Title: Dragon’s Song

Author: Karina

Rating: PG

Pairing: Duo + Milliardo

Notes:  Challenge 225.  Baby Series 4  #133.  Takes place immediately following Eerie Harmony.

Spoilers: None

Warnings: Extended Length

Many thanks to ShenLong Deb for her work betaing this set of fics.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or the Characters from the series but the baby is mine.

Title: Dragon’s Song

“The Dragon’s Song?”

Milliardo inclined his head slightly as a shrill screaming blasted throughout the palace.  The kind of wail Duo had not heard since the war.  The sound of emergency sirens.  There was nothing harmonious about that shrill screech.

“What...!”

“That is Pagan sounding phase one of the lock down.  Don’t worry about it.”

Duo scowled and automatically glanced up towards the speakers high on the wall from which the siren blasted.  The shrill wail cut off and a moment later Hunter’s voice sounded throughout the palace.

“Emergency Alert.  Stage one of  phase four lock down procedure initiated.  Remain seated and do not wander the building.  Repeat, remain seated where you are and do not walk around.  Generator’s at eighty percent and rising.  Securing all exterior doors.  The palace is now in lock down phase four. Initiating doors release.”

Blue eyes phased toward violet and Duo glowered at the wall, turning after a moment to find Milliardo seating himself comfortably in the high backed chair before the cold hearth.

“I would advise you to come and get comfortable, Duo.  This will take a half hour or so and until it is done we can not seek out a heater.  Would you like me to tell you about the Dragon’s Song?”

Scowling Duo contemplated heading out the door and demanding an explanation from Hunter, but there was something in the King’s voice that gave him pause.  There was a tension in his face, a tightness around the corner of his mouth, that revealed he was far from happy or relaxed.  Long fingers smoothed absently over his upper thigh and those fingers beat an erratic tattoo.

“Yeah.  Yeah, tell me about the Dragon’s Song.”

“Its a very old tale, we think it comes from pre Viking days.  A frost wyrm lives within the high peaks, according to legend.  An ill tempered wyrm that demanded regular sacrifice lest it lay waste to the countryside.”

“Let me guess, the prettiest village maidens, right? Virgins.”

“It varied from village to village, as these things do.  If the sacrifice was not made, disaster would befall the region.  There were a few villages in the high mountains and they sacrificed a few times a year, whenever they heard the beast singing.  If it sang, it was hungry and it would lay waste to the village, eating everyone and their livestock in a single night.  It was not heard in lower regions often, and then only when a great storm threatened.  It was never heard at sea level even in the worst of winters.  Or almost never.”

“Well, it sure as hell is wailing now,”  Duo muttered.

“The one time it was heard at sea level, Sanc was almost wiped out.  That is why it entered so deeply into the psyche of the entire country.  Everyone born and reared to Sanc knows of the Ice Wyrm, not just those local to the highlands.”

Duo stared wide eyed at the King.  “Almost?”

  “Almost.  A great storm came through, and on the heels of it an invasion force, so local legend has it.  It is wind in the highest of the peaks, of course.  There is a peak up there that has a split and if the wind comes from a certain direction, at a strong enough speed, then it gives voice to that eerie harmony as it passes through.  It always heralds the worst of the winter weather if you live in the high country; and if you hear it down here... Well, it is the worst storm in recorded history about to hit us.”

“Doors secured open.  Initiating lock on of hydraulic jacks.”

Duo noted the slender fingers clench tightly. “So what’s going on?”

“We are preparing to secure the palace to ensure that we have at least one working command centre from which to supervise the recovery operation at the conclusion of the storm.  The Alliance Governor who had this palace constructed, for some reason, had a bomb shelter constructed.  The palace is constructed over a series of hydraulic jacks which are now being secured to the platform that bases its foundation.  When secured the entire thing will be slowly lowered into position then the outer doors will seal off the shaft.  It is the same system as the Brussels Presidential Palace.”  

End

Karina Robertson  2013