[Yukonwolfspirit & ZX-MetalMonster] (Private 18+)

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Depends on how badly hurt I am. Any chance Nimue you can tell the area of the wound?” Yukie asked as he looked at Darcy worried about the poor human running through the forest to protect him. For him he didn’t want Darcy to get hurt so taking a small wound to save Darcy was no question for Yukie.

”so troublesome. Asking so many questions to make it work in your favor.” Nimue mumbled as she got up and went to the fire place and stoked the fire. Making the flames rise she held out a bowl full of small bones for Yukie to choose from. “You know how we do this” she replied holding out the bowl of bones. Yukie taking a piece of bone handed it back to Nimue who tossed it into the flame only to see the bone snap easily in half before splintering even more. “Ooh. That’s not great. Seems it’s death wound.” Nimue somberly replied as she looked at Yukie who nodded and stood unsure what to do.

”nothing I do will change it, or prevent it…if I try to prevent what’s seen it could hurt others.” Yukie mumbled the words having been pounded into his skull by the witch upon the first princes death. 

“you’ve done well to keep the rule. But I don’t see why you’ve asked me when you know how to do all of this yourself. I mean I’ve taught you all my kind knows. Unless your still having trouble sleeping.” Nimue asked as Yukie looked at her at those words.

”I sleep perfectly fine.” Yukie added as he frowned at the question knowing his sleeping habits could make his own cute seeing off. “Just double the medicine…I’ll take my chances.” Yukie replied as he looked at Darcy wanting to just get over the pain that would come.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy looked bewildered to hear the prince and the witch discus a dangerous wound as if it was something he could brush off. The nights of restless sleep the prince struggled with seemed more worrying to the woman but Darcy couldn't begin to understand how that could take priority now. "You're talking about a deadly wound as if it's just an inconvenience." Anger snuck into the demon's voice who felt as if his hands had been tied behind his back by the visions the witch saw in the fire. He couldn't act as either an assassin or a protector, his liege wouldn't let him. "What's the point of me if you think you can't change anything." Darcy muttered, despite what the prince had told him before it seemed like he'd made peace with what was to come.

The knight felt compelled to pull the prince aside and confess his true nature but he restrained himself. If he had the mind to, his master could take the shape of monsters more horrible than anything that was meant to walk this world. Meanwhile Darcy had every advantage out in the woods, shrouded in night and shadow he was in his own domain. Their fears weren't justified, even if a beast was on their heels they outnumbered it and could put up a fight.

-"I'll do as I'm told." Darcy yielded to the prince but made no promise that he wouldn't later act of his own accord. "Look after yourself though and don't worry about who else might get hurt. It's will be only the two of us out there and I can look after myself, I'm not your concern." The demon added before leaving the room, having decided to wait for his master outside until it was time for them to go.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“…” Yukie stopped as he looked at Darcy leaving before following him out a few moments later after saying his goodbyes to Nimue. In his arms where two bags of medicine that Nimue had given him. “I’m sorry. I forget your my protector…and my friend.” Yukie explained feeling a bit annoyed with himself for how he had acted. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Because….as stupid as this is….I have a crush on you.” Yukie mumbled his face a little red as he busied himself by putting the medicine away in his saddle bags. “It would make me upset to see you hurt, I’ve learned in the last 25 years just how delicate humans are. I don’t want to push you to hard to protect me or break you asking for unreasonable things.” The prince finished his words laced with a deep sadness as if he had gone through more then a few humans in his lifetime. Climbing up onto the horse Yukie sat quietly ready to be lead back.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy softened at hearing Yukie's confession, his anger reduced to nothing within a heartbeat after the words were spoken. He couldn't have known the prince was making light of foretold events because he preferred suffering a painful injury to letting his knight put himself in danger. Darcy hadn't noticed the prince's interest in him or understood the gifts and the need to keep him close the way his master perhaps intended him to. It stung knowing that sooner or later he'd betray the young man and he wouldn't dare reconsider his own feelings for the prince.

