by Karma
He enjoyed what was quite possibly one of the most peaceful meals he had ever eaten. The girl had been worried that he would be disgusted by the taste of the burned fish; he quickly reassured her that such was not the case. It�s so peaceful here... Arslan finished his meal and looked around for his clothes.
Seeing their guest searching for something, Matsuri ventured an inquiry. "What are you looking for?"
"Ah, sorry!" Owaru apologized, hurrying over with the damp golden helmet. "Matsuri needed water to dress your wounds, so your helmet was the closest to a bucket that we could find." He held out the golden helmet to the prince.
Bucket? I guess it kinda does look like a bucket. "It does look like a bucket, doesn�t it?" Arslan giggled and accepted the head ware. He placed it besides him, not dumping out the water yet. Might need it later. "But...um...what I�m looking for are my clothes."
"Oh." Matsuri laughed and left to fetch them.
"Are you leaving already?" Amaru asked, disappointed.
"Well..." It�s not like I WANT to leave. He didn�t want to leave at all. It was relaxing, just sitting here and talking with the Ryudo family. After the initial awkwardness, Arslan quickly adjusted to the company of the dragon family. They were easy to talk to, and they possessed a familiar air that made him comfortable in their presence. In a short while, he felt like he had known them all before, and wished that he did not have to leave. I�d rather spend my days here, doing nothing but eating, fishing, and talking. He envied their freedom, it was fun doing nothing. But you�re a prince. You have responsibilities. "I don�t want to overstay my welcome."
Tsuzuku watched him in surprise. For a prince, he sure is a modest being. "You just had your wounds bandaged. You might as well stay until they�re healed a little more, otherwise they�ll open again." He glanced at Hajime, who made the final decision in all matters.
Hajime nodded in agreement. "Where are you headed?"
"Port Giran." Arslan sighed. "In the southern coast." That was another thing he liked about these strangers. They spoke politely, it was true, but they tended to forget to address him as "prince" and call him, instead, by his name -- "Arslan." It made him feel...more like a person than an ideal, more human, more grounded.
As if sensing what he was thinking, Tsuzuku asked him calmly, "Does it bother you if we do not address you properly?"
"No."
The brown eyes watched him, as if testing. "Because we do not come from your lands, and hence, do not consider you our prince, so it feels wrong to address you as "Your Highness." Tsuzuku knew it was rude, and regretted speaking such, but he had to make it clear that the family would not obey him as if he was a god, that they didn�t serve him. He doesn�t deserve what I�m saying, but I can�t help it. I have to know...even though Guibu said that he does not act princely, I have to be sure.
"Tsuzuku!" Hajime�s tone held a slight reprimand.
"It�s the truth. So long as he understands that, then we�ll get along just fine."
Arslan was slightly taken aback, but not at all offended. I think I can understand. He doesn�t come from where I do, so he has no reason to treat me as if he did. I hope I didn�t make him mad somehow. He shook his head. "I understand perfectly, and am not expecting you to treat me as if you were one of my subjects." I didn�t really expect you to. "In truth," he confessed, "It�s actually...a little...refreshing." Not being called "Your Highness" can almost make me forget who I am...
Tsuzuku nodded his head in approval. Good. I misjudged him...he doesn�t fit into the stock mold for "prince" after all. His calm face broke out into a beautiful smile. I like him much better now.
"How do you plan to get to Port Giran?" Hajime inquired. "You have lost your horse. Are you going to go back to get another one?"
"I don�t want to see you until you have secured 50,000 men!" Arslan shook his head. "I think I�ll walk." Oh dear, this is going to be a looong walk.
"In that case, stay until your injuries are more completely healed," Hajime decided. "Otherwise, you may collapse half way there."
Matsuri came back with his clothes. "Here you go. We washed them when we first found you. They�re still slightly damp, but otherwise, they�re dry." She handed back his garments, and he examined them with slight amusement. His clothes were slightly stained, but otherwise they were clean. Unfortunately, they were not in the greatest of conditions. His tunic was torn in several places, and there was holes and cuts all over them from the fall down. But it�s not as bad as it could be. He turned his back to the group and moved to dress. Thankfully, however, his hosts turned their backs as well, and he dressed quickly as he could without feeling too embarrassed.
Azrael lead them on a long dance around the mountain. Gradually, it dawned to Guibu that they were simply taking the longer and safer way to reach the bottom of the cliff. Bored, he chose that moment to examine his companions. They had accepted the fact that he could not remember them, and so told him helpful facts whenever the situation arose that he would need them.
