Asbestos Gelos Part 7

Duo was laid out on a slab of black marble dressed in clothes of pure white. The boy looked like he was simply asleep. Heero slowly ran his hand down the length of Duo's unbound hair. He had personally brushed it until it shone.

"Heero..." Trowa placed a hand on the king's shoulder.

Jerking away from his friend's touch, Heero closed his eyes. "Leave us."

Trowa sighed. "Heero-"

"I said go!"

Bowing his head slightly, Trowa turned and silently left the tomb.

Satisfied they were alone, Heero looked down into Duo's peaceful face. "Hello, love." He felt his eyes cloud and Duo's face blurred. "Do you know where you are? You're in the royal crypt." His throat closed. "I imagined we would have years before we were together in here..." Heero's voice cracked.

He lowered his forehead to the cool marble. "I wish to the gods that I could join you. I would gladly leave this world for an eternity with you." Slowly he straightened his body. "But I am a king. My first duty must be to my people."

With careful movements, Heero slipped the silver cygnet ring off his hand and slid it onto Duo's finger. "Here is my ring, and my oath, Duo, you are my beloved and my husband. I will never forsake you." Heero folded Duo's hands over the long haired boy's chest.

Taking a deep breath, Heero turned and walked out of the royal tomb. The gate closed behind him with a click. "Wait for me."

~*~

"How can I fight a demon? Do I politely ask a few sparrows to peck her eyes out? I don't think that will work."

Xander chuckled. "No, you do have a weapon- my family's weapon if you will. You must find our clan and retrieve the Deathscythe."

"Deathscythe?" Duo's eyes grew wide. Surely something with a name like that could kill the demon Relena.

"Yes. The Deathscythe is a very powerful weapon. Our family has used it for centuries to battle our enemies."

"You think that I could use such a weapon?"

"You'll have to. Only those descended from our line can use the Deathscythe with impunity. All others would die- their energy stolen to sustain the Deathscythe. You are the last of our line."

"Oh." It really was too much to comprehend at once.

Laughing gently, Xander shook his head. "It's ok if you don't understand now. You will. Go beyond Sanc forest to Libra Mountain. At the very top there is a crater that hides a secret glade. That is where you will find our clan."

"It's time."

Duo turned at the sound of his mother's voice. "Momma?"

"It's time for you to go back baby. Time moves much slower here. Already a year has passed in the world."

"A year??!" Duo jumped to his feet.

Diana embraced her son tightly. "I love you Duo, and I am so proud of you."

Duo nodded- too choked up to speak. "I love you too Momma." He turned to Xander.

"Your body is being kept in the royal tomb in the depths of the palace. You must get out without being seen by anyone. The first goal must be to retrieve the Deathscythe from our clan."

Duo nodded before suddenly throwing his arms around Xander's waist and hugging him. "I understand."

Reluctantly he pulled away from the loving embrace and smiled at his parents. "Until I see you again."

Diana smiled as Xander wrapped his arms around her waist. "Not for a very long time son. Not for a very long time."

Duo noticed a distinct tingling sensation in his chest only momentarily before everything went dark.

~*~

With a violent gasp for breath Duo's eyes flew open and greedily searched for light. Finding none, he could only look into the absolute dark of the royal tomb.

Swallowing a scream, Duo carefully swung his legs over the hard stone surface that his body had rested on. He tried to lower himself gently to the ground, but failed to compensate for the year his body had lain dormant. His unused muscles had begun to atrophy- more slowly than normal- but still he had lost considerable strength.

Duo reached for his neck and pulled off the imposter necklace. He threw the broken bauble to the floor.

Struggling to his feet, Duo groped in the darkness for a wall, finding the rough surface, more or less with his face, he followed it until he came to the crypt door.

Duo pushed against the iron bars experimentally, and almost laughed for joy at the lack of a lock... apparently no one had ever felt the need to break out of the crypt before.

Finally free of the tomb, Duo was still in the dark catacombs below the castle, with no foreseeable way of getting out. That is unless...

Duo concentrated with all his might until finally he smiled...

~Hello big one.~

Duo knelt down and ran his hand along the sleek fur of the small brown mouse that called the catacombs home. He responded to the cordial greeting while he held out his hand for the mouse to get onto. ~Hello little one.~

The mouse fit comfortable into his hand, and Duo brought him up to his face. ~Could you tell me the way out of here?~

The little whiskers tickled his hand as the mouse twitched his nose. ~I sure could... for a bit of cheese...~

Duo frowned. ~I'm afraid I don't have any cheese. But what if I promised to bring you a whole block of it when I return?~

~I'd say that I won't ever see you again... but! I'm a nice mouse and I'll show you out anyway. Just do exactly what I say, and you'll be out of here in no time!~

~*~

Heero massaged his temples as he listened to the endless talk of his eldest advisors. Any tolerance he'd had for them was long since vanished.