Darcy breathed a sigh and for the first time that night the gesture did as he'd hoped and dissipated some of his anxiety. He walked slowly to where the prince waited atop his horse ready to set out into the woods and took care not to frighten his steed. "I can't explain but whatever happens I won't get hurt." The knight reassured his master and gently placed a hand on his thigh. "Trust me on that." 

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“I trust you more then you think.” Yukie whispered his face going red at the slightest contact as he looked down at Darcy. “It’s just…this person has been able to wound me before badly. I don’t know how they keep finding me and hiding.” Yukie admitted as his hands tightened on the reins. “I thought having guards again that I could trust would drive them away…but I’m not sure it worked.” Yukie admitted as he sighed a touch of fear in his voice as he admitted that he was afraid of the person hunting him. Moving the horse forward Yukie stepped out of the witches area read to head home and out of the dark forest. “Come on let’s head back before the maid panics.” Yukie offered as he suddenly turned the horse moving as if spooked. Frowning Yukie turned his head as he heard a sharp snap of a string only to scream out in pain as a sharp arrow flew deep into his chest the tip a heavy silver.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy was, perhaps unfortunately for the prince, clearheaded despite the situation at hand and studied the wound in his chest with the cold indifference of a killer, suddenly gone deaf to his master's pain. Their stalker had done as much damage as one possibly could with an arrow but he doubted it was enough to put a demon in the ground. However the injury had stunned the prince and if he used this opportunity and was willing to reveal himself a traitor, Darcy could have the upper hand. Discovering his trusted friend is a demon, a faceless thing that had haunted him once upon a dream, would maybe leave the prince vulnerable enough for his knight to rip him into enough pieces that no amount of healing could put him back together.

Darcy had caught the young man and sunk to the ground with him in his arms, looming over him like death once the prince rested on the dusty path and he on his knees. However his hands combed through the demon's hair and rested on his skin offering a soothing touch while the knight debated with himself what to do next. Once he had no hesitation left, one of his arms snaked around the prince's neck, forcing him to keep still and look aside, meanwhile he gripped the arrow. The shaft had punctured so deep into the demon's chest that Darcy struggled to take a firm hold of it and as soon as he pulled he felt the arrowhead snag and abandoned the attempt. He stopped to second guess himself for only an instant before holding the prince tighter, seeing how the arrow was almost the whole way through, the easiest solution was to force it the rest of the way. It was not easy or quick but the knight kept his composure throughout, in the end spilling his own blood with his masters when he gripped the silver arrowhead and tore out the intruding object whole from the demon's back.

Darcy tossed the arrow aside with disdain but wouldn't have respite knowing the archer must still be in the forest and not far enough to elude him. "Try to catch your breath. I'll come back for you." He couldn't gauge if the prince had lost too much blood to recover or if upon his return the young man would still be breathing and strong enough to hold out until they return to the castle and he receives proper help. Darcy had done more for him than he should have but couldn't help himself and pressed a kiss to the man's temple just like he'd done before. Stood to his full height, he shed his humanity and spilled into the forest like floodwater washing over the land, looking for a trace of their attacker who despite the delay couldn't have gone far.  

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Crying out in agony Yukie ripped at his chest his features showing more of the terrifying demon side to him. As Yukie felt the burning pain from the silver arrow he couldn’t help as long bloodthirsty fangs showed and long black nails clawed at the arrow desperately trying to remove it. As he was moved down to the dusty path Yukie groaned softly as he trembled in pain only momentarily distracted by Darcy’s gentle touch. Looking up at his knight Yukie took a calming breath regaining his composure slowly. Feeling Darcy wrap his arm around his neck Yukie tensed as he realized what the knight was going to do.

