My Fool

Summary: Many century ago, a great immortal, known to all as Chase Young, took the world as his own. But like any immortal, Chase's interest in the world is wanning, and because of this, he has let his power slip, just to feel the thrill of rebellion.
Luckily, Chase soon finds himself a Fool to keep him entertained.

Warnings: Contains some heavy slash/yaoi scenes in later chapters. Slavery. Hints to non-con. Etc.

A/N: 3 Originally this was posted on dA - BUT, I did some serious editting - and fleshed it out a bit more.

Chapter One

An ebony carriage led by four fine horses rocked noiselessly as it passed over a narrow cobblestone path. The single lane was the only like it for miles, placed there for the rich slave traders who passed through. As the grey pathway snaked on into what seemed a never-ending desert, a small remote village came into view on the horizon, and before long the carriage pierced its outer limits, passing poorly built shacks for the starving and forgotten souls. Rich or poor, all those that lived in the town hushed as the carriage passed them, awe and terror spreading through every man, woman and child like wild fire. The carriage was dark and seemed to send looming shadows that threatened to swallow anyone who strayed too close, whole. No-one in the small village had to guess who might own it.

They knew the instant it drew close that it could only belong to their Lord.

Scattered about the carriage, were six unique looking warriors, each silent and wary as they moved with the carriage. Four stood bare metres from the carriage, while another two settled on rooftop or tree branch, hidden from the untrained eye. The villagers gaped at the warriors they could see, to the closed-off townsfolk they were alien-looking; foreign creatures. Each guard had their own individual armour, from bestial fur and leather, to metals, beaten to shape.

Those warriors who had to suffer the villagers' whispers, ignored them with ease, and instead remained focused on the task at hand. They were all watching the movements of every person that their eyes touched upon, constantly watching for the slightest sign of danger.

It wasn't likely that a rebel force occupied such a pitiful place, but to let their guard down would mean the end of them, either by the hands of the rebels, or, more likely, their Master…

Said Master resided within the carriage, already bored of the pathetic grey town; he almost missed the never-ending desert beyond already. But this didn't stop him from looking out onto the town, staring listlessly through a window that was crafted to only let him so out, but no one in.

Slowly, Chase Young shifted in his seat, pulling away from the window while lifting a hand to bat dark bangs of hair from his eyes. He rolled his eyes at one of the guards he could see through the glass; their presence was unnecessary in his eyes, but expected by others. Hidden away from the eyes of commoners, under strict guard was supposed to heighten the terror humans felt for him. Chase didn't doubt that- but it all… seemed so purposeless now…

Chase sighed discontentedly, letting his head fall back and his eyes touch upon the ceiling of the carriage.

Long ago, before the world settled under his rule; Chase had built an army of the finest warriors he could find. Scattered across the world, Chase found a meagre hundred or so, but with those few, he was more than able to take absolute control of the planet. Demons, monsters, and humans alike fought to keep the world their own, but Chase was ruthless and took the world with the simplest of ease and from that point he spent centuries keeping the rebellious factions at bay and the people content.

But, as time strayed, Chase began to realise that the world he had created would become his hell. While humans flourished under his rule, they grew content and useless; living each of their stagnant lives without complaint. The same could be said for the demons and monsters across the globe, either too weak or afraid to take back their world. Watching his world grow so lifeless only spurred Chase to loosen his grip on it, allowing the demons to stir and with them, the dark, vicious side of humanity.

Gold eyes glanced back out onto the street, not surprised when his eyes touched upon a starving child, pressed up against a wall. The child was so thin and battered that each one of the child's ribs protruded from its chest like a bird's cage. The young boy was covered in grey rags that barely hid the deep set bruises and scars.

'A sick slave…' Chase thought to himself, glancing away from the still body, not interested in the half-dead child.

Slavery had been one of the most prominent evils to take root in society; stronger humans praying on the weak. It was a disgusting trade. Chase frowned; once upon a time he would've ceased its existence… But now-? He couldn't bring himself to care.

