Ludi

The Expedition.

Quatre lay reclining on the guard's bed, his eyes somewhat lost, he was completely naked, his hair a bit messy. He had kiss marks all over his body, while WuFei, who had his long hair down, was lying next to him, leaning on his arm, watching him. 

"Are you all right, Master Quatre?" 

“Yes…. Please, WuFei… don't look at me like that” Quatre said as he placed his arm over his face. 

WuFei covered him with the sheet, and made him withdraw his arm so that he could appreciate him better. 

“Don't hide, Master Quatre... I'm the only one who will see you this way...” 

“It's still embarrassing...” WuFei kept looking at Quatre, who, despite being lost in his black and deep eyes, didn’t stop noticing the concern in them, nor in the way he stroked his hair “WuFei, I'll be fine.” 

“Master Quatre... I can't help being worried about you. Please do not separate of me during the expedition.” 

"I won't." Quatre hugged the guard tight, pulling him to his chest, "I promise." 

WuFei leaned back comfortably against him, and remained so for the rest of the night. For Quatre it was a night of rest: the nightmares stopped. 

As soon as the day came, Quatre noticed that he was no longer tired, or in pain from everything he had done the day before. WuFei seemed more rested; ever since he had come to that place, he had seen him rest almost nothing. He was tense most of the time, even more so with strangers near him. The fear of repeating the story of his previous life was on the surface, and he had to assure him somehow that none of it would repeat again. There were already things he did differently than before. He had gained experience controlling his ability, although he still had to manage the side effects. That is why WuFei insisted so much on being always with him, but he had to overcome it without him, and so, stopping being a burden for him. 

WuFei shifted on the bed and felt that something was missing. Quatre was sitting next to him, watching him. He kept liking to see the guard with his long hair loose. It made him look wild. 

He blushed realizing the direction his thoughts were taking and for a moment, he was Quatre again and not a reincarnation. He felt a deep emptiness in his chest, and for a fraction of a second, he gasped. His heart was pounding a thousand an hour and he was incredibly pale. 

“Master Quatre...” 

"Ah!... I'm... fine... WuFei... mmm... I..." Quatre suddenly blushed noticeably to the neck and got up from the bed “I'll go to my room... I must find something.” 

Quatre got dressed and quickly left the room, thinking about how he felt. As soon as he got to his room, he began to search through the diaries that the old man had given him, so that he would learn about his previous life and his abilities. He searched sheet by sheet in the hundreds of beautifully bound books, until he found what he was looking for, and after reading the same page over and over again, he searched among the pictures that were piled up in the corners, and others that were hanging all over the place. Finally, he found what he was looking for covered behind a large curtain. It was a painting of a path surrounded by tall grasslands and he had to look twice to notice the tiger watching him in the grass. It was a sunny day, and it seemed to be the village next to the temple. In the diary the report was of when the tiger kept observing they, frightening the villagers, but it only dedicated itself to observing and soon left, without attacking anyone. Quatre understood what the painting was about, but something didn’t fit. 

As soon as the monks entered his room with breakfast, he urgently requested to speak to the old man. 

WuFei was still a bit sleepy; it was the first time that he had managed to rest properly. During his existence he had always been on the warpath due to the abductions of monks and yet he had never been so exhausted until now. 

He got up, and prepared himself for what they would do that day. He decided to go find Quatre in his room to review the plan of the expedition, and found the old monk leaving the young master's room. 

“Good morning, Elder.” 

“Master Chang... I think you should wait a moment.” 

“Something happens?” 

“A lot happens... Master Sandrock, is fading...” 

“What?” 

"Wait." The old man stopped WuFei before he entered the room. "Not like that. The master is fine. His memories, of Sandrock's, are fading.” The guard was stunned. He never heard that something like that had happened before “he checked the diaries, the monks' logs, the public books… there is nothing like that… there are many things happening now, that have never happened. And the matter of him loosing those memories greatly influences his learning, but we don't know if it will influence his abilities. I think Sandrock's existence ends with us.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I think Sandrock is dying, and she won't come back... and that means many other things will happen. Master Chang, he is not well. Keep an eye on him. I must look for some documents, perhaps there is something in them that could guide us.” 

