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Chapter Text

Chapter One

‘Focus...imagine the water and let it flow... focus...no don’t breathe...hold your breath!’

“LUCAS!”

Screamed a voice above the godslayer’s head. The startled godslayer’s eyes snapped open and he inhaled in shock, taking in a load of water and causing him to choke. He kicked off the bottom of his deep saltwater pool and breached through to the surface. While coughing and choking he somehow managed to get to the edge of his pool and hawl himself out. Water and bile escaped his mouth as he keeled over, trying to get the liquid out of his system. Cold hands patted his bare back and he was vaguely aware of his friend's voice sounding off above him as well. “ You idiot, what were you doing underwater like that!? Were you trying to die?!” hissed David as he continued rubbing Lucas’s back. After finally getting all the water out of his system Lucas sat up, water trickling down his face and his big blue eyes rounded in a slight daze. “No, I was training David and you yelling at me while I was under there broke my concentration,” said Lucas with a weak but annoyed tone. David shrugged and stood up, looking down at the godslayer who was drenched in saltwater and pale. “ Jeez, for a water wizard you look like hell right now,” commented the Ice Devil Slayer with a smug look. Lucas glared at David before he stumbled to his feet, grabbing his head with a soft grunt of pain. “Listen David, I don’t want to hear it right now, I’m just going to go get some rest,” said the exhausted godslayer before he stumbled into his house.

David watched his friend stumble into his house, worry secretly gnawing him at the back of his mind. The Ice mage turned with one last look at Lucas’s home and walked to the new guild hall. He silently flashed his ice magic about, watching the transparent light blue spikes erupt from his palms. Walking into the guild hall, David slumped into one of the chairs and silently fingered the fish line bracelet Lucas had given him. 

   A loud bang echoed across the guild hall as the guild masters Ritchie and his brother Brandon came into the guild hall using their magic. Ritchie looked at the ice mage, who was zoned out, in confusion but chose not to say anything and he sat down next to his twin. Ritchie scanned the guild hall, counting his guild members. ‘Kit, Mario, Blake, Inmo, David, wait, where’s Lucas?’ thought Ritchie, looking at the Ice Mage. Brandon looked at Ritchie then at David, clearly wondering the same thing. Ritchie sighed and shook his head, “Alright, so I’m not asking why we are missing one of our S-Class members right now, however I will be sending Lucas on a 2 month mission. We need the money right now and yes, before you say anything, you all will be helping us pay back the Protectors guild by helping them with chores and helping them with their mission. No, you may not go with Lucas, none of you can,” said Ritchie, locking his gaze with David. David glared back at the lightning mage and growled before turning his head away and fingering the bracelet again. Ritchie sighed and walked out of the guild calling, “ Dismissed.”

Lucas groaned softly and dragged himself out of bed, throwing on a pair of pants as loud knocks echoed around his home. “Coming!” called the godslayer as he unceremoniously fell down his stairs. Groaning he opened the door, yelling “Yes!?” He instantly regretted it as his eyes met his guild masters, Ritchie and Brandon. “Well, Lucas, I see you have been hanging out with David for way too long,” commented Ritchie, staring at the shirtless godslayer infront of him. Lucas sighed and shook his head before gesturing for the two guildmasters to come inside. The twins sat on Lucas’s couch as the godslayer tiredly stumbled around to get the two beverages. He set down the two drinks on his coffee table and slumped into a love seat, “So what brings you two here?” questioned Lucas with a slight, subtle wince of pain. Ritchie glared worriedly at the godslayer as Brandon explained what Lucas was supposed to be doing. “We are sending you on a 2 month mission and we need you to take out the dark guild, Silver Blades.” Lucas stiffened and looked at the two, “ Alone?” he questioned. Ritchie nodded slightly before he stood up and gestured for his twin to follow him. “Get going by tonight Lucas,” said Ritchie before he and his brother left.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

