Chapter Text
Yuder was nauseous, his consciousness slowly coming back to him.
His throat felt clogged, and he swallowed desperately to get rid of the lump, but the walls of his throat scratched painfully.
He felt like he was floating. Head dizzy without being able to comprehend what was up and down. Another wave of nausea crashed into him, and Yuder’s face scrunched up in response.
Blinking open his eyes, nothing helped him focus. His sight was swimming, only noticing the lumps of colors and light.
“Ugh…”
Yuder groaned, attempting to move when a sudden pain stabbed into his gut. His breath caught in his throat with a gasp, canceling any noise from escaping.
‘..damn it.’
With his mind barely lucid, Yuder recalled his recent fight.
‘The… poison.’
He’ll die if he doesn’t move. Yuder can’t afford to go yet, at least not before warning him of the future.
An arm, filled with exhaustion, clumsily moved, trying to feel for anything on the soft surface beneath him.
‘I need.. to get rid of it.’
The poison was spreading. Another few minutes and he’ll be paralyzed.
Just then, his fingers brushed against something sharp. His dagger.
Yuder closed his grip around it, feeling the sting of the blade digging into his palm. He tried to lift his head, propelling himself up on a shaky elbow, and bringing the trembling knife to hover right above the poisoned wound.
“…!”
But then something grabbed his wrist, Yuder flinched. Strong fingers wretched the knife away from his hand, bringing it away from the cut in his stomach, and Yuder struggled.
His senses screamed of an intruder, someone who was trying to stop him, someone who was trying to kill him.
In a weak attempt, Yuder tried turning over and summon his wind to push them away, but with a spinning vision and exhausted body, nothing happened.
Another pair of hands pushed at his shoulders, gentle and stern at the same time. They were trying to hold him down.
“….hey…...down…..you’re…kay…..”
A voice, disoriented and distant barely reached his ears. Yuder closed his eyes, and it was only how he heard how loud his ragged breaths were.
The person kept speaking to him, keeping him grounded with two warm hands resting in his shoulders, making sure he stayed lying down.
It was calm, resonating, with a rumble hidden in it.
“…..sleep……l…be here…..wake up.”
Yuder had no strength to protest. He felt it, the pulsating pain in his stomach, the nausea stuck in his throat, and the strong arms pushing him down. It was pointless to fight.
So what could he do other than listen to the distant voice?
Yuder’s breathing didn’t steady even when his consciousness drifted to the back of his mind.
*****
Kishiar stared at the sleeping man before him, his hands still settled on his shoulders. A deep, displeased frown overwrote any other emotion on his face as he recalled the tense moments just before they got the man to calm down.
Beside him, Nathan was holding a bloody dagger, one they somehow missed to remove when they stripped him of any weapon that could cause him harm. Kishiar doesn’t understand where he hid it.
He sighed, long and deep, before finally rising. His fingers slowly left the man’s shoulders, a lingering burning feeling tingled.
His heart was still pounding, not having calmed down yet. No one had expected the young man to wake up after just a couple hours, especially not after the injuries he sustained along with the poison.
So imagine his surprise when he and Nathan returned to the man’s room to find him awake with a dagger in his hands, hovering it dangerously close over his bandaged wound as if he was any second away from stabbing himself.
They both reacted instantly, Nathan managing to pry the knife out of his hands while Kishiar pushed the young man down again. It was impressive how, despite being drugged with poison that should’ve knocked him out for the rest of the next few days, he had fought with such determination.
Still, he was no match in his condition, and Kishiar noticed how influenced the man still was by the poison, perhaps in pain too, but was the poison so bad to the point he urged to harm himself?
The thought brought a bitter taste in Kishiar’s mouth. He didn’t know what he would’ve done if they walked into the room a minute too late.
“Did he get injured?” He asked his adjutant, who inspected the blade in his hand.
“He might have cut himself when he grabbed the dagger.”
Just as he said, Kishiar spotted the bleeding gap in the young man’s palm, the crimson color almost covered the entirety of the odd bruise on his hand. It wasn’t deep by any means, but it was regrettable that it happened.
A deep frown took over his displeased expression.
“Tell them to hurry with the delivery.”
There were priests here, but the poison had spread too much. Unfortunately, no priest had enough energy to completely heal the man Kishiar brought, exhausting themselves after focusing too much on the deep wound and monster blood affecting his veins, let alone the dark discoloration on his hand that didn’t seem to disappear.
