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A Stroke of Chaos
News of the wedding ceremony had traveled much farther than Annabel and Tren had anticipated or wanted. The day sixteen white horses appeared outside Annabel's house as a wedding present from the Godly Emperor, who knew neither of them personally, Annabel decided she had had more than enough.
Kipfel, on the other hand, didn't see the problem.
*I don't see the problem,* he told her while she was storming around the house getting dressed.
"Don't see the problem!? There are SIXTEEN white horses out there as a wedding gift from a man I DON'T KNOW! How do you not see the problem!?"
Kipfel considered this a moment and then shrugged and went back to playing 'bat the semi-precious stone back and forth' with Löwen. Annabel watched them a moment and threw her hands up in the air and let out a growl akin to the black's.
In fact, he mimicked it, and grinned when she gave him a dark look. He did so love needling her. *Well if there's a problem with people sending you nice things, why don't you let me have them?*
She set her hands on her hips and glared down at him. "Kipfel. What would you do with sixteen white horses?"
*I don't know,* Kip said casually, flicking the stone back to Löwen, who tackled it and kicked it back. *Probably eat them.*
"You see! They're so useless, even you wouldn't keep them around!"
*I resent that.*
"You resemble that."
*Ooh hoo hoo.* He and Löwen exchanged the stone again. *So,* he said. *Miss I-can-save-the-world-but-not-deal-with-too-many-shiny-things. What're you going to do about it?*
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do about it," she said, pulling on her gloves. "I'm going down to the docks and insisting Sandry restrict all further wedding presents." She went for the door. "And then I'm going to send these freaking horses back!"
She slammed the door behind her and Kip and Löwen shook their heads. *Do you think she'll miss just one?* he asked.
***
Ira watched a moment before fluttering into the tree above the cave. He watched longer, the black dragon trying to convince the horse that it wasn't going to be hurt so long as it got in the cave like a good little horse.
Finally, he couldn't take anymore. He glided down and landed behind Kip. *What're you doing?* he asked.
*What?* Kip replied, doing his best to look innocent. *Doing? What makes you think I'm doing anything. We were just hanging out here, right, Löwen?*
The green sufan nodded very affirmatively.
Ira quirked an eyebrow and smirked. *What's with the horse?*
*Horse? What horse?*
*The one behind you.*
*He's uh. Our new friend.*
*She.*
*What?*
*It's a mare.*
*Oh. Sorry. No wonder you were so offended by the name Chester,* Kip thought, looking up at the horse, who looked more than a bit frightened.
*Let the horse go, Kip.*
*Did Annabel send you here?* the black asked, sounding very suspicious.
*No, but where are you going to keep a horse in a cave? Besides, they need food and such, and that's such a hassle.*
Just then, Annabel came out of the cave from the underground passage to her house. "There it is," she sighed. "Kip, give up the horse," she told him.
Kip looked up at her defiantly. *No. My horse.*
"You are not keeping a horse."
*Why not?*
Annabel crossed her arms over her chest. "Löwenherzchen," she said, and the sufan looked innocently up at her. "I somehow get the feeling you're behind this."
Löwen looked indignant and padded to stand between Kip's legs. *Honestly, Annabel! The very thought!*
Ira chose this moment to pipe up. *You know. I get the same feeling as she does.*
Löwen gave the arboreal a dark look.
"Well, whomever's idea it is, no horses." She crossed between the dragons and took the horse's reigns. Patting it gently on the nose, she led the long way home to the town. "Bloody-minded dragons and their need for stuff!" she muttered as she escorted it home.
Kip and Löwen exchanged a defeated glance. *Oh well,* the dragon said at length. *There's always the next time.*
*What next time?* Ira asked. *She's only getting married once.*
Kip snarled. *Not if I can help it.*
Ira groaned. *I hate when you start scheming.*
***
"Well, okay, okay," said Delinet, the mirror Clarus dragon in human form as she lounged on a couch in her bondmate's room, a clipboard in her lap. "You are formally invited to the wedding of His Royal Majesty Tren Ipsii Galdro III and Miss Anna-"
"Can we drop all that 'His Royal Majesty' stuff, Del?" Tren asked, pulling on a clean white shirt and tying the cuffs. "I'm not a prince anymore than I was when I met Sandry."
