Chapter 7 (A)
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In Ash Mountain castle, late in the night

 

The varnished oak door swung open to reveal the interior of a spacious and opulent bedroom.

"Put him on the bed. Gently." Directed Azven to the pair of guards carrying the comatose boy.

As the young man's weight settled upon the cushioned bed his body immediately began to cause frost to form upon the thick sheets.

"That'll be all," said Raizell quickly ordering the guards away.

"He'll be dead by morning Azven..."

"..."

"Unless..." continued Raizell

"Unless what? said Azven looking up at his uncle hopefully.

"Unless somehow in the next 14 hours you can somehow get Glacial Dew from the tundras of the North. Or an equally potent ice attributed treasure" Raizell replied with a deadpan expression.

"Uncle even with our wealth it would be-"

"Impossible to get such a treasure in time?" Raizell asked with a smirk

"...." Azven opened and closed his mouth before looking down quietly.

"Exactly my point. This is futile nephew. And even if it was possible, he's just a slave. But I'll leave you to your morbid curiosity" 

Left with no retort Azven could only watch as his uncle headed out of the room.

 

Azven sighed before pulling up a chair to sit over the comatose figure of the ice draconian slave. As he laid in the bed puffs of cold air would be expelled from his lips, even though his skin was hot to the touch and he was sweating. Occasionally he’d toss and turn while muttering in a foreign language. Wiping the sweat from his brow Azven thought to himself the language seemed semi-familiar almost like he could learn it if he studied. At that moment cool grey eyes weakly opened to meet his own.

“You’re awake?!” Exclaimed Azven standing up.

 

The boy weakly gasping and with dazed eyes stared at Azven before nodding. Analyzing the boys barely awake figure Azven knew he didn’t have much time.

 

His burning ruby eyes met the older boys’ icy grey ones.

“I’m assuming you know you don’t have much time?” Azven articulated

The boy weakly nodded in reply

“Do you want to live?”

He again nodded

“I can save your life, on one condition” Azven stated authoritatively “in exchange you must live for me “ he added.

The dazed boy hesitated for a breath before nodding. Licking his pale and cracked lips he managed to croak out the words,

“I swear”

Nodding his head in satisfaction Azven got to work. Extending his magical and spiritual sense as far as he could he made sure no one was nearby. It would be no joking matter if word got out about what he was about to do, this could very well get both of them killed. Satisfied at how far away his magical sense showed the guards were he quickly extended his claws from his right hand.

*SHWING* Grimacing at the burning pain, he cut across his left palm.

“Drink this,” he said to the older boy, holding his bleeding hand to his mouth

Sadly, the boy seemed to have lost consciousness while he was preparing. As such the blood only pooled against his lips

‘Fuck that'll never work like this’

At that moment his magical sense was still trained on the guards, they were still a good distance away but that could change at any moment. Azven gasped suddenly as an idea popped in his head!

“Is this really the only way ?” He said aloud.

Thinking quickly about the time constraints he knew it was.

Bringing his mouth down to his bleeding palm he sucked and pooled as much blood as he could into his mouth.

With his free hand, he worked the older boy’s lips open.

‘I swear you owe me for this kid’ he thought.

As his bloodstained lips hovered over the comatose boys’ petite mouth suddenly, he woke up.  Grey and red orbs meeting, Azven despaired internally.

‘Oh no if we make eye contact, I’ll be losing my first kiss’ he thought crying inside.

But too late because at that moment their lips met. Feeling his icy chapped lips against his burning bloodstained ones he worked the boy's mouth open even more before expelling the crimson contents inside.

“Since you’re awake now, do me a favor and at least swallow for yourself,” Azven said bitterly while detaching himself from the boy.

 

The boy though still on the brink of death did as he was told and swallowed the sulfuric smelling liquid. As the hot metallic liquid made its way down his cold throat, his body tingled at the contesting temperatures. Soon the tingles turned to shocks and the shocks into convulsions once the liquid hit his innards. From vessel to vessel, organ to organ the liquid passed, seemingly irrelevant of corporeal material in the way. Everything it passed through was fortified by a red glow. The boy’s whole body was shaking as he clenched his hands so tight, he drew blood. Though he looked to be in a painful seizure of some sort he was feeling a euphoric high at the moment. This blood was working its way through his body restoring the balance and restoring him, that much he could feel. The boy was filled with gratitude towards the young master that was saving him. That sense of gratitude, euphoria, and the overwhelming smell of sulfur were the only things noticeable to his senses.