Half-heartedly inspecting the hem of his dark green cloak, Chase blinked curiously up at the window when the sounds of a commotion rose just ahead of the carriage. The furious yelling was enough to stir the horses and to alert the guards to a possible distraction. They readied themselves for an attack; but Chase didn't expect one.

Peering out through the window, Chase watched the scene play out before him with mild interest. The town's villagers were wincing and avoiding a large burly man with a bald, tattooed head and missing teeth. He was roaring down on a spindly youth, wrapped in a slave-grey cloak.

Chase's eyes would've fallen away at that point, if something hadn't caught his attention.

Narrowing his golden eyes on the youth, Chase took note that the cloak that covered almost every inch of the human, as if the very sight of the slave would offend. Intrigued when he caught the slightest flash of white skin; the Lord shifted closer to the window.

The burly man's face was darkening with fury; too angry to notice neither the presence of the royal carriage, nor the hush of the crowd as their Lord gently stepped down from it.

"Answer me, boy!" snarled the man, shaking the pale youth by the collar of his coarse cloak.

There was no way the boy could regain his balance; the heavy fetter about his feet was too bulky for such a small frame. When shoved again the youth fell hard, unable to soften his fall with his bound hands. It was then that the slave's hood fell away, revealing a shock of red-hair and albino-white skin, marred by deep bruising across half the youth's face. Keeping his eyes clamped closed, the slave huddled low to the ground as if trying to avoid the danger his master was posing.

"I said; speak!" the large man dove down on the boy; a hand tearing into the slave's unnatural red hair and yanking his neck back, then effortlessly tearing the slave to his feet.

To the surprise of those who had stopped to watch, the boy only took a pained intake of breath, but otherwise said nothing.

"You're useless! You bugly creature/b!"

The Overlord frowned as he watched the boy slam back down against the cobblestone, this time at the feet of the carriage's horses. The startled creatures jerked, their blinkered eyes catching sight of the red of the boy's hair. Exhausted from their journey and on their last nerves, the horses began to tug at their bits irritably and stamp their hooves, lashing out at the threat at their feet.

Chase could've easily let the youth's head crush under hoof, but found himself moving to the boy when a pair of startled red eyes, one's that held more intelligence than a slave should possess, flicker up to the sharp hooves in silent terror.

The slave made no noise as he was swept out of harms way and pressed heavily against Chase's chest. The boy spent a long moment trembling, numb to the hush that surrounded him.

Keeping still for the boy, allowing the slave to reel; Chase raised his golden gaze up until he caught sight of the owner of the pale-skinned slave. The burly owner had paled severely, his knees shaking. He looked ready to throw himself to the ground and plead for his life, but his legs seemed uncooperative.

The overlord didn't bother to let his gaze linger on the trembling man, instead considered the youth in his arms. Peering over the boy, Chase watched as the youth's red eyes flicker up to his, freezing when he caught the immortal's eyes fixed on him. The slave didn't dare move; knowing too well that his life was in Chase's hands now. While fear played about in the boy's eyes, something close to admiration lingered there too. This made the lord pause; his eyebrows dipping as he considered the youth. All the while, the boy waited for Chase to kill or discard him.

To the crowd's astonishment their lord did neither.

He raised a hand and beckoned his carriage closer, then opened the door. When Chase motioned for the slave to enter, the youth's red eyes flew wide, skittering over the man's face once, before the youth clumsily climbed the steps, his restraints clunking heavily as he did so.

When Chase turned his gaze to the crowd, it had parted like the red sea, leaving the slave's owner alone, pressed hard against a wall. The immortal didn't advance on the terrified man, instead narrowed his eyes to slits and spoke, "What is his name?"

Swallowing thickly, the owner was able to choke out; "J-Jack."

Chase took a moment then nodded; not offering another word as he stepped up into the carriage. A moment later, the overlord reappeared, thick mangled shackles in hand.

