Author's Note: This story was started sometime in 2013 as a simple idea that expanded into something much bigger than I expected, but it had to in order to give the storylines and characters justice. I also had to take a break from it in order to get #119 - "Liberty" out as this particular story included spoilers for that particular story, especially concerning Liberty's birth and subsequent life. This is a big story, 120 pages; I thought about making breaks, especially as the story kept growing but it didn't quite work in chapters. It's meant to be one cohesive whole, a series of vignettes with a larger story arc binding everything together.

A Slice of Life: Bushido

"Even though your kids will consistently do the exact opposite of what you're telling them to do,

you have to keep loving them just as much." - Anonymous

2019, Castle Wyvern

"You called them?"

"Yes, they are on their way." He looked at her with pensive eyes. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"You having doubts, Big Guy?"

His heavy breath made the room shake, his tail thumping the fitted stone. "We have tried to raise our children to be the best of either species, but..."

"But there's something still missing, isn't there?" she finished for him, like she always did.

He nodded, and had to admit reluctantly, "Yes."

"You know," she sighed, "as much as I was hesitant to have others raise my children, having a bunch of aunts, uncles and rookery parents impart their own particular brand of wisdom wasn't anything but beneficial. But they still have so much to learn."

"I'm just surprised at your decision."

"You mean, because you were always the hard-ass in this relationship?"

He didn't take that particular jab lightly, but knowing the source he didn't dwell on it too long. The creeping shadows of the castle's library obscured his mate's playful smirk. "It is not about being a...hard-ass. It is doing our best to ensure our children are raised properly, as your parents did."

She let out a light chuckle at the thought. "For years I resisted turning into my mother, but the transformation is almost complete. And here I am about to tell my children they're not quite living up to our expectations, even though I was a little less than well-behaved when I was younger."

"You? The detective?"

Her eyes thinned, but she knew it was simply retribution for the earlier comment. The smile on his face was subtle, but there nonetheless. "I know, but it wasn't until I got older and saw the example I was setting for Derek and Beth, and how my own parents were starting to regard me and my behavior that I straightened out, especially when I made the decision to become a cop. There's nothing worse than a parent's disappointment."

"Are you disappointed?" he asked earnestly.

And she quickly shot back, "Are you?"

However he was going to respond, it was lost to the sudden reaction of hearing something beyond the comfortable confines of the castle's library. He straightened slightly and turned his head to voices in the corridor, through the sliver between the library doors, left slightly askew.

"I don't think Angela would appreciate you two trying to get Artus to say something dirty as his first word."

Goliath rolled his eyes at the topic of the conversation; his sons were intent on making one of the first eggs hatched in Wyvern castle in more than a thousand years speak like a longshoreman.

"But imagine the look on her face."

"I'm sure the others can't wait for you to corrupt the rest of the eggs waiting to hatch in the rookery, especially Rain and Desdemona."

Shapes clustered in the light spilling underneath the door, and a slender hand appeared around the edge, pushing it open. First the oldest, Trinity, almost a perfect replica of her mother, then Liberty, wearing her father's lavender, and the twins, Skye and Storm followed behind. The four siblings stopped dead in their tracks in seeing their mother and father staring at them. Goliath's brows had dropped on his eyes, the rest of his face granite, whereas Elisa was wearing a peculiar expression partially hidden behind her hand, which made it even harder to decipher. The library was dimly lit, ordinary objects creating looming silhouettes; with their parents staring at them in the darkness the atmosphere was intimidating, and slightly spine-chilling.

"You wanted to see us?" Trinity spoke first, blinking her eyes to adjust.

Goliath remained stolid, and none of his children thought anything different of his usual disposition. "Please," he gestured to the sofa opposite Elisa's chair, "sit down. All of you." From youngest to oldest, they lined up on the couch. "Your mother and I have something to discuss with you."

"Well," Elisa amended, crossing her legs, "not so much discuss, considering you don't get a choice in the matter."

"A choice in what?"

"Your mother and I have decided to send you all to Japan." Goliath announced coolly. "Ishimura to be exact."

"Oh...sweet." Storm whispered. "Fresh sushi." His brother and older sister seemed to brighten at the prospect of visiting Japan and traded glances.

But only Trinity was wary, considering neither of her parents was smiling. At all. Her expression was sour and pulled inwards, lips pursed and brows scrunched, like Elisa when she was trying to figure out a particularly difficult case. "A vacation?"

"No." Goliath shook his head, causing his mane to dance about impossibly wide shoulders. "We are sending you for training, for six months."

Protests followed, loudly.

"Training?"

"Six months?!"

"Yes. You will be instructed in the ways of bushido."

"Oh my god..." Liberty squeaked. Her brows had shot up into the riot of untamed hair, black and violet-dyed strands threading through her inherited ridges.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Trinity tried to understand. "We've all been trained in fighting techniques, by Shadow, and Katana, and even the both of you."

"Your warrior skills are incomplete," Goliath continued, "but it is not simply fighting techniques you will learn. Your attitude and behavior are in need of correction."

"Attitude?" Trinity repeated.

"Correction?" Liberty sneered.

"You are all rebellious, sometimes disobedient and in need of serious discipline."

Fearful glances were traded lightning fast between the four Maza children.

"How exactly are we disobedient?"

Goliath only needed to take one heavy, deliberate step forwards to cause all four of his children to squirm on the couch. "Our eldest daughter has her head in the clouds over a boy and frequently breaks any and all rules we have made, our second is moody, sullen and acerbic and often has her nose buried in a cellphone or some other piece of technology, and our sons are misbehaved and mischievous to the point they could be mistaken for Fay tricksters."

Four open mouths met his explanation, and four pairs of chocolate eyes implored him silently. Each had just been sucker-punched to the gut and where the Maza children often used the gift of gab to talk their way out of almost anything, right now that particular skill had completely abandoned them.

And from where she was seated, Elisa couldn't help but enjoy the absolute lack of sound and the sight of her children completely gobsmacked.

"But..." Trinity was the first to speak. "Why? Dad, why are you doing this?"

Goliath lifted his head slightly, looked to Elisa with a feigned sense of confusion and then laid that heavy, impenetrable glare back on his daughter. "I believe I have already answered that. I am...suitably less than impressed at how my hatchlings have been acting lately, as are your rookery mothers and fathers. You are the children of a fine clan and should act accordingly."

"Mom, you can't seriously let him do this."

Elisa turned her head towards her eldest, and arched a fine brow. She seemed insulted. "Let him do this?" she echoed, and then smiled ear to ear. "Kids, it was my idea."

Mouths gaped wider, with an audible groan of betrayal breathed in unison. The attention was taken from Goliath and put squarely on Elisa.

But she didn't balk under the pressure; she simply got up, smoothed her skirt and with deliberately slow strides, walked over and stood just in front of her husband. "I had a little talk with Kai a few weeks back and he absolutely loved the idea of being able to instruct my children in the ways of bushido. In fact, he's quite serious about letting anyone, human or gargoyle–or both–come to Ishimura to be properly instructed. It could start a hell of a trend. All the clans were informed and your first class starts in two days."

"Two days, but...that's barely enough time to–"

"That's just enough time to pack, say your goodbyes and brush up on your Japanese."

"And that's it." Trinity was still vocal about her impending exile. "Pack your bags and get shipped off to boot-camp."

"It's not boot-camp, Trini," Elisa argued, "it's something so much more."

"Not from where I'm sitting."

"I know it's hard for you to understand, but you will, especially when you have your own kids."

"But mom–"

She cut off whoever was going to try to appeal her decision. "No buts, no arguments, no negotiation, this is happening. Period."

But Trinity was on her feet and, as Goliath watched with lowered brows, moved purposely towards her mother. "Mom..." Trinity whispered imploringly. "What about Xander?"

"What about him?" Elisa asked innocently.

Trinity fidgeted, as if she didn't quite know what to do with her hands. And the way she was twitching and nervously looking from side to side it reminded Elisa of a drug addict. "Well, we...I've never been away from him barely at all, let alone six months..."

"You were separated as children, remember?"

"We're not children anymore," Trinity whispered, trying to keep her voice low if only for her father, "if you catch my drift."

"I think you can handle it, kiddo." Elisa said, trying to ignore–and yet failing miserably–the images of her daughter and a young Alexander Xanatos behind closed doors.

Trinity threw a hand to her mother's arm, grabbing quickly and clenching her nails into the fabric of her jacket before realizing how hard she'd squeezed. She snatched it away like she'd been burned when Elisa thinned her gaze at her daughter's faux-paus, re-establishing the pecking order. "Mom...I don't think you have any idea how hard it'll be for me to be away from him."

"Yes, forcing a gargoyle from her chosen mate is almost cruel," Elisa leaned in, "but you're going to have to suck it up, young lady. Do you understand me?"

"Mom..."

"Do you understand me, Trinity Hope Maza?"

She straightened. That tone could curl the hairs on a sleeping gargoyle and Trinity felt it in her chest like a bullet. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Elisa smiled sweetly. "Well, you don't have a lot of time. The transport leaves in forty-eight hours."

48 hours later...

All their social media sites had been updated, tweets sent out to their followers and all their friends notified of their impending absence from the world as they knew it. They were going off the grid.

The four of them entered into the Eyrie building's main hangar bay, the massive hangar door already open to the Manhattan cityscape and the blanket of the night sky above. Amongst the numerous Xanatos Enterprises aircraft, Steel Clan robots, Cyber-biotics drones and other futuristic hardware, a smaller, sleeker jet plane was being prepped for take-off in the middle of the deck.

All their aunts, uncles and rookery parents were there, lined up and watching the prisoners being led to their execution. At least, that's what the Maza siblings thought.

Goliath and Elisa were waiting by the ladder to the plane and had to watch as their children purposely took their time, pathetically dragging their tails behind them and giving everyone gathered to see them off sad eyes and hangdog expressions. "All right, kids," Elisa called out to them, snapping her fingers impatiently, "let's go. Stop trying to delay the inevitable as if I'm going to suddenly change my mind." With a few goodbyes to the gathered clan, Elisa had them gather in front of her. "Okay," she said, "hand it all over."

"Hand what over?" Storm asked.

"The contraband. No phones, games, electronics of any kind. Now we've already searched your luggage, but I would hate to have to put my own children up against the wall and pat them down..."

The twins especially felt the brunt of her detective-turned-captain's unceasing glare. "But it's just for the trip over..." Skye tried to explain.

"Of course, sweetie, now empty your pockets."

With a look of frustration, her twin boys started rifling through their pockets, handing their mother a couple of the latest portable gaming systems.

Elisa smiled and then turned to her younger daughter, holding out her hand. "Libby, give me your phone."

Caught in the figurative spotlight, Liberty had no choice but to surrender the sleek, black device that had never left her side. "Here." she growled.

She snatched the phone and powered it up, a three-dimensional holographic display floating above the display screen. With a few finger flicks across the hologram's surface, the display morphing and changing as quickly as she needed it to, Elisa seemed satisfied, turned it off and stuffed it in a pocket. "Thank you. And don't worry," she added, seeing her daughter's abject expression, "Ishimura isn't completely cut off from the outside world. They have television and the internet, though I figure you'll have to really impress your teachers to even get close to either. Now, come on, in you go." She herded her children up the steps and into the jet, but noticed she was missing one.

Trinity and Alexander hadn't yet disentangled from each other, whispering to each other and planning great and clandestine things for the next half a year.

Goliath had come to accept his daughter's choice for a mate, grudgingly, but he was more concerned right now about the two lovers quietly scheming between fang-filled kisses and with Alexander's abilities and predilection to approach a challenge much like his mother and father, he was the proverbial, red-headed wrench in the gears. He approached and cleared his throat. Trinity unhooked from her boyfriend, spun around and her tail, once snaked seductively around his thigh, dropped limply to the ground. "Are you ready?"

"No." she said pointedly.

"Good." He held a massive hand towards the transport. "If you please..."

Trinity hesitated for a moment but eventually the unceasing stone glare from her father convinced her to move towards the plane. She turned to Alex and kissed his cheek, while holding the other with her left hand. "I'll see you soon." she whispered.

"Yes you will." he answered back, with a hint of a smile for her eyes only.

She smothered her own grin by biting her bottom lip and eventually starting climbing the stairs into the plane.

"And by the way," Elisa called after her, "I've put a few textbooks in the plane. Just because you're all getting out of your regular studies for six months doesn't mean I want you to stop doing your schoolwork altogether. Your instructor's put together a few things to go over so you'll be ready to start fresh when you get home."

"Gee," Trinity drawled, "thanks."

"By the way, Alexander," Fox had slinked to her son's side, seeing his unblinking gaze on the girl slowly climbing the steps into the sleek Xanatos jet, "you are forbidden to have any contact with Trinity for six months. Do you understand?"

His eyes flashed and somewhere in the building a few lightbulbs dimmed. But he kept his poker face. "Yes..."

"Good. This time away will be beneficial for you as well. Perhaps a little more training to take the rough spots off of some spells that have been giving you trouble, hmm?"

"Yeah, sure." he said absentmindedly. "Beneficial."

Fox eyed him pensively. She knew that tone; he'd inherited it from her along with the ginger hair. She would have to watch him closely the next half year.

The steps automatically lifted up and retracted into the plane's fuselage, becoming nothing more than a faint line on the painted steel. The engines roared to life and an intense orange glow bled out from the louvered jets. The engines on the belly rotated downwards and intensified, slowly pushing the jet into the air. They swiveled into a forty-five degree angle and the jet was thrust towards the hangar's gaping mouth.

And one of the last to see the passengers from the jet's circular windows, their uncle Todd waved to them. "Bye kids!" he yelled over the wash of the engines spilling across the hangar floor. "Don't come back!"

Day 1.

An almost perfectly circular cloud of dust skirted away from the landing jet, and the heavy machine touched lightly to the level surface just outside of Ishimura's temple. As it powered down, a small delegation neared the jet and waited patiently at a safe distance. The door opened and lowered, stairs extending to the ground with a hydraulic hiss.

Trinity was the first to emerge and, on seeing the massive structure before her, had to admit the Japanese temple was just as impressive as it always was, even if it was going to serve as her prison for half a year. The Maza children slowly descended the steps, each with a duffel bag strapped across their shoulders.

And behind them, a fifth gargoyle tentatively poked his head out of the plane and sniffed the air, heavily spiked brows curling apprehensively. Elisa had neglected to tell her children they were taking a detour across the border to pick up a passenger before heading to Japan. Ares, leader of the Canadian clan, was waiting for them near the Grotto's entrance, alongside a moss green male with hunched shoulders and a scowl on his thin face that could melt steel. Apparently he was coming along with them and was just as pleased about the entire idea as the Mazas.

Having watched them disembark, Kai studied the newcomers. It was a long time since he'd laid his eyes on Goliath's hybrid hatchlings and only allowed himself a moment of indulgence before greeting them. "Welcome to Ishimura, little ones."

The Maza quartet huddled around each other as if being led to their execution. Trinity, naturally acting as the leader of her small clan, simply acknowledged the large clan leader with a nod.

He sensed their trepidation, and the underlying resentment of being sent here against their wills. His long talk with Goliath's mate Elisa had been informative to say the least; though they and the rest of the elders of clan Wyvern had raised them well, these four gargoyles were here to gain a better sense of purpose. "Please, follow me." Kai turned and started towards the temple, along with his mate.

They followed behind, heads lowered. At least until they entered into the courtyard. Eyes went up, necks craned; they soaked in the sight of large and gently curving rooftops, multi-storied pagodas, intricate rock walls, fountains and ponds surrounded by bamboo gardens. And the gargoyles of every size and shape, with a gaggle of hatchlings underfoot, some of the rookery keepers holding the newest clutch hatched just over a year ago. Kai and Sora's first egg was somewhere among them, a pudgy, purple female with her father's curling spurs and her mother's strutless wings. And to members of two clans borne from tragic circumstances, seeing such a peaceful scene lessened the feeling of isolation.

"Hey," Skye nudged his sister with an elbow spur as they followed behind Kai and Sora, "do you see something that doesn't quite belong?"

He'd extended a finger towards more gargoyles in the middle of the courtyard, but these particular gargoyles didn't exactly match with the rest of the Ishimura clan. Not only were they standing in a group away from anyone else, their very demeanor was guarded and standoffish. A sturdy female in a fur-lined, hooded tunic dress that appeared to have sewn together from the hide of some massive animal stood cross-armed and glaring at nothing in particular, another male in a worn leather jacket scratched a thumb-talon across his beak and the third, elegantly slim and ornately dressed, didn't seem to outwardly project an emotion at all.

"I assume they're more prisoners from other clans." Trinity muttered, feeling exactly how they appeared.

The big gray female looked up and gave the strange new gargoyles a onceover as they grew near, especially noticing the extra fingers and toes, and grunted something unintelligible.

"Was that Russian?" Liberty whispered.

Trinity shrugged. "I think so. From what little we know about the Russian clan, she kind of fits the bill."

"You mean the fact she could kill us all with her bare hands?" Storm snickered, and groaned when his sister jabbed an elbow spur into his ribs. "Ouch..."

A big yellow male with wide horns approached the little group and bowed. He specifically addressed the full-blooded gargoyles. "You four," he rumbled, making sure to include the Canadian gargoyle who'd hitched a ride, "will follow me."

"What about us?" Liberty asked.

"You will follow me."

They turned to see a lithe, lilac-skinned female standing behind them, ink-black hair a river through slender horns. None of the Mazas ever heard a step.

"As you four do not turn to stone due to your unique nature," Sora explained, "we have prepared special beds for you."

She started away and towards a high stone arch, following a path that vanished down a gently sloping hill. They followed her, out of the courtyard and down that winding path, nearing the river and towards another building much smaller than the main temple, but no less ornate in typical Japanese architecture. She pushed open one half of a gate and entered inside, and the Mazas found themselves in a hollow structure with wooden pens on either side.

Liberty did a sweep of her new home for the next six months with a palpable look of disdain. "We're sleeping in a stable." she said.

Sora turned, the genial smile still on her lips. "If you would prefer, you could sleep in the courtyard on the dirt." she offered. "At least here you have a roof over your head and a blanket to keep the chill away."

The Maza children were suddenly overwhelmed with jealousy of their full-blooded gargoyle cousins who would turn to stone during the day. "And we can't sleep in comfortable beds in the temple because...?"

"Bushido derives from the samurai code stressing frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor unto death."

Liberty understood, sighing, "Frugality meaning the extravagance of actually having a mattress, right."

Sora nodded. "Perhaps, if your training goes well, you may earn a bed. Furthermore, discomfort builds character."

"We have plenty of character." Storm muttered quietly, forgetting how precise a gargoyle's hearing can be.

Sora moved towards him and held the dark-skinned teenager in place with a simple look. Not quite genial, not quite grim, but enough to allow the hatchling to know she wasn't about to brook any insolence. "My apologies, Storm-bō." she said, and only Trinity understood the meaning behind the honorific. It was usually reserved for children. "Of course you have character, but bushido will mold that character into something stronger and something more purposeful than playing tricks on your clan."

He looked away, embarrassed. Obviously his mother had told them much.

"This will be fine." Trinity surrendered.

"Good." Sora continued. "Now, please store your belongings, and change into your training gear." She pointed to their makeshift beds, each mound of hay covered with a sheet, a blanket and a pile of clothing folded with extreme precision and care. It was a kimono and obi sash, in simple, single color. "You have ten minutes before we meet in the courtyard. If you are a minute late, you do not eat tonight." And with that, Sora bowed and exited the building.

"Whoa," Skye led with an open hand, "not eat?"

Trinity sighed and threw her bag on her pile. "Better get dressed, boys, or your bed becomes your breakfast."

Nine minutes later the Maza children had joined their classmates in the courtyard, lined up like cattle to be inspected. They had dressed themselves in their dark, tunic-style kimonos and, despite the lack of internet to tell them how to actually and properly wear a kimono, or tie an obi sash around their waists, did so adequately. At least, no one had yet to tell them differently. Almost the entire Ishimura clan had come to witness the spectacle of gaijin learning their ways, including four hybrid gargoyles from America. Some smiled, others whispered, some of the elders didn't seem impressed at their skill in dressing. Trinity swore she could see a few male gargoyles in the farthest corner placing bets using a large sheet of paper; she didn't know what the prize was, but figured the bet centered on just how long they'd last.

"Welcome!"

A few in the line-up flinched at Kai's booming voice.

He appeared before them, walking their length from the first student to the last, every footfall causing a tremor they could feel through their feet. He reminded the Maza children of their father and his own impressive mass. He was simply looking at each of them as he passed; from head to toe he seemed to dissect them to their bones. There was the gray female who'd shed her fur and animal hide for something she didn't seem at all comfortable in; her obi wasn't straight and with a clean jerk, Kai adjusted, smoothed and tightened it single-handedly. Reaching the end of the line, he returned to a central spot in front of the group. His mate Sora was on his right, with Riko, his second-in command, on his left. "It gives me great pleasure to have you here, learning the ways of Bushido. Though your training will only last six months, I hope to teach you a great deal. And perhaps, if you find it beneficial, you will return to complete your training. But the next six months will not be easy, and we expect every one of you to abide by our rules without question. Is that understood?"

No one answered, but glances were exchanged.

"Good. Now, our first lesson. The dress code."

Sora made a bee-line for Liberty and held out a hand. "Give me your jewelry." she demanded.

Liberty lowered her brow and looked to her older sister for help. But Trinity just shrugged helplessly. She knew how much her sister's piercings meant to her, that little bit of middle-child rebellion, but had a feeling their new instructors wouldn't like them, thus she'd removed her own earrings when she changed.

"Either you give them to me," Sora tapped her thumb and index finger talons together, "or I take them off myself. And you do not have the luxury of stone sleep to quickly heal what will be left behind."

Eyes wide, Liberty simply raised her chin and swallowed, and then started to relieve herself of her jewelry. One ring from the nose, two from her right brow and four from her ears, she gathered them into her hand and dropped the pile with a metallic clink into Sora's waiting palm.

But Sora stood there expectantly, staring, hand still outstretched.

"What?" Liberty asked.

"Are there any more I cannot see?"

The girl sighed and reached under the obi, into her kimono and started fiddling with something near her stomach. She pulled out another silver ring and dropped it into the glinting pile with the rest. "Satisfied?" she sneered.

Sora bowed slightly, showing respect. "Domo, Liberty-chan. These will be returned to you in six months time."

The teenager huffed, blowing intruding strands of hair from her eyes. "The holes will grow in by that time."

"Then I suggest you remember where all the holes are." She stood back and addressed the rest of the class. "If there is anyone else with such jewelry, or piercings, please let me now. You may find it very painful if one were to be...pulled from your hide during your training." The gathered gargoyles all winced and shared looks, but no one else offered up any more metal. Sora returned to her place near her mate and allowed Kai to address the class.

"You are all here for a single purpose, to learn the ways of bushido, the ways of the warrior. But it can take years, even decades to be fully experienced in all ways of bushido. You were hand-picked from your clans for this opportunity–"

"Uh," a hand shot up, "no offense, Kai, but we were forced t' come here against our wills."

Riko, the Second, advanced on the voice. "You will address him as sensei!" she shouted. "And you will not interrupt him again! But you are correct."

The gargoyle didn't expect that. "Uh...okay."

Kai regarded the young gargoyle; crooked beak with a small chip on the right side, dark feathers almost black, he resembled an eagle. English stock. He'd arrived here in worn, patched leather and a scowl, and like the rest intent on making sure everyone knew he'd rather be anywhere else. "You are named Bertwistle, are you not?"

"Yeah..."

"Then, Bertwistle, listen and listen well. This is an experiment. My clan has taught the ways of bushido for centuries, to human and gargoyle alike, but never to outsiders."

"Then why now, mate?"

"Sensei." Riko barked, her voice like a cannon in the relative silence of the courtyard.

"Bollocks..." Bertwistle muttered and corrected himself, shaking his head at the fastidiousness. "Sensei."

"Our clans need closer alliances, our hatchlings need better training. Here, you will receive that training, or at least a part of it."

"But–"

Kai had already moved on, to the next gargoyle in line. "Ismagrad." The gray female barreled her chest and gave him a flinty stare as a silent challenge. He knew she was a hunter in her clan, braving rugged terrain and frigid weather to hunt the most dangerous animals on the Siberian plains.

He moved on. "Kingston." The thin Canadian gargoyle went stiff and tried to look imposing as the female beside him.

He moved on. "Xiaoqing." The Chinese female barely made eye contact. She was forced to remove her cheongsam and dress in this unflattering thing, but her kimono was crisp, unwrinkled and tucked flawlessly into her sash, tied so perfectly she could give lessons to the rest of the Japanese gargoyles. "Very good." But the girl didn't reciprocate in any way.

He moved on, to Trinity and her siblings. Passing her, he paused near Liberty, smiled at the scowling, lavender girl, and continued on to the twins. One look at them and their attempt at dressing themselves and the smile promptly fell from his lips. "Perhaps our first lesson should be how to tie an obi."

Day one was almost over, the sun about to rise in less than an hour. The eight gargoyles were given a lecture about honor, and expectations, and work ethics, and most importantly, the rules and the punishment for breaking those rules, ranging from the tedious to expulsion or the physical.

They were told of great figures in Japanese history, Musashi Miyamoto, Hojo Soun and his twenty-one precepts, and Asano Naganori and the forty-seven ronin. Kai had the unique ability to speak endlessly and passionately about the ways of bushido and yet, change the tone of his voice to keep an otherwise half-interested group of young gargoyles from falling asleep.

Then they learned the intricacies of how to wear a kimono and tie an obi sash, and how they would care for that kimono, and how they would keep it clean for the next six months. If the kimono was damaged due to the rigors of training, it would be replaced. If the kimono was soiled or torn due to negligence, it would be cleaned or sewn by the student's own hand.

Then, they performed yard work. A storm had recently passed through this region and the temple, along with the outer yards, were covered in leaves, twigs and other debris. Each student was given a rake and told to make this place absolutely spotless. Nothing else would be tolerated. Xiaoqing looked like she was going to explode at the mere mention of manual labor but her own sense of honor forced her to swallow the argument, swallow the distaste and start to work.

Now several hours later and without so much as a leaf on the grounds, the students were treated to their first meal in the temple communal eating area.

The eight of them were seated at a large wooden table, each gender on either side. A bowl and plate was served in front of each student and instantly, almost all of them reacted with disgust, especially Xiaoqing. Their meal consisted of a mystery mush with rice on the side and buttered bread. Ismagrad was the first to dive in, seemingly immune to the flavor and matching aroma, but the rest of the students regarded the food as if it would reach out and attack them.

Liberty stared at the gray, lumpy porridge. She could see orange chunks, carrots maybe, squares of mystery meat, but nothing else was recognizable. Getting a quick whiff of what passed for her dinner, even the scent was strange. "What is this?"

Her older sister poked at it before taking a bite and forcing it down. Hunger had overridden her finicky palate. "I think its gruel."

"Like out of Oliver Twist?" she said, shocked. "This is barbaric. It's the twenty-first century and we're being served what animals and Dickens era English orphans eat."

Her brothers would've agreed with her if the hyper-metabolism of two growing gargoyle-human hybrid males hadn't demanded sustenance. Broken by the gnawing hunger, they quickly demolished their meals and were already on the bread. In ten years time they would become mirror images of Goliath, if slightly smaller.

Liberty rolled her eyes and groaned loudly.

But the simple grunt of discontent attracted the attention of something massive and red; it lumbered up to them, casting a shadow over their dinner table. Ishimura's chief cook, Takashi, stared down at them. He'd obviously heard their complaints with his large, fan-styled ears. "This is okayu," he said in stunted English, "it is hearty. Plenty of meat."

"No," Liberty argued with the gargoyle four times her size, "I've had okayu. Also congee, and bubur ayam. They were good." She held up her bowl and the meal inside sloshed and gurgled. "This is not."

"Eat." he simply said. "Enjoy. Or you will eat what the animals eat."

"What do the animals eat?" she half-heartedly challenged, but as the gargoyle smiled she had the feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.

"You are sleeping on it. But, if you would like to go to the cove and try to catch a fish, gut it and eat it raw, you are most welcome."

With a defeated sigh, Liberty grabbed her chopsticks and started shoveling the porridge into her mouth, trying her best to ignore the bizarre combination of flavors. But she carved through it as best she could and eventually emptied her bowl. The rice and bread served as a palate cleanser, but even with two large, buttered slabs she still wasn't satisfied. Liberty grabbed the bowl and rapped it on the table. "Ahem. Please sir," she called, doing her best cockney accent, "I want some more."

Day 2.

"You have already met Riko, my Second, and Sora, my mate, but you will be taught by many others in the clan. They have all been trained in the ways of bushido and will impart their knowledge onto you." Kai turned and waved his hand to a small group of Ishimuran gargoyles standing beside him. "This is Sakura."

A young, lithe female with stark white skin stood hipshot, sizing up the new arrivals with a smirk.

"This is Noburu."

A massive golden-yellow male stepped forward and simply nodded his head at the students, his vaguely bull-like horns glinting against the light.

"And Takashi."

The big, stout cook shuffled up beside his equally impressive friend and grunted, trying to look mean.

"These are just a few of your instructors. There are still others who will aid in your training, and you will meet them...soon, I suppose." Smiling, his exposed fangs flashed and unnerved a few of the gathered students. They were wondering just who else they'd come across in this gulag. "Now," Kai clapped his large hands, sending a crack of thunder through the chamber and causing everyone to jump, "perhaps we should continue with our history lesson. Where was I...?"

Sora leaned in and whispered, "I believe you were going to start with Musashi Miyamoto."

He brightened. "Yes, one of my personal favorites. I was fond of reading about him as a hatchling."

"So you've said many times, my love."

Kai walked the length of the distant wall of this room, lightly dragging his fingers across a couple hundred books crammed on shelves a good ten feet tall, some of them as thick as his forearm. The Ishimura temple's library wasn't as impressive as Wyvern's but its collective history spanned thousands of years. "There are many tales of Musashi Miyamoto passed down through the years and though his life is often romanticized by over-eager authors who prefer style over fact, I believe the core principle is never lost." Then, he started pulling books off the shelves, selectively plucking several thick ones as if he had memorized exactly where they were. One after another, he was creating a haphazard stack behind him that started swaying as it continuously grew taller. "And...ah, here." Kai turned to put one more book on the stack and was struck by the tower he'd created in his enthusiasm.

Sora had to smother her smile.

"Well," Kai said contritely, "I suppose that will be enough material for all of you."

"Do you want us to read all of those?" Trinity asked warily.

"Most of them."

"But we can't read Japanese."

"I can." Xiaoqing scoffed.

"Well, for the rest of us–"

"It is all right," Kai interrupted, grabbing a particularly thick book from the top of the stack, "I shall read to you."

"Oh," Liberty flashbacked to the lecture they received last night, "boy."

Day 3.

Sunset hit, and the gargoyles were free from their stone sleep. After another fitful night of sleeping on bales of hay, the Mazas were roused by a heavy hand pounding on the stable doors, causing the entire structure to wobble and shimmy. It was Noburu, and he didn't wait long for the young gargoyles to roll out of bed. Allowing the females time to get decent, he opened the doors and bellowed at them to properly dress and come for their morning meal. After a quick breakfast of steamed rice, miso soup and broiled horse mackerel, the small class was put to work again. With rakes and brooms in hand, the temple grounds would be groomed to perfection and all the while Kai hovered over their shoulders. His eyes were like steel as he scrutinized every student.

But Trinity had the feeling she was being watched and not just by one of her many teachers. She turned quickly enough to catch Ismagrad staring at her and the Russian, caught, quickly returned to her chores, clumsily fiddling with the rake. Trinity sighed; she and her siblings were already the subject of whispers and illicit stares since the moment they arrived in Ishimura, so she thought it was best to get it over with. "Is there a problem?"

The large female didn't wear embarrassment well and was forced to speak her mind. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you are...part human?"

"Yes," she answered guardedly, sensing a radiating discomfort, "half and half. Our father is gargoyle, our mother is human."

"And you do not turn to stone?"

"No."

With a maddeningly illegible expression, Ismagrad didn't say anything else and continued raking, until curiosity got the better of her. "Did you hatch?"

"No, live birth." she said, wondering what else in her genetic make-up would cause this gargoyle discomfort. "And if you don't believe me, then speak to our mother. I'm sure she'd love to tell you about the massive amounts of pain involved."

"Rookery mother?"

"No...biological." And as soon as the word escaped her mouth, she amended it in case her Russian companion decided to voice an opinion on that particular tidbit. "And before we get into the whole gargoyle way, my clan's a little different from most."

"Da," she slowly nodded in agreement, "we have heard of your clan. So many humans, so many crossbreeds."

The way she said it wasn't so much insulting and she could've chalked the use of that particular adjective up to Ismagrad's unfamiliarity with the little niceties of the English language, but Trinity didn't quite like being described in that particular fashion. "You have a problem with crossbreeds?"

"There are many in my clan who think is...unnatural." she explained bluntly.

"There are a lot of clans who think it is unnatural." Xiaoqing piped up from where she was working. "Mixing with humans is not only perverted, it is a death sentence."

Bertwistle knew fighting words when he heard them and the last thing he wanted was to be caught in the middle of a couple of bickering females. "Hey, if you ladies want t' get at each other's throats, do it somewhere else."

"Close your beak, English." Xiaoqing spat. She had no more love for the Londoners than she did Americans and the Japanese.

He frowned. "And they say the Chinese are an over-polite bunch."

"It's not unnatural at all!" Liberty got her two cents in with a growl. Ever since meeting this gargoyle, she'd taken an instant disliking to her.

And Xiaoqing merely gave the lavender female a piercing side-glance, and then returned to her work. "You can justify your existence any way you see fit."

Liberty tensed, but Trinity braced an arm against her chest.

"It's not worth it, Libby."

And from where he stood on the other side of the compound, Kai merely shook his head.

Day 5.

If they'd blinked, they would've missed it.