The old man left, leaving WuFei outside Quatre's room. In the surrounding silence, he could hear slight sobs coming from the room. How bad could it be? 

He entered the room, and was surprised to see Quatre sitting on the floor in front of a painting, surrounded by books, covering his head with his hands as he cried. 

The guard sat next to him, and the young man hugged him tight, breaking into a more heartbroken cry, as if his heart was broken. 

Once he calmed down, WuFei handed him a glass of water and waited for him to drink it, then set the empty glass down on the table. 

“I remembered that we were together a few lives ago… you were a tiger back then. I just remember it, the soft fur... the purring. We spent a long time watching us. People fled thinking that the tiger had come to hunt them, but in a way, I knew that was not the case. I painted this on one of the many nights I have been awake. Since I arrived, painting has been my way of assimilating past memories... this scene is supposed to be from the moment we first approached... but I don't remember it. I only remember what is written, and it feels... it feels like someone important to me has died...” 

“Master Quatre…" 

“WuFei…" 

The guard leaned down a little and kissed the young man's lips lightly. 

“Please, be calm, master Quatre, I’ll be with you whenever you need me...” said the guard, framing the young man's face in his hands, while affirming his forehead against his “Everything will be fine. Now I must go to prepare the expedition, but if you want to rest, that's fine. You may come when you feel better, or not. I'll keep you update.” 

The guard kissed his forehead, stood up, and left the room. Something felt different... 

Much later, Quatre entered the main hall. There were WuFei, Terion, the elder, and other monks in light armor and swords. 

“I'm sorry for the delay... I didn't feel well.” 

"Master Quatre... we reviewed the expedition. We will stay at Mr. Kohgi's house until we finish and then return to the temple. The expedition will last as long as the master delays, and until then we will take turns, taking care of the dangerous villagers to not come close...” 

“Dangerous villagers?” 

"They were the ones who attacked the monks... there are several who we believe will seek their opportunity while you are in the village" replied the old man. 

"I'll be taking care of you, master, Quatre. With Terion we will look after your personal safety, just like everyone else here. You don't have to worry.” 

“I have a petition.” They all turned to look at Quatre, listening carefully to what he had to say. "Don't put your life above mine." 

“Master Sandrock...” 

“Elder... I understand that for you Sandrock is very important... but for me, it’s more that you also are safe. Please take care of yourselves.” 

"We will," said WuFei, bowing, and the others nodded in the same way. 

They reviewed which places they would visit first, the safe points, and the night watch; and Quatre seemed distracted for some reason. He blushed from time to time, but the sadness in his eyes didn’t go away. 

Once the meeting ended, they set a departure date for that same afternoon, so they began to pack only what was necessary. Quatre packed small portions of black fruit to be within reach, although he knew the monks carried more. He took out some clothes, and went out to the front door. 

At the rendezvous point, Terion was organizing everything, and WuFei expected him somewhat apart from the rest. 

“Master Quatre, I have something for you.” 

The young guard approached him to put a thin, almost invisible pendant around his neck, from which hung an elongated charm almost transparent green water color. 

“WuFei, it’s beautiful” 

“This will protect you, help you in case I’m not close to you...” 

“Don’t say that!” 

“It’s ok, master Quatre, I mean if I had something to do, and you had side effects in my absence... this stone will help you cope.” 

Quatre clung to the charm, and smiled at the guard. 

“Thank you.” 

The guard only wanted to hug him, but he could feel the curious eyes of others. It was already obvious that something was happening between them, and that since he took care of the master, they no longer went unnoticed. Better to avoid being in anyone's sights. 

To get out of the temple they used the chariot. Inside it they carried Quatre along with two monks, while WuFei and Terion walked alongside him, guarding the surroundings. Several meters from them they could see several villagers, and from other villages watching them closely. His entire path was guarded, and the guard believed he had seen some members of the army in the distance. Perhaps it would not be a very peaceful stay. 

