Work Text:
"KEEEYAAHAHAHAAAA! You've walked right into my trap, Luminary! Let's see how far you and your friends can get when you can't even swing your sword right! Keeeheheheee!"
The monster they were chasing, a short devil with long robes that didn't fit, spun in the air and poofed into a cloud of purple smoke.
Several of the party members groaned as they tried to stand up from the floor, everyone's strength sapped by the spell . Hendrik grunted as he leveraged himself off of his axe. As the seconds ticked by, he could feel his wits return to him. The spell hadn't stolen any of his health or magic, but there was something he couldn't quite place…
"Everyone alive?" Lord Rab called. He was sitting on the stone floor cross-legged, apparently having deemed it useless to try and stand.
The others were slowly getting on their feet. Jade replied first, "I'm alright. At least I don't feel any worse for wear."
Everyone sounded off one by one, apparently with the same concerns. The spell hadn't hurt them physically, but something was wrong. Hendrik flexed his grip on his axe and swung it. The weapon felt foreign to him, like his years of experience had suddenly vanished. Obviously he had the strength to carry it, but…
Hendrik shook his head. "We must continue on."
"I don't know about that, honey," Sylvando objected. "Shouldn't we regroup? It might not be safe to run around a dungeon under the influence of some dubious curse."
"We're almost exactly halfway through the labyrinth," Hendrik pointed out. "Whether we leave or continue, it will be the same distance to our destination. Only if we decide to exit, we will have to go through this place all over again. We may as well attempt to fight our way through as we learn what dark magic has been cast upon us."
Everyone looked somewhat shaken, obviously unnerved by the strange feeling they now had. Ultimately the Luminary decided for them and agreed with Hendrik. They continued on.
-
Problems began to arise when they couldn't sneak past a monster and were forced to engage. Hendrik tried to aim for a weak spot, a technique he had performed hundreds of times, and yet… it didn't come to him. He swung his weapon like a day-one trainee and barely nicked the monster.
Confusion and embarrassment washed over him. For one terrifying second, he thought that he was alone in his blunder and that everyone had seen him. Then Serena's shaky voice spoke up.
"I… I cannot cast," she said. Her eyes were flitting between her hands and her wand, as if one of the two were at fault.
Looking around, the rest of the party seemed to be having the same problems. They could no longer fight, just as the Devil had promised.
Erik spoke up, "I can't use my weapon either. Any of them…"
Despair washed over them, lost at what to do next. Meanwhile the monster they faced watched them flounder and saw it as a moment to strike. It reared back–
And then there was the clatter of something hitting the ground. Sylvando dropped his swords to the floor and ran forward to kick the creature in the face. It was stunned and taken off guard, and the minstrel took the advantage to stomp it to death.
Sylvando let out a 'phew' as the monster collapsed and poofed into dust. He clapped his hands once. "Alright, everyone! That's enough sulking! Instead of getting stuck on what we cannot do, let's focus on what we CAN do!"
The Luminary shook himself off and nodded, as silent as ever. The area was now clear with that monster out of the way so everyone generally relaxed.
"How do you propose we do that?" Hendrik asked.
Veronica spoke up loudly. "Well we can just try all of our abilities until we find some that work, can't we?"
"That will take forever," Erik groaned.
"Well? Do you have any better ideas?" Veronica sassed back. Erik couldn't refute that.
So each of the party took off their packs and rummaged through for every weapon they were familiar with. Some of them kept familiarity with one or two, but others were left without any. Hendrik kept his knowledge of one-handed swords, but wasn't as familiar with shields as he wished. He also lost the ability to use the limited amount of spells in his repertoire.
Jade kept her knowledge of spears, but lost most of her techniques. Sylvando said he could still use some of his charm attacks but not all of them. Veronica was able to use a handful of mid-tier spells, but was unable to channel them through a magic rod any longer.
Everyone else was left clueless and lost. Why would the spell steal some of their knowledge but not all of it? Why were most of them left with nothing at all?
The Luminary and his group were left with a dilemma. How would they proceed? How could they defeat the Little Devil without their martial prowess?