Kai quickly reversed his opponent's hold, grabbed him by the chest and flipped Takashi over and onto the ground. Even covered by a thick mat to reduce injury, the impact caused tremors like a small earthquake. The thin paper walls rattled and eventually stilled.

And all the students jumped slightly. It was a lot of weight coming down.

Straightening his kimono, Kai turned to his class as Takashi groaned and forced himself to a standing position. "As you can see, I used my opponent's force against him with minimal effort." He approached the class, all sitting on a couple of benches on the edge of the main dojo's East wall. "You will be taught the basics of martial arts, though some of you have a background in basic holds."

But those in the audience with a background in basic skills didn't think it would prevent them from being thrown around.

"Now, perhaps one of you can try to pin me to the mat." He washed his enthusiastic gaze across his students and knew there were several who'd like the chance to take on their jailor. "Kingston."

The Canadian gargoyle was surprised to be singled out. He didn't know any martial arts beyond what he saw on television and the size difference between him and his teacher was sizable. "Uh, yeah?"

Kai beckoned him forwards his waggling fingers. "Please."

"Uh, maybe someone else should–"

"Now." Takashi ordered, standing cross-armed at Kai's side like some unmovable redwood.

Kingston leapt out of his seat and onto the mat, seeing Kai take up position on the opposite side. He bowed and Kingston hesitantly did the same. But he made the mistake of lowering his eyes and Kai quickly capitalized. Before he could even react, two massive hands grabbed his kimono at the collar and flipped him over and onto his back. The impact wasn't as forceful as Takashi's, but enough to make most of the students wince.

"Rule one." Kai smiled. "Never lower your eyes to an opponent."

"Got it..." he gasped.

Day 8.

The eight students all moved in unison, keeping time with their teacher at the head of the dojo. When she changed position, they did as well. Riko flowed from one position to the other with perfect rhythm. Karate Kata demanded patience and dexterity, but she'd started with the most basic stage in order to let everyone catch up at the same pace.

Xiaoqing of course was flawless in her form, though she wasn't fond of practicing this Japanese imitation when her native martial arts were far superior.

The rest of the class however struggled with the intricate movements. Even though they'd been trained before by some of the best, which in some ways had prepared them for the often complicated postures, the Maza siblings' skills were a little rusty and underdeveloped. Ismagrad, Kingston and Bertwistle were striving to catch up, but all of them found it difficult, especially when under the gun of an old-fashioned whooping.

An old, cream-colored female wandered through and around the students, gaze razor-sharp, watching them intently. Her beak permanently scowled, she pensively stroked the silvered braid draped over her shoulder with one hand and leaned on her hardwood cane with the other. If a movement was off by an inch, she'd let them know with a quick rap.

She sidled up to Kingston and watched him draw his arms up, bring his left arm out and flatten his palm. He thought he was doing pretty well so far until the shrill vocal warning thundered behind him and the wooden cane cracked off his forearm. "Hands higher!" the elder barked. "Elbows straight!" He gnashed his teeth and corrected himself; if a student protested, they'd receive another whack. Kingston did as she commanded and the elder seemed pleased. "Good." Her cane touched the ground and she trotted off.

Bertwistle saw her approach and did his best to mimic Riko at much as possible. She eyed him like a hawk, and the British gargoyle started to sweat under the pressure. Riko turned and threw out her fists in rapid succession, effortlessly changing her stance; every movement no matter how slight was fluid and graceful. And Bertwistle didn't quite keep up, twisting himself into an uncomfortable position.

Then it hit. That cane he'd feared came out of nowhere and bounced off his shin, the pain going straight to the bone. "Your stance is too far apart."

"Ow!" he yelled, and turned to face the shriveled elder. "Bollocks, lady, that bloody well hurt!"

Crack! "Language!"

"Knock it off!"

Crack! "Continue!"

He felt the sting on his arm and every instinct inside of him screamed to give this little bird a severe talking-to with less than acceptable language. "Back off, you old bag!"

The lesson immediately came to a stop and Bertwistle found himself under the scrutiny of an Ishimuran elder probably a hundred years older than he was. Riko stopped and was ready to jump into the fray, until her elder held up a hand.

"Is there a problem, young one?"

Her tone was sarcastic but frustratingly sweet-natured, which served to ruffle his feathers more than if she had yelled right back. "This is hard enough without the constant beatings!" Bertwistle growled.

"Then stop blundering."

"I'm trying!"

"Not hard enough." she said severely.

And Bertwistle bristled under the kimono and stuck a finger in her face, inches from the tip of her beak. "If you think I'm going t' let a shriveled little hobgoblin bloody my hide, you've got some serious brain dama–urrkkh...!"

The elder had grabbed his finger and twisted with an unnatural strength, sending ribbons of pain through his nervous system. He dropped to his knees under the paralyzing pain running from finger to shoulder.

"You were sent here because of your behavior." the elder explained sternly, yet calmly. "Because of your attitude and most especially, your mouth. I did not take the considerable effort to learn English only to have it thrown back at me with such disrespect." If she was expecting any kind of response, Bertwistle only managed to grunt. "If you think your being here is punishment, then perhaps you should ask yourself why your clan would go to such an arrangement if they didn't believe you were capable of so much more."

His eyes widened only slightly.

"Do you believe you are here simply for punishment? Or for redemption?" She released and Bertwistle almost crumpled into a feathered heap, his right arm slowly regaining sensation.

"If you have any more objections to my teaching style, please inform me before we continue."

The young gargoyle rubbed his arm and slowly got to his feet, the entire time staring daggers at the tiny woman who'd brought him to his knees. But he kept his beak clamped shut.

She assumed his reticence was his way of capitulating but still managing to save face. "Good. Now, I believe your stance was too far apart."

By the end of the lesson, all but Xiaoqing would end up with several bruises each.

Day 9.

Ismagrad had the size advantage on Riko, but the Russian gargoyle had never been formally trained in any fighting technique other than wrestling, considering it took some skill and a lot of strength to pull an ox to the ground by its horns. She and her rookery siblings would often practice on each other, becoming quite skilled, but she was a brawler at best, using her great strength and big fists to inflict as much damage as possible.

Riko knew this and used it to her advantage as the Russian gargoyle charged at her like a locomotive. But she stood her ground even as that same ground shook under her feet, staring down her opponent with a steely glare. Her eyes bleeding red, Ismagrad was about to put her shoulder square into her sensei's chest when Riko sidestepped out of the way, grabbed her by the kimono and used her momentum to flip her up, around and back to the ground on her backside.

The tremor shook the entire courtyard and a tea pot two elders were using rattled on its tray, until one of them steadied it with a single talon and returned her attention to her steaming cup.

Riko completed her move by jumping up and putting her full weight into a spurred elbow, hitting Ismagrad square in the sternum. Ismagrad moaned and coughed, rolled onto her side and started mumbling Russian obscenities in a heavy brogue. "You are powerful and fast," Riko said quietly as she bowed, "but rigid and inflexible. You cannot rely on brute strength alone."

"Brute strength..." she wheezed. "...is necessary in Russia..."

She only had to imagine the conditions in which Ismagrad's clan flourished, and was thankful for Japan's more moderate climate. "Yes, your clan has survived under incredible circumstances."

"And not once have we needed to learn how to make fancy movements with body, or with hands."

"Bushido is much more than throwing opponents around, it is a way of life, with many facets. You are rigid and inflexible, reckless and stubborn, impatient and ultimately self-defeating. You must flow like the river, and learn to adapt." She knew her remarks were hitting a nerve when the younger female shot a dirty glance at her. "Do you find yourself angry at my words?"

"Da."

"Why?"

"Is not true."

"You refuse to learn your clan's ways, refuse to listen to your elders and refuse to stop taking foolish risks, endangering yourself and your clan. One day, you may end up gored on the horn of an animal, or buried by the snow."

"They are old and weak." Ismagrad spit. "Their advice is useless. Only strong survive in Russia."

"Not always..."

She pounded the ground with both fists before rising to her feet. "Strength is most important!"

"If you think so, then attack me." Riko goaded her.

"What?"

"Come," Riko beckoned her forward with her fingers, "use all of your vaunted strength."

Ismagrad welcomed the challenge with a toothy grin and started marching towards her, eventually gaining speed. She cocked a big fist and let it fly, only to have Riko catch it and hold it with an impossibly strong grip. She grimaced and tried to move, but Riko didn't budge. And the Japanese gargoyle could see Ismagrad's forearm muscles straining in the attempt to free herself.

Suddenly, Riko pulled her forwards and rammed her free hand into Ismagrad's stomach. As the gargoyle reeled, Riko jumped up and roundhoused her in the neck.

Ismagrad went down and if it weren't for Riko's incredible self-control, she might've lost her head.

"Brute strength isn't always the best solution." she reproached the Russian.

"It...is for me."

"Rigid and inflexible." Riko repeated, shaking her head.

And Ismagrad pondered her words as she lay on the mat, rubbing her sore neck.

Day 12.

Her left side ached. If it wasn't a cane bruising flesh with even the tiniest mistakes, her last sparring session had left her in a pile on the dirt in the courtyard, with Riko criticizing her less than stellar performance. She wasn't fast enough to block the elder gargoyle's leg and it caught her in the ribs, winding her and knocking her from the mat.

And now, just after daybreak, Trinity limped towards the phone in the temple's common area. She was told she had ten minutes before reporting to the stables for rest and although the sun had already come up in Japan, she was being watched by several of Ishimura's human residents (and students of bushido themselves) to ensure she didn't go a second over her allotted time. She quickly punched in the private number to the castle and waited for a response.

"Greetings," came Mother's impassive voice, "you have reached Wyvern castle. How may I direct your call?"

"Mother, it's Trinity."

"Trinity. How do you fare this evening?"

She breathed deep and received a stab of pain as a result. "I'm...not dead yet."

"I see." she answered impassively.

"Can you get mom or dad for me?"

"Of course, your mother and father are in their bedroom. I will direct your call there."

"Thank you." The phone started ringing again, and kept ringing, and ringing, and when the number reached over a dozen, Trinity mulled over the decision to hang up and drag herself to her hay pile for some much needed sleep. But this was her only authorized phone call and who knows when she would be allowed to make another. It took another few rings and just as she was beginning to lose patience, someone on the other end finally picked up the receiver.

It took a couple of lusty breaths before Elisa could coherently form anything resembling a word. "...yuh...y-yes...?"

"Mom...?"

"...Trinity?"

Trinity lowered her brows pensively. "Yeah."

"Oh...ah, h-hi sweetie...how oooooh–h-how are you...?"

Very rarely was her mother this inarticulate. "Are you all right?"

"Fine..." Elisa wheezed. "Just fine."

"I haven't phoned at a bad time, have I?"

"No, Trini, no..." Elisa's voice suddenly shored up, despite all the heavy breathing in the background. "I'm all right. How are you doing?"

"How do you think?" Trinity couldn't disguise the sarcasm.

"I beg your pardon?"

And she suddenly realized she just snapped at one of the only people who could rescue them from halfway across the planet. "Well, I just...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–"

"Snarl at your mother?"

"Yes, I apologize."

"Oh," Elisa was enjoying the groveling, "apologizing so quickly into the conversation. Interesting." She stretched and lazily reclined on the prone form of her husband, gathering a sheet around her nude, slick body. Since sunset she and Goliath had locked themselves in their master bedroom and started making noises that would make a barnyard animal blush, only to be interrupted hours later by their daughter's futile begging over the telephone. With their festivities at a standstill and Elisa on top of him with a phone in her hand, Goliath reached over for the platter on their nightstand, with a half bottle of champagne in the ice bucket, a couple of glasses and a bowl of fresh cut and cored strawberries with chocolate mousse. "Well," she continued, "I figured you'd last more than a week. Guess I lost the bet with your father."

Trinity sighed, "Mom, we're tired, hungry and in massive amounts of pain. And I don't think getting tossed around a mat for hours on end is beneficial."

And Elisa, having grabbed a particularly big strawberry with a particularly giant dollop of mousse, couldn't help but feel a little guilty as she put the entire thing in her mouth. But the sensation soon went away. "Oh, honey..." she said between mouthfuls. "You have no idea how beneficial this will be for you, you just don't realize it yet. And if you're expecting me to feel bad for the four of you, you're out of your mind."

And under her, Goliath laughed quietly, great tremors rolling through his chest and making Elisa shiver and almost topple from her lavender perch.

On the line, her daughter protested, "Mom! I'm about to go to sleep on a pile of hay!"

"It'll build character." Elisa said and could've sworn she heard a growl in response. "Wow, kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Mom, I'm serious. We've been here for less than two weeks and I'm already ready to kill someone."

"Trinity," Elisa's tone darkened, and Trinity was able to tell the exact moment her mother ran out of patience, "you are there for a reason. A very important reason and if you can't see that, then maybe the four of you should come home."

Her daughter paused long enough to make her mother think she'd hung up, and then, finally, quietly, contritely, she answered, "Are you...disappointed in us?"

"No, Trinity." she said soothingly. "But I'm worried. Worried about the children, the hatchlings we are raising to be the next generation of clan members. One day, you all will be entrusted to carry on the legacy of the Wyvern clan, not to mention a lot of Hopi and Nigerian traditions. You, especially, being the oldest. Your brothers and sisters will look to you for guidance."

Goliath listened intently to what his mate had told his daughter and seemed pleased she understood what

must be done. And in the meantime he grabbed a strawberry from the bowl and swiped a bit of mousse for himself.

"We've taught you so much," Elisa continued, "but like the gargoyle ways, there are more people from whom you can and should learn."

"I understand...I guess."

"Good. Now feel free to call us at any time, just don't expect to be given early parole."

"Okay." Trinity said, deflated. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're wel–whoa, Goliath, your tail! Ooh..."

Trinity heard the exchange, heard the pleasurable yelp and turned up her lip. An unpleasant image ripped through her mind and Trinity was starting to guess just what her parents were doing with their children out of the proverbial house and several thousand miles away. "What are you two doing?"

"Who, us?" Elisa looked at her husband underneath her, who bared a fang. His massive hand traced her lower back and the swell of her buttocks, curling underneath and ending up in between her thighs. "Just...enjoying each other's company..."

She then heard her mother moan softly. And her father growl. "You're both naked, aren't you?"

"No, there's...a sheet."

"Oh, good lord..." Trinity choked.

Elisa felt the heat rise against her inner thighs, Goliath's searching hands finding every pleasurable spot on her flushed, caramel skin. She quivered, bit her lip and tried to keep from squealing. He kept exploring, sensing her increasing desire, filling himself with her scent, drinking her arousal and Elisa was doing everything she could to remain calm on the phone to her daughter. But she would fail miserably. "Oh god, Goliath..."

"I'm hanging up now!"

The line went dead and Elisa didn't notice. Her husband's eyes glowed with white, pulsing fire and he rose up, grabbed her lithe, willing frame and set his jaws into the warm nape of her neck. She dropped the receiver and it clattered to the floor.

And in Ishimura, Trinity hung up the phone and ran a hand through loose, black tendrils, willing away those stray images of her mother and father entwined under a sweat-soaked bed sheet– "Graauuugh..." she practically dry-heaved and felt a shudder ripple through her entire frame. She headed outside and into the courtyard, seeing the statues of the Ishimura clan and the rest of her classmates frozen on the rooftops. She followed the path down to the stables, found her particular lump of hay and crawled under the blanket, trying to find a comfortable spot while causing her makeshift mattress to rustle loudly.

To her side, Liberty raised her head. "Hey, what'd they say?" she asked hopefully.

"We're stuck here, Libby. Period."

"That's it?"

"Yes. By the way, mom and dad are having sex and I think I'm going to vomit."

Day 15.

"Here."

Liberty looked up to see her sister with an ice-pack in her outstretched hand. "Thanks..." She took the pack and gently positioned it against her thigh; Riko had caught her undefended and capitalized, leaving a bruise in a darker shade of lavender. Another night of training had passed and the sisters were convalescing in their stable. "How's your head?"

Collapsing beside her, Trinity touched some fingers to her temple. "Oval-shaped, thanks to Sora."

"That woman's quick."

"You're not kidding..." she groaned. She was still in awe of how someone could move so fast; almost every member of the Ishimura clan belied their exterior, the sweet-natured were sometimes ruthless, the heavy were impossibly fast, the old and frail deceptively strong. "You should've seen her put Skye down. I felt that through my internal organs."

Liberty leaned forwards, peering out from behind the wooden divider that separated the stable's stalls. Their brothers were snorting air in their beds a couple of stalls down, each a tangle of wing, limb and tail. They'd absorbed just as much punishment and were sleeping off a few dozen bad landings. "I don't know how we're going to survive six months, especially if we don't get a chance to heal. Not all of us turn to stone..."

"Well," Trinity said, slowly easing herself into her straw bed, "maybe we'll get to do something a little less physical soon."

Day 16.

She steadied the rake and holding it in the cleft of her curled fingers, slowly curled around a stone pillar and carved the white sand into perfect unbroken lines. Holding herself on a single arm planted on that same pillar, she was stretched like a reclining cat over an already finished expanse and the last thing she needed was to accidentally drag her tail across her work. Finished, Trinity steadied herself with a breath and pushed off into a standing position just on the edge of the sand, but for a moment her balance was off-kilter and she had to flare her wings and lean back to avoid a face-plant.

"Finally..." she breathed, looking across the breadth of the rock garden and her handiwork. Surrounded by high walls to help keep the wind down and separate it from the rest of the world, it possessed a strange serenity and was a favorite, almost spiritual place for the Ishimura clan.

When the students were ushered through the main garden in their tour of the grounds, for the first few minutes everyone actually forgot they were forced here against their wills by the simple attraction of this place, until they found out maintaining this garden would be part of their duties. Each student would take a turn and would be responsible for creating a different pattern that would become more intricate as the days went on. And considering the previous caretaker had drawn a flawless checkerboard pattern with each square more perfect than the next, there were certain expectations the students would have to live up to.

And as Trinity admired her work, her thoughts were centered on the entire reason for this exercise. Tending the sand was supposed to teach patience, and serenity; at the moment Trinity could see the latter but not the former, especially earlier when a couple of rambunctious hatchlings spoiled an hour's worth of work. But she had a nagging suspicion it wasn't simply bad luck they just happened to be running around nearby, considering most of the younger gargoyles weren't allowed to play here.

But at least this was better than sparring practice; she was still nursing several aches, pains and oddly-shaped bruises.

Replacing the rake to the hook on the wall, Trinity left the garden and wandered towards the main courtyard. As she got closer, she noticed little glowing embers drifting in the air; at first she thought they were from an open fire, but as she peered through an entryway Trinity found the courtyard completely filled with fireflies, as if a chunk of sky had loosened and fallen into the temple like old plaster, covering everything in a layer of stardust. It was explained that every year in the late spring, the grounds would explode with fireflies looking to feed and reproduce. Most would stay by the wet grasses near the cove and forests, but some would eventually find their way into the temple walls. The hatchlings were running in circles and forcing the cloud of insects to part and scatter as they dipped glass jars and other containers into their depths to trap them.

Trinity watched for a while as the tiny, multi-colored gargoyles scampered and screamed under the watchful eye of a few rookery keepers, and wished she had a camera to preserve the spectacle. But when one of the fireflies suddenly strayed from the pack, darting around in an irregular pattern, it wasn't hard for Trinity to become spellbound by the dance. It zigged and zagged its way closer and seemed to take an earnest interest in the young woman, hovering just a few inches away. It was so close that she could reach out and grab the little bug, but quickly noticed it wasn't an insect at all but a little globe of green light.

Familiar green light.

Knowing it had caught her attention, the globe zipped away towards the arch leading outside and seemed to hover there, waiting. Trinity followed and as she neared, it took off, leading her down the path towards the water's edge.

She was almost at a gallop, trying to keep up with the globe before it buried itself into the thousands of fireflies huddling amongst the wet marsh grasses.

The ball of light suddenly stopped in mid-air and hit the dirt near her feet. It infused into the ground and suddenly, a sapling sprouted from the soft soil. It unfurled and swelled and multiplied, leaves blooming from the meandering stalks; it was like watching high-speed footage of a nature show. Within seconds there was a small patch of vegetation at her feet and dozens of buds that climbed to eye level. They trembled and shivered before popping open, "Ah!" with red roses, tulips, stargazer lilies and several more she couldn't identify. "Oh." An entire bouquet had opened in front her and the mysterious origin wasn't so mysterious considering who she was currently dating. "Alexander Xanatos, I am impressed."

But as more buds started appearing, it seemed Alexander's spell wasn't quite finished. Another bud opened and where Trinity expected another exotic flower, a small brown lump emerged from the leaves, dusted with white powder. The scent was unmistakable. "Chocolate?" Trinity whispered in surprise. She plucked the little dollop from the bud and recognized the unmistakable taste of a Teuscher champagne truffle. "Chocolate."

So preoccupied by the snack she didn't notice the vegetation continue to writhe on the ground at her knees; it was shaping something with stalks and vines and it wasn't until Trinity happened to look down that she saw it had actually formed words. Her mouth slowly grew into a wry smile at the content and a touch of color pinked her cheeks when reading to the very end. "Alexander," she whispered, "you make a girl blush..."

"Trinity."

"Gah!" She whirled around to find Sora behind her, heart ready to leap from her chest and make a run for it. "Sora-sensei."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well..."

"You were supposed to report to me when you completed your task."

"I'm sorry, I was just..." She quickly turned her head over her shoulder and her private little garden had vanished back into the hole from which it sprouted. "I was looking at the fireflies. You don't get to see this at the castle in Manhattan."

The gargoyle thinned her gaze and held it to Trinity's throat for a moment before nodding. She couldn't chastise her student for simple curiosity, and considering the sight of millions of glowing, waltzing specks of light had the power to enchant even the oldest of the Ishimura clan after so many years, she decided to let it be. For now. "Please return to your duties."

"Of course." Trinity slinked past her and couldn't quite conceal the smirk.

As she watched Trinity return to the temple, Sora took a moment to explore her surroundings. Everything was as it should be, the only movement the yellow haze of fireflies, but she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.

Day 19.

In a cloud of dust, Storm hit the ground and collapsed into a boneless heap, entangled in his own wings and tail. The son of Goliath, who at fourteen was beginning to pack on a little muscle as he grew into his father's impressive frame, was just thrown like a ragdoll to the floor by a female. He groaned and rolled off his head, seeing double.

His sisters and twin brother winced from where they were seated, each of them sporting their own war wounds from dozens of sparring matches. Bertwistle's beak went crooked as he frowned; he remembered the pain of being brusquely tossed from the ring and every so often he'd run a talon around the length of his beak to make sure he didn't get another chip to match the original.

Sakura dropped her hands to her side and bowed to the young gargoyle that she'd just flipped and hurled ten feet away. She wasn't as strong as Riko, but she was blindingly fast. "You did not anticipate my attack, Storm."

"I tried..."

"You did not try hard enough." she chided him. "Now, get up, dust yourself off and try again."

The gargoyle grunted as he rose to his feet, shook his head and cleared the dust from his kimono and the dark violet skin. He slowly, painfully made his way back into the square and onto the dojo mat. Across from him, Sakura smiled and pulled herself into the same fighting stance he'd seen now for weeks.

"Come."

Storm raised his hands, one high, one low, legs shoulder-width apart, tail braced on the mat for extra balance. He and his siblings were novices in martial arts, trained by some of the very best in several different techniques from all corners of the world, but unlike his cousin Silhouette, he and his siblings trained only sparingly, especially when the rest of the world vied for their attention.

His ivory-skinned teacher settled into her own stance and froze, staring at her young charge. She could see the nervousness in his shifting eyes and knew he was waiting for something, either a clenched hand or taloned foot, to come screaming at him. His composure eroding, Sakura knew he'd eventually force the match to start out of anxiety and brazenness.

Storm swung but Sakura slapped his arm away and jabbed a couple of fingers into his side. He clenched, went stiff but held firm. His opponent noticed he'd used his left leg to brace himself and simply swept the right with her tail, quicker than he could react. Storm wobbled, went diagonal and he might've been able to regain his balance if it weren't for Sakura's quick jab to his chest, forcing his body to the ground with a focused strike. He hit and the air was sucked from his lungs. The world around him imploded and went blurry, and Storm was left looking up at the ceiling.

"Bloody hell." Bertwistle muttered to Kingston. "Kid almost got his gibs torn out."

"If he would have blocked better," Xiaoqing offered matter-of-factly, "he would not have been defeated."

"Easy fer you t' say, toff. He's just a hatchling."

The Chinese female wasn't swayed. "And his fighting skills are sorely lacking."

Sakura leaned over her fallen opponent and held up a couple of fingers. "How many?"

Storm managed to focus on the fingers and answered weakly, "Two."

"Correct. There is no concussion. Please, get up."

He rolled over and struggled to his feet. He saw Trinity and the others on the far bench, each with an anxious look, especially when Sakura settled back into her familiar fighting stance.

"Again."

Day 24.

"You will build a garden."

The students exchanged glances at Kai's sudden announcement. The entire temple was full of intricately-constructed gardens that looked like it would've cost a fortune if built by a landscaping company and an army of laborers. And here the garrulous leader had led them into a smaller section of the temple's east wing, one that looked particularly bare compared to the rest of the lavish grounds.

"As you can see," he continued, wandering his eyes over the ground, "this particular section is in need of...beautification."

"So you want us t' plant a shrub 'r two?" Bertwistle chuckled, leaning against one of the high walls with his arms crossed and his beak slanted into a particular smile.

"Not quite. I want you to build a proper garden, complete with rock walls and a pond."

Collective, pensive silence settled amongst the small crowd, all except Bertwistle. "And you think we're th' best choice fer this?"

"You are the only choice for this." Kai said adamantly. "You will craft this garden just as others have in the past. But like every structure, it needs a good foundation."

Trinity cocked her head at the wordplay. "Is that a subtle life lesson, sensei?"

He barely allowed himself to smile, and continued without missing a beat. "Without that foundation, all you have built will crumble."

"So where do we start?"

"The foundation." he repeated.

"Ask a stupid question..." Liberty whispered quietly.

Kai immediately headed for the archway that led out of this little vacant lot and just before he disappeared, called over his shoulder, "Follow me."

The students had to scramble to follow before he completely vanished into the warren of arches and paths and gardens that surrounded the temple; they eventually caught up to him near the courtyard's main entrance. He slowly and purposely turned and extended a finger towards a distant hill where the students could just make out the roundabout shape of several dozen stones. But even from this distance those stones looked big, huge even, some of them boulders. And they were at least a good quarter mile from the temple.

Storm was the first to voice his opinion. "Holy sh–"

"Storm." His sister caught him before it leaked out.

"Our stone-cutters have prepared the stones for the garden. Each of you will transport them from there," Kai's pointed finger moved from that hilltop to the temple's courtyard entrance, "to here. One student per stone."

Trinity leaned in and strained her eyes to get a better look at some of those massive gray slabs. "Some of those are massive, and you expect us to move one of them by ourselves?"

"Yes. And each of you will move twelve of them to the temple's west court."

"Twelve?"

He held up a hand, indicating he wasn't quite finished laying down the ground rules for this particular task. "And there cannot be a single claw mark or gouge anywhere on the surface of the stone."

Every new caveat their teacher could think of was making a difficult task near impossible.

"And what kind of tools do we get to help us?"

"The only tools will be your hands and your mind," he held up his own impressively-sized hands for emphasis, "and for your sake, I hope your ingenuity as is formidable as your quick wit."

Silence met his sarcasm, the students digesting the newly added task to their growing list.

"Oh, and before I forget, you will have only two hours each night to work on the garden."

"That's it?" someone reacted.

"There are many more lessons to be taught in your tenure here and I do not want my students to be so exhausted they cannot participate."

"You mean," Xiaoqing made a quick addendum, "those who do not heal with the sun."

Less than a month in and already his patience was being tested by this particular student. He stiffened, breathed through his nose and answered as politely as possible, "My concern extends to all of my students, Xiaoqing, including you. Your task will begin tomorrow night."

Day 25.

"So how the hell do we move these bloody things?"

The only gargoyle to offer anything resembling an answer was Trinity, slowly shaking her head at her English companion. As soon as the sun had set, the group decided to see what they were up against and now stood in a semi-circle around the small quarry and a pile of large stones that seemed hand-picked for their size and texture and hand-carved into their flat-sided shape. Getting a good look at these boulders, they were bigger than she first thought; even Ismagrad would have trouble moving these monstrosities.

Bertwistle tested his hand against one and it barely moved. The black-feathered gargoyle groaned. "They weigh a ton."

"There's got to be a trick." Skye mused with furrowed brows. Whereas his twin brother was the impulsive one, he was the more the introspective sort. "Because there's no way he'd make us move these by ourselves if there wasn't a solution staring us in the face."

Ismagrad walked up to one of the larger stones, standing almost chest high, and rubbed a pensive, exploring hand across the jagged surface. Bending at the knees she readied her talons to gouge into either side of the stone before Trinity stopped her.

"Whoa! Kai said no claw marks."

"Then how do I lift it?"

Her mouth moved but nothing came out; it degenerated into a helpless shrug.

Annoyed at the lack of an answer, Ismagrad huffed and spit into each of her palms, rubbing them together.

Xiaoqing made a face. "Disgusting."

The Russian slapped a hand to either side and strained to lift it. Her back muscles knotted with the exertion and her wings flared, so much so the scalloped edges of her membranes nearly went straight. The boulder rose up an inch before the sheer weight and her lack of grip forced her to drop it. "I can move stone." She turned to the rest of the class. "The rest of you...maybe."

"Great," Storm brightened, "so we get Ismagrad to move them."

"And watch her break her spine in the process?" Trinity's sarcasm was practiced, especially when it came to her little brothers. "Besides, do you remember what Kai said? We have to move a dozen each. And I guarantee you we're being watched."

Bertwistle folded his arms against his chest and scowled. "Well, our Russian friend 'ere strained to get that one less than a couple of inches off the ground. We're all gonna be in traction."

"The sun will heal us." Ismagrad argued. "Most of us."

"Listen," Trinity persisted, throwing a hand out towards the winding path they were expected to follow back to the temple, "we're a quarter mile from the temple over hilly terrain. There has to be a better way."

"Then what do you suggest?" Xiaoqing sneered. "And while I'm asking, who made you leader?"

"You have any better ideas, lady?" she shot back, and her siblings could've sworn it was their mother speaking. The brash tone was pitch-perfect and she even brushed her hair from her shoulder in the same heated way.

Xiaoqing breathed hard but said nothing more.

"I didn't think so...now, I think we'd all agree to take boulders appropriate for our strength."

Ismagrad thumped her chest with a clenched fist. "I will take large ones."

"Yeah," Bertwistle agreed, "Kingston, Xiaoqing and I'll do the same. That leaves some of the smaller ones fer you."

The smaller ones were still huge enough to warrant giving the Mazas thoughts of hernias and pulled groins.

"Well, here goes nothing." Trinity picked out a medium sized boulder and put her hips against the slab. With a bit of force, she was able to turn it on its side; it toppled with a heavy, ground-shaking thud. Trinity swore she felt the ground move underneath her feet. "This..." she breathed pitiably, "might take some time."

Day 27.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The ground shivered with every measured thud, with a ragged breath in between each one. And if it wasn't a breath, it was a groan, a grunt or a whimper. It was a wagon train of excruciatingly slow rolling boulders, being flipped one side at a time.

Trinity dug her fingers under the edge of the boulder, snorted in a breath and hefted; from head to toe every muscle in her body clenched like a vice grip as the four foot square chunk of Japanese granite slowly turned onto its side, and she had to stop herself from being thrown face first into the rock by the momentum. She repeated the motion, breathed, heaved and felt the soil under her feet tremble with the impact; again and again, she rolled that boulder until her shoulders ached and her arms were slowly going numb. The training, sparring, throwing and especially the hard landings had taken their toll. Kai had made sure to intersperse anything requiring physical exertion with a little less-exhaustive lessons to allow all the students an equal chance. But despite the medical attention, their wounds salved, bandaged and healed with techniques handed down for hundreds if not thousands of years, it was all beginning to wear down on young bodies without the concrete cure-all of stone sleep. Their father's blood gave them strength more than the average human but less than their full-blooded gargoyle counterparts, whose own boulders were farther down the winding path than their own, nearing the temple.

Taking a moment to look behind her, she traced her progress from where she started to where she was now and realized with a bit of dread it wasn't as far as the pain in every limb would describe.

Beside her, Liberty turned her boulder one more time and when it came to rest on one of its squared edges, she slumped in exhaustion over it. "Oh...my...god...I think I've separated both shoulders..."

Gritting her teeth hard enough to crush coal into diamond, Trinity got one more turn out of her own giant slab of stone before taking the chance to rest. "Yeah..."

"This is going to take forever..."

"Yeah..."

"Will you hurry up?" A voice hit the air, impatient and sharp. Xiaoqing appeared over a dip in the path and stood with cocked hips and a judgmental sneer. "We cannot build this ridiculous garden without all of the boulders, and you four are barely halfway on your first."

Skye disentangled from his rock and stood haggardly. "We're doing the best we can!" he hollered back.

She stared at the boy, seeing his shoulders heave with his heavy breaths. "This is your best? There are hatchlings that would be more suited to this than you."

"She is right." Ismagrad agreed with her, appearing from behind. "We need all stones to build garden."

"Then maybe the four of you can help us figure out something better than killing ourselves two hours a night."

Xiaoqing just shook her head condescendingly and walked away in a huff. But Ismagrad stood there with a helpless look, as if she was trying to think of something she could suggest to them that would make this easier and faster. But after a while she shrugged her shoulders and turned her back on them.

"Helpful woman." Liberty said under her breath.

"All right," Trinity stretched the kinks out and dug her fingers under the boulder's edge, "break's over."

She could hear the argument from where she was standing; the words were a little difficult to make out but the tone and intent were very clear. Sora sighed, "At this rate, the new garden will never be built."

Kai came up behind her, cocooning them both in his wings. His lips grazed ever so slightly to the curve of her neck.

"Or is this the point?" she continued.

Kai's breath was a warm sensation over her exposed skin. "They will either succeed together or fail individually."

