They left as soon as they finished packing, which took as little time as usual. Trowa saddled up both horses quickly and efficiently, dividing the luggage evenly. Relena added her bundle of clothes and blankets, confessing to Heero embarrassedly that she left the picnic basket behind at Catalonia Castle, forgetting about it in the tumultuous situation. Though he couldn't care much for the loss of the basket -- they didn't have that much money left anyway -- Relena blamed herself and mourned for the loss, as it has been the last lingering remains of her life as it used to be.
Heero took his sollevar with him when he sought out Duo and found the fire mage nibbling on a piece of bread, gathering his robes and some personal belongings.
"Heading straight for Libra is exactly what Khushrenada expects," he said. "There must be another way we can do this."
"He'll expect it, oh yes, and I'll be happy to live up to his expectations," Duo answered dryly. He shredded the piece of bread, a few ducklings pottering around and flocking to his feet, quacking loudly. "There is no other way. We have to go and lock the gates ourselves. We can change the gates so he won't find us, but I don't know how long that will hold. Sooner or later, he'll come, one way or the other. His attempt to intimidate me has backfired, but I need to draw up my plans and execute them."
"I can't protect you if I don't know how Libra is build and how its defenses are," Heero said. The look on Duo's face was a mixture of surprise, endearment, amusement, and gratitude all at the same time.
"You... as in 'all of you'," Heero finished lamely. He held his breath when Duo put his hand on his face, touching his cheek. With his thumb, Duo stroked his skin, touching the corner of his lips and the tip of his nose. Heero had witnessed the Detonation in the dungeon; he knew very well that Duo could take care of himself.
"Thank you," he said and for a moment Heero thought Duo was going to do something else, as the mage cocked his head. Wufei yelled "We are ready!" and he answered it with an "All right, we're coming!"
Heero stared at Duo when he walked away lightly, as easy as nothing had happened. The touch on his skin felt pleasant, a light imprint on his cheek. When they reached Libra, Heero made a mental note to ask Duo what this was all about. He didn't like having mixed feelings, or receiving mixed signals. He was convinced that he knew what he was feeling, or at least recognized it -- but even if he couldn't name all of his emotions, he was sure of one thing: he wanted to stay close to Duo. And rake his fingers through his hair. And to kiss him again and again. Heero blinked, and jogged after Duo to join the others.
They left Pargan country in the middle of the night, unhindered. Heero was prepared for a surprise attack, or Quinze setting up a trap for them, but the night was peaceful and quiet. He could almost imagine the world to be like this forever; without fear, without war. Wufei had told him in passing that they were heading for the mountains; Heero had never traveled this far before. He tried to recall the map in Darlian's living room, but couldn't remember if he had seen any mountains being drawn onto it. It was almost surreal -- to him, mountains seemed to be the end of the world.
Small light orbs danced around the group, especially around the horses, to make sure they could see where they were going. Vayeate's determined step followed by Mercurius' tranquil one evolved into a pattern that dragged Heero through the deep, silent hours of the night. No one spoke, sensing that the atmosphere was quite tense. Relena sometimes looked at him with unasked questions clear in her eyes, but she didn't voice them and he didn't initiate a conversation either.
The road was going up; the horses snorted from the extra exertion. Duo, who had been riding Mercurius, dismounted the horse, immediately followed by Relena dismounting Vayeate. Though the large horse was cut out for physical labor, she didn't want to exhaust him -- not that her negligible weight would have mattered much. The road was steep and less well-traveled, littered with rocks and boulders. Trowa told Heero in a rare moment of interaction that this area was prone to avalanches, hence the lesser accessibility. After what seems to be a whole lifetime of toiling, the group finally halted on a small clearing.
"All right, get back, just a little." Duo herded them all together. Despite the numerous light bulbs, Heero still couldn't see as clear as in broad daylight. The clearing was completely surrounded by rough mountain walls, as high as the sky, covered with patches of leathery dark green leaves. It baffled him that nature had found its way up here; he could even make out some tree stumps, but the wood appeared to be petrified.
Quatre walked towards the center of the clearing, his staff in hand. That was an unexpected twist -- Heero had been sure that Duo would open the gate... or whatever gate there was. Raising his staff above his head, Quatre made a full circle with it, a 'woosh' sound splitting the air, rippling it. Heero and Relena followed the scene attentively, both their mouths falling open when an orb appeared in the midnight sky. At Quatre's gesture, the orb was divided in two halves and started to spin in the air in a continuous circle that made one dizzy when looking at it for too long. A circle encompassed the halves, circling around them in the opposite direction. It made a strange metallic noise as it hovered above them.
"This is the gate Khushrenada wants," Duo explained, and his voice held a mocking tone to it. "He's very welcome to use it as many times as he wants -- it will lead him to exactly the same spot every time he tries to use it. It won't stop or deter him for too long I'm afraid, not if Merquise has paid proper attention to his classes...but it buys us some time."
Heero and Relena exchanged confused looks, magic still too complicated for them. He figured he could ask for a more in-depth explanation when they had reached Libra. Relena pulled her coat closer -- Catherine Bloom had been truly generous, but hadn't paid much attention to suitable fabric for the dresses; silk and linen were far too thin for the cold mountain winds.
