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esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: Tao stumbled through the forest, his breath short as he leapt over roots, his grip tight on his staff as he heard the horses draw close. Damn! Did they have someone who could sense mages with them?
Notes: This was going to be part of the Hoard verse but some details didn’t match up, so let’s just say it’s an au of an au, pfft.
Rating: G
Genre: Family
Word count: 633
Status: Complete
Tao stumbled through the forest, his breath short as he leapt over roots, his grip tight on his staff as he heard the horses draw close. Damn! Did they have someone who could sense mages with them?
There was a clearing in front of him, a break in the trees lighter than the re-
Wasn’t a clearing!
Tao jammed his staff into the ground, yanking himself back so he wouldn’t fall off the cliff edge.
The waves rolled against the cliff below him but that wasn’t enough to hide the sharp rocks jutting out from under them. If he jumped from here, he might be lucky to miss the rocks but he could still end up getting smashed against them.
Tao whirled around at the sound of a horse pulling to a stop.
“Prince Tao,” the knight riding the horse said, more knights joining her. There was an almost patient look on her face. But she was more puzzled. “Why did you run?”
“Yeah, well,” Tao said, shifting his feel closed to solid ground, “I’m not interested in marriage.” And that was would happen if he went with them. Married so they could make a grab for his kingdom and that wasn’t going to happen.
The knights eyebrows rose, her eyes glancing around. “You would prefer to live here? You’ve already been abandoned by your knight; there’s no-one to keep you safe.”
Tao stared. “You...don’t know who lives here, do you?” She would have said something else if she knew.
A cloud passed overhead, throwing everything in shadow for a second as the wind picked up. Tao drew his cloak around him, tugging his staff back, trying to draw magic to him as unobtrusively as possible while he watched more knights and mages circle him.
“Wild beasts? Your knight was eaten?” the knight guessed. She shook her head. “Then you would be safer in your castle.” She raised her hand and Tao tensed, the air fizzling with magic from the mages.
The ground shuddered as roots thrust themselves out, racing towards him.
Tao channelled the electricity down his staff, stopping a few.
Not enough.
The others were still going to get him.
Tao span around and jumped.
He heard their cries of surprise for a second before the wind snatched it away and he tumbled down, keeping a tight grip on his staff. He didn’t want to see the sea rushing towards him so he looked towards the sky and grinned.
Takeo was on Ishibil's back as they dived towards him, Takeo reaching out to him. Tao held out his staff and Takeo grabbed that, pulling him into his arms, Ishibil keeping them steady.
“What were you doing?” Takeo scolded as Ishibil evened out and Tao could breathe properly again.
“Collecting a couple plants to eat,” Tao said with a laugh, hugging him.
“And you found a patrol who were looking for you?” Ishibil grumbled, his ears pointed towards them.
“It’s just my luck, heh.”
“You were lucky we saw your magic as we were flying over,” Takeo said, then eyed him even as he hugged Tao back. “But that was why you did it, wasn’t it?”
Tao nodded. “Yup! But anyway. What do we do now?” He looked back, where the knights and mages were peering over the edge of the cliff, pointing. Ishibil’s magic would have stopped them from seeing him being rescued. “Ishibil?”
“Want me to kill them?”
Tao frowned, thinking it over. “If we did that, there would more people wanting to find out what happened. They think I’m dead anyway.” Since no human would have survived a jump like that.
“Then we’ll keep an eye out together,” Takeo said, “to make sure they leave.”
Tao chuckled, just basking in Takeo’s warmth and the fact he was safe. “Definitely.”
Summary: Tao stumbled through the forest, his breath short as he leapt over roots, his grip tight on his staff as he heard the horses draw close. Damn! Did they have someone who could sense mages with them?
Notes: This was going to be part of the Hoard verse but some details didn’t match up, so let’s just say it’s an au of an au, pfft.
Rating: G
Genre: Family
Word count: 633
Status: Complete
Tao stumbled through the forest, his breath short as he leapt over roots, his grip tight on his staff as he heard the horses draw close. Damn! Did they have someone who could sense mages with them?
There was a clearing in front of him, a break in the trees lighter than the re-
Wasn’t a clearing!
Tao jammed his staff into the ground, yanking himself back so he wouldn’t fall off the cliff edge.
The waves rolled against the cliff below him but that wasn’t enough to hide the sharp rocks jutting out from under them. If he jumped from here, he might be lucky to miss the rocks but he could still end up getting smashed against them.
Tao whirled around at the sound of a horse pulling to a stop.
“Prince Tao,” the knight riding the horse said, more knights joining her. There was an almost patient look on her face. But she was more puzzled. “Why did you run?”
“Yeah, well,” Tao said, shifting his feel closed to solid ground, “I’m not interested in marriage.” And that was would happen if he went with them. Married so they could make a grab for his kingdom and that wasn’t going to happen.
The knights eyebrows rose, her eyes glancing around. “You would prefer to live here? You’ve already been abandoned by your knight; there’s no-one to keep you safe.”
Tao stared. “You...don’t know who lives here, do you?” She would have said something else if she knew.
A cloud passed overhead, throwing everything in shadow for a second as the wind picked up. Tao drew his cloak around him, tugging his staff back, trying to draw magic to him as unobtrusively as possible while he watched more knights and mages circle him.
“Wild beasts? Your knight was eaten?” the knight guessed. She shook her head. “Then you would be safer in your castle.” She raised her hand and Tao tensed, the air fizzling with magic from the mages.
The ground shuddered as roots thrust themselves out, racing towards him.
Tao channelled the electricity down his staff, stopping a few.
Not enough.
The others were still going to get him.
Tao span around and jumped.
He heard their cries of surprise for a second before the wind snatched it away and he tumbled down, keeping a tight grip on his staff. He didn’t want to see the sea rushing towards him so he looked towards the sky and grinned.
Takeo was on Ishibil's back as they dived towards him, Takeo reaching out to him. Tao held out his staff and Takeo grabbed that, pulling him into his arms, Ishibil keeping them steady.
“What were you doing?” Takeo scolded as Ishibil evened out and Tao could breathe properly again.
“Collecting a couple plants to eat,” Tao said with a laugh, hugging him.
“And you found a patrol who were looking for you?” Ishibil grumbled, his ears pointed towards them.
“It’s just my luck, heh.”
“You were lucky we saw your magic as we were flying over,” Takeo said, then eyed him even as he hugged Tao back. “But that was why you did it, wasn’t it?”
Tao nodded. “Yup! But anyway. What do we do now?” He looked back, where the knights and mages were peering over the edge of the cliff, pointing. Ishibil’s magic would have stopped them from seeing him being rescued. “Ishibil?”
“Want me to kill them?”
Tao frowned, thinking it over. “If we did that, there would more people wanting to find out what happened. They think I’m dead anyway.” Since no human would have survived a jump like that.
“Then we’ll keep an eye out together,” Takeo said, “to make sure they leave.”
Tao chuckled, just basking in Takeo’s warmth and the fact he was safe. “Definitely.”