 

Watching the ice draconian slave go into what looked like shock scared Azven witless. He had no idea what to do.

‘Uncle said our blood was a healing tonic, this shit just sent him straight into an embolism’  he thought despairingly.

Still observing the boy’s condition, he noticed his shaking starting to subside.

“Oi are you still alive?” He questioned from across the room seemingly afraid to get closer.

The boy unexpectedly did not reply. Swallowing his irrational fear, he approached the sleeping figure.

As Azven studied the flushed face of the boy he noticed his eyelids fluttering as his breath came in smooth even exhalations.

‘It must be working...’ Azven thought

 

Cold icy blue eyes snapped open, quickly shifting to look at Azven.

‘Well, that’s new’ thought Azven.

The boy adjusted his laying body to face towards Azven.

“Thank you for saving my life, “ the boy started,

"As I swore before, my life is now in your hands young master...” he looked at Azven expectantly.

Catching on he replied “Oh I’m Azven, Azven von Drakul. What’s your name?”

His eyes widened quickly before saying “I’m Niklaus, but my friends call me Klaus” the boy answered in a thick northern accent

‘Friends...’ thought Azven

“C-Can I ask why’d you save me?” Klaus questioned

Quickly making his way out of the room  Azven answered “I-Idk, you reminded me of someone. Try to get some sleep there’s much we have to discuss tomorrow” he said fast before shutting the door.

 

As Azven walked down the spacious halls towards his bedroom he pondered over recent events.

‘I hope that draconian doesn’t disappoint me... and what was up with that eye color change, I’ll have to remember to probe uncle about it... and why does Mira want to see me? Everyone knows all she cares about is mone-'

 

Abruptly pulled from his inner dialogue by the familiar sickly-sweet smell of roses, Azven’s eyes followed the scent to the end of the hall

*click click click click*

The sound of Lady Mira’s custom Eindhoven dwarf made heels reverberated throughout the hall in front of Azven.

“Mo-Mother what are you doing here at this hour?” said a tense Azven with an authentic-looking forced smile.

“Aww is that any way to speak to your poor Mother...” said Lady Mira clicking her way toward her son in an extravagant Direbear robe.

“I mean really, it’s been a whole human year, you look so dashing my love” added Lady Mira finally in front of her son

“It’s actually been 3 human years Mother, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember, the effects of repeat overindulgence in monkey wine can be quite severe” Azven replied slickly with a smile.

Swallowing her dissatisfaction with her son’s response Lady Mira instead envelops the boy in a tight hug.

While holding the boy in her embrace Lady Mira brushes her luscious lips along the boy’s ear, whispering...

“My strong boy, it breaks my heart to see you be so cold to me...” said Lady Mira

Rolling his eyes Azven patted his mother’s back with one hand ‘Ugh her theatrics, what does she want from me? I wish she’d hurry this charade along’

“Melzizs flame” Lady Mira added suddenly. Feeling the boy tense up in her embrace Lady Mira smiled slowly

“You May not know it now, but you’ve just become an important figure, my son. As such you must remember to take care of your mother in the future.” Lady Mira said finally revealing her request.

“Otherwise... even with that flame don’t think you’re untouchable...” she said cryptically before quickly untangling herself from the boy

‘Unbelievable! She’s threatening me. But more importantly, how did she find out about the flame, that’s top-secret clan information?!’ Azven wondered.

“I- Idk what you’re talking about mother. How could I take care of you any better than father already is?” asked Azven without even a quiver in his voice.

“So young and naive.” She said lightly caressing his boyish cheeks.

“ My position in Ash Mountain isn’t as secure as it appears... but you’ll be the change of that. Good night my sweet prince,” she remarked with a wicked smile before clicking back down the hall.

*click click click click*

As the footsteps retreated down the hall Azven released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

‘I swear she’s always up to something...’

 

Hearing of his mother’s mysterious future plans for him greatly unnerved Azven. But he won’t allow her to make him sweat, he had to keep his cool.‘The only way to protect myself and my interests is to keep advancing’.

“I must get stronger,” he said clenching his fists still staring down the hall. ‘Melzizs flame... maybe it’s time I practice with this thing’ he thought to himself. After getting back to his room Azven spent most of that night further frustrated and puzzled. Try as he might he could not get the flame to appear. He eventually gave up realizing he’d probably need his uncle’s help. Finally crawling into bed Azven fell into a dreamless sleep. One  that would be abruptly cut short...

 
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