Duo was indeed the one to open the real gate to the mages' refuge; at his command, a triangle of blue and purple rays cleaved the darkness and connected with each other, shaping itself into a portal. A spiral of the same purple light was visible, and that was it -- Heero scratched the back of his head. Were they really supposed to go through that? Relena claimed Heero's hand, slightly trembling. Even after all the magic she witnessed, a gate leading to nowhere in the middle of the mountains was still scary. Heero wouldn't have trusted it for one bit if Duo hadn't been the one creating the portal, so he gently returned the gesture, squeezing a little.
Wufei poked him, ignoring how the girl was leaning on Heero. Quatre and Duo had already gone through, taking the horses with them -- the animals hadn't protested for a second. Trowa calmly walked through the portal, his bow and quiver the last thing they saw of him before the portal engulfed him and only the purple spiraling light was visible. Subconsciously, Heero took a deep breath and guided Relena through the portal, holding his sollevar in front of him, just in case... and blinked from the intensely bright sunlight, a calm, warm wind rippling his clothes.
"How...?" Relena stared at the lush grass under her feet -- they were standing on a slightly sloped hill. For a moment, Heero thought he was back in Romefeller country, judging from the green pastures, but this was a deep valley surrounded by mountains, and in the depth below them there was a very small village.
"Come on, Heero!" Duo yelled, bubbling with enthusiasm as he waved. Trowa and Quatre were smiling, feeling at home here. The sky was clear blue, an abundance of birds and butterflies flying and floating around, colorful flowers everywhere. Heero shielded his eyes from the bright sun, marveling at the intense beauty of the nature all around him. Taking Relena with him, they went down the hill, not even leaving footsteps in the perfect green grass.
In Heero's mind, Libra had taken the shape and image of something grand; a gigantic city with sky-rising towers, otherworldly technology, unequalled grandeur... but when he passed through the large gate, it just looked like a regular monastery to him. The hooves of both horses clacked on the pavement, reminiscent of every other time they had entered a city. The main building, which seemed to encompass a small village, was erected from dark red bricks, faded into gray and black from the passage of time. The roof pans were a striking red, mixed with blue and black ones in a nonsensical pattern. Vines and ivy grew all over the place, curling around the wooden shutters, covering the majority of the walls. It wasn't hard to see, however, that most walls were rather deplorable and weak; a large part of the roof was even missing.
The large courtyard was crowded by people, gathered around the inevitable fountain in the center -- though it wasn't working. It was a large granite pond with a statue of a man with his hands raised up to the sky as in offering. Some people were pointing and gasping, mages-in-training dropping their chores to excitedly watch the group. Duo's and Quatre's names were mentioned abundantly, both in awe and in jealousy.
Not many of the people present wore mages robes; not even those of mages-in-training. Heero recalled Duo saying that there weren't many of them left; these were all commoners, clad in rather simple clothes in the style of the country they hailed from. It was a rather interesting mixture of styles, and he regretted that he wasn't able to tell which one was from what country.
Two young kids tugged at the horses' reins, asking what breeds they were and what their names were. Duo told the kids to bring the horses to the stables and unload them; the small boys cheered and beamed at the Fire mage. Heero trusted his judgment and allowed Vayeate to be taken care of by the kids who were really impressed by the horse's height.
Quatre turned around to address him. "We're going to our rooms," he said. "I'll have guest rooms prepared for you and Relena as well, Heero. You're safe here."
Safe? He wanted to throw his head back and laugh out loud. Khushrenada had given them an ultimatum, threatened them, and Quatre them they were safe? Did they really think that one false gate was going to keep the man from finding them? Trowa shot him a glare, looking at Heero as if he had gone crazy. The archer shook his head and said: "No one will enter Libra without our permission. Not even Khushrenada, no matter what he says about it."
Trowa didn't elaborate and walked away with Quatre, the mage using his staff as support. That left either Wufei or Duo to ask, but the Nataku warrior had already disappeared and Duo was surrounded by children -- a surprising large number of them, all asking for his attention, tugging at his robes, hope and enthusiasm brimming in their eyes. Relena looked endeared and amused at the same time.
He caught the looks he and his sollevar received, but the mythical weapon didn't cause any commotion. Relena made sure to not leave his sight, her eyes darting around curiously. Two young girls, hair braided and put up in buns, approached them. Giggling in sight of Heero, they said: "Princess, your room is ready." They giggled again, but more out of nervousness than out of disrespect. One of the girls even sketched a bow, and Relena frowned.
"I'm not a Princess," she said, friendly but determinedly. "My name is Relena, and I would like you to address me as such."
"Yes Princess Relena," the girls answered in unison and she heaved a mock-sigh. Heero just shrugged and followed her. Princess or not, Relena needed his protection, just as he promised Darlian.
Despite Quatre claiming that mages did all of their work themselves 'to build character', there were an awful lot of servants and maids walking around the hallways, busying themselves with mundane chores: lugging baskets with laundry or provisions around, carrying buckets of water, dirty dishes, sweeping, cleaning. Heero had no idea where all these people came from, or where they stayed. The two girls, skipping now as they giggled, led the way to the southern wing of the monastery, through a dazzling maze of stairs and corridors.
"I'll definitely get lost in here," Relena mumbled after they took another turn. Her sigh was one of relief when finally the girls stopped in front of an oak door.
