim without being scrawny and not very tall. His clothes looked well worn and were patched in many places.
Quatre stopped and turned as they reached the road to Richwood. "This is it, my Lord. You can't miss the village if you just follow this road."
The hunter nodded. He pulled a silver piece from his pocket and handed it to the boy.
"Thank you, Sir."
As Quatre reached for the coin Isard seized his hand.

"You have beautiful eyes. Did anybody ever tell you that?" he asked the boy.
Quatre's eyes went wide and he tried to pull away when Isard raised his gloved right hand and softly caressed his face.
"Have you ever lain with a man? If not, would you like to find out what if feels like?"

"I don't think so," the boy replied firmly.

"Are you afraid of me?" Isard asked smoothly.
"Should I be?" Quatre responded, even as be tried to back away further.

The hunter smiled thinly. His fingers moved down to the boy's neck lingering at the small leather collar around his throat.

"So, you are a slave?"

"Yes," Quatre confirmed, as he jerked his hand away and took a step backward. "And my master the duke is very possessive when it comes to his property."

The man gave him another smile. "He doesn't have to know. You and I could make each other very happy and he would never have to find out."

"I think I'd better be on my way now."

"I think not." Isard's hand shot forward grabbing the young slave by his arm.
The boy glared at him. "Let go of me. I don't wish to hurt you, but I will if I have to," he warned.
The hunter grinned in a mixture of amusement and complacency. But the smirk vanished from his face when Quatre's right arm suddenly shot toward his face, a blue flame escaping from the palm of the boy's hand when he opened it. The man cried out in surprise and pain, as he pressed his hands against his burning eyes.
"Damn that devious little brat," he growled.

*****

Quatre turned and started running. He knew he didn't do any permanent damage and the man was only temporarily blinded. He ran as fast as he could, trying to get as much space between himself and the hunter before the man would be able to follow him on horseback.

Without him really realizing it his feet carried him toward the cave that was his secret sanctuary. He entered the cave, pausing for a moment to catch his breath before he closed his eyes and concentrated. Using glamour he hit the entrance to the cave, blending it with the surrounding rock. From the outside nobody should ever guess that there was anything else but a solid wall of stone. Once it was done, he dropped down on the hard floor and allowed himself to relax.

Taking long, deep breaths Quatre tried to calm himself, when he suddenly heard a noise from deep inside the cave. He could feel the hair in his neck rise when the realization hit him that he wasn't alone. Somebody…something was with him in the cave. For a moment the boy thought about turning around and running again. But his better judgement reminded him that the dark hunter was somewhere out there in the woods. Maybe whatever was inside the cave wasn't as bad as what was waiting for him on the outside.
Slowly he got up on his feet, and started to push deeper into the cave. First he could only make out the contours of something lying on the rocky ground. A few steps further he realized it was human, and it didn't move. After another couple steps he gasped, recognizing the body to be that of a young man or boy, lying on his left side, his right shoulder soaked in blood. Quatre could see the cause of the bleeding, the back part of an arrow sticking out from beneath the boy's shoulder blade. Wondering what might have happened he proceeded to walk toward the body, when some movement to his right caught his attention. From the corner of his eyes he saw a large black cat, back arched, muscles tense, ready to jump. Quatre froze instantly. The animal didn't attack him, but instead landed on satin-soft paws about four feet in front of him, putting itself between Quatre and the boy on the floor. Ears laid back, inch long fangs barred, the panther hissed at him, warning him not to come any closer.
It's trying to protect him, the blond boy realized in utter surprise. Is it his pet?

A soft moan from the wounded boy ripped Quatre from his thoughts. At least he is still alive. But he needs help, or he might not live much longer.

Taking a deep breath to calm his fears, Quatre looked at the black cat. He licked his dry lips before he started to talk in a appeasing and soft voice. "I'm not going to hurt him. I just want to try to help."

Although the animal didn't move one inch it stopped hissing. Black ears moved slightly as if it was actually listening.

