Dragon Knights Fan Fiction ❯ The Long Road Home ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

The Long Road Home

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Disclaimer: I don't own them! *cries*

Warnings: Yaoi, shounen ai, angst, fluff, humor, language

Pairings: Rune x Rath for this fic, but I'm thinking about making a Thatz x Rath one also.....it just has to be Rath with someone!

Summary: Rath, Rune, and Thatz, after being sent on a mission by the dragon lord, are trying to find their way back to Draqueen, again. But on their long journey, hidden feelings arise and dark secrets are told...

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Chapter I

(Rath's POV)

I let my sword slip out of my hands in exhaustion and heard it land on the ground with a clatter after dealing the final blow on a rather large, purple-colored demon. The forest was full of the things and surprisingly, despite my love for demon-hunting, I was getting tired of it.

I heard a laugh from behind me and felt a gloved hand on my shoulder.

"Don't tell me you're giving up already, Rath," I heard Thatz say and looked over into his humor-filled face. "There's loads more to go.......honestly, you tired of demon-hunting...what's the world coming to?" He said, muttering the last part.

I shook his hand off and turned to face him. "I'm NOT tired of this and never will be!" I said defensively just as I started feeling dizzy and would have toppled right onto my ass if it weren't for another body standing behind me.

I fell clumsily backwards into someone's arms.

"Uh, Rath? Are you feeling okay?" Rune asked as I looked tiredly up into his concerned face.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, straightening myself, as Thatz broke into a fit of knowing laughter.

Rune cocked his head, looking at him questioningly.

".....demons......tired.......Rath," Thatz managed to make out between laughs.

A relieved, and humor-filled, smile spread across Rune's face and he stifled snickers of his own with his hand.

I frowned at them and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Rath, you know we're just playing with you," Rune said, laughing ceased, brows coming together in a frown of his own. "What's the matter?"

Nothing was the matter, really, not that I knew of. It was weird, though....I'd usually be playing along with them. I sighed inwardly.....I was out of it today. "Nothing..." I replied, putting on a forced smile.

Thatz, seemimgly happy with my answer, rushed over toward our tent to get a bite to eat from our rather large stash of food, mostly for him. Rune, on the other hand, looked at me worriedly and walked up to me.

"Rath, I can tell when something's bothering you, and there's something that is now," He said quietly and slowly, looking me in the eye, as I looked down, black locks falling into my face.

Rrrgh! What does he know?! I thought. There was something bothering me, I had to admit I was sure of it now. I just couldn't place what it was. I felt my eyes watering with tears of frustration and I turned around quickly, muttering, "Nothing." I didn't want either of them to see me cry like a wuss, so I walked quickly into the tent and sat in a corner, silent tears making their way down my face as I fought to keep them in. What the hell is wrong with me?!

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(Rune's POV)

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I stood there, utterly bewildered at Rath's actions. What is wrong with him? I thought. To say I was worried would be understatement...I was beyond that. There was so much I didn't know about him. He never tells Thatz and me anything...like his secret...

"Hey! Rune! C'mon over here, the pasta's great!" Thatz said, interrupting my train of thought. "Helloooo! Earth to Rune!"

I smiled weakly, walked over, and plopped down next to Thatz on the tablecloth that served as a picnic blanket.

"Hey....where'd Rath run off to?" He asked, his mouth full of spaghetti.

I nodded my head towards the tent.

"Well, maybe he would like......."

"No, I wouldn't disturb him now," I said, interrupting Thatz.

He blinked at me in confusion.

I looked at him and frowned. "Haven't you noticed the way Rath has been acting today?"

"Um...I guess so..."

"It's weird.........."

"Aww, Rune, it can't be that bad!"

That does it, I thought, frustrated.

"Damn it, Thatz! Would you just listen to me for once?!" I exploded in his face, clenching my fists threateningly.

That seemed to shut him up, so I continued. "About a week ago, I met Kai- stern, sitting out at the back of the castle with Rath, who was asleep."

I had Thatz's attention now. He had even stopped eating after my bout of yelling, which, to say the least, surprised me. "I talked to him about Rath.....he said he was hiding something from us..."

"Who, Kai-stern?"

"No, Rath."

"Oh..."

"Kai-stern said that Rath would tell us someday...when he's ready..."

Thatz frowned. "Yeah...there's so much we don't know about him..."

"Exactly. And that thing Delte said...about Rath dying. I wonder what that's all about."

"Maybe we should ask him about it."

"Oh, yeah, I can hear it now. 'Hey, Rath! What's up? Do you feel like you're dying today?'" I said sarcastically.

"No, no, I meant about his "secret", or whatever."

"I don't know. Back at the castle, I asked him about it..." More like grabbed him by the shirt collar and demand he tell me, but hey. "...and he just hugged me like we would never see each other again, and totally ignored my question...but he did admit to keeping something from us."

Thatz shrugged. "I don't know what to say...I mean, I would go in there in talk to him about it...but I'm in the middle of eating."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Thatz'll always be Thatz...

"Well...I'm going in, then," I said, getting up.

"But you haven't even touched your food..."

I glared at him. "Eating isn't exactly my top priority now, Thatz. Just save me some."

Thatz nodded. "Good luck," He said quietly, obvious concern for Rath in his voice.

I smiled down at him, turned towards the tent, and walked up to it, hearing Thatz return to his spaghetti.

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END OF CHAPTER

TBC...