Entiam

AN: To help with confusion I rearranged the last section of this chapter starting with STORM BREAKING.
Italics = Yurri;
Bold Italics = Wolfram;
ANYTHING BOLD CAPS = THOUGHTS, FEELING, SENSORY INPUT OF BOTH IN UNISON.

Chapter One
Watery Inferno

Shuffle. Sigh. Yuuri collapsed back against the rough homespun coverlet of the narrow utilitarian bed, the best the inn had to offer.

Clean. Dry. He had no complaints. It was better than what he’d become accustomed to over the course of this, their most recent expedition, or escapade, depending on how you looked at it.

Grateful sigh. He was thankful that their journey was almost over. If everything went according to plan Conrad expected them to arrive back at Covenant Castle late the following evening, earlier if the conditions continued to hold and the wind staid fair. The boat they’d chartered for the last leg of their journey homewards was small and as the late summer seas turned rough towards evening the captain was forced to seek shelter in one of the small harbor villages protected in a snug bay that dotted the coastline as darkness encroached. They’d crossed into Shinmoku territory as the sun reached its zenith that day, the company of travelers heaving a weary sigh of relief at once again being within sight of native shores.

The expedition had set out weeks before with the hope of retrieving one of the lost artifacts created during the time of the Great One, an ancient bow of mysterious power. A gift from Shinou to the general of his cavalry, the bow was lost, thought destroyed, during the final battle of the Great War in which the brave leader lead his personal regiment in a final desperate charge, turning the tide, buying victory at the cost of their own lives. By the time the general’s battered and broken body was recovered from the field of carnage the bow had disappeared and no amount of searching had produced it.

Recently a strange tail of a curious icon in the shape of a bow began to filter up from the vast deserts to the south of Shinmoku by way of the nomadic traders that crossed into their country on occasion. Eventually, after lengthy discussion, the decision was made that a potential artifact of that magnitude could not be left uninvestigated any longer and an expedition immediately set out for the arid south. They found their quarry enshrined in a small cavern monastery serving as a place of worship for one of the many trading route villages. Tending the shrine was a humble priest and upon hearing Yuuri’s claim bid him to take the bow form its ancient stand. If he could.

Incredulous bemusement. Yuuri looked to his right to where the bow sat in its temporary case on the small table in his rented room. It was smaller than he’d thought it would be, oddly bent and twisted into a strange mutation of the modern bow. Neither Conrad nor Yozak had ever seen anything like it, surmising that the dry heat of the desert had warped and bent it over the centuries into the weirdly distorted parody of the weapon it once was.

Uncertainty. Yurri had a nagging feeling that there was something oddly familiar about the weapon but the memory escaped him.

A gentle knock roused Yurri from his musings. Propping himself on his elbows he called out a soft ‘come’ and the inn’s only maid, a girl of perhaps nineteen years, entered with his dinner tray. A smile on her lips, she set her tray on the table next to the bow case as he instructed and left with a coy smile over her shoulder as Yuuri looked on in bemusement. He was well aware that he’d matured over the past two years; growing taller and broader through the shoulders and chest, yet still he was not yet a match for either Conrad or Yozak. ‘I suppose just take time,’ he mused.

Time. He was running out of time. The situation with Wolfram had become more and more strained as they’d approached Shinmoku’s border leaving Yurri tired confused, preferring to eat alone in his room rather than quarrel over his meal with his intended. He choked at the thought. During the expedition they’d gotten along remarkably well but since turning homewards things had become increasingly strained. Yuuri was contemplating the change in Wolframs behavior when the door burst open. Speak of the devil.

“Just what is the meaning of this you cheating wimp!? I leaving you alone for a half hour to take a bath and I come back to find lusty wenches sneaking out of your room looking smug! What do you have to say for yourself?” Feet spread. Fists clenched. Wolfram stood rigidly at the foot of Yuuri’s bed. Eyes blazing.

Confusion. Annoyance. “Lusty wenches? Wolfram there was only one person in here and that was a maid bringing me my dinner for crying out loud! She didn’t even close the door or speak. What is wrong with you?”

“ME? You’re the one who can’t be trusted and merits watching every minute of the day. You’d sneak off with the first skirt that swished your way if I didn’t keep an eye on you!”

“First of all I’m too tired to go skirt chasing right now and even if I did it’d be none of your business! I can bloody well do as I like.”

“Not when I’m your fiancé you can’t. I will not allow you to go dragging my name and reputation through the mud after you’re through with your own!”