"I'll go over there and look at him now, alright?" Quatre's voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm not going to hurt him."
He took one slow and cautious step forward, not sure if what he was doing was smart. But to his surprise the black cat actually backed off, just far enough for the boy to walk by. As Quatre crouched down next to the other boy he realized now how young he was, probably barely older than Quatre himself. The young slave looked at the wounded boy's face and almost gasped. His features were handsome. Long strains of damp brown hair covered part of his face. The boy was…in lack of a better word… beautiful. Quatre kicked himself mentally for that thought and started to check the boy's wound. He winced in compassion, knowing that that arrow had to come out and there was no easy way to do it. Once he removed the weapon he knew the wound would start bleeding again. He would need some pieces of cloth. Looking down on his own ragged outfit he decided that the boy's own clothes looked much cleaner and better suited for the purpose. He ripped off some strips of the boy's tunic, then looked up. The black cat had settled down into a almost relaxed position, but the intensity with which it watched every single move Quatre made, and the occasional flickering of its long tail showed that it was everything but relaxed.
"I'll try not to hurt him…too much." The blond slave whispered as he began carefully to pull out the arrow. The other boy moaned but didn't wake up. Just as he had expected the wound started to bleed, heavily. Quatre's eyes widened.

He is loosing way too much blood. I got to do something…quick.

Quatre knew that healing took a lot of energy out of him and he prayed that after all he had been through tonight, he had enough left to at least stop the bleeding. He closed his eyes, and began to move his hands over the other boy's wounded shoulder. As his lips started to form silent words in his native language, a radiant glow extended from his hands. Quatre wasn't sure how much time had passed when he started to feel darkness tickle on the edges of brain and he knew that he was going to pass out soon if he pushed himself any further. He quickly finished the healing spell and opened his eyes. He was pleased to see the bleeding had stopped. And the wound looked a lot better than it did before. He picked up the makeshift bandages and began dressing he boy's shoulder, feeling dizzy and worn out.

Good, he thought once he was done. I did all I could. Now he has to rest. And so do I.

Quatre moved a little away, curled up into a fetal position and allowed his body to give in to his exhaustion. The fact that he was sharing the cave with a beast that could easily rip his throat out in one swift move didn't concern him too much. On the contraire, he felt almost a certain sense of safety, knowing that the black cat was keeping watch.

***

Even in the middle of the night, the royal palace was never really asleep. Guards of course were on duty at all hours of the day, but also some of the servants worked throughout the night, preparing for the day to come. However, in order for her plan to work the sorceress had put a sleeping spell over part of the castle.
The cloaked figure of a man hurried through the castle toward the east wing, where the bedchambers of the royal family were located. With a satisfied smile he noticed that the guards were all but asleep.

So, the spell had worked. Not that he ever had doubted it.

Unseen, the man slipped into prince Milliardo's chamber, once again wondering why Lady Catorce didn't simple order him to kill the young heir. But then, he was only her servant, who was he to think he could understand her intentions.
The young prince was sleeping peacefully. The man threw back the hood of his cloak, revealing short-cropped dark hair and a cruel face that fit his personality well. Tonight the man was only an instrument to the sorceress, a vessel for her mind, so she could go places without her body every leaving her own palace. His eyes changed from green to red and a slight glow started to radiate from him as the sorceress took over his body.

For a moment she looked down at the sleeping prince. His face was peacefully relaxed. Long pale-blond hair spilled over the silk pillows.
So handsome, she thought. He reminded her of his father when she first met him more than two decades ago. She had fallen hard for the handsome young king and tried everything to gain his attention. But he never even acknowledged her, only having eyes for his future bride. He could have had her, but he chose another. How humiliating! She shivered in anger as she shook off the memories. No time for that now. That was the past. The future was revenge.
She performed another sleeping spell just to make sure that the prince wasn't going to wake up at the wrong moment. Then she started to prepare another, far more sinister spell.

***

Wufei woke up from deep sleep with the strange feeling that something wasn't right. For a moment he lay there just listening into the dark, but there was nothing. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. After tossing and turning for a while he sat up with a sigh.
"Wufei, are you all right?" a sleepy voice reached him from the other room.
Years of training as a soldier had made Treize a light sleeper.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Wufei apologizes as he stepped into his master's chamber.
"Don't worry about it," the captain told him. "Another Nightmare?"
"No," the young sorcerer answered. No, that was not it. Not this time. "I'm not sure why, but I have a really bad feeling. Something is not right, Treize."
"Nothing is wrong, Wufei," Treize assured him. "This place is thoroughly watched. Come here." The Captain yawned, as he threw back his bed covers and gestured the boy to join him. "Lets try to go back to sleep."

Telling himself that his master was probably right, but still unable to shake the strange feeling completely, Wufei slipped off his pants and climbed next to Treize. Moments later he felt his master's strong arm around his waist and he curled closer against the warm body, forcing his mind to relax as well.