"Princess Relena's room," one of the girls said, her voice holding the same singing accent as Duo's.
"Warrior Heero's room," the other girl sang in front of the door opposite Relena's. Warrior? He blinked a few times. Relena shot him a pitiful look, and then shrugged; apparently, people in Libra liked to address anyone with a title. Taking out a bronze key out of her apron, the girl opened the door and showed Heero a rather large, but sparsely decorated room.
The bed took up the most space, looking very comfortable and laden with blankets and pillows. Next to the bed was a writing table with a small chair pulled up to it, writing utensils on the desk. A small chest, a large cupboard and a low dresser completed the furniture. On the tiled floor was a carpet, depicting some kind of battle scene -- fitting, though the colors were faded and he couldn't make out exactly what was going on, except for some kind of humongous tentacle monster being defeated. At least, he hoped it was being defeated.
"Dinner will be at eight," the girl said and left the room, waiting for her friend to join her before they both skipped off, their singing enchanting the hallway. Heero left his room to check up on Relena. Whoever had decorated her room, Heero was glad he or she hadn't ended up decorating his -- it held similar furniture, but with lots more frills to it. The pillows and blankets were brightly colored, sporting dazzling striped and spotted patterns. A huge vase filled with flowers stood on the desk and the carpet on the floor was as bright as the bed linen, depicting a flower field in a forest.
"What do you say about getting something to eat? It's not dinnertime yet, but maybe we can mooch something off of the kitchen." Relena's dresses were neatly displayed on the bed; she picked a pinkish one up, holding it front of her. If she was upset that the girls had called Heero outright a warrior, she didn't show it. He had difficulties reading her eyes -- she could be as clammed up as Duo. Why was he comparing so many things to Duo?
"Let's see if we can find our way back. Do you want to change first?"
She pursed her lips in thought, debating between changing or not. Throwing him an apologetic smile, he took the hint and left her room. It didn't take her long to change, and when she emerged from her room she didn't only wear the pinkish dress, but had also remodeled her hair, confirming the strands to one braid instead of her usual hairdo.
To both their relief, finding the way back wasn't as difficult as they had feared. Walking around the monastery's large halls wasn't that uncomfortable; it was nice and cool inside. Heero wondered how cold it would be here in the winter; these type of bricks isolated natural heat, lowering the temperatures in the hallways to chilly. As they emerged from their wing, they entered the large center court, pleasantly crowded with people of all kinds.
Women of good standing were showing off their beautiful dresses, the Nature mages under them wearing theirs covered with the typical white, intricate embroidery, chattering entertainingly about the day that magic would be accepted throughout the whole world. One woman, with strawberry blond hair curled in twisted braids that reached over her shoulders, looked directly at Heero and smiled at him.
Mages-in-training were freely showing their spells, hands covered in either liquid fire or chunks of ice, either faces frowned in concentration or encouraging one another, even laughing good-naturedly every now and then. Servants bustled about, simply dressed, and other men busied themselves with other chores, ranging from carpentry to simply delivering messages.
Children were running around, playing with everything they could find, buckets, pebbles or sticks, pretending to either fight valiantly in a tournament or destroy evil usurpers with powers beyond anyone's imagination. Relena asked one of the children where the dining hall was, and they continued their way, both ignoring the people bowing to them as they passed.
It wasn't eight o'clock yet, but no one in the kitchen was taken aback by Heero's request if they could be served something to eat. He didn't want to assume they had been anticipating it, because only after a few minutes that they were seated, the cooks brought out a hefty serving of dishes: warm bread with garlic butter, sweet potatoes with mashed peas, poached fish and a large roast beef, all accompanied with vegetables.
Heero ate to his heart's content, but Relena just moved her food around, poking with her fork at the fish, and slicing one of the potatoes into minuscule dices. She looked tired and worried, and Heero put his fork down.
"Won't you tell me what's on your mind?"
She startled, and it took her a few seconds before she mustered up her usual smile.
"I'm fine. It's just...everything that has happened. I...I don't know how to deal with it."
"I know you can deal with them just fine." Heero realized how brusque he sounded, but it was too late to take his words back. Relena still smiled, but the flash of disappointment on her face was unmistakable, though quickly gone. She had probably thought to marry him one day, he thought, despite their different social ranks. Their lives had been turned completely upside down, and with no conclusive end in the foreseeable future. There was a war going on, and Duo believed her to be a Princess of a mythical Kingdom...
"I don't know how to deal with it, Heero. I can't return to my home country yet, where I hoped to have lived for the rest of my life and marry, have children..." She hesitated, then continued. "Instead I'm with a group of mages, an archer and two warriors," she said, a little sourly.
"I'm not a warrior," Heero was quick to answer.
"Please stop denying it, Heero," she whispered. She left the rest of her food untouched. "The way you handle that weapon, the way you... thrust yourself into a fight. I've seen it first-hand, and... I don't know how to deal with it. I don't know why it was so wrong of me to dream of a simple life with a husband and children..."
"There's nothing wrong with that dream." He shook his head. "Nothing wrong at all. What I did was to protect you, Relena."
"I know." Her sigh was heavy. "I know, and it's not... I don't know how to say it, Heero. I don't want people to fight, not even for me. I don't want any bloodshed, I don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Getting hurt is inevitable in a war," Heero said. "Especially when a usurper adds country after country to his empire, and isn't open to reason."