“Then why don’t you just give it up? It’s an empty title after all. What’s come over you? Everything has been fine for the last few weeks but now that we’re headed home you’re all crazy again!” Yuuri sat back into his pillow with a disgusted snort, crossing his arms. “Really Wolfram, if you want to get married so badly then go find a nice son or daughter from among the aristocrats and settle down,” Anger. Surprise. Yurri could feel the unaccustomed emotion rising with in him but could or would do nothing to stop the wave as it surged forward. “Or is it the prestige you want from being married to the Maou, the power you’ll gain from being the Royal Consort?” the question was out before Yurri could truly comprehend what he was saying. Stunned silence. He watched the play of emotions wash over Wolframs face.

Fury. Rage. Mortification. “Y-you dare!” Wolfram sputtered, face white. “Compared to me you are nothing but a weak and frightened child! I have fought for my country since before you were even borne! I do not need your name to know my worth OR your power to make something of myself! You don’t even HAVE any real power! All your power comes through the Maou, you can’t even control it! You can’t even control this country for that matter. Gwendal has it do it for you. You are nothing more than a figure head and a pathetically weak one at that. It’s because of your weakness that other countries constantly test our borders, harassing our citizens, waiting for the moment when you’ve damaged and weakened us enough with your cowardess to be taken and enslaved.”

Yurri sprang to his feet and lunged for Wolfram, knocking him off his feet onto the rough boards of the floor. Crashing to the ground they wrestled in a tangle of wildly flailing arms and legs vying for dominance. Yurri continued to struggle even as he felt strong arms prying him off Wolfram, fighting blindly in his rage to get at the blond.

“ENOUGH!”

Startlmeant. Yurri ceased his blind struggle against the vice like grip restraining him to stand tense, ready to spring again as Conrad’s voice broke through the white haze of his rage. Eyes focusing he saw Wolfram being similarly confined by Yozak and concentrated on what his captor was saying.

“…have no idea what you two were thinking or what caused you to attack each other like two wild animals, but this is no way for either of you to act, brawling like a couple of tavern drunks!” Yuuri was vaguely aware of the harshness of Conrad’s voice but was still too consumed by anger to be surprised at his usually mild mannered protector. “I am severally disappointed in the both of you. Wolfram, out. Go find some place to cool down and think about your actions. Yurri, sit.”

Wiping blood from his split lip Wolfram turned in disgust and thundered down the stairs and out into the soggy evening.

Conrad turned to Yurri crossing his arms over his chest, contemplated him for a moment before speaking, “Yurri what’s gotten into you? Fighting with Wolfram?”

“He started it and I refuse to apologies! He deserves what he got and more. If you hadn’t interfered I’d have checked that mouth of his so he’d never forget!” he spat swiping a hand across his bloodied nose.

“Yurri! this isn’t like you, or Wolfram for that matter. What has gotten into the two of you?”


“Nothing Conrad. Just leave me alone.” Yurri stared sullenly at the floor, anger still smoldering deep within.

“Yurri-”

“I said LEAVE ME ALONE!” Yurri sprang to his feet and stalked toward the door. “I’m going out for a walk.”

“YURRI!” Conrad made to follow but was stopped by Yozak’s firm grip on his arm.

“Let him be for a moment Captain. They both need a little time to cool off before they’re ready to talk. Whatever this is about it’s been simmering between the two of them for some time. Besides, the inn keep says it’s going to storm tonight. I doubt their stubborn anger is going to last much past a good dousing of rain. They’ll be back.”

“You’re right of course, but I hate to see them this way! You know it’s only going to get worse once we reach the castle.”

“Yes, but this is something that only they can work out between themselves. They’re both being stubborn and inconsiderate about each other and they’ll continue to be so until they learn to stop, think, and consider. They’re still both very young, no matter what Wolfram says to the contrary, and they still have much to learn.”

Sighing, Conrad sank onto Yuuri’s vacant bed; hands together, elbows on knees. How had things become so complicated?

Wolfram stood at the end of the old dilapidated wharf looking out over the darkening sea; the sun sinking beyond the horizon, dark clouds gathered over head shadowing sea birds heading for shore. Still seething with barely contained anger he took out his rage on an old coil of thick rope, giving no heed to the old seaman that warned him of the coming rain. The dock had long since been abandoned by the larger ship for a stronger, more modern set of piers leaving it to ruin. Only the small coracles used by children at play to flit about on calm days between the ships in the harbor used it there anymore.

