Chapter Text
The weather is unbearably hot. Summer in the Forest territory is a real pain in the ass. Eiden regrets not having chosen an outfit better suited for this journey. His clothes feel stuffy and uncomfortable, sticking to his skin from sweat.
He cannot begin to understand how Quincy managed on the daily. The man is walking ahead, seemingly tireless as he opens the way for them. Eiden wonders if he even feels the heat.
Blade is just a few steps away, completely unbothered as he sang joyfully, marveling at any shiny rock he finds on their path. Guess being an e-droid has its perks. Eiden is kinda envious right now.
He tugs on the collar of his shirt with a loud sigh. He hopes they’ll be done by the end of the day so that he can finally go back home and get a warm bath.
Quincy, Blade and him are currently on an expedition for some important materials from the Forest territory. This mission leads them deep into the woods, further than Eiden has previously imagined. He should have known and better packed for it.
Thankfully, they’ve made a stop at Quincy’s house for more resources to help in their travel, but it didn’t help in the fact that Eiden feels like he could pass out anytime soon from heat exhaustion. Summer is great when it doesn’t feel like he’s being cooked alive . He released another sigh, which earned him a look from Quincy, but the man quickly turns around and continues walking.
“How far are we from our destination,” he ends up asking, “I don’t think I can feel my feet anymore.”
“...” Quincy doesn’t reply right away. He spares him another glance, slowing down slightly so that Blade and him could catch up. “Just a few miles away,” he finally says.
“How much?”
This time, there is no answer. That’s all Eiden needs to know as he prepares himself for one more night camping outside. Well, at least the night will be colder, so it won’t be that bad. And it’s not like he dislikes spending time with his clan members out in the wild.
He’s so caught in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice Quincy has stopped walking, and Blade ceases to sing. Eiden bumps into the blond’s sturdy back with a small gasp. He’s about to complain when he realizes what has caused them to freeze.
First, there’s no sounds. No birdsongs, no cricket noises, nothing. Not even the rustling of the leaves at a light breeze. Then, there’s the sudden darkness surrounding them. Is Eiden’s vision faulty, or has the light lowered down? He can barely make out what’s around him, as a mist slowly settles around them.
There’s a sudden chuckle that rings in his ears, chilling him down to the bone. Eiden tries to scan the area, but it’s impossible to make heads or tails of anything with the fog that’s clogging their senses. He keeps from grumbling out a curse word as he settles between Quincy and Blade.
…
Is that him, or are the men oddly tense right now? All of Quincy’s muscles are contracted, beads of sweat rolling down his arms. His back is damp with it as Eiden sticks his hand on it. The man actually winces at his touch.
Something isn’t quite right.
“...Huey?” Blade speaks out loud with wonder and awe, shifting just the slightest bit away from Eiden at the same time as Quincy.
Something isn’t right.
Eiden screams as he’s suddenly whisked away from his clan members, stolen by cold dark hands that circled his waist tightly, darkness coiling around him and trapping him into an icy embrace.
“EIDEN!” Quincy cries out, alarmed, but it’s too late. Eiden’s shrill cry is the only thing left in the area before the mist clears away, taking their master with it.
.
.
.
Eiden surges forward with a start. It takes a moment for him to calm his breathing and panicked thoughts as he processes the past evenements before his loss of consciousness. When he feels more level-headed, he quickly assesses his current situation.
He’s seemingly naked and laying on a mattress, though some shifting around indicates to him that he had not been taken advantage of. His brain registers the missing familiar weight of his pendant, almost sending him into a frenzy before he pushes it down. As his eyes get used to the dimness, he takes a look at his surroundings.
He’s inside a small room barely lit by a few candles on a desk, the sole piece of furniture save for the bed he was laying onto. He can’t see a window on the walls, nor a single door.
There isn’t a sign of a trapdoor on the board floor either, bare of any carpets. Dread fills him as he feels trapped inside those four walls.
He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. There has to be a way out of this place, but it’s hidden away from prying eyes.
He has to think about this as a step-by-step process. Staying rational is his priority if he wants to get out of this tricky situation as safe and sane. Maybe he can get hints from his memories?
This could bring him some answers as to why he was kidnapped and by who. And also what is up with this creepy place…
Eiden closes his eyes, trying to remember the events that led up to his abduction.
“I see that you’re awake.” A low voice, dripping with honeyed poison speaks up, causing Eiden to shriek.
He jerks his head around, but sees nothing — at first; a man suddenly seems to appear next to the small desk. Eiden doesn’t need to rake his head for the stranger’s name. It comes naturally to him as soon as his eyes land on the mysterious man, rolling on his tongue like a bad omen. “Huey…”
“That’s right, my dear. I’m glad you seem to know me.”
“Hard to do so, considering half of this world thinks I’m you.”
Huey chuckles at his grumble. “I guess so. I left quite the dent in this place, haven’t I? But you really filled that void. I’m quite impressed.” And with those words, he claps his hands in a ridiculous mockery of an applause.
Eiden doesn’t gratify him with an answer, instead glaring at him.
