Ankoku
Daemon sat looking out the window, not paying attention to anyone. He wasn't happy and it showed in his demeanor. Nyoku continued to watch the Drake as he made the dinner they would or should he say he would have tonight Daemon wouldn't eat. He sighed. Suddenly soft crying could be heard, a mournful song entwined around it.
"Can you hear that?" He asked Daemon hopeful for a response.
Daemon didn't answer, continuing to gaze out the window. Nyoku made a little sound of annoyance and rushed toward the sound stopping when he found the source. A little ebony haired boy wailing the middle of a path, he was covered in blood, none of it his own and he was crying with a low song entwined as if he was trying to calm himself.
What had happened to this little boy? Why did he have to suffer? "Little one?" He looked up, wide silver eyes gazing at him in fear. He didn't speak but stopped crying, a look of terror on his innocent face. Nyoku put up his hands showing him he was not going to harm him.
"I won't touch you little one. What has happened to you?" A choked sob escaped his lips and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his waist, smearing fresh blood over his clothes. Nyoku held the little boy; he didn't give a damn about the clothes, "Are you hurt?" He shook his head, reluctant to speak or perhaps not being able to speak at all. Nyoku tried again, "What is your name little one?" He looked up at him with wide eyes and mouthed something, not a sound escaping his lips, "You can't speak? Just shake your head." He held the boy a arm span away form him looking into his eyes. He bit his lip and shook his head then nodded, as if saying he can but he can't. Nyoku put his hand against his throat white light blazing forth, "Try again.” He merely mouthed the words again, as if something inside him wouldn't allow him to speak, "You don't need to speak. Would you like to come with me to my house? I can give you food and a place to stay until you're parents come." At the word parents he began to cry, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly he understood, "We are going to go meet a friend I believe he will help" At least he hoped Daemon would be able to get over his brooding to help him.
He nodded slowly, not daring to let go of him. Nyoku picked him up and walked slowly towards to little cabin he shared with Daemon. He sat him down in a chair and handed him a damp washcloth, "You can clean yourself off with this.” He looked at it for a moment before cleaning the blood up. He retrieved a clean shirt and some of his old pants and handed them to him. "You can change into these if you like" He turned his back so he could undress. With a bright red face he did so, holding the clothing tight around him. Nyoku waited patiently for a couple minutes, "Clap if you are finished." He clapped once. Nyoku turned around and tried not to giggle, this had to be the cutest thing on Earth, "Are you hungry?" He nodded slowly then pointed out the window at a cloud. Nyoku’s eyes follow the finger to a fluffy cloud, "The cloud? What about it?" He pointed to himself then back at the cloud, "You are cloud? Kumo, that's your name?" He switched to the native language of the country to figure it out. He nodded slowly, "Well Kumo let’s get something to eat shall we?" He walked slowly to the kitchen with him in tow and handed him Daemon's plate. "Here you go, steak." Kumo clapped his hands and slowly began to eat. Nyoku walked over to where Daemon seemed to be plastered, "The kid will be staying with us please don't harm him."
Daemon scowled, "Kid?"
"Daemon please. He has nowhere to go." He tried to reason with him. Daemon blinked and looked over at him, his eyes growing wide for a moment before looking out the window, "Daemon eat something please, just today." He tried to get through to him for what seemed like the millionth time.
He stared out the window, "Fine, I'll eat something."
"As long as it's not the kid, what would you like?”
He narrowed his eyes, "I'm not a cannibal. I don't care, something light."
"I'm just trying to make you happy. I'll go get it." He returned to the kitchen and comes back with a couple rice balls and a piece of baked fish. He handed them to Daemon. Daemon took them and began to eat slowly, still looking out the window. Nyoku returned to Kumo and sat in the chair beside him. Kumo looked over at him and smiled weakly.
He smiled at him brightly, "Anyone object to butterflies as tonight’s entertainment?”
Kumo blinked and shook his head. Great butterflies danced inside the cabin filling the air with indigo, crimson, bright green, and brilliant blues. Immediately Kumo went after them, trying to catch the shimmering creatures. They appeared and reappeared as he caught them and made them dissolve in his hands. Nyoku made one land on the boys nose. Nyoku looked over and laughed as the huge butterflies landed all over Daemon's back. He knew he was annoying him but even yelling would be better than his silence.
Daemon shuddered and suddenly got to his feet, walking over to Kumo, "A boy like you shouldn't bother with chasing illusions." He snarled.
"Let him be, he's happy I'm the one you should be angry at. Remember." A shield snapped up 10 feet around the cabin.
Daemon snarled, "I am, but a child like him should not behave that way."
“And in the seven hells do you mean 'a child like him'?" He stated calmly.
He rolled his eyes, "You don't know what he is?"
"I'm sorry but no. What is he?"
He sighed, "He's a Drake, like me. He has a hard life ahead of him and he needs to learn to deal with it now."
"I don't know what Drakes go through. Only you could help him, but you won't will you?"
"He's about thirteen or fourteen now, in a year or so he'll get his wings."
"It's a painful process but I'm a healer I've seen them come in before I know what to do when they come." He looked at him straight in the eyes.
Daemon laughed, "You can't understand what it's like."
"Then why don't you tell me Daemon? Just open up to someone, all I want is for you to be safe. So tell me so I can help in some way.”
He sighed and looked down at the ground, "I don't know if I should trust you."
The fairy looked hurt, "What have I ever done to tell you I shouldn't be trusted? Everything I've done has been for you."