The Luminary declared that they would set up camp in a safe room and rest. Everyone was relieved to get some time to think.
-
Night descended upon the valley, and the few sources of natural might that peeked through holes or cracks in the dungeon walls disappeared. The only light they had was the fire from their camp. Soon it would be time to sleep, but unsurprisingly no one felt like sleeping.
Sylvando had been up and moving around the most, practicing his martial arts. Hendrik assumed that the man gave up on trying to use weapons and wanted to rely on his fists. It wasn't the worst idea, but it was one that not everyone in their group could follow. The spellcasters had little to no experience with hand to hand combat, except for Lord Robert who was no longer in peak physical condition despite his training.
"Hendrik," Sylvando called to him. "Come here for a moment, won't you Darling? I'd appreciate a big, strong man to practice with."
Hendrik's face turned red, his flush only slightly hidden by the darkness of the dungeon. He only nodded, not trusting himself to say anything else.
Their relationship had changed a year ago, when he and Sylvando completed Don Rodrigo's trial together. Some sort of weight had been lifted. Sylvando smiled at him more often, joked with him, he even brought up their shared past in familial anecdotes. It made Hendrik feel warm inside. There was some sort of tiny, naive hope inside of his chest that grew each time Sylvando smiled at him or complimented him in a flirtatious way.
"Does it bother you?" Sylvando had asked one night as they sat around the fire, the final fight with The Dark One looming upon the horizon.
"Does what bother me?" Hendrik asked.
"My… flirting." Sylvando wore a small, shy smile. "I know it can be a lot. Especially for such a serious knight as yourself. You don't seem the type to–"
"It doesn't." Hendrik's voice cut through Sylvando's anxious rambling. "It doesn't bother me. I… I find it refreshing."
"Ah… I see," Sylvando's smile grew wider, to the width and brightness that the knight had become accustomed to. "I don't blame you for being charmed by The Great Sylvando."
"He is very charming," Hendrik agreed without thinking. His throat tightened with regret and embarrassment, aware that such frivolous flirtations were more his friend's forte.
But he was instead gifted with a rush of adrenaline (or perhaps some other sort of brain chemical) as he watched Sylvando gape in surprise and turn a dark shade of red. Perhaps this was why Sylvando flirted as he did. The feeling of hitting the mark and charming your target was… intoxicating.
"Would it bother you if I tried my hand at flirting as well?" Hendrik asked. He wrung his hands together.
Sylvando's expression softened. "Well it'll take quite a bit of practice to get as good as I am… but I'd be happy to be your training partner again."
Hendrik thought of that conversation frequently, even after they had saved Erdrea and duties had taken them to different places of the world. They still exchanged letters as much as possible.
Now Hendrik wasn't quite sure what they were. Old friends? Brothers in arms?
Something more?
He shook off the train of thought. Now was not the time. Hendrik readied himself with a basic stance to defend himself and act as Sylvando's punching bag.
After a minute or two, Sylvando spoke. It seemed to be a subject at the front of his mind for a while now. "Don't you think this is strange?"
"I do," Hendrik readily agreed. "Is there something in particular you're thinking of?"
Sylvando nodded. His face broke into a grin that split his face in half, one that had 'mischief' written all over it. Hendrik braced himself. Within a couple of seconds he found himself on his ass on the cold, hard floor. His hands stung with the force of the kicks he had barely managed to catch.
The juggler stood above him, smiling like he knew he was the smartest person in the room. "Hand to hand combat has always been a weak spot for me," he confessed.
Something in Hendrik's mind clicked into place.
But before he could analyze what Sylvando meant, a commotion distracted him. He could hear Erik and Veronica squabbling near the firepit. It was a common sound that the party had learned to tune out, but something about this spat felt different. Especially when it ended with a loud crack and a yelp.
The two knights rushed to their friends to see what was the matter. They found Erik holding Veronica's staff with a guilty look on his face, a large icicle shattered on the floor, and Veronica looking shocked.
Jade put her hands on her hips. "Erik. What did you do this time?"
