Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Mages of Asmadur ❯ Part 6 ( Chapter 6 )

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Mages of Asmadur

Part 6

Dorothy and Relena were two of the few pupils still remaining at the academy's dormitory. Most of the younger students had left for the summer and many of their 5th year classmates had already gone to begin their apprenticeships. New students wouldn't arrive for another two or three weeks, so this was a period of relative peace and quiet at this usually somewhat chaotic place.

The two girls were sitting in the upstairs launch area over a game of cards when Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy approached them.

“Hey, Dorothy, you've got some time? We need to ask you something.”

She looked up, eying the braided youth suspiciously. “What do you want, Maxwell? If you are looking for somebody to take over your cleaning duties, you'd better think again.”

“No, it's not that,” Heero replied instead of his friend. “We were just wondering if you could tell is a little about Treize Khushrenada?”

“Treize Khushrenada?” the blonde girl echoed. “What about him?”

“Well…” Duo flopped into one of the soft lather armchairs. “Since you said that he used to come to visit your grandfather, the arch mage, we thought you might know a few more things about him than the rest of us.”

“Like what exactly?” Dorothy gazed from Duo to Heero and back to the long-haired teen.

“Like what happened to his last apprentice.” Heero nudged Duo's shoulder, gesturing for his friend to move over, and settled down next to him in the chair.

“Huh?” Dorothy gave the two boys a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“For some reason, Heero and Trowa both think that there is something the master mage is trying to hide,” Duo explained.

“So I have been doing some research, and I discovered that Khushrenada had an apprentice five years ago, but he died. Actually a second student died that year as well and I believe the two incidents are related, but I can't find anything anywhere about what happened to them. However, shortly after that Khushrenada quit his teaching position and hasn't been seen much at the academy until recently.”

“Hmm…I do remember hearing something about that.” Dorothy confirmed after Heero had finished. “I think it had something to do with that mage that turned dark, what was his name again?”

“Tubarov you mean?” Relena helped out.

“Yes…yes him. One of the two students who died used to be Tubarov's apprentice. But I don't know much more that that. Why do you care anyway? It's been five years ago; we weren't even at the academy then.”

“That's true,” Heero confirmed. “But my concern is for Wufei. I wouldn't want him to end up like his predecessor. Is there anything else you can tell us, anything that might help us to find more answers?”

“Hmm…Let me think. One of the boys who died, his name was Winner… Quatre Winner if I remember right, was about our age. The older was a 3rd or 4th year apprentice I believe. His name was… um…Peacecraft?”

Heero nodded. “Milliardo Peacecraft. I got the name from the old Academy records. He…”

“Did you say Peacecraft?” Relena asked, her voice trembling. “Are you sure about that name?”

The brunet youth gave another nod. “Yes, why?”

“Relena, are you alright?” Dorothy frowned as she looked at her friends pale face. “What's wrong?”

“It's nothing,” the other girl assured her. “I just…I don't feel so good. I think I'll go and see Doctor Po. I'll catch you guys later.” She jumped up, almost knocking the card table over in the process, and rushed down the corridor toward the stairway.

“What the heck was that about?” Duo exclaimed in bewilderment as he watched her disappear around the corner.

“I have no idea, but it was very weird, even for Relena.” Dorothy replied. “I think I`ll check on her in a little bit.”

#####

By the time Milliardo reached the bottom of the stairs he clearly could feel the presence of another being; but its life-force seemed still weak.

The young mage cast another illumination spell, igniting a number of torches and candles in the dark windowless chamber. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light he turned to let his gaze wander, and gasped as he eyes fell upon a person lying on its back on what looked like an examination table. On guard and ready to defend himself if needed, Milliardo approached the motionless figure slowly.

It was a boy in his mid teens, fifteen or sixteen years old perhaps. The light of the flickering torches reflected in his golden-blond hair and cast shadows over his peaceful features. He looked as though he was just sleeping, but his heartbeat was slow and his life-force weaker than one would expect even from a sleeping person.

The blond mage could not stop himself from reaching out and touching those pale cheeks. The skin was cold and somewhat clammy but the moment Milliardo's fingertips touched him his eyelids began to flutter.

Milliardo gasped in astonishment and instinctively took a step back, as he watched the boy awake. A pair of sapphire blue eyes opened slowly, blinked a few times and started to gaze around before finally focusing on the blond mage.

“Who… who are… you?” the boy's voice was shaky and hoarse from lack of use. “Where …am I?”

He is just like me. Milliardo still remembered how disoriented and confused he was when he first woke, and he instantly felt sympathy for the strange boy. “My name is Milliardo,” he replied with a soft smile. “But I'm afraid I can't tell you much more. I'm not sure myself where we are. What about you; do you remember your name?”