(3 months later)
“That's it! Ritchie I’m going to go find Lucas!” snapped David as he stood up, his magic pulsing in fury. Ritchie sighed and teleported over to the infuriated Ice Devil Slayer and whacked him across the head, causing him to groan in his magic to turn “off.” David rubbed the back of his head, grumbling in annoyance as he sat down, crossing his arms and fingering the fish line bracelet.
Lucas stumbled into the Divinus Magia castle grounds, clutching his side and groaning. Blood trickled down his lips as he walked/stumbled up the stairs. His red bangs and the black engulfing his vision caused him to be disoriented. Lucas was vaguely aware of resting his eyes on the guild hall and he somehow managed to get at the door. He pushed it open and called out in a weak voice, “ D-David,” then collapsed, his vision turning pitch black.
David turned as the guild doors opened, expecting Kit or Inmo to come busting through but a certain, familiar redhead came through the door, covered in burns, cuts and deep slashes. He was clutching his side and blood trickled from his lips. As he pushed the door open he choked out a “D-David,” then collapsed, eyes fluttering closed. David lunged forward, catching his friend just before his head hit the floor. Ritchie, Brandon and Mario came running up their eyes rounded in shock. David clutched his friend close and he glared up at Ritchie and Brandon, one eye turning red, his hair turning from black to a faded white and black markings appearing on his body. “Stay away from him!” roared the Ice Devil Slayer before he picked up his friend bridal style and shot out the door.
Kicking open Lucas’s door, David plunked the unconscious mage on his couch and ran up the stairs, fetching a medical kit. Basically jumping down the stairway, David ran over to his unconscious friend and stripped off his shirt, silently gagging at the wounds covering his body. Bandaging and gently dressing Lucas’s wounds David silently apologized trying to be gentle. After bandaging up the unconscious mage, David stripped off his coat and slipped it over the shirtless Lucas. Inhaling softly he gently scooped up his friend and brought him upstairs placing him in his bed. Lucas’s hand tightened around David's wrist as he tried to leave and David smiled softly before climbing in bed and bringing Lucas close to him. He gently rubbed the red heads back and dozed off, falling into the dark depths of sleep.
Ritchie and Brandon came to Lucas’s house the next morning, kicking open the locked door and barging in. The house was quiet, too quiet for the guildmasters liking. Splitting up, Ritchie ran upstairs while Brandon checked the first floor, worry iminent from both of them. Ritchie opened the bedroom door and slipped in silently, his eyes drawn to the figures on the bed. David laid there, asleep, in his Ice Devil Slayer form, arms wrapped around an asleep Lucas. Lucas was covered in bandages and his body looked dirty, bloody and just over all pathetic. His figure looked small in David's arms, his body tucked away and engulfed in David’s coat. Ritchie reached over to gently shake Lucas awake but he was instantly slammed to the floor, an ice dagger pressed against his throat and a body pinning him down. Above him, David let out a feral growl, cold seeping around the room. Brandon came running up the stairs and he pushed David off Ritchie before he grabbed his brother and brought him in close, guarding him from the dangerous Ice Devil Slayer.
Lucas groaned quietly in pain, clutching his ribs and curling into a ball. Cold ate at his body and Lucas groaned again, grabbing at the blanket that covered him. He suddenly was aware of a feral growl coming from somewhere near him and he painfully sat up, hissing in pain. Looking around for the feral growling, Lucas’s eyes landed on his guildmasters, Brandon and Ritchie, who were glaring directly at an in devil form, David. Lucas’s eyes went back and forth in confusion, his mind struggling to connect the dots of what the hell was going on. Finally realizing what was going on, Lucas struggled out of bed and stumbled to his friend, wrapping his hands around the shirtless devil slayer. He buried his head against David's back and said softly, “ David, I’m okay.” The dagger in David’s hand fell to the ground with a soft plink and then David turned around. Grabbing Lucas’s face and tilting it up, staring into Lucas’s blue eyes. Lucas blinked up at him and smiled softly, letting the devil slayer inspect him. David sighed and hugged the water godslayer tightly, his form shifting back to its original form. Lucas smiled slightly at David before he turned to the two guild masters.