Darun, the king�s champion. He wore dark clothes and was the only one with a black steed. As demonstrated with the bandits, he was clearly the bravest, strongest, and best fighter that they had. He had dark hair and dark blue eyes. Unintentionally, in the prince�s absence, he took charge as leader of their group. Arslan�s horse was tied to his, as the Black Knight had decided to bring him along for the prince.
Narcasse, the king�s strategist. He had long brown hair tied to his side, and bright brown eyes. He had a rather feminine physique, for his facial structure was similar to that of a woman, and he was very slim for a male. He was the one who thought of everything, the one with all the ideas, but could also fight skillfully with a sword.
Alfreed and Melain. The siblings, as Eram had explained to him, were the leaders of a bandit tribe. They fought with sword and arrows, but in a style that did not attempt to be fair or just. Alfreed had bright red hair, while Melain�s was a dark red, but they both had dark magenta eyes that glittered when they were pleased.
Eram. Nacasse�s young servant/freed-slave. A fine archer, he was useful for running small errands and spying inconspicuously. He had dark blue hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes. He got into fights with Alfreed a lot, mostly over Narcasse, and Guibu wondered if anyone noticed the way that Narcasse watched Darun. It was unlikely...as close as the group was, the members tended not to pay attention to each other. Except Narcasse and Darun...
Jaswont, the Shindran ex-assassin. When Guibu had asked Eram about him, the boy had simply responded that "he was another person who felt His Highness� kindness." Apparently, the assassin had been caught before, and Arslan had freed him. Impressed by the prince for this and other reasons, as well as being hated by one of the ex-Shindran princes, he had decided to follow Arslan. Like all Shindrans, he had dark skin. Unlike other Shindrans, however, he also had gold-slitted eyes. He was the fastest among their groups, killing quickly, efficiently, and soundlessly.
And...Farangis. The only other female in their group, the priestess had glossy raven hair and sharp green eyes. She fought expertly with a sword, and when Guibu had asked Eram about her, he had told him, "You joined us because she did." Did I? I don�t remember. But he could see why he would follow her -- she was beautiful, simply beautiful. She followed the Goddess Misra, and Guibu could barely recall in the back of his mind that he followed Ashi, a follower of Misra.
All of us...chasing after one boy that may or may not still be alive. Guibu sighed, and wished he could remember a fact about Arslan, anything, that would tell him why he had joined the group on this scavenger hunt. He did remember how kind the prince had been to him, true. but little else. Except a name that does not belong to him, a disembodied name without an owner. Hoshiki. Who is Hoshiki? Why did I call him Hoshiki? Sighing, Guibu rested against his horse�s mane. Narcasse said that if I came across something very familiar, it might trigger some of my memories to be released. But nothing came, and he was alone. I feel so helpless. He sighed again. It would be helpful if they could tell me about me. But they don�t appear to know much about me beyond the facts that I�m skilled with sword and arrow, I joined them after I met Farangis, and I�m a traveling minstrel. Wonderful. So helpful, these people...
He felt eyes upon him, and looked at the source. Lady Farangis. "Are you well?" She asked, looking slightly concerned. I suppose she still feels bad about slapping me the other day. He didn�t blame her, he didn�t blame anyone. Actually, I�m pretty lucky...I think I can trust these people until I recover my memories...I don�t think I�m in any danger from any of them... They�re not all exactly friendly, but they appear to feel obligated to take care of me, which is good enough for me. He nodded slightly, smiled at her, but said nothing. As well as any man can be...
"Guibu, do you remember anything of Prince Arslan?" It was Narcasse, watching him as well. "Anything at all?"
Well, I remember a fake name, if that counts... "Actually, no...I don�t even know why I was injured in the first place."
"A Turan soldier ran you through with his spear. Which is slightly strange, since most Turans do not use spears." Melain shrugged. "And you were dying..."
"Really?" Guibu touched his chest. He had no wounds, none whatsoever. "How long ago was this?"
"The night you woke up." Farangis said. It dawned to Guibu that this mystery was poking at everyone�s curiosity and they all wanted to know what happened.
"Where was I stabbed?"
"In the chest. Your ribs were broken, your breathing organs punctured. We all figured you were as good as dead," said Melain in a serious tone.
Nervously, Guibu felt his chest again. Healed. "Are you sure you weren�t mistaken? Because I have no wounds, none there." No wonder everyone�s giving me such strange looks.
"There is no mistake. You were dying in Farangis� arms, blood was pouring out from both sides of you, because the spear had gone completely through." Melain watched him, without a change of expression.
Guibu winced. There�s no need to be so graphic. A "you were stabbed" would have been good enough. "And then...?"