“My name…I don't know. I can't remember anything.” There was a hint of panic in the boy's voice. He tried to sit up, but Milliardo stopped him, pushing him back down with gentle force.

“Don't, you are still too weak to get up. Rest while I'll go and get your something to drink. You must be thirsty. Don't worry, I'll be right back.” With a reassuring nod the blond mage started to leave. At the foot of the stairs he paused for just one moment to look back at the youth. So, it's true, we really are the same.

Taking two steps at once, Milliardo ran up the dark staircase, and almost collided with another person as he reached the top. The young man swallowed, as the blood drained from his face. “Master?!”

#####

“I think we found it. This seems to be the spot where the magic barrier was broken.” Treize suddenly announced after the two mages had been walking for what seemed forever. The air was starting to cool off, a sign that the sun was going to set soon. Shila, after hanging around for most of the afternoon had taken off only a short while earlier.

Wufei nodded. Even he could feel the breach in the magical force field that surrounded the forest. “It feels like somebody tried to fix it already.”

“Well observed,” the master mage commended. “Whoever broke the barrier put up a new charm afterward, but it is not nearly as powerful as it needs to be.”

“Whoever broke the barrier? Are you saying this was the work of humans?” the young apprentice frowned. “Who would be foolish enough to enter the forest on their own free will?”

“Poachers.”

“Poacher?” Wufei echoed.

“Yes, Direwolf and Rhakhar parts fetch good money on the black market, because of the myth that they have healing powers. It's unfortunate but there are still people who believe in such outdated superstitions.”

“Right,” Wufei agreed grimly. “We are dealing with the same problems at home. Dragons are still being hunted, and those that are killed today have not even reached maturity. At this rate they will become extinct no matter how hard we try to protect them. All for a few scales or fangs. Those people have no honor.”

“I agree,” his master nodded, as he removed one of their charms from the bag he was carrying. “Even though the animals are protected, there will always be those who care more about money than the law. And they are becoming more resourceful too. Poachers are rarely working alone anymore, and they have at least one or two magic users in their group. This seems to be the case here as well. Whoever disabled the barrier knew what he was doing. We will replace the charm, but there is no guarantee that they won't return.”

“Then, what are we going to do about it?”

“We will do nothing. It's too dangerous. The penalties for poaching are high and those people have little to loose. Getting themselves caught is simply not an option for many of them,” Treize told his apprentice. “I'll contact the Maganacs once we get back to the castle, and let them deal with the situation.”

“What about Shila?” Wufei wondered. “Will she be alright?”

The older man gave him a reassuring smile. “Don't worry about her. She is smart enough to stay away from humans. She will probably back later, once she has taken care of her own needs. Dusk is the time when most of the predators hunt. - Now let's finish up here, shall we? Help me set up the new charm.”

“Speaking of which, now that we know this is the spot where the barrier was broken, do we have to go any further?”

“Yes, there might be other charms that need replacing. But we did make good work today. If all goes well we should be finished by mid-day tomorrow. Just south of here is a small lake where we will spend the night. It will be too dangerous to go any further once night falls.”

#####

“Relena?” Heero was surprised to find his classmate sitting by herself in the garden. Didn't she say earlier that she wasn't feeling well and was going to the infirmary? “Relena, are you alright?”

“Heero?! I'm fine, thanks, don't worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” The youth shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He was not very good in this kind of situations. “You looked upset when you left earlier.” You still look upset.

“It's just…Remember when you were talking about Treize Khushrenada's pupil; you said his name was Milliardo Peacecraft.”

“Yes,” Heero nodded as he settled down on the bench beside here.

“I… um…Peacecraft was the name of my birthparents. I just spoke to my mother and… Milliardo was my brother.”

“What?”

“Yes, I had a brother and didn't even know about it. He was already dead by the time my parents told me that I was adopted and they figured that there was no reason to tell me about Milliardo and upset me even more.”

Relena sniffled and Heero felt even more uneasy. Unsure about what to do or to say he simply whispered. “I'm sorry.”

“Thank you.” She wiped her eyes and put on a brave smile. “Look at me; how silly I am. I didn't even know him; didn't even know of him and here I sit crying like I've lost a dear friend.”

“I don't think that's silly. It just shows that you are very sensitive.”

“Thanks Heero. Talking to you really made me feel better. I think I'll go inside now.”

“Do you want me to walk you back to your room?” he wanted to know.

“No thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather be alone.” With that she rose.

Heero watched her walk back to the dormitory. He wished there was something else he could have done for her, something he could have said to make her feel better, but he wasn't exactly an expert when it came to offering solace. After contemplating for a few moments if he should do some more research at the library or go back to the room that he now shared with Duo, he headed toward the dormitory as well. Just outside the garden the young mage ran into Dorothy.

“Yuy,” the blond girl glared at her classmate. “What did you do to make Relena cry?”