"You mean that you are, and you just don't want to think about it?"
"No, I mean that I'm not, and we're not broadcasting that I may have been all over the world, okay?"
Delinet looked suspicious for a moment, her green eyes darting back and forth. Then, she hopped up and went to the window, where she threw open the curtains, showering light all over the room. "Oh, what a wonderful day!" she exclaimed.
Tren rolled his eyes and shook his head. "What about 'cordially'?" he asked.
"What?" Delinet looked back at him, blinking and fondling a pearl necklace.
"What about 'cordially invited,' not 'formally invited'. And since it's not a royal wedding, I think that we can still not include 'His Royal Majesty'."
"I think you're worrying about this too much, Tren."
"You're the one who wanted to do the invitations today. You're the one who insisted we needed invitations."
"Well. You do."
"No," Tren said as he tied back his hair, "we don't."
"What kind of wedding doesn't have invitations?!"
"The same kind of wedding that doesn't have a huge reception and a million gifts from people we don't know, because someone has been meddling!"
Delinet had the grace to gasp. "Meddling! Well, I never!"
Tren crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot. "Look, if you're worried about something like being left out, Del, just say so, because I can tell you right now you're not going to be."
Delinet was quiet a moment, and looked as if she'd been fileted and left open for all the world to see. Then, she laughed. "Oh, don't be silly!" she exclaimed. "I just want you two to have the best wedding ever! I'm so happy for the two of you! In fact, I will take special care not to mention your lineage to anyone else that I speak to!"
"Anyone else, eh, Del?"
"Well..."
"How many people did you just let it slip to?"
"A few ...."
"Delinet..."
"A lot..."
Tren sighed. "No more," he said. "This is not supposed to be a stressful time for me or Annabel, and it's turning into a royal nightmare. Just let us take care of telling who what, okay, Delinet? Please?"
Delinet laughed. "Oh, Tren. You know I can't say no to you." She turned herself into a gull. *Going out today. Have a good one!*
"No more trouble!" Tren called as she lifted off and gave an encouraging squawk.
Tren himself sighed and closed the curtains before pulling on his boots and leaving the house. He had work to do on the docks today. May as well get started, late though it was.
***
The streets were crowded with the hustle and bustle of people in the late morning panic. Tren pushed through, passing familiar houses and faces and forms. And one a little too familiar.
*Oh, Tren. There you are. I'd been wondering when you'd come this way,* a voices said in his head.
"Kipfel. I find it highly unlikely you'd be waiting for me."
*Well. Sometimes it's okay to people-watch, you know?*
"What can I do for you? I'm running a little late today," the Marean told the Bishel, as the latter kept an easy pace behind the former.
*I just wanted to talk to you. I hope you don't mind the chat. Figured, you know, since we'll be sharing the same woman, we'd better get used to each other.*
Tren cast a slightly amused look over his shoulder. "Oh, really?"
*Yes. Figured I'd start out by watching what you do for a living, making sure that you're a steady provider. No sense in making a bad investment.*
Tren let out a sigh. All these dragons, he thought hopelessly. "Love is never a bad investment, Kipfel."
Kip laughed darkly. *Oh. I see. You think this is love.*
"You have another name for it?" Tren asked, raising an eyebrow, but not for a moment doubting. He knew the dangers of jealousy and doubt. He had a long history of ill-repute where he had been at the brunt end of both.
*Naturally. I highly doubt what Annabel feels for you is genuine. You should not waste your emotions on such an indecisive girl. I think what she feels for you is hardly anything more than a whim.*
"How can you say that of your own bondmate?" Tren asked, truly pitying the black suddenly.
*I have seen her other fancied men. I have also seen them fall from her favor.* He smirked, thinking of Mel. It had been good to destroy him after he had hurt his Nabel so. *Nabel should learn by now. None shall be worth her time in the end.*
"Don't be cruel, Kipfel," Tren cautioned. "It's not nice."
*I'm still being very nice,* Kip told him. It was true. He could get nasty if he chose. He didn't. Not yet.