"I saw... a certain look on your face," she said, and her cheeks turned a bright red, mismatching her dress. "That look of fierce protection, that look that promises pain to anyone who touches what you deem yours."
This was actually the first uncomfortable silence that fell between them. Heero had stopped eating, his mind racing about what Relena could be hinting to.
"I saw quite a few of them, but they weren't meant for me."
"Relena," he said, not knowing what else to say. She pushed her plate away, but she didn't seem offended, just... disappointed and sad.
"It's all right," she said and tried to muster up a brave smile. "I won't force you to anything, Heero. I never wanted to. If I learned anything in life, it's being forced into something never works out. It's not the right thing to do. I just wanted... to be happy, myself and you. I want you to be happy. I...simply never thought that... he would be the one catching your love."
He? "Wait a minute, Relena," Heero spoke hastily. "I'm not even sure... Relena, please..."
"I'm sure he'll answer your feelings," she said, and her smile turned wistful. "I've seen a few fierce, protective looks on his face as well, Heero. His eyes are following you, you're the first he seeks out. You should really try to talk to him."
"I made a promise," Heero answered and raised his head when Relena suddenly stood up, plate in her hand.
"I discharge you from that promise," she said, voice strained. "You're free."
Before he could stop her or say anything, she turned around and walked away, her pace rushed, the pinkish dress flowing in the wind. A few people quickly stepped to the side when she passed, looking confused. It was getting close to eight o'clock and the first dinner guests had arrived. Heero looked at her retreating back, at a loss for words.
How could she discharge him? He made the promise to Darlian, the man who he held in high regard, and he would see to it being fulfilled until the end. She couldn't discharge him that easily, just because she thought he was in love with Duo -- that was a train of thought he didn't want to address at the moment -- and he stood up to leave the dining hall.
The large courtyard was still crowded, but significantly less than earlier. Heero could oversee it effortlessly; no Relena in sight. He noticed Wufei standing close to a woman, of all people. She was the same woman who had smiled at him before; she was a Nature mage, judging from her midnight blue dress with the white embroidery. Wufei's jaw tightened and he glared defiantly at Heero, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with Wufei.
He quickly entered the monastery's wing and searched for Relena, but she was nowhere to be found. After searching for hours without any results, he decided to leave the girl be for now; it was impossible to search every nook and cranny of the building, and if she was in one of the many, many, many rooms, it was going to take him hours and hours more. He briefly contemplated to go look for Duo, but decided against it as well. It was probably better to leave things be at the moment.
Returning to his own room, he flung himself on the bed, his mind mulling the events over and over again, keeping him awake and from dreaming for the remainder of the night.
The next morning brought rain, much to Heero's surprise; he hadn't seen rain in quite a while now. The day of their arrival had been nothing but bright, hot sun -- would the climate here reflect the mood of the citizens of Libra? With that many Nature mages in one place, it could well be a possibility -- or it was just a reflection of the fear of Khushrenada's usurping power. Heero muttered under his breath; he didn't want to think about the esshouin right now. He would get what he deserved -- Heero would cherish the moment he would drive his sollevar into the man's throat.
Deciding not to disturb Relena as her door was closed, Heero went out to get himself some breakfast. He wasn't feeling up to eating the simple porridge and convinced a kind kitchen girl -- she reminded him vaguely of Miidi -- to give him some bread and a dry, spicy sausage. Together with a fairly large jug of milk and a thick slice of cheese, that would have to do until he was feeling hungry again. This time he wanted to search for Duo, and he asked one of the many kids in the courtyard for directions.
Duo's room was the only one inhabited on the second floor. Heero wondered why no one, mage or not, had taken the effort to repair the large holes in the roof, or at least replace the blackened bricks. It looked like a fire had raged here; some of the support beams were as black as charcoal. The door was slightly ajar, and bore the traces of fire as well. Heero knocked on the door, and was answered with a loud "Enter!"
He peeked around the corner when he opened the door. Duo was sitting, with his back towards him, in a large chair behind a writing desk. Light came into the room from three high church windows, with a strange statue in between them. A man on a cross with a crown of thorns on his head, and blood oozing from the wounds where he was nailed to the cross -- Heero didn't recognize it at all. The windows were made out of colorful pieces of glass, each depicting a certain scene; what kind of windows were these?
The room was incredibly spacious, more than triple the size of Heero's room, and he didn't even see a bed. Had Duo assigned the largest room for himself? He couldn't imagine the Fire mage to be this selfish. Duo turned around, hanging half out of his chair, with a pleased expression on his face.
"Good morning, Heero," he said.
"Good morning," Heero returned the sentiment and walked over the large carpet to get to Duo.
There was a mug of that strange 'coffee' concoction that was served here on his desk; Heero had tried it at breakfast, before returning it as quickly as he could -- it burned a hole in his stomach. Duo's fingers were curled around the ear of the large mug, the damp visible. His other hand was on a stack of papers and he had thick walls under his eyes.