"The prince held you as you were dying and then he passed out. And when we got to you, you were already starting to look better." Eram looked at him, puzzled. "Your wounds are gone?" He had assumed that Guibu�s wounds were still there, he did not know they were missing like his memories.
"Not a trace of them left."
Eram looked at Melain doubtfully. "Are you sure you�re not mistaken?"
"My brother doesn�t exaggerate like some little boy I know." Alfreed stuck out her tongue at him and he looked at her angrily.
"I don�t exaggerate! It just doesn�t make sense." Eram looked at Narcasse pleadingly. "Master, why is Guibu still alive? How is that possible?" Sure, talk about me as if I�m not here. At this rate you would think that they would have been more pleased if I died.
"There are Shindran myths of people who were miraculously healed by others. I�ve never seen any before, however." The voice was unfamiliar, and it took Guibu a minute before he realized that the speaker was Jaswont. This must fascinate everyone to have him talk. As far as I know, this is the first time I�ve heard him speak.
Narcasse looked at Darun, who had not yet joined the conversation. Darun was keeping an eye on Azrael, determined not to lose sight of the bird. "Well, Darun, you know the prince better than anyone else. Does he have any secretive healing powers?"
"Don�t be ridiculous." A pause, and then Darun admitted reluctantly, "Although I have never seen him faint like that before."
"Maybe it was from the sight of watching blood pouring out of a companion�s body," Guibu suggested, using Melain�s descriptions. "Fainting doesn�t mean he healed me."
"Right, it doesn�t," Farangis agreed. "So how, then, minstrel, do you explain your speedy recovery?"
"Perhaps Ashi has decided to bless me with a renewed body so that I may enjoy the pleasures of life." The answer had slipped out, he had no idea where that line of thought came from. But another, blurry memory came back -- Ashi, goddess of love, fertility, and sex; patroness of the arts, music, and dancing. He quickly laughed to show that he was joking, for Farangis did not appear to be the type of person who would enjoy hearing such comments.
"Pervert," said Alfreed, laughing.
"Obviously being wounded did nothing to damage his sex drive," Melain muttered beneath his breath.
Guibu gave a carefree shrug, which his friends were pleased to see. A simple gesture, but very reminiscent of who he was before he forgot himself.
"Guess what we�re having for dinner tonight, Amaru?" Owaru watched him with a wide smile. "Rabbit stew!"
The sun was starting to set, and Matsuri was trying in vain to start a fire.
"No we�re not!" Amaru cried out in panic. He looked at Hajime. "We�re not, are we Niisan?"
Hajime shook his head, and Amaru glared at Owaru.
"Quit it you two, and helped me out!" Matsuri complained. "Amaru and Owaru, you two get more fish and firewood. Hajime, you help me with this fire."
"Ok."
"Why doesn�t Tsuzuku-aniki have to do anything?"
"Cuz he played hero yesterday and you didn�t."
"But Amaru and me played heroes a few days ago."
"Exactly. �A few days ago.� The hero air only lasts for one day and one night."
"Darn, I wasted a good deed."
Watching the spectacle, Arslan had to smile. It would have been nice to have a family like this one... Someone sat next to him, on his right. Turning, he was surprised to see the second oldest Ryudo brother.
"So, why are you going south?" The red dragon spoke in a low voice, to avoid attracting the attention of his two younger brothers, who were wandering off.
"I�ve been sent to secure 50,000 men." Arslan took the moment to study the red dragon. He had short, auburn-brown hair, and bright light brown eyes, appearing almost red at times. He possessed an air of confidence and he was very handsome.
"Sent? By whom?"
Arslan stared at the rest of the valley, hugging his knees to his chest. It was pale green, almost yellow, although the setting sun played a role in changing its color. "My father, the king of Palse. He had been imprisoned by the people who invaded Palse and had only recently managed to escape."
"He sent you by yourself?" Either his father is an idiot or he hates Arslan or he�s so confident of Arslan�s abilities that he left his son by himself. Somehow I doubt that it�s the third. He must be an uncaring idiot.
Arslan nodded, the memories returning. His father, refusing to let him see his mother, refusing to let anyone go with him -- not even a servant --, and sending him off to secure 50,000 men in the remote city south. He really hates me...I wonder why... He buried his face into his own arms, hoping that he wouldn�t start crying before a stranger. Don�t cry don�t cry don�t cry. An unwelcome tear slid silently down the right side of his cheek. I have to be strong. I can�t cry just because my father hates me and sent me on an exile without my friends. Stop it. Control your emotions.
