arashi_exchange | Gift Fic for himekohimura

A piece of rainbow for himekohimura

Title: Keep Each Other's Company
Pairing: Juntoshi/Ohmiya/Matsumiya
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Summary: Ohno Satoshi, a 1000-year-old elf who possessed great power, a kind heart and strong leadership was a King of the Akatsuki, the last elven clan on Earth. The clan lived peacefully in a hidden forest. They thought that there was no other clan left outside the forest, until one day, when Ohno's arrow hit an intruder...
Notes: Dear Himekohimura, it's been forever since I wrote a fantasy fic and I hope this meet your expectation, please forgive me if it's not. Fantasy is not my forte, but I enjoyed writing this one ^_^. I am sorry that I can't write bottom Ohno as you requested, but I tried to combine your request for Juntoshi, Ohmiya and Matsumiya pairing, I hope you like them.

Spring had begun in Yamakaze Forest. The flowers were blooming everywhere, sending a pleasant feeling to every creature around them. The forest was different from any forest in the world; it was almost like a huge park with unique trees, ferns, flowers, and unimaginable plants. There were paths which lead to five different directions with various flowers on each side. A small river flew in the middle of the forest, the fallen leaves and flowers drifted away with the downstream, leaving a peaceful feeling to its occupants.

The forest belonged to a clan of Elves named Akatsuki; the last clan on Earth. Their kind were mostly killed during the wars, some were captured by irresponsible humans or lost their home due to natural disasters.

The Akatsuki clan protected their home with magic spells and tight security on their borders in order to avoid contact with humans or other creatures. For more than 200 years, they had been living in harmony and peace. They accepted survivors from the other remaining clans, but recently, there were none left.

They were led by an Elven King who went by the name of Ohno Satoshi - a 1000-year-old elf who possessed great power, a kind heart and strong leadership. He was once an elf warrior who fought for his clan in the Great War and was crowned a hero and later crowned king of the Akatsuki.

The King wasn't a classic king who hid inside his palace and waited for the servants to serve him, on the contrary. He joined the patrols at the border areas, he trained the elven troops, taught at the elven school and worked hard together with his people. He was a humble and a loved king.

In terms of appearance he wasn't that outstanding, expect for his deep blue eyes. He was short, compared to the average elves, his hair was dark red, almost brown. He had a beautiful nose below a pair of shady eyes. He was rather skinny and fragile-looking, but nobody could match his power.

"Ohno-san, your horse is ready."

"Thanks, Aiba."

Aiba, one of Ohno’s most capable doctor elf and also a troop commander walked beside him towards the front line. Aiba's appearance was tall and slim; he had light brown hair and pretty brown eyes. He was always cool-headed and loved every living creature. He even saved a human who was trapped in the forest near the border. He joined Ohno's patrol troops as their medical leader, even though the possibility of getting hurt was almost close to zero.

They would conduct a monthly patrol towards the borders. This time to the eastern and northern border where their forest was directly linked to the human world. Ohno proudly looked at the elven troops before him; all of them wore the same cloak. Its dark red symbolized the color of the Akatsuki clan.
Ohno's cloak, however, was navy blue. A long silver blade inside a wooden scabbard was securely fastened to the belt on his waist. Everybody in the troops bowed as he walked passed them.

"Ohno-san, here are your bow and your arrows," Sho handed him a bundle of arrows and a bow.

"Thank you," Ohno said, smiling at the elf before him.

Sho had been his loyal companion since the Great War; they had fought side by side – Sho was the best at creating strategy, he was also great at fighting which made him the number one captain of the troops. He was Ohno's right hand in taking important decisions for the kingdom. Sometimes he was even wiser than Ohno, but he was too strict with rules, which led them to debate. Sho's appearance fit every description of a superior elf; broad chest, muscled arms, and the most important aspect - a handsome face.

"It's a good day to patrol," Sho said, riding his horse beside Ohno. They headed east first; a strong sunshine welcomed them as they got out of the shadows of the trees.

"You're right," Ohno glanced at the blue sky. The spring sun shone brightly, the remaining cold from the winter still bit their skin, but Ohno liked it. Spring had always been his favorite season.

The beginning of spring reminded him of the rescue mission 200 years ago. He and Sho had gone to the faraway mountain where the last survivor of the Mangetsu clan had been staying. It had been a risky mission where they had lost a few troops to the human race.

The Mangetsu – a clan who barely fought had been caught and used as the object of human research. Many of them had died along the process. When Ohno had arrived there, he had obviously been too late; there had only been one survivor, a child-elf named Ninomiya Kazunari. He had barely survived their trip to Yamakaze forest, but with a bit of luck, he had made it.

Ninomiya had grown up into a pretty elf with yellow hair and fair skin – rather pale. He was weak due to the trauma he had experienced during his childhood. He considered Ohno as his guardian angel and loved to get Ohno's attention all the time. Sho often said that Ohno spoiled Ninomiya too much; but what else could Ohno do to an orpha- elf who had lost all of his family members?

Ohno, Sho and Aiba sped up their horses, followed by their troops. Ohno narrowed his eyes, making sure that no suspicious intruders had gone beyond their border. He led the troops towards the path near the border line, checking every corner carefully.

"I think it is all clear," Sho said from his left side.

Ohno nodded.

"Tell the others that we're heading north now," he said to Sho.

"Right away," Sho replied, turning his horse to the troops behind them.

The northern border was located rather far from the center of the forest t It was separated by a river and lay the closest to the human world. Ohno ordered Sho to check whether the hidden protecting spell was still working. Meanwhile, he looked around, looking for any unusual movement.

"I sense something," Ohno said. His hand moved to the arrows he carried on his back. He closed his eyes while smelling the wind; he could sense that there was someone other than their clan, moving among the trees. But, he wasn’t sure whether it was an animal or something else.
He slid out an arrow and got ready to shoot towards the direction where he sensed the strange presence.

"Should we check first?" Sho said.

"No," Ohno shook his head. "I don't want any of us getting hurt."

Ohno expanded the bow and locked the target; he shot and knew that the intruder had nowhere to run. They heard something hit the ground, but what Ohno didn't expect was a voice. It wasn't an animal like he had thought.

***
Jun was running among the trees. He was far enough from the human village now. He checked the necklace around his neck – the only thing he would protect with his life. He panted hard, but he had no time to stop, he kept on running until he went deep inside the forest.

He had been looking for information about the last elven clan on Earth and found out their name was Akatsuki. If he could find their border; he could ask for shelter. The necklace was a guarantee to convince the leader of the Akatsuki that he was an elf.

Jun was the last survivor of the Mikatsuki clan of the Minamoto Forest. The clan became extinct 150 years ago when a blast destroyed their home. Jun survived because he was away on the day it happened. He was obsessed with learning about humans, so he traveled to their villages and stayed there for a few days to study their way of life. After losing his clan, he decided to stay in one of the human villages near the Yamakaze Forest. It took him decades to learn about this hidden forest. It wasn’t easy to find its weakest border and entering it represented a great risk.

"Find the Lord of the Akatsuki," he was told by his late mother in a dream.

The border protection was high, but there were a few weak points. Jun could enter because his clan’s ability was finding the weak spots of protection – Mikatsuki’s task was to infiltrate the enemy’s zones in wartime. Luckily, the war had ended before Jun was born.

The trip had weakened him. He had run out of food and water three days ago. Jun stepped through the bushes, making sure that he was heading in the right direction. The old map showed the hidden route to the Akatsuki kingdom; his clan was also gifted with the ability to find the most hidden place on Earth. The forest possessed various kinds of plants that Jun had never seen. It had been decades since he had lived in elf world and he had almost forgotten the smell of the air of an elf forest.

He walked deeper into the forest, finding it more mesmerizing by the second. The blooming flowers seemed to welcome him as he stepped between them. He sped up as he heard the sound of horses. If they belonged to the occupants of this forest, Jun could talk with them and ask them to take him to the lord of the Akatsuki clan.