"Nothing!!" he cried out defensively, nervous with all of their eyes on him. He coughed but regained his composure quickly. "I mean… I was just trying to help."
"You were telling me how to cast my own spells!" Veronica pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Then he stole my staff!"
"You were doing it wrong!" Erik argued, once again roped into an argument with her. "And I was just going to show you that you need to–"
He waved the staff to demonstrate and once again ice manifested midair, crashing violently to the ground. Both of them were struck silent for the second time.
Rab stood up with a grunt from his place at the fire and walked over. "I think I know what's going on here, laddie," he said. "The monster didn't steal our skills, 'e just switched 'em around! That's why some of us can still use certain weapons; our expertises overlapped!"
It was a peculiar notion, but currently it made the most sense. More sense than Erik suddenly manifesting the ability to use kacrack.
"So… I guess I have Veronica's magical talent?" Erik said slowly, staring at the rod in his hands.
Veronica crossed her arms. "Then who's powers do I have?"
"Not Jade, that's for sure," Sylvando said with confidence. "I believe I have her skills. My kicking is best suited for dancing and sweeping people off their feet–" he winked at Hendrik. "-- in a figurative way."
Jade smiled knowingly. "I thought those moves looked familiar."
The Luminary raised his hand and pointed out that both he and Veronica shared many of the same mid level spells. She probably had his powers, although the curse the Little Devil had placed on them wasn't enough to transfer the skills he inherited as the Luminary.
Veronica hummed in thought. "Alright. Let me try…" She thrust her arms forward towards a wall, palms out, and cried "Zapple!" With her words, a bolt of lightning struck the dungeon wall and left a large scorch mark. She snickered to herself, "Oh this will work nicely…"
Hendrik didn't doubt that the girl would exact her revenge (violently) upon the Little Devil when they finally reached it.
One by one they all compared theories of who was switched with who. Eventually, after everyone was sorted out, they traded as much gear as possible. Obviously they couldn't all change clothes, but they have each other their respective weapons and enchanted accessories.
Hendrik found himself holding a whip for the first time in his life… but it felt natural.
The Luminary and his friends rested peacefully after sorting out the puzzle that had been haunting them, and woke up refreshed and ready to finish what they had started. The first monster they came across had a nasty surprise in store for it when it targeted who it assumed to be their main healer, only for Serena to jump out of the way and immediately stab it with dual knives.
As they ventured deeper, everyone gave as many tips and pointers as they could. Even though Hendrik could no longer wield his great axe properly, he could still tell Lord Robert the things he did remember.
After one fight, Jade brought up one of her concerns to Sylvando. "Are you able to Re-Vamp?"
"I'm not quite sure, darling," he confessed. "It's not a spell, is it?"
"No. More of an ability."
"How did you manage to use it?"
Jade hummed in thought. "It was easy for me since I knew how it felt to be a monster, and I could just access those memories and feelings. Have you tried acting like a monster?"
Sylvando chuckled. "I wouldn't know how to do that. I'm an absolute angel!"
Hendrik, who was listening in, thought of their shared youth and the many times Sylvando would torture him with pranks. He disagreed with the angel declaration.
Jade just smiled. "Well then perhaps you could access some hidden anger of yours. Everyone has a little bit of that."
Sylvando cupped his face as he debated the thought. "I'll try. No promises!"
-
Hendrik wasn't sure how he didn't connect the dots when he overheard the conversation about Jade's Re-Vamp ability earlier. He tended to block out most things related to that power of hers in general.
Of course he was a fan of women in rabbit costumes… he respected their courage to walk around in public in such a showy outfit. That was the reason why he liked them. But to see Princess Jade in one? The young girl he had grown up with, and had known as His Majesty's daughter all his life, in such an outfit? It made his head spin. He wished to cover the eyes of all within sight and to drape a curtain over her. It… it just wasn't right. No matter how much he liked bunny girls.
So he wasn't thinking until a few rounds of combat later, when Sylvando managed to activate the ability himself.