"Why are you trying so hard not to cry?" Asked the observant being besides him. Granted, rarely did anyone of the Ryudo family cry, due to the nature of their background, but they had been taught by Hajime anyway that it was okay to express your feelings. Not that I usually do...but still... "There�s no shame in crying, and no one here will scorn you for doing so."
Arslan felt like the words had lifted a tremendous burden off of his chest. After this...I won�t cry again. Maybe. Suddenly, the tears flowed more freely than before, and he hugged himself sadly. Quietly, he cried for everything, cried the tears that he had been holding back for so long. He cried for the men, women, and children that were killed days ago, for the Lusitanians that committed suicide, for his exile, for not being able to see his mother, for his friend�s close death and his present condition, for his father�s hatred, for the distance of royalty between him and his friends, for the war that he was stuck in, for the people that he knew would get hurt, for knowing that he may be forced to abuse love in order to win the war, and above all, for being alone... For not having any of his friends with him, even if none of them were terribly close, for the fact that if he died yesterday he would have died by himself, and no one would know what had happened to him, and in all probability, very few would care.
Tsuzuku watched the boy crying next to him. He�s still ashamed of his tears. That�s why he�s trying to hide his face. Uncertain of what to do, but feeling obligated to help, he recalled when he had cried once, in his childhood, and Hajime had held him.
Strong arms drew around him and someone hugged him, pulling him near, until he was no longer crying on his own knees but on someone else�s shoulder for support. Tsuzuku... Arslan cried for what seemed like forever, releasing all his pain in the form of tears. He cried until he could cry no more, until he was completely dry, until he was completely drained and empty. Weary, he leaned against the dragon for support and comfort, taking the opportunity to enjoy the feeling of being held. Of feeling safe in the arms of another. Sanctuary. So warm... Then, he gently pulled away and met the eyes of the dragon. And smiled, a small, genuine smile. "Thank you...I really needed that."
His mesmerizing blue eyes arrested Tsuzuku for a minute. He has beautiful eyes. They were teal blue, a deep blue, holding pain and sadness and joy. A person could stare into his eyes forever and feel himself lost. Breaking the eye contact, Tsuzuku nodded his acceptance of the thanks, feeling slightly embarrassed, though he did not know why, and trying his best not to show it. "You�re welcome. Feeling better now?"
At Arslan�s nod, Tsuzuku handed him back his helmet of water. Arslan accepted it and used the water to wash his face. When he was done, he placed the golden helmet back on the floor and sighed contently, feeling better than he had in days. A comfortable silence set in. After a few minutes, Arslan broke it. "So, now that you have found each other, are you all returning home?"
"Not yet. We�re going to enjoy it here first." Not that we really have a choice.
"That sounds nice..." This prince�s voice was wistful and quiet. "You have a wonderful family..."
"I suppose..."
Silence.
"How�s Guibu?"
Arslan hugged himself and shivered slightly. It was getting cold. "I�m not sure...he was almost killed in battle the day you three left..."
Tsuzuku stared at him, horrified.
"In fact," Arslan leaned back and studied the stars in the darkening sky. "I can almost swear that I felt him die. But...he�s not dead. Apparently, he�s healed completely, there�s not a single trace of his death-wound left. In fact, the only thing wrong with him is his memory. He appears to have forgotten everything."
Amnesia...? "Everything?"
"Well, he does not remember anyone or anything. He even called me by the wrong name. Nor does he seem to remember where he got that name in the first place. I�m still not sure if he remembers how to sing or fight like before..."
"His mortal wound has healed completely but he can�t remember anything?" Tsuzuku frowned. It was a puzzle, a conundrum, a mystery. Strange. Better ask Niisan, maybe he�ll know.
It was dark. His stomach growled once more, and he rested against his horse. "Darun," Guibu called.
"Yes?" The prince�s champion answered, although he did not turn around.
Guibu looked at all the others. Everyone else looked as weary as he. They had traveled the entire night before, without a wink of sleep, fought bandits, traveled all day, and not once did they stop for a break. There had also been a few incidents of detours, when Azrael had stopped and Darun had forced everyone to look around for Arslan -- only to find that Azrael was just resting, and that they have not yet reached their destination. Twice, yet, Azrael had flown off taking a short-cut down a path that their horses would never be able to descend, forcing them to wander around on their own looking for the safer way to down. Furthermore, because of the terrain, the fastest their horses could move in was a trot; a gallop or anything faster could result in a misstep and a fall. At this rate, we�ll kill our horses. "Darun, it�s dark. The horses are tired, we�re tired. Can we just set camp here and look for him in the morning?"