Then he let them drop heavily at the owner's feet-

"-We cannot ipossibly/i consider offering Xiaolin Monks shelter, my lord! Not at such a crucial time!"

Rattled from his thoughts, Chase slowly straightened his back against his throne then relaxed. His muscles moaned in protest and the immortal silently wondered how long he'd been sitting there. It could've been hours for all her knew.

The voice which had interrupted his thoughts before belonged to a woman that some might call beautiful. She had bright, fiery red hair and dark green eyes, marked with heavy black make-up. But at that moment she was in a state; her expression screwed into a furious snarl as her long legs whirled her about to continue her angry pacing, leaving her long red hair to snap and trail behind her. "-Our attention must be centred on those that oppose you! Especially the demons from the West; they have requested a meeting with you to discuss land rights-!"

Settled upon a dais, several steps above a polished floor of flawless marble, Chase had to tilt his head down to watch Wuya yowl like a distressed wet cat. He had been called down to the hall an hour ago, to discuss their guests, who had been found travelling too close for comfort; or so Wuya had believed. Now, the monks were waiting beyond the small greeting hall which only took up a small portion of the first floor of Chase's palace. The Xiaolin were likely admiring the spacious foyer that bore waterfalls, pillars and luscious gardens that housed several rare, if not thought extinct, flora and fauna.

"-Their presence here is disrespectful-!"

Chase kept his eyes steady, even as the urge to roll them passed. Even if he had tried to concentrate, the immortal could already feel himself zoning from Wuya's long-winded spiel, leaving his advisor to repeat her argument as if it truly meant something to him.

A small movement to Chase's right was a thankful distraction. Letting his gaze dance sideways, Chase let a small fond smile creep across his face as he peered down on a half-asleep youth.

Jack, his Fool, had already begun to doze; his eye-lids twitching as Wuya's voice rose another octave. From what Chase could tell, Jack was almost 18 years of age, if not older, but at this moment, he was curled up against Chase's throne and he was looking much younger. He was curled up in a warm black cloak, which the boy seemed to prefer to anything else, snoring every-so-quietly. Chase almost chucked at the sight, but instead just watched; silently noting how the dark material suited the youth, making his moon-white skin all but glow-

"-And the rebels! They are seeking out new weapons and technology! We must crush the uprising before they attract more followers!"

Deaf to his advisors words, Chase hummed pleasantly, as he let his gloved hand gently press against Jack's skull, rubbing his Fool's bronze and black hat onto a skewed angle.

While the bells at the tips of the hat jingled quietly, Chase knew it was touch that woke Jack. The boy's red eyes burst open as every instinct in his body screamed for him to duck away from the gentle tough. But, after a panicked second, Jack's wired muscles began to relax as he recognised the touch against his skull. Hesitantly glancing up to meet his master's gaze, the youth offered an apologetic smile; which Chase easily forgave.

Jack's smile softened and he blinked tiredly as a soft yawn split his lips.

But it quickly became apparent that it was not soft enough.

Wuya froze mid-step then whirled around until her poison-green eyes focused on the startled youth, "How dare you show such disrespect, Fool!" roared the witch, advancing up the stairs that separated her from the boy. If she had her way, Jack would've had his red eyes torn out; but before she could even reach him, Chase was speaking in a tone that rung warning bells in the woman's skull.

"Monks will not distract me of my duties, Wuya. So why, exactly, should I turn these travellers down?"

The woman froze, barely a foot from the cowering Fool, "Sire! They are Xiaolin warriors-!"

"-Monks." Chase corrected, shaking his head minutely, "Monks which are proving to be no threat. I cannot see why we can not let them stay to rest?"

"But sire-!"

"Enough!" the dark-haired warrior was on his feet in one fluid movement, looking down on the startled witch. "Not another word from you, Wuya." Chase warned, pleased to see her take a shaky step back, then another.