She turned, pressing cheek to cheek. "I don't see how having our students bickering and angry at each other helps them in their training."

His next breath shook them both. "Call it an experiment."

Day 29.

"Unngh!" Bertwistle pursed his beak. "Holy hell...!" The healer had found the source of his pain with her strong, roving hands.

"Quiet, please." she shushed him.

But he didn't take kindly to the old woman palpating the wounded muscle in his right ankle. "I'd like t' see you be quiet with some bird poking at yer wound..."

The elder smiled and continued working her fingers deftly across the younger gargoyle's leg. It was definitely a sprain. "Hmm..." she said quietly and put her hand underneath his foot, pushing upwards until her patient tensed from head to toe. "As I thought, a sprain."

"I could've told you that."

"Yes, but you are not competently trained to assess and confirm such a diagnosis." She let his leg drop back to its resting position and moved to the other side of Ishimura's infirmary, reaching into the cabinetry for some compression wrap. "A sprained ankle can become a recurring injury if not treated properly, including long-term joint pain and weakness."

If Bertwistle had an upper lip he'd turn it up in apprehension. But the gesture translated just fine through his beak.

The older gargoyle noticed the expression when turning around and waved him off. "It's all right. I did not mean to alarm you."

"I'm not alarmed." he said quickly. "Who's alarmed?"

She smirked at him. "The sprain isn't too bad. We'll have you wrapped up in no time. And by tomorrow night, you'll hardly notice anything at all." Taking his injured leg in her arms, she forced his foot into the proper position before winding the compression wrap around his ankle. She couldn't help but notice the grunt of pain. "Oh come now," she chided him, "it cannot be that bad."

"Oh yeah? Maybe you should spend your nights getting thrown t' the ground, hit with a cane or rolling huge boulders."

When she finally raised her flinty eyes to Bertwistle, he could see the resolve within crinkled lines. Despite her age, her dark stone gaze was fierce; it glowed against the burnt-orange of her hide. "I did."

Some of his sneer wore off at the revelation.

"I went through the exact training you did, Bertwistle." she continued sharply, continuing her work on his ankle as she spoke. "Only my training lasted for decades, and in a way, I suppose I am still training, still learning. I was thrown, tossed, hit and dropped, all in the name of bushido. I often found myself here, having cuts sutured and bones mended. In fact, I helped build part of the wall surrounding the eastern rock garden." Finished, she let go of his foot and stood up, her six curving spurs rising imperiously like a crown. "And do you think the stones to build that wall magically appeared from thin air?"

"No, ma'am." he sighed.

"Of course not. But there is much more than the physical to your training."

"So far, all I've got fer my troubles is a sprained ankle and night after night of something worse than what Britons eat." he muttered bitterly. "But do you know what the real difference is? You wanted t' be here. You chose this training. I didn't."

"True." she nodded, conceding to his warped logic. "But I think six months of training is a much more favorable choice, considering the alternative. And regardless, it will only serve to better yourself."

"Yeah, well, I thought I was pretty decent already..."

"You are very full of yourself, aren't you? If you were truly decent, you would not be sitting on my table with a sprained ankle."

He choked on his next breath. This doctor had an unusual bedside manner. "Thanks. That's a real confidence booster."

"Confidence is earned through overcoming hardship."

"Doesn't make it easier to be here..."

"Kaede-sama!"

Kaede whirled on the spot so quickly her long, silvered braid ended up flopping over her left shoulder. Sakura appeared at the doorway of the infirmary. "Sakura?"

"We have another patient for you." She moved out of the way to allow Trinity and Storm to escort their brother into the room. Skye had his arms draped around his brother and sister, so he wouldn't have to put much weight onto his left leg.

Kaede simply slanted her head to one side and lowered her double-spiked brows. "What happened?"

"He did not dodge fast enough."

She sighed. It had been only a month since this training began and she'd already seen most of these young gargoyles several times each, especially the hybrids that didn't heal with the sun. "All right. Bertwistle, you are finished. Keep the weight off of that foot until sunrise."

He dropped to the floor and hobbled off, allowing Skye to take his place. "Watch this one," Bertwistle threw out a word of warning to his fellow patient, "her bedside manner is horrific."

"Bertwistle." Sakura stopped him before he could disappear. She examined his injured leg with her dark eyes. "Since you are injured, perhaps you can help in the rice fields. The seedlings are ready to be transplanted to the main paddy-fields."

"You want me t' be a farmer?"

"In a manner of speaking. We depend on those fields for a lot of our food, especially to sustain us through the winter."

He hastily pointed to his injury. "Do you see th' bandage on my ankle? I won't be able t' do anything until after I heal, thanks t' yer Second dumping me on my arse!"

"There are many tasks that won't require you to strain yourself. It's either that or," and Sakura grinned with the idea, "you can help in the rookery. But you will have to restrain your language in front of the hatchlings."

She saw every muscle in his face and neck twist and pop as he tried his best to control himself. "Fine."

"Good." Ignoring Bertwistle's depreciatory expression, she then gestured to Storm and Trinity. "You two can help him."

The Mazas didn't argue; farming seemed a safer alternative to sparring. All three of them left the infirmary, only for Sakura to hear Bertwistle start growling obscenities halfway down the hall. He didn't even have the courtesy to wait until he was out of earshot.

As Kaede started running her talons gingerly across the wound on Skye's leg, Sakura sighed and walked up near her elder's shoulder.

"Is there a problem, Sakura?" Kaede asked in Japanese.

"These students are either ill-mannered or unskilled."

"Some are ill-mannered perhaps, but every clan has its own definition of a useful skill."

The young female seemed unsatisfied with the reply, but didn't want to argue it further. "If this one is able to walk after you have treated him, send him to the rice fields."

"Of course."

Day 32.

Liberty flicked the brush up and completed the last branch of the last tree. The ink bled and feathered into the rice paper, the graded swath encompassing myriad shades of gray to black. Her left hand holding the right sleeve of her kimono between lavender fingers, she'd made sure it didn't drag into the ink of her painting, as instructed. She replaced her brush to the water jar and rubbed her hands together. She was starting to cramp. It had been hours at a time, stretched over a week of study, legs tucked under her, hunched over this small, perfectly angled drawing table under the light of a flickering lantern.

And having spent the last few weeks sparring, exercising and pushing boulders, she was sore from head to toe.

When the students were informed they would be practicing sumi-e painting, Liberty was the first to scoff and forced to stifle that same scoff when Kai turned his attention to her in the form of an unceasing glare. They were led to a room and sat in front of a low, wide wooden table, one per student, and before any words were spoken a large sheet of paper was slid in front of them.

"This is washi, a special paper we use for painting." Sora explained. "It is highly absorbent and will show any mistake, no matter how small. Thus, we shall practice."

But it wasn't enough to simply start painting; they all had to start from scratch. Liberty was instructed how make her ink using oil soot combined with animal glue, then ground the homemade inkstick over an inkstone to obtain black ink. But it wasn't until her instructor was satisfied her ink was of the proper caliber and density that she was finally allowed to touch brush to paper. And by then her lavender skin was already covered in smudges from failed attempts. And her first actual finished product was barely above the skill level of several hatchlings that quietly toiled in the studio with her, and tried unsuccessfully to stifle their giggling at her lack of artistic skill. She learned quickly that once a stroke was painted, it couldn't be changed or erased.

The rest of her classmates ran the spectrum from fairly skilled to hopelessly untalented. Ismagrad had taken the delicate brush in her large hand and gripped it like a knife, stabbing the rice paper with dark splotches until Sora, with her infinite patience, had instructed the burly Siberian female to relax her grip and treat the brush as an extension of her fingers. Obviously the Russian clan didn't have much time for such intricate, time-consuming hobbies.

Xiaoqing of course, excelled; her talent ran as deep as her pride in her own work.

Kingston and Bertwistle made out as well as expected, as did her brothers. Trinity seemed happy to take part in something that didn't involve moving stones, raking sand or getting thrown around the dojo mat. But lately her mood had improved to the point where Liberty suspected her often distracted demeanor was caused by an outside influence, but decided not to force the issue.

Relaxing her hand, she led another line of ink that eventually narrowed with a simple twitch of her fingers and as soon as she pulled the brush away, was satisfied with the final result. "I'm finished..." she sighed, and hoped it would please her instructor and mark the end of tonight's lesson.

A hand swooped in from over Liberty's shoulder. Sora held the paper to the lantern's light, following every stroke and line. "Very good."

Liberty actually brightened at the praise until a blank sheet of paper was slid in front of her.

"Again."

Her wings drooped. "Another one?" Liberty protested. "That's a dozen tonight."

"And for number thirteen, I would like to see...yes, the courtyard at daybreak, including all of the clan in their traditional poses."

"All of them?"

"As many as the paper will hold."

She held back a growl and grit her teeth, reaching for the brush.

Day 37.

Using the chopsticks to form a rudimentary spoon, Liberty lifted a heaping of okayu to just in front of her eyes and, staring at the gray goop, slowly let it ooze back into the bowl. What she wouldn't give for deep-dish pepperoni or whatever caused the mouth-watering smells to waft in from the kitchen. "Ugh, you'd think after a month we'd get used to this."

Bertwistle nodded from across the table. Somehow, his beak actually twisted as he managed to swallow a particularly big chunk of something he'd fished from his bowl. "I know what you mean, luv." He dropped his utensils and started looking around anxiously. "I'm getting right pissed with this place."

"One month down, five more to go."

"I ain't gonna make it that long..."

Liberty looked up from her meal and saw Bertwistle clenching his talons into the table's surface, his lowered brows almost obscuring the irritated glare directed towards several of the Ishimura clan dining several tables over. He was barely keeping his irritation to himself and where the other gargoyles' exile to this place was less apparent, Liberty was beginning to see why the Londoner was sent here. "It's bad enough we have to eat this stuff, but seeing the spread everyone else gets is like slow torture."

"What I would've give fer some fish and chips, roast beef and mash and a pint t' wash it all down."

"Oh my god, you are so British."

"Yeah, sickenin', ain't it?" he joked back. "But I'd still kill fer a pint. Or maybe some of that sake."

"Good luck," she snorted, "I don't know what the punishment is for stealing booze, but it can't be good. They might cut off a hand."

He shrugged casually. "Those cups 're pretty small. Betcha I could easily sneak a bevvy without anyone noticing."

Liberty pointed her chopsticks at him accusingly. "You'd get caught. There're eyes everywhere."

"Maybe, but it might be worth it." He picked up his bowl and held it at eye level, sloshing the contents. "Better than this stuff."

And Ismagrad, already halfway though her meal, slammed her fist to the table. The oiled surface rippled. "Stop complaining," she growled, "eat!"

Liberty was unprepared for the outburst, especially from the usually taciturn female. "Yes, ma'am."

Bertwistle leaned on an elbow. "What's it t' you, husky Russkie?"

"You are lucky to have food in belly, lucky to be fed." Ismagrad growled. "My clan struggled for centuries to survive. We sometimes go entire night without food."

"I'm sorry." Liberty apologized.

"Don't be sorry, be grateful. You are all spoiled."

"I beg your pardon?"

"We do not live in castle in sky," she then eyed Bertwistle, "or mansion in forest. We do not have hot dogs and ice cream and...and...dee vee dee, and eye-pots..."

"iPods..." Storm offered, and got an angry glower in response.

"You are all soft and spoiled. You would not last one night on Siberian plains. You would starve or be buried alive by drifts. And even when fed and clothed, you still whine like hatchlings." And then, her tirade finished, she went back to her meal and seemed to enjoy it even more than before.

The rest of the students sat in silence, picking at their own bowls.

But Liberty's thoughts were brewing and she couldn't ignore them. "We're not spoiled, are we?" she whispered to her older sister. "I mean..."

Trinity sighed, facing an inescapable truth, "Libby, we live in a castle on top of a skyscraper with a billionaire as our landlord. We have televisions, cell phones, video games, robots and the fastest internet in the western hemisphere."

She leaned back, expecting something different. But her big sister was about to surprise her.

"You're partly right, Ismagrad." Trinity argued back, pushing her empty bowl away from her. "We live a good life in our castle, but only after years, if not centuries of death and destruction. We've suffered the same prejudice as you, more so in fact. The stories I could you of what our clan had to suffer through to finally find some measure of peace would make you lay an egg. But do know you what the really big difference is? We also get it from other gargoyle clans."

Ismagrad stopped mid-chew and then slowly resumed, swallowing the lump of bread. The Russian couldn't deny her claim, especially with Xiaoqing sitting across from her.

"How would your clan greet us, Ismagrad?" she continued sharply. "With open arms? Would they throw us a party? Make us some borscht?"

"Most...would not warm to your presence." she admitted.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Trinity huffed. "And here I thought gargoyles were an open-minded race."

And with perfectly calculated timing, Xiaoqing interjected, "That depends on your definition of gargoyle. You are half a gargoyle, and barely at that."

"Is there any particular reason you enjoy bringing that fact up?" Liberty hissed, staring from across the table.

"There is nothing about you or your proximity to me I enjoy."

Trinity shook her head. "Eat your food, Xiaoqing."

Day 42.

The hay rustled underneath her as Trinity tried to find a comfortable position. Her sister had a point; after a month and a half of this she thought she would've gotten used to it. She could hear her brothers snoring just a few meters away, and Liberty had curled herself into a contented ball within her wings. But something else kept her awake. She was restless, twitchy and her skin felt flushed to the touch.

A sound above her caught her attention and she lifted her head to see a small thrush perch itself on the open window sill, preening and otherwise making itself a small nuisance. But she didn't think anything more of it, considering there were hundreds and birds and dozens of species that populated the surrounding forests, a lot of them making nests near the temple. But it wasn't until she rolled over, threw off her blanket and stretched luxuriously in her underwear that she could've sworn she heard the bird whistle a cat-call in her direction.

She instantly shot up and turned towards it. The bird was looking at her; actually, staring at her.

Trinity kneaded her brows as she and this bird glared each other down. Then, it hopped up, took to wing and fluttered out of the window. "Okay, that was...weird."

And as quickly as it had left, it returned. Shooting through the window and darting about the wooden beams, it eventually slowed and came to rest in between her legs, with a small flower and stem in its mouth. The theme was familiar and she started to think this little bird was operating with a hidden agenda. "Is that for me?" she asked the bird, and in response it dropped the flower in her open palm. "So, you decided to pluck a flower for me, did you?"

"Actually, he did it as a favor for me."

Trinity whirled around at the voice and found Alexander near the doors to the stables. "Xander..." she breathed, and somehow finally understood why she'd been so restless.

"Hey, pretty lady."

The bird flitted away and whether Alexander had ensorcelled it or simply asked it for a favor, it was lost to her excitement in seeing him again. She quietly slipped from her bed and moved towards him. "What about your parents?"

"Sleeping." he said, and wiggled his eyebrows his suggestively. "For at least a couple of hours."

"You enchanted your own parents?" She wagged a finger at him. "Xander..."

"It's not like they never expected it."

"And what about the rest of the clan currently mulling about the castle? Remember, not everyone turns to stone."

Alexander hushed her with a few fingers to her soft lips. "Trust me," he boasted, "it's all taken care of."

Trinity grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers, teasing the skin and feeling it goosebump. Her eyes flashed silver and anyone else would've thought it was a trick of the light. But her gargoyle genes had come from her father and thus, her eyes flashed white when adrenaline flooded her bloodstream. Anger or arousal and her gaze turned to fire, exactly what it was doing now. Her wings stiffened, her tail thrashed and Trinity's hands tightened on Alexander's collar. Leaning in (pulled in was more like it) he swore he could hear her purring. "I've missed you." she whispered.

He could feel the arousal rising from her like steam. She was only half gargoyle, but was as hot-blooded as any of them. "I know. Let's disappear for a bit."

She smiled at the suggestion and felt the warm caress of his magic smother them both. The rest of the world faded away.

Day 43.

Liberty noticed the spring in her sister's step the next evening. And she swore she could hear her humming something indecipherable.

After a month and a half of fighting, falling, rolling boulders and eating unidentifiable mush, her sister's sudden upturn in attitude was baffling. "Hey, what's up with you?" she whispered. "Are you smoking that hay?"

"I'm just in a good mood, that's all."

"Right..."

As Trinity sauntered away, gears started turning about what could've possibly put her sister in such a good mood.

Day 51.

Trinity went head over heels, hitting the mat and rolling into a tangled mess of wings and limbs. That good mood hadn't prepared her for the impossibly quick hands of an Ishimuran elder.

"Now, do you see what she did? Or more importantly, what she did not do?"

Rolling over and groaning, Trinity disentangled herself and half-crawled towards the benches where the rest of the class was seated.

"She did not anticipate my attack." The little Japanese gargoyle with the beak and the pale-cream skin stood in the middle of the practice mat, looking just like a grandmother hiding freshly baked cookies behind her back. "We are using much more advanced techniques than a few weeks ago. You must be aware. Now, who is next?"

No one volunteered.

"Bertwistle."

The English gargoyle lifted his head on hearing his name, and grimaced. Of course she would call on him next, her favorite victim; he was actually surprised he wasn't the first one to get his arm dislocated and tossed in a heap like the poor American girl.

"Please," she said impatiently, "I am growing older waiting for you."

"That ain't possible..." he muttered quietly as he got up and approached her.

"Pardon?"

"I said," he put a little fire in the vocal cords, "that ain't possible."

The elder smiled and kept her composure, staring up at the muscular mass of black feathers. She knew he didn't quite like her, as evident by the scowl and the tensed posture. "You're too rigid. You must relax your form or the landing will undoubtedly hurt more."

"Landing? Let me guess, yer going t' drop me on my skull just like you did Trinity."

"Only if you fail. Now, come."

Bertwistle formed a growl through his throat and hunched slightly, wings spreading, stance wide.

In the face of his bluster, the elder merely stood there, watching every movement and how he wasted so much energy in his anger. If the young gargoyle wasn't able to calm himself, this particular demonstration would be over within a few seconds.

He charged at her, leading with his right hand. But he'd subtly telegraphed his move and to the elder, he might as well have held up a sign. As soon as he got within arm's reach, she reached out and grabbed his wrist and as Bertwistle tried to counter using (surprisingly she mused) a learned technique, the little hobgoblin he'd insulted weeks ago effortlessly flipped him over and threw him on his back.

He was too rigid. Bertwistle felt the air rush from his lungs and the only sound was a choked cry as his chest compressed from the impact. "Gauugh...!" It was a few minutes before he turned over and started breathing normally. "God...damnit!"

"Your anger gave you away. If you cannot control your emotions, you will continuously fail." She grabbed her cane from its resting place and tapped the ground. "Please, get on your feet." the elder ordered.

He bent at the waist and sprung to his haunches, glaring, looking like a dog sizing up a stranger in its yard. But Bertwistle simply rose to his full height, shook his wings free of dirt and continued to stare at the little gargoyle.

She regarded him without an ounce of trepidation. "Is there a problem?"

"No." he seethed. "Ma'am."

"Then back in position."

The rest of the class waited for the English gargoyle to resume his place; he did so, with a languid but deliberate stride, all the while continuing that irritated glare.

Day 54.

He might as well have been using a toothbrush, considering the size of this damned thing in his hand. The temple grounds were littered with stone statues that didn't happen to come to life at sunset, several pairs of dragons near some of the larger arches, small pagodas and other Japanese deities, none of whom he recognized, and dozens upon dozens of Buddha, kneeling, praying, inanely smiling, all intricately carved with tiny nooks and crannies to clean.

And Bertwistle had seen every inch of almost every statue with his brush, his rag and his bucket of soapy water. And he knew–he knew–by the time he finished, some hatchling with grubby little hands would leave pawprints all over his work. After pushing rocks, raking sand, the constant sparring, practicing, the falling, the bruises on his legs from the little troll's cane and, most importantly, the sheer lack of any lager, he'd become nothing more than a glorified maid. It was enough to drive one insane. "Bloody hell, of all th' stupid, mundane tasks I've ever had t' do." he muttered.

"Hey." Kingston whispered, sweeping beside him. He motioned to a few of their teachers across the courtyard with a crick of his head. "You know, they're going to hear you."

"Don't care, son, after two months of this pointless crap I'm getting sick of it."

"Yeah well, complaining hasn't gotten us much but more work and," Kingston pulled his kimono from his chest to reveal a giant purple splotch, received a few hours ago, "more bruises."

"You may be content getting yelled at, hit with a stick and fed compost sludge, but I can't take it anymore! We're nothin' but indentured servants, cleaning up after our masters...what a load of bullshit!"

"Bertwistle."

He let his head fall back and groaned. Kai had heard him.

As Kingston slowly moved away, the Japanese gargoyle approached him, looking none too pleased at the outburst. "Is there a problem?"

He was getting sick of the question. "What do you think, sensei?" Bertwistle offered a sarcastic mouthful as his response.

"I believe you have a problem."

"Yeah, I believe I do. Maybe I fail t' see th' point behind all of this, but it seems like you just want a few indentured servants t' rake yer leaves, clean yer crap and take out yer frustrations on."

He merely lifted a single ridge. Only he and his younger charge knew the circumstances of his presence here and he wondered if that fact weighed at all on the English gargoyle and his predilection to constantly speak in a sarcastic tone. "You know it is more than that. Much more."

"Well, two months later and all I've learned is how t' land when thrown over someone's shoulder."

"Ah," Kai's other ridge popped up, "so you have learned something."

Bertwistle looked away and snorted hot air.

"Despite what you may think," he continued softly, "I believe your presence here will be nothing but beneficial."

"That's where we disagree."

"Well, I'm sure you could return to London, drink heavily and act like a thug, cause fights and property damage, and generally bring shame to your clan and to your kind."

Bertwistle was wide-eyed at Kai's response, delivered so coolly and perfectly he was surprised the old codger had such a sarcastic mean-streak in him. "You don't know a damned thing about me."

"I know a great deal, Bertwistle. I have spoken with your elders and learned everything I could."

"You know nothin', mate!" he howled back.

Kai started slowly towards him, every step deliberately measured. His gaze never left the English gargoyle, still as the ocean. "Oh, I beg to differ." he replied. "I have seen many young gargoyles such as yourself who let their anger and resentment over their lot in the world control their every way of life. They argue, fight and lash out at everything around them."

"Because th' world treats us like shit, and I–"

"Will what?" Kai cut in, stepping on Bertwistle's angry rhetoric. "Wage war against seven billion humans, most of who have embraced your existence?"

"Embraced? They barely tolerate us."

He shook his head. "You generalize so easily. More and more, humans are letting go of their prejudices. But it seems gargoyles are not."

"Because we paid in blood."

Kai slowly and deliberately pointed a finger at the younger gargoyle, staring with heavy brows down the length of his arm. "Do not confuse the sacrifices and losses of generations before you for your own. Gargoyles your age live in a time where such destruction and death is rare, if nonexistent."

"Maybe you should take a look past yer walls." Bertwistle argued, dramatically sweeping a hand across some of the stone walls that effectively blocked out most of the world beyond the temple's grounds.

But Kai didn't follow the motion; he merely kept his gaze set on his charge. "I have seen more of this world than you could know, suffered more than you could imagine and if you wish to keep complaining like a hatchling perhaps I should place you in their class. You may whine and act out as much as you wish."

The look on his face was as good enough an answer as expected to the insult; under the feathers Bertwistle's skin was flaming red.

"Or," he offered unexpectedly, "if you wish to leave, there is the exit."

Surprised it was that easy after almost two months, Bertwistle threw the brush to the ground, hitting the bucket with a plume of soapy foam. And just as the English gargoyle was about to march defiantly through the exit, Kai blocked his path. His massive frame filled the archway.

"Of course," he amended, "to leave, you must get past me."

Equally stubborn gazes scraping against each other, there was only a moment of hesitation before Bertwistle went to shove the larger gargoyle from his way until Kai violently pushed him back. It wasn't elegant or graceful like many of the martial arts practiced here; it was the alpha male defending his position as leader of the pack. Bertwistle staggered back and regained his balance, staring at his impediment to freedom.

He tried again, this time a little quicker and with a little more effort and again Kai simply shoved him away.

He had to root his talons in the soft ground to keep on his feet, and this time Bertwistle led with a clenched fist. Kai effortlessly caught him by the wrist and wrenched the gargoyle around, throwing him to the ground.

Working around the periphery, the rest of the class were left to stare at the vicious exchange and by this time, a small crowd had gathered, watching their leader continuously push one of his students to the ground.

Staring at the dirt, Bertwistle snarled and got back up, running full bore at the gargoyle that blocked his path, eyes glowing white hot. Kai simply bent low to avoid his student's claws and drove his forearm into Bertwistle's gut; the wind sucked from his lungs in one jarring strike, he went limp and Kai braced an arm across his chest and neck and put him on his back.

Bertwistle was reduced to a coughing, ragged mess of feathers on the courtyard floor.

"I suggest you stay down." Kai offered, but it just served to fan the flames.

Managing to get to a kneeling position, Bertwistle spat at Kai's feet. "Fuck you!"

He took the insult with silent aplomb, ever unflappable. "Until you are able to defeat me," he said coolly, "you will remain here."

"Haven't you figured it out yet, asshole?! We don't want t' be here!"

Most of the other students held their breath; the air suddenly felt charged. And where anyone else might've reacted poorly, Kai remained passive.

"Being shipped off without even a say in the matter, getting bruised and beaten and fed something even the beasts wouldn't touch?!" he continued screaming. "And what if I find a way out, huh? Are you gonna chain me t' a post like a dog?"

"No, I will treat you like a gargoyle. One that I have promised to train for six months."

"Betcha a quid I don't last six more days..."

Kai's next expression was a dark smile, unusual after having been insulted. He leaned over, getting good and close. "I will take that bet. If you try to sneak out, be assured we will find you and drag you back to the temple. And believe me, we know this country much better than you do."

"It's not hard t' find th' ocean on an island." Bertwistle sneered.

"Yes, but what do you think awaits you if you return to England? As it was explained to me, this is your last chance. If you do not complete your training here, you will be banished from your clan."

He didn't exactly have an answer to what he knew to be the truth and Bertwistle snorted and puffed but didn't say anything else. His head dropped.

Kai stood up and hooked his hands into his obi. "Is not six months of training a worthy exchange for exile from your clan? One of my clan was banished and he nearly did not survive the experience."

"So sentimental anecdote aside, I have no choice..." Bertwistle hissed, like an old tire losing air.

"Correct." Kai nodded. "Now unless you wish to continue trying your luck, please clean yourself up and join the rest of the students in the dining hall. It's almost time for your nightly meal." He left the gargoyle sulking on the ground and started towards the inside of the temple, eventually disappearing through an entryway with the rest of his clan.

The students slowly followed, threading around him in awkward silence.

It was all Bertwistle could do but take one last, forlorn look at that unguarded exit with the distant forests beyond.

"Is it true?"

Any thoughts of escaping to the hills were washed away by the small voice. He turned to see Liberty standing in the doorway and he suddenly felt uncomfortable under the younger girl's chocolate-brown gaze. "You mean th' threat of banishment? Yeah, luv, it's true."

"What did you do to get sent here?"

He stood up and shook his wings; a few black feathers came loose and drifted to the ground. "Long story..." he said dryly.

"And is it worth it?" she asked. "I'm not enjoying this place much either, I mean, not as much as I used to, but I can't imagine living without my clan."

Despite her parentage, he thought, she was every inch the gargoyle. "That doesn't mean you can't leave." he countered, raising a hand towards the arch and freedom so tantalizingly out of reach.

But Liberty refused to look; she couldn't. She couldn't imagine escaping into the wilderness and somehow finding her way home to Manhattan, only to face Elisa and Goliath's disapproving glare. So she didn't allow herself the fantasy. "Tempting," she said at length, "but I'd rather not face my mom and dad when they find out I ran away. There's nothing worse than hearing your parents are disappointed in you."

Bertwistle nodded plainly. "Tell me about it. Imagine an entire clan of rookery parents and a collective disappointment measured in th' dozens."

"And do you want to disappoint all of them?"

Shame tempered his words. "I already have, luv..."

She stared at him for a moment and nodded, then turned around and made her way inside.

He stood alone with his thoughts, and then reluctantly followed.

Day 61.

Another day done, another couple of hours spent rolling boulders and learning how to fall over the shoulder of someone both faster and smaller.

The students had dragged themselves into the eating area for their dinner as they always did around this time, conversation kept to a minimum. They only had one thing on their minds and that was to get some much needed sustenance into their bodies, despite the fact it was being served in the form of monochrome mush.

Liberty pecked slowly at her bowl, trying to fill up on the bread. She'd taken a seat at the end of the table on purpose, to put as much distance between her and Xiaoqing, and to make sure no one was watching while she furtively slipped a hand inside her kimono. Seeing the rest of the class was intent on their food and nothing much else she pulled out a few pills, hiding them in the crook of her palm. If it weren't for the fact the medication had to be taken with food, it would've been easier to conceal than in the middle of eight hungry students clustered around a table demolishing their meals.

She'd gotten away with her secret for almost two months. But this time, someone else just happened to be watching as she quickly and skillfully slipped the pills into her mouth and washed them down with a swig of water.

"Were those pills?" Kingston asked.

Liberty swallowed and looked at him, hesitant to answer. She'd gotten sloppy and the Canadian was getting nosy. "What?"

"The pills. What are those for?"

By now, most of the table had turned their uncomfortable attention to her. "I...have to medicate daily."

"Why?"

"It's nothing serious..."

"Way to downplay it, sis." Trinity cracked wise.

Too many secrets were being spilled for her liking. "Listen," Liberty threw her hands up, "explaining it would take too much time and unless you're aware of gamma-aminobutyric acid...?"

Kingston shook his head. "Uh, no."

Frustration leaked in a sigh; better to get this over with. "Let's just say I have a few deficiencies and the medication replaces what my body has trouble producing. Supposedly, if I don't take these every day, I might get tired or anemic, maybe have a seizure, or the incredibly remote possibility of an aneurysm...supposedly." she added darkly. She was never convinced those little pills were doing much of anything except making her feel like less of a person.

"Take it from someone who's seen it, Libby," Trinity interjected, "they keep you healthy."

She snorted into her glass of water. "I'm sure they do."

"What caused it, luv?" Bertwistle continued Kingston's train of thought.

"Being thrown around the timeline by a magical bird for seven months." she explained casually. She usually forgot the other clans rarely suffered through magic-related mishaps every other week. But at least Bertwistle was familiar with the subject due to the fact the English clan owned a magic shop. "Near the end my mother was in agony because of the magic inherent in the Phoenix Gate. She almost died in childbirth. My cousins went through the same thing, but to a much lesser extent."

"Are they taking pills?"

"No, they have...they had a different kind of treatment. But it was never as severe because they're full-blooded gargoyles and didn't spend as much time in the stream. In time they were almost fully cured."

Kingston raised his brows. He didn't know if that was some weird American slang; his rookery sister Rain had picked up a few new words living in New York, along with a bit of technobabble from her mate. "Stream?"

"Timestream, sorry. Like a highway that never ends, with potholes the entire way."

"You have my pity." Xiaoqing offered from the opposite end of the table, but the idea she was capable of sympathy was short-lived. "To live your life sick and weak must be unbearable. Neither fully human or gargoyle, but a mismatched mess of the two."

"Now I know why I sat so far away..." Liberty muttered.

But Trinity was incensed enough for both of them. Chopsticks dropped into her half-empty bowl. "Excuse me?"

"My apologies," Xiaoqing smiled, "I suppose your hearing isn't as sharp as a true gargoyle."

It was enough to get all the Mazas on their feet, New Yorkers born and bred and spoiling for a fight. "I can hear you just fine, Xiaoqing." Trinity seethed. "And I assure you, so can my brothers and sister."

"Yes," the Chinese gargoyle washed her flinty gaze across the siblings, either oblivious or unafraid of the hornet's nest she was poking, "more half-breeds. Your clan is full of them, isn't it?"

And to the side, Bertwistle clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Bollocks and biscuits, not again," he groaned, "she's going t' start a rumble."

"Rumble?" Ismagrad echoed, puzzled.

"That's English for fighting." Kingston explained.

She simply nodded and returned her dispassionate gaze to the brewing storm. "Hm."

"You blend your blood with humanity so willingly," Xiaoqing continued, "so freely, it's as if you don't care about those who lost their lives to humans. If I were to sully myself with human blood as did your clan leader, if I were to spit on generations of gargoyles killed by humans, I would be punished or even banished. But you willingly make yourselves subservient to them, and your clan leader knowingly rutted with a human."

Marching around the table and towards the Chinese gargoyle, Trinity stared her down; she'd inherited her mother's eyes and ability to put fear in others with just a cold look. "I'd be careful about how you speak about our clan leader, and our father."

Her thin eyes slit further, a silent challenge to the American invading her personal space. "Your father..." The tone was less than complimentary. "He is well known to my clan, as a fool and a traitor."

Trinity twitched at the insult, but it kept coming.

"Exposing our kind to humans, endangering all of us, and then becoming a slave to them."

"He's an ambassador." Trinity argued, and couldn't get much more out in her mounting anger.

"He is a traitor." Xiaoqing's sneer deepened to the bone. "How he managed to dupe the council into signing that pact...so that we may become circus animals for the humans' amusement. He has tried to strip us of our traditions, and destroy our very way of life."

"Without him, your clan might be rubble by now."

"We successfully hid from humans for hundreds of years, until he undid everything."

"He's done everything to preserve and protect us, including risking his life, while you hid away and allowed other clans to die in your place!"

But it was clear Xiaoqing wasn't listening to Trinity's defense of her father, rather falling deeper into her tirade as the high tide of anger bloomed. "And what really disgusts me, is his penchant for diluting our species' proud lineage and continually breeding weak excuses for gargoyles," she turned and found Liberty in the black depths of her eyes, "especially your sister."

Liberty charged at the Chinese gargoyle and was barely held back by her sister. "I'm getting sick of your constant insults! Shut your goddamned mouth!"

"I will speak as I please, girl." Xiaoqing hissed, thin lips spreading into a smile. "Unless you wish to shut my mouth for me."