He ran among the trees, closer towards the sound of the horses. He didn't expect a heavy thing hitting his right chest area with such force that it slammed him onto the ground. It was an arrow. Whoever shot it must possess a great power because they could hit him from such a distance.

The unbearable pain ruled his body along with the stream of blood. Jun moved his left hand to his chest, but there was no way he could pull this thing out of his chest. He lay down hopelessly until he heard footsteps moving closer. A male elf looked at him with a bewildered gaze. He said nothing but disappeared to a group of elves beyond the trees.

Jun panted hard as the pain spread to every corner of his body. His blurred sight spotted a male elf with a dark blue cloak approaching him, followed by a taller one. The blue-cloaked male elf squatted beside him, but Jun's ears couldn't catch anything. The pain was taking over his senses.
***

"Ohno-san," Sho came back to him with a shocked expression. "Your arrow has hit an elf, but I can assure you he's not from our clan."

Ohno exchanged a look with Aiba. It was almost impossible for an outsider clan to find their forest; their protection was the tightest ever. It worried Ohno. He got down from his horse and followed Sho’s steps towards the body on the ground.

The elf’s eyes were half-closed; he still breathed in a staccato rhythm. The blood kept on flowing from his wound on his right chest. Aiba stepped quickly towards the elf and checked his pulse, he opened the elf’s cloak to look at the damage caused by Ohno’s arrow.

“Ohno-san, we have to bring him to our palace as soon as we can or he will die,” Aiba said in panic.

Instead of agreeing to Aiba’s words, Ohno drew his sword and pointed it to the elf’s chest.

“He could be an intruder, a dangerous one, Aiba,” Ohno said, glancing at Sho who drew his sword too and stood beside him.

“Oh, come on, you two. What can he do with this wound,” Aiba said out of frustration. He was a doctor elf after all and his instinct was to save every living creature on Earth.

Ohno lowered his sword and squatted beside Aiba to check the foreign elf’s appearance. Ohno had never seen such an elf before. His pointed ears were sharper than those of the Akatsuki clan, his hair was dark and a little bit wavy, his skin was glowing, even though it was hidden by the number of scratches he had gotten from his travel through the forest. The elf had thick eyebrows, a nicely shaped nose and pretty lips. This male elf would have been even more handsome if he had been in a better state.

Ohno spotted something shiny on the elf’s neck; it was a necklace, but the chain was broken as the result of the force from the arrow. He took the necklace along with its pendant. Its color was dark purple but when Ohno touched it, the pendant changed its color to dark blue. He put the necklace into the pouch on his waist and once again looked at the dying elf.

“Ohno-san, what will you do?” Sho asked. “I personally think that we should kill him before he'll cause a bigger problem for our clan.”

“I will kill him with my own hands if he’s dangerous. However, we need to keep him alive if we want to ask him questions,” Ohno said, rising up from the ground. “Aiba, bring him to our palace, make sure you save his life,” Ohno ordered.

“Yes, Sir,” Aiba answered immediately. He gestured to the group of elves behind him. Together, they carried the foreign elf’s body to the back of the horse. Aiba tied himself to the wounded elf and rode his horse back to the palace after chanting some spells to make the horse run faster.

Ohno and Sho came back to their horses. Sho still thought that the foreign elf might be an intruder or a kind of weapon to leak their secret forest to the world, but Ohno convinced him that he would take good care of it.

Both of them continued their patrol to the far end of the northern border, but nothing suspicious came up. Ohno’s vision could reach ten kilometers; it was one of his special powers, which he had inherited from his mother. Nobody from the Akatsuki clan possessed the same blue eyes as Ohno’s, but he rarely used his power after the war because he had many troops that he could trust and they were led by the most capable leader: Sho. He didn’t need to worry too much if Sho was around.

“Let’s go back,” Ohno said. “Order your troop to go back taking the usual route. We, however, will take the western route.”

“Yes, Ohno-san,” Sho turned his horse and gave an order to his subordinates. He approached Ohno’s side and followed him to the hidden western path - where Ohno usually went to think.

***
“Ohno-san!”

The one who welcomed Ohno and Sho at the main gate was Ninomiya. The petite elf ran to them, his cloak fluttering behind him.

“What took you so long?” Nino whined.

“Watch your mouth, Nino. You’re talking to our king,” Sho got down from the horse and gave Nino a fierce gaze.

“It’s okay, Sho,” Ohno smiled at Nino, handing him his bow and arrow. It was Nino’s favorite task since he was a kid. He would be the first to welcome Ohno and always offered him to carry his bow, even though it weighed him down in the end. The habit had never changed since then; it seemed that Nino had warned the other elves that it must be him who welcomed Ohno home. He didn’t want to share this important task with anyone.

“We found an elf not belonging to our clan,” Ohno answered.

“You didn’t find him, you shot him,” Nino corrected. “The other troops came back a long time ago, where have you been?”

“It’s none of your business where the king is going or what he is doing,” Sho answered coldly.

“I’m not talking to you, His Majesty Sakurai,” Nino said in a colder tone.

“Sho-kun, I need you to prepare the report of our patrol today, including the incident. We need to provide clear information to our people,” Ohno said, avoiding some unnecessary argument between Sho and Nino, which would never end if they were in the same room.

“Yes, Ohno-san,” Sho bowed quickly after giving Nino a last cold gaze.

Sho had never liked Nino’s attitude; as a person who grew up with protocol and rules, Nino’s behavior was way too rude for his standard. Ohno, on the other hand didn't really care for protocol. He usually treated his subjects like friends. That was the reason why he preferred to be called Ohno-san instead of His Majesty or My Lord or something similar.

“He’s from the Mikatsuki clan,” Nino said to Ohno as Sho disappeared. “I can tell from his ears, I’ve read about them.”

Another thing about Nino that Ohno admired was his will to study and how quick he was at absorbing information. If Nino’s physic hadn't been too weak, Ohno would gladly have taken him to the monthly patrol.

“Mikatsuki,” Ohno mumbled. “But they are always hiding and the last thing I heard about them, their home had vanished due to a big fire.”

“Maybe he’s the only survivor,” Nino shrugged. “Aiba is treating his wound, but it will need a couple of days until he’s fully awake.”

Ohno nodded.

“Would you like to gather more information about him and his clan, Nino?”

“Sure,” Nino beamed. “But what will you do to him? Are you going to give him a shelter like you did with me?”

“I don’t know,” Ohno said honestly. “I will talk with Sho-kun about this and will decide later.”

“That Sakurai,” Nino mumbled. “He always treats me as if I was a little kid.”

“You are a little kid compare to us,” Ohno smiled at the young elf. Ohno knew that Sho didn’t like the other clans; he couldn’t trust them. Sho was still traumatized by the wars; he had experienced bitter betrayals and that had changed him into his former self – always suspicious and careful.

“I’ll store your bow and arrows first and then head to the library,” Nino said, turning around and leaving the main hall.

Ohno headed to his chamber, which was located on the west side of the palace; he took off his blue cloak and put down his sword on its handle. He slid out the necklace he had taken from the wounded elf’s neck and examined it once more. There was nothing special about it except for the color change. He would need a few days until he could talk with the foreign elf and something about this excited him in the strangest way.

***

Jun opened his eyes; his right chest area was hurting so much, it prevented him from moving. He blinked a few times to adjust his sight to the dim light of the room. He was lying on a comfortable bed inside a room – a wooden room with long curtains on its walls. They were dark red, the same color as the cloaks of the elves group Jun encountered before he had passed out.

He gathered his memories from the day he got shot, but everything was vague. He remembered three elves approaching him. Two of them drew their swords out of suspicion, but the tallest elf had convinced them not to kill him.

“You’re awake,” someone said.

Jun turned his head, but the simple movement was already causing too much pain for him.