She jumped and gasped when the back of her legs bumped against one of two large cats, who had approached from their stations at the door. Chase took a moment to regard the black-leopard and tiger. "All three of you will greet our iguests/i and show them to their quarters," he commanded softly, making sure the underlying threat was obvious enough for even Wuya to understand.

Wuya somehow made it all the way out of the hall, and was able to gently close the door behind her, before her anger finally slipped. She snarled furiously, and glared green daggers at the door and the immortal beyond it. Then, she directed her hateful gaze at the pair of patient felines that padded ahead of her, not bothering to give her a second look.

This, of course, just made her anger double. Clenching her finger into tight shaking fists, Wuya angrily followed after the two warrior cats, all the while seething. Chase had all but torn her apart in front of his little Fool- treating her like some common creature he could ignore.

She sneered furiously then hurriedly shook her head. If she didn't calm down, all of her plans would be for naught. She'd already spent over a century getting into the immortal overlord's good graces, and now wasn't the time to drop her game. So, Wuya relaxed slowly, and soon a slow, sly smile crept across her face.

All Wuya had to do was to remain patient. Chase was already showing signs of weakness, ignoring the rebel threat and dropping his guard to host the Xiaolin for the night.

Wuya's smile crept into a wicked grin. Soon Chase would slip up, and Wuya would be there when it happened, more than able to take his place… And oh, did Wuya have plans for this Earth…

As she trailed after to the two warrior cats, thoughts on the horrors she'd unleash on humanity, Wuya's sharp green eyes touched upon two humans. They were some of Chase's eight serfs. He only housed so few of them because he trusted only his cats. The serfs were often used for menial tasks, like cleaning the large citadel or cooking, which his warrior cats often watched over to avoid any attempt at poisoning him.

Her eyes met one of serf's for the briefest moments. He gave her the slightest of nods, a simple greeting. If anyone had noticed, they would've thought nothing of it, and that was the way Wuya wanted it.

She glanced away from the serf, dismissing him without a bat of her eye, and followed the two felines until the trio finally reached the foyer. Forcing a false smile, Wuya straightened her maroon robes, and stepped out of the hallway into the large open space.

Standing mere metres away were four young monks, surrounded by several unyielding tigers. Wuya gave a signal for the tigers to back down, and could only frown when they hesitated to obey her. The two cats that flanked the witch growled the same command, and the tigers quickly stepped away from the monks.

Pushing away the hot wire hate in her stomach, Wuya gave a curt, respectable bow then straightened just as quickly, "Lord Young has graciously permitted your stay. He has asked me to show you to your quarters-"

"-We must thank Lord Young!" cried the smallest and, obviously, the youngest of the monks. His voice was loud and brash, bluntly chopped through Wuya's words.

Hiding a quickly forming snarl, Wuya counted to five in her head and took a deep breath. Finally she settled on narrowing her eyes on the youth before her; offhandedly noting his odd colouring and size. "All in due time, small one," she offered as politely as she could manage. "Now, if you will follow me-?"

But before she could motion to a nearby hallway, another monk was by the youngest; he was large, towering over the other monks with broad shoulders and a head of blonde hair. He tipped a foreign, large brimmed hat politely, "Please ma'am, we'd appreciate if we could thank Lord Young in person?"

Wuya heard the sharp accent on the youth's tongue; obviously the monk was not from a nearby temple. She ground her teeth behind her smiling lips, before nodding to the monks, "If you insist."

As soon as Wuya and his cats disappeared beyond the thick double doors, the space fell into a comfortable silence. Chase let the smallest of smiles grace his lips as he moved back to his throne, and as he sat his right hand, with a mind of its own, fell instinctively onto the head of his Fool, removing the hat and dropping it away from the boy. Jack was startled and flinched for the second time, but like before he quickly relaxed again, letting Chase's hand return to touch his red hair.

Chase silently ignored the part of him that knew exactly why the youth jumped at the slightest of touches, instead enjoyed the moment of silence. The overlord never often acted on a whim, but for reasons he couldn't understand, he felt inclined to indulge when his Fool was involved. The albino was an intriguing creature, spindly and slender with unnatural, yet alluring ivory-coloured skin, crimson red hair and eyes to match the odd assemble.