Softly he began to cry, turning away from him. Slamming his fist into the wall he let out a cry, "I can't stand it! I don't know who to trust, who to believe so I just ignore everyone. The only reason I trusted my master was because he helped me, raised me. If it wasn't for him I would be dead like all the rest!"
"I'm reluctant to pull the ground out from under you, but he only kept you alive to hurt, and maim you, use you as his play thing you see that don't you?" He took a deep breath and healed Daemon's bleeding hand from across the room, "I'm never going to hurt you. I can protect you. Even from him. Or would you rather die with him?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. Kumo looked worried, sitting watching. He looked back from Drake to Drake not sure just what to do, "I'm sorry for what has happened to you both. Its in the past now but it won't happen again. I'm sorry."
Kumo looked at him, eyes wide. Daemon slumped to the floor, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Daemon, people are always going to get hurt no matter what it doesn't matter and it's not your fault."
"If Ikari hurts someone it is my fault."
"And how is that, hmm?" He tried to keep his anger in check.
"Because Ikari will not give up on finding me and whoever stands in his way will get hurt and that will be my fault."
"Well I'm standing in his way and remember I'm a cockroach a cockroach that doesn't give up easily. It won't be your fault it will be his."
He took a deep breath, "It would be my fault if you died."
"Why would you care if I died I'm just pissing you off by protecting you I've given you no reason to care it won't matter if I die. But if I die which I don't plan on doing anytime soon it will not be anyone’s fault beside my own."
Tears streamed down his face, "I-I just don't know how to react...." He sounded forlorn at his words, as if they hurt him.
Nyoku walked over to Daemon and lifted his chin wiping his tears with his hand he kissed him, "I'm drawn to you. I want to protect you and I don't know why." Daemon swallowed hard and wrapped his arms around him slowly, fearfully, "Just don't worry anymore." He embraced him protectively.
Daemon cried, letting out years of frustration and pain. Nyoku sent comforting warmth through his arms giving the boy a source to vent through. Kumo hesitantly walked over and wrapped his arms around Daemon's shuddering form. Nyoku smiled at the boy grimly in thanks, "Little one I thank you for him." Kumo nodded and gently ran his fingers through Daemon's hair, murmuring softly, no sound escaping his lips.
“Kumo why don't you speak what are you holding back? Don't be afraid." Kumo looked at him, large silver eyes filled with pain and sorrow. He hugged him gently keeping one arm around Daemon as he did, "You can let it go."
Daemon looked into Kumo's eyes, "I know that look." He whispered, "I wore it once."
"When?”
"When I was younger."
"So what happened to you when you were young Daemon?"
"I lost everything then gained my master." He replied simply.
Nyoku nodded and hugged Kumo trying to comfort him just a little bit, "I'm sorry Kumo." Kumo nodded and sniffed softly. Suddenly Kumo's body went ridged and a high-pitched scream escaped his lips. Nyoku pulled his arms away from him thinking he caused it his arms are bloody, "His wings, they're coming in early!"
Daemon let out a strange sound, sounding like a curse. Quickly he grabbed Kumo and shoved him onto his stomach, tearing the shirt from his body and pinning him down, "Be still."
Nyoku rushed around his cabin grabbing a lot of towels and a large surgeon's knife. Daemon held him down as he thrashed, "Be still." He bit out angrily, another scream escaping Kumo's lips.
"Kumo this will hurt." He helped Daemon hold him down as he sliced open his skin below his shoulders letting a little of a frame of his wings come out. The knife cut again deeply into his back and down freeing one wing before doing the same to the other. Kumo screamed in pain, fighting to get away, "Stop! Just stop Kumo. Give it a second, let your back heal itself." He screamed as he pinned him down again.
Kumo thrashed beneath them, screaming in pain. Nyoku sighed and rested his hand on the base of his neck, light flashed once as he sedated him. Kumo's body laid limp against the bed.
Daemon scowled, "What did you do to him?"
"He's alright I just knocked him out without hurting him. He'll wake up in thirty minutes, I didn't want him keeping those wounds open and this way we can clean his wings without him thrashing about."
He nodded, "Good point."
He handed Daemon a washcloth and some salves. "You know what to do?"
"Of course I do." He took them and carefully began to wash them before applying the salve.
He cleaned the wounds on Kumo’s back and bandaged them, "He'll be fine in an hour. Wait, lets see if I still have enough magic for this." He placed his hands over his wings and back the light not coming from them but radiating from Kumo, his wounds healed through the bandages, "Now he's fine." He removed the bandages.
"That's good, I know how much that hurts."
"I'm sorry Daemon." He sat back in one of his chairs exhausted "Too much magic in one day"
He chuckled softly, "I'm happy I don't have to worry about it."
"Worry about wings?"
“No, about magic."
Nyoku looked over at Kumo's wings crimson and silver streaked them little scarlet gems sparkled on the ends like crimson stars. "You have your own type of magic Daemon." Daemon gazed at Kumo's wings and fell to his knees before him, "Daemon what are you doing?"
Softly he kissed his wings, a reverent action. Nyoku wracked his memory something important on the tip of his tongue. The realization hit him like a freight train. "Drakes have nobility and they have gems sprinkling their wings." Daemon gently, tenderly, stroked his hair, then the tiny scarlet jewels, "We have to keep him safe Daemon."
He looked up at Nyoku, "Yes." He whispered, "Very safe."
"Does that mean you'll help me?" He smiled at him.
He scowled, "I will protect him."
"That’s all I was asking. I'm glad."