Darun glanced in his direction, irritated. "No," he said flatly. "If Prince Arslan fell, he could be dying this instant."
"If he fell, he�s probably already dead," Guibu said, his voice equally flat. "And at this rate, we�ll kill our horses as well."
Darun glared at him in fury, a look of such anger that the minstrel began to feel fear. "If you could take being skewered in two and still are alive, then His Highness could probably take falling off a cliff."
That has to be the dumbest and most illogical argument I have ever heard. Guibu sighed, and tried one more time. He tried a different tactic. "Look at Narcasse." The strategist looked at the minstrel in surprise. "Look how weary he looks. See his horse? See his horse sweat? None of us have eaten all day, and none of us got to sleep at all last night. Even Azrael looks tired." He felt Narcasse scrutinizing him carefully, and it made him want to laugh. Yes, I�m not sure about you two, but I can guess, and you watching me only serves to confirm my suspicions...
Darun watched his lover with worry. He sighed, and turned to face the group he was leading. "I still think we should continue. Prince Arslan could be dying this very moment. I know this is difficult to endure, but it�s just for a little longer. Does anyone feel that they cannot make it?"
When he phrases it like that, no one will say no. Guibu sighed. "Narcasse, what do you say?"
Once again, he surprised the strategist with his question. "It�s not safe to stop here. I think we should stop at the bottom of the mountain. We�re almost there, anyway."
"Narcasse..."
"Darun, once we�re at the bottom, the least we can do is let our horses rest. We can walk around all night, but Guibu is right: if we keep treating our steeds like this much longer, they will not be of any further use."
Darun nodded reluctantly, pleasing Guibu. See how he listens to Narcasse and not me? They really are close "friends..."
They waited until they were sure that the prince was asleep before they chose to talk. By then, Matsuri had nodded off as well, and only the four brothers remained awake. Tsuzuku wondered why Owaru and Amaru were still awake as well, but he assumed it was because they had too much energy. He was wrong.
"Niisan...I�ve seen him before..." Amaru said quietly. "In a dream," he added worriedly, afraid that Owaru would make some stupid comment about how they had met the prince before.
Not good...Amaru�s the dreamer in our group, his dreams hold the most power and accuracy. Tsuzuku looked at Hajime wordlessly.
"Do you remember it?" Hajime asked gently.
"Not all of it...a little..." Suddenly, Amaru looked at Hajime with certainty. "I think we�re here because of him. We came to meet him."
"So if we kill him, can we go back?" Owaru, half-joking and half-serious.
"No!" Amaru yelled in surprise. He lowered his voice. "I mean, I think we were supposed to meet him." He took a breath. "Sometimes I dream of dragons. Sometimes I dream of us, wearing different costumes. And sometimes, when I dream of us, I see him."
Tsuzuku felt a chill. We don�t know much about ourselves...only that we�re dragons and even that we doubted until Amaru became one. Kamakura no Gozen had said that after 117 generations, we would resume our dragon forms, which is true as well. Hajime�s the Blue Dragon King of the East, Amaru, the Black Dragon King of the North, me, the Red Dragon King of the South, and Owaru, the White Dragon King of the West. Other than that...we know very little...although Hajime has a theory that we are the incarnations from another time and place. If that�s true, then he may be something as well... Tsuzuku watched the young prince, who was sleeping silently. The moonlight cast a dim glow that could make out his features -- his soft blue hair, his pretty face lying besides his hands, his knees curled up in a fetal position. He breathed softly, and looked as innocent as someone of his age should. He must trust us, to be able to sleep in the presence of a group of strangers. Then again, if we wanted to kill him, we�d have done so already.
"Sometimes he�s with Matsuri-chan," Amaru said, surprising his elders once more.
Matsuri...I think she came from where we came from, too. Tsuzuku looked at his younger brother. "Anything else?"
Amaru met Tsuzuku�s eyes, and deep inside, Tsuzuku felt something stir. "You remember him too, don�t you Tsuzuku-niisan?"
Surprised, Tsuzuku paused and tried to recall his dreams. Dragons sometimes, yes...ourselves sometimes, very rarely...and recently...meeting someone in my dreams? Talking about something, interrupting another�s dreams...
"Aniki, you okay?"
"Huh?"
"You zoned out for a second. Do you remember anything?"
"Recently...it started ever since we came here...I�ve been getting dreams where I talk to someone...I can�t remember what they�re about, though..." Tsuzuku frowned, feeling more disturbed than he was willing to admit. "Or who it is that I meet..."
Besides them, Arslan whimpered in his sleep. He stirred restlessly, and curled up even tighter than before.