“Please stay still, you’re still in a critical condition,” the same voice said. It was the same elf who had saved him; the tallest among the three. “I’m your doctor, my name is Aiba. You’re in the Akatsuki Kingdom. Our king decided to save you and ordered me to bring you here. You’re not from our clan, right?”

Jun wanted to answer, but he realized that he was too weak, even for something simple like speaking.

“What’s your name?” Aiba asked him, regardless that Jun didn’t answer his first question.
This time, he tried hard to reply.

“J-jun.”

“Jun, what a nice name,” the doctor said. “Please forgive us for shooting you. No, it’s not me, it’s Ohno-san. Anyway, he just wants to protect the Akatsuki people and you came to the wrong place and at the wrong time, that’s why he shot you. By the way, I have to take care of the other patients, Nino will keep an eye on you for the time being. He’s kinda rude, so please bear with him, hahaha.”

Jun closed his eyes again. This doctor elf really loved talking. Jun could only absorb 50% of what he was saying.

“Aiba-kun, I’ll take over now,” a new voice said.

“Ah, Nino,” Aiba said, smiling at the newcomer whom Jun couldn’t see from where he was lying. “Please take care of our guest.”

“Intruder,” Nino corrected the elf. “Ohno-san told me that you insisted to save him.”

“He’s one of us, regardless that he comes from another clan. Ohno-san saved you too after all.”

“Alright, alright,” Nino said, taking Aiba’s place on the chair near the bed.

“Inform me immediately if something happens to him, okay.”

“I know,” Nino said.

Jun slowly turned his head to the new elf. He was short compared to Aiba; his ears weren’t pointy as those of the other elves and his hair was completely yellow which made him look completely pale. Jun guessed that this elf was still very young and he had a smart face. He had brought a few books with him and started reading. Unlike Aiba, he wasn’t interested in talking to Jun. He didn’t even introduce himself.

For the past few days, Aiba had come every now and then to check on his condition. The elf named Nino stayed in the room to keep an eye on Jun while reading books. Jun was able to sit up, but the pain in his right chest area was still terrible.

“Ohno-san will come here and ask you questions. Make sure you’ll answer him honestly or he will kill you for real this time,” Nino said without glancing at Jun.

Ohno…

The one who had shot him from a goodish distance. The elf who wore a dark blue cloak instead of a dark red one.

The door squeaked again and Jun heard footsteps.

“He’s here,” Nino announced. He helped Jun to sit up but there was no smile on his lips. Jun thanked him and leaned onto the pillow on his back. He was tightly bandaged, Aiba had smeared some kind of cream on his wound to lessen the pain, but it didn’t work that much.

Nino opened the door for Ohno. From the way he looked, Jun knew that he was the King – there was something about him that indicated that he was powerful. His appearance was much calmer compared to the first time Jun had seen him in the forest. He wore a simple cloak and there was a crown on his head, but it was almost hidden beneath his red hair.

“I heard that your name is Jun,” Ohno spoke, his voice was soft. His blue eyes seemed to possess some kind of hidden strength. “What did you do at our border?”

Jun avoided those blue eyes and looked down, “I have no bad intention, My Lord.”

“Don’t call me by that honorific title, Ohno is enough,” Ohno said.

“I have no bad intention,” Jun repeated. “I have been living in the human world for a long time while gathering information about the remaining elven clan and found out that the Akatsuki clan is the last one.”

“How did you break our seal?” Ohno asked.

“I didn’t break it. It's our clan’s ability to find the weakest spot of the border seal,” Jun said.

“Mikatsuki, that is your clan’s name, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Y-yes, I’m the last one,” Jun said. He remembered how his home was burnt while he was away for research. “I have no place to return to.”

Ohno looked into his eyes as if he could see through him. The King’s lips quirked into a soft smile. “You can stay here if that is the case,” Ohno said, glancing at Jun’s wounded chest. “I’m sorry for shooting you.”

Jun didn’t expect an apology from an Elven King like Ohno, it left him speechless. He wanted to bow, but his chest hurt as hell.

“I want to know more about your clan, once you regain your strength. Now, it’s better for you to rest. Aiba-chan and Nino will take care of you,” Ohno said, smiling wider than before and it brought a dramatic change to his face. His stoic look changed into a kind-hearted face – which made Jun feel safe all of a sudden. Maybe that was why only Ohno wore a blue-cloak; it was a calming color.

“Thank you, Ohno-san.”

***

It had been three weeks since Jun's incident. Ohno had no other chance to pay a visit to the hospital wing. There was an immediate meeting about the loosened border and he had to teach the high class of archery troops as well. Sho was also present during the class; he raised the topic of Jun and whether it was wise to let him stay at their palace, remembering his long encounter with humans and non-elven creatures.

Ohno heard from Nino that Jun found it difficult to consume their food. Maybe Nino was exaggerating about Jun’s reluctance to accept their menu because Aiba told him that Jun was trying hard to adapt himself to the new environment.

“As far as I can observe, he isn’t a type of spy,” Aiba said. “He’s just a homeless elf looking for shelter.”

The other top captains of the troops aside from Sho also voiced their suspicion towards Jun. Ohno had no choice but to listen to their opinion, but deep down inside his heart, he wanted to let Jun stay. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he knew he could trust the elf just from the way Jun looked at him.

“Ohno-san, could you show us your technique in shooting a target from a distance?” one of the troop captains, Toma approached him with respect. “It would be an honor for us to see such a technique.”

“Toma, you know it’s rude to ask such a thing,” Sho said with a cold tone.

“It’s okay,” Ohno said, taking the bow and an arrow from Toma.

He narrowed his eyes to concentrate. The target was quite far away and almost couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. He stretched the bow’s string and locked the target; he didn’t need any spells to shoot the bull’s eye. His right hand released the arrow and he knew it had hit the right spot when the troops clapped their hands in admiration.

“As expected from our king,” Toma beamed.

Ohno handed the bow back to Toma and ended the practice. He and Sho walked back towards the main palace from the practicing field which was separated by a long path and a small bridge. They halted midway when they found Nino and Jun on the bridge. It seemed that they were arguing about something.

“I said it’s forbidden for us to sneak around and watch the practice. Sakurai would never go easy on us, particularly you, an outsider of this kingdom. Do you hear me?”

“It's so boring to be locked up in the hospital room all day, Nino,” Jun answered, limping forward across the bridge.

“Ohno-san would kill you for real this time,” Nino chased the elf, trying to convince him to go back to the hospital.

“It seems your guest already put us into trouble,” Sho hissed, walking forward towards Jun and Nino, but Ohno was faster.

“I see that you’re already strong enough to walk,” Ohno said.

“Ohno-san,” Nino’s seemed troubled, “I tried to drag him back to the hospital wing, but he didn’t listen to me.”

Ohno looked at Jun; the elf was still wearing the hospital outfit. He looked strong enough and his real beauty could clearly be seen now. His wavy hair shone naturally under the sunlight, his fair skin was flawless and somehow, he made the flowers around him looked colorless.

“Ohno-san,” Jun bowed before him. He glanced nervously at Sho and bowed before him too. “I’m impressed by the forest, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s nothing compared to a human forest, is it?” Sho said, looking at Jun with a fierce gaze, just like he always did with Nino.

“Nino, I’ll take Jun to the hospital later on. I want to show him around, I guess he needs to kill his boredom,” Ohno said. Nino seemed surprised by the order, but not as surprised as Jun. Ohno could feel Sho’s gaze on him, questioning him, but he ignored it. He wanted to talk to Jun in private, there were so many things that he needed to know.

Both of them walked further from the main palace towards the rose park at the eastern part of the palace. Jun walked two steps behind Ohno, he could feel that the other elf was completely nervous since they were truly alone now.

“I took your necklace,” Ohno said as they sat down side by side on the park bench. He slid it out from the pouch on his waist and handed it to Jun.

