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Dante has heard a rumour of a mythical beast roaming the Great Forest and surprisingly said rumour has even been verified by a reliable source. That said, Edmond has been particularly reticent about describing the encounter. It's odd for Edmond not to provide much detail in his letter; he's usually keen to describe sweets or architecture he's noticed in such vivid language that Dante can actually imagine himself there at Edmond's side. So this latest, fairly curt, letter strikes Dante as cause for concern. And really, if he's pursuing diplomatic relations he has every excuse to visit the Light Territory once again.
But a face to face conversation with Edmond proves to be just as confusing. Even after Dante spends an entire afternoon watching Edmond eat a variety of sugary flavoured doughnuts at a rather expensive dessert cafe. Something, Dante decides, is very, very wrong and that therefore is of concern to him. Something has clearly happened out in the forest to cause Edmond's silence on the matter, and if there is some sort of threat to his ice princess, Dante is definitely going to put a stop to it.
Of course he needs to gather information first before he goes charging off to defeat that threat and unfortunately that involves questioning other clan members in the mansion. Which delivers even stranger responses than usual. Polite and reticent Yakumo smiles to himself and tells Dante that the forest is delightful this time of year. Olivine blushes furiously and clutches his ever-present fluffy incubus to his chest. Garu or Karu, he’s not entirely sure, just growls and scampers past, entirely disinterested in Dante’s question. Which leaves him with Eiden, who is, Dante can admit to himself at least, delightful and wilful and a very many other things, but generally useless at knowing much about matters in Klein.
“Well, Quincy lives out in the forest. Kuya does too! But it’s not Kuya you’d be looking for.”
“Quincy has some answers to this threat then?”
“Threat? Umm, I’m not sure?”
Which had been about as useful as Eiden usually was with this sort of thing. Dante doesn’t begrudge him that though so he pats Eiden on the head in a consoling fashion before he heads off to make preparations for his excursion, hunt, in the Great Forest.
Reaching the Great Forest isn’t difficult, but once he approaches the treeline, Dante has the distinct impression that the forest is trying to ward him off. He finds himself coming up against interlocked branches and sharp bushes time and time again. He’s close to hacking away at the branches to force his way through but something suggests that that might not be the wisest option. So instead he decides to step through the low bushes determinedly and just see how that ends up.
He makes it through with a plethora of cuts and torn clothing but he is at least within the forest boundaries now. A few minor scrapes won’t deter the Sun Lord of Solaria.
Dante isn’t sure how long he’s been walking, stumbling over tree roots and into sharp bushes, when he stops to take a look down at his aching legs. His trousers are shredded and his legs are covered in barely healed cuts. In fact, he’s certain that some of those wounds might be infected, by the way that they are throbbing. It was a stupid idea to carry on like this, he should have retreated to rethink his options, but he’s here now and when he looks around him he can’t even see a way back out of the forest. He’s unsteady on his feet now. He rather hopes that when they find his body he doesn’t look too undignified. He hopes someone will at least make up a heroic tale to tell Edmond; he’s not sure how he’d feel about history remembering him as the Sun Lord who died to a variety of stinging bushes. And then he topples over in the long grass.
He wakes up in a darkened room. There are sheets covering him though they leave his shins exposed. He is in a bed then; somebody has found him. The shame of that wars with his gratitude for being found. Trying to sit up he gets a glimpse of his lower legs; they are a patchwork of cuts and purpling bruises but they don’t hurt any more. He can smell what seems like a medicinal salve that’s been applied to his injuries and then his strength runs out and he lets himself flop back down onto the bed.
Waking again he can smell food and opens his eyes to another presence in the room. The bulk of a large body reminds him that this is the Forest Guardian’s territory. Quincy helps him sit up and, finding that Dante can’t seem to keep himself upright, settles himself behind Dante as a backrest. Dante doesn’t have it in him to complain at the undignified position and instead accepts the bowl of what turns out to be a thick soup. It’s rich and warm and somehow the very act of eating relaxes him. It has nothing at all to do with the fact that there is a warm body at his back and an arm around him right now.
He finishes the soup and leans back against Quincy’s chest once he is done. He feels the bowl taken from his hands and finds that he wants to close his eyes.
“You shouldn’t sleep right away.”
“Ah, that’s true. I should sit up.”
But when he tries to move away from Quincy the arm around him gives him a light squeeze, and Dante doesn’t fight it.
“My legs aren’t sore anymore.”
“Hmm.”
“Thank you.”
There’s no response to that but Dante finds that it doesn’t bother him. He feels somewhat tired, relaxed and strangely comfortable. He can feel Quincy’s chest rise and fall with his deep breathing; it’s a curiously soothing sensation.
“I was hunting a legendary beast. But Edmond didn’t really tell me much about it.”
“No need to hunt that one.”
“It’s not a threat?”
“No.”
Which doesn’t really answer many questions but, in this strangely peaceful place, Dante is content to accept Quincy’s word for it.
At some point Dante is aware that he’s lying down and that he can feel large hands on his legs. He can smell the faintly medicinal scent of the healing salve as he falls asleep again. Another time when he wakes, he feels an arm round him again, and realises that he can hear Quincy’s heartbeat under his ear. He should be embarrassed, he should be aghast at his clearly undignified position but instead he presses in closer and goes back to sleep.
The next few days are the same, and Dante lets himself be cared for; it feels different to being in the care of his own court physicians.
Finally, it seems that the injuries on his legs are mostly healed. He should leave then and not inconvenience Quincy any further. He will leave soon. He’s sure of it. It’s just that he wouldn’t want to disrupt the Forest Guardian’s slumber right now and seeing as Quincy’s hand is tangled in his hair there really is no other choice. Yes, that’s definitely why he’s been here for far longer than necessary. It has nothing to do with the steady heartbeat under his ear or the protective arm around him.