Ritchie pushed past his brother and looked over at David, relieved that he was back in his normal form. “How are you feeling Lucas?” questioned Ritchie, turning to the bandaged water mage. Lucas winced slightly, grabbing his ribs and looking at Ritchie, “ Could be a lot better to be honest.” Ritchie looked back to his brother and then back to Lucas. “Can you tell us what happened Lucas?” he questioned, stepping over to the water mage and getting into his face. Lucas’s gaze shifted to the floor and he looked away, body stiffening. “ I-...” he grew silent, gripping David’s coat and squeezing his eyes shut. He bit his lip and then whispered, “ I was able to take out Silver Blades mages...but their Master...h-he managed to knock me out and he put me in a cell...h-he tortured me and starved me. T-the only way I got out was relying on my god...and I killed him,” said Lucas, his voice fading at the end. Brandon and Ritchie looked at each other and looked sadly at Lucas. “ Listen...Lucas I’m sorry we sent you on that mission, however you’ve proved that you are not an S-Class, but you are an SS-Class mage. You are now an SS-Class mage of Divinus Magia and due to your injuries and the long mission, you are hereby ordered to take a break from missions until you are at least healed,” Ritchie said to the shocked water godslayer. Lucas looked at Ritchie and Brandon in pure shock. “ W-Wait, I’m an SS-Class mage now?!” he yelled his big blue eyes widened with pure awe and shock. Ritchie and Brandon nodded before turning and leaving the room, then the house.
Lucas sat on his bed, weaving his fingers through his hair and letting his head fall limp. ‘I'm an SS-Class mage now…’ he thought. Lucas looked over at David, who was standing there, eyes closed and fingers rubbing his temples. Semi stumbling over, Lucas latched onto the Ice Mage and buried his face into his chest, “ D-David...please don’t be mad,” he whispered. David looked at Lucas in shock and hugged him back, “ I’m not mad at you, alright? I’m mad at Ritchie and Brandon sending you on that mission. Let’s just move past this and you're about to pass out from that pain Lucas, let’s lay down alright?” Lucas nodded and climbed back into his bed wrapping his arms around David and snuggling into his chest as he also climbed into bed. The two hugged each other, falling into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, David woke up to realize Lucas was absent from the bed. He sat up and hopped off the bed, heading downstairs, looking for the water godslayer. Lucas wasn’t downstairs either, which had left one place, the pool. Walking out of the front door, David walked over to the pool and looked down. At the bottom of the pool, Lucas was sitting criss crossed, his fists together and his eyes closed. He seemed in peace, the water around him flowing. David smiled as he noticed that Lucas had taken off his coat and folded it by the edge of the pool, keeping it dry. The ice mage laid down on his stomach and watched the godslayer quietly, letting him mediate without any disturbance.
Blake walked down the main path, humming a soft tune as she played with a plum David has given her. As she passed Lucas’s home, she looked over to see David himself laying down by Lucas’s pool, clearly watching something. Curiosity got the best of her and she walked over, standing next to David and looking into the pool. She nearly yelped as she stared down at a very submerged, shirtless Lucas.
Lucas’s mind drifted in the water, his thoughts rippling absently in his mind. His wounds stung from the saltwater but the pain was welcoming and helping him think. He knew that Blake and David were watching him and honestly, he wished he had chosen a different area to think. He could hear them talking about him, which was really breaking through his thoughts. Sighing internally he summoned his god form, using the water to block the noise. Drifting back into his thoughts, Lucas recalled the Silver Blades master and flinched, remembering how the fat mage had whipped him, beaten him and cut him. Lucas bit his lip and let his hands fall from his mediating position. Bringing his knees to his chest, Lucas buried his head into his arms and let his hair cover his golden, god slayer eyes. He silently cried, the saltwater hiding his tears of pain. He struggled to cry under the water, trying not to inhale the liquid