Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Of Men and Myth ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Duo is captured! But are thing as they seem?

PS. Thanks to pyrzm, Kimpisces, wizard101, Rurouni Lilouani, and Nita-sama for reviewing. I'm sorry this chapter took so long. To make it up to you I'll have the next one out in a few days. Thanks again.

Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.27.2005 | Updated On: 03.27.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 629 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter 6

Heero walked silently through the servant's passage keeping his head down and avoiding contact with anyone. He had spent the night sleeping in a hidden room on an old mattress. Back when Trowa and Quatre were still young, the Barton Prince had used the room to hide from his father. It seemed Heero was now using it for the same reason. Trowa had told him that King Barton had seen Quatre smuggling him in. He would have the whole castle on alert. The green-eyed boy had decided it would be safer to wait a night and then go the next day.

“Hey, you, what are you doing? All the servants need to come to the main hall.” Heero blinked as he came back to where he was and realized that someone had sunk up on him without his knowing. He didn't know how the man had managed to get so close or how he allowed himself to drop his guard so entirely. Heero looked up just in time to see a pair of large rough hands come up and start pushing him in the opposite direction of where he wanted to go. The prince resisted the urge to fight back. It would only draw unwanted attention to himself. The man, who Heero took for a guard, herded him into a huge room where hundreds of other servants were gathered. Once he was in, the guard ignored Heero. However, with the amount of men guarding the doors, it was clear to the prince that he would not be able to leave the chamber. Not without knocking out a good number of people, that is. Heero decided to make use of his time by gathering more information. Something must have happened, and he was determined to find out what it was.