*****

Quatre woke up alone and stiff from the cold.
What a strange dream, he thought.
When he raised his right arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes something fell out of his hand and hit the floor with a jingle. Surprised the boy bent forward and discovered a small shiny object. He picked it up. It was a silver ring, engraved with he head of a lion. Suddenly Quatre realized that he had not been dreaming. The wounded boy, the black panther and even the stranger in the woods had been real. He stared at the ring quite some time and for a reason he was not sure of his heart grew a little heavy. Something told him that he would probably never see the strange boy and his cat again.

He sighed and got up on his feet. Time for him to return to the castle, to his duties in the stable and his miserable life. It was still dark when he left the cave. The morning air was cold and crisp. He slowly climbed down from the mountain and started heading back to Oakwood castle.
Quatre had not gotten very far when he was suddenly seized from behind. A startled sound escaped his lips, as an arm was wrapped around him and he was pressed hard against somebody.
"Did you really think you were getting away from me?"
The voice sent shivers down Quatre's spine.
"Let go off me!" He struggled and kicked, trying to free his hands, but the man behind him just laughed.
"I think not. You got me once, you won't get a second chance to use your little tricks."

*****

The large cat paced slowly at the prince's side. Trowa, still feeling the effects of the tranquilizer in his blood, buried his hand in the soft, black fur as he leaned on the panther for support. He had tried to shift back into his feline form earlier, only to discover that his power hadn't fully returned. Dawn had yet to break and the forest was dark at this time of night. Human vision was a poor substitute to a cat's keen eyesight. At one point the prince tripped over a root. The misstep sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder, causing him to moan involuntarily.
His four-legged companion turned his head and looked up at him, concern in those slitted eyes.
"I'm fine," Trowa assured him.
Suddenly the young prince was overcome by a strange sensation. It was an odd feeling of distress, like somebody was silently crying out for help.

At the same time the cat raised his head in alarm and tensed. Violet eyes narrowed; lips pulled back revealing deadly fangs. A dangerous, low growl formed in the depth of his throat.
"Did you feel it too?" the prince asked.
The feline answered with a quiet snarl. Stay!

Trowa watched as the panther took off, dashing around trees and jumping over bushes until he finally disappeared out of sight
Be careful, Duo!

***

Quatre was too busy struggling against the man's iron grip and the man was too busy preventing the blond from breaking loose to see the braided boy sneaking up on the hunter's black stallion. Neither of them noticed him pulling the heavy crossbow from the saddle and loading the weapon.
"Take you hands of him!"

Isard jerked around and froze. His eyes widened when he realized that he was starring into his own weapon.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"To you… Death… if you don't let go of that boy immediately."
The hunter managed a thin grin. "Are you sure you know how to handle that weapon?" he asked smoothly.

"Want me to show you that I can handle it perfectly?" Duo growled; his voice leaving no question that he was serious.

Isard shrugged but let go of the blond's arm. "I'd prefer not." he replied calmly.

"Go," the braided boy told Quatre, without taking an eye of the hunter. "I'll make sure that he won't follow you."

"Thank you." The blond boy gave Duo a long gaze before he turned around and run off.

You don't have to thank me. I'm just returning a favor, Duo thought

"And what's going to happen now?" the man asked almost nonchalantly.

"Now we will wait."
"This matter didn't even concern you. What do you care?"
"Let's just say I don't like you very much."
Isard snorted. "Is that so?"

They waited for a long time, glaring daggers at each other.
Once Duo was sure that the blond boy had gotten a good enough head start to get himself to safety he gestured toward the black horse.

"Leave now and do not forget for a moment that my finger is still on the trigger."

The black-haired man gave him a cold glare. "I'm still can't help myself but think that you are not brave enough to pull that trigger." he said while he mounted his stallion. "It takes a lot of guts to kill another human being, you know."

"Are you sure you really want to find out?" the braided boy asked with a grin.
"I do, but not today. Something tells me that we will meet again some day." He spurred his horse and galloped off into the dark.
"I hardly can wait," Duo yelled after him as he watched horse and rider disappear from his sight.

The sound of a twig breaking under somebody's footstep made Duo jerk around.

"Gods, don't ever sneak up on me like that when I'm holding a loaded weapon, Trowa," he chided. "Don't you think being shot once is enough for one night? What are you doing here anyway? I thought I told you to stay."

"Did he get away?" Trowa asked.

Duo, knowing the prince was referring to the blond boy, nodded. "He should be safe." And with a gaze up into the sky he added. "It's almost dawn, we should be going too. Do you think you've got enough strength to shift?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm feeling a lot better," the prince assured him.