“I didn't do anything.” He replied calmly.

“Then why was she crying right now?”

“You'll have to ask her, not me about that.” Heero shrugged as he turned away. After all, it was not his place to tell. If Relena wanted her friend to know what she just confided in him, she would tell her herself.

#####

“What were you doing down there?” The master's voice was laced with fury. “Did I not tell you, repeatedly, to keep out of this part of the castle?

A quick sparkle in the old mage's eyes was all the warning Milliardo got before he was hit by a powerful wave of magic energy. He barely had time to raise a protective barrier to break his fall as he tumbled down the stairs. The impact still knocked the wind out of him, paralyzing him temporarily. Before he was able to get back on his feet the other mage attacked again. He was thrown backward like a rag doll and crashed against the wall. A powerful, invisible hand grabbed him around his neck and lifted him up until he was dangling a few inches over the ground.

Milliardo struggled, trying to break free from the iron grip, but his own powers were no match to this kind of magic. The invisible fingers around his throat tightened as the master stepped into his line of view.

“What does it take for you to obey me? Are you really that foolish or just stubborn.”

Milliardo couldn't breathe, darkness tickled at the corner of his eyes and his vision was starting to become hazy. Just when he thought that this time he was going to be killed for sure, he was dropped to the floor.

“I think I'll have to teach you a lesson that even you will understand.”

“No! Stop it; you are going to kill him!”

The old mage paused in mid-motion and turned his head. He seemed to realize only now that they were being watched. For a moment his eyes darkened even more. “You woke him, you brainless fool.”

“I wasn't trying to,” Milliardo defended himself as he scrambled back to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. And it was true; he still wasn't even sure what he had done.

The master gave the blond mage one last glare before moving toward the boy. “What's done is done. It can't be helped. Get over her, Milliardo!” he ordered. “Take him upstairs and prepare a room for him to stay in. He will be your responsibility from how on.”

“Who… who are you?” the boy asked.

“My name is Tubarov, but you will call me Master.”

#####

Just south of here he says, Wufei huffed quietly. How long have we been walking, two miles, three? The sun is already setting. Doesn't he ever get tired?

He threw a look back over his shoulder at his master and suddenly stepped into something wet. As he gazed down at his feet the young mage grimaced. The puddle he had stepped into was blood. It had pooled from a large carcass lying only a few feet away. “Looks like you were right, Master, about Shila being out hunting. I think I just stumbled over her supper.”

“Where?” Treize used a spell to illuminate the spot Wufei was pointing at and instantly frowned. “That's a fully grown Dire wolf. Shila wouldn't attack anything that large. Besides, look at that, somebody cut off its paws. That's human handiwork,” the master mage pressed through his teeth, his voice laced with disgust. “It's still warm. Let's get out of here, before…” He swallowed the rest of the sentence when he realized that it was already too late.

Now Wufei felt it too. There were four, no five people; and just as the master had suspected at least one of them had to be a magic user. They couldn't have concealed their present till now without using magic. He could feel them, but he couldn't see them yet. They had to be hiding somewhere in the brush.

“Wufei,” Treize ordered. “Stay by my side, and no matter what happens make sure that we are not separated.”

Before Wufei could even reply he suddenly saw a flash of energy hurling straight toward him. He froze for a split second, then instinctively ducked, but the wave never reached him because it was blocked by a protective barrier that Treize had raised around him at the last moment.

“What are you doing?” the master mage snapped. “This is not the time to dream. Protect yourself!”

“Yes Master.”

Treize didn't expect that there would be more than one magic user amongst the poachers, so it caught him off guard when they were suddenly assaulted from two sides. He was still keeping the protective barrier up around Wufei, leaving himself open to attack. When one of their attackers hurled a bolt of white lightening at him it hit the master mage in the chest throwing him backward and knocking him off his feet.

Wufei gasped, clasping his own chest. Impossible… The pain he just felt… It couldn't be…

“Master, are you alright?”

“I'm fine, don't worry about me.” As Treize jumped back on his feet he noticed from the corner of his eyes how one of the poachers aimed his crossbow at his apprentice. “Watch out, Wufei; to your left,” he warned even as he spun around hurling a bolt of energy at the man. White lightening was not the most powerful of attacks but he couldn't risk using fire spells here in the forest.

Wufei's head jerked around. He saw the poacher just as the man fired his bow. He knew that the master's barrier that had protecting him till now was gone, but he couldn't raise his own shield of defense fast enough. Still he somehow managed to dodge the dart at the last moment and the projectile only grazed his shoulder.

“Wufei?!”

“I'm fine; it's only a scratch,” he tried to assure Treize, but the words had barely left his lips when the young mage was overcome by dizziness. His knees gave away and he collapsed, as his mind plunged into the bottomless pit of unconsciousness.

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T.B.C.

Author's Note: 

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