“Oh well, I guess we’re about to become far more acquainted with each other for the next few days.”
As he says this, he produces something out of his pocket — a rainbow gem, similar to the one that always hung around his neck. He gets closer to Eiden with a cold smile.
Huey grabs Eiden’s face, forcing his mouth open.
“Don’t worry, it will only hurt a little before the pain subsides.”
With those words, Huey pushes the gem in his mouth. The shard scrapes his tongue as he tries to push it away, giving him the taste of copper. Just as he is about to spit it out, Huey’s hand clasps around his mouth and covers his nose. Eiden violently jerks his head from side to side in a desperate attempt to dislodge the sorcerer’s hand, sputtering indignantly, his eyes wide in horror, but it doesn’t budge.
He feels his oxygen running out, spit dribbling from the corner of his mouth as the gem shard sits heavy on his tongue. With no other choice, he’s forced to swallow. His eyes sting with unshed tears as he does, Huey’s other hand closing around his neck to follow the bobbing of his Adam's apple.
The gem’s sharp edges cut his throat on the way down. He squirms in discomfort, wincing at each scratch.
For a moment, nothing happens.
Then Eiden screams. The moment the gem enters his heart, it feels like it exploded. His veins burst inside him, his lungs blowing up before they all reshape themselves. He trashes wildly in his restraints, screaming himself hoarse as his body crushes itself. His nerves are frying from the intensity of the pain, his blood and lifeforce draining out before being replaced by something else.
Eiden screams endlessly, desperately struggling against his bonds as he attempts to escape the painful sensations, sobbing and howling madly. The runes on his body are scorching his skin. His tongue is scalded by his own saliva, and his eyes feel like they’ve been set aflame. His whole being is on fire and he feels like he’s a breath short of dying, if only he could draw oxygen between all the shrieks and cries.
Huey is whispering things to him but he can’t understand them, can’t hear them beyond his own voice and the sound of his body breaking and changing, and the pain never stops - before it all dies down. He’s left completely numb, his body twitching from the aftermath and a few remnants of pain that are quick to fade.
“Well done, Eiden. You did great accepting your new form.” The magician’s voice is distant to his ears, almost too soft for him to catch it.
The restraints draw back, slithering off him, but he can’t move, can’t even make a single sound. He gets to see Huey smile through his blurry vision before the world goes black.
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There is no better feeling than sharing pleasantries, tasty pastries and a cup of tea with the clan members on a beautiful day - at least according to Aster.
The only stain on this perfect day was the fact that their master shines with his absence at the table. Of course, Aster understands that Eiden is quite busy, but this tea party has been planned for a while now, so the fact that the Great Sorcerer sidestepped the invitation under the pretense of exploring the forest makes Aster irked.
Kuya has a matching scowl on his face that he tries to hide with his typical smirk, though the frown he sported does not fool anyone. Yakumo tries to entertain them with idle chatter, which Olivine politely partakes in. Morvay is poking at his own teacup with a hazy look on his face, which annoys him to no end.
Aster tries to sip up his tea, clearing his mind of everything.
The sudden shift in the atmosphere feels like a slap to the face, his insides feeling like they’re torn apart.
Aster’s teacup shatters on the table, red brew splattering on the white surface like a bloodstain. His shrill “Master!” is drowned out by Morvay’s scream of agony as the incubus doubles over. The feeling of a part of them being ripped away tears at them inside.
Yakumo stands up in alarm, eyes wide with fear. Olivine mirrors his expression, looking dumbfounded, his mouth open as if to say something. And Kuya…he’s frozen in place, his hand still in midair. His eyes glaze over as he stares into his memories, feeling thrown back decades before.
Edmond bursts through the doors followed by a frantic Garu, staring at all of them in various states of shock. That’s when all hell breaks loose.
“Mr. Eiden…” Yakumo is the first one to speak, processing the sudden event. His control slips from him as he pants heavily, serpents emerging from his back with furious hisses. His eyes search wildly around him despite finding no threat as he feels rage and bloodlust coursing through his body.
Disconnected from everyone, the familiars embrace each other in their suffering, looking almost in a state of physical pain.
Morvay sobs openly, his whines loud and heart wrenching as he holds onto the vampire so tightly his claws tear through the fancy clothes and dips into his skin. Bitter tears roll down Aster’s cheeks as he buries his head in Morvay’s neck, muffling his sorrowful cries while he clings onto him just as tight, rocking them both for comfort.
Olivine looks pale, terror still etched on his face. He makes a move to raise from his seat, his hands trembling badly as he supports himself onto the table. Edmond immediately comes to his side to stabilize him, instincts and years of training kicking in. In that moment, despite his impressive stature and strong mass, Olivine has never looked so fragile.
Legs shaking, standing on weak knees, he tries to take a step back, cogs turning wildly in his head. “Ei-Eiden is…” He suddenly surges forward and retches, almost stumbling if not for Edmond keeping him steady with a firm hand. Yakumo’s snakes hiss menacingly in response, cut by the man’s threatening growl.