Jun took it but then handed it back to Ohno. “It’s for you. I was told to find the Akatsuki Lord and hand this necklace to him. The color of its pendant changed when you touched it, right? That was proof that it is yours.”

“Mine?” Ohno looked at the simple pendant in his hands.

Jun nodded. “It was supposed to be handed to you hundred years ago, but the necklace was lost during the war and our clan found it. Luckily, I carried it when the fire occurred. It’s a necklace of wisdom, but I believe you don’t need this kind of thing to make you wiser,” Jun said with a smile on his lips.

Ohno’s chest fluttered as he saw the smile. It was different compared to anything he had experienced during his entire life. It had nothing to do with nervousness. It was something else entirely that suddenly appeared as Jun smiled at him.

“I don’t deserve this kind of treasure,” Ohno said. “Please, carry it for me.”

“Does this mean that I can stay here?” Jun asked.

“Yes,” Ohno nodded. He basically wanted to protect every elf clan, but what he felt now was something different. He wanted to keep Jun close to him. It reminded him of the day he took Nino to the palace – but Nino’s case was different. He was still a kid back then and what Ohno felt for him was more like a father-son relationship.

Jun took the necklace from Ohno’s hand and looked at it with longing in his eyes. “Thank you, Ohno-san,” he said with a broad smile on his lips, which somehow made the butterflies in Ohno’s stomach take off. He had been living for a thousand years, yet he had never felt this way before. There was a pang in his chest that he couldn’t explain – it nearly hurt – but it felt good as well.

***
The news about Jun had spread in the entire kingdom; people questioned the King’s motive on letting the foreign elf stay in their kingdom. Ohno basically listened to everyone’s opinion, but this time, he tried to find excuses to let Jun stay. It wasn’t forbidden for them to keep a stranger as long as they could be trusted and showed their loyalty to the Akatsuki Kingdom. For the past two months, Jun had fulfilled those requirements – there was no need to be suspicious of him.

Ohno had never experienced romantic feelings for as long as he lived and he had never considered it as an important aspect in the life of an elf. They were immortal, they didn’t need to get married and have children to survive, and love was a nuisance for a warrior like him. Besides, despite of his long life, Ohno felt that he had no time to fall in love. He was busy ruling a kingdom, he had to go to war, he had to make sure that all members of the Akatsuki clan were safe, and there simply was no spare time to experience love-related-stuff.

But, his theory about love was almost damaged every time he saw Jun. Ohno was trying hard not to categorize his feeling as ‘love’. However, the more he saw Jun, the more he felt that strange feeling growing inside his chest.

“Ohno-san, good morning,” Sho greeted him when he entered the practice field. “You got a new warrior.”

Ohno didn’t need to ask who it was as he saw Jun at the archery section. The elf wore the Akatsuki dark red cloak, he was holding a bow, ready to shoot the target. His eyes narrowed in concentration; the scene was breathtaking – Ohno had never seen such beauty before; he was lost for words for minutes until Jun noticed his presence.

“Ohno-san,” Jun automatically bowed to him with respect. He had gained his strength in the last two months, thanks to Aiba’s medicine. Jun no longer stayed at the temporary shelter; Nino had found a place for him near the main palace. Jun had requested to join the exercise because he wanted to become one of the Akatsuki warriors. Sho was still considering which group he should enter because he needed to measure what kind of skills Jun got.

“You’re a good archer,” Ohno said, patting Jun’s shoulder softly.

“Not as good as you,” he replied, shaking his head.

“You may join us on our next patrol,” Ohno said.

“That is an honor,” Jun smiled. “I’ll definitely join.”

“Ohno-san, Jun is not qualified enough for that particular task. He doesn’t belong to any troop, it's against our basic rules,” Sho said awkwardly.

“Let’s say, I invite him personally to join me, is that also against the rules?”

Sho said nothing and left to lead the practice. Ohno approached Jun; his eyes went to Jun’s curly hair, he really wanted to touch it, to caress it gently, but doing that was harder than killing a fire-dragon. Jun stayed still as if waiting for Ohno to do something, both of them stared into each other’s eyes, trying to read what was hidden beyond them.

“Your blue eyes are so pretty,” Jun said, turning his gaze away from Ohno as if realizing that he had said something improper.

“Thank you,” Ohno took the bow from Jun’s hand, slid out an arrow from the box behind him and shoot the same target as Jun. “I might have killed you back then,” he mumbled.

“But you didn’t,” Jun replied.

“I've never missed the target except that one time,” Ohno took another arrow from the box while talking. “Something saved you from me.”

“I’m glad that I still have a chance to meet a great Elven King like you. The Akatsuki clan is very lucky to have you as their leader.”

Ohno shook his head, “It’s not me, but my wonderful friends. I’m nothing without Sho-kun, I can’t cure the wounded like Aiba, I can’t make people laugh like Nino.”

“But you’re a savior, that’s what I heard from everyone. You’ll sacrifice yourself for the sake of your people,” Jun said with admiration in his voice, but Ohno wanted to hear something else. He wanted Jun to consider him a mere elf, not a king or a hero, he wanted Jun to see them as equal.

“They are exaggerating,” Ohno said, glancing to the blue sky above them. Summer was approaching which meant he had to conduct more border patrols to avoid unnecessary intruders because sunshine always attracted more visitors to their forest. “Jun, would you follow me.”

Jun hesitated for a while, but then he put the bow down and followed Ohno’s steps towards the other side of practicing field, which was empty and rather hidden. Ohno randomly explained all about this particular orchid park. He had created it for relaxating after a long day of training and to think. Not everyone was allowed to enter this park because Ohno didn’t want the flowers to get hurt by clumsy hands.

“I’m sorry if some of my people still treat you like an outsider, we aren’t familiar with other elf clans. Nino experienced the same,” Ohno said when they were far enough away from the troops.

“I don’t mind it,” Jun replied, walking behind him and trying hard to keep a distance between them. “On the opposite, I have to apologize that I have caused you trouble.”

“You’re not causing any troubles,” Ohno said, turning around to face the elf. He had just realized their height difference, Jun was as tall as Aiba but with a different type of handsomeness. His right hand moved slowly to Jun’s cheek, the other elf didn’t stir at all, only looked Ohno in the eyes. None of them spoke for a while. Ohno wished that he could step a little closer and kiss Jun’s alluring lips, but something held him back. He wasn’t ready for this. It wasn’t the proper thing to do, what would Jun think of him?

“Please continue your training, Jun,” Ohno said, pulling his hand away from Jun’s cheek and left the elf with a heavy heart. He wished he could stay all day just to talk to Jun, but he had to train the swords troops in the afternoon and before that he would chair the weekly meeting.

“Ohno-san!” Jun called him when he was about to reach the exit of the orchid park. “I can’t wait for the patrol.”

Ohno nodded and smiled; he wanted to say ‘me too’, only that his tongue was glued. He headed towards the southern wing and met Nino halfway. He carried a few books in his hands, which looked too heavy for him.

“Are you going to have a meeting?” Nino asked.

“Yes, we need to decide a few things.”

“Did you meet Jun?” the young elf asked suspiciously.

“Yes, what about it?” Ohno gave Nino a puzzling look; he still didn’t get why Nino seemed grumpy when Jun’s name was mentioned.

“Your eyes change,” Nino said as if this would solve the problem. “I’m afraid that you will ask him to carry your bow next time, instead of me.”

Ohno laughed this time, he extended his hand to caress Nino’s yellow hair – something he wished he could do to Jun. “That task only belongs to you, Nino.”

Nino beamed as he heard that. “When will you teach me how to fight?”

“You can’t fight,” Ohno shook his head. “You’re not the warrior-type. Just stay at home and study, okay?”

Nino pouted but nodded; he mumbled that he needed to finish his reading and hurriedly headed towards the library.