“N-no don’t don’t please.” Yukie begged Darcy as he tried to push the knight away terrified by the pain and agony that was to come. As the arrow was pulled forward it felt like Yukies flesh was being ripped even more, crying out Yukie kicked his feet out a touch not even registering how weak he had become against Darcy’s restraints. Yukie howled in pain, his screams agonizing as the arrow was ripped clean through his body Yukie unwillingly reverting back to the terrifying monster they both had seen in his dream.  “Fuck…” Yukie groaned as he felt hot tears fall down his face the demon trying to focus on Darcy’s words as he lay bleeding in his lap.  As blood poured out of the wound Yukie looked at Darcy at the promise of coming back for him.

“Don’t leave.” Yukie begged only to become silent at the soft kiss to his head the demons senses overloaded from the pain. Laying still on the ground Yukie closed his eyes for a moment only opening them a moment later to see a blurry Darcy who had seemed to spill across the forest floor like a pot of ink would across a table. Trying to slow his breathing Yukie was trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The shooter after he had taken his shot had quickly ran off keeping to the thicker trees and underbrush. Hearing the princes screams he knew his shot had flown true.

The attacker had been practicing for the last year the arrows being much heavier to shoot and well, his other attempts had been overcame easily so it was best to fatally wound the prince at this point. Taking a moment to breathe the attacker stopped having heard the princes screams stop and with a hopeful heart was praying he had finally killed the prince.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

With his mind spilled into the pitch black of the woods Darcy was spread thin and couldn't afford to think about anything other than the archer. There was not a soul in the forest at this hour of the night and sure enough the first human he found was the one he was pursuing. The black fog coalesced to give him form again and before the man could lift his bow and threaten the demon with one of his silver tipped arrows Darcy surged forward and knocked him to the ground. He kept the archer pinned, the palm of his hand pressed against the human's chest, fingers growing long and thin like spider legs. Stood over his prey he committed the face to memory, unmoved by the terror etched in it's features. However the man fought to get free and managed to overpower the beast but only for a moment before Darcy gripped him again, his fingers hooking into flesh this time. He clasped a hand over the human's face and in a similar fashion the sharp, bony fingers punctured the skin. The skull held for a long, drawn out moment of what must have been agony for the human who could see plain as day that he wouldn't walk away from this. When the bones finally gave, Darcy's fingers sunk into gore and finally he desisted.

Rather than recoil from the unsightly corpse, Darcy switched between forms and collapsed on his knees over the body. He wouldn't flinch from the butchery now that the deed was done, though he berated himself for the mess he'd made indulging in his bloodlust. On his victims shirt he spied an emblem, caked in red but recognizable, a symbol of the archer's house or guild no doubt. With a firm thug Darcy collected the patch hopeful that someone back at the castle would recognize it and uncover the attackers identity. The dead man had nothing else to offer him and with the prince still wounded not far away Darcy wouldn't waste time hiding or burying the body, other beasts could have it if they pleased.

The road back to his master seemed to stretch longer than before, though the knight knew it was because he'd been unnaturally fast while on the chase. He arrived at the same stretch of the forest path where he'd left the prince to recover and without faltering approached to see if the young man had succumb to his wounds.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Sitting up against a tree Yukie was still conscious the demon having bandaged his own wound decent enough to slow the bleeding. The prince was quiet his body colder then usual as he sat beside a small bag he had taken off of his horse his body surrounded by thick throned vines. Yukie had only gotten enough time to grab the bags of medicine and a small dagger from his saddlebags before his horse had smelt the heavy scent of a demon and booked it leaving Yukie alone with Darcy’s steed. As the prince was resting with his back against the tree he held in one hand the reins to Darcy’s steed refusing to take the chance for the horse to run and in his other hand a sharp blade. With blurry vision Yukie breathed deeply his face wincing in pain from the simple task as the vines grew even thicker around him the prince surrounded by a small protection circle that the vines grew out of as a last defense.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy spared the tangle of vines a glance before his attention focused fully on the prince, unsure if the other demon would be thankful he'd removed the arrow or weary because of the pain he'd endured. Clad in blood soaked clothes, with red covering his hands, Darcy couldn't imagine he was a reassuring sight so he approached slowly and knelt by his master, disregarding the thorns the prince had put up for protection. "The assassin won't come back and there's no one else in the forest near us, I checked." Darcy informed and hoped the young man would feel safer knowing the danger had passed. "We need to get going though. You won't get much better sitting there." The knight explained and started to pick the prince up, though he was sure any movement would upset his wound.  