Tsuzuku stared. "I wonder what his dreams are about."
"How about we wake him up and find out?" Owaru asked with a mischievous grin. "If we wait until he wakes up, he�ll probably forget. But if we interrupt him while he�s dreaming..."
As the ceremony proceeded, it dawned to him that this was it, that he would be tied with the other man for now, forever. Well, not forever, but for a long, long, time. After all his fighting, after all his protests, after everything he�d tried and done...even revealing that he loved the other brother...All of it, useless. Meaningless. The ceremony would be held no matter what, and his mate would be the Red Dragon...Despite everything he tried, it was useless...they were tied together, now and forever.
He felt eyes upon him. Everyone was there, everyone he loved and hated, everyone. He caught of glimpse of Shukukei from the corner of his eye. Sadly, he turned to face his match, and he could almost touch the resentment that the other bring held for him. I don�t want this anymore than you do! I never wanted this! If you had just married your pretty singer, none of this would have happened! But try as he might, he could not bring himself to resent his match in turn. He felt...nothing. He was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of caring, tired of wishing that things would be different.
He examined the one who hated him. The prince was gorgeous, as usual, but he was not his younger brother. He did not possess the kindness his younger brother had, unless you were a pretty singer-servant. Feeling nothing, he decided to test the limits. What did he have to lose?
When the ceremony ended and the Go prince turned to leave, he grabbed his hand. His husband stared at him coldly, but he ignored the look. Instead, he stepped near and forced himself to kiss the prince. He broke off the kiss after a few seconds, and watched for a reaction. Waiting to be hit, waiting for anger, waiting for something...
Calmly, the Red Dragon walked away. Nothing. Nothing at all. And he began to laugh. He supposed that nothing was something...at least his match had enough control to not strike him. It meant that the anger was not directed at him, although clearly the anger existed.
"Yo!"
And he began to walk away as well, feeling misery swell up with in him. Useless, everything useless...
"Prince!"
Arslan stared confusedly at the boy who had awaken him from his sleep. "Shukukei? Let me sleep," he begged and rolled back over. Someone caught him by the arm and pulled him to face him. Seconds later, Arslan found himself facing the person that he had just kissed. He stared stupidly for an instant, then felt the blush creep upon his face. He sat up straight, puzzled, as he tried to make sense of what he had just been thinking. Where am I? Who...?
"What have you been dreaming about?"
Arslan panicked. All he could remember from his dream at that point was kissing Tsuzuku. "No-no-nothing at all!" He turned his face away, grateful for the night hiding his embarrassment. I can�t believe I�ve been dreaming about kissing another man!
Shukukei? He called Owaru �Shukukei�? Tsuzuku looked at Hajime, disturbed.
"Do you remember anything of your dream? Anything at all?" Hajime asked Arslan gently.
"No-noth-thing noteworthy." Thank you, Night, for your magnificent shield of concealment.
Hajime watched him carefully. "Are you sure?"
Why do they want to know so badly? So badly that they wake me up? Gradually, Arslan�s senses returned. This seems very important to them. He knew that they had their reasons for acting as they did, and so he closed his eyes and tried to recall. "There was some kind of ceremony..."
"Do you remember who was there? Think hard."
All I remember is kissing Tsuzuku. I don�t think I was paying attention to anyone else. And yet, he was sad in his dream, he knew that... "I think," he said, feeling embarrassed, "Tsuzuku was there..."
"Anyone else...?" Hajime appeared very intent upon his answer.
Arslan frowned in concentration. "A lot of people were watching the ceremony. I think I saw Owaru there..." He shook his head. "I don�t know who else was there."
"Do you know what kind of ceremony it was?"
Arslan shook his head. "Not really...something I didn�t want, something that no one wanted. It was upsetting me, I think." He finally looked at the leader of the Ryudo brothers. "Why do you ask?"
Tsuzuku watched as Hajime debated between telling the truth and telling a lie. He could guess at what his older brother was thinking. If Arslan�s involved, telling him may help. Then again, it might also mean that he was an enemy...
"What is it?" Arslan asked, feeling puzzled. Why is everyone looking at me so strangely?
"Can I ask you a question?" It was Amaru, sweet-faced Amaru, looking more serious than Arslan has ever seen him.
"Yes?"
"Do you ever dream about dragons?"
"I...don�t...think so...If I do, I can�t recall any right now..."
"Do you ever dream that you�re talking to someone else?"
Arslan searched and searched and searched. "Maybe," he admitted. "I�m not sure, but I think so. Sometimes, maybe. Why?"
Everyone was now staring at him.