***

“Ohno-san invited you for a patrol?” Nino asked in disbelief. Jun knew that this particular elf hated to share Ohno’s attention which he found very cute. Nino was still too young after all. “He never permitted me to leave the palace.”

“That’s because he doesn’t want something bad happen to you,” Jun patted Nino’s shoulder. Jun liked him, regardless that Nino always considered Jun as his rival. “Have you visited the outer part of this forest without Ohno-san’s knowledge?” Jun asked him.

“I did, but it was only once and Aiba-kun found out what I was up to. It took me a long time to convince him not to tell Ohno-san,” Nino pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Take me with you this time,” Jun said. “I can find secret paths and short cuts.”

“Jun, you can’t do that. Ohno-san will be very angry if he finds out.”

“We are not doing anything bad,” Jun shrugged. “We would be back before nightfall. I bet the forest is very beautiful during summer. You’ll like it. What do you say?”

Nino thought deeply; Jun could see his inner conflict between the temptation to explore the forest and his loyalty to Ohno.

“You promise that we’ll be back before nightfall?” he asked.

“I promise, you can trust me. I’ve been to many forests before, I've never lost my way,” Jun smiled, assuring the younger elf who grinned and nodded slowly.

They left the next morning; Jun took the hidden path, which he had found around two weeks ago. It would lead them to the southern border which was the closest to the wizard world. Nino clutched Jun’s hand tightly as they stepped further from the main palace. What lay ahead them were thick woods and wild flowers.

“Our border with the wizards is separated by a big lake, that’s what I heard from Aiba,” Nino whispered to Jun as if the plants around them could hear what they said. “Are you sure that we are on the right path?”

“Don’t worry, Nino,” Jun squished the elf’s hand softly, convincing him that it was a safe path. They reached a higher land where they could see the scenery below them.

“Look, that is the lake,” Nino pointed into said direction which was as wide as the Yamakaze Forest. “The wizards live beyond this lake,” he mumbled.

“Beautiful,” Jun said, enjoying the scenery before his eyes. The lake reflected the summer sunlight and looked like a big swimming pool in the middle of the mountains and the forests. “Let’s go.”

“Where to? Aren’t we going too far? I don’t want to go near the border,” Nino shook his head in horror.

“It’s okay, Nino, come on,” Jun took the elf’s hand and lead him towards a path. It was still in the afternoon; there was enough time for them to return to the palace before sunset. They crossed the wild hydrangeas and the unknown plants along their way. Nino panted hard and stopped walking to breathe properly.

“Are you okay?” Jun stopped, handing Nino a bottle of water. “We’re already close.”

“You need to carry me home,” he said, sipping the water quickly.

“You’re hopeless at sport, Nino,” Jun laughed and once again took Nino’s hand to guide him towards the edge of the forest. The lake was right before their eyes; it was so beautiful that Jun couldn’t find any words to describe it – just like Ohno himself.

Jun touched his right chest area where Ohno’s arrow had hit him; the wound had fully healed. Somehow, he was glad that Ohno had shot him; he had admired Ohno’s look from the first time he had seen the elf. Ohno was amazing, but also simple. He was powerful, but he wasn’t a tyrant. He was handsome, yet he had never taken advantage of his handsomeness.

He wondered why the King hadn’t chosen any partner, considering his age and his position as the leader. Perhaps that Sakurai guy was his partner; but Jun could see that Ohno considered him his subordinate and they had been together since forever. They would be married if Ohno loved him romantically. He really wanted to confess his feelings to Ohno, but how? He couldn’t just go to Ohno’s chamber and tell the king that he loved him. What if Ohno stabbed him for real this time because he couldn’t accept something as stupid as love.

“Jun, do you think these footprints were left by animals?” Nino asked, pointing at something on the ground near them, waking him up from his daydream about Ohno.

Jun squatted beside him and took a look at the footprints; they weren’t animal ones, they looked more like solid material, which had been put on the ground for a long time. Jun stood up and looked around; he had just realized that the seal charm had gone weaker. Ohno’s troops perhaps didn’t realize it because it was more difficult to analyze the charm above water. Once the seal was broken, it would go down all over the forest. Their hidden world would be revealed and Jun didn’t dare to imagine what would happen after that.

“Nino, we have to go back, it’s dangerous here. I’ll explain on our way,” Jun said, hoping that nobody had seen them. What if somebody had infiltrated the forest? What if they were human? Jun had been living with humans for a long time, but he had only had contact with other researchers. He knew there were many crazy humans who wanted to make magic creatures like elves the guinea pigs of their research.

“You said it was safe here,” Nino protested.

“Not anymore. The border charm is broken and I’m afraid that already happened a long time ago,” Jun said, walking quickly while dragging Nino’s hand. “We have to inform Ohno-san immediately.”

Nino stopped and trembled all of a sudden; he shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t want to end up in some human’s laboratory,” he said with a cracking voice. “They… killed my… family.”

“I’ll never let them take you, come, I’ll carry you,” he said, squatting in front of Nino and lifting him onto his back. “We have to tell Ohno-san, he'll know what to do.”

Jun ran as fast as he could through the hidden paths with Nino on his back. The way back felt way further than before. He didn’t know where Ohno was at the moment; he could be at the northern training field or at the newly built orchid park. What if they were too late? What if someone had already infiltrated their forest a long time ago? Waiting for them to drop their guard.

“Nino, can you walk from here? I’ll look for Ohno-san.” Jun put Nino down. They were already at the main path. Nino gave him a little nod and told him to be careful.

Jun left the elf there and ran towards the gate, but he had no idea where to go first. He had no access to Ohno’s schedule. Sho was the only one who had that privilege, but even finding Sho was difficult.

“Jun-kun, hi, where have you been? You’re full of dirt.”

Jun turned around and to his relief, he found Aiba. The doctor looked suspiciously at him, but Jun had no time to give detailed explanations.

“Aiba-san, do you know where Ohno-san is?” Jun panted.

“Ohno-san? I’m not sure of his schedule today, but perhaps he is in the eastern part. He’s picking a new horse; that’s what I heard from Sho.”

“Eastern part, how far is that?”

“It’s almost two hours by horse, why? Do you want to go there?”

Jun didn’t know how to answer, he bit his lower lip and looked at Aiba. “There’s an urgent matter that I have to inform him about.”

“What is it? Do you want to confess your love to him? Many elves did that and everyone was rejected,” Aiba said, grinning.

Jun would have laughed if this had been a normal situation, but for now, he had to find Ohno and warn him about the broken seal. He thanked Aiba and ran towards the stables. He rode one of the horses and chanted a mantra into its ear; it ran with full speed to the eastern forest. Jun bent down low to minimize the impact from the wind. His eyes were teary and hurt, he hadn’t ridden a horse for quite a long time and this horse ran with extraordinary speed, which surprised him.

He didn’t know how to tell Ohno about the broken seal and there was no guarantee that Ohno would believe him just like that. He was still considered an outsider after all. What if Sho was there and accused him of lying?

The horse made a sharp turn to the left and finally Jun could see the wooden tower beyond the trees. He stopped the horse and ran to the clearing where a group of elven troop were practicing, but an elf blocked his way as he was close to the entrance.

“We don't receive visitors during practice.” He spoke with distaste in his voice as his gaze travelled to Jun’s different appearance.

“I need to talk to Ohno-san,” he said, but he knew this elf wouldn’t allow him that.
“The King is busy right now, you can wait until the practice is over.”

“This is urgent,” Jun said, considering to enter the practicing field with force.

“I’ve told you, he is…”

“Jun, what’s wrong?” Ohno appeared behind the guard-elf; he was holding a sword in his right hand, his blue eyes looked brighter than usual.

“There’s something important I need to inform you of,” Jun glanced to the guard-elf who looked at him in disbelief.