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“You came back.” Yukie mumbled as he clung to Darcy his face resting on Darcy’s chest as he was picked up. As Yukie was held in Darcy’s arms he relaxed slightly the thorns shrinking back to the dirt to the point of just wrapping around the trees base. Looking at Darcy Yukie’s vision was quite blurry but he could slowly make out the mess Darcy was. “I like your war paint…it’s suiting.” Yukie mumbled trying to make light of the situation as he shivered a little his body feeling more cold as the time went on. Looking up at Darcy Yukie gently reached out and touched his face lovingly. “You didn’t get hurt right?” Yukie asked not able to smell if Darcy was hurt since he was covered in blood from the assassin.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy smirked, glad the prince hadn't lost his sense of humor and was making light of his rampage, though he knew from the way the young man shivered they needed to hurry back. If they returned on horseback they would be at the castle sooner however the knight was aware his ineptitude as a rider would hinder them and chose in stead to walk with his horse led close behind them. "No, don't worry about me now." Darcy turned towards the prince's touch and pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand, too worn out to practice restraint. He wouldn't burden the prince with talk of the throbbing cut he'd accidentally inflicted on his right hand while removing the arrow.

It was dawn when they surfaced from the woods however the day was shaping out to be grim. A veil of mist hid them from servants and anyone else who might have been waiting in the courtyard, affording the wounded prince and his unsightly knight a measure of privacy. Pressed for time, Darcy left his steed free and unattended by the stables knowing the animal would have already been long gone if it had any interest in getting away. He entered the castle unsure where he was taking the injured demon though he had no doubt the court was on high alert and looking for them by now.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Can’t help it. Your my knight in shining armor.” Yukie mumbled as he blushed from the kiss to his hand his face only burning due to the lack of blood. As they headed back Yukie was mostly quiet the prince going in and out of consciousness from pain and blood loss. “Mngh.” Yukie grumbled as they reached the castle Yukie stirring a little as he woke up more. “Let’s just say no one needs to know about our trip. I went out for a ride early in the morning. You the kind knight you are followed me I was attacked and you brought me back.” Yukie mumbled his voice soft as he spoke but weak the demons vision even more blurry as he didn’t notice that the mist was hiding them. “You can just take me in to Luca…” Yukie added as he groaned softly trying not to vomit from the pain.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy suspected the keeper wouldn't believe the prince's lie so easily but the man would have other priorities considering the state Yukie was in. "You've been strong until now. Hold on for just a little bit longer." On their trek back Darcy had come to understand the demon could endure a great deal of pain but couldn't heal as rapidly as he'd assumed. It left the knight puzzle at how the young man had survived some of the previous attempts on his life.

The castle was alive with voices despite the early hours of the morning and there was nothing Darcy could do to avoid being seen by the servants who happened to be roaming the halls. However no one dared to stop or question the knight, dissuaded both by the gore that covered him and the cold look he gave as a warning. Luckily the keeper was one member of the court he'd seen plenty of and knew where to find, he wasted no time in going to him.  

