Jekhipe

Tyki first saw Lavi when he was a kid.

He supposed the sighting was owed to Allen, the kid Mana had found on the side of the road a few years back. The boy had been sent to the nearby town to get food while everyone set up the usual stalls, stands, and stages, and he had yet to return. Mana, like the over-protected father the Earl teased him relentlessly about, had sent Tyki to go find him. With a genuine smile, he had agreed to go after the pale boy.

He ended up running all over town, ignoring people's reactions to his old and worn clothes as he looked all over for the small kid. Each corner he turned, each call that went unanswered, worried Tyki more and more as time went by. What if he had been taken? He had only been with them for two, maybe three seasons, and he was still young and innocent, still unused to the harsh world Tyki was already aware of as a gypsy. Allen would trust people blindly, and- - -

He saw a flash of white, and he skid to a stop, nearly slipping in the dirt.

"Allen!" He called, racing towards the kid. Allen was staring at him, eyes wide and filling slowly with tears, his cheek red. Coming to a stop, he didn't notice anything else, focusing entirely on the boy he had spent the last couple hours looking for. "Everyone was getting worried. What are you doing?" He smiled lightly at the boy, glancing at the people around. There were two small boys- - -one with dark hair and eyes, and another with fiery red hair and green eye, the other covered by an eye patch. He didn't recognize either boy; the woman behind them, though, made Tyki's blood freeze despite his slight ignorance.

"He has insulted our family." She said coldly as he joined them by standing right next to Allen. He gulped- - -what had Allen been thinking, talking to these people? Yes, it was true that the boy was young, but Tyki had though Mana and Cross had taught him to not talk to people so obviously above them! "He either needs to apologize, or be punished according to the family rules."

Tyki couldn't help the anger coursing through him at the woman's words- - -yes, Allen should know better, but Tyki knew what Allen did couldn't have been that bad; the boy was only five seasons old (at least, that's what they all assumed), and the woman he was talking to was most definitely speaking of a rule that would most likely warrant Allen's death. Forcing a polite smile on his face, Tyki allowed his mind to wander frantically and freely to think of a way to save Allen.

"On behalf of my little idiot here, many apologies, madam." He started, placing a hand on the back of Allen's head and pushing his head forward in a bow as he did the same. "I'm sure," and here, his grip in Allen's silver hair tightened enough to make the boy gasp quietly in pain, to make sure he didn't say anything that might have made the situation worse, "that he meant no harm. We are merely travelers passing by."

"Tyki...!" Allen whispered almost inaudibly; in response, Tyki's hand tightened even further as a warning before releasing his tight grip. They stood together, Tyki taking the groceries from Allen as the young boy picked them up from off the ground where they had spilled. Tyki chanced a glance at the woman- - -she was still glaring at them, but it had less fury and anger than it did a few moments prior, and Tyki took it as his chance to continue.

"Please forgive him." Tyki continued, hoping to prey on the woman's motherly side (if she even had one- - -from the looks of her, she would rather find a way to injure them greatly than listen to a child), "He is only five seasons old, and we're still teaching him manners." Placing the groceries on the ground gently, Tyki pulled Allen onto his back and picked up the food again. He felt Allen tighten his arms around his neck, his legs wrapping tightly around Tyki's waist. The woman made no noise of discontent, and the gypsy took his advantage to get away without any further punishment. "Come on, Allen. Mana is getting worried."

They weren't five feet away when Allen scrambled to get a better hold.

"Tyki, Tyki!" He said sweetly, making Tyki 'hmm' in response. His focus was less on the boy's voice, and more on his ability to juggle his heavy weight on his back and the groceries on his front. Allen's wriggling had knocked everything off balance, and they didn't need their food hitting the dirt ground a second time. "Thank you for coming for me."

"Mana sent me." Tyki answered carelessly. "He was getting worried- - -you were gone a long time, Allen."

"Sorry." Tyki could feel Allen deflate against his back slightly, and the older boy smiled slightly against his will.

"Did ya get lost? You do that often, you know." He felt Allen flush against his shoulder and he laughed. "You did! Haha, Allen, why would you agree to go shopping if you wouldn't be able to find your way back?"

"I met new people." Allen said defensively. Tyki stopped walking, twisting his head around to look at the pale boy with his gold eyes. "Two boys, but I think they're older than me."

