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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 "
Duo had free run of the palace. He spent most of his time exploring and staying out of people's way. He didn't like being around the people here, mostly. They were noisy and moved with a frenzied sense of purpose that stressed the kitten. He did like the kitchen, though, because the large woman and her girls were always doting and affectionate. Today he came bounding in from outside and sat himself down by the huge ovens. Though it was spring now, it rained quite frequently and oft the morning air was damp. This morning was no different, as Duo had discovered when he abandoned the palace for play in the woods. So he was a bit wet and cold when he came in for lunch. He only had to mew once to get the three girls' attention. "Duo!" they exclaimed, immediately dropping everything to fuss. He soaked up their attention, purring to let them know he appreciated the petting and cooing. They also fed him from a bottle (though Heero had told them not to), which he liked much better than the bowls. Bowls were messy and difficult. Bottles were simple. He never let them pick him up—only Heero was allowed that. But they sat beside him and held it within easy reach. When finished with lunch, he decided to take a nap. Curling up in front of the constantly warm ovens, he quickly fell asleep in the basket-bed Heero had put there for him weeks ago. It was getting a little small, but if he curled himself into a comfy little ball he could still fit. He drifted off into pleasant dreams where his guardian played with him in the courtyard. The moment he woke Duo was up. The back door was shut, so he sat down and mewed politely until one of the girls came and, after a quick love, let him out. He happily bounded outside, eager to go back to mapping the woods. He felt a little guilty for not going to see Heero—he usually did after lunch. But it was so fun out here, always new things to chase and discover. Today would prove no different. o8o o8o High in the branches of a red oak tree, two large blue birds perched. They were the shape of mountain bluebirds, bearing all the same physical characteristics save for one large difference: they were the size of small hawks. They were songbird Shamans, the watchers of the human world that bordered on the Dragon's Spine. Songbird Shamans were rare now, and of all Shamans they were unique in that they could not assume a human form. All songbird Shamans had the same gift: telepathy. They were the only Shamans who could communicate mind-to-mind, so they were the messengers of the Shaman Council. And because of where they traditionally roosted, they saw the leopard Shaman kitten traipsing without a care through the lower forests of the foothills. "Look," said one to the other, "a Shaman kitten. Isn't he darling?" "I wonder what he's doing out here, so far from any place?" the other said. "His mother is probably worried sick. Come on, let's lure him back into Shaman territory. They will be able to get him to his mother." Thus agreed, the two songbird Shamans fluttered down out of their tree and alighted on a fallen log where the kitten would easily see them and began chirping at him. They garnered his undivided attention at once. o8o o8o Duo froze when two creatures fluttered down out of the trees. The instant they began making sounds, he eagerly bounded toward them, pouncing on the log. They fluttered away, just out of reach, landing to again chirrup at him. Duo again gave chase, and again they fluttered away, never far enough that he could lose sight of them. Oh, what a great game! The kitten delighted in it, even racing up a tree to springboard him into a big pounce. His best yet! His tail lashed the air in his excitement, ever more determined to catch the elusive, brightly-colored things taunting him! Farther and farther from the palace he trekked, mind focused solely on his current objective. He had no idea how far he'd wandered from home until his keen ears picked up the faint sound of someone calling his name. He froze, head turning back over his shoulder, listening hard to be sure. The second time he was positive. Heero. Game instantly forgotten, Duo turned and bounded toward the sound of that beloved voice, the one that embodied love, safety, comfort, and home. o8o o8o "Where is he going?" the first songbird Shaman demanded, looking alarmed. "Is he actually going to a human?" the second wondered aloud. "We should follow him," said the first, "because if he is, the Council needs to know!" The two songbirds took to the air to follow the leopard Shaman kitten. o8o o8o Duo ran and ran, a little surprised at how far he had to run to find Heero. He relied completely on Heero's calls, because the palace was nowhere in sight. Eventually, though, the wood began to thin and he could visually orient himself. And there, wearing a worried look on his familiar face, was Heero. With a happy little mew Duo sprang off the ground, literally jumping into Heero's arms. He was almost too big to be doing this, but he knew his guardian was strong. Indeed, Heero caught him with ease and held him close, squeezing perhaps a little tight. Duo didn't mind. He purred, rubbing his face against Heero's cheek. "Where did you go?" Heero whispered, planting a kiss between Duo's eyes. "I was worried. I've been calling you forever!" Duo, who knew his guardian to be a worrier, purred and nuzzled with all his affection, trying to reassure Heero. His guardian turned and walked back to the palace, not putting Duo down, and not once did Duo try to get down. He was perfectly content to ride in Heero's arms. Once back in the kitchens, Heero let him down at last and he walked around Heero's feet in a circle, rubbing against him the whole time, purring and trilling. Heero stroked his face, tickling his whiskers. Duo licked his hand, still purring. He looked up with interest when Heero sat to eat, climbing onto his lap to sniff at the food. Chuckling, Heero did offer him some. "Don't think you're ready for this yet," he mused. He was right, and Duo didn't accept. But it was still a matter of curiosity. He did, however, like the plain white cube of something sparkly that Heero gave him. He licked it with enthusiasm, barely noticing when a large hand stroked his fur. "He likes the salt cube, doesn't he?" a female voice commented. Sooner than Duo would have liked Heero was drawing it away, so Duo sent him a little mew of inquiry, pleading to have it back. His guardian just kissed him again, standing. "Come on, Duo," he said, patting his thigh. "It's getting late. Want me to read to you? All my duties are done for the day." Duo eagerly hopped onto the floor, meowing his approval of this plan. "Read to him?" the woman—Muriel—said, cocking her head. His guardian shrugged. "He seems to like it. You should see him watch the pictures. It's adorable." The woman grinned as though she could imagine it, but Heero didn't linger any longer. Duo followed him up the stairs to his big room, glad to see a fire burning. He jumped right onto the bed, neatly made, settling himself onto his haunches to wait for Heero to pick something out. "All right," Heero said after a moment, "this is a history of my country. It's current to the middle of my father's rule, so it's only a few years old or so. Like my tutor used to tell me—" he pitched his voice higher—"history is important, Heero. Even if you find it tedious, it is necessary to learn to avoid repeating it." Duo stood up to climb onto Heero's lap when his guardian sat, opening the book. There were high-quality paintings on the pages, the colors immediately drawing Duo's eye. Heero settled himself comfortably and began to read. All Shamans learned to read and write from their parents.
Duo's eyes tracked the lines as Heero read, the learning process already
begun. Soon he laid down to a more comfortable position, tucking both
his front paws in one of Heero's hands. Heero stroked the sensitive
pads, always gentle. Soon Duo's drooping eyes could not follow anymore
and he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
tbc |