"Sire! You must think of your people! You need an heir."

"For the last time no! My cousin Odin has a son that will suffice. I will not become some sort of animal you can put out to stud! And I will certainly not break my oath just because you and a few of the local authorities would like me to. I. Will. Not. Marry." Punctuating the last remark with a cold glare, Heero decided that it was time to end the meeting. "This discussion is over. Come back when you have something important to say."

Heero swept out of the room and quickly made his way to the garden. It was the only place he felt peaceful anymore. He had to leave his bedroom because of the endless dreams of Duo. Now Heero slept in the room next to their old one- slightly less grand... and much fewer memories.

"Advisors again, Sire?"

Heero looked up to see his friend Relena watching him with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes. Same old plea for an heir." Heero stood. This was a nice day and he was going to go ride Wing. "Goodbye Lady."

"Farewell."

~*~

Relena watched the retreating back hungrily. Soon she would make her move, and the man would be hers. For the hundredth time she cursed her low-class demon heritage for her inability to directly control minds and emotions. While she had slight sway, by no means could she make the king love her... yet. So she was reduced to trickery.

"Good day Lady!"

Plastering a pleasant smile on her face, Relena turned to the small blonde- her first conquest. Winning over the simple blonde was no problem, and through him she had been able to enter the confidence of the king and all his closest friends.

"Good day, Sir!" Taking a leap, Relena decided to begin the first phase of her plan.

"Was the king just here?" Quatre sat down on the soft grass beside a rosebush.

"Oh yes. He needed a break after meeting with his advisors again. The heir argument again."

Quatre shook his head. "I see... Why can't they just leave him be?!"

"Actually, I think they have a point." Relena pursed her lips and looked concerned. "Not that he should get married! But... since Duo died... he has been so lonely!" Tears easily came to her, and she let one fall down her cheek. "If only he could find someone- anyone, to share his life with... someone to talk to..."

Quatre slowly got to his feet and smiled. "I do see your point, Lady." Quatre reached out to take her hand. "You truly are a kind soul." He kissed the dainty appendage in a most polite manner as Relena, of course, modestly blushed. "Heero is lucky to have a friend like you."

He walked back into the palace, unawares of Relena's widening smirk. ~Step one: Plant the idea has worked. Heero needs a companion, and who better for him to turn to than the kind lady who first suggested it?~

Relena walked to her rooms and gazed at her reflection. ~With his closest friends on my side there is no way he will resist me for long.~ The image in her mirror shimmered until she was able to see Heero, riding his horse through the countryside. ~Enjoy your freedom now Heero... soon you will be mine.~

~*~

The sun was so bright to Duo's weakened eyes that he was blinded for a few moments after he stepped out of the hidden entrance to the crypt. It took a while of him blinking repeatedly before he could take stalk of his surroundings; he was about a half mile away from the palace.

"Wow! Those tunnels must go on for miles!"

~Indeed. You were lucky to find me. Many people would become so lost in there that they'd die before they found their way out. Those tunnels are so old that no one has a map, and they are very deep with many layers of the maze like passages.~

Duo felt his jaw drop. It was indeed very lucky that he's found this mouse. ~Wow! I had no idea. Thank you little one... what is your name by the way?~

~Maxwell... my mother was very upset at the death of the King's consort- he was very kind to animals- and so she named her next litter after him. There is Duo, Violet, Braid, Laughing, Sweet, Loud, and me, Maxwell.~

Stifling a laugh, Duo covered his mouth with his other hand. ~That is so sweet! Tell your mother I say thanks... ~

The little mouse squeaked. ~You're Duo?! What are you doing out here? You have to get back to the castle quick. The King has been angry as a bear without you, and that Lady isn't any better... ~

~Lady?~

~ Nasty as an ally cat, that one is.~

~I see... tell all of the animals of the castle that Duo Maxwell is back, and that he is going to put things to right. I might need their help, so I want you to organize the ones most willing to fight for me. We've got to fight a demon.~ Duo set the small mammal on the ground and stood up.

~You'd need an army!~

Taking a few wobbly steps, he smiled down at his savior. ~Exactly.~

TBC...

 

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