The prince approached the front of the room and stood in shock as he found himself gazing up the last person he had expected to encounter here. There stood Duo, in chains and looking like he'd gotten the shit beat out of him. Heero's bonded stood beside a man in heavy luxurious robes. Beside and a little behind the man stood a fox spirit. The mythical clearly identified the richly clothed man as King Barton. Heero had heard about the king's energy stealing fox, but he had not thought that he would have to face him head on. It was most likely the fox that had captured and hurt Duo. If this was true, then the fox would soon die for his actions. Heero closed his eyes for a moment. He had to think rationally. He did not know how the little idiot demon had ended up here, but he knew one thing for certain: he had to get them out, at any cost.

~~~

Earlier that day…

Duo yawned and stretched his arms up. It was morning, and the second day of their journey. He and Wufei had camped out the night before in a clearing by a small stream. Duo had been in heaven. It had felt so good to sleep under the stars again and to wake up to the sound of morning birds. It would have been perfect, if only Heero had been there to enjoy it as well. `Since when am I so desperate for his company? I've been trying to get away this whole time. Why is it that I'm finally back in the wilderness where I feel at home and all I can think about is him?'

“So, you're finally awake. Let's eat and than break camp. I want to reach the Barton castle by night fall.” Wufei, of course he'd be an early morning person. The guy had probably been up with the sun. Duo moaned and turned over, his body telling him to go back to sleep. He was never awake so early. “I see demons are not only dishonorable fiends, but they're also lazy.”

Duo groaned-- did this guy ever give it a rest? “It's to early for this, Wufei. Go back to bed.”

“While the prince rots? Not that I care particularly, but I want to get this over with and get away from scum like you as soon as possible.”

“What part of `nocturnal creature' don't you understand? I thought you had a system of honor. Doesn't it include not attacking people when they're down?”

“I am not attacking you.”

“Sure ya are, it's just a verbal assault.”

“Don't change the subject. You need to get up. If we want to eat this morning, we'll have to hunt and we also have to break camp. I'm not going to do both.”

“Alright, alright, I'm up you cheap, stinky dragon.”

Wufei growled, “For that, you get to clean up camp. I'll be back in a while. Please try to have everything up by then.”

With that, Wufei stormed off. Duo sighed and sat up. He might as well get started. Knowing Wufei, he'd find something long before Duo even had his sleeping pad rolled up. The demon still did not understand why any of the things in this camp were necessary. After all, he had lived outside his whole life and had never needed any of this stuff. But Wufei had insisted on building a basic camp with a fire and sleeping pads.

The dragon had also cooked their diner last night. Duo was used to eating raw meat, but he didn't mind it cooked. Still, he found it odd that a dragon would want their food that way. Like that sword he carried, dragons didn't use swords. It must have been due to the human influence. `I wonder how much I'm going to change, once I've been around Heero for a while. Wait, what am I thinking? I'm not going to stay around the humans for very long, am I? I mean, I want to get to know Heero better, but I don't want to be a slave.' Duo shook his head. He would worry about that later. Right now, he just had to worry about getting the prince back. Then he'd think farther into the future.

The camp came down surprisingly fast and Duo soon found himself tired of waiting for the lazy dragon to get back. His eyes began to wander through the supplies Wufei had brought. The dragon had brought his sleeping pad along with a small bag. Curiosity got the best of Duo and he decided to look through the bag. He found it contained a few little cloth pouches full of some strange kind of powder. There was also a dagger and some dried meat. Duo picked up one of the pouches and sniffed it. His sight blurred slightly and he felt a little lightheaded. The demon quickly put the pouch way, shacking his head to clear it. He would have to stay away from those things, whatever they were. They just didn't seem natural. Duo then picked up the dagger. The weapon was human made, and quite beautiful. It had a steel blade and a maple wood hilt. Demons did not normally bother with human weapons, but Duo found this simple but effective blade fascinated him. The weapon felt right in his hand. As if he was meant to use it, although he had never used a knife before.

“Well, little demon, just what are you doing?”

Duo spun, stashing the dagger in his top and hoping Wufei had not seen him take it. He would return it of course. But if he put it back now, then surely Wufei would know he had been going through his stuff.

“Ah Wufei, I umm, I finished. Did you get the meat?”

Duo's eyes widened when he realized that this was not Wufei. Where he was expecting to find a pissed off dragon, instead he found a chuckling fox.

“You again? I thought I told you to leave me alone. If you came for the favor I owe you then I will pay you back after I've completed my mission, and not a moment before.”

The fox smiled sadly, his normal playfulness gone. “I fear I am here on business this time, little one. I need you to come with me.”

“Like hell I'm going anywhere with you! I already told you, I'm not interested!”

The fox shook his head. “It is not my wish that you come, it is my masters. Please do not make this difficult. I do not wish to harm you.”

“Your master?”

The fox nodded and a flash of hopeless rage appeared in his eyes. “Yes, little one, I am a bonded, and I have my orders.”

Duo took a step back. Where was that stupid dragon when he needed him? “Look, I know you don't want to do this and I'm not going to go easily. Can't you just let me go free?”

The fox shook his head. “I'm sorry but I can't. One way or another, you will come with me.”