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Luca was busy organizing some books in Yukies room the man having bought some new reading material for the prince. Turning his head at the door opening he looked at the two before backing away in shock. “Fuck.” Luca hissed as he moved quickly and grabbed Yukie placing him on the bed with ease. “How long has he been bleeding? Has he been conscious?” Luca asked needing to know some basics of what happened as he grabbed some scissors and started cutting the shirt off of Yukie. Looking at the wound Luca winced at the blackened hole that stared back at him the wound still bleeding but black as night. “…did you pull the silver out? All of it?” Luca asked his voice firm as he moved to a spot in the wall where unknowing to Yukie was a hidden room. Opening the fake wall he stepped in pulling out bags of medicine and a teapot and a set of medical tools. Putting the teapot on the fire he waited for the water to boil. “….where the hell did you take him…” Luca asked his voice full of fear.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy's first instinct was to step back and hold the prince closer to his chest but he mastered himself and allowed the keeper to take the young man from his arms. He was careful not to make himself an obstacle for the keeper while he worked but lingered close by the prince. His knowledge of medicine was rudimentary, enough for the knight to dress a wound by himself, however this was a more serious injury and unless the keeper instructed him there was nothing he could do to help.

-"He was conscious most of the way here. I'm not sure how long it's been since he was injured... I wasn't keeping time." Darcy had an estimate of how long the prince had persisted before arriving at the castle but answering truthfully could reveal how far in the woods they had traveled and hint that their agreed version of events was a lie.

-"The arrow looked intact when I took it out. There shouldn't be any silver left in the wound." Despite knowing the keeper would never harm Yukie and having everything to gain if the prince perished from his injury, Darcy watched the older man carefully while he gathered medicine, paranoid after the attack. The keeper's attempt to put blame on him only made the knight more high strung. "I took him nowhere." He snapped, his black eyes narrowing into a glare. "I've been following him... he rode out into the forest and was ambushed there."

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“I’ll make sure to punish the prince for his foolishness.” Luca replied not believing Darcy’s words but well…he had no choice but to. Taking the medicine off the fire Lucas sighed as he continued to measure out the medicine adding more dried herbs. “You are to tell no one about this room…not even Yukie” Luca explained having kept the medical room secret from his master so he could in an emergency care for him without alerting the castle.

”Don’t you dare…scold him about that damn room.” Yukie mumbled forcing himself to try and stay conscious as he looked at Luca who sighed and cleaned the wound softly with warm water before putting the hot herbal paste on the wound making it go as deep into the wound as he could despite Yukies screams.

”I know but if I don’t do this you’ll really turn into a monster trying to heal your wound or digest this metal.” Luca explained as Yukie could be seen shifting back and forth from human like to the same monster Darcy saw in the forest. “The reason silver isn’t let into the kingdom is because if he keeps it in his system he becomes mad.” Luca explained as he poured Yukie some calming tea and set it down. “You can have tea now and blood later…I can send the cook out to get it fresh.” Luca mumbled as he sighed and took a moment to rest Yukie just angry as his wound healed.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

It was foolish of the keeper to expect Darcy to guard his secret though the prince was coherent enough to see the hidden room for himself. If pressed to side with anyone the knight would easily stand by his master, despite being sent there to kill the young man. He wouldn't keep court secrets from the prince when he saw no benefit in it for either of them.

-"That's your priority?" Darcy still watched the keeper with a glare, incredulous. "If he's going to heal more easily as a monster then let him turn into one." Every beast was hostile and dangerous when wounded, there was no reason to expect anything less from the prince. Moreover if Yukie looked human only thanks to shapeshifting then abandoning that effort and investing the energy elsewhere was wise. Perhaps he didn't have all the information but Darcy was operating on impulse alone and felt overly protective of his master so he wouldn't give the keeper the benefit of the doubt.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Well we already have enough rumors floating around about Yukie. A little damage control won’t hurt.” Luca explained as he sat Yukie up and handed him the tea.