"That doesn't matter." Tyki said. Their image came to his mind; the exotic Asian boy with long hair and a condescending cold look, and the red headed boy with curiosity aflame in his one visible eye. "Did you forget what Mana taught you already, little one?" Allen stared back, his silver eyes wide. "Have you forgotten?"

"No." Allen murmured defensively, his head falling against Tyki's shoulder again. Tyki started walking, the two boys reaching the edge of the town rather quickly. "He knocked me over though."

"Who did?" Tyki asked patiently, already looking around for their caravans. They were still a couple of miles out, but he could see the tents in the distance; Skinn and the other men worked quickly.

"Stupid BaKanda did." Allen muttered angrily, and Tyki froze, his eyes wide.

He heard of the Kanda family, with its harsh training and family of swords and swordsmen. The whole family came from a long line of samurai, each able to wield weapons from a sword to small, sharp pointed stars called 'shurikan'. They were almost the same, but the Kanda family had immigrated when Tyki himself was still a young boy and put down roots; anyone who had dared to say a word against them was swiftly dealt with, and not a single soul had complained of their presence since. Each of them, from the father to son, mother to daughter, were hard, cold, practically heartless people; Tyki felt grateful that he had come when he did, as he most likely saved the boy from a quick, most likely painless, but still horrible demise.

"Allen," Tyki said slowly, walking again. "If you ever go near that boy again, you will regret it. I want you to listen to me carefully." He waited until he felt Allen nod against the back of his head. "The Kanda family is not to be messed with. If you ever go near him again, I want you to be careful. Show him your utmost respect, do not go against what he says, and get away from him as soon as you possibly can. Do you understand?" He ignored Allen's surprised noise and continued talking. "That whole family is dangerous, if you aren't careful."

"But, Lavi isn't part of BaKanda's family." Tyki winced at the new name Allen thought suited the youngest Kanda son. Almost instantly, he could mentally picture the boy's punishment should he ever call him that to his face. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and he chose to change the subject, though it was only marginally.

"Lavi?" He questioned instead, watching Mana pace back and forth in front of Tyki's older brother Sheril.

"The boy with red hair." Allen said, scrambling to get off of Tyki. It forced the older child to juggle the groceries again, and he let Allen down with a slight scowl at the excitable boy. "With the eye patch. He's really cool. Mana!" The man turned, and despite the fact that no one could see his face, Tyki could see the relief that flooded the man's body.

"Allen." As Allen started chattering excitedly, Tyki brought the groceries to Sheril.

"Hello, brother." Sheril smiled at him encouragingly.

"Tyki." He stood, ruffling Tyki's hair (to his annoyance) and stretched his back. It ached, and he twisted his upper body while keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground; there were several loud cracks that went from the base of his spine to halfway up. It soothed his back a bit, and he turned his attention back to Sheril, who was watching with an amused look. "It took you a while to come back with Allen. Any longer, and I would have been making trails with Mana as well."

"Kid got lost." Tyki said, looking at Allen chattering away on Mana's shoulders while the man took him to the tent he used to prepare for their shows. "I don't think that we should send Allen for groceries in a while; he's still too little to do it by himself." Sheril laughed.

"Well said, little brother!" Tyki growled and moved his head quickly as Sheril's hand came down. The older man didn't seem to care that his hand missed its mark; on the contrary, he seemed even more amused by his little brother's unwillingness to have him touch him. He shooed Tyki off instead, telling him with his actions that it would be ok for him to go and play with the other kids. "I'm going to find Lord Millennium and put the food away."

With permission granted from his elder, Tyki turned and ran, the incident with the Kanda family already put out of his mind.

XxX

Things were wild around his tent. Voices, all familiar and combined together with every command and resulting noise, melded together in a waving pitch that formed the background noise of a performance. They had officially opened yesterday, and the entire troupe was working hard both before the show and in preparation of it. Most of the younger children were placed in bed, already sleeping and resting their small bodies and minds for the next day's set up; Tyki, as part of the main Noah clan and the opener for Mana's magic show, the Earl's almost inhuman abilities, and his own tricks with the butterflies he called the Tease, was one of the very few exceptions to this rule.

As such, Tyki was struggling into his performance outfit while having Allen sit on the bed beside him and his niece Road lay next to the pale boy with her bear in her left arm, both watching him with a sleepy look in their eyes as he dressed and tried to get them to sleep at the same time. Road was close to dreaming: her golden eyes were closing more frequently, and staying closed for much longer before opening again. On the far side of them, the two toddlers that had been picked up a few days ago, Jasdero and Devit (names curtesy of the Millennium Earl as always), were already sleeping; Devit spread out on the bed, Jasdero clinging to him tightly in his sleep.

