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"The King and the Shaman "Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, Fantasy/Drama/Romance, Yaoi, lemon, language (the usual), peril, violence, animal shamans, neko Duo, king Heero, impending war, sentient-formless evil Pairings: 1x2, others Summary: Heero is the young king of a country
he wants to expand into an Empire. One day he is approached by a woman
who claims she is an animal Shaman, creatures of legend and myth.
She makes an offer Heero cannot refuse. " The King and the Shaman "
He'd taken the throne at the age of nineteen. This was met with hesitation and in some cases open scorn. The young man, however, had taken Cairon by storm. He simply seized the reins left by his father and took control. Heero Yuy could not be bullied, intimidated, or manipulated by the advisors and lords of court. He ruled like one born to rule, and he stunned all of Cairon. Now, at the age of twenty-three, he was faced with an extremely . . . unusual request. A woman had arrived at open court. She stood before him now, looking aged though there were no lines on her face to suggest this. Her hair was white as snow, but her eyes were clear. Kal'an she introduced herself, an animal Shaman from beyond the impassable barrier of the mountains known as the Dragon's Spine. There were many ancient legends of animal Shamans, of course. They were believed to be pure myth, because no evidence of them could be found in the known world. Heero was willing to believe she was a Shaman. She looked . . . wild. Untamed. He wondered if she really could transform into an animal like myths claimed. He leaned forward on his throne slightly, letting her know she had his full attention. "You have traveled quite far to get here, Kal'an," he said. "Why is that? Animal Shamans have not been seen in so long it is believed they are pure myth." Her eyes, the deepest of browns, shuttered for a moment in a long blink. "Yes, we had feared as such. That is precisely why I am here, Lord Heero. Do there exist anywhere in your history books records of the bargains made between our two great peoples?" Heero blinked. Bargains, eh? How interesting. If her mere presence hadn't captured his attention, this surely did. "No. I'm listening." And so she began, outlining the bargains for him of a time long, long ago. The existence of a great and terrible evil. The vulnerability of the young human race. The promise of the magic-wielding Shamans to protect them. The vows the humans made in return. She spoke succinctly and directly, skimming no details but not drawling on endlessly. She did not sound like a wild beast, mindless and senseless. In fact, she sounded more educated than most of the fools who paraded around in his court. "This evil has been gone a long time," Kal'an admitted when she finished, "but that is not to say it is vanquished. Never before has it been absent so long, but we have recently felt the world's energies are troubled, suggesting its return." Heero could not help it. He was totally entranced by all this. "Can you guarantee that's what it is?" he inquired. "No," she said with an honesty that immediately appealed to him. "But never have we been wrong about it, either." Heero leaned back to mull this over. "How long has it been since the evil was last here?" "Well over two-thousand years," she said. "In the past it was less than half that time between attacks. I cannot say why. We never had a real concept of how the evil works." After a moment, Heero nodded absently. "You've brought a lot before me, Kal'an Earth Shaman. It will require extensive consideration. I am open to learning more. Return to me in a few days, and we will speak again." Kal'an inclined her head, indicating respect among equals. For some reason, that didn't bother Heero as it might from a human. She turned to leave the huge audience hall, and Heero gestured to the heralds. "Tell any stragglers I will see no more today. I have two audiences with the monarchs of Tiam and Perle today." "Lord Heero," Kal'an said, pausing just by the door, "forgive my lack of foresight, but I have a long journey ahead of me. It will be dark soon, and I have brought no cloak. Might I impose upon you for the use of your own until I return in a few days?" Blinking, Heero threw a glance at the deep blue cloak spread over his throne. He had many cloaks. "Of course," he said, waving a negligent hand. "Herald, see Shaman Kal'an out, won't you? I have matters to attend." The herald bowed, and Kal'an murmured her thanks. o8o o8o He was born deep in the night after hours of labor. Shai'a lay on the ground, panting, her spotted fur matted from the heat of her efforts. The tiny kitten, blind and extremely pale-furred, made the most pitiful mewling sounds as Kal'an ever-so-gently wrapped him in the dark cloak Heero had lent her. He had no idea of the true purpose for that request. "What is his name, Shai'a?" Kal'an whispered, not wanting to upset the kitten, no bigger than the length of her two palms. "Al'duo'anon," she gasped, transforming back into her human form. "One who is both?" Kal'an mused, smiling a little as the kitten dropped into slumber. "He is a Shaman," Shai'a said, "but he will be raised by a human." "It is fitting. I will leave for Cairon first thing in the morning so that we may get this precious bundle to Heero with all haste." "Take him now, Kal'an," Shai'a murmured, "or I will have not the heart to part with him. And Kal'an . . ." "Yes?" the Earth Shaman said kindly. "Please take care with him. I should like to see him again, when he is grown." Kal'an took the infant Shaman away then, but not before she saw the tears begin trickling down Shai'a's face. o8o o8o "When last we met," Kal'an said, "I laid much at your feet. I would not expect you to reach decisions at once. That is why I have brought with me a gift that might aid in your consideration." The young human looked a little surprised. "A gift?" "Yes," Kal'an said, nodding. "A most precious gift." She beckoned to her daughter. Tor'ai came forward, holding the dark blue cloak. The human youth's confusion grew as he recognized his own clothing. But then Tor'ai carefully pulled back the folds to reveal the sleeping leopard kitten. His eyes widened in shock. "That's—" "Yes," Kal'an said again. "One of our young. He was born last night, and the only scent he has been exposed to for any length is your own, courtesy of that cloak. His subconscious mind has already recognized you as safety and guardian." The youth drew back as though alarmed. "I don't know the first thing about taking care of a kitten." "That's why we're here," Kal'an said, her voice patronizing and kind. "We will tell you everything you need to know, if you accept." "Why would you do this?" the human youth demanded, looking at her as if he thought she was crazy. "We would like for you to have a heightened understanding of the Shamans," she explained. "There is no better way for this than for you to watch one of us grow." "But . . . he's so . . . small," the youth said somewhat weakly. "And he will be totally dependent on you," Kal'an agreed. "Lord Heero, I do not wish to force anything upon you, but we truly are placing ourselves at your mercy. We wish for no conflict, for that would end in much bloodshed and heartache." There was a veiled threat in that, and she could see the young human heard it, too. His dark blue eyes hooded. "Very well. This is something I will try. What do I need to know?" Kal'an released a breath she'd not been aware of holding.
"First, he needs to be fed. I have brought a powder for you to
mix with warm goat milk for the first many months. He will reach adulthood
at approximately two years, and until that time you will need to see
to his every need. But before I delve into that, there is one most
important thing. His name is Al'duo'anon."
tbc |
