Rescuing Dragons: 3

Strands of green light swirled and spun suspended in the air between Arthur’s pale hands. His eyes were closed in concentration as soft words were murmured in an ancient tongue causing the light to shift and solidify. The viridian light morphed into the form of a compass. The needle of the magical construct spun wildly without focus. The wizard’s brow furrowed in frustration as his words became more aggressive and harsh making the needle stutter in its movement. A crack formed along the surface of the construct before the entire creation collapsed in on itself and withered to shimmering dust.

“GAH!!!! Why isn’t it working?!” Arthur cried out in utter frustration  as he threw his arms up in the air as a gesture of defeat. The wizard had been trying for the better part of an hour to create a tracking spell with no success.

A snicker at his back made the sandy blonde turn and glare at his companion. Gilbert sat on a large rock in the clearing they had chosen to stop in to attempt the spell. His head rested in his right hand that was supported by resting on his knee. His once bored expression was now replaced by one of mirth.

“And what, pray tell, is so amusing?” the smaller man all but growled at the knight with venom lacing his voice.

“You know the definition of insanity is repeating the same action again and again while expecting a different outcome,” the albino commented as he slowly rose from his spot and stretched his tired body. They had been on the move non-stop for five days and it was taking a toll on them both.

“Your point,” Arthur groused as he turned away from the other man and prepared to try his spell one more time.

“My point, Eyebrows,” the silver haired man sauntered forward and flung an arm over the smaller man’s shoulders. “Is that we need to try something else to track our dragons,”

The smaller man pulled away from his brother in-law and turned irritated viridian eyes on him.

“I’ve told you already. You have to fight magic with magic. We tried your way to begin with and that trail went cold quickly. No, we’re doing this my way,” the straw blonde said as he took a deep breath and again prepared to try his spell.

“Come on, Art. Give it a rest so we can at least get something to eat. We’ve been at this for days without a break. I’m starving and bet you are too,” the knight whined as he wrapped his arms around his middle to emphasize his words.

“I am perfectly fine. There are more important things to do now than…” the wizard trailed off as a rather loud growl emanated from his midsection.

Silence hung over the pair for several moments before loud barking laughter rang out from the albino knight.

“Oh man that was classic. I’m glad to see that at least your stomach has some sense,” Gilbert said wiping tears from his ruby eyes once he had gotten his laughter under control.

“Traitor,” Arthur muttered at his treacherous belly with a vicious glare before raising his eyes to meet his companions. “All right you win. I believe I saw an inn about a few kilometers back. I’ll just find a large enough shadow…”

“Oh no,” the knight interjected and raised his arms defensively. “We are not doing that weird shadow travel thing you like to do again,”

“And why the bloody Hell not? It’s faster than walking,” the green eyed wizard queried as he crossed his arms over his chest obstinately.

“It’s creepy and un-awesome. I swear something touched me the last time we went through one,” the pale man said with a shudder.

“Oh, is the big, brave knight perhaps a little scared of the dark?” the sandy blonde teased with an evil smirk curling his lips.

“No way! Someone as awesome as me isn’t afraid of anything,” the vermilion eyed knight exclaimed indignantly.

“Then what’s the problem?” Arthur asked as he uncrossed his arms and strode over to a large tree. He inspected the shadow it cast for a moment before finding it to be satisfactory for travel. He drew some magic into his hand and waved it above the shadow with a few soft words. The darkness slowly became more dense and solidified into a set of descending stairs.

“There is not a problem. It’s just that the dark makes me...uneasy. I dislike not being able to see what’s coming at me,” Gilbert said as he walked up behind the wizard knowing that he had lost this battle.

“Do you need me to hold your hand?” the smaller man questioned turning to face the larger man with a malicious, teasing glint in his veridian eyes and offered his hand.

“You’re an ass,” the albino said smacking away the smaller man’s hand. “Let’s just get this over with,”

The wizard snickered  as he turned and descended into the shadow with the knight right on his heels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later found the pair finishing the meal they had ordered upon reaching the small roadside inn. It was a rather nondescript establishment all old worn wood and travel decoration. The beds were warm and the food decent as the pair had just learned.

“That hit the spot,” Gilbert said with an appreciative belch as he set down his utensils and patted his now full stomach.

"You are disgusting, ” Arthur said with a look of utter disdain as he dabbed at the corner of his mouth with his napkin before setting it aside.

"Hey that was a compliment in other lands," the knight retorted rocking his seat back onto two legs and rubbing his stomach more.

"Well here it is rude and disgusting. Honestly, how you were ever allowed to dine with nobles and royals is beyond me," the wizard said with a roll of his eyes before taking a sip of the tea he had ordered.

"It's because I'm just that awesome," the vermilion eyed man said with an impish grin as he slowly lowered his chair to rest on all its legs. He leaned forward slightly and locked eyes with his companion. "Have you noticed the brunette in the corner?"