"You've been up all night?" Heero hated that he couldn't read. Darlian had taught him the simplest beginnings, but that wouldn't help much here -- Heero was sure that the papers were all written in that Ancient Language Quatre and Duo had talked in before. It still was a great part of any mage's daily speak. The written alphabet resembled the markings on Duo's staff and his own sollevar, strengthening his suspicions about his weapon's origin. If Duo was right about all this Legend thing and he truly was a warrior, then it wouldn't be more than logical to wield a mythical weapon, would it? It would certainly explain why everyone was so apprehensive of it.
"I wasn't lying when I told you that Libra holds more knowledge than anyone or anywhere else," Duo said and rubbed his eyes. "I had Sally turn up most of the documents I wanted."
"Sally?"
"You've probably seen her; she's a formidable mage who specializes in Healing. She's mostly in Wufei's vicinity." Duo chuckled as if he just had told an awesome joke. Heero couldn't help but smile; Duo's laughter was contagious.
"What kind of documents?"
"You've learned so much the last few days and still you're in denial, aren't you? Look around and see for yourself, Heero. Open your eyes. I'm not the one and only to see things, and I'm sure you've seen them as well. I only needed these documents to...confirm my findings."
"What findings?" Heero parroted, a little impatiently. He wasn't going to admit to Duo that he wasn't able to read. "I'm not in denial."
Duo frowned a little, his lips pursed as if he was disappointed. His index finger started tapping on a particularly thick document.
"Your country probably will have some reference to the Five Warriors," he said.
"Yes, the Legends of the Five," Heero answered. "There's a fountain in the middle of the capital city with a statue of them. Time has worn off the faces and details, though."
"But of course, it's been so long," Duo said. "Listen, Heero. Those Five are heroes, each and every one of them; they risked their lives to protect their respective countries and defied lots of trouble to unite them into a pact. They founded the Kingdom of Sanq, an everlasting symbol and home of hope and peace."
That was reminiscent of what Dorothy Catalonia had told him, Heero recalled. It seemed ages since he had talked to the girl with the freakish eyebrows and her obsession with war.
"Sanq was lost for humanity when the Five lost against an army of nations wanting to conquer the Kingdom, mostly blind by fables and myths of riches and treasure -- while the only true treasure was eternal peace. It was destroyed by mankind's greed and blood thirst."
"And you wanted to find this Kingdom?" Heero snorted.
"The Kingdom has disappeared, but what is lost, can be found," Duo said, stubbornly repeating his previous words. "You saw Khushrenada in the inn, Heero. He believes in it too -- he has a seal!"
"He knows you're looking for it too," Heero reminded him.
"We're going on a tangent." Duo shook his head. "The Five are heroes, like I said. They were brought together by circumstances to ensure peace and hope for mankind. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was the Twelve, maybe it was another god, coincidence, or whatever have you. Fact is, I believe that the Five are brought back together in this age and era to find and resurrect Sanq, to bring peace and hope back into the world!"
"I still don't see what it has to do with us."
"Don't you see, Heero? When are you going to open your eyes? Each one of the Five has a certain skill, a talent that's above any human's skill or talent. The five of us, we all have something special, something that makes us stand above others." Duo's tone of voice was pensive, with a hint of sadness to it.
"Wufei is the last of his clan and country, and with one exception, unbeaten in combat. Trowa is able to shoot arrows from incredible distances and still hit bull's-eyes, not to mention his ability with throwing knives and his seeming ability to communicate with animals. Quatre, a Nature mage who is proficient in two streams of magic: Ice and Healing. You, the ultimate warrior with strength and stamina."
"And you," Heero added. It made sense, though it was still preposterous. "A Fire mage, and one who wields Death magic."
"A Fire mage, and one who wields Death magic." This time it was sadness in his voice. People were afraid of almost everything magical, not to mention Death magic. Duo was more than probably the last one to wield it; if he was just as proficient with it as his Fire powers, there was no telling what he could do.
"It must be terribly hard for you," Heero said.
Duo wasn't the one to have self-pity. The sadness in his voice wasn't meant for himself; a fighter's mentality shone through in his every action.
"It wasn't hard for me, Heero. It was harder for the others, or anyone else who encountered me." A soft smile graced his lips. His eyes darted to his staff standing next to the desk, the pointed tip menacingly hovering over him. Heero had never asked for the meaning of the words carved into the shaft, and he didn't think now was a fine time either.
The moment of reflection was gone soon, and Duo suddenly beamed at him.
"I'm sure that the five of us are the new Five, destined to bring peace and hope back in this world, or at least rid it of Khushrenada, and stop him from usurping more countries!"
"You don't have definite evidence for that." Heero stepped a little closer. "We just have certain... skills, not powers. It's just coincidence that both you and Quatre are able to wield dual powers instead of one, and Trowa's just an exceptional ranger, and..."
"You're just a farm boy with stamina and strength to outdo an army, who knows how to wield a sollevar without any proper training," Duo added. "Don't play stupid, Heero, you know that's not nor--"
He stopped talking as soon as Heero put his hand on his cheek, leaning into him. He forcefully moved his head away, avoiding looking Heero in the eyes.
"No Heero, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"Enough," Heero said. "Enough, Duo. Tell me."
"I'm tired. I need to lie down."
"Don't lie to me."
With the same brusque movement, Duo moved his head back, and his violet eyes were darkened in anger.
"Don't ever accuse me of lying, Heero. I run and I hide, but I never tell a lie."
"Enough," Heero repeated. "I want to see one face, not two, Duo. Tell me."