"In the ceremony, how was Tsuzuku dressed?" It was Amaru, again. The small child�s voice sounded...strange. Almost frightening.
"In red. He was dressed in rich, fancy, red clothing." Arslan wondered if he was going mad. I dream about a pretty boy all dressed up handsomely and me kissing him in front of an audience.
Well...I *am* the Red Dragon King of the South Sea, thought Tsuzuku. I guess that would make sense. He watched Arslan thoughtfully. The way he�s avoided the question when Hajime asked him...he�s hiding something. "Is there anything else that occurred that you choose not to tell us? This is important. Anything at all?" What are you trying to hide?
I can�t tell them. It�s too embarrassing. But should I really have so much pride? If it�s important, shouldn�t I be obligated to tell? Arslan hesitated, confirming Tsuzuku�s answer.
His is hiding something... "What is it?" Tsuzuku asked. What could it possibly be?
Arslan shook his head. "It was just a dream." I can�t, not unless they give me a better reason to. That part was probably just my own fantasy. At *that* thought, he felt even more embarrassed than before.
"Niisan, I remember that dream. A little." Amaru leaned over and whispered in Hajime�s ear. Hajime�s eyes widened. He looked back at the prince, and then at Tsuzuku, making them both feel left in the dark. He then said something quietly back to Amaru.
"Anyway, we were just checking. You can go back to sleep now," said Owaru.
Arslan stared at him. How can I sleep after all this mystery? He lied down and closed his eyes, trying to catch the elusive bliss of sleep. As the minutes went by, gradually he drifted off into oblivion.
When the prince�s breathing pattern slowed back to that of sleep, Tsuzuku looked at Amaru and Hajime. "What is it?"
"I�m not sure..." said Amaru. "But I think I had that dream before. I didn�t understand it, though...and I still don�t. Niisan, you were dressed up in fancy, red clothing. Arslan was dressed in fancy clothes, too; blue and white. You two were very handsome, all dressed up from head to toe. And you two were standing besides each other, and all of us were watching."
Tsuzuku frowned. "So you don�t know what the ceremony was?"
Amaru hesitated, then shook his head. "No..."
"I wonder what he was trying to hide," said Owaru.
Hajime sighed and rubbed his temples with his hands. "Arslan is going by himself, right?"
"Yes..."
"We�re going to go with him."
The spear rammed through him, and he felt agonizing pain. Soundlessly, he fell, only to be caught in her arms.
And then he was dying, he was sure of that. His time was near and the only two with him was she and his friend. And he opened his mouth and tried to tell her how he felt, how he had always felt. All he wanted to do before he died was tell her that she was special to him, that he...loved her, that he had always did and always will love her. He tried to tell her, but he was mute and no words would come. Desperately, he tried to speak, but she ignored his voice, for he had none.
Horrified, he reached his hand into his mouth and pulled out what was clogging his throat. A snake...
And the snake crawled out of his mouth and onto his body. It curled around his neck and squeezed and he couldn�t breath and she did not notice it, no one did. And he tried to tell her all he wanted to do was tell her he didn�t care if he died he had to tell her! But the snake tightened around his neck and he could speak no more.
Guibu woke up with beads of sweat upon his face. Sitting up and breathing heavily, he saw that it was early morning. It was just a dream. Thank the gods, it was just a dream. He wiped one hand on his face and forced himself to calm down. Just a dream. Nothing more than a dream.
"Are you all right?" A smooth, silky voice.
Turning to the source, he spotted Narcasse and Darun. The two were sitting together, watching him with concern. The speaker had been Narcasse.
Breathing deeply, he nodded.
"Nightmare?" Darun asked with worry. "Memories?"
"I don�t think it would be possible to be memories." He shivered. "I was dying, just as Melain had so kindly painted the scene. But there was a snake, too...it came out of my mouth and wrapped cheerfully around my neck. When I put it like that, it sounds funny. Reminds me that it was just a dream. He smiled, forcing his body to relax. It was, after all, just a dream, and if he thought about it, a silly one at that. "There I was, dying from spear wound and being choked with a snake around my neck, but neither the Lady Farangis nor the Bandit Melain bothered to relieve me of the creature." He laughed softly, laughing off the dream and any remains of it. Just a dream. It was just a dream.
"So..." Guibu said, surveying the camp. "Who else it awake?"
"Just us and you," said the prince�s knight.
Oops, am I interrupting something? Guibu grinned to himself. Wonder why they try so hard to hide it...we�re all friends here. Ah well, none of my business. "Well, shall we begin looking for our lost little lion cub?"