Those sounds tear Kuya away from his own mind as he comes back to the present, his eyes refocusing on the scene before him.
The air is charged with tension and essence going haywire. There’s so much Kuya feels like overdosing on it. Amidst the rest of the shocked clan members stand the serpent spirit, essence pulsing around him like an inferno.
He stands up clumsily, reaching a hand out for him. “Yakumo—”
Garu howls and that’s when it reaches a peak. Yakumo screams .
The condensed essence goes wild, burning and actually setting the grass on fire around them as it explodes in bursts of flames. Scales begin forming on the man’s pale skin as he continues to scream madly, burning everything that surrounds them with vengeance.
Kuya doesn’t even think. He jumps on Yakumo, pinning him to the ground. Yakumo trashes below him, clawing at his exposed skin. The fox spirit can feel his body burning in various spots, flames licking at him as black snakes coil around him.
“Restrain yourself!” he grits out, keeping Yakumo pressed down against the dirt. Yakumo hisses threateningly at him, slitted pupils blazing wildly.
They wrestle on the grass like this, fighting each other like wild animals - as the beast spirits they are.
Yakumo surges forward in a sudden movement, sinking his fangs as deep as he can in Kuya’s neck. Kuya gasps at the pain of the bite, crying out as searing venom invades his body. It surges in his blood like molten lava, scorching his insides.
He wrenches Yakumo’s head away by tugging on his hair, growling in anger. Kuya bares his teeth at the man before biting violently on his shoulder. The taste of blood fills his mouth and he clamps down harder, making Yakumo squirm even more as he yelps and hisses.
Kuya is ready to rip out a chunk of his flesh until he feels a drop of water on his cheek. More drops follow, landing on his bare skin, stinging him with tiny prickles of heat before it subsides into a dull sensation.
“Mr. Eiden…I’m sorry…I-I’m so-o-o so-sorry…” Yakumo sniffles next to him, hiccuping on the words as he cries.
Kuya slowly releases the pressure on his bite, bloodstained teeth leaving the scarred flesh. He hears Yakumo sob some more, listening to his soft whimpers as he lays down motionless on top of him, even when strong arms come to wrap around his back as Yakumo’s hands grasp at his clothes.
If there are more droplets of water mingling with the dirt below their slumped forms, Kuya will say it’s the soft rain that begins falling down on them, waning the flames until there’s nothing left but smoke.
After much crying and screaming, when they’re conscious enough to calm themselves down and collect their wits, they go back into the mansion. They move slowly, eyes lost in the distance, scaring away the house attendants.
They gather into the living room, most slumping onto the sofas, Kuya and Edmond choosing to stay up with a haunted look. Nobody dares to speak, afraid of breaking the silence that settles over them.
Kuya sighs, knowing full well that none would be able to handle what comes with the loss of the Great Sorcerer of their time. “We need to search for our young master, at least to confirm his status and retrieve his body.” He flinches slightly at the last word — it leaves a sour taste in his mouth.
“We won’t be going with you.” Aster informs them, looking down at his feet. At all the incredulous stares facing him, the vampire swallows painfully, holding onto Morvay’s arm to ground himself. “We’re sorry about this, but despite the thin chance that our master is still alive, we would not be able to…to handle the sight of his lifeless form.”
Olivine nods in understanding, eyes full of sadness. Ever the gentle soul, he comes forward to hug them both in a comforting embrace. “We don’t blame you for it.” He runs his hands through their hair in a soothing gesture, hearing them sniffle softly. Yakumo joins them, unable to handle hearing the familiars in so much pain.
When they finally draw away from the warm hug, Aster clears his throat. “You’ll need provisions for this trip all the way to the Dead Zone and back. Morvay and I will go prepare it for you.”
They quietly trudge out of the room, still holding onto each other all the way to the door.
“If anyone else does not want to accompany the search party, say it now.” Kuya’s voice echoes through the living room. They all exchange glances, unsure on what to say, or whether or not they’ll be able to cope with whatever they’ll find.
In the end, none manifested themselves.
The silence is broken as the door creaks open, revealing Aster and Morvay as they step into the doorway, carrying something in their hands. They walk up to Kuya, carefully handing him the contents of their palms. Kuya uncurls his fist to take the offered items — a pink earring and a silver bracelet with an ‘M’ engraved in a small heart.
“What are those?” Garu asks cautiously as he looks at what sits in Kuya’s hand.
“Trinkets”, Aster replies. “They were given by the master because he wanted a gift for us, and he wished that we’d truly feel at home amongst the clan members, like rightful gem bearers. That he chose us, too. It’s a symbolic present.”
“Some of our essence is attached to it.” Morvay cuts in, sniffling quietly.
“It might help in your search for our master.” Aster complets.
Kuya nods. Then, in a rare display of kindness, he pats their heads with his free hand. “We’ll find him. I promise we’ll get the young master back.”
It’s with those last few words that they part ways, the doors closing on them. Even with Kuya’s reassurance, and the possibility of their master being back, Aster and Morvay know — nothing will ever be the same.