They soon reached Kohgi's house. Knowing that they were not going to be disturbed, the trip was somewhat quicker than the previous one. The house was in disarray. The few things the man had, had been thrown anywhere. The door was out of place, and there was nothing that had grown on his land. Absolutely all the plants had been taken. 

That sight saddened Quatre. Those people were so desperate that they were ready for anything, and that was what made WuFei so worried. In desperation, they could do anything to him. 

It was already dark, so they set up a small camp inside the house. They ordered as best they could and settled down to rest. That first night several villagers decided to stay to watch in the distance, perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps to see their opportunity. It was a restless night. 

The next day WuFei was surprised to see Quatre so early in the morning. He had been on guard duty since midnight, and everything had been quiet. 

The young master approached the garden where he had been unconscious for two days, and took some dirt in his hands. It was dry, with a very bad smell, it looked like dust and ash that was stuck in his hand. He remembered that there was a small water tank hidden, and went to verify that it was still there, but they had also took it. Everything they could take, they took. 

WuFei approached him, not without noticing that the observers were also attentive to them. It was so awkward. 

“Good morning, master Quatre. What are you planning to do this morning?” 

“I feel uncomfortable with everyone watching... it feels somewhat threatening.” 

“With Terion we’ll protect you at all times, master.” 

“You can watch...” said Quatre out loud to the peepers “but you must help. I need you to do a few things before I start.” 

WuFei had signaled for the onlookers to come closer, but only children with their mothers and some curious young people approached. The sun was already beginning to hit hard that day, and the dryness of the air was worse. Quatre approached them and asked them to fill the house's water reservoir, and to put up a fence around Mr. Kohgi's field. Many refused to do so for nothing, but others accepted without hesitation, including a young woman who was familiar to him. 

Volunteers went from waterhole to waterhole gathering as much water as possible, no matter what state it was it. Others grabbed wood and whatever was available to build a fence. That way Quatre felt a little more at ease, placing a boundary between them and the peepers, and it was easier for WuFei and the others to keep an eye on. Once they had gathered as much water as possible, Quatre approached, and asked them to build a fire and bring pots to him. He made sure he had a small portion of black fruit with him, and peeled off the top of his clothes, leaving him with a light tank top. He put his hands in the water and it began to look increasingly transparent, until he managed to see the bottom of the large container. Then, with signs, he asked that the pot be brought to him and he expelled everything he had taken from the water. He had done it mechanically, without discomfort and it was not demanding either. He knew he could control it, for the moment. When he was done, they threw the pot into the fire and Quatre sat down to rest. 

“Master Sandrock!” The young woman who was so familiar approached him “master Sandrock, I want to thank you, you healed my baby boy! My name is Kirie.” 

“Kirie...” Quatre immediately remembered the baby who was hit in the temple “how is he...?” 

“He is very healthy... thanks to you... he almost died a couple of days ago... we have nothing to eat, much less medicine...” 

“Take this...” Quatre gave the young woman a small fruit, very similar to a green peach “I don't know about babies, but if he can eat this, give him just a little, if possible, make it for four days. I don't know if what I did will last, that's why...” 

The young woman took the fruit from Quatre's hands and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Thank you, master Sandrock! Thank you very much!!” The young woman stood up, and ran into the village. 

WuFei, who had watched everything closely, gave up his position to Terion and entered the small house. He had felt a slight stab in his chest when he saw that scene. He didn’t like it. He decided that resting was the best he could do, since they still had a long way to go. He sat down on the floor in a corner near the door and prepared to rest. Soon, light footsteps were approaching him, and he awoke before they reached him. 

“Master Chang... the fence is over. Master Sandrock wants to repair the house and purify the place.” 

“Ok. I'll go right away.” 

WuFei and the monk who had awakened him went to where Quatre was. He had settled in the middle of the destroyed orchard, while the volunteers made grooves in the ground, raising toxic dust. 

The young woman from before, now approached Quatre giving him something in his hands. Something very small. And then the young master realized he was being watched by WuFei, and gave him a soft smile. 

“Look WuFei... Miss Kirie brought me an Ooga seed... is it a tree?” 