So Kishiar had to do it, which is why he asked Gino and his subordinates to find as many purification stones as possible. He couldn’t let the man, who saved Kishiar’s life, suffer like this.
Yuder didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally stirred again. His body ached, but not in the sharp and stinging pain from before. It was manageable, calmed down without the fury running through his blood.
He breathed out a light sigh, exhaustion pushing down his every limp. Yuder cracked his eyes open, only to meet an unfamiliar ceiling. The room was warm, contrary to the cold outside, and the sheets were comfortable and soft compared to the worn blankets Yuder used to keep himself warm in the precious winters.
Memories slowly trickled back to him. He remembered the pain, the monster, and the poison he failed to notice until it was too late. Yuder remembered collapsing, feeling on the brink of passing out until he felt a gentle hand on his hair.
At the time, Yuder’s vision was swimming too much to notice, but slowly recalling everything, he came to a realization.
It was Kishiar. Again.
“You’re awake? I was beginning to think you preferred our company while unconscious.”
Suddenly, a humorous voice echoed through the room. Yuder turned his head, his stiff neck protesting, but he eventually caught sight of a man walking towards him. He couldn’t help but stare silently as Kishiar la Orr smiled prettily and sat down in the chair beside the bed.
Yuder has already recovered from the shock of seeing him again when they met a few days ago. While wondering what the duke was doing in the Rik Mountains during such a time, especially when he himself has no memories of meeting him like this during the first timeline, Yuder couldn’t question him.
He had been caught in his panther form. It’s always belonged to him, even before the Red Stone fell, but Yuder let himself be hidden. For years, he never let himself change into his second form until he lost the ability before his execution.
Finding himself in the past felt like a fresh breath combined with the lump in his throat, so for the first time in years, he let himself morph.
But then, a few weeks later, Kishiar appeared. It had been unexpected, but Yuder frowned. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but a snowstorm was approaching, and based on Kishiar’s weak complexion, they might not survive it without shelter.
Yuder kept his distance during the days they stayed at his house, not wanting to risk anything. When they left, he thought that would be it. He doesn’t truly understand why he never let himself be shown, but perhaps it was the urge to not reveal himself.
Yet, here he was. Yuder shouldn’t have left his house that morning.
“How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?” Kishiar spoke in a calm and low voice, a beautiful smile on his face.
Yuder didn’t answer, the lingering effects of sleep blurring his vision. He didn’t know how to answer. The first proper conversation he had with the man after almost a decade was in such a situation.
He licked his dry lips, feeling the incoming pain in his throat as he opened his mouth. “…no.”
His voice rasped, scratching the walls of his throat. Kishiar blinked, suddenly reminded of something. “Ah, my apologies. Here.”
Black eyes followed the other’s movements as Kishiar brought a mug with water to his face. Yuder hadn’t even noticed it before, but the sight of it urged him to drink. He slowly tried to push himself up on his elbows, only getting a bit of help from Kishiar as he settled against the pillows on the headboard.
But Kishiar didn’t let go of the mug as he pushed it against Yuder’s lips. Yuder paused, feeling how ridiculous the scene was. A duke was helping a commoner sit up and drink from a mug. Anyone watching would’ve probably fainted from the sight.
“Go on, your throat must be hurting.” Despite the embarrassing situation, Kishiar only smiled, encouraging him to drink. Yuder felt helpless and eventually gave up, holding the mug together with the future Cavalry Commander as he drank.
The water, having lost its refreshing warmth from how long it’s been sitting beside him, still soothed his sore throat. When Yuder finished, Kishiar put down the mug and began to speak.
“Your body was poisoned, but most of it has been taken care of. You might need to be bedridden for a few days to recover your strength, but there shouldn’t be any other problems.”
So the poison was gone. Yuder wondered how it was removed so quickly, considering he hoped he hadn't been unconscious for days. Although, he did have an idea of where he was. He couldn’t help but glance around and out the window. They were on the second floor, and not much could be seen besides snow and rooftops.
Yuder let his tired head moved down, bringing a hand up to rub his eyes with the heel of his palm. A headache was still present, but it wasn’t that bothersome. He pulled it away, only to pause once he looked down at his hand.