She backhanded the gargoyle across the mouth so quickly even Xiaoqing didn't have a chance to react.

Everyone was taken aback and when the shock wore off a few seconds later, what happened next was completely expected.

With a snarl Xiaoqing lunged for Liberty, aiming for her throat; if it wasn't for Trinity running interference her sister might've had her larynx ripped out. Luckily her anger had temporarily dulled her impressive skills and Trinity was able to hold her off, pushing Xiaoqing back against the wall. She swiped and snarled and elbowed Trinity in the head, trying to rid herself of the woman holding her back. Storm jumped in to help while Skye got in front of Liberty, but Xiaoqing kept struggling. She got a hand free and grabbed at anything she could find in arm's length, which happened to be a bowl of okayu.

She caught it by the rim, hurled it and hoped it would hit its target. But Liberty quickly dodged it.

The bowl ripped across the room and before she could react, splashed across Ismagrad's chest. She slowly lowered her head and looked at the gruel dripping from her clean kimono and onto the floor. Her Chinese companion may have thought their uniforms were simple and unattractive, but for Ismagrad, having something handmade with such care and finery had become a source of pride. "You ruined my clothing." she hissed.

As everyone disengaged from each other and took a few breaths, Xiaoqing eyed the Russian cautiously. "It...was a mistake."

Hands that had singlehandedly broken the neck of a deer on the snow-scoured plains curled into fists. She tromped towards Xiaoqing, staring daggers at the slimmer female and wringing those large hands in anticipation. "Da, it was."

"Excuse me." a voice interjected. "Is there a problem?"

Both women turned to find Sora at the door to the dining room, hands in front of her and tucked into her sleeves. They stopped a few feet from each other.

Sora looked at the front of Ismagrad's kimono and the remnants of someone's meal dripping onto the floor, and immediately deduced the problem. "You're clothing is dirty. I suggest you wash it before the stain sets in." She turned to Xiaoqing. "And I think you should help her."

"This is humiliating."

"Then you should not have thrown food."

"It was not meant for you." Xiaoqing snarled, as if that would make everything all right.

The Russian grumbled and lifted her kimono from the cove's clear waters and wrung the water out. The okayu had stained deeply, but was beginning to disappear from the fabric. "It is almost clean."

"Well, I'm sure there are plenty of animals running around in the forest for you to skin and wear."

Ismagrad shot a nasty look at the gargoyle beside her and considered wrapping her hands around that slender, tapered neck. Her clan had limited contact with the Chinese over the years despite their relative proximity; both clans were isolated, arrogant, xenophobic and steeped in too many centuries' worth of tradition. Where the Xanadu clan thought of their Northern neighbors as savage and uncivilized, the Russian clan considered the Chinese pompous and aloof. "We wear skins only because we must."

Xiaoqing's slender ridges, starting partway down her nose, clenched as she furrowed her brow. "Of course you do."

A few more minutes of uncomfortable silence followed as the females continued scrubbing, dunking, wringing and scrubbing until they were both satisfied the garments were finally clean.

"At last." Xiaoqing muttered, looking at her pruned hands. "I am not a washer woman."

"Your hands are delicate. So is rest of you. You would be rookery-keeper in my clan. Or maid." Ismagrad mocked her.

And Xiaoqing clenched one of her so-called delicate hands into an intimidating ocean-blue fist as a challenge. She'd floored members of her clan twice the size of this hefty female with a single blow.

"Xiaoqing." someone said behind her and the Chinese gargoyle unclenched. Kai stood behind them, having watched the exchange. "Are you almost finished?"

"Yes, sensei. My companion here need not kill anything in your forests to drape over her...sizable frame."

Ismagrad shot her a look but was distracted by Xiaoqing lobbing her sash at her. She had to swipe it from mid-air before it hit the ground and got dirty all over again.

"Good. Now you can concentrate on the rest." He turned and dramatically waved an arm over a small army of young gargoyles. He'd led a rainbow procession towards the water's edge, each one with a pile of clothing in their arms.

Xiaoqing, forced to wash something as small and unassuming as Ismagrad's sash, was dismayed at the thought of more. But the pile kept growing as the hatchlings continued feeding the mountain of clothing until it reached three feet high. "You cannot be serious..."

"I am very serious." he said with a withering glare. "If you wish to throw your food like a hatchling, then you will be treated as such."

She fumed; this was outrageous. "And what about Liberty? She was the one who struck me."

Kai stepped aside to reveal another gargoyle. Liberty stood behind him, glaring at Xiaoqing. "She will help you, since she is the one who struck you."

And Xiaoqing's eyes glinted the color of blood for a split-second before she turned away. "And I continue to be punished for defending myself?"

"Liberty acted poorly, as did you. You allowed yourselves to be ruled by your emotions, and your narrow-mindedness. Bushido demands you be punished for the shame you have brought upon yourselves."

Bushido be damned, but she swallowed her pride if only for her own sense of honor, her own code built on thousands of years of Chinese history. "Fine."

"Ismagrad," Kai said, "if your clothing is clean, please return to the temple and wait for me in the courtyard."

She nodded, threw her kimono and obi over her shoulder and started up the hill to the temple, unintentionally leading a trail of curious hatchlings.

"As for you two," Kai returned his attention to the two females, who seemed to be ignoring each other as much as possible, "you will wash all of this clothing, and will do so without so much as uttering a single word. Is that clear?"

Neither of them uttered a single word, and silently went to work.

After an hour of scrubbing, Liberty and Xiaoqing polished off the pile of clothing and returned to the temple. They were directed into the eating area and met with the other students, who'd stayed behind to help clean up the spilled food.

Kai stood up from where he was sitting and finally, after a period of awkward silence while waiting for the two gargoyles to finish their washing, addressed the small group. "Consider yourselves fortunate that washing clothing was your only punishment." he said impassively. "I could have bound your wings or left you in the stocks in the middle of the courtyard for a night. A few elders think you could use a few strikes with a shinai to curb your tempers and I found it hard to disagree."

"Yes, sensei." the girls chorused and then, realizing they'd answered together, shot each other dirty looks.

He cleared his throat and with a pointed finger, directed the females to sit down, far from each other. "As much as I am distressed by the fact my students are resorting to throwing food, there is a much more troubling aspect to the nature of this conflict. Gargoyle should not fight gargoyle."

Storm piped up, "You make us fight all the time."

And Kai stared him down, heavy enough to make a sore spot on the teenager's chest. "There is a difference between sparring," he replied pointedly, "and trying to tear one's throat out."

"I was attacked." Xiaoqing's tone walked that fine edge between a legitimate grievance and full-blown complaining. After two months, it was getting hard to tell the difference.

"Yes," Kai nodded, "and Liberty was punished for it." He turned his head just enough to catch Liberty in the dark of his eyes. "If there is another altercation, the punishment will be much more severe."

She chewed her lip, but nodded silently. Her hand still stung where it made contact with Xiaoqing's face, but she wasn't at all remorseful.

"But you are not innocent in this, Xiaoqing." Kai continued. "Your words were...distasteful. Prejudice will not be tolerated here. Despite what you think of each other, you are gargoyles, and we need each other more than you could ever imagine. I would hate to have to send any of you home in shame." And with a deliberately silent stare at the small group, he turned and started towards the door. "I hope you had enough to eat tonight, as you are not getting any more."

Day 62.

Kingston rubbed the back of his neck; he figured he had a hand-shaped bruise there caused by Riko's less than gentle teaching methods. "Holy crap...I think I have a friggin' hole in my head."

"Yer fine, mate." Bertwistle assured him. "Brain's still there."

"If it is, it's upside down."

"Shoulda sticked yer landing."

Letting the English gargoyle and the others walk ahead, Kingston muttered, "Yeah right...landing's easy when you don't have a hand clamped to the back of your head."

"Kingston."

"Jeez...!" He nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice just behind him. He whirled on his toes to find Sora, staring at him in that cool, peculiar way; just enough to make him uneasy.

"Do you require the healer, Kingston?" she asked pleasantly.

He straightened. "Uh, no ma'am. I mean, no, sensei."

She studied him for a moment and, confident he didn't need Kaede's talents, sent him off, "Good. Now, it is almost dawn. You may go." As the students headed towards their respective daytime perches and beds, Sora noticed Liberty lagging behind and quickly grabbed her by the arm, lurching the young gargoyle to a halt. "Liberty, please wait."

Singled out by her teacher Liberty glanced over her shoulder and was prepared to find a disapproving scowl, but Sora wore only concern.

"I wanted to speak with you about last night's...altercation." she revealed.

"That's a good way of putting it. Don't worry, sensei," she snuck a glance over her shoulder at the retreating form of Xiaoqing, instinctively sneering, "it's been twenty-four hours and we haven't killed each other yet."

"That was not my concern."

"Then what is?"

"You are." Sora replied matter-of-factly.

Turning to fully face her, Liberty's expression tightened. "Me?"

She nodded silently. "From what I gather, you were quite upset over Xiaoqing's...ill-chosen words."

Liberty crossed her arms under her chest and started rubbing her biceps like she was cold. "I wouldn't call them ill-chosen, I'd call them incredibly bigoted."

"You cannot take what she says personally." Sora moved closer, somehow able to mask even the slightest trace of sound. "Unfortunately, a lot of clans are prejudiced against humans, and some for good reason. They have lived with death and destruction delivered upon them by human hands for years."

"I know." Liberty breathed. "My dad would tell us stories of the dark ages and how so many gargoyles were killed. But to blindly blame an entire species is idiotic, and it's tough when one half of your genetic material is the very thing they detest."

"I can imagine."

"No you can't."

"True." she admitted, if only to appease the teenager. "But I have lived through my share of anguish, and my anger put a thin steel dagger through Kai's heart."

That was a conversation stopper and Liberty thought about her next response carefully. "I try not to blame them for being angry but when people dismiss, reject or even hate me because I'm either one species or another I can't help but get insulted."

There was so much more to this argument that Sora wanted to talk through but she could sense the coming sunrise and knew she had moments before the world would fade away around her. "The sun will rise soon." she announced, and Liberty looked to the sky; there was a glowing sliver of light framing the distant mountains. "It has been quite some time since you were able to call home. I think now is a good time."

She was awarded with a rare smile from the Maza's middle child. "Thank you, Sora-sensei."

After a few rings, someone answered; the voice was like a bass drum, reverberating over the line. "Yes?"

"Hi, daddy."

Goliath beamed. "Hello, my daughter."

And on the other end, Liberty felt a sense of comfort washing over her like an old blanket. Her father's deep voice always had a soothing effect.

"I am glad to hear from you."

"Yeah, me too." she replied earnestly. "My jailors have given me a rare phone call and I didn't want to waste it."

He could practically feel the sarcasm dripping from the telephone. "Are you still angry with our decision to send you to Japan?"

"I..." she started and lost the nerve. Part of her was still frustrated, but two months had dulled the sharp edge. "I don't know."

"It was not vindictive, Liberty, it was for your own benefit."

"Because we weren't good enough."

"No," he quickly amended, "because you still have so much more to learn."

She swallowed the lump. "Daddy, it's just...the training here is really hard."

"I know." he took pity, but it only went so far. "But your perseverance will be rewarded, I assure you."

"Are we talking cash, or something a little less tangible like wisdom or self-respect?"

Both his daughters had inherited Elisa's sharp sense of sarcasm, but Liberty was proving herself the better wielder of such a powerful weapon. "In many ways you are still so young, despite the fact I have watched you grow so quickly. More quickly than I would have liked."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, daddy."

"Yes, which is why it's time to start acting like an adult and continue your training there."

Liberty had to admit she walked into that one, the victim of circular logic. "Yes, sir." she squeaked. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to complain..."

Goliath softened his tenor. "Then why did you call?"

"I guess I just wanted to hear your voice..." she said wistfully.

"You sound troubled."

"Just still trying to get used to this place. And the other gargoyles."

"Is there a problem?"

"No, not really." she flat-out lied. "I guess I'm just trying to get used to different customs and...different ways of thinking."

But Goliath could tell from the tone of his daughter's voice something was bothering her. "And do these different ways of thinking involve you, or your heritage?"

She knew better than to try and hide something from her father; despite being flustered by raising the simmering, emotionally-charged atom bombs that were half-human teenage girls, there were times they would let the emotional wall falter just a bit for him to get a peek inside. "Some of the students aren't too thrilled with half-human gargoyles." she confessed.

Something hissed through the phone. Goliath sighed. "Yes, we are aware of your other classmates. We have always had good relations with the London and Ottawa clans, but the Russian and Chinese clans are not exactly approachable."

"Because of our relationship with humans."

"Not all gargoyles are accepting or even tolerant of humans. Some even hate them." he explained. "It is simply a fact of life. No matter how hard we have strived for acceptance, how much progress we have made, there are others who cannot conceive of ever changing their opinion. And often those opinions are rooted deep in painful histories."

"Did you ever hate humans? After the massacre I mean..."

"I was mistrustful, resentful, filled with rage. I still remember the feeling of wanting to kill our betrayers."

Liberty was struck by that particular word. She'd never heard her father speak this way, but he'd usually gloss over some of the more grisly details of his clan's past when telling the stories of old Wyvern to his children.

"My hatred was great," Goliath continued, "but short-lived. One cannot live with hatred without being consumed by it."

"I don't know. One of the gargoyles here seems perfectly content in her disgust." Her free hand clenched, imagining it was Xiaoqing's slender throat between her fingers.

"You have encountered such hatred before, Liberty, and will in the future. It is unfortunate, but inevitable. But in time, it will get better."

"Is that a promise?"

His voice never wavered. "It is a fact."

"You know, people keep saying that but it's hard to imagine."

"Nor could I when we first awakened." Goliath responded candidly. "But it has been almost twenty-five years and I have seen the progress first-hand. Mostly because of your mother. Because of a human."

Liberty didn't even try to smother her smile, considering no one was around to see it. Her reputation as a sullen teenager was secure. "If only every clan had an Elisa Maza of their own."

Goliath shared her smile. "Yes, it would make things much easier, especially the summits."

About to answer, Liberty saw something flick past her peripheral vision; one of the human residents had come to escort her back to her room. "Well, apparently my time's almost up, so I gotta go. Tell mom I miss her."

"I will. Please endure this, my daughter, and do not forget to take your medication."

Her face puckered at the mere mention. "Yes...I'm taking those stupid, tiny pills."

Goliath felt her prickle through the line. Ever since she started medicating as a young girl, it had always been a battle of wills between father and daughter. "Liberty..."

"I know, I know. Listen, I have to go."

The line went dead and Goliath stared at the receiver in his hand. It was hard to comfort her from halfway around the world and had hoped his words offered some sense of solace.

His middle daughter was always the mystery to him; her illness, her attitude, her general moody outlook on life. It would've been easier to talk to a Viking dead-set on shoving a battleaxe into his neck than deal with a teenage half-gargoyle.

Day 71.

The students were ushered into a room they'd never seen before. Much like the dojo, it consisted of just four walls and a cavernous interior. But the ceiling was a little lower, the room a little smaller and as much as the dojo was usually a flurry of activity all hours of the night, this particular room was empty, quiet and seemed to encompass a venerated calm.

The rice-paper walls were full of varnished wooden racks, holding weaponry of all shapes and kinds; some the students recognized, others were strange and looked almost prehistoric.

"Konbanwa." A low, gravel voice met them.

They turned to see a slender, slate-blue gargoyle perched in the corner of the room. He was sitting cross-legged, his hands relaxed in his lap and his eyes closed. He remained in this position for a few unnerving moments, before opening his eyes to the group of students who didn't quite know what to do with themselves in his presence. He rose in one fluid movement and shook out his unusual wings; no visible arms or struts could be seen, just a cloak of darkness broken only by feather-like markings near his shoulders. His aquiline face seemed permanently downturned into a scowl.

The students bowed to their newest teacher.

And Yama bowed back.

They'd barely seen much of him in their tenure here, Ishimura's infamous–and former–second-in-command. He was an inconspicuous shadow most of the time, watching them during several of their exercises from a distant corner, enough to pique the interest of the students who never knew the story of his duplicity and difficult redemption. The Maza siblings had filled the rest in from stories their parents had told them years ago.

His honor restored years later, he'd taken a mate from the Pukhan clan in Korea. Since the Pact of Île de la Cité, the Asian clans in Japan, China and Korea had started to inter-mingle more frequently in order to mix blood and ensure any unmated gargoyles had the chance to find a mate. Despite the reputation that would dog him until his last breath, Yama found someone who didn't care about his past but saw potential in their future. The students had seen her a few times, a lean, slender-horned female with russet hair and golden hide that would sparkle slightly in the presence of any light. She had the air of an empress and seemed suited to Yama's own imperious disposition.

"So," he began high-handedly, "you are the students, neh?" He was staring at the Mazas. "I can see Goliath-sama in your features. He is your sire?"

"Yes, sensei." Trinity nodded, her voice an octave lower than usual. She didn't know why this gargoyle was making her uneasy.

He flicked his eyes from the Mazas to the rest. The English, the Canadian, the Russian and the Chinese, they were an eclectic group and odd choices for Kai's experiment. He wasn't too enthusiastic teaching those who wouldn't appreciate it. "If you haven't already guessed by now, you are here to learn the art of wielding a weapon, most notably Kendo."

"Is Kendo...with swords?" Storm asked hopefully. Rumor had it by way of overhearing a few conversations here and there that the class was going to start weapons training soon.

And Yama confirmed it with a simple, impassive nod.

Making sure to be discreet, the brothers stole furtive glances at each other and smiled. Out of the entire class, no one looked forward to weapons training more than the twins, but putting something as sharp and deadly as a samurai sword in the hands of Skye and Storm Maza was never a good idea.

"Before you celebrate," Yama quickly stepped on their good mood, "you will not be using swords. I will not have untrained hatchlings cutting up the training room and themselves." He gestured to a rack close to him, with odd-looking substitutes. With a curt but sweeping gesture, he directed them to grab one each and allowed them a few minutes to grow accustomed to the weapon and the weight of it in their hands. "These are shinai, a sword substitute made of four bamboo slats held together by leather fittings."

And on finding out what a shinai actually was Liberty was thankful she had been given washing duty after being threatened with a lashing as punishment. Having this thing strapped across her backside several times would be torture.

But Storm stared mournfully at his makeshift sword, hoping for something lethal like he'd seen Katana wield in the Eyrie dojo. And his brother, though not as bloodthirsty, also felt the pangs of disappointment. Of all those times he'd sliced and shot his way through hordes of video games characters, he figured the real thing would be tantamount to living a fantasy. But this bamboo surrogate seemed... "These just seem sad."

Yama turned to the boy and looked at him disapprovingly. "They are quite powerful, if mastered properly."

"But they're just bamboo straps." Skye agreed with his twin.

Yama let out a sharp breath and tightened his grip around the handle of his shinai. Slowly and methodically, he turned and moved with the sword as if it was a living extension, and the twins were mesmerized. They were instantly reminded of all those times they sat on the edge of the dojo and stared at Shadow or Katana wielding their swords, relieving mannequins of their limbs with a single swipe and then playfully beheading them for the thrill of their audience. So enraptured, they were unprepared for Yama's split-second change in speed. He turned, swiped and cracked his sword against the twins' hands, forcing them to drop their weapons and yelp in pain.

"OW!" Storm howled, pain coursing through his hands. "Holy crap!"

Trinity and Liberty both curled their lips back in sympathetic grimaces.

Yama drew the sword back and laid it against his shoulder, watching the siblings writhe in agony. "As I said, they can be quite powerful. Imagine the damage you could do with something sharp enough to split a hair."

Lips puckered, Skye almost folded in half, putting his hands in between his legs to keep them from shaking.

"Kendo is not for hatchlings." he admonished them further.

"We're not children." Skye muttered.

"Oh?" His eyes went up and down over the young man who stood a strapping five foot five. The growth spurt waiting deep in his genes hadn't yet kicked in. "I am not well versed on how quickly you mature, but you look quite young to me."

"I'm fourteen."

"When I was fourteen, I was barely taller than the shinai itself."

As the feeling returned to his fingers Storm glared at his instructor. "We age like humans, all right?"

Yama returned the glare and quickly shriveled the young male's resolve. "If you wish to wield a sword, then you will practice with the shinai first. I don't think Goliath-sama would appreciate one of his rookery sons returning without one or both of his hands. Now, pick up your sword."

Storm huffed and traded a glance with his brother. Skye shrugged and reached for the shinai that'd dropped at his feet, and his brother eventually and begrudgingly did the same.

"Good." He watched as the twins gripped their bamboo swords, this time with a little less excitement and a lot more determination. Hopefully he could mold that grit into something exceptional in the short time they were here. "Please join the others."

They moved back with the rest of the class, who'd watched the entire exchange.

"You okay, boys?" Trinity cooed playfully, seeing the angry pink in her brothers' purple cheeks.

Storm lifted his shinai and stared at it balefully. "I can't wait to get a real sword."

"I think Yama's right, I don't think dad would appreciate you losing a body part."

Having heard the exchange, Yama offered amiably, "If you improve, perhaps we can graduate you to bokutō, or bokken in the Western tongue." He turned and grabbed a sword from one of the many racks adorning the walls of the chamber, tested its weight and balance and then peered appraisingly down the blade's length with one eye. "Ah," he said admiringly, "good." He held up the sword so everyone in the class could see. It was an almost perfect replica of a katana, complete with hilt and leather-wrapped handle, albeit made completely from wood.

But Storm was less than impressed. "That's still wood." he muttered.

Yama started nodding thoughtfully and gripped the sword with both hands. Slowly he started swinging, his movements deliberate and practiced; the Kendo footwork of ashi-sabaki demanded no less. After what happened to the twins just minutes earlier, everyone gave him plenty of room. But he turned away from the students and towards one end of the room. Sliding and gliding his way closer to several practice dummies rooted to the floorboards by a thick wooden pole, his movements became quicker, sharper, and once he got within arm's reach of the closest mannequin, he struck, slicing a perfect diagonal line across the chest. Padding spilled out through the torn fabric like warm gizzards.

Those unfamiliar with the bokken shared looks of surprise.

"You can do much damage with a wood sword, especially if it is made properly, which is why you will be using the shinai during your sparring. The bokutō is not a sparring weapon, as you can see."

"Yeah..." Storm was still staring at the gash on the mannequin. "Shinai, got it."

Yama delicately replaced the sword to the rack and returned to the front of the room. "Now please, everyone take your positions, wing-width apart. Let us begin."

Day 78.

Kingston drew the bowstring back with measured patience, like he'd done a dozen times before. His ippongake glove didn't even tremble on the end of the arrow as he stared down the length towards the target fifty feet away. He mentally traced his steps; first, ashibumi, placing the footing, then dozukuri, forming the body, yugamae, readying the bow, uchiokoshi, raising the bow, hikiwake, drawing apart, kai, the full draw and then, hanare, the release.

There was an eighth he was forgetting, but it was hard enough to memorize the first seven. He wasn't good at languages that weren't English; Magellan, the clan elder, had always criticized him for his inability to speak a single sentence of his native French. Shaking loose the stray thoughts and confident the middle of the target was in his sights, he released the arrow and the full strength of the massive bow sent it screaming. But it sailed wide of the target, glanced off the side and angled a little too much to the left for his liking.

"Oh no...heads up!"

The arrow whistled into the wooden serving tray of a couple of Ishimuran elders settled in for tea while watching the archery lessons. Everything perched on top rattled and spilled and sent their hot tea flying everywhere. They were forced to shield their faces with elegant kimono sleeves.

Kingston grimaced and waved apologetically at the elders. "Sorry, my fault!"

And behind him, most of his fellow students offered a round of applause.

Noburu rubbed a hand down his face at his student's poor aim.

Day 85.

"Too slow."

Storm felt the shinai glance off his forearm. He forced himself to move faster, if only to avoid getting hit again. But however quick he thought he was, his teacher was faster. Again, the shinai smacked his forearm, nearly forcing him to drop his own weapon.

"Again, too slow."

He grit his teeth, growled and lunged at his instructor. But the anger didn't translate to skill. True to his name, the Mountain, Yama was placid and immovable and allowed the younger gargoyle to slash at him. He simply blocked the attack, and struck his opponent's forearm.

The shinai clattered to the wooden floor and Storm swallowed the surprised yelp, shaking his hands to ward off the pain.

His twin brother grimaced at the sight, knowing that particular pain all too well.

Yama straightened. "You struck with anger."

"Yeah..." he seethed. The feeling was slowly returning to his hand.

"Anger will not make you a better swordsman. You must remain calm."

"It's–" he started angrily, but relaxed on seeing Yama's scowl deepen. "Frustrating, sensei."

"Do not become angry at an opponent's better skill," he offered, "or you will surely lose."

"Wouldn't you lose because of an opponent's better skill?" Skye asked from the side.

"If you are calm, if you are composed, you are able to determine any weakness far better than if you're blinded by rage." Yama lectured. "Any opponent can be defeated, if you have the knowledge and the patience. You may have knowledge, but you both lack patience."

Storm leaned down to pick up his Shinai. "Did our parents tell you that?"

"No, it was obvious in the first five minutes of your lesson."

The twins shared a look. They didn't like being dissected to easily, especially by a stranger.

Yama cleared his throat, instantly garnering their attention. "It has been two weeks. Do not be so arrogant to think you are skilled enough to fight anyone here to a standstill, let alone win."

"Doesn't mean we can't try." Skye said, as his brother tightened his grip around his weapon.

For a second, one might've mistaken the slight curl to Yama's mouth for a smile. "Good."

Day 90.

"I swear he has it out for us."

Trinity shook her head. "Storm, Yama isn't picking on you, or Skye. I think he just likes putting down little, arrogant tweens who think just because they have a weapon in their hand, they think they can win."

Her little brother rubbed his arms. "Tell that to my forearms."

"Oh I'm sure it'll make you big and strong, like dad."

"For us to get as big as dad," Skye answered for his twin, "we'd each have to swallow a semi-truck."

"Speaking of eating..." Bertwistle cut in, nodding towards the western sky.

Several Ishimuran gargoyles were returning to the temple and swooped into the courtyard, met by more of their clan waiting on the ground. Takashi led the pack and landed (surprisingly graceful considering his size), his arms full of stuffed burlap sacks which he handed off to the small crowd. Some of the smaller gargoyles strained at the weight of the sacks and whatever was inside. The big red cook had the shape of something large slung over his shoulder. The full-blooded students caught the scent once he got near; it was fresh kill, probably a deer. A few of the others were carrying similar carcasses, all parading past them and heading towards the kitchen.

"Bloody hell." Bertwistle whispered, practically salivating at the sight. "Someone's going t' eat well tonight and I bet you anything it won't be us."

Ismagrad was also interested in the quarry, being a hunter herself. "Are there many deer here?"

"Yeah, a lot," Trinity answered, "apparently."

"And this clan...they eat deer?"

"By the plateful."

She mewled wistfully, wishing she could join them in the wilds surrounding the temple and village. It had been too long since she'd caught the scent of an animal and engaged in the hunt.

From afar, Kai had watched his students take an interest in the hunting party and smiled.

Day 91.

As the last remnants of sunlight slipped below the horizon, the students were rushed through their breakfast without any explanation why. Kai gathered them quickly and wordlessly and led them by air to the forests beyond. Having rarely ventured far from the temple and surrounding compound, the students were able to get a good aerial view of the Ishimura property; the many walled courts encircling the main temple, the gardens and terraced paddy fields, the stable and quarry, and the boathouse with several canoes and larger fishing vessels tied up on the beach alongside, the cove and the river that fed it snaking through the mountainside. As they glided further over the forest canopy, they could see the lights of the closest cities in the distance and the snow-capped Mount Fuji rising majestically to the south.

Kai kept the conversation to a bare minimum and if any of the students made so much as a peep, he silenced them quickly; he was obviously striving for stealth above all else. He seemed to be searching the forest below as he glided on and when he suddenly banked into a sharp turn and descended, the students were barely ready for the unexpected change in direction.

Landing in a moonlit clearing he tested the wind direction by extending his wings and feeling the breeze along the sensitive membranes. Scouting the area he chose some low shrubs to conceal the group and ushered his students behind them. He had everyone crouch and kept his voice low. "My apologies for rushing you, but I wanted to begin as soon as possible before it gets too late. I saw your reaction to the arrival of our hunting party last night, so tonight you will be taught to hunt."

And almost immediately, Ismagrad took offense. "I know how to hunt."

"Yes, and your skills will be invaluable. But I'm sure there might be something you can learn to become an even better hunter, don't you agree?"

She grunted soberly, but didn't argue further.

"Our quarry is the Sika deer, a species native to the surrounding lands." he continued. "Humans in the past have had trouble with too many deer damaging their crops and timber-groves, and without any natural predators or the willingness to add deer to their daily diets, they were being over-run. We keep the population manageable but take care not to over-hunt..." He trailed off, seeing the Mazas try and fail to exchange surreptitious glances. "I know there is not much game in the middle of Manhattan, but have you never been hunting?"

After a moment, Trinity elected to speak for the group. "We've never had to. My father and uncles usually go to the Xanatos' retreat upstate. He makes sure his property is friendly towards large game so there's always plenty around, but they have to be careful due to all the hunting restrictions."

"Why do they not simply eat what is provided to them by Xanatos?" he asked, semi-incredulously. He was interested in his students' home life.

"Actually my father draws a pretty good salary from the U.N., which allows our clan not to have to constantly rely on our landlord anymore. But my father often says they want to keep their skills sharp."

"And have you ever accompanied him?"

She shook her head. "No."

Kai made a sound through his throat. It wasn't quite critical, but his sense of disappointment had filtered through the heavy breath. "You are denying yourself the opportunity to see how gargoyles track and catch their prey."

"It just...hasn't been a necessary skill where we live."

He ceded her point. "And is that the clan's decision, or your own?"

Trinity flicked her eyes downwards and her lack of an immediate answer was telling.

"It's all right, Trinity." Kai placated her, placing a hand to her shoulder. "I am not judging any of you. Clans have their own priorities, and yours is inextricably linked with the human world. I'm glad it is thriving once again. Now, I don't know how good your sense of smell is, but it will be essential to help track what you seek."

Suddenly, Ismagrad snapped her head up and around, her eyes narrowing, nose wrinkling. Every muscle in her body rippled from the neck down.

Kai noticed her sniffing the air and the dramatic change in body language. "Ismagrad?"

"It is close." she said at length. "A male."

He too caught the aroma drifting on the gentle breeze and his wings involuntarily twitched. "Mmmm, yes. Can the rest of you scent it?"

Within a few minutes, Xiaoqing, Bertwistle and Kingston started nodding. Each of them had some experience in hunting, their clans so different in how they gathered food, but living in less than populated areas had given them more than a passing familiarity with wildlife and how to trap game, large or small. It was the Mazas who'd only seen animals this close in zoos and the occasional creature darting through the trees at the Xanatos' retreat.

Kai saw the difficulty. "You will. We are downwind, which will serve to disguise our own scents from the deer."

A faint rustling could be heard on the far side of the clearing. Something moved adroitly through the trees and found a patch of long forest grass in the clearing to forage; it was a male with tall but blunted antlers and a lightly spotted coat, awash in silver light streaming through the canopy. Ismagrad suddenly tensed, digging her talons into the fertile soil underneath her.

But Kai held her back. "Wait." he ordered. He addressed the other students before the Russian could jump at the deer. "Watch your prey. To understand it is to become a better hunter. Though the deer are often found in larger groups closer to the winter solstice, hunting during the rut can be dangerous as the males become territorial and aggressive when looking for mates."

The deer lifted its head and started crooning, a soft whistle sung to the forest.

"This particular species is very vocal–"

"We must act." Ismagrad growled anxiously, interrupting Kai's lesson.

"We are still downwind. And there are plenty more deer in the forest."

She huffed and turned her eyes back to the deer, maddeningly close. But it could vault away at any moment once the wind shifted against them, and it would be hard to find in the shadows. In her land, they would never squander such an opportunity.

Kai turned to the Maza siblings. "Can you smell it now?" he urged. "It is much stronger."

"I think so..." Trinity answered hesitantly. She'd caught something in the air, but she just wasn't sure what to make of it. "It's a little gamey."

"Like Bronx in the rain..." Storm offered.

"As good a description as ever." The moonlight accented Kai's smile. "Warm, musky, alive, it is different than what surrounds us. Learn to single out scents that would not otherwise belong."

And as Kai administered his knowledge, far too slowly for Ismagrad's liking, she kept her gaze fixed to the deer like a laser beam. Her heart was pounding in her ears, the scent was becoming unbearable; to have an animal that could feed half her clan so close was slow torture. But her zeal was overriding any sense of caution and she leaned in further, readying herself, unaware of a fallen branch underfoot.

It snapped under her weight, going off like a firecracker.

Suddenly, the deer turned to the group with ears flared and sensing the presence of a predator, immediately took off, bounding deeper into the forest. "Chyort voz'mi!" Ismagrad growled and ran after it, exploding from the foliage once used as camouflage. Darting through low-hanging branches and hopping over stumps, her sudden speed and agility surprised the rest of the group, never having thought she was capable of twisting her large frame through the dense forest.

"Come!" Kai bellowed, any sense of calm completely obliterated. "Hurry!" He followed Ismagrad as best he could, with his students behind him in single file.

Ismagrad was about a hundred feet in front of them, but she was having trouble keeping pace due to the closely-spaced trees. A young cypress suffered against her fist as she took a swing at it to clear it from her path, nearly tearing from the ground. The deer was pulling ahead, built for speed and she usually had her brothers and sisters to circle their prey and close in. But luckily, a high rock wall erupting from the forest floor forced the deer to change direction and Ismagrad took advantage; she turned and loped towards the animal on all fours. Howling loudly to distract the deer, especially when that panther growl echoed from the rock cliff and scattered in all directions, she was able to catch up and when close enough pounced on the deer and sunk her claws into either side of its torso. The animal tried to kick loose but the gargoyle raked her claws down the sides and then wrapped her arms around the deer's throat. With one quick movement, she put it to the ground and snapped its neck.