His eyes softened, but just a little. Duo slumped into his chair, but Heero didn't lose his grip on him. His fingers remained on his cheek, on his smooth skin, a wayward strand of chestnut hair touching his digit.
"I have made mistakes in my life, very grave mistakes." Duo sighed, but he didn't sound sad. "I wasn't able to protect those I had sworn to protect, and because of a very selfish reason... people were punished. I cried and swore that I would do anything to make it all right... even becoming Death itself if needed be."
"And?" Heero urged him to go on.
"Shinigami listened to me and granted my request," Duo answered sourly. "From being a simple Fire mage, I became the only one to wield Death magic, and I have been the God of Death ever since. I will be relieved of my task when I find life."
"The lives of people you need to protect? Is that why you want to find the Kingdom?"
Duo bowed his head. "The God of Death will cease to exist when he finds life. It's his duty to take life, unless it is dead. It's some kind of riddle, some kind of curse...I haven't been able to figure it out. Apparently I can't take someone's life because it's too strong to be taken, and I need to find it."
"I'm around you, and I live," Heero said softly.
"Because you're one of the Five," Duo answered, "even Shinigami himself doesn't think about taking one of the Five. It would be..." He took a deep breath. "Shinigami is the God I answer to, Heero. I'm first and foremost a priest. Go take a look outside if you don't believe me."
"A priest?" Heero was surprised. "But you're a mage..."
Duo shook his head. "Never mind, Heero. I want to get some rest. We all have a lot of work to do if we want to find the Kingdom of Sanq."
"Duo..."
His hand slipped from his cheek to his shoulder. Duo looked up again, eyes unreadable.
"No, Heero. It's not worth it. It can't be. If you already don't end up dead one way or another, it's simply not worth it."
He withdrew his hand, but not in disgust or horror. He wasn't even shaking or trembling from Duo's confession; he had never believed in the God of Death, that Shinigami deity Duo had named. He hadn't been afraid of the Fire mage before, he certainly wouldn't start now, even despite learning the truth.
"Please," Duo said.
He had no choice but to leave, and he closed the door behind him. If he thought his feelings had been confused before, there was no way describing them now.
The dreary rain didn't exactly improve Heero's mood, and he kicked a few pebbles to the side, hands balled to fists in his pockets. First Relena, now Duo. He wasn't used to be subjected to his feelings and mulling over them so intensely. What was still left of Heero Yuy, the servant, the farm boy, and what had turned into Heero Yuy, a supposed warrior, a Legend, a member of the Five? It was preposterous.
He always had believed in acting upon his emotions; but his primary emotion was to feel... this deep and warm caring for Duo, the same fierce protection as Relena had said, for him as for her -- for Duo because he wanted to, and for Relena because he promised to. He wasn't enamored with Relena, but respected and appreciated her as the good friend she was. Why was he feeling so much for Duo while barely knowing him... and what he knew of him should be scaring instead of encouraging him.
It was easy to get lost in the monastery and instead of going back to the central courtyard he followed the stairs down, his hand sliding over the ancient oak banister. He had no idea where he would end up, but he figured it out rather fast with the help of the rows and rows of books he saw upon entering; this was the library.
Four mages-in-training gathered around a large rectangular table threw him curious glances, all of them taking a reverent step back when he passed. He all but ignored them; they shuffled the papers in their arms meticulously as they kept staring at them, their robes missing the characteristic embroidery. The atmosphere was very dry here, and heavy. The lack of ventilation would give anyone a headache, but Heero didn't need much time to find the person he was looking for. He already saw the familiar blond standing up on a ladder and rummaging through the top shelf of a rickety bookcase.
As soon as he approached the ladder, Quatre exclaimed a loud "Ah!" and held up a heavy book, as large as his lower arm. "Here you are! An excellent copy of the Book of Legends, and it looks in perfect condition... what's the matter, Heero?"
He should have known that nothing would escape Quatre, especially not a change of mood. The Nature mage seemed to pick up on the slightest changes in one's disposition.
"I need to talk to you," he said harshly. He figured that Quatre was the only person knowledgeable enough to help him. The mage just nodded and stepped down the ladder, cradling the book to his chest.
"We can sit right over there." He pointed at a table with three chairs in the far corner of the library. Only the four mages-in-training were present, and they would need very large ears to be able to overhear them. Heero followed Quatre, coughing a few times from the dry air.
"What is all this Shinigami talk?" Heero voiced out loud before they even sat down, not beating around the bush. Quatre put the book on the table, and looked pained.
"Heero, please. The name of the God of Death shouldn't be used so casually. I take it you've talked to Duo?"
"Yes, I talked to him," Heero confirmed. "And I want to know what I can do about it."
"Sit down, Heero," Quatre said. His voice didn't have a commanding tone at all, but something in his tone made Heero sit down immediately. "You have to understand that certain people are born with certain powers, thus becoming mages. Duo chose them -- he chose to live with the stigma, the fear, the misconceptions, the pain. He chose to have them and live it to every extent worth."
"You can't be serious. He was born without powers and chose to have them?"
"Duo is a Fire mage by birth -- but yes, he willingly chose to become the last and most powerful Death mage to walk this world. That doesn't mean that he only wields Death magic, but also that he takes souls of those in pain, helps spirits to cross over, kills in the name of his God and will assume the position of the God of Death when he sees fit."