"The thing is, Kipfel, that I love Annabel. I don't care if she doesn't love me. She is every inch of what I want in a woman, everything I've ever hoped for. And the bits I never expected, well, who cares? She has accepted my proposal, and if she is unhappy with me at a later date, then we shall come to terms ourselves. Do not discourage love."
*Discourage love? Don't be preposterous!*
Tren smiled at the black. "Time for work now," he said, and turned away to walk into a building. "I will talk to you later if you still wish it."
*Yes. Of course,* Kipfel said. *I'll be waiting.*
***
Tren had finished late in the evening. His work at the customhouse usually took a while. He had to check every crate on every ship. Every barrel on every ship. He had men and women working under him, but he liked to do a lot of work himself. He pulled a coat around his shoulders and yawned as he turned out the last of the lights and closed the door and turned the lock.
Work was hard, but someone had to do it. And he was good with it. He was well more than familiar with some of the scurge of the earth, so he could spot sketchy characters and pick them out from a crew. Or a host of immigrants.
Surprisingly, immigrants bothered him. Not because they took jobs -- the jobs needed to be taken -- or because they spoke funny -- everyone on the island spoke funny -- but because they made such a ruckus every time they came off the ship, like it was by letter of a god that they were there.
Granted, in some cases, that was exactly it. Tristan had come that way. It wasn't unheard of.
As he walked the streets, which he knew to be safe from any ill-mannered people because of the sheer number of good-hearted dragons and bondmates, he heard a noise. It was a normal enough noise, sounded like hard-soled boots on the cobblestones behind him. He didn't bother to hurry or turn. Perhaps it was someone else late at the office, like him.
Soon, he came to an intersection, and he didn't know where he was. Odd, he thought. I know every inch of this town. Where am I?
He took a road, figuring it would lead up to one he was more familiar with. It didn't. It came to a dead end. The footsteps continued to approach him, and he suddenly had an acute feeling of panic. He had to get out, had to get away, something was coming, something bad, but what? And where was he? And what was going on? Why couldn't he see straight now? What was going on? How could something like this happen? Come on, Tren! Snap out of it! I can't! I can't! I can't! What's going on! Who is it? Where are they coming from? Why won't the footsteps stop? And what if it's someone he missed? What if it's a cutthroat he's let loose upon the town, and what if after him, this cutthroat goes after Nabel, dear sweet Nabel, while she's sleeping and Kip's not near? What then? He couldn't live with himself then! Oh dear sweet lords of water, air, and earth! Please! Please let no harm come to her!
And as he thought, he looked around, never focusing, his sight blurring. He began to hyperventilate, and soon he was on his knees, the confusion leading to panic leading to sheer exhaustion and finally giving up, giving in. He fell to sleep.
Kipfel smirked and stopped pacing. He looked around and saw no one nearby. If anyone asked, he would say that Tren had fallen, he had found him, was taking him home, yes. That's exactly it.
He heaved Tren over his back. It was a heavy load. The man mostly dragged. He got to the end of the street when he decided it wouldn't work at all. Oh well.
He set his Negatius Fragment on Tren's lap and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. He dragged him home, but he never said to whose home he was taking him.
***
Ira sailed into the cave where most of Kipfel's horde was stored, much further back, across some places too narrow for most people to go. The arboreal, however, could sail over chasms and find the black if he needed to. He didn't need to.
Kipfel was right in plain view, happily gouging away at the dirt. He had dug every inch of the cave. Well. Some of it he had found. Most of it he had dug. And then found the rest.
*Kipfel!* Ira chirped in greeting. *Did you hear?* he asked, fluttering down from the sky to rest before his mate.
