George placed Ciel on the sofa in the master bedroom and then wondered what to do. He would have loved to join Master Gin and Yue in looking for Anansi but even from the master bedroom he could hear the two of them yelling at each other and decided against it. He might end up in their aftermath if he wasn’t careful; immortal as he was, he could still feel pain and he believed the magic they released in the heat of the moment would hurt… a lot. He looked at Scarlet and they gave each other a wry smile.
“Gin needs to let loose some steam. This is a big blow to him after all. Stay here and help me take care of the children.” Scarlet said. When she saw him nod quietly, she gave a satisfied smile and turned to tend to the twins still lying motionless on the bed.
So George sat on the armchair next to the sofa and stared at the sleeping man on it. He couldn’t deny the feelings in his heart; that he was probably more than halfway in love with Ciel. If he was honest with himself, it was probably when he had first seen him fifty years ago…
At first, he had intended to just die in that cave, if he could. He hoped that time would just waste him away and he would become nothing, leaving not even a hair. It didn’t matter if his soul became tied to that place, that he would be nothing more than the hungry ghosts that he had heard about; at least he would not be able to hurt people anymore. But fate had other plans. After who knows how long he was in that cave, an earthquake happened and instead of being buried alive, the cave was destroyed and he emerged, an emaciated, zombielike being, more corpse than man, being forced back into the sun.
And like instinct, he began his tireless journey again. This time it was into the orient. So he met cultivators, saw spiritual beasts and immortals; all who gave this madman a wide berth. They knew on intuition that this living skeleton of a man was dangerous and that they would lose if they attempted to challenge him no matter how weak he looked. For the most part, he left them alone. In the years he had sealed himself in the cave, he had learnt to live with the pain of his scar, to ignore it if the pain was not too sudden or severe. And there would always be a constant throb; he learned later that the dragons of the east were promiscuous and more likely to breed with anything and most spiritual beasts and even some immortals or cultivators had some dragon blood in them.
This was good; if he could adapt to the environment here, perhaps he could cure himself of this madness. It was a hopeless wish but it made him feel alive after so many centuries. All he wanted was to just find peace, and if he had to seek an immortal and beg them to teach him their secrets, he would. By trial and error, he learned a little about the cultivation methods of the east, taking in the spiritual energy from his surroundings to nourish his body; his gaunt and haggard looks slowly went away and he began to look human again…
He had just killed a flood dragon and his heart was filled with loathing for his weak self. Flood dragons didn’t really have a lot of pure dragon blood in them but their dragon-like looks had triggered his mania and he lost control. He heard the sounds of a waterfall and went in its direction, hoping to clean himself of all the blood. As he neared the water source, he stopped when he realized he was not alone. Standing in the pool near the waterfall was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
All he saw was the back but it was smooth and fair, with silken white hair that flowed down and floated around them in the water. The beauty was topless and he felt his blood stir; it was only when they turned did George realize that the beauty was a man. Even then, the delicate face with lashes that fanned the face made George’s mouth go dry. In all his centuries of travel, he had never seen an ethereal beauty such as this. He had heard that the immortals of the east were graced with natural, seductive beauty or incarnations of the fox spirit meant to bewitch man but he hadn’t believed it until now. He stood there, entranced…
* * * * *
Ciel had been half aware when he had been healed by his mother. He could hear them talking but he couldn’t make out what they were saying and his eyelids felt too heavy to open. He had felt himself being lifted and the sensation of being carried away. He thought he was dreaming when he felt warm lips being pressed against his forehead but if it was his father then it was no surprise. Father still loved those little touches of affection between him and his siblings, even if he didn’t indulge in them as often anymore. When he was placed on the sofa, he felt the consciousness he had been holding on tenuously slip away and he started dreaming…
He had snuck out of the club again. Father would get angry later when he finds out but as long as he looked suitably penitent and gave him the sad, mournful eyes, he should be able to get away with just an apology and perhaps extra duties at the club. He couldn’t help it though; he had been sitting indoors for so long and the recent stories he had heard were just too fascinating. Especially when Bei, the latest recruit to his father’s security team was telling him about a secret waterfall he knew about.
So while his parents were busy, he slipped out of the eastern entrance, transformed and soared into the sky. It was nice to stretch his wings; contrary to his human looks, he had inherited a pair of wings from his mother’s blood. They were like flames made solid; red, orange and gold – fiery and vibrant – and was like an embodiment Ciel’s lively, open nature. He gave a joyful laugh in his heart as he raced a nearby eagle, enjoying the wind in his wings. After fooling around in the sky long enough, he came to the pool Bei had told him about. It was hidden in a basin between several mountains and unless one knew about the place or came from above, it was relatively hidden.
Ciel couldn’t resist. He stripped off his robe and kicked off his boots before he dived into the clear cold water. His hair tie had come undone and when he surfaced, he was like a water nymph; graceful, sensuous, beautiful, otherworldly. While parts of the pool was deep, the area near the waterfall was not. With the water only up to his waist, Ciel stood near the splashing water and enjoyed the natural shower before he felt someone watching him. He turned in the direction where he felt the stare but saw nothing. He wondered if he was too sensitive but intuition told him that it was better to be careful. So he quickly pulled himself out of the water, gathered his robes and left. Rather than expose himself, he used one of the teleportation talismans his mother gave him. So to others, it seemed as if he had disappeared without a trace.
When he got back to the club, as expected, he was caught by his father and subjected to an hour long lecture on top of dish-washing duty, which he hated. But it was worth it; he had a chance to see the outside world that he was longing for and had a chance to soar without feeling self-conscious, unlike in the valley. But that feeling of being watched was a little spooky. He had to be more aware next time or he could end up in trouble that he couldn’t handle.
A few months later, after being so good he was restless; he saw the opportunity to sneak out again and he took it. He wondered if he should go to that pool again; but after thinking that it had been over a few months, he felt that it should be fine. Just to be safe, however, he changed back to his human form before he reached the pool. His wings were his pride but they could give away his identity and endanger the valley.
* * * * *
George couldn’t believe his luck; the fairy came back. He had been filled with regret when the fairy had sensed something and ran away, spooked. He had not felt any motivation to move from the area, and so he stayed; hoping to catch another glimpse of the fairy that now haunted his dreams. He had found a shallow cave nearby and had stayed, unmoving, training his mind and calming his heart. He couldn’t help but feel thankful to that fey being who took his mind away from the pain and allowed him to strengthen his heart.
He watched now, as the being seemed to skip down from the heavens towards the pool. He had been right to call him fairy; there was a hint of playfulness in his movements and smile that would not be seen on an angel or immortal. He would have loved to edge closer but he was afraid of scaring his fairy away again. So he sat hidden in his cave, his arm resting on a convenient rock and watched him strip and dive into the pool again. He felt like a voyeur but the call of this little siren was too strong. He wasn’t sure what the stirrings in his body were; lust, love or longing. He just knew that that man in the pool captivated him and he wanted to approach him, to hold him, to possess him. Was this part of the dragon madness? He was afraid of what he might do and so he stayed where he was, feasting his eyes, never realizing that the rock under his arm had long cracked and shattered by the force of his grip.
Perhaps the fairy had been uneasy as well for he did not stay long. After a short swim and sunning himself for a little while, he had dressed and left, disappearing from view just like the first time. George hid his disappointment but was satisfied that his wait had borne fruit and he got a glimpse of his fairy. Perhaps if he continued to stay, he could see him again. With a sigh, he stood up with a stretch and walked out of the cave. He was surprised by the sound of rustling and then his fairy dropped out of the sky and landed in front of him.