Having exhausted his frustration on the decayed rigging Wolfram collapsed onto one of the rickety pilings thrusting up from the waves to stare down into the black water below. Maybe he had gone a little too far this time? But he’d been so angry at Yurri! At first he’d entered Yuuri’s room with the intention to give him a hard time like always but something in him had just snapped and he’d become so angry and he still was! But over what? He couldn’t even remember what had first prickled him. It hadn’t been the maid. Yurri hardly ever even looked at women. It was just been habit to give him a hard time. A game.

Wolfram dropped his face into his hands and moaned. But it was no use now, not after what he’d said, what they’d both said. The damage had been done, made worse by the fact that they’d both meant what they’d said even if they’d never acknowledge it before. Wolfram’s pride would never let him apologies and Yurri would never accept his apology even if he did.

The wind picked up and started throwing salty spray up into the air to mingle with the rain that had begun to fall, but Wolfram didn’t notice. He’d made up his mind. If Yurri was so determined to cause him misery then so be it, two could play the same game. He would show Yurri exactly what he was losing by pushing him away and where he would be if Wolfram left him. Alone.

Anger. Confusion. Hurt. ANGER. Yurri stormed through the dense underbrush methodically kicking at old rotten logs and clods of dirt. The wind had picked up but he didn’t care. Most of it was blocked by the trees in the first place, second he was still too roiled up to care. Where did he get off? that spoiled brat of a pretty boy prince. Sure Gwendal still took care of running most of the Kingdome but that was because he was still learning the in’s and out’s of Shinmoku. It wasn’t his fault he hadn’t been borne in the same damned country!

Shoulders drooping, Yurri dropped onto an old decaying tree, downed in along past storm and blown over at the roots. Conrad was right; he wasn’t acting like himself. But still! No one could have helped getting angry at the things Wolfram had said: even if he wouldn’t have said them if he hadn’t been pushed. Was he right? Was Wolfram actually right? Was he nothing more than a bothersome figure head? Would the country be better off left in the hand of Gwendal von Voltaire? Would it have been better if he’d simply returned to earth instead of staying? All these questions. Who would give him answers?

Pounding rain. Wind howling. Lightning flash.

The storm broke over the small port with a sudden ferocity that was both shocking and terrifying. One moment the steady rain fell on empty streets, the next a driving gale blown in from the sea beating against shuttered windows.

Conrad looked up in alarm at the sudden onset of the storm.

“Yozak… have Yurri and Wolfram-”

“No Captain they haven’t,” Pushing away from their shared table, chairs scraping, they headed for the door.

“You can’t go out there!” cried the inn keeper, eyes wide in alarm. “You must stay inside where it’s safe, within stone walls!”

“Our companions are out in that storm. We cannot leave them!”

“There is nothing you can do for them now. If you left you wouldn’t be able to make your way across the street much less look for them. Everyone knows to head indoors when the first rains start; they’ve probably found another shelter.”

“That is not acceptable. We will not leave them to storm of this magnitude and hope for the best! We are going out to look for them.” Yozak glared at the keeper in defiance.

“Do you know where they even were? Because if you don’t…”

“Don’t s’pos it’d happen t’a be a blond boy ‘yer look'n for?”

A nod.

The old man by the fire spit into the fire “Saw ‘em down on that old dock. Hope ‘e took my warn’in. That old thing won’t last the night.”

The inn keep saw the look of panic cross Conrad’s face. “Now look, he’s most likely a smart one. There ‘a plenty of sturdy shelter down there, what with the all the storehouses and all. I’m sure he’s put safe.”

“But what about our other companion? Has anyone seen him? He’s got brown hair and eyes and he’s wearing a blue tunic.” Yozak asked, describing Yuuri’s current disguise.

“I saw ‘em!” chirped a little waif curled by the hearth. “’E was headed into Ash Forest.”

The room turned grimly silent.

STORM BREAKING
CAUGHT!
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White Flash
Deafening Roar
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Fog Swirling
Wind beating
-
FALLING!
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Crashing
Sinking
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Fire raging
Waves surging
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HELP!
-
Coughing
Choking
-
Smoke thickening
Water closing
-
Wheezing
Gasping
-
CAN’T BREATH!

EYES STINGING:
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Black
Green
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Too hot!
So Cold
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PANIC!

fading…
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DARKNESS
-
I’m sorry-
So sorry

TO LATE…