*Hear? Hear what?*
*Tren's gone missing. Delinet is absolutely furious! She's blaming Annabel. Annabel is thoroughly distraught, because the clarus girl won't let her out of her house. She's posing as an elephant and blocking up the doors. She's three steps faster than Miss Nabel and won't be coaxed away.*
*That bitch,* Kipfel snarled. *She needs a lesson learned.*
*Steady now. Sandrylene has heard wind of some shady characters on the ships and none are to leave the docks until Tren's found. Or not found on them. Either way. Anyone that wants to leave needs all their cargo inspected, and since that was Tren's job, it's going a mighty bit slow.*
Kipfel rolled his eyes. *Why are you telling me this, Ira?*
*I was anticipating having to lecture you into letting Tren go.*
*Me?* Kipfel looked offended. *I never thought you would suspect me, Ira! I may not like the man, but I'd never hold him hostage!*
Ira narrowed his eyes. *I wasn't suspecting 'hostage' so much as 'til death do him part.'*
*Why would I want to kill Tren? Come on! Annabel loves him! He, on the other hand, is a nasty man who's not worth her love, but who am I to stand in their way? If she wants to mess up her life, let her. Why should I care?*
Ira sighed. *You don't need to be bitter, you know. She still loves you.*
*Yes. Like she ever loved me in the first place. Ours was a bond of conveniance. Of prophecy. Screw that! To Hend and back with prophecy!*
Kipfel tore up a huge clot of dirt and dropped it on a pile behind him in anger. Ira sighed and waited for the rage to subside. It usually did. And if it didn't, he could come back later.
After a moment of growling, Kipfel got a hold of himself and cleared his throat. *In any event, I have procured some rare books. I have a need to read. Please come back later, Ira, when I'm more predisposed to your company.*
*You're very cold today, Kip,* Ira said. Löwen, who was sunning itself on a rock, nodded in agreement. *Is anything wrong?*
*NOTHING is wrong!* Kipfel growled, practically roared. He stalked off into the cave. Ira and Löwenherzchen exchanged a glance and then the former flew off. The latter continued to sun itself.
***
As he stalked heavily back to his horde, Kipfel muttered to himself. *Rare books indeed,* he snorted. He came to his horde, a whole pile, organized in some loose configuration, shaped in a semi-circle. It was filled with loose bits of glass, gems, metals ranging from precious to commonplace. Pots, pans, gardening tools, brooches, crowns, necklaces, plates, ceremonial swords, anything anyone could possibly hold dear.
And then there was a rack, which he had hewn from the wall, in which various items of pain-enducing were hanging. There were no books to be found. Any books of any value he gave to Ira for safekeeping in his own nook of the Tower. Sometimes he kept them for a while, especially if the covers were caked in gems. Sometimes he read them. He didn't have much patience for books, though.
A gilded chair was facing away from the horde. The chair was on a pivot point, and Kipfel turned it around with a quick swipe. Tren faced him angrily. He was tied to the chair with Löwen's unwilling help, and gagged with a roll of fabric. Kip was never very good with tying knots. He'd have to get better at it.
*I don't understand,* Kipfel sighed. *They like you. They all like you. Every single one of them.* He narrowed his eyes. *There's something wrong with that. I don't like you. Why should they?* He hung his head and shook it.
Then, suddenly, he looked up at the ceiling. *I could kill you, you know. I could drag you out at night, and I could make it look like an accident. Hardly anyone would be the wiser. Kill you, cut your bonds, drop you somewhere outside the city limits. No one would know. I'd be rid of you. She'd care about me again...* He sighed happily.
He was quiet for a moment, and then, *I hate you, you know. I've never hated anything in my life the way I hate you. Never. Not once.* He smirked and started pacing in a circle around Tren's chair. *I hate the way you took her from me. I hate the way that you barge into my life and steal away something so perfectly mine. I won't let you take her from me. I won't.*
He spun Tren's chair again so he wouldn't have to look at him, and he dug a velvet cushion out of his horde pile and lay down upon it, basking in the comfort. He closed his eyes, and forced himself to go to sleep. Guilt would start working on his mind if he didn't.
***
*Morning, Annabel!* Kipfel chirped, slipping out of her basement, where his caves connected to her house.
He was greeted by a sad moan. Kipfel cocked his head to the side and blinked. *Nabel?* he called. *Naaaaaabeeeelll....?*
"Kip?" Annabel sniffled, and the black found the red-head in the dining room, head lifted up from folded arms. She had been crying. Kip felt a huge twinge of guilt.
So much for that, he thought.
*Nabel, how are you?* he asked in their familiar language.
"Terrible," Annabel sniffled, dabbing at tears with a handkerchief. "Tren's missing, Del thinks I have him! Oh, what a mess!"