The straw blonde quirked one massive brow questioningly before covertly shifting his gaze to observe the aforementioned brunette. The woman’s hair was long and held back by what appeared to be orange flowers. She wore a light green cloak that off set her vibrant green eyes that currently were boring a hole into the pair.

The wizard’s gaze shifted back to his brother in-law.

“I thought your tastes ran more towards violet eyed blondes," he teased and took another sip of his tea.

"While she is quite attractive she can't hold a candle to mein birdie. I’m more interested in why she has been staring us down since we got here," the silver haired knight said before shooting the green eyed woman a flirtatious wink. He smirked at how she recoiled at his forward actions. Pulling a face as if she had tasted something vile. Arthur chuckled at his friend and gracefully rose to his feet.

“Shall we find out then what has drawn this woman’s undivided attention upon us?” the blonde wizard queried as Gilbert also stood from his seat. The albino grinned wolfishly at the smaller man.

“Absolutely,” he said before he casually led the way to the tavern door. The pair made their exit and had barely gotten a few meters from the inn before they heard footsteps behind them.

“Not very stealthy is she?” the straw blonde commented just loud enough for his companion to hear him.

“No, not at all. On three then?” the ruby eyed man responded at a matching volume while keep his gaze locked forward and his mannerisms casual.

“One,” the wizard said as he gathered magic into his hands.

“Zwei,” Gilbert’s own hand moved to the dagger in his belt. Moving wordlessly as one the two men did an abrupt about face and took up defensive stances fully prepared for any attack their pursuer may have for them. To their utter bewilderment all they found was empty space.

“Where did she go?” Arthur questioned as he shifted so that his back was pressed against the knight’s back.

“I don’t know. So keep your eyes open,” the silver haired man said cooley as his red eyes scanned the area around him and he held his dagger firmly in his hand. He was in his element though it had been sometime since last he was in a battle. All was deathly silent save for the sound of their own breathing.

The sudden sound of  rushing footsteps caught the knight’s attention and he barely had time to dodge to the left as a dagger came dangerously close to slicing his chest. The woman growled in frustration and fell back slightly to give herself room for another attack. Going on the offensive Gilbert followed her movements and swung his own blade aiming to wound her rather than kill.

The brunette was amazingly fast though and managed to dodge his attack. The silver haired man quickly assessed that due to her speed he would either need to take this opponent down quickly by finding an opening or he would have to waste time wearing her down. Choosing the former the knight decided to use his secret weapon: His mouth.

“I have to say I’m use to women throwing themselves at me for my awesome attention, but this is the first time I’ve been attacked. Honestly, gorgeous all you had to do was introduce yourself,” Gilbert said flirtatiously as he dropped back into defensive mode making the woman falter minutely.

“Don’t flatter yourself, you bastard. Just tell me where Roderich is and maybe I’ll spare your sorry life,” the green eyed woman growled as her face contorted into a disgusted sneer. She lunged forward aiming for the ruby eyed man’s throat. The albino easily dodged the attack and countered with an attack of his own forcing his opponent to fall back.

“Who’s Roderich?” the knight queried quirking one silvery brow as he fell into a defensive stance.

“Don’t play dumb with me! I can smell the dragons on you!” the tawny haired female exclaimed as she attacked in a furious flurry. The dragon comment caught the ruby eyed man’s attention, but he would worry about that once he had subdued the woman. Her attacks were rapid yet they were very sloppy and Gilbert saw his opportunity.

Moving swiftly the albino dodged the downward swing of his opponents blade and surged forward tackling the smaller woman to the ground. He quickly managed to disarm the green eyed woman and pin her by capturing her hands above her head in each of his own. His hips straddled hers and he found himself fighting to hold her. She was surprisingly strong as she continued to wrestle against him.

“Quit struggling before you get yourself hurt,” the silver haired male barked as his vermilion eyes locked with enraged green. The brunette stopped her wriggling, but continued to stare venomously at her captor.

“Release me,” she ordered through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, not gonna happen. Now start explaining that bit about the dragons sweetheart,” the knight said with a condescending smirk.

“Your funeral,” the captured woman said with an odd little half smile and a victorious glint in her eyes. A sudden scream escaped the green eyed woman’s lips and her back arched at a sharp angle. The sudden jerk of the smaller frame managed to dislodge the pale man and forced him to release his captive.

Red eyes watched in a mix of wonder and horror as the woman rolled onto her stomach as the sound of tearing ligaments and snapping bones filled the air. Soft brown fur began to sprout up all over the writhing female as her body morphed into a new shape. The simple tan tunic and short skirt she had worn tore and fell away. An agonized scream shifted into an agonized howl as her teeth grew more pointed and her face elongated into a snout. Moments later the green eyed woman was gone and in her place stood a massive tawny wolf. The creature turned and growled aggressively at the knight.

“Um, Art. I think I’m going to need some help over here,” Gilbert called out to his companion his eyes never leaving the beast before him. He knew the minute he let his guard down the wolf would rip out his throat.