Hendrik instinctively looked towards his teammate when Sylvando yelled in anger as he transformed. His skin became a dull, dark shade of grey, from which his blood red eyes stood out. His bunny girl outfit was revealed when the purple haze around him cleared. It was a bit different from Jade's– the cups that were meant for women's breasts were more form-fitted to Sylvando's masculine figure… although it still managed to support his chest and make it look more plump than usual. In fact the entire thing looked tailor-made for him. None of the black fabric hid the masculinity in his frame; instead it accentuated his best assets.
While Hendrik stared like a fool, Sylvando stretched his arms high above his head and made everything worse for the man. "Aaaahhh… what a rush!" he sighed happily. His voice sounded distorted, as if there was a deeper version layered over top with each word. "This reminds me of my twenties… in more ways than one."
Thankfully the battle didn't take long to finish, because Hendrik wasn't sure if he could keep fighting with such a distraction right next to him. He hoped that it would be similar to Jade in that the ability would wear off as soon as combat was over… but of course life was never that easy for Hendrik.
"I knew you could do it," Jade smiled at her protege. "But aren't you going to turn it off?"
"I would, but I'm not so sure I know how to…" Sylvando's voice felt louder with its magical distortion, or was it just Hendrik? Every word wormed its way through his ears into his brain and bounced around the inside of his skull. It was all he could hear. "At least I look fantastic as a 'bunny boy'. What do you think, Henny?"
As Sylvando showed off his new costume with a fun pose and a wiggle of his tail, Hendrik coughed loudly and pulled at the collar of his sweater. "I… I think you… It suits you well!"
His mind screamed at him to look away, to give the man a bit of decency, but his spirit was weak. Hendrik's eyes refused to pull away from Sylvando. The way those fishnets brought attention to his shapely legs, well toned from acrobatics and dancing... The bunny ears that enhanced his mischievous and charming nature… How that shiny, black fabric hugged his curves and cupped his–
"You're staring, darling," Sylvando murmured to Hendrik, who hadn’t noticed his approach. Goosebumps broke out all over his body and he shuddered.
“Do you… dislike the attention?” Hendrik asked cautiously, hopefully.
Though his skin held no pigment, Sylvando still managed to blush slightly. It was something Hendrik would not have noticed if he weren’t so close to his face. Thankfully, he was. He enjoyed seeing the rare window into Sylvando’s heart and the way he reacted to genuine interest, unlike the flattery and flirting he threw around to most everyone.
“You have my permission to look,” Sylvando smiled shyly. “Just try not to get too distracted while fighting. I would hate to see you hurt.”
“I wouldn’t mind… if it meant being nursed by such a…” Hendrik’s neck was flaming red at this point, not even mentioning the shade of his ears. “Such a beautiful bunny boy.”
“Oh you!” the monsterized minstrel cried out coyly, the human-like blush on his inhuman skin charming in Hendrik’s eyes. Although most everything he did was charming to him. Sylvando shoved his shoulder lightly and caught up with the rest of the group.
Hendrik rubbed the spot where he had been pushed. Truly, Re-Vamp was a power to contend with. He was pretty sure that his arm would bruise by tonight.
Hopefully his favourite bunny boy would nurse him as an apology.
-
As the Luminary’s group made their way through the dungeon, everyone became more and more comfortable with their new skills and roles in combat. Jade missed being in the front lines, taking out her frustration on any poor monster they came across, but there was also something compelling about staying back and making sure her friends were healed up and safe. It had seemed so effortless when Serena did it, but Jade knew now how difficult managing everyone’s health and her own magic could be.
Erik was learning to enjoy the chaos he could wreak with such powerful magic, although he still had to listen to Veronica nag him about managing his mana. It was a lesson he had to learn eventually after getting a bit too enthusiastic about the widespread damage he could cause.