With that, the fox moved in a blur so fast Duo could barely follow him. The demon growled jumping up and spreading his wings. If he could just get high enough, he'd be safe. Duo would have no such luck. The moment his feet left the ground, he was dragged back down by clawed hands. The demon winced as the sharp claws dug into his leg. Duo answered with his own attack deciding to go for the fox's eyes. It was no use though. The fox's speed made him look like he was moving he slow motion.

Before he knew what happened, he found that his arms had been seized and he was being dragged to the ground onto his stomach. Duo growled and hissed, kicking out with his feet. His claws left shallow slashes on the fox's chest, but did not seem to deter the mythical.

Duo squeezed his eyes closed wishing that he were older. A full grown demon could use their mind like a weapon. They could send singles to the brain that you activate pain receptors and make it's victim feel extreme agony. Duo had no such ability, and it meant that he was completely helpless. This was it, his freedom would once again be forcefully stolen from him. He could do nothing to stop it. He would be taken to this fox's master, whoever he was. Duo didn't know what was in store for him now, but he didn't think he'd like it.

“Let him go, you wretched creature!” Duo's eyes snapped open, and he wrenched his neck around to see Wufei standing behind the fox with a blade to his neck. The demon had never been so happy to see that damned dragon.

The fox chuckled, releasing Duo. “Well, well, if it isn't the darling little lizard. I knew that I should have taken you out when I had the chance.”

Wufei growled his blade pressing into the fox's throat so hard that blood stained the creatures silver mane.

“Wufei, stop it! I don't want him dead.”

The dragon glared, “And why not? He's tried to kill me once, and from the look of it, he was about to kill you. The dirty, lying thief deserves his fate.”

“Wufei, he's a bonded just like you.” He was also like Duo, but the demon still did not wish to admit that he too was bonded, a slave for the rest of his life. “He's here on orders from his master.”

The dragon's eyes widened and he turned an angry glare on the fox. “Who sent you? Speak beast, if you do not wish to part with your head.” Duo gulped and made a mental note never to make Wufei mad. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The fox smiled, “Well now, I can't very well disobey an order that was never given. My master never said I couldn't tell you anything. He just said to `find the demon that is in liege with the Yuy prince.' My master is King Barton, and he has the one you're looking for. I couldn't care less if my master rotted in hell. Now little demon, I'd be happy to help you, if you would kindly call your dog off.”

Wufei growled again and tightened his grip. “I am not Duo's dog, you insufferable beast. You forget who is in power here. I will not release you, but if you answer my questions I will let you live a little while longer.”

“If you kill me, my tasty morsel, then you will be back where you started. Your prince does not have much time left.”

“I am not a meal for you, fox!”

The silver haired mythical smiled sweetly, “No, I suppose not. Somehow, I have a feeling your energy would not be very manageable. I guess it's too much stubbornness on your part. But that doesn't mean I don't have any interest in you. No, you could be just what I need to get free of King Barton.”

“I am not going to do your bidding, fox, nor will I give you any favors.”

“Oh, but here me out. I don't ask for much. I want you to try to kill King Barton, and if you can't, then I want you to kill me. Not too much to ask is it? After all, either way you get to get rid of an enemy. That's all you dragons care about anyways, right? Destroying all of your obstacles? Well, this way you win no matter what.”

Wufei blinked, he had clearly not expected this to come from the fox. Duo couldn't blame him, he hadn't either. “What's your name?” The demon's voice was barely a whisper. The fox smiled, “The names Inu (1), now can you please get this dragon to stop grinding that sword into my throat.”

“Wufei, please, I have a plan to get Heero back, but I do need his help.”

The dragon sighed but removed his blade, letting the fox go. “Alright, but I want some answers. How did you know that Duo was connected to Prince Heero? Where is the prince now and why is he running out of time?”

Inu laughed, plopping down right where he stood, “One question at a time, my feisty dragon. First of all, I knew about Duo, that is your name right? Anyways, I knew him from my master and he learned about him from his son. As for your prince, I don't know where he is right now. He escaped right before my master went to interrogate Prince Trowa. Barton said that if Trowa didn't tell him everything he knew about this Heero of yours, then he'd kill Quatre, that's Trowa's bonded. He'd do it to, he never did like Quarte. After all, that little idiot of a mythical not only listens to his master, but wants to be a slave. That's not for me, and Barton knows it. He knows I'll betray him the moment I can.”

“Stop babbling, fox, I want to know why you believe Heero is in danger.”

“Well, you see, your prince escaped under the guise of a servant. King Barton is rounding everyone up. He is sure to find the missing prince.”

Duo gulped, he would have to act fast. “Thanks, Inu, now I need you to do one more thing. I need you to take me captive, just like you were going to. That's the only way I'm going to be able to save Heero.”

Wufei opened his mouth but closed it when Duo shook his head. “I know you hate me, Wufei, but please trust me. I have a plan and I think it will work.”

The dragon was silent for a moment. When he did at last speak, his voice held a new resolve. “Alright Duo, Heero is your bonded and this is your quest. I will put my trust in you. Now, what is your plan?”

(1) Just for those who don't know Inu is Japanese for dog. I choose it over Kitsune (fox) because Inu is something of a scoundrel, kind of a mutt. A little FYI you probably didn't need to know ~_^