*Oh, sweet Nabel,* Kipfel whispered, nuzzling her side. She stroked his head absently, and then a fresh wave of tears came.
"If only I knew! If only I knew where he was, knew I could do something! By the Gates! If only!"
*Nabel, don't beat yourself up,* Kip purred at her. *There's nothing you can do right now.* He paused and looked at her. *You look a sight. How long have you been up?*
Nabel sniffed again. "Since yesterday, when Del came pounding on my door!" she wailed. Her eyes were just oozing tears now.
Kipfel let out a low growl. *I'll find him, Annabel,* he whispered. *Don't worry. And go to sleep. Please.*
Annabel choked back another sob and nodded, retreating from her table to the stairs, where she curled up, rather than went up. Close enough Kipfel thought, and wriggled down to the basement and his cave again.
Stalking angrily, he found Tren, trying to loose one hand with his teeth. Kip had made certain Löwen didn't tie the cords too close to his wrists. That would have made escape too easy.
*You,* he said vehemently. *You!* He stalked over to him, and set a heavy paw on Tren's half-free arm. He narrowed his eyes and let out a deep, gutteral growl. *You made her cry,* he said. *Nothing is more unforgiveable than that! The last two who did that paid for that trespass in their blood! Are you similarly prepared to sacrifice your life?*
"What are you talking about!?" Tren asked, incredulous and very annoyed. "Let me go, Kip!"
Kipfel started to dig his talons into Tren's arm. *Not on your life.*
***
Clarinet, who had been seeking a vision all day, jerked her half-closed eyes open. *Kipfel!* she gasped. Then, she looked around. Who could she tell? Who was here? No one! Not even Sandrylene, who was checking the boats! Bugger!
She'd have to do it herself, then. It was close enough... she hoped.
She slid through the door and down the streets, frantically dodging people and puddles of muck. There! Up ahead! Delinet was blocking Annabel's house as a great elephant!
*Delinet!* Clarinet thought, the Vision Gem still clutched in her mouth. *Stand down!*
*Clarinet!* The elephant trumpeted in anger. *How dare you order me!*
*Do it!* Clarinet insisted.
*Never! Not til I find Tren is safe!*
*Well he won't be if you don't stand down!*
*Cheap lies will not change my mind, Clarinet!*
*Think what you want!* Clarinet growled and two lasers came from her eyes and shot Delinet the Elephant in the shoulder.
*OW! What was that for!* Delinet asked, curling aside to look at her shoulder.
Clarinet didn't answer, and slid inside.
"C-Clarinet?" Annabel asked, looking up from the stairs, and looking very worse for wear.
*I know where Tren is. How do you get in Kipfel's cave?*
"I.... through the basement, I think. Why?"
*No time!*
"Wait! Clarinet!" Annabel called after her, but Clarinet was already down in the basement.
She found the crawlspace easily enough, and that was exactly what it was. Thankfully, Clarinet had no unnecessary limbs like her son, so she fit in very easily and slithered into the cave, just in time to hear Kipfel say, *Not on your life* and start digging his claws into Tren's arm.
The Marean jerked back and yelped in pain, and Clarinet let out a stream of chirps. *Kipfel!* she shouted. *Let him go!*
Kip turned to see Clarinet. *Mother!* he shouted. *What are you doing here?*
*I'm here to stop you from doing something stupid that you'd most likely regret!*
*Regret? HAH! How could I regret the destruction of one I hold in such low regard?*
*Ira would hold it against you.*
Kipfel narrowed his eyes. *You wouldn't tell him.*
*What, would you kill me, too?*
Kipfel said nothing, but shredded Tren's arm with his talons, slicing the cord that bound him. He said nothing, and lay down on his velvet pillow. He watched, broodingly, as Tren untied his other arm and stood before him.
*Do as you wish,* Kipfel snarled, defeated for now. *And tell Nabel what you want.*
Tren sighed. "Things will work out, Kipfel," he told the dragon, and nodded to Clarinet, who navigated their way out of the cave.
Kipfel sighed. His mother was right, of course, but he hated to think of that. He hated that, and he hated that he hated.
Later, Ira came over, and gave him a good talking-to before telling him he loved him anyway and curling up to keep him company. In time, even Löwen forgave him.
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