Having caught up just in time to see her twist the deer's head at a grisly angle, the rest of the students watched in equal amounts of awe and revulsion at her brutal but effective technique. Xiaoqing was impassive and Kingston reacted with a jerk, turning his head away.

Chest heaving, Ismagrad held the deer's limp neck and head in her arms and as the rest of the group approached, a growl mewled at the back of her throat and she turned with burning red eyes, painting the forest around her in a ghostly crimson glow. Instinct caused her to ward them off and protect her quarry. In her clan, whoever made the kill had the honor of bringing it home. If it was too large for a single gargoyle to handle, they had the choice of who would help them. To refuse would be considered impolite.

Twenty feet away, Kai threw out his arms to keep his students from advancing any further. He alone approached the Russian and lifted his chin, staring and defiant.

She calmed herself and out of respect, deferred to Kai; the Ishimura leader was unquestionably the alpha male.

He bowed to her. "Your skill is impressive, Ismagrad. But you startled the animal."

"Forest is very quiet." She looked around contemptuously; she never did seem comfortable in such confined spaces. "Not used to many plants underfoot."

"From the moment you saw the deer, you were agitated. I know it has been quite a while since you were hunting with your clan, but your impatience almost cost you your quarry." He then turned to address the rest of the group. "Impatience can cost you much, including your meal."

"Well," Bertwistle drawled, "didn't seem t' hurt Ismagrad much."

The Russian barely reacted, only leaned down and wiped her claws clean on the forest floor. She left several red streaks behind.

"Hunting in such a dense area can have its advantages and disadvantages." Kai said. "You must learn to manage your surroundings or you may be coming home to roost empty-handed."

"It's a good thing we're surrounded by a thousand restaurants." Skye said.

"Yes, humans have created an art-form from what they consume, one which I have to admit we've adopted in earnest. You have seen what Takashi-san can create in his kitchen." he laughed, which helped to diffuse a bit of tension. "But not all of us have access to food so readily. And perhaps one day, you may require such necessary skills."

"I hope not..." Liberty whispered, staring at the dead deer. Its eyes were still open, staring that blank, helpless stare.

He noticed her apprehension. Even in the dark, her lavender skin had a sickly green tinge. "I know you're unused to hunting, Liberty, but it is essential for many clans, especially when you have to feed a clutch of hungry hatchlings. Sometimes it is the difference between life and death."

She quietly nodded her head. It wasn't the importance she had a problem with; she knew what food could mean to a clan without the resources of a resident billionaire or a shop in downtown London. "I just...I've never seen anyone kill an animal with their bare hands."

"It may seem cruel," Kai explained, seeing a few pale expressions amongst his students, "but prolonging the animal's suffering is worse. And we need the meat."

"And do you expect us to kill?"

"I will not force you to." he said softly. Despite their carnivorous nature, not all gargoyles were suited to hunting, even those mixed with human blood. "This will be strictly voluntary and no one will think any less of you if you refuse."

She shivered slightly, but took a reassuring breath. "I'll learn, but I'm not sure I can do what Ismagrad just did."

"You will honor me with your effort."

Trinity swallowed; her mouth was parched, but she didn't know if it was from running through the forest or the sight of the dead deer. "Well...it's a lot different than getting a slider at White Castle."

"Yes." He turned back to see the deer's body sprawled on the ground, the wounds from Ismagrad's claws starting to congeal. It would be disturbing to anyone unused to the hunt. "I admit there are times when a gargoyle's instinct to hunt negates a more civilized palate, but we cannot deny those instincts, or our needs. In fact, there are many gargoyles who feel we've become too complacent and, like your father, feel they rely far too much on humans for our food."

"Do you agree?"

"Partly. We must be self-sufficient in procuring what we need to survive, but we cannot separate ourselves from the human world forever. Our worlds are merging, if not very slowly, and like your father I do not wish to lose my hunting skills or the chance to pass that knowledge on to the younger generation."

"Hunting skills are important." Ismagrad growled at the rest of the class. Adrenaline was still flooding through her arteries, putting an unintended growl in her tone. "Gargoyles are becoming soft, becoming lazy. They are losing their edge, and that could doom us all."

"Well-said, if not exaggerated and overly harsh."

"Not harsh. It is the truth."

"Not all of us are losing our edge," Xiaoqing had taken offense to the Russian's veiled accusation, "my clan are accomplished hunters. And we never rely on humans for our needs."

"Enough." Kai cut in, before the argument degenerated into something less civilized. "This is a discussion for another day. Right now, we should get back with our quarry. I don't want any part of it to go to waste. We always try to use as much as possible from the animal, the meat, the hide, even the antlers."

Kingston crooked his head. "Antlers? I don't see a lot of antlers hung up in your temple."

"Nor will you." Kai kneeled and grabbed the deer by its antlers, inspecting the sculpted bone. He rubbed his thumb over the fine fuzz covering the entire surface, a vascular skin indicating the antlers were still growing. If they were too mature, they'd only be useful as decoration. "Velvet antler is a popular ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. We collect the antlers and use them as trade with the other clans."

Trinity looked at Xiaoqing inquiringly. "What do you use it for?"

"Growth tonic, arthritis, calcium deficiencies. We know how to treat many ailments."

"A few of our elders swear by their medicines. If we can help with ingredients, then all the better not to waste any part of our kill." With a simple heave, Kai put the carcass over his shoulder. "Come, we must get the remains back to the temple before spoilage occurs. It is quite warm tonight. We need to skin and quarter the animal immediately or put it on ice."

"Will that be our next lesson?" Liberty asked fearfully.

Kai turned and smirked. "It depends. Just how hungry are you for something more than okayu?"

Day 92.

The smell of something different and yet at the same time succulently mouth-watering drew them into the eating area with a little more haste than if they were expecting to sit down to a bowl of lumpy okayu. Often it was a trick of the senses; the succulent smells wafting from the kitchen were usually for the others in the clan whenever their meals happened to intersect. But Kai's enigmatic question last night had given them a bit of hope.

As soon as every student was seated, Takashi served them each a plate full of pan-fried meat, with vegetables glazed in a sweetened soy sauce on top and a helping of tempura on the side. The students gazed in amazement at their meal; it looked so perfect they were afraid to touch it lest it vanish like a mirage.

"Your quarry was plump." he beamed, and nodded appreciatively in Ismagrad's direction. "A lot of good meat."

It was the deer they caught last night. And the deer they were forced to take apart piece by piece. As delicious as her meal looked, Liberty couldn't quite get past what it took to get it. On returning to the temple, Kai and Takashi taught them to skin and quarter the deer. Where the full-blooded gargoyles used their claws, the Mazas decided sharp knives would be better than their smaller, stunted talons. Ismagrad did most of the work, used to flaying animals with such skill as to save the hide for future use. She had it completely skinned and gutted within twenty minutes and allowed the others to help her section the meat. It was a crash-course in anatomy, with a few of the students trying to hold their lunch down as they separated meat from bone and sinew.

Xiaoqing was skilled with her blade, but even she was having difficulty with the sight and smell of the animal. She wasn't part of the hunter caste in her clan and never had to sully herself with such a task.

The Mazas made sure to shower just after sunrise in order to rid themselves of the scent of blood or they'd be going to bed with the taste of copper in their mouths.

As soon as the plates hit the table, almost everyone started gorging as if they hadn't eaten in years. All but Liberty.

Bertwistle noticed, sitting across from her. "C'mon, luv," he knocked on the table's surface with a couple of knuckles, "we finally got something else t' eat fer dinner than that porridge. It's a bloody feast!"

Liberty stared at her plate, unimaginably hungry. The smell of the cooked venison was making her salivate. "Yeah." she whispered. "I just wish I never looked into the eyes of my dinner, and then helped cut it into pieces."

"Well, you can always become a vegetarian. I know gargoyles can't excise meat from their diet but, well...because yer...you know..." he started fumbling.

And Liberty came to the rescue. "Half human?"

"Yeah."

"Tried." she said. "Failed. Gargoyle biology plus a childhood illness plus a hatred of beans doesn't allow me to be picky with my meals. I crave meat, I just don't like knowing where it came from or how it arrived on my plate." She turned to her sister and asked wryly, "Does that make me a hypocrite?"

"Only if you lie to yourself and everyone else why you both want and need it." Trinity replied, soaking a piece of tempura in her soy sauce.

"Damn these gargoyle genes..." Liberty whispered and started eating. After several months of porridge, rice and soup, the venison was heaven.

Day 97.

"You know...I've been thinking..."

"Yeah...?"

"...assuming we get...all of these things...to the temple..."

"Yeah...?"

"Do we even know how...nnngh...to make a garden?" Making idle chat while trying to move a giant boulder was difficult without causing a hernia, but Liberty had too many questions she needed answered. They were more than halfway through their training and after several weeks of back-breaking labor, barely halfway through their stockpile of building material.

"What's...to know?" Trinity grunted back. "We...have plenty at the castle...besides, it has to be easier than this..."

One more side and Liberty watched the boulder crumple to the ground in front of her. "I'm sorry..." she huffed. "I didn't know you had a degree in landscaping...besides, the gardens here are a little more intricate."

"We'll worry about...how to build it...when we actually finish step number one! If we finish..."

"Yeah, but...I mean we need rocks, sand and plants I guess...and probably bamboo..."

"Bamboo..." Trinity whispered. Gears started turning.

"Yeah," Liberty continued, "and maybe...a statue or two..."

Trinity suddenly stopped and went stiff; left on a corner, her boulder moved back towards her and almost crushed her toes as it settled. Like a bolt of lightning, realization streaked across her features and she leaned back, loosing something guttural from her throat in frustration. "Oh my god, I am such an idiot!"

"What...?"

She turned towards her sister with an ever widening smile. "Bamboo." Trinity said, as if that would explain everything. "Bamboo!"

"What?!" Liberty echoed.

She shook her hands at her little sister in a combination of irritation and elation; for weeks they'd been rolling these things end over end, close to pulling muscles and popping joints out of place at the effort and she couldn't believe it was only now the idea had surfaced. Wordlessly tearing off towards the temple, she found a warm current and threw herself into the air, gliding towards the bamboo grove the Ishimura clan had cultured and tended to for all their needs and immediately vanished into the wood. Trinity started looking for any loose stalks and with a discerning eye and a quick arm, started throwing them over her shoulder into a makeshift pile just on the outside edge of the forest. Figuring she had enough, she scooped the stalks into her arms and returned as quickly as possible. With Liberty still watching and still a little skeptical, Trinity started laying them down in a parallel pattern just in front of the boulder. She got behind the rock and pushed it onto the stalks; it rolled across the bamboo with half the effort.

Liberty was slack-jawed. "Okay, I'm impressed."

"Remember the pyramids? Maybe getting away from technology is a good thing sometimes."

"Don't tell the twins that...I think they're going through video game withdrawals."

"Speaking of the twins..." Trinity put a couple fingers to her mouth and whistled sharp and shrill, getting her brothers' attention. One head perked up, followed by another. "Boys, go grab a bunch of bamboo!"

"Why?" they chorused.

She frantically gestured at what lie at her feet with a downward-pointing finger. "I just figured out how to cut our work by half!"

They looked at the bamboo, looked at each other and then immediately took off, getting a running start before jumping into the air and reaching the grove within a few seconds, Storm almost tripping in his haste to land. The girls could hear them rummaging around inside the bamboo, the leafy canopy shivering against the invasion as the twins picked up loose stalks and tore others from the ground. Within minutes, they'd returned and quickly created a track in front of Liberty's boulder.

"All right," Trinity said readily, rubbing her hands together, "Libby and I will push, you boys will replace the tracks in front. Then we'll come back and swap places for your boulders."

As their brothers ran back and forth repositioning the stalks, Trinity and Liberty pushed their boulders as fast as the boys could replace their bamboo railroad. What started as a clumsy experiment eventually sorted out into a distinct rhythm, each pair syncing to the other.

"Is this cheating?" Liberty asked.

"We're pushing our own rocks using just our hands, like Kai said." Trinity crowed proudly. "Besides, I doubt this was ever about strength, and more about creativity."

Eventually catching up to Kingston and Xiaoqing, the girls passed them without much fanfare.

Ismagrad had led the pack with Bertwistle behind her, the two strongest gargoyles making better progress than the rest. But even they were slower than the Mazas and couldn't help but look behind them at the odd noise and spectacle.

Bertwistle stood up, stretched the kinks from his spine with a few audible pops and wiped the sweat from his brow. He watched them effortlessly truck past, with Trinity flashing a sly glance but nothing much else. "Why the hell didn't we think of that?" he muttered. He whirled around. "Hey you two, go grab some of that stuff!"

Xiaoqing didn't appreciate the command and glared at him, mouth thin. "I am not your dog, English."

"Just get th' bamboo, toff, 'cause it'll make our task a little bit easier and quicker t' get done."

Noticing the Maza clan had already put a good fifty feet between them, she was forced to admit he was right. Those frail halflings were able to put so much speed into their work with the simple use of bamboo. She snapped her fingers a few times in Kingston's direction. "Come with me."

Playing the subservient he quickly followed her retreating form, getting the chance to admire her backside. "Yes, ma'am."

"Hmph..." Bertwistle grumbled, watching them both fly off. "I think th' Maple Leaf wants t' get his end away, and I could definitely suggest better."

Ismagrad looked puzzled. "End...away?"

He rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

In no time flat, Xiaoqing and Kingston returned with armfuls of stalks and before Xiaoqing could open her mouth, Bertwistle started shouting orders. "Ismagrad and I will push, you two man the bamboo."

With all the students currently occupied outside of the temple's main walls, it was a chance for most of Ishimura's teaching staff to relax and discuss their progress around a large stone table, full of pots and platefuls of warm, steaming food.

Sora plucked a small dumpling with her slender talons and popped it into her mouth. "Their fighting skills are improving, but very slowly. Ismagrad is too stubborn, Kingston too timid and Bertwistle too angry. Xiaoqing is exceptionally talented of course, but far too proud."

"And the Mazas?" Kai wondered.

"They rely too much on American techniques. Clenched fists, poor defense, swagger and bluster."

"Sounds like a certain human we know very well."

"Elisa is much more seasoned than her hatchlings." Sora shook her head, defending her old friend. "Her sons are impulsive, her daughters headstrong."

"We cannot change them overnight, Sora." Riko mused, grabbing from the same plate of gyoza her sister had before.

"I did not expect to."

At the end of the table sat Noburu, an empty stack of plates in front of him. "Their archery skills have come far. At least, enough to keep their arrows in the range."

Kai nodded. "Yes, we've had complaints of wayward arrows finding their way into the fields. Natsumi has already asked to relocate the archery field to somewhere far out of reach. We will consider it, but space is at a premium–"

Sora suddenly perked up, holding up a hand to hush her mate.

A peculiar sound drifted through the main archway, a repetitive, hollow cadence interlaced over a low thrum. A few curious clan members gathered at the main arch, only to quickly part to avoid getting steamrolled by a large boulder. Trinity and Liberty appeared through the archway, pushing their boulders on the track the twins kept laying in front of them.

Riko peered over the edge of her tea cup, watching the aforementioned Mazas roll through the courtyard and towards the west court. "Ah." she said simply, and sipped her drink.

But Kai was looking on proudly. He was pleased to see they had at last used their cunning instead of stubbornly relying on their strength.

"I thought they might have caught on quicker." Riko mused, stirring her tea and blowing into the tendrils of steam. "It has been weeks."

"I did tell them hands only. I supposed it was only time they decided not to take me so literal."

"Well, young gargoyles are often obstinate. We have seen it many times, especially the current generation."

Sora watched the siblings work so well together and followed them as they eventually disappeared from sight. "Now that they know how to bring the boulders here quickly, they just have to learn to build a garden...together."

Her mate just nodded silently, taking the last pork dumpling.

Ismagrad and Kingston soon appeared through the archway, rolling her boulder in the same direction as the Mazas. She happened to pass by Riko, who quickly set her tea cup to the table, got up from her seat and walked alongside the Russian female, watching her progress. She leaned in and said softly, "I guess strength is not always most important."

Ismagrad didn't acknowledge her, but couldn't disguise her lowered brows.

Day 103.

"The foundation is not deep enough, nor is it level."

She sighed in response, "They look level to me."

"Then your eyes are as dull as your hearing. Now that you have figured out how to get the stones here faster than the rest of us thought possible, we cannot simply throw them into a pile and call it finished."

"No one's calling it finished."

"But you believe these crooked stones will be good enough for the Ishimurans."

Trinity sighed, but she had to admit Xiaoqing was right. After all the sweat and effort to get these boulders into the empty wing, half-assing the construction of the garden in order to impress the most meticulous group of gargoyles she'd ever met would most likely end up with them rebuilding it from scratch. "Fine, you're right."

"I know."

She bit her lip, and slowly turned her head over her shoulder to see Xiaoqing standing there, arms crossed. "Then instead of criticizing every single thing we do, why don't you help us?"

"Fine." Xiaoqing was just waiting for the chance to take the reins; she immediately pointed to the boulders already laid into the shallow trench. "These are not right. First we must decide which fit best together. Ismagrad, take them out and place them near the others."

The Russian female turned her upper lip until Bertwistle motioned with a nod of his head he'd help her pull them out.

"C'mon, luv." he conceded, if only to get this particular task over with. "Let's get these big bastards out."

"You two," Xiaoqing pointed to the twins, "the trench needs to be at least a few inches deeper. Start digging."

Holding the shovels, they looked at each other, shrugged and went to work.

"And you," she then turned to the Maza sisters, loathed to even include them, "you will ensure the trench is completely level."

"And you?" Trinity threw her an arched brow and a look of muted irritation.

"I will put together a very large puzzle. We cannot do this without a proper plan."

"Have you ever built anything like this?"

The lack of an instant answer told them more than if Xiaoqing actually managed to say something; she swallowed hard, her mouth twisting.

"Right." Trinity harrumphed, trying to fight back the upward curl to her lips.

A shiver went through the Chinese gargoyle's body, ending at her clenched fists. "I've been involved in many of my own clan's building projects. This will be simple."

"We could work together, you know. Many hands make light work."

"I know." Her expression had curdled at the mere suggestion. "Which is why you should stick to what you're best at. Manual labor."

She watched as Xiaoqing stole away, barking more orders at Bertwistle and Ismagrad as they heaved the boulders out. Trinity shook her head at the woman, but she seemed to have a clearer idea of how to build this garden and that was the only reason she was deferring to her majesty, the queen bitch of the Great Chinese Mountains.

Day 112.

Sora wandered in between the tables watching as her students quietly concentrated on their work. The sumi-e painting lessons were weaved in between the sparring and boulder-rolling and everything else that may require a trip to the infirmary in order to allow the students to rest, both physically and spiritually.

As usual, Ismagrad was destroying more paintbrushes than she could make and couldn't quite get her big hands to relax on the delicately tapered brush handle, grunting through every picture she was forced to produce. In the end it looked like she'd spilled her cup of ink all over every piece of paper, but Sora could deduce through the splotches and wildly varying line-widths of that most of Ismagrad's paintings were that of her beloved Russia, the plains and mountains and animals she'd obviously hunted on the tundra (even if they looked like primitive cave drawings).

Xiaoqing would finish her exemplary work and make a neat pile beside her; there wasn't so much pride in her own paintings, just that she was absolutely sure hers were the best in the class and that's where the conceit stemmed from.

It was Liberty, hunched over her table in the corner, who seemed to be taking this entire exercise the most seriously. Where almost every other student had dribbled a bit of ink on their hands or forearms Liberty was perfectly clean, pulling her sleeve back and running her brush over the edge of the cup to work out the excess ink.

Sora crept up behind her and watched her work. The painting itself was quite an improvement over her originals. "You're becoming quite proficient."

Liberty leaned back, switched the brush from right to left and flexed her hand; the weeks of training had left their mark. "It's a little tough to make smooth lines when your hands are shake and cramp up."

Sora noticed the tiny nicks and scrapes covering the otherwise flawless lavender skin. The healer Kaede had provided the Maza children plenty of creams and salves to speed their healing, but the sheer amount of physical exertion often caught up. "You'll become used to it." Sora said.

"Well, I don't get a concrete manicure every night."

She couldn't fault the logic. "True." Hovering over the girl's shoulder, Sora watched her lay down more ink, deftly drawing lines with nimble fingers. "You have talent, Liberty, it should not be wasted."

She shrugged. "I guess...maybe I like this because I'm not being thrown to the ground, building rock walls or being constantly reminded I'm half human."

"It is a peaceful diversion, one I'm glad you've taken to heart."

"I guess..." Liberty echoed.

Sora cocked a brow; obviously the girl didn't take compliments well. "Perhaps you'd like to continue when you go home."

"I don't know."

"Ah, I suppose you'd rather play on your electronic devices, rather than squander your precious time on such an ancient art."

Lifting her brush, Liberty looked over her shoulder. Sora could be remarkably, brilliantly sarcastic when she needed to be. "Touché."

"Just so you know, everyone," Sora announced to the class, "this is not a punishment. This is passing along an ancient art form that I would be saddened to see vanish. The purpose is not to be better than the rest, or faster, it is to express yourself and learn what you may be capable of. Bushido demands its practicers be well-rounded. I'm sure for some of you the survival of your clan may take precedence among such luxuries as painting, so why not enjoy it while you have the opportunity."

"Then I think I need new brush." Ismagrad announced, holding up what was left of hers.

Bertwistle started laughing under his breath while most of the class smiled.

Day 117.

Riko watched the gargoyle in front of her wring her big hands, work the cricks from the neck and smile at the prospect of battle. She figured Ismagrad suffered silently through the practices and painting and yardwork just for the chance to get her hands dirty. Hunting, wrestling and other physically aggressive and dangerous interests were the core interests of her clan. Ishimura and the Russians had only begun to scrape against each other in the last few decades and both clans were still a little wary of each other. "Are you ready, Ismagrad?"

"Da." she said simply.

She already knew the answer before she asked; if Riko didn't know better she thought the Russian was almost giddy to begin. At least, as giddy as this large, stolid female could be. "Shall we begin then?"

Ismagrad stomped forwards, never much for subtlety.

But Riko was interested in how much her student had absorbed the last few months, and whether she would use any of the skills taught to her or just try and mash her into a pulp with her big fists. She led with a right hand and tore the air with a fist that Riko easily dodged, but was glad it didn't connect. Riko side-stepped away and thought Ismagrad was open on the side until the larger female turned wide with flared wings that obscured any good shot. They met face to face again and Riko reacted first by bringing her foot up and catching her in the shoulder, but it was like kicking a tree trunk and Ismagrad only grunted.

She laughed, "Did you hurt foot?"

Ismagrad brought a hand down and Riko squirmed out of the way, and then another and Riko felt her claws graze her exposed skin. The Russian was obviously trying to get in close, maybe apply a grappling hold and crush the life out of her while making her submit. Riko kept her distance, taking potshots and watching as Ismagrad took them all without expending the energy the dodge or block them. So she increased her strength a little and timed how long it took her student to begin treating the blows as a liability rather than a nuisance.

A couple more and then another, but this time, Ismagrad expertly blocked her hand. It came so swift and perfect that even Ismagrad was surprised at the muscle memory.

"Interesting." Riko mused aloud, but had to avoid another big fist and didn't dwell too much on it.

Ismagrad kept throwing punches to keep her teacher occupied; her way of dodging blows was to ensure her opponent couldn't throw any. But it would only take a few minutes before Riko decided to change her tactic and catch one of those fists in her hand. Just like before, they were stuck due to their own stubbornness.

They both kept pushing, arms straining, until Ismagrad suddenly relented and let her arm go slack, bringing Riko along with it. The big Russian's speed belied her size and Riko barely had time to defend herself against a closed fist, big enough to cast a shadow over her. It almost snapped her forearm in two as she got it up just in time. But the power behind the impact sent her sideways and only with a quick flip did she regain her footing.

"Good." she said on landing. "You could have strained for a long while before tiring yourself out, but you decided to relent before being defeated."

But Ismagrad didn't seem convinced. "I still could have won."

"That is up for debate. You and your classmates have been sparring for three months now, and you have steadfastly refused to modify your technique, such as it is. You are becoming predictable and it is your downfall."

She snorted her response into the warm night air.

"Tonight I saw a glimmer of creativity," Riko continued unabated, "but I wonder how long it will last before it vanishes completely. You keep falling back on old habits."

"Old habits keep me alive."

"Stubborn."

A clap of thunder erupted from her fist striking her open palm. "Nyet! Gotovyy, derskiy, nepokolebimyy."

Riko thinned her eyes at the Russian language and the ferocity in which they were delivered. "I suppose that is either a creed, or an insult."

"We are defiant to the end." she said, this time in English. Whether or not it was a direct translation or something she cleaned up for her sensei was something only Ismagrad knew.

"Yes...defiant to the end. How poetic."

Ismagrad tilted her head.

"Your stubbornness will either get you killed, or isolate you." Riko explained. "I don't know which frightens you more."

"I am not frightened to be killed."

"But aren't you frightened to be lonely?"

"I am...not..." she stuttered, and it wasn't because of the English.

"Apparently several males have tried to court you, and one ended up with a broken wrist." Riko said.

She turned her eyes away. "I am not prize."

"I agree. No female is simply a trophy for any male, but to refuse any affection is just another form of stubbornness."

"You are not clan mother! You do not lecture me about courting or love life!"

Riko noticed how her English, though already stunted, became worse when she was angry. "As you wish."

Ismagrad slowly moved backwards and started patting her shoulders with her hands. "Fight again?"

She got herself to the edge of the ring and stood defiantly, staring at the concrete-gray gargoyle. She was angry enough already and Riko wondered how much more she could make her by the end of their match.

Day 122.

It was harvesting time. The Ishimuran clan was meticulous about preparing food for the winter and as part of their training the students were tasked with helping harvest and store the food the clan would need for the long winter months.

The rest of the class busy in the fields, transporting the harvested rice grains and other foods by cart and by hand to the temple, the Maza family was tasked with the prep. The rice was hulled, polished, enriched by a powdered blend of nutrients and left to dry in massive trays until it was ready to be bagged and stored.

Liberty held the sack open while Trinity carefully weighed and measured the rice and then filled each one with the perfect amount, down to the ounce. By the time they were finished, there was a massive stack almost four feet high. Skye and Storm were ordered to haul the rice to the kitchen for the next few meals, the pantry for the next few weeks and the rest were to be placed in the west storage room.

A couple dozen sacks were left for the Maza sisters and they were to be placed in the east storage room.

"Okay, I'll take these last ones to the storage room and start cleaning up in there." Trinity said. "You give this place a sweep and I meet you in the dining room."

Liberty nodded, "Okay. See you at dinner."

"Can't wait. I love me that gray mush." Trinity hefted the bags onto each shoulder and headed for the storage room on the other side of the temple. Each bag must've weighed forty pounds apiece and she gritted her teeth through the exertion, turned the corner and aimed for the food storage area. Apparently this was one of many, including an entire lower level that the Ishimura clan used to store their food for almost two hundred gargoyles and the neighboring village if need be.

Using her hip against the heavy wooden door, Trinity burst inside and almost dropped the bags in her attempt to get them inside. She made sure to close the door behind her; she was warned that wild animals like mice, squirrels or even the occasional raccoon dog would often try and skulk inside for the treasures of stored foods. Her brothers had stacked the rest of the bags to the best of their ability but for a couple of fourteen year olds, their work left a little to be desired, especially with Takashi breathing down their necks. The head chef of Ishimura wanted everything perfect and exact to his high standards and they were forced to rush a little in order to stock his kitchen and pantry. They were probably still there, being ran ragged by Takashi, which actually put a smile on her face.

So she decided to get everything re-organized since she knew the room would be inspected by one of her teachers. Bags were shifted and moved and the piles started resembling a modern art sculpture they were so perfect. But the bags got progressively heavier the more she moved them around and by the time she got down to the last one, her arms felt like wet noodles.

She made a strangled sound hoisting the bag into her harms but was surprised when it didn't weigh a pound, especially when it lifted from her hands and settled perfectly into place on top of the pile. She smiled. "Xander."

"Trin." a voice said and Trinity had to search for the owner.

Alexander emerged through stone inside of the room, taking a seat on top of the bags of rice. "Hey. Got some time before your delicious gruel?"

With a simple flick of her eyebrow and a slanted mouth, Trinity tried to preserve the balance in the relationship. "I'm a little jealous you're eating from the best restaurants in town while I'm having a warm bowl of lumpy porridge every night."

"Not every night, I hear you're hunting wild game like a–" he made air quotes, "proper gargoyle."

"Scoff all you want, Red, but at least we're getting something better than mystery porridge."

"Well, personally, I had to suffer through a delectable medium-rare last night."

Her expression stayed level. "Yes, but did you catch it and skin it yourself?"

With a crooked smile, Alexander realized how much he missed his girlfriend's quick and comfortable wit. "Savage."

She strode towards him and took a seat alongside, leaning in mouth to mouth. A few pecks later and they were already making up for lost time. Alexander's hands started roving on their own accord and Trinity's tail cracked the ground like a bullwhip. "Maybe we shouldn't do this..." she whispered.

"I can leave," Alexander leaned in and grazed her earlobe with his mouth, "if you want."

Trinity paused for a second before her lips curled enticingly. Her tongue glided across her teeth, a sure sign to her boyfriend she'd already decided. "Well," she confessed, "that might be a little hasty."

But just as they started to entwine, Trinity almost keeled over from the sudden loss of balance when Alexander abruptly unwrapped from his girlfriend and melted through the wall, vanishing. She was about to ask just what'd spooked him when she heard something behind her.

"Trinity."

Trinity whirled around on the voice, seeing Ishimura's second-in-command standing a few feet away. "Yes?!"

Riko noticed the girl almost jumped from her skin. Her hearing not as acute as a full-blooded gargoyle, she should've at least heard her coming unless she was distracted. "My apologies," Riko said, "I did not mean to startle you."

She palmed her chest, trying to prevent her heart from leaping through her ribcage. "It's alright, sensei, it's just...your entire clan is so quiet on their feet."

Riko took that as a compliment. "Part of our training. If you decide to continue with bushido, you'll learn that skill as well."

She just offered a weak smile in response, knowing that skill they boasted almost got her caught.

"Are you sure you are all right?"

"Fine. Just fine...I was lifting bags of rice to better organize things in here."

Those dark, incredibly scrutinizing eyes subtly washed over the room; but it was still and perfect and just as it'd been an hour ago. And it did seem to be very well organized. "Then if you are almost finished with your duties, dinner will be served soon."

"Yes, sensei." Trinity nodded.

Riko held her gaze on the young girl for a moment until finally deciding to turn and leave, closing the door behind her.

Alexander's head poked through the wall, eyes skirting the room. "She gone?"

"Yes." Trinity released the breath she'd been holding. "That was close."

"Yeah...do you want me to go?"

But, before the young man could evaporate Trinity reached behind her and cupped his face with her hand. With a fluid movement she turned around, fingers still holding him by the little bit of ginger scruff along his chin and jaw. His scent was strong and quite inviting. "I've got a few minutes before my gruel." she said.

Alexander smiled and pulled her through the wall.

Day 127.

"It's going to get away." Kai warned the two.

Bertwistle and Kingston were on the tail-end of a deer they'd been tracking for twenty minutes now; it'd caught their scent and bolted. The gargoyles tore after it, chasing it through the forest and trying to gain on it before it disappeared completely.

"You must catch it before it reaches the lower barrens! The forest there is too thick to maneuver through!"

"Kingston, hurry!" Bertwistle yelled, suddenly darting to the right.

Kingston slipped through the thin trunks of trees, trying to keep his eyes on the deer. Faster and faster, blood was rushing past his ears, his heart beating. His eyes started glowing as adrenaline flooded his bloodstream. The deer was so close, he could smell it; he got alongside and knew it would have to skip towards him in order to get through a particularly dense bramble ahead. The deer banked left and came within arm's reach but when the opportunity presented itself he suddenly hesitated and pulled back. The deer skittered past him and, having chased after them, Kai definitely noticed. It was as if the young gargoyle had seen something that spooked him.

But luckily Bertwistle blew through the trees ahead, close enough to grab the deer and throw it to the ground. Kingston looked away when the Londoner snapped its neck, but the sound wasn't any more pleasant to experience.

Calming his breathing, Bertwistle started laughing. There was nothing like an adrenaline rush to make a good time of it. "Whoo! This boy was fast! But we got 'im, mate. Looks like venison's back on th' menu." Getting no response, he looked up. "You okay?"

Kingston was wringing his hands absentmindedly, staring into the forest.

Though typically quiet, the way the young gargoyle was lost to the rest of the world made Kai take notice. "Kingston." he called.

"What...?" He shook himself from his trance and turned his head. "Oh...sensei."

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Good." Kai nodded. "Next time we hunt, you will catch the deer."

He couldn't mask the surprise in wide eyes. "Sure, yeah, that's...great." he whispered, looking at his hands. He kept reflexively wringing them, as if they were sticky. "Great."

"Bertwistle, please take the deer and head back."

"Yeah..." He hefted the deer from the ground and put it over his shoulder, making his way back towards the temple.

Kai waited for a moment before putting his hand to Kingston's shoulder; the young gargoyle flinched. "Come."

Day 135.

Trinity waved her hand around, clenched a fist and held it to her mouth. Pain shot through her hand to the tips of her fingers. She'd lost another kendo match and Yama was able to crack his weapon off her hand in his triumph.

Her sensei stood watching, flipped his shinai to his shoulder and glowered. "Please take a seat."

"Yes, sensei." she said quietly, biting her tongue against the typical Maza expletive.

As Trinity retreated to the edge of the mat, the next in line didn't budge. He was too busy staring off into space. She elbowed him in the ribs and he stiffened. "You're up."

Kingston breathed and walked forward. He set himself into the proper stance on the mat and faced Yama, holding his shinai in front of him.

For a moment Yama didn't acknowledge him, or even move for that matter. He was just staring at him. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Are you sure?"

Kingston licked his lips; he didn't like how his teacher was staring him down. "Yes, sensei."