Outside, he could hear Sheril's wife Tricia greeting everyone who came in, and the familiar muttering of a crowd in awe.

"Tyki..." Allen yawned. Tyki 'hmm'ed and turned slightly, looking at the boy. Road seemed to have given into dreams, hugging her bear tightly to her side and twisted away from Devit, who hand his leg tossed over her side. "When can I help out like you do?" Tyki smiled gently and helped Allen lay down next to Road; his body, weak from the exhaustion of the day, followed Tyki's motions easily as the older boy tucked him into the blankets.

"Wait a few more seasons, ok?" He said softly, pulling a slightly heavier blanket over them both as Allen snuggled closer to Road, his arm thrown over her waist as he turned on his side. Jasdero whined a bit, stopping when Devito twisted in his sleep and his closed fist hit his chest. Tyki shook his head at their interactions that seemed to happen even in sleep, and a fluttering on the other side of the room caught his attention.

"Ha!" He hissed triumphantly, leaping instantly into action and capturing the movement. "Gotcha!" He fell to the floor with a 'mmph!', careful of the object in his hands and mindful of the sleeping children just a few feet away; holding his breath, he lifted his head to ensure his racket hadn't woken anyone accidentally. When nobody stirred, not even Allen, Tyki returned his attention to his clasped hands, watching them for a moment before opening them to discover the empty space. "Dammit!"

A dark purple butterfly landed gently on his nose, making Tyki cross-eyed as he tried to keep it in sight.

"You're such a pain, stupid Tease." He grumbled as he raised his hands slowly. The butterfly's wings fluttered, but it didn't move from its perch; instead, it bit his nose rather harshly, almost but not quite breaking the skin. "OW! That hurts!" He hissed again, and then he moved quickly while he had the chance; each hand grabbing a wing in as gentle a grip as he could manage and pulling it gently off of his nose. The butterfly flapped in protest, his fingers following the movement as best as he could so that he wouldn't accidentally tear the fragile wings, but it stilled after a few moments.

He took a moment to look it over critically. It was the largest butterfly, just bigger than his palm when it was spread open, in the hundreds that the Earl had given him to train and own, and the one the he had with him more often than not. It followed him everywhere unless he had to go into town, and though it had only been two years since the Tease were gifted to Tyki, this one was the one he favored the most. It also seemed as though it were the leader, because while he had tried relentlessly to train them, if he couldn't get this one to do as he said, then none of them would. He grumbled about the damn thing all the time, but it was in the same lighthearted tone he used to tease Road and Allen.

"I dunno why Lord Millennium gave me you." He muttered, releasing one of the wings so he could place the insect on his shoulder. It fluttered in compliance at its new spot, the tips of its wings brushing softly against his cheek. "But you and the others belong to me now, remember?" Tyki felt ridiculous, talking to the butterfly as he continued getting ready, but the purple insect seemed to be paying attention to him, which was enough.

XxX

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of all ages, to the Millennium Earl's Clan of Noah!" Tyki was standing at the top of a very thin, very high pole with one foot balanced at the tip of it and the other just behind it in midair. The wind was obvious where he stood, though Tyki was careful to keep his balance as the people gasped in astonishment from below. His teeth were bared in the semblance of a smile, a promise and hint of his later show, though he looked remarkably suave in his suit. "We hope that you find what you seek among us on this night, our opening!" As he focused on his introduction, Tyki couldn't help but be relieved his brother was stationed elsewhere; he knew that if Sheril could see him now, he would have heart failure similar to the time he though Tricia was going to be gravely ill months and months before Road was born. "We greatly appreciate your return to our world of mystic wonders!" He smiled smoothly, using his left hand to touch the brim of the black top hat Lord Millennium was generous enough to buy him as part of his outfit.

"And as you have decided to grace us with your presence," Tyki bent his knee slightly, holding his right hand up, the purple butterfly flapping its wings in preparation for take-off. "We will begin our journey to the unknown." He jumped, flipping backwards easily as the butterfly took off, and many more others joined it suddenly, appearing to come out from his body as he fell. They surrounded him, completely covering him from view as he landed easily on the top of a stall, careful not to step on any of his Tease. He had landed out of sight from the adoring crowd, who seemed to be even more excited to enter as he disappeared in a rush of beautiful violet butterflies. He kept to the illusion, dropping quietly from the top to the ground. From there, he went into the stall, joining the Millennium Earl as he finished preparations and one of the other Noah teens, Skinn Boric.