“Follow me,” Ohno said, guiding Jun towards the wooden gate. Ohno walked far enough until they were truly hidden behind the pillars. “What is it? I presume it’s an unpleasant thing.”

“The southern border’s seal has been broken,” Jun said with the calmest tone he could manage. “I went there this morning and I sensed that something was wrong. I’m afraid it has been broken a long time ago.”

Ohno’s expression didn’t change, but Jun could see the grip on his sword had become tighter. Ohno was a warrior who had experienced many wars before; the news about the broken seal perhaps didn’t concern him that much; Jun admired him for his calm acceptance.

“Thank you for your information. Anything else?” Ohno asked. “Did you sense a strange presence in our forest?”

“I didn’t,” Jun shook his head. “But I’m worried that they are already here without our knowledge. Someone who is skilled enough to camouflage themselves from your charm.”

Ohno thought for a while before placing his hand on Jun’s shoulder, “Thank you. We need to take care of everything without causing panic. I’ll bring Sho with me. You may return to the palace and wait there for the time being.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jun said. “I can sense the broken seal, I can be of help,” he added.

“I need you to keep an eye on Nino,” Ohno said with weird seriousness. It was the first time he showed a troubled face. “I’ll be back soon to the palace,” the elf flashed a smile to Jun, but he couldn’t reply.

Jun didn’t like the idea that they had to go separate ways; he wanted to be at Ohno’s side, to protect this forest together. Jun had only been staying here for two months, but it already felt like home - for the first time in a long while. Ohno disappeared from his sight and Jun had no choice but to go back to the main palace. He had a bad hunch along the way and he hoped it was just his imagination.

***

“We have a situation,” Ohno told Sho after dismissing the troops. He didn’t want everyone to panic if they knew that their border had loosened and somebody might have infiltrated their area without their knowledge.

“What is it?”

“The southern border is broken,” Ohno said firmly.

Sho looked at him in disbelief, “We have conducted patrols, how is it even possible?”

“I don’t know,” Ohno answered. “The border above the lake, the wizards must have done something to loosen it. If so, they are looking for trouble,” he continued, gripping the sword tighter.

“Don’t rush things, we have to make sure of it,” Sho said, looking around carefully. “Do you think that Jun might be lying to you? He’s an outsider after all.”

“I trust him,” Ohno said.

Sho didn’t respond; he took his sword and inserted it into the scabbard on his waist. “Let’s go. If the border is broken, we have to repair it as soon as possible.”

Ohno nodded. Both of them headed towards the horses. Sho brought two other troops whom he trusted the most. Together, they headed south without knowing that what they would find were just traps.

***

“Jun is right, the seal is broken,” Ohno said as they reached the southern border. The weakest point was above the lake, right in the middle. If the wizards were the culprits behind the loosened border, they must have found the entrance towards the hidden forest.

“We need at least a week to repair it,” Sho replied, drawing his sword and looking around carefully, afraid that the enemy would show up any time.

Ohno didn’t answer. Repairing a broken seal of this range would need a lot of power, but they couldn’t wait for another week or their secret forest would be open wide to the outside world. Ohno only had one choice; he jumped from his horse and touched the ground. He closed his eyes and analyzed the damage.

“We can’t wait for another week,” he mumbled, realizing that almost all of southern border had weakened.

Sho also jumped from his horse and squatted beside him. “Don’t do something stupid. You know you can’t do it alone.”

Ohno turned his head to Sho. “I have to, I can’t put everyone in danger. I don’t want to witness more wars, Sho. We must keep our forest hidden and protect every elf in it. Don’t worry, Aiba-chan will do something to cure me.”

“I won’t let you,” Sho said. His hand moved to Ohno’s elbow to prevent him from casting the sealing spell, but Ohno was faster. He chanted something that separated him from Sho as if they were in a different dimension. He had no time to argue. It was his fault that the border seal had broken. He had put the entire clan in danger and he couldn’t wait any longer. His energy would be drained up after repairing the seal and there also a possibility that he would lose his life, but he didn’t mind if it meant that he could save the clan. Everyone trusted him as their King and their safety was his responsibility.

He brought his hands together and started repairing the border. Ohno had only used this repairing technique once after the Great War, which had left him unconscious for almost a week. He could sense almost everything when he was in this state: the almost entirely broken seal, the entire clan, the sound of flowing water from the rivers, the falling leaves. He was relieved to know that Jun, Nino and Aiba were safe inside the palace, but then he was surprised to find Toma with them. Toma was supposed to guard the northern tower by now. Something seemed not right when Jun and Aiba were separated from Nino.

“Let go of me!”

He could hear that Nino screamed. .

Ohno had no time to think, he had to seal the forest as soon as possible, so he concentrated and focused all of his energy to repair the broken charm. It felt as if his body was being ripped apart, as soon as the energy began to leave him.

He almost fell to the ground as he finished, but Sho caught him just in time.

“Ohno-san, are you alright?”

Ohno opened his eyes. He had difficulty breathing. He gripped Sho’s shoulder to help him stand. “We have to go back to the palace, there’s something wrong.”

“What is it?”

“I sense no intruder, but I saw Toma at the palace, despite of his duty to guard the northern border. He did something to Nino,” Ohno said, leaning against Sho as he felt his feet weren’t strong enough to support him.

“Toma?” Sho looked at him with bewildered eyes. “Do you think he’s betraying us?”

“I don’t know,” Ohno panted. Nino was in danger. Toma wanted to do something to him and Ohno was afraid that his guess was right.

“Sho, how much do you know about Nino?” Ohno asked.

Sho seemed surprised by the unexpected question. "He’s a brat without any manners,” he answered. “But maybe he’s a little smart.”

“You have no idea why his clan was murdered?” Ohno asked. He had never told anyone about the truth behind the mass murder of the Mangetsu clan, not even Sho.

Sho helped him climb the horse while shaking his head.

“The blood of the Mangetsu clan has the magical power to prolong the life of every creature on Earth. They were murdered for their blood. The wizards and humans desired it. The Mangetsu clan were never fighters, they were caught and murdered without resistance. Some of them ended in laboratories, where they were kept for experiments and got killed.”

Sho listened to his story with eyes wide-open. Ohno didn’t want to tell anyone, it was a horrible fact and he had taken a great risk by rescuing Nino and keeping him inside the palace. That was why he had put a spell on Nino which prevent him from bleeding. Nobody could unlock that spell except him.

“Nino doesn’t know, the truth is too cruel for him.” Ohno held the horse’s neck and whispered something into its ears: the order to bring him to the main palace. “Sho, follow me.”

Ohno knew that Sho had never liked Nino from the very beginning, but perhaps it was because he didn’t know Nino very well. Maybe it would be different if Sho loosened his protocol-stuff a little bit.

They rode the horses with full speed, Ohno held its neck tightly. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late for them, he didn’t want anything happen to Jun or Nino or Aiba. Ohno had never been attached to any elf before, not even Sho, because Sho was equal to him. Nino and Jun were different. Jun might be good at fighting, but he had never experienced a real battle with a real enemy. Nino on the other hand, was hopeless at fighting. . Ohno had sworn to protect him and he would never forgive himself if anything happened to Nino because of him being too careless.

The palace gate was close enough when something hit his shoulder. Its force was so strong that Ohno fell down from the horse. He could hear Sho scream his name in panic from behind. He felt an unbearable pain in his left shoulder, but he forced himself to stand, his legs shaking. Somebody had shot him with an arrow and he could feel the blood streaming down his left shoulder. There was no way for him to pull this arrow out without causing more damage. His vision turned blurry now, but he tried hard to stand still.

“As expected from Ohno-san, you're still standing after repairing such a large damage of the border, but I can see that you have lost a big amount of energy. Furthermore, that arrow is poisoned, it will spread faster if you move, so you’d better stay still.”

Ohno focused and saw a silhouette standing a few meters from them. It was Toma, but he was different. He was no longer wearing the Akatsuki cloak, but a long dark mantle and a pointy hat decorated his head.