Hendrik himself still was wrapping his head around the fighting style that Sylvando used. They shared many one-handed sword techniques, the ones that had chiseled into their young minds as boys training under Don Rodrigo. While Hendrik had gravitated towards a shield to protect his allies, Sylvando had gravitated towards dual-wielding. It felt strange to suddenly be so proficient in something he had never tried less than a day earlier, but Hendrik could understand why the other knight chose this path. There was logic in the idea that he could protect his friends by killing the monster first, so that it never had the opportunity to strike them in the first place, rather than using his body to shield them.
What Hendrik could not get used to was … Sylvando's particular magic style.
"You need to put your heart into it, darling," Sylvando said to him in his otherworldly voice. "It won't work if you're not dancing with everything you've got!"
Hendrik was still mortified by the poor results of his Hustle Dance. Sure, he was magically bestowed with the skills to perform it, but the confidence… not so much.
"Could I not just… stick to traditional swordsmanship and magic?" Hendrik asked hesitantly, face red from shame.
"Of course not! We need someone to cheer everyone up with the power of dance!" Sylvando objected. "Just have fun with it! Besides… I like to watch you dance."
Hendrik's face heated up for an entirely different reason after that. The next time he tried using Sylvando's signature charm magic, he did much better, and he was rewarded with an enthusiastic cheer from the man himself.
Perhaps he could try to remember a few moves after they were freed from the curse… or maybe Sylvando could teach him. Both options sounded like a good idea to Hendrik.
-
Finally the party came across a large door with a great big lock on the front of it. Earlier they had picked up an equally large key, so it only made sense that this would be the final door that separated them and the Devil. The Luminary inspected it and then turned back to his friends and shook his head. He said that it would be safest if they doubled back to the Goddess statue they found a few rooms ago and rested before the battle.
Most of them were eager to go back to normal, but agreed it was smarter to play it safe. It didn't take long to set up camp, and soon enough everyone was relaxing around the firepit. Some talked with each other, giving last minute tips and tricks, and others just rested. The Luminary himself was sweating over the mini forge, apparently still keeping that skill despite the curse.
Hendrik sat close and stoked the fire. It didn't take long for the man that had been forefront in his mind all day to sit down next to him, sighing. Sylvando tugged at his outfit as if to adjust it, but the garb didn't budge.
"Is it uncomfortable?" Hendrik asked sincerely. He enjoyed seeing the target of his affections in the bunny boy outfit, but not at his expense. Suddenly he was struck with guilt and worry that he had been staring lecherously all day while his friend was suffering.
But Sylvando shook his head. "It's not that, honey. In fact, this hasn't slipped or chafed whatsoever all day. I'm just so used to handmade costumes that must be subtly readjusted throughout the day… Even everyday clothes don't stay on so perfectly. It's…"
"Unnatural?" Hendrik guessed.
Sylvando gave him a weak smile. "Yes, that. I'm hoping I won't be stuck like this… even though I could definitely pull it off."
Hendrik recognized the weak attempt to act strong. It was a habit that burned brightly when they were saving the world, but slowly was replaced with sincerity as they ventured together. The knight appreciated the vulnerable side Sylvando trusted him with. He placed a large, callused hand on Sylvando's leg to comfort him. The feeling of bare skin underneath thick mesh made his ears burst into flame.
"Whether or not you stay in this form… I shall still enjoy your company," Hendrik said. "And if you wish to keep one form over the other, I'll do all I can to help you regain it."
Sylvando's expression was genuinely surprised, but quickly melted into something soft and warm. He placed his hand on top of Hendrik's; his fingers were longer and his hand was more slim, but Hendrik could recognize the calluses of a swordsman anywhere. It ashamed him that he had once thought Sylvando had shirked his duty as a knight to frivolously pursue a career in the circus– the wear on his hands spoke volumes to how wrong he was.
He was too focused on the feelings swirling within his chest to notice how Sylvando glanced around. No one was paying any particular attention to them. Perfect timing…
The devilish jester rubbed his thumb over the back of Hendrik's hand and leaned closer. "My sweet Hendrik…" he murmured. The sound of his distorted and sultry voice sent shivers down Hendrik's spine and made his thighs tense. "You've been staring at me all day… and I must say that I've loved the attention."