"Excellent work as usual, Tyki-pon." The Earl said, clapping happily as the purple butterfly fluttered down to land on Tyki's shoulder. The boy grinned in pleasure, relishing the praise from the head of their clan. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Lord Millennium." Tyki's gold eyes traveled over to Skinn, his teenaged cousin. His golden eyes were narrowed at Tyki, and the younger boy couldn't help the snarl that loosed from his lips. "I haven't seen you recently, Skinn. Where have you been?" The teen glared at him angrily.

"None of your damn business, pipsqueak." Tyki's eye twitched slightly, but he pushed back his wild hair back, placing his hat on firmly. Skinn got on his nerves, from the moment he was old enough to realize that the older teen had a strong dislike for him. He was proud whenever he bested the elder with his words, but for every intellectual win he gained, Skinn followed with his violence and short temper. It was a twisted relationship they shared, but one that was necessary; they were both favorites of the Earl and part of the main Noah clan.

Still, he could have his fun.

"As you wish, Skinn. I suppose I can leave it be, as your strength and size alone can best me in the fairest of fistfights; though you rarely fight fair to begin with. But I digress." Tyki turned to leave, his fingers lingering on the brim. "Be careful, though. My butterflies are carnivorous, and it'd be a shame to discover you missing." Skinn growled at him, and Tyki glared back.

"Now, now, boys," The Earl called cheerfully, placing a hand on Tyki's shoulder as if deciding which of his little 'family' he would support. Skinn's eyes followed it, the teen backing down in stance. "No fighting, not now. Besides, Tyki, eight seasons is much too young to be making threats of that nature."

"Of course, Lord Millennium." Tyki said, walking away when he felt the Earl's hand leave his shoulder. Something came to mind, that Tricia had sounded odd as she greeted people, and he knew he had plenty of time before his show began. "I'm going to check on Tricia. I know something's up with her, despite my brother's protests. I feel that it would be better if she opened up and told me what was wrong with her, seeing as all my brother can do is fawn over her and Road all the time."

"Best of luck, little one." The Earl called over his shoulder as he left. The younger nodded his head in acknowledgement that their leader had spoken, raising his hand with his palm outward to signify his departure.

Tyki searched for Tricia, his golden eyes going over face after face after face to find the woman his brother had married. They always brought so many people from town to their doors on opening, even though the majority of them hated their caravans as they set it up. Still, Tyki knows that he couldn't do much in the face of their blatant hypocrisy; they provided means of living, even if at the moment they were hindering his ability to locate Tricia. Every now and then, he'd backpedal, thinking he saw her due to a quick flash of blonde hair, but it always ended up being someone else.

A flash of red caught his attention, and he turned.

He felt his face flush lightly when he saw one of the boys that were with Allen a few days previous. It was the red head, the one with the eye patch and a bright green, curious eye. There was no mistaking the fact that he was young, about Tyki's age, but he seemed to be wandering alone. He had no idea what the boy was doing here this late at night, but he forgot his idea of finding Tricia and began to follow this boy instead, curious about his intentions.

The other didn't seem to notice, running to the different stands and stalls they had. He looked excited at being able to see their wares, reaching out to poke at this or brush his fingers against that as he made his way through the grounds. Tyki stayed in the shadows, his hand firmly on the brim of his hat. He slipped through the shadows easily, able to blend in with the crowds of people around them if it was necessary.

He was called suddenly, and Tyki gave the other boy one long last look before turning and running face-first into Sheril's chest.

"What happened?" Tyki asked- - -his brother had this stricken look on his face, one similar to when they thought Tricia was going to die a few months before Road was born...

Tyki felt his stomach drop.

"Is it bad?" He asked instead, chasing after Sheril when his brother simply turned and ran. As he did, Tyki noticed what he hadn't seen at first: he was holding Tricia in his arms, the small woman appearing even smaller in the arms of her husband. His heart pounding fiercely in his throat, Tyki rushed after his brother. The crowd of people, who had been nothing but a helpful nuisance only a moment before, had become irritatingly in the way in the space of seconds. They limited his ability to follow his brother and his wife, and Tyki felt himself snarl just a bit when he had to shove someone else aside to keep up. "Sheril? Tell me!"

The man still refused to answer; spotting a familiar black dress, Tyki stopped short with a growl, grabbing the edges of the dress around the woman's waist.