Quatre sat down as well. "I was born with the ability to wield two powers equally strong, which is a rarity in itself. It's either Healing or Ice, not the both of them, and certainly not in the same strength. However, I'm sure that no one is as strong and as qualified as Duo to wield the two most powerful magic streams in this world."
"He was just a kid. He said something about Shinigami granting his request. How conscious could he have made his choice?"
"Very conscious," Quatre said and frowned. "Don't belittle him, Heero. None of us had an easy life, and he had the most to suffer. If you want to know how much, just look outside -- look at all of Libra and you know how much pain he had and still has."
"I'm not belittling him," Heero protested, and felt small under the nature mage's scrutinizing gaze. "I'm just wondering how it's possible..."
"Duo's reasons are his own," Quatre cut him off. "I've known him for quite a while, and you're only barely starting to know him. I know you want to know him at a whole another level, Heero."
Heero looked up in surprise, but Quatre simply put his hand on his own chest, and smiled.
"I can feel it, right here. You like him, right? You like him more than just a brother in arms. But your anger and vengeance stands between you and him, and his grief and sadness stands between him and you. As long as you both don't learn how to solve this, you'll always be apart, no matter what I or anyone else says."
"I want to... I do like him," Heero said. It felt right to admit it to Quatre, because he knew he would take his confession seriously and not mock him. "But I hurt Relena in the process and Duo thinks that it's not worth it, or that I'll die when being with him." He heaved a sigh.
"The Princess is strong." Quatre put his hand on the book, fingers stroking the leather cover. "It's easy to hurt someone, and it's not easy to forgive someone. Relena has a good heart, and she will accept how it is between you and Duo. Stay as good as a friend to her as you have always been -- she'll appreciate it, and she'll need your protection and friendship."
"Do you believe in Sanq?"
Quatre seemed to be caught off guard by that question, and he answered confusedly: "Of course I do, but I also believe that we need to do a lot more of research before we can even begin searching for it."
"Duo believes in it religiously," Heero said. "He told me about the Legends of the Five. How much do you believe in that?"
Quatre chose his words carefully. "In all honesty, I'm afraid that Duo imagines Sanq to be too much of a paradise, a decisive solution for everything. He told me he made many mistakes in his life, and I think he tries to atone for his sins to find something pure, something paradisiacal, something heavenly: the Kingdom of Sanq. As it is, several signs have directed him onto its path, and there's quite the chance that it does exist, but how? Even if we manage to find it, how do we revive a paradise, a kingdom?"
"That's what I was thinking," Heero agreed.
Quatre patted the book. "The difficulty is that we don't have enough time. Khushrenada can't be fooled long enough by the false gate, and will be with an army here sooner or later. Libra is Duo's creation, to be a haven for knowledge, a sanctuary for refugees, a resort for those who have lost hope. No one wants it to fall into Khushrenada's hands. The man needs to be stopped before he enslaves every country and the last free human left."
The mage showed a warm smile at Heero's nod.
"Concerning you and Duo, I think you both need some work," he said with a low chuckle. "I'm convinced you can make it, if you overcome the things that stand between you. Remember that some things are out of your hands however, don't ever forget that. Talking about work," he patted the book again, "I still have a lot to do, so if you'll excuse me?"
Heero left the library not exactly uplifted, but in a better mood anyway. Not even the rain could change his mood this time and he lifted up his face to the sky, to allow it to get wet. He closed his eyes, lost in thoughts.
Despite the threat of Khushrenada and the ominous promise of an invading army, the next two days were peaceful and calm; Heero spend his time training with the sollevar, and was pleasantly surprised by Wufei joining him with his sword, which he called a 'katana'. The Nataku warrior even showed him new techniques to use with the mythical weapon, and Heero soon came to respect Wufei's extended knowledge of the fighting arts. It made their interaction less awkward, but not especially more friendly. Wufei wasn't the one to talk about personal things, and Heero certainly didn't want to ask his opinion about him and Duo. He appreciated him showing the new techniques and helping him practice, but after they were done with the training Wufei bowed to him and left the training grounds. Heero didn't know how to return the favor -- it was pretty obvious that Wufei had been trained to be a warrior from birth, what knowledge could he share with him? If this was the man's way to repay his honor to him, Heero was grateful -- but it didn't make things easier.
Quatre's strange 'look outside' remark still played in the back of his mind, and when he wasn't training, Heero walked around the premises to search for anything that Quatre could have meant. He finally found a plaque, bricked into the outer south wall, blackened and barely legible. Once again he was frustrated by his disability to read, and told himself he could distinguish the name "Maxwell" a few times. Duo had introduced himself as "Duo from Maxwell Church" and he had named a 'Father Maxwell' during his confrontation with Khushrenada back at the inn. Below the plaque was a colorful amount of flowers, gathered together with burning candles.
It puzzled him, and Heero didn't like riddles. He wanted to talk to Duo again, but whenever the Fire mage was around, he was either surrounded by hordes of children who apparently idolized him, or he was discussing with other mages, faces stern and worried. Relena had befriended Sally Po, the strong Nature mage with the incredible Healing ability. Heero felt guilty for not talking to Relena since their last shared meal.