but at the same time, not show David he had been crying when he got out of the water. Lucas let his tears free and sat in the cold water, his mind drawing a blank after what seemed like hours of crying. Internally sighing after what seemed for the 10th time, he kicked off the bottom of the pool and bursted from the water. He swam over to the edge and heaved himself out, turning his back to David and Blake because his god form was refusing to disappear. Lucas grabbed Davis’s coat and slipped it on before turning to look at the two mages. Blake gasped and David’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Lucas, why are your eyes yellow?” questioned Blake, walking over to him to get a better look. Lucas’s eyes fell to the ground and he looked away from Blake and David, his red hair hiding the sad look in his eyes. “I’m going to go train....” muttered Lucas before he pushed past the two mages and headed towards the beach.
David watched Lucas leave and growled internally, something was up with Lucas and he was going to find out what. He looked down at Blake who had a concerned look on her face as well and she then looked up at him. “David? Why was Lucas’s eyes yellow? They are usually blue!”
“He was stressed, when he gets stressed, his power becomes more, well powerful and his eyes change to his god's eyes.”
“Oh. S-Should we get Ritchie or Brandon?”
“Yeah, I’ll follow him from a distance and you go get them, alright Blake?”
“Alright,” said the dragonslayer before she took off running to the castle. David watched her disappear past the castle gates and then he turned, running towards the beach.
Lucas sat at the top of one of the trees on the beach, looking at the water. He analyzed the height of where he was and then took off David’s coat, folding it and throwing it gently to the ground. He inhaled and stood in the branch, before he closed his eyes and jumped off. Saltwater engulfed his body as he plunged into the water, opening his eyes, bubbles erupted around his vision. Lucas looked up towards the surface and then closed his eyes, focusing on his magic. He felt water collect around his lower half and he shot out of the water, a massive water funnel propelling him upwards. Lucas gritted his teeth and launched himself from the water funnel, jumping high into the sky before he plummeted back down, gravity making his fall quick. Letting out a roar of frustration, Lucas focused on the water on him and used it, sending deadly spikes of water spiraling around him. The godslayer then summoned a bigger funnel and plunged back into the saltwater. The godslayer practiced his magic for several more hours, pushing past the pain from his injuries. Swimming back to the beach, Lucas grabbed David’s coat and slipped it back on, fingering the cloth. Suddenly a loud noise sounded off behind him and a hard water spike appeared in Lucas’s hand. He launched the spike at the bushes but before it hit whoever was in there, it froze. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief when David came out of the bushes, his mind receding from the alarm bell that went off in his head.
David flinched as a water spike came flying at his head and froze it. ‘Jesus Lucas, when did you learn that?’ he thought as he emerged from the bushes that concealed him. Lucas visibly relaxed and then made eye contact with David, his usual azure blue eyes gone and the molten gold eyes glittering. David sighed and walked over to Lucas, grabbing his hand and looking into his molten gold eyes. “ Lucas are you okay?” Lucas sighed and nodded, clearly faking it as he turned and took a step back to the ocean. “Lucas!” snapped a voice behind David and they both turned, making eye contact with a very familiar blue haired lightning devil slayer mage.
Stepping over to the two mages in front of him, Ritchie's eyes scanned over Lucas, taking in his soaked appearance and his molten gold eyes. Noticing what Ritchie was doing, Lucas turned quickly, stripping off David's coat and diving into the water. “Lucas!” snapped Ritchie in frustration, lightning flowing around him. Ritchie looked behind him to see Blake and Brandon emerging from the path behind the bushes and he sighed, “ Lucas went back in the water before I could ask what was going on,” said Ritchie with an annoyed tone. Brandon placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head, “ Don’t get upset brother, we can wait for Lucas.” Ritchie turned around to face the ocean Lucas had disappeared in and nodded. “Alright, we will wait for Lucas."