Methodically, and slow enough to make his student nervous, Yama brought his shinai from off his shoulder and tightened into his stance. Then he held there, still enough the students might've thought he turned to stone. But he was waiting, hoping to see Kingston's reaction. He noticed Kingston's breathing was getting heavier, speeding up just under the heavy scrutiny of his teacher.

It was nerve-wracking waiting for his sensei to make the first move. Usually Yama was the patient sort and waited for the anxiety of his students to ultimately show itself and this time it wasn't any different. Kingston struck first and Yama easily blocked the first blow, using his shinai to muscle Kingston's down and away. Kingston stumbled back, dodged right and after deliberating, struck again.

Yama followed every movement, blocked every weak strike and didn't seem to blink once. "Is that all you have?" Yama taunted him.

Kingston's brows lowered but he didn't quite muster up.

Another weak strike and Yama easily blocked it. "You're holding back. Attack me."

His hands strangled the grip of his shinai and for an instant, there was a spark.

"If you are unable to complete this simple exercise I'll have someone with else spar with me and send you to care for the hatchlings."

Anger welled in the pit of his stomach and exploded, translated as pure kinetic energy. He heaved his shinai at Yama and the sound of the two weapons clashing was deafening, as was his howl. Yama actually had to anchor himself to the floor to keep from being pushed back. It was only when the anger melted away that Kingston reared back. His eyes wandered, flicking away and Yama capitalized on the young gargoyle's absentmindedness, snapping the tip of his shinai on Kingston's hands.

He yelped and nearly threw his weapon through the far wall, but Ismagrad was able to snatch it from the air before it ruptured a rice paper panel.

"You were distracted." Yama said flatly.

The pain enough to lock his jaw for a moment, Kingston was finally able to mutter a single word. "Yeah..."

"If I am boring you, Kingston, perhaps your attention would be put to better use cleaning the dojo. I doubt you would have a spare moment to allow your attention to wander."

"I'm sorry..."

"Do you yield then?"

"N-no, sensei." He scrambled for his weapon and held it at the ready.

"Good. See that you do not lose focus again or you may lose a finger."

Day 147.

"Their archery skills are much improved. I don't think Natsumi will be bothering you to move the range anytime soon."

Kai nodded at Noburu's report. Natsumi had been trying to move that archery range away from the rice fields for as long as he could remember, but the temple grounds weren't so easily rearranged to every gargoyle's whim.

"Natsumi's only trying to move the range because she almost had her tail pinned to the ground last summer." Sakura said with a mouthful of food.

"By you, if I remember correctly." Riko corrected her.

Sakura shrugged innocently. "It was an errant shot."

"No," Noburu cut in, grinning, "it was a dare. You were blindfolded."

Kai started shaking his head. "You will make me turn gray yet, Sakura-chan."

Sora reacted to the comment by running her soft hand along the side of his head, combing a few loose strands through her fingers. "I don't know, I think you would look distinguished, my love."

As Sakura laughed and used one of her chopsticks to spear another dumpling, something rose in Kai's chest. "Can we return to the discussion at hand?"

"If I remember correctly, I had asked about Kingston." Sora reminded him.

"He is still holding back, and Yama agrees with me." Riko said, over the rim of her sake cup. "He has been here now for five months and is still reserved to the point of fearfulness."

"Do you think taking him to hunt again is wise?" Sora asked her mate. "I understand he hesitated last time."

"Yes, he did." Kai said. "Which indicates he may be having the dreams again, triggered by the hunting expedition."

"Considering what happened to him," Noburu was sympathetic, "I am not surprised."

"But I wonder if forcing this on him will only make things worse." Sora said.

"I see no other choice to get through to him. He must confront what he keeps inside." Kai argued. "I will take Bertwistle and Kingston hunting tomorrow night. Perhaps we will be successful this time."

"Kai..."

"We are close, my love."

She quickly conceded, knowing better not to press the issue once he was set in his way. "All right, just be careful."

"There is something else I would like to discuss..." Riko interjected. "Though some of you may not like the insinuation."

Never one to prevaricate, Kai was surprised by his second's hesitance. "What is it?"

"Trinity."

Perking up at the mention of the girl's name, Sora was first to speak, "Yes?"

"She has been acting strange." Riko continued, swirling what was left in her cup. "Wandering off, acting distracted and startled when confronted. I have to wonder if she is disobeying our rules and then lying to cover it."

Sora quickly came to her defense. "I do not believe that."

She knew this would rub a few of them the wrong way; their clan was far too familiar with the Maza family if not the entire Manhattan clan to be impartial. "Your opinion is biased, sister, you know them too well."

"No, my opinion is well-informed because I know them so well. They may still be young, but the hatchlings of Goliath and Elisa would never cheat their way through these lessons. There is a point of pride and an inherited stubbornness that they complete this training on their own."

"Yes, but you have to admit Trinity is acting...odd."

Kai's brows dropped onto his razor eyes. "How so?" he said, and couldn't quite disguise the demanding tone.

"I've surprised her when alone many times, and she was almost fearful at being caught. I know you feel the same way, Sora."

Loathe to admit it, Sora couldn't help but remember catching the girl down by the riverbank weeks ago. It was if she intruded in the middle of a conversation. "Perhaps..."

Cup halfway to his mouth, Kai noticed his mate's sudden uncertainty and dropped it to the table with a tinny clank. "Sora, do you suspect something?"

She started shaking her head, quicker and quicker as she shored up her defense. "No. I refuse to believe she would do anything like that."

"Despite who she is currently courting..." Riko murmured, and everyone at the table knew exactly who she was referring to.

"No."

"We cannot favor any student over another, my love," Kai said, "despite how well we may know them. But I am inclined to agree with you. I cannot believe Trinity would ever deceive us."

Riko thinned her eyes but said nothing more, chewing through her frustration on another of Takashi's dumplings. She knew how close the Maza children were with Kai and Sora; she just hoped it wasn't blinding them to the obvious. "Perhaps we should discuss a more serious problem then, one we know for certain."

"I believe you are referring to–"

"Liberty and Xiaoqing."

There were a few groans around the table. Noburu leaned back and threw his massive arms over his part of the bench. "If their fighting does not stop, they should be punished. And I do not mean washing clothes."

"There was bound to be personality and culture clashes." Riko said. "Especially considering half our students are part human."

Kai set his jaw. "Prejudice has no place here."

"Tell that to the Chinese." Noburu reminded him.

"Regardless, we cannot allow such petty hatred to invade our home."

"We applaud your morality, Kai, but it already has." Riko said pointedly. "We all knew what may happen when we allowed the Maza family to train here. There are still many clans that can barely stand to be around humans, let alone train with them for six months."

"Then it is their loss." he harrumphed stubbornly, massive hand clenching around his sake cup to the point it might shatter. "And they already know of our pact with the village here. They know–"

"I believe we are over-complicating the problem at hand." Sora offered gently, before her mate's cup exploded in a spray of clay shrapnel. She placed her hand over his and felt it relax and relent. "And dragging up an old argument that may take decades more to resolve is not helping. Our priority is our students, especially Xiaoqing and Liberty. We can't falter in their training or allow them to escalate this hostility between them."

"You are aware of the punishment, as are the students."

"And yet they continue...perhaps they believe the threat of punishment is an empty one."

"It is not," Kai said, "but we are all hesitant to have to resort to that."

"Unless it is for their own good. Bushido demands no less." Sora finished, and before her rookery sister Sakura could grab the last dumpling, her arm shot out and plucked it from the plate.

Kai eventually nodded in response, as did the rest of the table.

Day 148.

"See it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, we'll approach from different angles. You go left, mate."

Kingston nodded, trying to keep the noise to a minimum so close to their target. The forest floor was a minefield of twigs and dry leaves and he had to maneuver through everything and anything that would make the slightest sound and give up their position. He crept towards the growing scent, inflaming his senses to the point where he could barely separate it from anything else.

The deer had stopped to forage a few meters away, unaware of the two gargoyles flanking it just beyond where the moonlight didn't touch.

As he got into position and caught Kingston across the way, Bertwistle nodded; it was his partner's turn to make the first move, since he was smaller and skinnier and able to slip through the grove of trees easier than Bertwistle's bulky form. Kingston steadied himself against a small larch on either side and when he was in position, used them to propel himself towards the deer like a slingshot. The deer took off just before Kingston could sink his claws into the spotted hide.

It darted in between the trees with expert precision, forcing the gargoyle trailing behind to be as nimble in order to cut the distance between them.

"It's goin' left!" Bertwistle yelled at him as he ran in the same direction a few feet away.

Kingston cut through an open patch, twisting like wet clay between small trees to close the gap between them.

His wingman kept up as best he could, trying to herd the deer closer. He saw the point of no return, where they'd lose the deer into the heart of the forest and growled, "Now, mate!"

Kingston leapt at the animal, ending up on the animal's hump. It caused the deer to rear up, trying to shake him off. But Kingston got an arm around its neck and attached himself firmly enough to get his other hand on its throat. He swung over to one side, got his feet into the soft forest floor and used himself as a pivot point to drag the deer to the ground.

"Yeah!" Bertwistle cheered. "You got it!"

The deer kept fighting, even as it hit the dirt and ended up on its backside, fighting Kingston's death-grip. This felt so familiar and for a moment he could've sworn he saw a brick wall beyond the trees and a familiar cityscape beyond that wall, but shook it off in the heat of the moment.

The deer continued struggling, bleating in desperation at the predator with its arms around its slender neck. It thrashed and flailed but Kingston held firm.

"Hold it, Kingston!" someone else yelled at him. It was Kai, having followed the pair to assess their performance.

It wouldn't take much effort to quickly rake his claws across its throat or break its neck, but for some reason Kingston couldn't do it. Instead, he merely hung on to the thrashing animal.

"Now, Kingston, kill it! Don't make it suffer!"

He seemed frozen in place, and that brick wall appeared in front of him again, including the acrid stench of copper and metal. He tried to shake the image but it persisted, tried to ignore the smell, but it flooded every sense.

"Kill it!" Kai kept ordering him, unusually relentless. "Now! Kill it!"

And all of a sudden, it wasn't a deer being slowly suffocated in his arms but a man. He heard the muffled, desperate cry of a human male and instantly, his body went numb.

His arms went slack and he allowed the deer to push away; Bertwistle watched helplessly as it darted into the darkness. "What th' hell?"

Kingston fell back on his haunches, dread having washed out any expression. And then the shaking started, blooming from the spine out and spreading uncontrollably. Strange sounds trickled from the back of his throat, a strangled gurgling that quickly erupted into a scream.

Kai approached him warily. The young gargoyle was breathing raggedly, extremities shaking and he was staring into the dirt in front of him, a chaotic jumble of hoof-prints. "Kingston..."

"I-I...can't...I couldn't..." he sputtered. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know." Kai said softly.

"I was just...so angry..."

Left in the background the other students slowly approached the pair, wondering what could've turned this unassuming gargoyle into a ragged, simpering heap.

"I was so angry..."

"It wasn't your fault, Kingston. Those men forced you to defend yourself."

"But I almost–" He stopped dead and looked up, his eyes wide and watering. "I almost killed him."

"They'd surrounded us...I thought Geddy and Leahy were dead, they weren't moving..."

"And then what?" Kai urged.

"They came after me. And...and they had weapons..."

"And you defended yourself."

The memories were so vivid now, mercilessly clinging to every waking thought and sense, he couldn't believe he'd almost buried it away. The city backdrop, the shouting voices, the feel of warm blood dripping from his hands. "It was an accident...I just got so angry..."

"They attacked you, they were trying to kill you." Kai finished for him. It was a tale related through Kingston's clan leader Ares and he knew all the grisly details. "You merely defended yourself."

"I almost killed him." he whispered, his voice shaking. "If it weren't for Ares and Magellan..."

"You would have broken his neck."

The sensation of delicate human flesh and vertebrae all of a sudden far too fresh on his skin Kingston's hands jerked open, startled at Kai's bluntness.

"Anger possesses you, Kingston, enslaves you and eats you from the inside out. I have felt it, I almost drowned in it." Whenever relating this story, he always fingered the scar on his chest; it'd become a nervous twitch, especially when he was deep in thought. "As did my mate."

The rest of the class was listening intently from where they were seated. Kai insisted they be here. Bertwistle had filled them in as best he could about what happened in the forest, but even with the confession no one would even consider this quiet, almost-subservient gargoyle capable of taking a life.

"How do you know all of this...?" Kingston asked.

"I do not intend to teach someone without learning all I can." Kai explained. "For more than a year now you've been withdrawn, despondent and some of the elders in your clan fear you may be suicidal."

He reacted quick to the word. Kingston never thought of taking his own life, but sometimes the pain felt like an anchor around his neck. He thought he could bury it but his subconscious often let it surface when he slept.

"You've done well to hide it here but the timidity in your fighting style, your inclination towards shying away, it is affecting every aspect of your life. Aurora is especially concerned you may vanish from your clan altogether."

"I didn't know what to do..."

"So you held it inside. And let it fester. You can only bury some things so deep and for so long before it starts to eat away at you."

Tears were falling now; Kingston was openly crying, his hands shaking.

"I think it is almost time for the nightly meal." Kai motioned behind him to his mate. Sora quickly crossed to Kingston's side and lifted him gently by the arm, escorting him out of the courtyard. "Please be on your way."

"So that's it?"

The voice and accent were unmistakable; Kai turned to Bertwistle.

His hide and feathers were so dark it almost looked as if his eyes were already glowing. "All this crap about unity and peace and we get a pretty speech about yer feelings? He was attacked for nothin' more than being what he is!"

"Yes." Kai nodded calmly. "And fortunately he has not changed who he is by allowing hatred to consume him."

His fists clenched, muscles contracting and doubling over so much his arms trembled from the exertion. Bertwistle was livid and unable to vent his anger properly. "You want t' know why I'm not fond of humans? You want t' know why I lash out, as you put it?" He pointed a finger to where Kingston was sitting, now an empty bench. "Because of this!"

"Because some try to hurt you?"

"No, because they turn us into monsters."

Kai leaned back at the statement served like a sword to the gut, especially with Bertwistle's candid delivery.

"That poor kid almost became a murderer." he finished and started walking away. "And you wonder why I'm angry..."

He was glad this particular part of the temple was empty; as big as this clan was, it was sometimes hard to find a spot alone without traveling far beyond the confines of the main castle. Just like his own clan and that big mansion in the middle of the forest. He needed somewhere to cool off and wouldn't want to subject another hatchling to another profanity-laced tirade lest he be punished again for letting a few f-bombs slip.

There was a pond in the corner with a small waterfall, cascading into the pool through several bamboo spitters and helping to aerate the water for the schools of Koi. The background noise was soothing and a few laps around the periphery were helping to calm him.

"So you really hate humans, huh?"

Bertwistle whirled on the voice, seeing Liberty sitting a few feet away; he never even heard her. She'd somehow slipped in unnoticed and perched on the edge of a stone bench.

"I thought you might be different." she continued, without a lick of effort to conceal the accusatory tone. "Different than Xiaoqing and Ismagrad at least..."

He sighed uncomfortably, staring at the ground. "I don't...no, I don't hate all of 'em. My clan has its share of human allies, but it seems like it's always us against th' rest of th' world despite all th' so-called progress."

Liberty smiled, tried to laugh, looked away and wrung her fingers against her palm. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised I guess. My dad said it would eventually get better, he just failed to mention when."

"That kid in there nearly snapped th' neck of a man who would've killed 'im and his buddies without a second thought. That's what happens. We either become murderers or get pulverized in our sleep."

"My clan hasn't feared the dawn in years."

His brow scrunched, the faint whisper of feathers rubbing together. "Yer in a tall tower, luv, away from all th' hate. You should spend some time amongst th' rank and file."

But she knew better; so many battles to be won before they achieved some semblance of peace. "If only you knew..."

He wasn't sure if she kept her voice low on purpose. He turned his dark-colored head. "What?"

"You have no idea what my clan suffered through, mate, but–"

"Like I said–"

"Not finished." she snarled, and he went immediately silent. He must've outweighed her by a couple hundred pounds but her voice went off like the crack of a whip, obliterating any response. "But my clan only stands because of humans, because of their sacrifices. I'm only here because of humans!"

"Luv, I don't want t' hate anyone." he admitted.

"Yeah you do, of course you do." Liberty argued back. "You enjoy being angry because it gives you an excuse to act like a bastard, with some pathetic woe-is-me attitude."

His eyes narrowed. "Sounds like someone I know..." he whispered to himself, purposely quiet.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

"Do you hate me, or the rest of my family?" she hit him with another curveball.

"Course not."

"Right, you simply tolerate us. Like a bad smell that'll eventually fade away. And the rest of the human race can go rot."

His beak went crooked. This little unassuming girl with the four fingers and the four toes really knew how to wield the power of the spoken word. "A lot of th' human race would rather see us reduced t' rubble."

"Isn't the UK part of the Gargoyles Protection Act?" she mentioned coyly. "Don't they recognize the Pact of Île de la Cité? If I remember correctly, the decision your parliament made was a rare landslide in the affirmative. Pretty liberal for a bunch of dirty, murderous humans."

"That's simplifying it, girl."

"I didn't boil it down to black and white, you did."

He didn't bother answering; this conversation turned argument was going nowhere. With the awkward silence left between them, Liberty shrugged limply, got up and padded away. He'd the feeling she didn't want to be anywhere in his personal vicinity at the moment.

Eyes in the darkness followed her until she disappeared through the archway leading to the main courtyard and then focused on the English gargoyle, left to sulk in the middle of the garden. It was Kai and he'd obviously listened to most if not all of the conversation.

Figuring there was nothing more he could say to defend his position, Bertwistle averted his gaze. But something trickled out anyways. "Smart girl." he said quietly.

"I agree." he said. "Her clan has seen destruction on an unimaginable scale and still she carries no hatred or fear of either race."

"Wish I could be as naive..."

"I believe you're confusing naiveté for strength. She walks a fine line between two worlds and she has seen the best of both, while others often see the worst."

"Yeah..." he admitted faintly.

Kai slowly walked closer. He knew his relationship with this particular student was delicate to the point where they'd already had a shoving match, and he was fearful even sudden movements might set him off again. "I know you are angry, Bertwistle, I know how helpless you feel sometimes when you're not treated as an equal, when your very existence is called into question. But we cannot afford to be so angry, or to pass that anger down to future generations."

But the anger had evaporated and Bertwistle seemed almost despondent. "Then what do I do? How do I make my voice heard?"

"Speaking louder is not the answer," Kai said, "speaking intelligently is."

Day 149.

They'd finished their chores, got some sparring in, a little light reading (if one could call a three-hundred page book on the comprehensive history of Bushido and its effect on Japan society as a whole light reading) and about a half hour from sunrise they could put a cap on another day.

The bench outside the stables overlooking the river was becoming a favorite spot for the Maza sisters to sit and either nurse new bruises or talk about their day, or both. As Trinity walked down the hill she found her sister curled up and staring out into the ever-lightening violet sky. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, pulled up to her chest; her head dangled lazily on her knees.

"Hey."

"Hey." she answered absentmindedly.

"You okay?"

"Not particularly."

Trinity took a seat beside her, taking the time to make sure she wasn't sitting on her tail. "Is this about Bertwistle?"

How her sister knew what passed between the two of them was a question she didn't bother to ask, considering how quickly rumors spread through the temple. Trinity obviously had a source somewhere. "I thought he was one of the better ones." she said quietly.

"He is, but it seems like he's suffered his share of pain."

"Playing devil's advocate?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, but I think we've met worse than a pissed-off Brit. I mean, look at Kingston. Who would've thought he almost killed a man?"

"Not me." Liberty sighed.

"I wish I could say something to make you feel better, Libby, but our clan will always be different from others."

"Different, yeah...and I love having that reminder shoved down my throat on a nightly basis."

"You're just as much a gargoyle as they are..."

Liberty pulled her head back, and reacted with lowered brows. "No I'm not." she said quickly. "And neither are you."

Trinity's mouth flattened. Her sister kind of missed the point. "Okay, let me rephrase. You have just as much right to exist as they do."

"Not according to some."

"Then screw them." she said with a growl, channeling some of her own issues. "No one who's worth a damn would have any issue with you because you're half human. Not Xiaoqing, not Ismagrad and not Bertwistle. Are you really ashamed of what you are?"

"If Goliath and Elisa Maza weren't our parents, I might answer differently." Liberty said quietly. "We grew up surrounded by people who loved us unconditionally but the rest of the world apparently thinks otherwise."

"No, not the rest of the world. Just a closed-minded minority, and you know that."

"Just...sometimes hard to take..."

Trinity leaned back and watched the sun rise with her baby sister. "Yeah, I know..."

Day 154.

This was definitely better than kendo or sparring or archery.

His teachers thought allowing him the tranquility of raking the karesansui garden might be a welcome change and offer him a respite from being thrown around by his teachers. It was one of the best remedies most of the Ishimuran clan knew; serenity of the mind often led to serenity of the spirit. Though some of the students might argue that.

But as Kingston laid down line after line in the sand, he found the rest of the world vanishing until nothing existed except for him and the white ocean around him. So much so he never noticed someone enter into the garden and observe his work and his artistic flair.

"Kingston."

The world suddenly exploded back into existence. He turned to see Kai. "Sensei."

"Are you well this evening?" he asked.

Kingston lifted the rake from the sand, looking over his handiwork for pretty much the first time. The patterns he wove were basically done on autopilot as he churned through several hundred thoughts at once. "I think so..."

Looking over the stretches of sand and all the swirls, circles and patterns, Kai was always impressed what patterns would emerge from caretakers who'd always swore they had no artistic ability. "Well, I see you've been busy."

"Yeah, I guess times flies when you're immersed in something."

"Yes. Some of the elders say you can see into the soul of someone by looking at their designs in the karesansui garden."

Leaning on his rake, he was interested in what any of the elders here would glean from his work. "And what does my soul say tonight?"

"You are still troubled." Kai answered simply, but turned and admitted, "Of course, I was never one to be able to read the sand. I prefer just to ask."

Kingston nodded. "I'm doing okay, I guess."

"Are you still having the dreams?"

"No, but I still..." He didn't finish, but his teacher knew.

"You will," Kai breathed, "perhaps for a long time, but I hope now that you've confronted this pain you can deal with it properly."

"Yes, sensei..."

There was a pause, and then, "If you wish to go home, Kingston, it can be arranged." Kai offered. "If you need the strength of your clan..."

"No, I...no." he stumbled but finished strong. "I think I'd like to stay, sensei. We've already come so far."

Kai smiled, inwardly pleased this gargoyle would find the strength to go on. "Good. Please continue." The young gargoyle returned to the sand, filling in the section he'd yet to touch. As Kai watched for a few minutes, he happened to notice another of his charges above on one of the main walls that surrounded the temple proper. Bertwistle was leaning against the parapet, staring out over the forest beyond.

Hearing footsteps, Bertwistle noticed Kai walking the wall towards him; he was sure he'd get a lecture about shirking his duties. "Sensei, sorry...I'll get back to sweepin'..."

But Kai held up a hand. "It is all right. Take a moment, Bertwistle. This view is a particular favorite for a lot of my clan."

A little surprised he was allowed the opportunity he turned his head back towards the ever-spreading canopy of trees, the horizon dominated by Japan's three holy mountains, the climber's favorite Tate, the White Mountain Haku and the tallest of all, Fuji, capped by snow near the almost perfectly symmetrical peak. Far in the distance, the faint glow of city lights reminded everyone in the temple of their proximity to the human world.

"We are surrounded by forests." Kai started. "Our village and temple is well protected, but we are not ill-informed or immune to the rest of the world. We know the struggles of our kind firsthand, we have shared that pain, but fortunately we made peace with the humans around us and only together did we survive and flourish. Change will be gradual, but it will come. It already has."

Bertwistle sighed, "Doesn't seem like it sometimes..."

"I agree." he said, and gestured to Kingston below them. "That young gargoyle there will never forget what happened to him, but hopefully it will not overcome him nor will it turn him against humanity."

"He seems like a good kid. I hope he'll be all right."

"He has his clan." Kai said sincerely. "As do you."

Bertwistle didn't seem to agree, expression turning sour. "My clan is one step away from throwin' me out." he snorted. "Doubt that'll change when I go back."

"You are the master of your destiny, Bertwistle, what do you think it holds if you continue on this path?"

He didn't answer, only looked down. The elders in his clan seemed to have it out for him, personalities and world views constantly clashing; he considered them impotent and far too compromising against the encroaching human population while they thought he was an anarchist ruled by his anger and only out for himself.

"If there is only one thing I want you to take from your experience here, is that despite how far we've come, despite the decades of building peace with those around us, one decision made in anger can undo it all. But one young gargoyle who decides to let go of his anger might change the world."

"No offense, sensei, but that sounds like rhetoric bullshit."

Kai stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter, echoing across the courtyard. As it bubbled away, he'd no choice but to concede the point, "Perhaps, but it is something I believe in and always will. For I have seen it firsthand."

"Then you're lucky." Bertwistle said. "I haven't."

"Are you sure? Perhaps you've blinded yourself. Sometimes the little things aren't always visible to those who refuse to look."

"I think you've been reading too many of those books."

A cleft between his brows formed a thumb-sized depression. "Yes, I may romanticize more than I should but it is in my nature. Remember, I am much older than you and I have much more experience to draw from."

"That's what all th' coffin-dodgers say in London."

"And what do they say about humans?" Kai asked.

"Some 're mixed, I guess. Some lived through th' war, weren't quite happy that humans leveled a few cities. Or everything else in th' last century."

"And the others?"

Bertwistle lingered; his normally crack-shot chutzpah stumbled and ground to a halt. "I've heard Leo talkin' sometimes, how he once lost his way. Lost th' gargoyle way, decidin' t' hide in his shop and let th' humans destroy themselves. It wasn't until his rookery brother Griff returned that he chose t' get back t' what was more important..."

"Protecting. Human and gargoyle alike." Kai finished for him and enjoyed Bertwistle's veiled frown.

"You've talked."

"Leo and I have shared a drink or two."

"Only two?"

Kai crossed his arms, brows up. He'd spent time at the London estate and the English could drink most clans under the table. He always needed at least two nights to recover when he arrived home. "Your elder has a particular talent for imbibing." he said. "But he is also a very wise gargoyle. "He chose to let his anger go and is better for it. I should hope that stands as an example."

Bertwistle seemed unconvinced. "Maybe..."

He breathed, letting loose a whistle of air through his barreled chest. All the talk of drinking had put a tickle in his throat; he was thirsty. "Perhaps the temple is clean enough for one night." he suddenly announced. "Come, we'll get Kingston and have some sake. Or I suppose being from England, you would enjoy a good stout beer."

His eyes widened at the very prospect of the amber liquid; it'd been months. "Yeah, a pint would be posh."

"Agreed. We'll make you sweep and throw you to the ground another night."

Day 155.

From his peripheral vision, Bertwistle saw that little foot screaming his way and finally, after months, was able to guess exactly what was going to happen. It could've been the fact he was improving or his own paranoia, but he read his instructor's intentions perfectly. The kick was way too choreographed to be the only offense his teacher put up and, as he'd guessed, as soon as he blocked it, the little old gargoyle spun around and tried to sweep the leg.

Bertwistle hopped and rolled out of the way, just in time to raise his forearm against her fist. Though tiny, she still put an unbelievable amount of power through that fist and Bertwistle felt it straight through his bones.

The teacher raised her brows and, miraculously, smiled at the British gargoyle. "Very good."

From a distance, Kai smiled at Bertwistle's progress. The elder Chinatsu was one of the best fighters in their clan despite her age and frail appearance and rarely held back.

Head a bit swollen he was able to fend off the little bird, Bertwistle looked over his shoulder at the rest of the students, smiled and winked.

"Uh oh," Liberty said quietly, "I've seen that look before."

"He's getting cocky..." Trinity whispered back.

As Bertwistle preened proudly, the little gargoyle grabbed his tail, grabbed his arm and effortlessly flipped him over her head. He hit the ground, his short-lived victory shattered by his hubris.

She bowed to him. "Though you have improved, you should not celebrate prematurely."

"Yes...sensei..." he groaned.

She stopped, surprised at the lack of a retort or even the snide tone. "So you admit you were at fault."

Bertwistle sat up and stared at her. "Well," he admitted, "I guess I got cocky..."

"Yes, you did."

Sound trickled through his throat, something close to a smothered word or two but by the time it leaked out it was unintelligible.

The little elder leaned in. "Sorry?"

"Nothing, sensei."

"Good. Now, on your feet and we'll try again."

He breathed, sucked it up and got to his feet. He crossed eyes with Kai in the distance (he didn't even know the big guy was watching) and simply nodded in his direction.

Day 158.

Trinity never knew the temple had a basement until the class was shown the lower levels as part of their duties, inwardly groaning on discovering hundreds of extra square footage they would have to keep clean. There were several interconnected chambers under the temple grounds to store food and supplies, including dozens if not hundreds of bags of rice the students had collected, dried, bagged and hauled down here on narrow stone staircases. And as fastidious of the Ishimura clan was, these rooms were to be kept as perfectly spotless as the grounds above.

She shuffled bags from one end of the largest storeroom to the other, organized the shelves containing cured meat, vegetables, spices, rotating them according to the packing date and ensured there was no dust or loose grains or anything on the floor that one of her teachers would call her on. Without the sky, a clock or anyone else around Trinity wasn't sure how much time had passed when she stopped to survey her work, slumping on the relative softness of a bag of rice to rest. To rest, to ponder, to reflect on everything that had happened.

Blowing a black tendril from her face, she was surprised to discover it kept swaying in front of her eyes. Very rarely would any kind of wind find its way downstairs and she suddenly took notice of a playful breeze playfully snake through her hair, like fingers, and felt the chill start at the back of her neck and ripple down her spine, a lover's kiss.

She was reminded so much of a certain red-haired trickster in training it felt as if the real world and her dream world were colliding with bizarre results.

Arms suddenly wrapped around her and someone put his mouth gently on her earlobe. "Hey."

She wasn't startled or surprised in the least to discover the source. "Hi."

"I missed you." Alexander whispered, one arm snaking around her waist, the other sliding down her thigh.

"So did I."

"I see you've pulled maid duty again. How educational."

She smiled. "No, it's okay. This place isn't as bad as I thought it was, and we've only got three weeks left."

Alexander traced her jawline, ending with the tip of his thumb on her lips. "Not soon enough."

She smiled, showing just a slight hint of her enlarged canines, one of Goliath's traits passed down. "True. You've made this bearable, especially with everything that's happened lately."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

They were alone, they were together and they were exploring places on each others' bodies where even their doctors hadn't dared to probe, all until someone cleared his throat behind them. They each snapped their heads around to the intruder.

It was Kai, and he was not impressed; behind him stood Riko, who looked just as pleased as her leader.

While Trinity buried her face in her boyfriend's neck, "Oh boy..." Alexander seemed more annoyed at the fact he didn't notice the gargoyles get so close.

Each footstep down the stone staircase was heavy and deliberate. "Welcome back to Ishimura, Alexander." Kai greeted the young man welcomingly, which only served to worry the couple.

"It's been a long time." he nodded back.

"Not as long as I would think, yes? Considering you have been here for a while now."

Alexander couldn't help but be impressed. "And here I thought I was being careful."

"I was warned of you." he admitted. "Your mother and father told me to watch for signs of your meddling."

"I never meddled."

That measured geniality eroded. "How can we be sure of that, knowing your powers? How much aid have you offered in subtle ways? You might have even given her the idea to use bamboo to roll the stones."

Trinity tried to protest, "He didn't–"

But Alexander inadvertently cut her off, "Let me repeat myself for the hearing impaired, I never meddled."

But the supercilious attitude delivered with a perfectly inflected New York burr didn't help his argument, and Kai's expression curdled. "We can never be sure of that." he sighed disappointedly and turned his attention to Trinity. "I now have to wonder just how much Alexander helped you during your time here, how much you and your rookery actually achieved by yourself...and whether sending you home is the right–and only–choice. Six months wasted."

"No!" Trinity suddenly cried out. "No."

"You are in no position to argue!" Riko quickly shouted her down, voice echoing in the windowless chamber. "You were told of the punishment for breaking any one of our rules."

"Yes, I was." She closed the gap between her and her teachers. "I can never prove to you Alex didn't help me, but if I accept punishment instead of expulsion, will that at least show I'm telling the truth?"

Alexander couldn't contain the shock. "What?" He moved to Trinity's side so quick, those around him would swear he jumped from one place to another instantaneously without taking a single step. "You didn't do anything! And I won't let them put you through some medieval torture because they cling to some outdated sense of honor."

Riko quickly fired back, "This does not concern you!"

"Yes, it does. I appeared here, I was with her, and I helped her break your rules."

"Then you should serve the punishment."

"I'm not one of your students..."

"Perhaps I should be clearer. Either you serve the punishment, or your mate will," Riko offered, "five times over."

Alexander's eyes flared an odd color. "That's goddamn cruel!"

But Riko was ice cold, and indifferent to the young man's bluster. "All the students were warned, including Trinity. And she willingly chose to disregard those rules, with impunity. Her mistake is her indifference. She can either leave, or accept the penalty."

Alexander frowned, and thoughts churned. If he so wished, he could simply rewrite the laws of physics for a moment and tear a few months of memory from everyone's head, fly Trinity to a five-star island resort and spend the rest of her lesson either on the beach or in a king-sized bed with a mint on the pillow.

But someone else would put an end to the scheming. "Don't." Trinity said firmly, bracing a hand to his chest and feeling the prickle of something supernatural through her skin.

Alexander turned to her. "Don't what?"

"Do what you're thinking of doing."

"And what exactly am I thinking?"

"Memory loss spell, to begin with." she said, and genuinely surprised her boyfriend.

"It would make the problem go away." he smirked.

"You can't."

"Why?"

"Xander, it would..." She didn't know why she had trouble explaining. "It would undermine all the effort and progress we've made here."