The only thing that Chase hadn't been prepared for when he had first taken the youth away to his favourite fortress, hidden away in the mountains of the Land of Nowhere, was the silence the boy held constant between them. The castle's doctor had examined the nerve-ridden slave thoroughly, only to discover the youth was psychologically mute, not physically. This wasn't an unusual occurrence in slaves; but it also implied the type of masters Jack had suffered under before Chase came across him.

Blinking out of his thoughts, it took the overlord a moment to register a slight pressure against his hand; he glanced down at his Fool and smiled at the dozing youth.

Wuya often questioned why he bothered to keep a Fool that never moved from his side nor made a noise. But Chase never offered her an answer. He simply knew that a Fool existed to entertain his master; and Jack did exactly that.

Almost hesitantly drawing his eyes away from his Fool, Chase trained his eyes on one of his big-cats; that had made a soft noise, asking for his attention. The beast offered a low growl then nodded its head down.

Chase didn't need to consider his answer, "Let them in."

Across the hall from the throne, two tall, heavy double-doors opened slowly, creaking all the way. The four monks, still flanked by several big cats, slowly stepped into the hall. Chase had yet to meet the odd cluster of monks, and he watched them curiously as they lined up before him. Each monk donned a red stained gi, framed in black. All bowed low when they had assembled before Chase, and the immortal nodded his head in greeting.

The smallest, a yellow bald-headed boy moved forward first, giving Chase a closer look at the markings that lined his forehead. Chase nodded his head, as he silently noted the sign of spiritual wisdom. "We humbly thank you for your hospitality, Lord Young," the boy bowed again, before continuing "We are Elemental Dragons in training-"

Suddenly, a deep set chill descended on the room.

Chase's eyes narrowed to slits.

Seeming to sense his master's ire, Jack jolted out of his doze; his red eyes barely straying to the monks, before training on Chase, as if asking if he were all right. The warlord simply comforted the youth by patting his head gently, but otherwise kept his glare on the young monks lined before him. "You did not mention, on entering my home, that you were warriors," his voice easily flattened Omi's.

"Uh- we did not see reason to-"

"The Xiaolin Monks have always treaded carefully when it concerns the Heylin, even before my time, young one. I am happy to house monks, but warriors-?"

"-In training," one of the other monks offered. He was heads higher than the youngest, with a short, spiky head of brown hair. His accent was foreign and fresh to Chase's ears and the immortal paused in interest.

Considering the motley collection of youths once more; Chase silently reminded himself that he had been searching for something new. Maybe these monks were what he needed. The important nodded slowly, "So be it. You may stay. But-" his voice echoed dangerously around the room, making even his own cats shudder fearfully, "You are guests. Any action against me- or anyone in my home will be considered an act of war…" the Monks shivered then, all four of them not daring to take their eyes away from Chase's. Then, Chase smiled charmingly, "My cats will collect you for meals and my personal dojo and meditation hall is available to each of you."

All four monks swallowed thickly and exchanged surprised and terrified glances, then hurriedly bowed, offering their gratitude. With that out of the way, Chase waved them away, and before the four monks knew what was happening, they were being ushered from the hall by four large cats, to meet Wuya, who had stayed in the foyer awaiting their return.

Moments after the monks left, Chase slowly rose from his throne and stood, staring out across the hall as if observing a great army. Without a word, he reached out a hand expectantly and smile when a familiar pale hand clamped onto his without any hesitation. With a quick swipe of his thumb, Chase felt out three small, familiar bumps that lined the youth's wrist. Not for the first time, Chase longed to magic them away.

Glancing over to meet Jack's wide wonderful eyes, Chase offered the youth a comforting smile, "Come and join me in meditation, Fool."

TBC

A/N: 3 Ch2'll be up in a day 3