"Miranda!" He hissed, and the woman jumped, her shoulder-length hair flying slightly through the air. There was a plate of food in her hands, and it fell to the ground in her bewilderment.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She shrieked in surprise, glancing down at him; her eyes widened even more in fear as she registered Tyki. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please forgive me, oh please!" Her accent, foreign and thickening with each word, made Tyki wince slightly.

"Shut up." He said harshly, and Miranda obeyed so quickly it was stunning. She stood still, trembling madly and looking as if he were ready to stick his Tease through her chest and into her heart. "Tricia needs help. Follow Sheril and help us bring her into the medical tent." Miranda's eyes widened in shock, but before she could thank him or anything, Tyki shoved her in the direction his brother went. "Don't speak, just move. Now!"

XxX

Tyki sat outside the tent, head falling back against the soft material. His golden eyes shut, the boy gave off the impression of being asleep, the Tease fluttering gently every now and then against his shoulder. It had been hours since they had brought Tricia in, the sun beginning to break the horizon as the new day started. He had left earlier to preform, but it was wooden and only halfway decent; he wasn't going to be punished for such a lackluster performance, but only because they were all worried about Tricia's health. Tyki had returned right afterwards, providing silent support for his brother despite his body screaming for rest. Sheril had finally deigned to give his little brother the details that happened the night before that left Tricia pale and unconscious in his arms.

Tricia, it turned out, had collapsed in the midst of her job. She had been running a high fever, and somehow made it worse by not telling anyone and continuing with work. It was by some miracle that she didn't get caught, especially with the way Sheril doted on her.

Speaking of Sheril, the man had hardly stopped pacing. He'd been like this since he had come to the medical tent and Miranda had gone in after him; despite being the best and only doctor they knew or had, Miranda Lotto had the strangest ability to be clumsy in all manners. If it were not for the fact that they needed her so, they probably wouldn't have looked at her twice no matter how talented she was at healing people. Nevertheless, their occupation meant that no other doctor would look at them, let alone join them, as they were gypsies in all sense of the word: work, play, and travel. In fact, most doctors laughed before shutting the door in their face.

At any rate, she was their best hope.

"Stop pacing, you dolt." Tyki muttered impatiently from his seat. His suit, having been held in safety in the Earl's trunk for travel, was now mussed and slightly dirty, and was very uncomfortable by this point. He was tired, and slightly hungry, and his head hurt a lot. All in all, he was very miserable, and listening to Sheril's constant footstep was grating on his very last nerve. "It won't make Miranda come out faster."

"I know." Sheril said miserably. "But, Tricia- - -she was so still when I found her..." Tyki sat up straighter, looking at his brother strangely. He had told Tyki the barest amount of information he could, and it left an incomplete image in the boy's head. Curiosity burned through his body, but out of respect and deference to the older man, he didn't word any of his questions.

"Sheril..." The man shook his head, not wanting to hear- - -

Miranda stepped out of the healing tent. Her shoulder length hair, usually pulled back in some semblance of a bun as she worked on one of the troupe, was falling out of the tight wind, spilling around her shoulders and sticking to her face. She was slightly out of breath, and the usual black rings around her eyes were made even more pronounced by the dark bags that accompanied them underneath. There was a weary look on her face, one that spoke volumes of the past hours she had just spent working. It combined easily with the way she held herself, as if her whole body ached from the night's worries.

Sheril turned to look at her and paled slightly.

"Tricia?" He asked quietly, almost as if he were afraid to hear the news. Miranda looked at him unblinkingly for a long time before a sigh escaped her mouth and she seemed to fall in on herself. Tension seeped out of her body in waves; her positive body language seemed to relax Sheril slightly, though it wasn't until Miranda spoke that it seemed to hit him properly.

"She is fine, ja?" She said, relief coloring her voice. "She vill be sleeping heavily for the next few days, but she vill recover after about a week, especially if she stays in the medical tent." Sheril sat next to his younger brother; more like collapsed, but the man had been put through his own Hell the night before, and Tyki found it wise not to bring it up to the older man. "You can go in and see her, if you vish."

Sheril darted in, but Tyki declined with a shake of his head as he stood and stretched.

"I really must check on Allen and Road." He said calmly, wincing slightly as he turned and got the glare of the rising sun. "And change out of my performance outfit. Besides, I'll leave the love-sick idiot and his wife alone for some privacy." With a slight smile and the tip of his hat as thanks, Tyki left Miranda in the front of the tent.