He tilted his head; he couldn't believe this was the same woman he saw off in the Eyrie hangar. "You once told me this entire thing felt like you were being sent to prison." he said in a low, level voice.

"I did say that, yeah. But now, I just can't wave a magic wand and make it all go away. It doesn't seem right."

"So you'd rather have them punish you."

She squeezed her eyes shut and wrestled with her conscience. She knew that if she opened them again, she would see her mother and father sitting on her shoulders as little guardian angels, shaking their haloes and harps at her. She pushed away from her boyfriend and went to Kai. "Kai-sensei," Trinity bowed to him, and Alexander wasn't thrilled with the sight of his girlfriend kowtowing to the gargoyle, "I accept the punishment, even if I must endure it five times."

He sighed. "Then you admit what you've done is wrong."

"I accept I broke the rules by meeting with him, by sneaking off and avoiding my duties, but he never did anything to help us. You have my word."

"Your word holds little meaning without the honor of truth behind it."

Trinity felt that particular barb through her skin like a cold wind. She could feel the palpable disappointment in Kai's tone; it was like having her father standing in front of her and it made her heart drop in her chest at the thought. "I'm sorry, Kai-sensei, it was just...so hard to be away from the man I love."

Once draped in hunched shoulders and a scowl, Alexander felt his face relax and his body turn to liquid at hearing Trinity's profession. It was the first time she'd ever said it. Some of the jars on the shelves that were once vibrating with his anger settled and stopped.

The admission was genuine and absolute, and Kai couldn't fault her isolation. "I'm sure Sora would agree with you." he favored her. "As would I. I know the pain of being separated from someone I love. But you have been dishonest, repeatedly," his emphasis on that particular word seemed to strike at the heart of his anger, "and you have jeopardized your place here by acting foolish. I find it odd that you would do your best to keep your brothers and sisters in line, and yet, act dishonestly yourself."

Trinity didn't answer. She was too busy being reminded of something her mother said to her months ago; when questioned straight-out if she was disappointed in her children Elisa had answered no, but there was an underlying sense that Trinity hadn't quite lived up to her expectations.

"I may not have the best idea of how humans raise their children," Kai continued, breaking her from her reverie, "but you are the eldest. You lead by example."

Again, the similarity to her conversation with Elisa was ironic. "I know."

"It's not her fault." Alexander came forward, standing beside Trinity, who was still on her knees and staring at the ground. "I appeared here, I used my magic to lure her away. Trinity's done nothing but try to..." His jaw locked and he stumbled over the words. "Honor your teachings."

"Then you'll accept punishment?" Riko raised a brow-ridge.

Alexander walked towards the gargoyles and stood in front of them without the slightest ounce of fear or nervousness.

"Xander..." Trinity pleaded.

"I am the son of David and Fox Xanatos. I am the grandson of Queen Titania. I was raised by the Wyvern clan." He surprised both himself and everyone else in the chamber by bowing. "And I am sorry to have dishonored you."

Surprised by his contrition, Kai simply bowed in response. "Your apology is accepted, however your blame is not."

"I'll accept the punishment."

The punishment would start immediately. Everything in the temple was brought to a grinding halt as preparations were made by the order of the clan's leader, and no one seemed to want to argue or even question Kai in his current mood. But the question of what was about to happen was answered in the form of a pair of gargoyles carrying a large contraption into the courtyard, placing in directly in the middle. It hit the ground with a small cloud of dust and most of the older gargoyles in the clan knew exactly what it was when it came into view. Stocks, made of heavy wood and flecked metal, designed to hold a prisoner immobile. The rookery keepers immediately grabbed any hatchling they deemed too young and forced them inside the temple, no doubt somewhere where the sound couldn't penetrate.

The rest of the class were led into the courtyard and wondered what the commotion was, considering their guide had interrupted their duties and remained silent despite the questions thrown at him. A bench in front of the crowd had remained purposely empty on Kai's implicit orders and they were directed with a pointed finger to take a seat.

Liberty saw her sister with Sora in the middle of the chaos and was about to run towards her, but felt a hand hold her down on the bench. Their guide simply shook his head, allowing Sora to eventually escort Trinity towards the rest of the class. "Trinity, what's going on?"

Hands flexing, wings stuttered; she was obviously distracted.

"Trinity."

She finally acknowledged her sister, "Remember that punishment Kai warned us about? It's about to happen..."

"What...?" Liberty followed Trinity's unblinking gaze, affixed on a distant point across the courtyard. Through an archway, Noburu appeared. The big yellow bull was escorting someone through the gathered clan; all she could see was a shock of red hair before the crowd parted. It was Alexander. "Alex...what is he doing here?"

"You wondered why I was in such a good mood?"

"That was..." She stopped. Her brain quickly did the math. "Months ago. Oh crap, Trini, how long has he been here?"

She didn't get an answer. Trinity was far too focused to coherently form an answer, especially with her boyfriend being led towards the stocks.

"Jesus," Storm muttered, "is he gonna be flogged?"

But having narrowly escaped punishment herself for responding to a flurry of rude comments with a vicious backhand slap, Liberty realized with a bit of dread and an ache in her belly what awaited the Xanatos heir. "It's for the shinai."

Any student who thought the threats of punishment were empty, meant to scare them into behaving more than anything else, were about to be proven wrong.

Alexander was led into the middle of the courtyard and with a less than gentle nudge, directed towards the stocks, and Kai.

He lifted his head and immediately, the whispers and questions running rampant through the crowd withered into silence. "I'm aware of your abilities, Alexander." he said flatly. "You could simply vanish from this place."

"I could," Alexander nodded, wearing a casual smile, "but I'm doing this for Trinity."

"Then I am to presume you are not using magic to protect yourself?"

"No."

He nodded. "Please, your shirt."

Alexander stripped to the waist, showing off a leanly muscled upper half. He was forced to kneel and place his outstretched arms into wooden stocks. Kai closed the upper arm and locked the shackles. Alexander noticed the metal within the wood blocks that pressed against his skin was old and pock-marked, and edged with rust. Iron. He didn't quite share the Fay's aversion to iron but couldn't be sure if the Ishimura clan was using these stocks on purpose or if it was just a coincidence. He breathed slowly. He'd faced magic and skinless monsters before he was old enough to shave and if the Ishimura clan thought they would get anything out of him except a smirk, they were dead wrong.

Yama marched up alongside the human and gripped the shinai resolutely. His face was an impassive mask, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Let's get this over with, please." he huffed. "Le Bernardin is going to stop serving lunch soon and I love their red snapper."

"As you wish."

"Wait!" Trinity shouted out, desperate to do something. "This isn't fair! I mean, my sister slapped another student and she washed clothes."

Kai turned to her, but his expression didn't soften. "Liberty made a rash decision in the heat of her anger. You deliberately lied to us for months. Lied to me."

"He shouldn't have to do this."

"He made his choice, and we will respect him for that."

Trinity was running on fumes, out of anything useful to argue with. "But..."

"Trin..." Alexander called to her. "Please let me do this."

In her desperation, she mouthed something that she hoped Alexander would pick up on. It was an apology.

"Yama." Kai said to his brother. "If you do not wish to carry out this duty, I can–"

"It is all right, Kai. It will be quick."

Kai hesitated for a moment, and then nodded and retreated a few feet. Yama wrung his fingers around the shinai's handle and lowered it to Alexander's back; letting the weapon hover above his skin for a few moments, he quickly struck. Like the crack of a whip, the first strike caused an echo through the courtyard and Alexander grit his teeth and grunted. He wouldn't let anyone have the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain.

But Kai and the others were taking no satisfaction in this. Yama raised the shinai again and struck Alexander, less than an inch away from the first cut, now oozing little red runnels of blood.

A few lanterns flickered in the courtyard and a flock of birds suddenly darted from the nearby tree they were roosting in.

Again.

And again. And this time, Alexander yelped.

Trinity's first instinct was to run to him, but she felt a hand clamp to her shoulder. With her perfectly supernatural ability to move without a sound, Sora had appeared behind her and was holding her back.

Yama raised the shinai for the last time and brought it down on an expanse of flesh that already had four angry lines across it. Alexander simply mewled in pain, his breaths coming in spattered spurts, a thin trail of dribble running over his chin.

With the last strike, an eerie stillness shrouded the courtyard. Kai trundled forward and nodded to Yama, who retreated. "It's over, Alexander." he said quietly. "You have served your punishment." But the shackled human didn't answer back; he was hunched over and shaking, trying to will the pain away with good old-fashioned grit rather than the magic at his disposal. Kai unlocked the stocks, raised the wooden latch and helped Alexander up.

But the human wrested from his grasp and stumbled from the platform, almost keeling over; only a split second reaction by his right arm stopped him from hitting the courtyard floor face first.

Trinity felt the strong hand on her shoulder release and she immediately rushed to her boyfriend's side. She slid on her knees and allowed him to melt into her lap. Their faces slid against each other and she whispered, "You stubborn idiot."

"...you're welcome..."

His breathing eventually slowed and she wiped away a bit of the spittle.

The healer Kaede shuffled up beside the human and nudging him on his side, gently probed the five angry red lines on his back. The skin was broken but only just; she'd seen much worse in her tenure. Yama had been uncharacteristically merciful. "If you would come with me to the infirmary, I will stitch and salve your wounds with ointment."

"That won't be necessary." With Trinity's help, he struggled to get on his feet. His eyes started glowing and his fingers curled into shivering fists. Flayed in two by the shinai, the flesh on his back slowly knitted itself back together and closed like a zipper. Within moments the wounds had completely healed, but the pain remained. Physical wounds were easy, but the physiological effects of pain were hard to master; he'd probably end up numbing his entire lower back once home, raiding the liquor cabinet and sleeping a few feet in the air, curling up on a bed of oxygen molecules.

Kaede had watched the young man's flesh repair itself, leaving faint smears where his wounds used to be. "Astonishing."

With a decidedly neutral expression, Kai watched the feat of magic from afar. If the boy had indeed used trickery to dupe them, he was a talented actor; the cries of pain he heard were hard to fake. He stepped off the platform and approached the embracing couple. "You bore your punishment with dignity. You honor us, Alexander-san."

Alexander just offered a weak smile.

"You will not appear again," he told him firmly, "or Trinity will be punished and sent home in dishonor, never to return to Ishimura."

He nodded. "I understand."

Kai placed a hand to the young man's shoulder, noticing the blue fox-head tattoo under his fingers. "You will make a worthy mate for her." He backtracked a few steps, bowed deeply and the rest of the clan followed suit.

Alexander returned the gesture, leaning as far as the pain would allow. "Thanks."

"We will allow you a moment to say your goodbyes."

"Right..." he breathed and turned his attention back to Trinity. "Well...I better go...much to do..."

"Reservations at Le Bernardin." she whispered playfully, trying and somewhat failing to keep her composure. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"You have no idea what you mean to me. I love you." he admitted.

Trinity felt a surge of electricity in her chest, but played it cool. "I know." she smirked.

"Damnit, you Solo'ed me." He blurred into the air and with a rush of wind to fill the sudden vacuum, Alexander disappeared in a haze of green light.

And Trinity felt that electricity drain away. She just felt empty in his absence.

"Are you okay?"

Trinity languidly turned to find her sister standing behind her. "No. I just watched my boyfriend get caned because I was too busy screwing around."

Despite the accommodations, at least the little stable house down near the lake provided a great view of the rolling green hills beyond Ishimura. Trinity stood by the shore watching as the sun rose, basking in the first warm flickers of light, drowning in a heavy cloak of guilt. She thought there might be more punishment, or a lecture, or at the very least, yelling, something that would help alleviate the sense of resentment and regret that was burning a hole in her chest, but after Alexander vanished Kai simply looked at her and the expression wasn't that of anger, just disappointment.

It was Sora who'd eventually usher the students away, leaving her mate to stand in the middle of the courtyard staring at the ground. He eventually wandered off, disappearing as perfectly as the young human had.

"Well, this seems familiar."

Trinity glanced over her shoulder to see her sister behind her; her frown deepened and she returned to her vigil by the lakeside.

"You should probably get some rest–"

"What do you think mom and dad would say right now?" Trinity said abruptly.

A pause, some thought, then an answer. "They'd probably be disappointed, Trin." Liberty said honestly, taking a seat on the bench.

"Probably..."

"But I think they'd understand...at least," she added quietly, "I hope they would."

She stubbornly shook her head. "They don't. They don't know how much I love him, how much of a connection we have."

But her sister called her on her bullshit, trying to resist rolling her eyes. "Oh I think they know more than they let on. They're not blind."

"Then why did they think separating us would be good for me?"

"Because you two are joined at the hips...literally."

Trinity whirled on the emphasis on that single, telling word. Her sister wasn't sure if it was the rising sun adding a spark to her eyes or Goliath's genes running rampant. "Is that supposed to mean something?" she bristled.

Taking a seat on a bench near the lakeside, Liberty smiled. "Oh come on, Trin, do you think we're all blind? You can't hide all the times you both snuck away or disguise the change in scent. We may have blunted senses as Xiaoqing's so quick to tell us, but we can still smell it. And maybe mom and dad thought it was best for you two to spend some time apart for once."

The older Maza sister stalked forwards. "You're taking their side now?"

She sighed and massaged her brow, feeling a sense of déjà vu. "I'm not trying to take anyone's side. Our very nature prevents us from taking sides..."

"Then why'd you bring it up?!" Trinity barked.

And Liberty couldn't help but smile just like her mother in the face of her sister growling just like her father. "What are you really pissed about, Trin?"

The spark withered and Trinity collapsed beside her. "Nothing, everything, I don't know...none of this should've happened."

"You're right. If you two could've kept your goddamned hands off each other, none of this would've happened."

A spiked brow went up, Trinity giving her sister the stink-eye. "You're not helping."

"Not trying." she chuckled. "But I think I'm starting to see why you were brought here."

"Libby, did you not see what just happened? Xander got caned! Because we couldn't–!" She stopped, frustrated. "Because we need–" She tried again, but didn't get far. "Because we need to grow up." she realized at last. "Damn..."

Liberty shook her head. "I hate it when mom and dad are right."

"Yeah, well, we're not going to admit that."

Day 159.

"After the last few days, I am looking forward to relaxing with a good stiff cup of sake."

"Perhaps we should start with tea first, before you finish off another bottle."

The younger Sakura smiled crookedly, reminded of the time a few months ago where some of her rookery generation polished off half a storeroom's worth of perfectly aged sake. "I regret nothing."

Entwined around her mate's arm, Sora smiled at her sister, "Even the evening after?"

The grin widened. "Stone sleep can do wonders for a hangover."

"Just try not to make a habit out of it, sister."

"Yes, some of the elders were not pleased to find their favorite sake in short supply." Turning the corner to the tea room, Kai stopped when seeing someone blocking the corridor ahead of them. For a moment he thought it was a member of his own clan, but immediately recognized the caramel bronze skin. "Trinity." She had swapped her training kimono for something more formal, an iromuji in a deep raspberry red with matching obi. It was the kimono usually reserved for tea ceremonies.

She bowed to the group. "Konbanwa, Kai-sensei."

"And good evening to you as well." He regarded the young gargoyle in front of him; she had tied her hair back into a bun with a couple of black lacquered hair sticks, leaving her brow spurs in full view and proving her parentage. Her wings were lowered behind her, wingtips resting on each shoulder. She had obviously borrowed the kimono but wore it well. "I did not expect you."

"She requested this duty tonight, saiai." Sora revealed.

"Oh?" He turned from his mate to the young girl. "Why?"

"I wanted to apologize." Trinity replied.

He held up a hand. "You owe us nothing. Honor was satisfied."

"Then why do I still feel guilty?"

"Only you can answer that."

For a moment Trinity's expression muted, as if she was expecting him to say something similar. She took a breath and forced a thin smile, directing them to their places. The gargoyles were seated on the tatami mat in order of rank (although Riko ceded her place next to Kai to Sora), some on their knees, others cross-legged. When the last guest took their place, Trinity brought them their tea on a tray. "I'm sorry, this isn't as formal as a real tea ceremony, but according to the elders I would need to train for weeks or even months. So please excuse a little bit of Western style."

"That is all right, Trinity," Riko assured her, "we simply decided to have a drink and share company with friends. Nothing so formal or ceremonial is needed. Your role as host is appreciated."

She deftly used one hand to sweep her kimono sleeve out of the way and poured with the other, and when everyone had their tea, Trinity bowed with her cup held between both hands and allowed them to drink first.

Sora brightened at the taste. "A wonderful blend."

Trinity smiled at the praise. "Thanks. It's one of Katana's."

"Katana-san?" she echoed. The mention of their ancestor's name made them appreciate the tea all the more.

"I usually don't make tea without a teabag and an electric kettle but I hoped everything would turn out okay."

"You have done well, I'm sure she would be pleased."

"I would hate for her to be disappointed."

"I must admit," Kai said, breathing in the sweet wafts of steam, "I am surprised you would go to so much trouble."

Trinity lifted her head, dark brown eyes catching a bit of lantern-light. "Why?"

"I thought perhaps you would harbor anger or resentment towards us. Towards me."

Returning her eyes to the table in front of her and busying her hands by organizing the tools of the tea hostess, Trinity admitted, "I thought the same thing of you. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't angry, and I can't tell you how hard it was to watch him take those strikes." She didn't sleep well after last night; she kept hearing the sound of the shinai tearing through flesh in her dreams. "But I think I'm angrier at myself for letting it happen."

"It was not easy for us as well, Trinity, but bushido is a measured commitment, one that does not allow insolence or dishonor."

"It should have been me."

"Alexander willingly took your place." he explained.

"He shouldn't have–" She stopped, noticing how easily her raised voice rang off the walls.

"But he did." Kai said. "He admitted his guilt and took responsibility. Despite the reputation of his family, he acted honorably."

"And are you angry with me? For letting this happen? For lying...?"

"I admit I was. But we have all made mistakes in the past, especially for love."

"Kai-sensei." Trinity's tone grew serious. "May I ask you something?"

He looked at her from over his tea. "Of course."

"Do you think...did you mean what you said when you thought Alex would make a good mate?"

Kai was surprised she would even ask, let alone want his opinion. He set his cup to the mat. "He was willing to bear his punishment for you, without even knowing what it would be. I have heard many stories of his mother and father, I have even met them on several occasions, and he takes after them in both spirit and appearance. But one cannot hide their true nature for long. Though young and still maturing, I believe he is worthy of you, Trinity."

"My parents aren't so sure." she revealed. "It probably has to do with their history with the Xanatoses, the irony of who their firstborn would start dating or the fact I spend an inordinate amount of time with him."

Sora was curious, lifting a single, suggestive brow. "And what is that time spent doing?"

Trinity willed away the blush. "I don't think that would be considered polite conversation."

She nodded, smiled deftly and allowed Trinity her privacy. Her mating with Kai had been a delectable whirlwind after her resurrection and despite the fact he was older, he had the stamina and passion of someone half his age. "I suspect it is not so much who you are spending your nights with," Sora said cleverly, "but what you are doing with that time alone."

This time she didn't say a word; she didn't have to.

"I once fell in love with someone who was several generations younger than I." Kai began. "It was quite uncommon and considered improper, especially as leader of my clan, and I tried to deny my feelings. But it was only until I thought I had lost her that I decided–"

"With some prompting, mind you." Riko interjected.

"–to at last act on those feelings." He finished, glared at his second and tellingly fingered the scar running down his chest and disappearing under the hem of his tunic top. "My only regret is that I did not do so sooner. But you are still young, Trinity."

"You know, that's exactly what my father said." Trinity said quickly, before Kai could continue his train of thought. There was a bit of resentment in her impatience. "You are still so young, my daughter," she mimicked Goliath's deep voice, "you still have so much to see and learn. It was almost as if he's trying to talk me out of my relationship..."

But Sora shook her head and smiled. "I don't think so. I doubt your father would have allowed your courting to continue at all if he did not want you to be with Alexander. And if you truly believe you have found a mate you wish to spend the rest of your life with, than you must choose and live with the consequences."

She mulled over that for a while, rubbing a fingertip around the edge of her teacup. She and Alexander often lived in the moment and didn't waste too much time thinking about the future.

"It is hard to watch hatchlings grow so quickly. And in your case, you grow much faster than a full-blooded gargoyle. I'm sure Goliath-sama is not quite used to that."

"I guess not." Trinity said at length. "Sometimes he still treats us like children."

"Perhaps sending you here is his way of treating you as an adult." Kai reasoned.

She lifted her head, thought about it and shrugged in response. "Sometimes it's hard to tell with him."

"Reticent, yes..." Sora mused. "To the point of frustration. Your father is not unlike another clan leader I happen to know. But I also know that he cares very much, and if you truly love Alexander he will give you his blessing. But only if the two of you prove your maturity."

"And sneaking around with a boy while shirking my duties isn't considered mature."

Sora smiled at the sarcasm. "No." she agreed. "You have a particular place in your clan, Trinity, different from all the others. The eldest of the hatchlings, and one burdened with the weight of responsibility. I know that is difficult, but such is your obligation."

"That's one hell of an obligation." Trinity whispered, staring into her tea.

"One I think you'll take to heart."

"Maybe..."

Sora clapped her hands, smiling. She wanted to change the subject before it killed the conversation. "Now, I believe there is a bottle of sake here somewhere..."

Trinity started shaking her head. "I have sparring lessons."

"Yes," Riko nodded, "with me, and I'm sure I can delay the lesson for ten minutes."

Before Trinity could even answer, Sakura had already grabbed the bottle from the stores. "What is the American term?" she said, pouring everyone a cup. "One for the road?"

Day 163.

Yama's hand slowly tightened on the grip of his shinai. The only movement he allowed was his eyes slowly following his target, Storm Maza, one of the most assertive in his class.

After a couple of months he'd been able to categorize each student.

Xiaoqing's form was flawless but proud and ultimately self-defeating. Bertwistle and Ismagrad had never used a sword and swung it around like a club, using their greater strength and simmering anger to, if they actually were able to land a hit, deal a massive amount of damage but Yama was easily able to dodge any kind of attack and put the young gargoyles on their backs. Though his hesitation was a handicap, Kingston's technical expertise was well ahead of the others. Trinity and her sister Liberty struck a good balance between power, speed and the patience to wait for an opening but lacked the drive to truly master the art.

But of all of his students, Yama had taken in interest in the Maza boys considering their energy, raw potential and the thirst to play swordsman from the first Kendo lesson. He couldn't fault their enthusiasm though trying to temper it into something else was trying.

As the rest of the students watched from the side of the training dojo, Yama lived up to his name, standing as still and serene as a mountain. He was waiting for his sparring partner to make the first move. The darker of Goliath's twin hatchlings was more aggressive than his brother. Where Skye would take his time to look for weaknesses, Storm would often rush in sword swinging. Yama would put him down but he'd always get up, eyes flaring, and grab his shinai from the ground, ready for another chance.

As the young gargoyle circled around, every footstep measured while his eyes narrowed in on every subtle movement his teacher made, Yama decided to strike first and throw Storm off balance.

His shinai struck the young gargoyle's, Storm barely getting it up in time to block. It rattled but he held firm. Yama slid forward, swiping fast with calculated strikes and seeing Storm barely block each one and getting his sword back into position not as fast as he'd like.

Storm rolled over and swung his shinai at Yama's thigh and his sensei barely got his weapon in line with his leg to absorb the impact. He grunted, used his greater strength to flip Storm's sword away from him and shuffled back.

Suddenly Yama tilted right and started favoring his leg on that side. Storm noticed his movements quickly become sluggish and less like a skilled ballerina and more like a one-legged ox trying to stay on its last foot. Storm pushed forward, striking back and forth to try and unbalance his teacher. Yama got wobbly and tried to whirl around to follow his student as he circled behind him but the movement was too quick; Yama toppled and ended up on his back, his sword clattering across the floor.

Storm saw the opening and took it, hoping he could strike before his teacher could defend himself. He shot into position, lunged towards his fallen opponent and brought his sword down just as Yama turned his head around. The shinai stopped inches from his cheek.

Frozen in place, Storm held the bamboo sword in front of his teacher's face; it trembled slightly in his hands as the reality of what had just happened sunk in.

Yama stared back at the boy, waiting for his next move.

"Yield." Storm whispered.

"As you wish."

He allowed himself the chance to breathe and pulled his shinai away. Yama quickly rose and to Storm's surprise, he wasn't favoring his leg anymore. "Were you faking?"

He turned to his student after recovering his weapon. "What do you think?"

"I don't think I could've beaten someone who's been doing this for decades."

"Your skills are satisfactory, but you are right."

Such as it was, the compliment was still pretty backhanded. Storm's expression was mixed.

"I needed to know how far you would go." Yama explained. "You showed mercy to a defeated opponent. That is the way of bushido."

"So I didn't actually beat you. You lost on purpose."

"Yes."

"And if I were to challenge you to a rematch?"

"You would lose."

Storm thought for a moment before holding his shinai up and towards his teacher. His right leg slid forward into the basic Kendo stance.

Yama saw the young gargoyle freeze in position from over his shoulder. He was impressed.

In the end the young gargoyle would lose, ending up on his back with a training sword at his throat but at least he and his brother would earn Yama's respect.

Day 168.

They were almost finished. It was hard to believe this garden was nothing but an empty yard with the boulders that built it lying a quarter of a mile away.

Now they'd built a retaining wall, several smaller walls that curved around an oblong hollow in the ground lined with plastic for the pond and were ready to finish off some of the smaller details. The architect though wasn't getting along with her grunts.

"That boulder doesn't fit properly," Xiaoqing scolded Ismagrad, "turn it on its side."

The big Russian grumbled and turned the boulder clockwise.

"Again."

Again, Ismagrad turned the boulder until it slumped into place tightly against its neighbor.

"Much better. Do you see how they must go? I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. If they build walls like this in Russia they must be of shoddy craftsmanship."

Twisting the cricks from her neck, Ismagrad seemed ready to explode until Bertwistle grabbed her wrist.

"Not worth it, girl." he said sagely. "Remember, a week and a half to go."

"Da..." she forced out. "Da."

"Now," Xiaoqing said, looking over her hand-crafted blueprints, "we need another similarly-sized boulder near the pond." She scanned what was left of their building materials and pointed at the largest. "That one."

With thin eyes, Ismagrad stomped over and heaved it from the ground.

"If you're putting that where I think you're putting that," a voice called out, "it's not going to fit."

Xiaoqing bristled. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said," Liberty raised the volume, "it won't fit there."

"I think it will."

"Just because you think so, doesn't mean the world and everything in it will suddenly bend to your preference."

"It will fit." Xiaoqing repeated, a hint of steel in her voice.

"Let me see those plans..." Without thinking, Liberty grabbed Xiaoqing by the arm and the gargoyle reacted as if she'd been burned.

"Don't touch me."

"What, afraid you'll catch a cold?"

She glared at her; if the hybrid's mere presence made her uncomfortable, actual physical contact made her eyes glow. "Just do what you're told and we'll finish without wasting any more time."

"I'm not the one who has us changing the design every night because she can't make a decision. It's okay to be less than perfect in every single aspect of your life."

"Is that your motto? Less than perfect?"

As they started shouting at each other Ismagrad was stuck left holding the heavy stone. She was straining, her upper lip curling. "Where does stone go?" she ultimately barked.

Xiaoqing whirled around and pointed a finger to an empty spot near the pond. "There. Make sure it is a proper fit."

Growling quietly, Ismagrad slowly padded towards the retaining wall and set the stone in place, slipping her fingers from underneath before it thumped to rest. It didn't quite fit, proving Liberty right but no one seemed to notice with a storm brewing on the horizon. "These are heavy, you need quicker direction."

"Yeah, luv," Bertwistle added his two cents, "we can't be yer heavy machinery all night. We've got limited time."

"If I wasn't being constantly distracted," Xiaoqing looked over her shoulder at Liberty, "we'd be finished by now."

Liberty scowled. "You're blaming me? Maybe you should pull your conceited head out of your tight ass."

Eyes went blood red and she started advancing. They were less than a few feet apart and Xiaoqing was ready to slap the lavender-skinned girl. "How dare you! I'll show you conceited–"

"Enough!"

The two girls were startled from their bickering by the bellows.

Kai had wandered into the garden and wasn't too pleased to see this old argument flaring up again. "What did I tell you about this behavior?"

Liberty and Xiaoqing both turned and bowed.

But Kai wasn't about to let them brush off their conduct with a simple gesture of contrition. "I had hoped you would realize this petty squabbling was beneath you, or at the very least, the sight of Alexander's punishment would help adjust your attitude. I would hate to have to punish the two of you as well and I admit the thought does not please me in any way but I cannot and will not allow this to continue."

Liberty shivered. The thought of being struck by that shinai made her blood run cold. Xiaoqing too looked a little wary.

But Kai was still staring at them, his face an impassionate mask. He had three options, have the girls face the shinai, expel them or keep ignoring this festering argument to the detriment of their training.

"I'm sorry for my sister, Kai-sensei." Trinity quickly spoke on behalf of her sister. She'd already watched someone she loved receive punishment under the quick bite of the shinai and didn't want to see her sister suffer the same. "They're both just tired and under strain."

"Trinity..." Liberty tried to protest.

"Shut up, Libby," she quietly hissed back, "your motor-mouth is going to get you in trouble again."

"It is not that simple, Trinity. Bushido demands compliance, and respect, and these two have not proved they are capable of that."

"There has to be something else...please."

"Perhaps..." he said quietly, maybe to himself. "There is an alternative. I was going to make a formal announcement later but perhaps this is the best time. I was hoping to arrange a tournament of sorts, of sparring matches between the students to see how far your skills had progressed. Perhaps you two should work out your problems in a match now and end this destructive, pointless bickering."

Day 169.

He had the courtyard specifically cleared except for the teaching staff and the rest of the students. His standing order that no one be allowed to watch hung heavy with his authority and the entire area was cleared, not even a curious pair of eyes staring through one of the temple doorways.

As Noburu and Takashi prepared the ring, Kai stood to the side watching and, as usual, when he was in this kind of mood, brooding.

And ever by his side, Sora watched him brood. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It is better than the alternative." he said resolutely.

"Are you sure?" Riko questioned him. "Five quick strikes each and it would be over."

"No, it would not. They would still harbor revulsion for each other. They need to work out their differences."

"Yes," Sora nodded, "I am just hoping they do not beat each other into bloody pulps before they learn anything."

He had the same fear, but was short on options and no one had offered up a better idea. It was hard to beat tolerance into someone. "We shall see."

Sora pressed her hands together and breathed through her fingers, while Riko simply rubbed a hand down her face.

The students were lead out by Sakura; Liberty and Xiaoqing were directed towards the ring while the rest were told to sit on a couple of benches to the side.

Kai waited for the two combatants near the ring and could already feel the resentment coming off them both like a dry heat. "This is full contact," he said, "but is still just an exercise to alleviate any bad blood. Perhaps this will end the pointless arguing before it degenerates into something greater. But I want a fair and honorable session. Is that understood?"

Each nodded. They stood in front of each other, bowed stiffly (eyes never leaving the others') and got into position.

"Hajime!" Kai shouted, starting the match.

They started circling around the ring, Liberty cautious, Xiaoqing confident. Liberty could feel her opponent's black eyes boring into her, watching every move no matter how slight or insignificant; it was like staring down a hungry animal.

Liberty deflected Xiaoqing's arm and whirled around, hoping some fancy footwork might dazzle her opponent, but Xiaoqing was ready for her and caught her by the wrist. They struggled for a moment before Liberty wrestled loose and caught her opponent in the side with her knee.

Xiaoqing grunted but didn't allow another sound to escape, unwilling to let loose any outward sign of pain in the hybrid's presence. She absorbed the blow as best she could and returned it with one of her own, jamming her flattened palm into Liberty's shoulder. Liberty's entire left side went numb and dropped, throwing off her balance and allowing Xiaoqing an opening. She hit the girl's midsection and sent her back-peddling by sheer momentum. Xiaoqing chased her down, making sure her opponent couldn't regain her bearings and struck quickly, catching her in the midsection, then grabbing Liberty's arm and flipping her onto her back.

She was momentarily stunned and barely had time to dodge the incoming foot. It made a small cloud of dust as Xiaoqing stepped where Liberty's head used to be; she'd missed on purpose of course, just showing the lavender gargoyle who was in charge of this particular competition.

As Liberty got back on her feet, she'd barely time to think of an effective defense before instinct superseded any thought process as Xiaoqing's hand filled her field of vision. She managed to dodge one hand but couldn't dodge the other; Xiaoqing caught her in the ribs and whirled around to glance the back of her forearm against Liberty's neck.

She crumpled on all fours but managed to keep moving and swept her opponent's legs. Xiaoqing stumbled but didn't go over. Liberty rolled back on her shoulders and pushed both her legs into Xiaoqing's stomach, hoping to punch a hole through the gargoyle.

"Urgh...!" Another slip of the tongue and Xiaoqing was starting to get annoyed. Twice now did this little hybrid freak cause her pain, enough to voice it to her embarrassment. And as Liberty got back to her feet Xiaoqing thought she saw the girl smirk at her. Hoping to wipe that smirk away she rushed forward before her opponent could form a fighting stance and started jabbing at any exposed flesh, a little harder than a simple sparring match between students.

Liberty tried to dodge or deflect or even absorb the blows but Xiaoqing was angry and relentless. Before the referee could protest Xiaoqing found the chink in her armor and struck quick, feeling the flesh underneath her hand flex and crumple. She caught Liberty in the ribs, the chest and, despite hearing her opponent's muffled cries of pain, with one last, well-placed blow to the neck, Xiaoqing mercilessly dropped the gargoyle in a heap in front of her.

"Xiaoqing!"

There was a moment of stillness afterwards, Xiaoqing looking down at the fallen girl as her sensei watched from ringside and the students each reacting in their own way. Trinity and her brothers stared at their sister's fallen form.

"It is over." Kai sighed.

Xiaoqing shook her head in pity. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

Liberty coughed into the dirt, sending tiny, brown puffs into the air. Waves of pain were radiating from every spot Xiaoqing managed to find.