“I’m dealing with my own problems right now, Gil. You’re a big strong knight you’ll be fine,” the wizard called back as he managed to deflect another blow with his magic shield.

When the knight had been attacked by the brunette woman Arthur had himself been set upon by a blue eyed, brunette man. He wore a simple forest green tunic and trousers. Though he looked quite non-threatening the determined glint in his eyes and way he swung his broad sword proved otherwise.

“You seem like a reasonable fellow, sir. Couldn’t we discuss whatever you and your companions issue with us is like gentleman?” the sandy blonde queried as he lashed out with the whip-like strand of magic he had called to his aid.

The tawny haired man dodged the whip’s bite and followed up with an attack of his own only to have it deflect off of the wizard’s shield.

“Elizaveta says she smells dragons on you,” the blue eyed male said simply as he pulled back for another attack. Arthur’s eyes narrowed at the mention of dragons and the grip on his whip tightened.

“And what of it?” the viridian eyed man asked harshly as he snapped his weapon at his opponent.

“It means you may know or work for whoever took our dragons,” the brunette said as he unexpectedly took the hit to his shoulder from the whip full on. His actions stunned the wizard into inaction. A victorious smile crossed the other man’s face as he bolted forward with all his might and knocked the blonde to the ground. Having lost his concentration Arthur’s magic dissipated and he found the edge of a blade pressed dangerously close to his throat.

“Now tell me where my Feliks is or I swear I will end you here,” the brown haired male threatened with his eyes full of murderous intent. A light went on in Arthur’s mind as understanding swept over him.

“My mate was taken as well,” the magic wielder said simply as his green eyes locked with blue. His assailant started slightly at the casual statement, but recovered swiftly.

“You’re trying to trick me,”

“No, I can prove it. My mated mark is just below my left collarbone. I can show you,” the sandy blonde said as he tried to convey his sincerity in both his words and eyes. Blue eyes surveyed the downed man wearily before the brunette gave a consenting nod.

The green eyed man slowly brought his left hand up and clasped the collar of his tunic. He tugged it down and there below his collarbone were the scars from where Alfred’s teeth had marked him.

Cobalt eyes widened in realization and the tawny haired man pulled away from his opponent.

“You’re telling the truth,” he said in a small, guilty voice.

“Of course I am. Now, please, call your friend off my companion. My mate’s brother will be quite upset if she kills him,” the wizard said a bit gruffly as he rubbed at his throat. The man nodded before rising to his feet and approaching the other pair.

“Elizaveta, stop. They're like us. Their mates were taken to,” the brunette called to his companion causing her to pause. She had her body pressed firmly into Gilbert’s chest and her jaws were poised to tear out his throat. The brown wolf pulled back and quizzically eyed her friend.

“Mr. Knight show her your mated mark,” the brunette male said.

Gilbert eyed the other man before looking to Arthur who gave him a nodded that indicated he should as he was told. The albino quickly took hold of his collar and pulled it aside to show where Matthew had marked his shoulder.

Green eyes surveyed the mark briefly before a wet snout lowered and snuffled at the spot. The tawny wolf shifted back and climbed off of her opponent. She then sauntered off to the treeline and disappeared.

“Mind explaining what is going on, Eyebrows?” Gilbert asked as he rose to his feet and rubbed his tender chest.

“It would seem our boys are not the only dragons that have been taken,” Arthur explained as he moved to stand beside his brother in-law.

“And they attacked us because?”

“We thought you were the ones who had taken our mates,” the brunette woman, Elizaveta apparently, stated as she reappeared from the trees clad in her green cloak. “You do smell of dragon,”

“So naturally, anyone who smelt of dragon had to be a dragon-napper. Makes total sense,” the albino knight snarked as his ruby eyes rolled skyward.

“Honest mistake,” Elizaveta countered as she fixed the silver haired man with an icy glare.

“If you two are quite finished with behaving like children I propose we work together to find our mates,” the wizard interjected huffily. Bewildered green and red eyes turned to focus on the sandy blonde.

“You’re kidding right, Art? This psycho nearly ripped my throat out,” Gilbert exclaimed gesturing slightly at the brown haired woman.

“Watch who you’re calling psycho, asshole. I kicked your ass once. I can do it again,” the smaller woman said with a threatening growl.

“I agree with the wizard,” the brunette man suddenly injected in hopes of distracting the bickering pair. All eyes were quickly focused on him.

“Toris, you traitor, how could you agree with him? We’re fine on our own,” the woman argued.

“No, Elizaveta. Our trail has run cold. We need help,” the tawny haired man, Toris, countered and glared determinedly at his companion. They stood locked in a battle of wills for several moments before Elizaveta surrendered with a resigned sigh.

“Fine,” she groused and turned away from the group to pout. Toris rolled his eyes before turning toward Arthur.

“So where do we start?”