“…”
He hadn’t noticed at first, but the mark on his hand had decreased. It didn’t hurt in the beginning when he got it, but Yuder noticed the ache whenever he used his powers. He tried not to use his ability too much, but the mark eventually spread to his wrist. Yet, now it was almost gone, looking like it did when he first noticed it.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t heal it completely,” Kishiar admitted, having noticed Yuder’s stare. “Although, if it’s alright with you, we can continue to try.”
Still, it’s only polite to be thankful. They didn’t know each other like before, and even if the feeling felt foreign yet familiar, Yuder was currently in front of a duke.
“Thank you..” He spoke as clearly as he could, his voice still not completely healed.
“Of course. It’s the least I could do to repay you after saving my life.”
Yuder fell silent, staring straight at the other man.
“…”
He hoped he hadn’t been found out. Their first meeting had been accidental and he couldn’t risk transforming back into a human. Yuder had also turned back before Kishiar approached once he found him injured. But it seemed like Kishiar figured it out either way.
Yuder didn’t know how to feel. He was uncomfortable knowing someone else was aware of his second form when no one in the first timeline had ever seen it, but what could be done about it? He couldn’t afford to let such emotions cloud his mind. Yuder still had a goal after finding himself in the past.
But Kishiar seemed to notice his tense muscles, and a gentle gaze returned.
“Please do not worry. If you wish that I keep it a secret, then no one will know. I wouldn’t want such a beauty as yourself to point such a guarded expression at me.”
Yuder quickly schooled his expression, not having noticed his furrowed eyebrows. Kishiar chuckled.
“Had it not been for you, I don’t know what we would’ve done in such a storm. My rising fever hadn’t helped either, but you were kind enough to let us in your home. I am indebted to you.”
“No, it’s alright.” Yuder quickly shook his head, the headache increasing slightly from the movements. “You have already helped me enough, there is no need for anything else.”
The blond man’s expression remained as it was, forever unmoving despite Yuder’s quick reaction. “Then, may I ask a question?”
Black eyes slowly found red as their gazes met. The air seemed to hold for a moment, but not with hostility. Yuder regarded him with calmness as he gave a subtle nod.
Kishiar parted his lips. “The fallen beast was caused by you, wasn’t it? Even if I didn’t witness the fight, I could tell you are skilled. You fought it alone, knew where to strike, and its weakness.”
He let the words continue as Yuder remained indifferent. Kishiar’s tone wasn’t accusing, but there was a deep look in his eyes that spoke of him having thought deeply about it before Yuder woke up.
“Are you an awakener?”
“Yes.”
Yuder didn’t sugarcoat his words, letting the truth out. It wouldn’t matter later on since Yuder planned on going to the Capital soon enough, either way. He needed to meet Enon too.
Kishiar hummed, mildly amused with obvious curiosity in his eyes. He let himself lean forward, face coming closer to Yuder’s own. Neither shied away.
“I’ve been… assembling something. It will be a place, a force for people like you and me. I wish to move forward with this sudden change in the world with as much efficiency as possible.”
Yuder didn’t expect Kishiar to bring up the Cavalry, but remained quiet in the calm silence. The man didn’t meet his eyes, pondering his next words, Yuder let him think.
“It’s not finished yet, but it will be. And when it is, I’ll need people who know how to think, how to fight, just like you.” Kishiar finally looked back at him, a blinding and convincing smile on his face.
“You don’t know me.” Yuder watched him, not letting his sharp eyes soften. The words weren’t harsh, just honest. For a moment, he doesn’t know what answer he wanted back.
He didn’t know how to respond to the offer. They weren’t supposed to meet now, the timeline has already changed from one single interaction. And still, Kishiar doesn’t falter. He simply meets Yuder’s gaze with a quiet ease.
“Not yet, but I’d like to.” Kishiar tilted his head, still leaning forward on his elbows. “So why not start now?
He paused, letting Yuder watch him. Their eyes tangled, observing each other with hidden intensity. Yuder felt his breath caught in his throat.
“My name is Kishiar la Orr, it is a pleasure to properly meet you. May I know the name of my beloved savior?”
A moment slowly passed, Yuder’s fingers shifted on the blanket as he breathed, steady and calm. There was no push in Kishiar’s voice, only invitation.
And that somehow made it harder to ignore. Yuder let himself give in to the feeling in his heart.
“…Yuder.”
Kishiar smiled.