”Luca…fuck off.” Yukie groaned as he breathed a little hard the pain being rather harsh as he moved to sip the tea. “I don’t care what humans think…I’ll outlive most of them to the point where the rumors will die.” Yukie added as he looked at Darcy before smiling. “Please escort Luca out for the night and you can retire now if you wish I’m sure you can find a dark closet to sleep in around here.” Yukie mumbled as he tried to joke slightly with Darcy only to set the drink down refusing to sip the bitter herbs.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Despite showing open hostility to the human, Darcy waited for the keeper to exit the room on his own accord in stead of forcing him out the door. Though a physical approach might have also been in line with what the prince had commanded. Darcy knew his master appreciated his servants and under normal circumstances wouldn't be so harsh.  

-"I'd like to wash this blood off and get a fresh change of clothes but I'm not very tired, I can stay and look after you." The knight offered, reluctant to leave the prince all by himself even if the other demon could use an opportunity to rest and recover in peace. "Speaking of, you look like a mess yourself." Darcy pointed out though he couldn't tell if the prince minded being covered in gore or if he'd had enough of putting up with pain while trying to move.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Thank you for not forcing him out. He means well…but he’s overbearing when it comes to me being sick or wounded. It’s unnerving and annoying having him coddle me so much.” Yukie explained as he forced himself to sit up only grimacing at the sharp pain that ran through his body almost making him vomit. “A-a bath would be nice.” Yukie mumbled as he looked down at his bloody self trying to focus his vision and calm his breathing. “You can go after you send up a maid to help me…unless you want to wash me?” Yukie asked the prince half joking as he finally looked at Darcy.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"I hate to coddle you too but you should try to stay still." Darcy suggested knowing the prince was inflicting pain on himself by disregarding his injury and moving too sharply. The effort was unnecessary, neither of them had urgent things to attend to, they could afford to take things slow. "I can do it, if I don't make you..." The demon trailed off, remembering the prince's confession. Even masquerading as a knight he'd spent enough time around soldiers to know most men didn't take kindly to being in a revealing situation with someone like him. Whether he had eyes for them or not mattered little. However it was perhaps safe to assume the same couldn't be said for the prince. "I can do it." He repeated more confidently after a short pause.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Don’t worry I’ll behave.” Yukie mumbled as he mentioned to the bathroom through the door to the right. “My bath is in that room. It’s much like yours” Yukie added as he touched the wound glad the medicine was keeping it sealed while his body worked to heal him. Yukie sighed as he thought about soaking in the hot bath that was more like a hot spring then the typical bathroom. One of Yukies brothers had been well travelled and had brought back the idea of bathhouses so they didn’t have to hike in the mountains to take baths when needed. “Think you can support me? I can walk a little if not.” Yukie offered not wanting to walk but well it was a lot to ask Darcy to carry him again.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy didn't entertain the idea of helping the prince shuffle slowly and painfully along to the bathroom. He left the young man by himself and filled the bath with warm water, though he kept it shallow enough to ensure it wouldn't seep into the demon's fresh wound. The knight returned ready to carry the prince again, well accustomed to his weight by now. However he remembered the issue of the prince still being mostly dressed and hesitated for only a moment before he sat on the edge of the bed beside him. "We need to take those off." He explained softly as he reached out to help the prince undress though his touch was tentative and the other demon could easily push his away if he'd crossed a line.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“…thank you” Yukie mumbled his face burning red as he looked away from Darcy almost dying of embarrassment. “…so…no lover back home Eh?” Yukie teased trying to make light of such an awkward situation. “I mean I can’t see if you being single.” Yukie explained as he grabbed a loose sheet to cover up with so Darcy could carry him without touching his bare skin too much. Yukie of course was well built his body more muscular for his frame than one might expect but, due to his other forms he got quite the well rounded workout. His skin was soft and smooth almost as if the man had quite the skincare routine down to an art.

”hope after tonight…you don’t fall for me~” Yukie teased in a slight singsong voice the demon having a little fun poking at Darcy to keep the pain off his mind. “Though…humor me and explain why you’re covered so much in blood…I mean I saw something…and smelt another demon. There was the scent of a strange demon…and then that traitors blood.” Yukie explained as he looked at Darcy while wrapping up in the semi thin sheet.