She wasn't as much avoiding him as he was searching her out; she was always in the company of either Sally or any other woman when he saw her. Since Sylvia had returned to Romefeller country and Relena had been in the company of men for quite a while, he figured that she preferred female company for the time being. She did seem more at ease, but her eyes always darted towards him when she saw him, only to lower them and avoid looking straight at him.
Heero briefly considered talking to Quatre again, but decided to not push matters. It had only been two days; he made a mental note to talk to Relena soon and clear the air between them. Somehow, that seemed easier than talking to Duo again; but the Fire mage never left his thoughts, and Heero didn't like it that he saw so little of him.
The rest of his time he spent studying Libra and its strengths and weaknesses. The monastery was tucked snugly in between mountains, and there were two ways of reaching it: either by creating a gate like Duo had done, or an extremely steep, troublesome, small path to the north. No army could ever squeeze itself past there without being noticed from far away, and it took Heero almost two hours to travel half a mile, hugging the mountain wall to avoid being blown off the path and into the bottomless ravine. At any other location, the monastery would have been overrun in less than an hour; there were no significant defenses, the walls would crumble under the smallest of attacks, and weapons were non-existent, except for Wufei's katana and Heero's sollevar.
On the third day, the sun shone as intensely as on their day of arrival. The heat was bearable, but Heero decided to quit his training before it got too hot. He grabbed the jug of water and poured it out over himself. Water was in abundance here; the fountain in the courtyard also functioned as a pump, draining fresh water from a basin deep in the mountains. It had a slightly different taste than Heero was used to; according to Quatre, it was because of the extra minerals. Heero had never heard of minerals before, but he absorbed the information like a sponge, just as almost everything else people told him. He was still embarrassed about being unable to read, and didn't want people to hold him for stupid. Nobody had mentioned his past as a simple servant on a farm; despite quite a lot of people referring to Relena as a Princess, even though they knew that the both of them had the same background. In passing, Heero was mostly referred to as a warrior or the all-formal, neutral "esshan".
With the jug of water in his hands and a couple of rolls he saved from breakfast, Heero wandered around to find a suitable place to sit down and eat. Somehow, as if his feet had moved of their own accord, he ended up at the blackened plaque in the outer south wall. Seating himself on a large rock opposite of it, he kept staring at the plaque and the amount of flowers and burning candles gathered under it.
"That's Duo's place, you know."
"Trowa." Heero acknowledged the archer's presence with a simple nod. Trowa looked at ease, but his expression was hard to determine, and not only because of his typical hairdo, obscuring one side of his face. He had mastered, just like Wufei, to keep a perfectly neutral expression at all times.
"He's usually the one to sit here."
"I don't see him sitting here now."
Trowa sat down, but not on the rock. His eyes darted to the plaque and back again.
"Who's putting the flowers there?"
"Everyone who wants to," the archer answered. "To make sure that no one forgets. Mostly the children, though."
He seemed to sink deep in thoughts. Heero sipped a little of his water, waiting for Trowa to elaborate.
"Libra isn't really a monastery," he continued after a while. "It used to be the Maxwell Church, founded generations ago by the family of the same name. They preached the existence of one God, instead of the Twelve as we know it."
"Shinigami?" Heero asked. It was out of his mouth before he realized it.
"No, just one 'God'." Trowa frowned. The Twelve had always been the main, dominating religion in this world, but apparently some groups followed a different path with their own deities. It was unheard of. "One universal God of love, peace and understanding," he continued. "Something about sending his own Son to atone for our sins. I never really understood it, actually. Duo can tell you everything about it, of course."
The archer heaved a sigh. His characteristic bow and quiver were nowhere to be seen; he took one of Heero's rolls and started eating it, fingers tearing the bread apart.
"The Maxwells and their Church were tolerated, mostly because they did good work for the community. They took in orphans, taught them to read and write, clothed and fed them. Not many converted to their beliefs, but nobody wished any harm upon them."
"...and along came Khushrenada and obliterated the country," Heero said.
"Epyon country." Trowa nodded solemnly. "It was annexed with great force, and the church was burned down to the ground. Father Maxwell, the last of the family and head of the Church for some decades, was killed immediately. Sister Helen, a good friend of the family and the most friendly and lovable woman I've ever met, died in Duo's arms."
Heero arched an eyebrow; it was the first time he heard Trowa talk this... concerned and he had to admit that he was jealous of him for knowing Duo and the people he loved and cared for, for so much longer than he did. Duo already had lived a whole life, and he felt like he was missing out. Heero had witnessed Darlian die, and it had caused great pain and grief. He had always considered the man to be his father, his mentor -- he was a good man and deserved all the respect he could get. Heero owed him a lot, and not only the promise he made to him to protect his daughter. To watch someone you loved die...
"Duo has seen more death than anyone else," Trowa said. "That's why he doesn't believe in the Twelve, Father Maxwell's God or any other deity people believe in -- only the God of Death."
"And he'll take his place," Heero said.
"He'll take his place, one day," Trowa confirmed. "This is the place where the people he loved and cared for died. This is the place where he swore Khushrenada and his men would pay. This is the place where he became Shinigami's apprentice."
"The flowers aren't only for the deceased," Heero suddenly realized.
"They are for Duo too."
Chapter 8 | Chapter 10 |