"That's right," replied the young woman as WuFei approached them "my father kept it for a long time, from our last harvest, before the earth died. They can last a long time stored. We had a plantation of these trees, and in each harvest, we made wine with the best fruits, and we took it to the temple, to offer it to the gods. It was so sweet!” 

“I thought there weren't any of those seeds anymore... in the temple we don't have those trees, we tried, but it was too exhausting for our monks. What will you do with it?” 

“I’ll grow it...” Quatre looked enthusiastic “in one of the diaries, Sandrock helped in the planting season, growing the trees and orchards a little, and thus there was an earlier production. She did it when the rains were less and the reserves were few. I don't know if I will make it, but I would like to try.” 

Quatre chose a place near the garden, next to the house, to place the seed, and with the help of a stick, he made a hole somewhat deep, then he sheltered the seed in his hands, and he could feel something pushing his fingers and palms. A pale green stem appeared from between his thumbs, and when he opened his hands, he saw the broken seed, giving space to the small stem and a tangle of roots. 

“I've never seen that... it's not in the books...” 

"It'll be a little more..." Quatre put the bud in the hole he had dug and covered it. Then he put some water on it and to WuFei's surprise, the young master put his fingers into the ground, near the roots, and little by little, they saw the stem grow in front of his eyes, taller and thicker, it began to turn brown, to form a thick bark, while it continued to grow very high and its green branches spread over them casting a very wide and cozy shadow covering almost all the ground, the long, thin leaves of a very bright green, became somewhat dark, and among them, small buds began to emerge, sprouting in white small flowers that soon became lilaceous, releasing a cloud of pollen and petals. Then its buds began to bulge and grow, turning very vibrant and bright red to the size of a fist, and at that moment WuFei realized that something was wrong. Quatre was still on the ground. 

He approached him and saw that his eyes were white and the roots were hugged to his arms. 

“Master Quatre!!” WuFei began to cut the roots with the dagger that Quatre had on his waist, and as he cut, another appeared from the ground and hugged him. Finally, he managed to cut everything and separated the young master from the roots. 

As he took the young man in his arms to carry him to the small cabin, the onlookers around him got as close as they could, hanging from the makeshift fence, and part of the fruits that once filled the branches of that great tree, were now on the ground, some even open, and scattered with long stems and roots coming out of their interiors. 

Inside the house, WuFei was helped by the young woman and a couple of monks, to remove the roots that still clung to Quatre, and put them on a makeshift blanket so as not to throw them away, as they continued to grow on their own, taking more roots and stems. The guard made them move away a little and put his hands on his, feeling the great energy that flowed. The intensity gradually decreased, and he watched the young master's body relax, until he blinked and his eyes returned to normal. 

“Master Quatre! Are you okay?” 

“Yes...” answered the young man sitting on the bed “It’s strange, but I feel very good.” 

“You went out of control...” 

"No... I did it on purpose..." WuFei watched the young master questioningly, not expecting him to have control over his abilities... then he wouldn't need him anymore “I wanted it to grow as much as possible, to have food and other seeds to plant... I was so excited, I brought forth many more than I thought...” The young man smiled amused. 

“Will you grow trees throughout the village?!” 

WuFei seemed concerned. It had been fun for him, but perhaps for the guard it hadn't been, seeing it that way. 

“Miss Kirie, could you collect all the buds that fell from the tree, please? The monks will help you” the young woman took the blanket with the roots that continued to grow slowly, followed by the monks, leaving the guard and his master alone “calm down, WuFei. We’ll plant everything that has sprouted, but I will not grow any more trees. It was fun, but exhausting.” 

"Master Quatre... you must be more careful... can you control your abilities now?" 

“Something tells me I can... but not entirely. I will rest a little, and then I’ll continue…” Quatre settled himself on the bed, and fell asleep immediately. 

WuFei touched his forehead, and checked his pulse. Everything was normal. But something made him very anxious. There was something different. 