“Don’t make reckless move, Sho-san, or your king will be dead. I still need him to reveal some secrets of this forest,” Toma said, approaching Ohno. The latter drew his sword, but there was no strength left in him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Toma said, grabbing the sword from Ohno’s hand. “Your favorite elf is waiting for you, let’s go.”

Toma clicked his fingers and at the same time Ohno heard Sho scream in pain. Ohno had no time to look back at his friend since Toma dragged him towards the palace. “Don’t worry, Ohno-san, your precious people are all safe. I just need you to unlock the mantra you have put on Nino’s body. I can’t shed his blood if it is locked. You are very wise to always keep him safe inside the palace. That poor kid doesn’t even know what his blood is worth,” Toma kept on talking as they walked towards the main towers, dragging Ohno with some invisible power.

“You added to your treasure by saving the last elf from the Mikatsuki. The clan is well known for their ability to share their life. Isn’t it great, to have the source of life? Maybe it doesn’t matter for immortals like you, but for wizards like us, it's different. We desire a long life. I must admit that we've always hated the elves. We've always wanted to erase you from the face of the earth. When you die, the seal will break and my people will infiltrate the forest. Your precious Akatsuki clan will be our slaves. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Ohno tightened his fist. So the broken seal was just a trap to weaken him. If it were a normal situation, he could take Toma down with a single punch, but now he didn’t even have any energy to lift a sword. How on earth had he not realized for all these years that Toma was a wizard? Nobody could deceive his eyes. This wizard must have developed something in order to disguise himself as an elf without everybody’s knowledge.

“Now, let’s unlock the mantra you have put on that kid,” Toma said while guiding Ohno to the pillar Nino was tied to. He looked around, there was nobody else, he couldn’t sense Jun's and Aiba’s presence.

“Don’t worry, your Jun is still alive. He and Aiba are well kept inside the prison. Both of them will be my main slaves. Both of them are idiots, loyalty to the King sometimes makes people act like morons,” Toma laughed with a satisfied tone.

Ohno grimaced in pain and anger. The blood kept on flowing from the wound on his left shoulder, ready to send him to unconsciousness at any time.

Nino’s eyes were closed. He had scratches on his arms and legs and a little swelling on his face. His yellow hair was a mess, perhaps someone tugged him along the way here. The scene angered Ohno and he wished he could slit Toma’s throat right now for doing that to Nino.

“Wake up, kid,” Toma gave Nino’s stomach a kick. The young elf coughed and opened his eyes, his glance meeting Ohno's. His eyes looked at Ohno in horror, he shook his head while holding back the tears from falling down.

“Ohno-san,” he said with a tiny voice. “You’re bleeding.”

“Stop talking already,” Toma said, tugging Ohno’s hair and taking off the crown of his head before throwing it onto the floor. “You don’t need that anymore now. I’ll be the new king of this forest from now on. Now, let’s unlock the spell you put onto this brat.”

Ohno’s vision was blurry as the poison kept on spreading through his veins. He crawled to Nino whose face was wet from the tears.

“Ohno-san,” he sobbed, “you don’t need to do this for me.”

“It’s okay, Nino,” Ohno said, trying to collect his last strength as he approached Nino. He touched Nino’s face and whispered something, but it wasn’t the spell to unlock the key, it was transferring a mantra. Ohno entrusted the secrets of the forest to him, including the technique of sealing the borders.

Toma seemed to realize that and kicked Ohno's stomach hard. “You didn’t do what I said,” the wizard shouted angrily. His hand reached the arrow in Ohno’s left shoulder and pulled it roughly. Ohno screamed in pain, but he couldn’t do anything now. He just wished that Nino would survive and live his life to the fullest.

“I’ll take those blue eyes as my souvenirs,” Toma said. Ohno felt another wave of pain in his stomach as the wizard stabbed him with his own sword – death seemed more tempting for Ohno now. He had always imagined how he would die since he led the wars, but he had never once thought that he would be killed inside his own palace. At least, he had done something right in his life, even just a little.

***
“We’re too late,” Jun said to Aiba as they ran through the dark underground tunnels. Toma had imprisoned them inside a secret chamber since he still needed Jun for a kind of experiment and he needed Aiba to help him make drugs.

He revealed the secret of the Mangetsu clan and what he would do to Nino if he could unlock the spell on his body.

“We have to take him down before the other wizards join him,” Aiba panted. “I can’t believe this is happening to us.”

“You mentioned that Ohno-san would lose a big amount of energy if he tried to repair the seal,” Jun said, trying to sound calm, but his voice trembled badly.

“Yes,” Aiba answered. “He was the one who created the seal, but it needed a lot of preparation. He was unconscious for a week the last time he repaired the weakened seal.”

Jun gripped the bow in his hand tightly. It was his fault for not analyzing the situation better. The wizards had a long desire to rule the Elven world. If they took Ohno down, their dream would come true.

“This way,” Aiba guided him to the exit. “We’ll do our best in saving Ohno-san and Nino,” he added whispering.

Jun nodded, trying to think positive like Aiba did.

The exit was behind the southern gate. They crawled and made sure that the surrounding area was clear before running towards the gate.

“Wait, I saw somebody,” Jun said, stopping Aiba.

They sprinted towards the figure who was lying on the ground. “Sho-san!” Aiba shouted. He checked his pulse. “He’s alive, but not in a good state.”

“We have to hide him,” Jun said.

Both of them moved Sho to the bushes and covered him with leaves. “We’ll be right back,” Aiba said, but it sounded uncertain. “Come on, Jun.”

Jun’s heartbeat sped up; he was afraid that there was no hope for them to rescue Ohno and Nino. The enemy had taken Sho down, the most capable fighter the Akatsuki had. He wasn’t as good as Sho and all he had learned was shooting an arrow from a close distance.

They entered the main palace through the secret paths and stepped silently towards the pillar Nino was being tied to. They heard a scream from Nino, but there was no sign of Ohno. Jun didn’t dare to imagine what would happen if their plan failed. Toma was a wizard, a capable one, what if Jun’s arrow couldn’t wound him?

“We can shoot from here,” Aiba whispered. “Oh no…” The elf shook his head as he saw something. Jun followed his gaze and he felt his heart fall to his stomach. Ohno was lying helplessly beside the pillar, covered in blood. Toma was doing something to Nino in order to unlock the mysterious spell, but he kept on failing. Finally, he unleashed his frustration by beating Nino up.

“I’ll take him down,” Jun felt a wave of anger inside him. He took an arrow and aimed at Toma’s neck. His hands were trembling hard, but he knew that he only got once chance. He stretched the bow and released the arrow after whispering a mantra into it. The arrow launched with high speed and stabbed Toma into the neck, sending the wizards onto the ground.

Jun’s hands were still shaking when he and Aiba walked down from the hidden spot towards Nino and Ohno. Aiba released Nino from the pillar, the elf’s head dropping limply onto Aiba’s chest, his eyes half-open.

Jun squatted beside Ohno’s body. There was no sign of him breathing which left Jun in panic. “Aiba-san, Ohno-san is…”

Aiba lay Nino down gently on the ground and shifted towards Ohno. He examined Ohno’s eyes. “He was poisoned, he lost too much blood. I’m afraid that I can’t… save him.”

“No…” Jun shook his head. “It can’t be.” He held Ohno’s lifeless body and found a weak heartbeat. The elf was still alive. He slid out the necklace of wisdom from his pouch and put it on Ohno’s chest. “We can try to save him with this necklace and combine it with Nino’s blood.”

Aiba looked at him in disbelief, but he decided not to comment, he just nodded. He shook Nino to wake him up, “Nino, we need your help, please gather your last strength.”