Hendrik swallowed hard. This was his moment. Time to be brave! “It is difficult not to stare… especially when you are so beautiful.”
Sylvando’s face was inching ever closer, so torturously slow, a move that only served to heighten Hendrik’s unquenchable thirst. He realized that the man was giving him an out. If he wanted, Hendrik could pull away and it would be over. They could continue the back and forth they always had, or maybe stop all together. But Hendrik didn’t want to stop. He wanted more. The hunger burned him up from the inside and left him hollowed out. He wanted to fill that space with nothing but Sylvando.
“If I knew that all it took was a little bit of costuming, I would have broken out the bunny suit earlier,” Sylvando chuckled. He was so close– yet not close enough. Any second now their noses would touch.
“It is the man inside of the bunny suit who I think is beautifu–” Hendrik’s brain repeated what Syvando had just said. “Wait. Does that mean you already have a–?”
“Shush.” Sylvando pressed one of his long fingers against Hendrik’s lips. “We can talk about that later. For now…”
Finally. Finally. Their lips touched oh so chastely. They pressed just enough to feel some give and have the flesh compress. It was good, but itwasn’t enough. Hendrik groaned, the same groan he would utter when he was frustrated with the paperwork on his desk, and he pushed forward. He was a man of action, and he wanted to act.
His hands moved swiftly to where they belonged on Sylvando’s waist and yanked him closer, making the bunny boy squeak. Hendrik may have been austere and overly-formal, but he was still a man. As his tongue demanded entry, he felt more of a monster than Sylvando at that moment. Perhaps he too would be enveloped in a purple cloud and re-emerge as a horned, hulking beast.
Sylvando let him in.
For a brief moment Hendrik entwined their tongues and indulged in the ambrosia of Sylvando’s saliva. It did not taste sweet or heady like romance novels and Ogler’s Digest articles would have described it. Sylvando’s mouth tasted of the meal they all shared earlier around the fire, and of the same kind of saliva in Hendrik’s own mouth… and yet there was something so addictive about the knowledge that it was Sylvando’s.
It was less than half a minute later that Sylvando pulled away, his arms pressing against Hendrik’s broad chest as if he was holding back a wild animal. Maybe he was. A string of saliva connected them and then broke apart, almost too quickly to notice. Almost. Hendrik noticed— and perhaps he had to admit to himself that he was developing a fixation. His eyes darted up from Sylvando’s glistening lips to his grey eyes. Grey like stormy clouds that threatened to sweep Hendrik away–
“Your eyes–” Hendrik swallowed, voice rough. “They’re back to normal.”
“They are?!” Sylvando pulled out of Hendrik’s embrace to look himself over. The bunny boy suit and ears combo had disappeared, leaving only Sylvando’s usual outfit. His skin too was back to normal, a wonderful olive instead of a drab grey. He beamed at Hendrik. “Looks like Prince Charming’s kiss broke my curse. However could this Princess repay you, brave knight?”
Hendrik’s first instinct was to mention the bunny outfit Sylvando had hinted at earlier, but he managed to reel himself in. “A private conversation with you is all I need, My Lady, about what we are… and where we should go from here.” Hendrik’s hand shyly found Sylvando’s again, happily tangling their fingers together. “And perhaps… a title? Like… paramour…?”
Sylvando snorted in delight. “Oh Hendrik, you always become so wordy when you’re embarrassed. No one calls it paramour anymore!”
“Then what would you call us?”
“Hmm… I’ll think of something. Why don’t you lay your bedroll next to mine tonight and we can brainstorm together.”
“I like the thought of that.”
The morning eventually dawned and the Devil that cursed their party didn’t stand a chance. As it poofed into dust, a rush of magic swept over the group, and they felt their powers return to them in full. They traded back their equipment, collectively relieved to be back to normal. After they grabbed what they came to the dungeon for, everyone was eager to leave as soon as possible. None were bothered by monsters on the way out. Not even the two knights in the back holding hands.
And even though Sylvando couldn’t use Re-Vamp anymore, it definitely wasn’t the last time that Hendrik saw his paramour as a bunny boy.