With some anguish, he clothed the young master and left the house. The ground at his feet was dark, and at the foot of the tree, shoots of grass and herbs were beginning to emerge very slowly, reaching the limits of the terrain, a little further out, leaving the onlookers surprised. Kirie and a couple of monks picked the sprouted fruits and another pair picked the unripe fruits, already ripe. At some point more people began to arrive, and the monks were on guard when they saw some recognized as dangerous. 

Volunteers separated the undamaged fruits from the broken ones, and others repaired some of Kohgi's things. The tree gave them shade and somehow cooled. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone waiting for something. The village ruler appeared from the crowd, and approached the entrance of the fence. 

“When are you going to my house? I have a garden that I need to grow now, we are hungry and our reserves are running out...” 

"We know you are hungry," WuFei replied, motioning to close the path, "but we will follow Master Sandrock's path, and at this time he must rest. We will pass through the whole village; you just have to wait.” 

“I'm the regent, shouldn't you go to my house first?” 

“We will go where master Sandrock says, when he says so. If you want to help, anyone who wants to help is welcome. But if you don't, then better go.” And this said, the guard caused a shock wave that made the regent back, who was stunned for a moment, and then left, with a few people following in his footsteps. 

WuFei remained standing in the middle of the ground for the remainder of the day, and after eating some of what they had brought, he went to rest in the same room that Quatre slept on. He sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, closed the door, and wielded his sword in the middle of sleep. He was restless and insecure after seeing the regent and so many dangerous people hanging around the house. What if they planned something together with The Army? He just wanted to turn around and take Quatre back, where no one else would reach him. He had never thought that way, it even felt different to be around the young master. 

He felt something move near him, a few light steps, and he reacted before the hand reached him. He grabbed them hard by the wrist and with the other he took his sword, but then he opened his eyes and realized that a surprised Quatre was watching him. 

“Are you ok?” 

Something scared, WuFei released him and looked away. Why did he have to be so close when he thought those things? 

“I’m sorry, Quatre, I didn't mean...” 

Quatre flushed up to his neck. Had he heard correctly? He had called him by name, without any title. Somehow just that made him feel closer. And more embarrassed. 

"Don't worry..." Quatre released himself and tried to leave the room, but arms tightened around him. 

“Quatre, wait... They are hanging around the house... you shouldn't go out.” 

“But I'm fine now. WuFei... someone could see us...” 

The guard quickly released him, and Quatre turned to smile at him with his face still flushed. 

“You’re not angry? I almost used my sword...” 

“You called me by my name.” 

WuFei started to remember and blushed realizing that he had. He covered his face with one of his hands, and ashamed sat down on the bed. 

“I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disrespect you...” 

“I like it!... em ... it's okay if you call me by name” The young master approached the guard, as much as he could, and framed his face with his hands, making him bow his head a little to kiss him on the crown “WuFei… mmm…. There is something I must tell you... there is something different... and I don't know how to say it... every day, I’m less Sandrock, and more Quatre... and I think that has changed my feelings too...” 

WuFei stood still, listening to his words bounce around the small room. From the beginning it had been almost impossible to resist what he felt every time he was around the young man. Now it was not so urgent, but it was different, and that scared him a little… was his soul and feelings going to change along with Sandrock? 

At some point Quatre left alone the guard. Something bothered him. Deep inside he knew that those feelings were going to disappear, but he didn’t want to accept it. 

Already outside the house, WuFei could see the master in the middle of the garden, growing everything the monks had planted. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the faint rays of the sun gradually revealed the beautiful setting in which Kohgi's home had become. Large vines with white flowers began to bloom along the walls of the house, wild flowers grew around the corners of the house, and on the banks of the garden. 

And Quatre finished growing the garden, with tears streaming down his face. 

“Master…” 

“I'll be fine... I just... I'm so sorry WuFei... it just happened again... I don't know what to do...” 

WuFei felt a soft weight on his chest, an emptiness beginning to take hold of him, and without realizing it, he cried with the sensation of having lost something unrecoverable. And then he understood, their feelings were going to change even if they didn't want to, because they were both losing part of their previous lives. The old man was right, Sandrock was going to disappear, and so was he.