Nino’s eyes slit open; he looked totally weak, but the need to save Ohno seemed to add power to him. He spelled something and bit his own finger to shed the blood out of it. Jun caught the blood with the necklace and attached it to Ohno’s chest.

He chanted the forbidden mantra which drained almost all of the energy within him. It was the technique he learned from a book a long time ago and he knew there was no one had ever used it before because it had a great risk.

Ohno’s chest started moving, but his eyes were still closed tightly. Jun pulled away from the elf and at the same time he felt the energy abandon him. His head hit the ground and he sank into unconsciousness.

***

When Ohno opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Nino’s face. His yellow hair was glowing under the sunlight which peered through the curtain of the room, his eyes were bloodshot, but he managed to smile at him.

“He’s awake,” he said with a hoarse voice.

“Nino, don’t touch him, his wound is still fresh,” he heard Aiba’s voice.

He then saw two other faces above him: Jun and Sho. Sho was heavily bandaged around his head and to his relive, Jun was okay.

“Ohno-san,” Jun smiled at him. There was a little scratch on his beautiful face and somehow, he looked unhealthy and tired.

“Is everyone okay?” Ohno asked.

“Don’t worry, everybody is okay,” Sho answered. “The seal is as tight as it can be.”

Ohno looked at the ceiling with a bewildered feeling, his head still processing what happened. Toma almost killed him. He saw an arrow being shot into Toma’s neck when the wizard was about to take his eyes.

“Nino, let’s treat your wound at the other chamber,” Aiba said, taking Nino by the hand and dragging him outside, while ignoring Nino’s protest that he still needed to talk with Ohno.

Sho mumbled that he needed to lead a practice and excused himself from the room, leaving only Ohno and Jun.

“I’m glad that you survived,” Jun said, taking Ohno’s hand and squishing it softly. “I thought that we lost you… it was all my fault, I shouldn’t have told you about the border, I should have discussed it with Sakurai-san or…” Jun sobbed.

“Hey, it’s all okay, Jun,” Ohno smiled at the pretty elf, freeing his hand from Jun’s grip and moving it to Jun’s face to erase his tears. “You saved me by risking your life, I have no more to ask,” he whispered.

“Ohno-san…”

“I’ve been thinking about you all the time since we met for the first time,” Ohno confessed. He had come to the conclusion that he loved Jun. A kind of love that he had just experienced for the first time. “I’ve never seen this kind of beauty, you’re the prettiest elf I’ve ever seen.”

Jun shook his head, but he smiled weakly. “Don’t praise me anymore, I don’t deserve it from a king like you.”

“I am no king when I’m with you. Then, I’m just a mere elf,” Ohno whispered.

Jun bit his lower lip and without any warning he attached those lips to Ohno's, kissing him lovingly, but trying hard not to touch Ohno’s wound.

“Aiba-san will scold me if he knew what I’m doing,” Jun said as he pulled away, his face had turned completely red.

“Don’t go,” Ohno said to the other elf, “please, stay for a little longer.”

“I’ll stay by your side forever if you want me to,” Jun said happily. He lay his head onto Ohno’s pillow, until Ohno drifted back to sleep. He had lived for a thousand years, but this time was his first to feel this cozy, albeit being seriously injured.

***
Aiba’s medicine had healed Ohno’s wound, even though he was still struggling to walk by himself. Jun kept him company all the time, making sure that he drank his medicine, bringing him reports from Sho, helping him write the orders for the troops. The news about Toma had spread. Sho had ordered every troop to increase the security to prevent the same thing from happening again.

Nino was a great help in this case, he had invented a way to make sure that everyone was a real elf. Ohno had entrusted him with the secrets of the Yamakaze Forest, which enabled him to lock or unlock the spell on the border. Aiba told Ohno that Nino had spent three days in the library to read everything related to the forest.

“That kid is really something,” Jun told Ohno, covering him with a blanket as he went back to bed. It was nearly midnight when Ohno finished reading a long report from Sho.

“He’s like a son to me,” Ohno said, smiling at Jun.

“He didn't like me at first because he thought that I’m a rival, getting your attention,” Jun chuckled, recalling how Nino spoke to him for the first time.

“Both of you are special to me, perhaps I have a tendency to love another clan,” Ohno said, caressing Jun’s face gently. The elf had been staying all the time by his side. He even brought a sleeping bag in order to sleep in the same room as Ohno. He had offered to share the bed, but Jun had declined, saying that he might kick Ohno’s wound in his sleep.

“Have a nice dream, Satoshi,” Jun said, flashing a broad smile at him.

Ohno was more than happy that Jun called him by his name. Nobody had called him Satoshi since his parents had died at the Great War. The way Jun called him made him want to hug the other elf tightly, but of course he couldn’t do that with a wounded shoulder and stomach. He let Jun kiss him shortly before blowing out the candles.

It took Ohno a month to fully recover. He had left the kingdom to Sho during his absence. He knew that Sho was the better leader compared to him, but the elf had never wanted the crown, no matter how Ohno tried to convince him that the king title suited Sho more. However, this time, he wanted Sho to take the position as the king of the Akatsuki.

“Welcome back, Ohno-san,” Sho bowed to him as he walked towards the main chamber of the palace.

“Glad to be back,” Ohno patted Sho’s shoulder. “I need to talk with you in private.”

“Yes, Sir,” Sho followed him towards the meeting hall which was empty.

“I’ve been thinking about leaving the crown to you,” Ohno said. He stood by the window, looking outside to the forest, which started to change color along with the season.

“You can’t do that, I don’t deserve that crown,” Sho stammered nervously.

“I'm planning to go on a long journey with Jun,” Ohno said. “It is for the sake of this kingdom. I want to explore the outside world once again and see what we can do. We probably will find another Elven Forest, who knows.” He turned around and placed his hands on Sho’s shoulders. “You will be a great king, Sho.”

“Would you take the crown back once you return from your journey?” Sho asked.

“If that makes you feel better, I will,” Ohno replied.

“This kingdom belongs to you, I have no right to take it from you.”

“It belongs to you, too,” Ohno smiled. “I’ll make an official statement of the transition and will explain it to the other commanders as well. They will understand, they respect you as much as they respect me.”

“May I know where you will go?” Sho asked after a few minutes of silence.

“I don’t have any particular destinations,” Ohno answered. “We’ll go to random places, more like an adventure.”

“It seems like a honeymoon escape to me,” Sho said with a serious tone which Ohno found very funny.

“Maybe you’re right,” Ohno flashed a smile to his friend and left Sho alone inside the meeting chamber since he knew that Sho needed some space to think about this sudden decision. He headed towards the orchid park where Jun was waiting for him.

Jun was examining one of the orchids when Ohno approached. He seemed to not notice Ohno’s presence, which gave the latter some time to look at Jun’s pretty face. How could an elf be this perfect? Ohno always found himself asking the same thing over and over again. How could this perfect creature love him back in a way Ohno had never imagined before.

“That orchid is a rare one,” Ohno said.

Jun turned at him and smiled, “Just like you, one of a kind.”

“Really?” Ohno walked closer to Jun. He got a kiss from the elf as he was close enough.

“What did Sakurai-san say about our plan?”

“He said that it sounds like a honeymoon trip,” Ohno replied.

Jun chuckled lightly while taking Ohno’s hand, dragging him for a walk around the park.

“I’ve talked to Nino too. He wasn't happy at first, but he understands and told me that I have to take good care of you,” Jun said.

“I just hope that he and Sho will not blow the palace up,” Ohno laughed. For all these years, both of them had never shown any signs to become friends, but maybe in Ohno’s absence, Nino would at least talk with Sho – about work of course. He was sure that both of them would make a great pair. Both of them were smart and full of ideas.

“We’ll leave next week, early in the morning. We’ll be heading east first,” Jun said.

“I’ll leave it to you,” Ohno replied, gripping Jun’s hand tighter. Maybe Sho was right that their trip would turn out to be a honeymoon journey.

End