"Well, what were you dreaming about?" A curious smile.
"You�ll never know, because this was one of the few dreams that you did not enter." A mysterious smile.
"I am not even aware of the dreams that I DO enter..." A small protest.
"Hmm..." Amusement.
"What is so funny?"
"Nothing. I simply hope that you DO find out what it was about..."
Tsuzuku woke up to the sun beaming brightly on his face. He supposed that after all his mornings waking up to it, he should be used to it, but no...the sun was still as annoying as ever. Sighing, he sat up. Instantly, Owaru was at his side.
"What did you dream about, Aniki?"
Tsuzuku furrowed his brow in concentration. "I think I was talking to someone."
"What were you talking about?"
"Um...dreams?"
"Hmm..." Quickly, Owaru moved to Arslan and woke the prince up. Groggily, the prince rubbed his eyes and looked around in puzzlement. Seeing Owaru, he groaned inwardly. Not this again...
"Sorry, Arslan, but gotta check. What were you dreaming about?"
Arslan yawned. "I�m not sure."
"Were you talking to someone else about dreams?"
"Talking about dreams in a dream?" Arslan stretched his arms. "I�m sorry, I�m not sure. Sounds familiar, I think I might have." He paused. "Maybe."
Owaru nodded, satisfied. He glanced at Hajime, who was talking quietly to Matsuri. "Oi, Aniki! Can we ask him?"
Hajime nodded.
Amaru shook his head. "You don�t ask, Owaru-niisan. Tsuzuku-niisan should."
Both of his older brothers stared. "Huh?"
"Tsuzuku-niisan, tell Prince Arslan Haijme-niisan�s decision yesterday."
Decision? Oh... Tsuzuku turned to face the prince. "Arslan?"
"Yes?" I like the way he says my name. Wait -- where did that thought come from? What am I thinking?
"You�re traveling alone to Port Giran, correct?"
"Yes."
"May we accompany you?"
Arslan smiled, his face lighting up. Although he did not think so, he was actually very pretty, and the smile only made his beauty shine more through. "I would be honored if your family decided to travel with me." Oh good, I won�t be alone on my way there...
"Then we will." It was as simple as that, and Tsuzuku wondered why Amaru made him ask. Or why I even listened.
A familiar cry came in the sky.
Glancing up, Arslan was delighted to see Quishward�s ex-pet. "Azrael!" He shouted, holding out a fist. The beautiful falcon landed on his arm gently, although his claws dug painfully into Arslan�s skin. Wincing, Arslan smiled at the bird. He was pleased to see him, although he wished that he had remembered to wear his gauntlet before summoning him. "How are you doing, my friend?"
"Neat bird!" Owaru grinned enthusiastically. "Can we eat it?"
Arslan looked at him horrified, until he realized that the boy was joking. Laughing softly, he shook his head.
Tsuzuku frowned suddenly. Someone�s coming.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!"
The sound of multiple galloping horses, as the figures appeared on the horizon. Arslan stared, surprised.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!" Eram screamed at the top of his lungs as the horses approached the Ryudo�s camp. "YOUR HIGHNESS! YOU�RE ALIVE!!!"
"Who are they?" Matsuri asked, alarmed.
"Don�t be frightened," Arslan reassured her. "They�re some friends."
Minutes later, the horses stopped at the Ryudo�s camp. The riders, dismounted, running towards their prince.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!" Eram ran over and stopped to catch his breath. "Your Highness! We were so worried about you! We thought you were dead!"
"Eram? What are you all doing here?"
"Don�t bother to reprimand us, Your Highness." It was Narcasse.
"We�re prepared for both your scolding and His Majesty�s anger." Darun kneeled before his prince, feeling relief and joy at seeing him safe.
"Please, allow us to accompany you." Farangis said.
Arslan shook his head, smiling. I�m so lucky to have such great friends. How can they possibly think that I would get angry for their company? "I�m not going to scold you. Maybe the gods will punish us all."
Well that sounds a little ominous, thought Tsuzuku, watching the reunion scene. Arslan�s friends surrounded him, all cheerful and talking at the same time. He noted with interest, however, how none of them touched him or hugged him in greeting. His eyes traveled to Guibu and Melain, the only two from the crowd that he knew well.
"Chuukei," Guibu greeted with a slight bow. When the other man froze, he felt panic. Uh oh. I did it again!
Hajime stared at the minstrel. He felt someone poking him and turned to look at his younger brother, the source. It was Owaru.
"Oi, Aniki! Are we still going to accompany him?" Owaru asked Hajime in a low voice.
"We have to. There�s something about him that we need to learn more about."