"Perhaps next time," she told Kai, straightening her kimono, "you will offer me an opponent that is more than a weak and sickly little half-breed."

"That is enough, Xiaoqing," Kai admonished her, "you have won, albeit more ruthless than I would have liked. There is no need to dishonor her with your harsh words."

"As you wish, sensei." She couldn't disguise the distaste at the word. "If this exercise is over..."

Kai could see the scorn in the younger female's eyes as she stared downward at Liberty. It was thinly veiled and burned brightly. "I rarely see a victor so distasteful in her triumph. You'd do well to lose the supercilious attitude as it does not reflect well on such an honorable clan."

Surprisingly, Xiaoqing didn't argue his opinion.

"Please see Chizuru in the food stores. Perhaps you can employ some of that energy in helping to prep the winter supplies."

She slowly stalked away and it was only until Xiaoqing has halfway across the courtyard when she finally stopped staring at the fallen girl.

Kai returned his attention to Liberty, who still lay huddled on the ground and covered in the rumpled mess of her own wings. "Liberty..." he called to her, but she didn't budge.

And before he could do anything, it was his mate Sora who quickly made her way towards the fallen girl. She offered a hand. "Take my hand, Liberty."

But the girl brushed her off by slapping that open hand away and stubbornly remained in a sitting position, breathing like an angry bull and holding a hand to her face.

Sora remained at her side. "As you wish." She kneeled beside her and even the slightest movement made her flinch. "Her words are only words, Liberty-chan. They are ill-spoken and wrong."

But Liberty wasn't in the mood to listen, growling under her heavy, labored breaths. It took every ounce of willpower to will away the budding tears; she wouldn't cry, not here, not now.

"Please–" Sora tried again.

"Leave me alone!" Liberty growled and ran off.

She ran into the stables and started pacing like an animal, the irony lost with the anger boiling off her like a tea kettle about to burst. All the Maza children had inherited their parents' stubbornness and temper, and now the latter was ready to spill over like an atom bomb. Tears streamed hot trails down her face and every breath threatened to turn into an anguished sob. Xiaoqing's voice was the only one she could hear against the white noise, taunting her, ridiculing her, calling her half-breed, crossbreed, freak.

Sickly little half-breed.

She was sick of being different. And she thought here, where gargoyles and humans had lived together for centuries, it would be different. Just as her sister had said, she was treated like a monster even by other gargoyles.

Sickly little half-breed.

It still echoed, still rang in her skull unendingly, still hurt, still throbbed.

Sickly little half-breed.

And in the red haze, she never knew how she found herself a good twenty feet from where she'd been standing, at the edge of her bedside, staring into the duffel bag in the corner. Her hand moved numbly towards the bag; she reached inside and rummaged around until grasping something very familiar. She grabbed the little bottle of pills and stared at them, focusing all of her anger on that unassuming container, remembering the stories of her difficult birth and Elisa's brush with death because of it, the trips to the Eyrie infirmary, Doctor Pierce stabbing her with needles, taking blood, being tested and spending endless nights in a hospital bed. It was like living with a noose around her neck, a constant reminder of just how different she was.

The plastic bottle was cracking in her hand and the sound brought her a bit of clarity. Fueled by the growing rage, she angled back and heaved it into the depths of the stables with an anguished grunt.

She rummaged through her duffel bag and found the other bottles, what was left of a six month supply. She threw them away just as she did the first one. And then she found her emergency syringes, concentrated, liquid medicine in case her pills weren't enough. She palmed the entire package and threw them as hard as she could, hearing the delicate plastic shatter on impact somewhere on the other side of the building. Then her duffel bag went and the small table and anything that wasn't nailed down.

And when she ran out of objects, she screamed, doing her father proud at the howl torn from her throat. Her eyes burned white. And all that pain, all that anger and all those terrible memories were laid bare to the rest of the world in one startling moment.

Sora pushed the stable door open and found herself in the middle of what presumably had caused the scream she'd heard all the way from the temple. The stables were a mess, with hay everywhere and even the remnants of one of the small tables used as a nightstand. It was a pile of kindling now. Walking further in, she noticed a purple lump of something huddled near one of the dividers, stone still.

The young girl was sitting haggardly against the wooden wall, wrapped in the cocoon of her wings, tail coiled around her ankles. The lavender skin where her tears had streamed down her face had turned a dark indigo.

"Liberty?"

"What do you want?"

Sora didn't need much more than a solemn stare to convey her displeasure in the attitude.

And Liberty was suddenly aware of her mistake. As much as this woman had forced her to practice, spar, move rocks and paint until her fingers cramped up, she'd been kind to her. "I'm sorry...Sora-sensei."

"Your apology is accepted."

"What do you...why are you here?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"You want to help the sickly half-breed?" Liberty repeated the earlier insult, the one that cut the deepest. "Don't bother."

"If you wish to leave," Sora offered, "we can arrange that."

She was genuinely surprised, and finally raised her eyes. "You'd let me quit?"

Sora would've used the stool if it wasn't lying in a broken pile behind her, so she kneeled on the floor and put her hand to Liberty's leg. "Training such as this is not for everyone, especially due to the abridged nature. We are instructing you in several years' worth of lessons in only six months."

"And in six months, what exactly have I learned? That even gargoyles hate us. That we're seen as freaks–"

"Not all gargoyles feel that way." Sora said quickly and fiercely, her wings bristling to the bone. Realizing her voice went up a few octaves, the normally serene gargoyle tried to compose herself. "Being angry at an entire race is exactly what Xiaoqing is guilty of."

"You think she's angry, or hurting? I just think she's a bi–" Liberty clamped down and forced herself to swallow what was going to spill into Sora's presence. "I think you know what I mean."

"Yes," she nodded, coupled with an evanescent smirk, "I do. She is angry, and has been raised in such an environment where fear and hatred towards humans has been commonplace for centuries. And though it may be warranted–"

"Warranted?!" Liberty screeched. "You think it's okay how she feels?"

"Was it all right for your father to feel the way he felt after his clan was slaughtered?"

The answer was there, on her tongue, but she couldn't shake it loose. Liberty let her mouth close.

"The Chinese clan suffered such devastation at the hands of humans many centuries ago, much like the Scottish clans." Sora continued placidly. "And they walled themselves away from the world, stewing in their xenophobia. This is where her anger stems. Centuries of pain and hatred, passed down to every rookery like a poison."

"Warranted." Liberty sighed in defeat. Her wings curled in, shoulders hunched.

"To a certain point. It is not fair to blame an entire species, not to mention callous and myopic."

"But she still does, and it sounds like she will for the rest of her life."

Silence passed between the two, until Sora decided she couldn't help the crestfallen girl by remaining quiet. "Liberty, you...know of my past?"

"Yes." She'd heard the story before, of how the woman kneeling in front of her was resurrected. "You were almost killed in the Unseelie war, only to be possessed by some Japanese demon."

"An oni of great power and malevolence." Sora hissed. Even a couple of decades later, the memory was fresh, her dreams sometimes haunted. "Kai bears a scar on his chest as a reminder of what he sacrificed for me, and of what I almost lost. My anger, my hatred almost destroyed me and almost took the life of the gargoyle I hold most dear in this world. What Xiaoqing carries with her may eventually consume her as well. But you cannot do anything else in the face of such small-mindedness except be yourself. Hatred will be a constant shadow in your lifetime, but if you can resist that pain perhaps the next generation will not be as unlucky."

"I guess..."

The girl didn't seem convinced but Sora knew she couldn't magically fix such deeply ingrained emotional distress in just a few minutes, no matter how sweetly she spoke. "Face your pain, Liberty." she offered. "Do not ignore it, do not tuck it away and allow it to fester. Stare it down, defeat it and become better through that journey. That is the way of bushido."

"And you really believe in that, don't you?"

"I do." she nodded. "I am also fortunate to have been witness to the best of gargoyle and human alike, just as you have." Sora stood up and surveyed the damage wrought. "Perhaps you could spend the rest of the night cleaning up."

Liberty slowly turned and it was only after the red haze had receded that she noticed the sheer amount of damage she caused. "I'm sorry..."

"I know. If you'd prefer, I can send your brothers and sister to come help you."

"No." she blurted. "No, I made the mess I should clean it up. And I'd kind of like to be alone for a while..."

Sora nodded and moved to the doors. "One parting thought, Liberty," she said before leaving, "you are never alone."

Perched atop the hill near the courtyard's wide arch, Kai watched as Sora exited the stables and walked up the hill towards him. "Is she all right?" he asked impatiently.

"I don't know." Sora said earnestly. "I believe she is better now, but is still pained."

He shook his head, causing a few little muscles in his neck and chest to curl and bob. "I should have expected this..."

"Perhaps, but you offered them another path rather than punishment or expulsion. Your intentions and your methods were not ill-chosen. Some things cannot be erased so easily."

Kai couldn't help staring at that building down by the riverbank, where inside a young gargoyle was suffering, partly due to his decision.

"Come," Sora tugged on his arm, "right now she needs time."

Day 172.

Waking up was particularly hard, especially when her older sister started shaking her to the point her brain rattled in her skull.

Liberty sat up on her bale of hay, looking like something out of a horror movie.

Already dressed Trinity loomed over her, her form silhouetted by the last, feeble dregs of vanishing sunlight. "Time for breakfast."

She grumbled something and dragged a hand through her tousled hair. "Already?"

"You okay?"

Her head was pounding, she felt like she'd barely got an hour of sleep and her limbs were heavy as stone. "Ugh..."

"Yeah, same here. But I don't want to miss the buffet. Remember, we have less than ten minutes after sunset or we go hungry."

"Yeah, yeah..." she waved her sister off.

But Trinity kept staring at her with those x-ray eyes that went right through her. "Are you sure you're okay? You know, since..."

"Since I got my ass handed to me and ran home crying?" Liberty finished.

Her older sister was sympathetic. "There was a good reason for that..."

"Listen, I'm fine."

"Well you look like crap."

"I've been sleeping on a pile of hay for half a year, cut me some slack. Plus, we've been practicing non-stop for this grand finale Kai keeps talking about." She pinched the bridge of her nose between a couple of fingers. "I...didn't sleep well, okay? And I've got a headache..."

"Maybe you need some food." she suggested.

Liberty shot her a dirty look through the veil of her hair. "That's the last thing I need."

"Come on, get your butt out of bed and get dressed. Let's get some of that yummy gray porridge in you. We've got a big day."

The big day in question was another archery lesson. The final archery lesson. After almost six months every student in the class was able to at least hit the target nine times out of ten, a remarkable improvement compared to their first disastrous lesson. Noburu was able to finally stand near his students without fear of being impaled by an errant shot, watching as each one stepped up, nocked an arrow, drew their string and skewered the circular targets on the opposite side of the range.

THWAP!

Skye's last shot was a hair off center. He smiled crookedly and turned around to find his sister staring at him, unimpressed. She still looked ragged. "Beat that."

"Gimme that..." Liberty grabbed the bow and used it to swat her brother out of the way. She raised it towards the target, staring down the shaft of her arrow; the target was set a perfect hundred and fifty feet away from the line her right foot was butted up against. She drew back the bow string and was about to fire when her vision suddenly blurred, and she shook her head but the view remained the same. Two targets when there should've been one.

Never one to take her time, Noboru noticed his student spending an inordinate amount trying to shake her vision back into place.

Liberty closed her eyes and kept them closed until she thought–and hoped–the view would clear. She opened up and let go of the string. One of the better archers out of the entire class, Liberty found she'd barely kept her arrow on the target itself; it was just inches away from missing completely.

"Not very good." Noburu said pithily, nose wrinkling. "Let someone else try before your arrow sails into the rice fields."

Liberty didn't argue for a second chance; she just handed off the bow to the next student in line and wandered slowly and unsurely to the back.

She dropped the chopsticks into her bowl, splattering into her uneaten porridge.

Every time this particular meal was served to her, it didn't quite set fire to her taste buds, but this was the first time she actually felt nauseous. Liberty pushed the bowl away and placed a hand to her forehead. It was flushed and slick.

Trinity noticed quickly; she always noticed quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Maybe I'm just getting sick of this stuff." she said, staring at the bowl of lumpy mush.

"Right." she drawled. "You're sure you're okay? You're a couple shades lighter than your usual lavender."

"I'm fine, Trini! Stop...mothering me."

"I can't help it." Trinity shrugged. "I've been taking care of you three for years."

"Even if we never asked for it."

Day 173.

Ever since Kai's announcement, Riko wondered if these matches were a good idea. Kai was eager to see how their students would fare against each other, hoping they would put their learned skills to proper use but the rest of the clan wasn't so sure it wouldn't degenerate into an angry, sloppy brawl, much like the altercation between two of their students.

And now, she found herself trying to squeeze as much time as possible between sunset and sunrise getting her students prepared. As much as their skills had improved, there was still so much for them to learn. It was their choice whether or not to continue their training but, she mused sadly, had a feeling none of them would return.

Wandering the courtyard and watching as the students practiced, she quickly noticed a standout amongst the crowd; one of them was unusually sluggish.

Liberty was put up against one of her brothers and seemed to be having difficulty fending him off.

"Liberty." she called to the girl. "You will spar with me."

She seemed hesitant, but not for the usual reasons. "Yes, sensei."

Riko waited for Liberty to get into position in front of her; she bowed and readied herself. The young gargoyle seemed strangely unfocused, faltering under the intense scrutiny of her teacher. "Hajime!" she barked and immediately started towards her student, hoping to scare a reaction from her. A couple of easy strikes and Liberty seemed quick and competent enough to block them all, so Riko amped it up. Without warning she turned on her heel and swiped the floor with her tail; Liberty just barely avoided it by jumping but in doing so left herself open for Riko's next strike.

Riko brought her leg up and caught her girl in the shoulder; what should've been an easy block nearly took her head off.

Liberty stumbled back and hit the ground, yelping on impact. She grimaced and rubbed a hand on the spot just above her tail.

Riko hovered over her, nonplussed. "If you perform in the upcoming matches as you did now, you will most certainly lose."

"Yes, sensei..."

She expected the usual rebelliousness common to the Maza offspring but got a weak, submissive response instead. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"For the last few nights your performance has been...less than satisfactory. Are you still troubled by your match with Xiaoqing?"

"I..." Liberty started blinking, and ducked her eyes away from the ever-omnipresent gaze of her teacher. Her vision had blurred and it wasn't anything physical causing the rest of the world around her to distort. "I have to go, sensei..."

Riko tried to reach for her. "Liberty–"

"I just...have to go..." She stumbled off towards the exit and disappeared, without much of an explanation why.

She watched her leave. Her performance tonight had been disappointing, despite all the progress she had made. And the gargoyle couldn't help but notice the pallor of her skin and the lack of concentration. Riko quickly turned to Sakura, who'd been helping with the sparring lessons. "Where is Kai?"

She'd stumbled down the path and only found the stables by sheer memory alone. Pushing the door open, she found herself inside a building that, though she'd lived here for months, was now completely alien to her. The colors were distorted, the scent was off and everything seemed frighteningly indistinct. Something was wrong, and she'd never felt like this before.

Her medicine, she thought groggily, she needed her medicine. She lurched her way towards her bed and the duffel bag, reached a hand in and rummaged around until she realized her medicine wasn't there. She remembered through the growing haze, her pills were scattered to the wind in her anger, her syringes shattered. If only she could find one of those damned pills, hidden in the depths of the stables, but her vision was clouding and within a few minutes she wasn't able to discern much of anything anymore, let alone tiny pills. Her breathing was becoming labored, her mouth dry, and she couldn't gather her thoughts.

She was disoriented, which way was the stable door? She was terrified, but of what? She felt like her brain was trying to leap out of her skull. A sharp pain had worked its way from back to front, knifing through her frontal lobe.

"Libby?"

Voices? Noise? She couldn't tell anymore.

Trinity had wandered in, looking for her sister. She still looked pale and nauseous, and confirmed her hunch that it wasn't the food. "Libby?"

Liberty heard something, her name? She turned, and she locked eyes with the blurry figure in front of her. "...trini...?"

The voice sounded so small. "Libby?" Trinity whispered, and watched helplessly as her little sister rolled her eyes up into her skull, crumpled like a ragdoll and collapsed. Liberty started convulsing violently, as if she was being electrocuted. "Libby!" She practically leapt to her side and took the girl into her arms; Trinity was barely able to keep hold of the flailing appendages even with her hybrid strength, including wings and a tail that threatened to carve through her flesh like a bullwhip, but her sister's shaking was quickly becoming a full-blown seizure. She knew she shouldn't hold a seizure victim due to possible injury, but she didn't want Liberty's skull bouncing off the hard planks of the floor. "Come on, Libby!"

She'd only seen it this bad once, when Liberty was eight years old. All of a sudden, in the middle of a quiet night spent in the presence of her clan, her sister's hands started shivering, enough to make her drop her doll. Trinity was the only one to notice at first and where she thought her little sister was simply cold, the shaking quickly become worse and Liberty started to struggle for air. She remembered screaming for her mother and Elisa, thankfully close, bolted towards them and scooped Liberty into her arms, making sure the airway was clear and she wasn't choking on her own tongue. Elisa had barked at Goliath to get her medication and the massive gargoyle bolted from the room and loped towards their bedroom on all fours, loosing small chunks of gravel in his wake. Returning a few terrifying moments later, he kneeled by his mate and daughter and ended up almost crushing the delicate plastic syringe in his massive hands. Handing the syringe off to his mate, Elisa didn't waste a moment stabbing the needle into Liberty's pale, purple flesh as Goliath did his best to hold the little girl steady without inadvertently snapping a bone.

"Hold her still, Goliath!"

As Trinity watched in horror from Angela's embrace, Liberty's seizure eventually reduced to nothing, leaving a limp little girl in her mother's arms. Her sister's medication and dosage was changed and since then, Liberty was never far from her pills or a syringe.

And now, almost a decade later, it was déjà vu. But this time, no one else was around. "Stay with me, Libby, stay with me!" Trinity looked around in a panic, leaning back to peer into Liberty's stall. She didn't want to let go, but she was too far away to look for the medication. "Damn, damn, damn, damn..."

On the verge of panic, she suddenly heard voices outside. Male, still teenaged and cracking soprano every so often, but voices that would become almost as deep as their father's one day. "Storm! Skye! Help me!"

Footsteps, heavy and rapid. The twins burst into the stable, each almost taking a door off the hinges. "What's going on?!" they chorused, and immediately saw Trinity struggling with a quivering, lavender shape in her arms.

"I think she's gone off her medication!" Trinity yelled back. "And I can't find her medicine!"

"Why would she–"

"I don't know! Just find her medicine! The syringes, the pills, anything!"

The boys immediately rushed towards Liberty's bed, ripping the blankets off and tearing through her duffel bag in a futile attempt to find the syringes or that tiny, orange bottle. "I can't find them!" Storm yelled back at his sister.

"What about the pills?!"

"Not here!"

"Stupid, stupid..." Trinity muttered under her breath. "If she stopped taking the pills because of what Xiaoqing said..." she tried piecing everything together, including why her sister would stop medicating, "she came here right after that fight...and if it were me I would've thrown those little bastards as far as I could! She must've tossed them somewhere!"

"Where?!" the twins roared back.

"They've got to be around here somewhere! Find them!"

"Where?!"

"There's nothing here but hay!" Skye scanned the entire building and the sheer amount of it all. "A whole lotta hay!"

"Find them, guys!"

The twins started tearing through everything that wasn't nailed down, the beds, the hay piles and just before they started uprooting the wooden stall dividers, Skye stumbled over something, almost stepping on it in his haste. "Hey, found something!" It was a syringe, miraculously intact. He reached for that small plastic tube he'd saw from the corner of his eye and bolted towards his sisters.

Trinity reached out and grabbed the syringe. "Hold her down!" she ordered and her brothers wordlessly grabbed whatever they could. Trinity grabbed Liberty by the arm, popped the cap and jabbed the needle into her skin. It wasn't pretty but she wasn't going to let her sister die. "Come on, baby sister, stay with me." After a few agonizing seconds, Liberty's convulsing diminished and her breathing slowed. The medication was swimming through her bloodstream and quickly took effect. Her talons had dug in to her sister's skin, but if Trinity noticed, she never winced. The blood had trickled in tiny runnels over her caramel skin, dripping onto her kimono. "Come on, baby sister..."

The convulsions had reduced themselves to a bit of trembling in her extremities and Liberty started to control her breathing.

Trinity smiled and a bit of laughter bubbled up her throat. Liberty's eyes fluttered open and eventually settled on the blurry silhouette of her older sister, while Skye and Storm both sank to the ground, legs like noodles. "Okay...okay..." she breathed. "We're all good now...we're all good..."

Her sister seemed confused, as if the last ten minutes were erased from her mind; the reason why she was on the floor, in her sister's arms and why Trinity looked so disheveled didn't materialize until the medication cleared the fog in her mind. "...trin..."

"It's okay, Libby..."

Almost knocking the building off its foundation, Kai suddenly burst through the doors. He found Trinity on the floor with her sister's limp form in her lap. Sora slinked past him with several others of the clan crowding the doorway behind; they'd obviously heard the commotion. "What has happened?!"

"It's okay..." Trinity assured him. "She's okay..."

Sora quickly kneeled by the girls, smoothing fingers under Liberty's jawline and feeling for a pulse. "What is wrong with her? Has she had a seizure?"

Her head snapped up in surprise. "How did you know about that...?"

"Answer her." Kai demanded.

"Yes, she did." Trinity answered contritely. "She went off her medication. I figure for a few days at least."

The great leader leaned back and released a breath.

The news had spread like wildfire around Ishimura and soon the entire clan was aware of Liberty's seizure, especially when Kai carried the limp girl through the courtyard and into the temple's interior. Riko did her best to calm them and suppress any rumor that might streak through the crowd, while Noboru blocked access to the doorway using his impressive bulk and a withering scowl that warded off any protests.

Liberty was lying comfortably in a futon in one of the temple's guest rooms, and it only took a seizure to finally get her a real bed. Kaede dipped a compress in a bowl of cold water and replaced it to her forehead. Not well versed in Liberty's particular affliction, all she could do was offer the gargoyle comfort to recuperate. She smiled as she pulled the blanket closer to the young girl's chest; tiny lines highlighted the gargoyle's age, but not the playful spark.

"This will be your room from now on, Liberty-chan." Sora said softly. "I think you've earned it. Now please, rest."

Of any room she could've been given to recuperate, Liberty felt strangely comfortable here. The room was sparsely decorated, but served to keep it uncluttered. The lanterns offered soft, tranquil light and the painted screens glowed with colored ink, each little square part of a larger tapestry.

"If you'll excuse us, elder." Sora nodded to Kaede.

The healer returned the gesture, "Of course." and quietly slipped out of the room.

Kai wandered from the edge of the room directly towards the resting girl. "Now," he started, "perhaps you can tell me what exactly happened?" But he didn't expect Liberty to answer in her condition; his eyes flicked up, catching fire by the lanterns. The rest of the Maza children were holding court near their sister.

"She went off her medication." Trinity was the first to reply.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Very."

"Then why...?"

"My love," Sora slinked up beside him, whispering, "I believe Liberty's last confrontation with Xiaoqing may have had something to do with it."

His expression soured. He never knew how deep Xiaoqing's words had cut until now, seeing Liberty lying on the floor and pale as a ghost.

"But," she added, "I think the problem has been festering long before she ever arrived here."

He nodded silently at his mate. "Indeed. If I'd only known..."

"We all should have noticed sooner."

"She is too much like her mother," a deep voice echoed into the room, "clever and stubborn."

Trinity, Skye and Storm were the first to react, recognizing the owner of that baritone. The hulking silhouette just beyond was a dead giveaway.

"Dad?" Trinity did a double-take at seeing her father. "What are you doing here...?"

Goliath emerged from the doorway and quickly kneeled at Liberty's side. His hand was a welcome sensation against her clammy cheek and she reached up and wrapped her fingers around his ham-sized palm. The lavender color was almost identical. "We arrived a few minutes ago. We came to see how our children were faring in their training."

Liberty blinked and smiled. "...hi daddy..." she whispered. Her jaw ached and her throat was raw.

"Hello, my daughter. It was distressing and frightening to learn as we disembarked that you had suffered another seizure. We need you to be strong, Liberty."

She managed a nod, all the while staring into her father's deep charcoal eyes. They were unwavering and calm, his expression neutral yet sincere.

"Here, sweetie," Elisa whispered as she kneeled on her opposite side, "drink this." She held a large glass to her daughter's lips and allowed the teenager to slowly take the cool water. Elisa wiped away a few strands from her brow and for a moment, stared at her daughter's hair and how six months worth of growth added a bit of grace to a hairstyle that previously looked like a weed-whacker had run its way through it. "Better?"

Liberty just nodded exhaustedly.

"You're lucky your sister and brothers were there to help you. I can't even imagine what would have happened they couldn't find your medication. I've already watched you have a seizure once and I don't want a repeat performance."

"Yes, mom..."

Elisa figured the lecture was falling on deaf ears, considering her daughter's exhaustion. But she'd also had a very frightening, physical reminder of what her medication was designed to prevent. "I'll spare you the scolding for now, but you just scared the hell out of all of us."

Liberty blinked in response.

She leaned in close. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry, I just...I couldn't take any more of those pills...they just kept reminding me..."

"Of your illness." Sora finished for her. "Your mother and father informed us of your condition, and how you have always felt differently because of it."

"I am different." Liberty growled.

"Untrue." Goliath rumbled. "You see yourself as such and distance yourself because of that belief."

"You must think I'm so stupid."

"I think you were angry." Elisa amended. "But you're right, not taking your medication was an incredibly stupid thing to do."

The sullen teenage response was lost to a sudden surge of emotion and Liberty broke down into wracking sobs. Immediately Elisa drew her into her arms, allowing the girl to cry into her chest. "I hated those pills so much..." she whispered. "I hate having to be leashed to something that constantly reminds me how different I am...I hate the medication, I hate the tests, I hate the hospitals..."

Elisa rested her chin on Liberty's crown. "I know, sweetie, I was there. Every night you were in that hospital bed, being tested for whatever you were sick with, every needle, and biopsy, and lumbar puncture, I was there, wishing you didn't have to suffer through it. But I knew it was for the best. The pain I went through when I was pregnant with you, Libby, was nothing compared to seeing my daughter convulsing in my arms. We were all affected by the phoenix gate in some way, we almost never returned home, your DNA nearly got unraveled...and I lost the ability to have children."

Everyone in the room reacted differently, but mutely; the twins especially, eying each other. Goliath closed his eyes, as if reliving the last twenty years. Their hosts, having remained at the far end of the room, simply exchanged glances.

Elisa noticed, and elaborated, "Well, my ability to have children wasn't taken away so much as it was seriously compromised. Doctor Pierce warned me that if your father and I were lucky enough to conceive again, there would be complications. And then your brothers came, and if one half-gargoyle baby wasn't enough, it was two, a little more than a quasi-damaged womb could handle. I had to have an emergency C-Section at eight months or I would've died. And then...and then I had to have the hysterectomy."

Liberty knew her mother didn't like to talk about this particular pain, but Elisa was powering through it with a level voice.

"It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but I knew it had to be done."

"Mom..."

"Hush. I want you to listen to me," she looked up and made sure her eldest daughter and her twin boys were also listening, "all of you, don't ever feel guilty about the circumstances of your birth. What I went through pales in comparison to what I got in return. Four beautiful, healthy children."

"I'm not–" Liberty tried to argue, but was quickly overruled.

"Yes you are." Elisa sternly corrected her, cupping her daughter's chin. "Do you have any idea of the odds against all four of you being healthy and intelligent, let alone being conceived at all? Astronomical. But here you are, twenty years later, laughing in the face of the impossible."

Soothed by her mother's embrace, the crying had withered to a few sniffles until Liberty, feeling a little too exposed in the spotlight, willed it away.

"And if you think your life is any less valuable or miraculous because you have to take a few pills..."

"I-I don't."

"Good." Elisa said, gently rolling her daughter back into the futon. "Because from the moment you were born here, I've thought of you as nothing less."

"In this very room in fact." Sora stood up, chewing on a talon as she tried to remember back a couple of decades. "Actually, it was over there."

Surprised at the revelation, Liberty looked to her mother who merely confirmed it with a smile.

"You are a part of Ishimura whether you like it or not," Kai minded her gently, "and a part of our clan travels with you wherever you go. It has been an honor to have taught you, Liberty, and I look forward to concluding your first lesson."

"If you are up to it." Goliath amended slyly.

Day 174.

The countdown had begun in the back of every student's mind. Though the end was near, less than a week away before they were allowed to return to their clans, there were some who were surprised to learn they might actually miss this place. Miss the experience, miss the structure, and miss the serenity.

With the news that Liberty would be all right, a heavy weight had lifted off the Maza siblings' shoulders, allowing them to train with a clear conscience. The remaining students followed Riko with near flawless execution, as she took them through the stages of Karate Kado.

The little beaked elder, who weeks ago would reprimand any sloppy movement with the length of her clan, now sat contentedly on the side of the main courtyard and nursing a cup of tea. Though they weren't perfect, in half a year's time the students had acquitted themselves admirably and it was enjoyable to see them move as one. That English bird was still struggling with his leg movements, but she figured he could be spared a reminder tonight. She perked up at footsteps behind her and turned to see a lone female timidly approaching the group. The color had nearly returned to her skin, that deep, silky purple of her sizable progenitor, and she seemed a little less gaunt than before. "Child." she said, and almost caused the poor girl to jump from her skin.

Liberty thought the little gargoyle was one of the stone statues for a minute before realizing who it was. "Elder..." she breathed.

She chuckled in spite of herself. "You look well. How do you feel?"

"Better, I guess." She compulsively flexed her hands, glad to see no shiver or tremble. "I've had no seizures or symptoms since."

"So your medication is working."

"Yeah..." Liberty dropped her hands. It was hard to argue with empirical evidence. Her brothers had searched through every inch of the stables, collecting enough of her medication for the rest of her stay in Japan.

"So," the elder broke the silence, "what do you wish to do now?"

She turned her attention to the class practicing. "I think I want to finish what I started."

The elder smiled and tipped her head in admiration for the girl's strength of will. She held out a hand towards the class. "Then please."

She bowed to Chinatsu and trotted off.

It was Trinity who first saw her sister jogging in their general direction and taking a spot beside her, quickly deducing what stage of Kado they were on and mimicking the class' movements. "Good to see you up and about."

"Thanks."

After their exercises, the students were paired off to practice for the coming exhibition. Ismagrad was put up against Xiaoqing, Riko hoping her brute strength would throw the exceptionally skilled Chinese gargoyle for a loop. The twins were paired up, Kingston would take on Trinity and Liberty found herself standing in front of Bertwistle. Either this was planned or fate decided to help them resolve what lingered.

They hadn't talked much since their brief argument and the way the girl looked at him, Bertwistle figured she wasn't much for forgiveness. "Hello, luv."

"Guv'na." she said simply.

"Still pissed, huh?"

She shrugged. "I'm not angry, Bertwistle. You'd be surprised how a seizure puts everything into perspective."

"I'm sorry."

His apology seemed heartfelt, but she wasn't too receptive at the moment. "Sure."

She was wearing a look of indifference as easily as she was her kimono, so much so it unnerved him.

She beckoned him to start and he cautiously started towards her. There was something strange the way she held herself; she seemed a little taller tonight. He was hesitant to draw first blood and the two of them started at each other for a moment until he decided he might as well get it over with and swung at her. She dodged and knocked his arm away, going around the side. He turned to make sure she couldn't get at a nice open hole under an arm or one of his wings, but his strategy would quickly backfire on him.

So intent to protect everywhere else but his front, Liberty aimed directly for his front. An opening appeared and Liberty took it without hesitation, lodging her knee into his lower gut, just a hair above his goodies.

Bertwistle felt the air deflate from his lungs and keeled over, pooling on the ground. "Bollocks...!"

Standing over him, Liberty smiled. She had to admit there was a perverse sense of pleasure at seeing the young man drop like a stone with a hand over his privates. "Not bad for a human, huh?"

"Flargh...eburgll..." he muttered incoherently. "...shit..."

"Luckily I didn't aim any lower."

He gasped in response, "Good t' see you've...fully recovered..."

"Thanks."

Day 176.

Elisa found her daughter in the room Liberty had used to recuperate, fidgeting with her tunic. Considering the garment was more than five months old and the fabric was looking a little faded and threadbare, she'd kept it amazingly clean; and this from a teenager who balked at doing laundry, to the point where her dirty clothes formed a small pile in the middle of her room. "So," Elisa announced her presence, "you ready?"

Liberty didn't bother turning to her mother, sure she'd find a look of disapproval waiting for her. "As I'll ever be."

Eyes wandered about the chamber, awash in memories two decades old, most especially the first beautiful, piercing wails of her second-born. "That's what worries me." Elisa replied. "I'm sure due to recent circumstances, Kai and the others would let you bow out."

In the last couple of days, the small tournament that had been teased by the teaching staff had begun, set up between the students in order to put their skills to the test against each other. And now the bracket system had put Liberty against Xiaoqing.

"Are you sure you want to do this? She's better than you and she didn't suffer a seizure three days ago."

But Liberty simply tightened the knot on her obi and rubbed her shoulders one at a time, readying herself. "It's something I need to do, mom."

Elisa saw the determination creep across her daughter's face, the features and the resolve so much like her own. "I can appreciate that but she's going to take you apart, sweetie."

"Maybe..." she said distractedly. "Probably..."

Reaching out to smooth a few errant hairs from her daughter's brow, Elisa figured there wasn't much use in trying to talk her out of this. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

She sighed into her steepled hands, trying if anything to think of an argument she could possibly win against a teenager who was just as headstrong.

"By the way," Liberty cut in, "if you're trying to think of anything to say that'll make me change my mind, forget it."

And there it was; Elisa dropped her arms and simply conceded, "Just...don't take any blows to the head."

Liberty smiled and her mother tried to ignore that inherited wry smirk. "I'll try not to."

"You are well aware of the rules. You win the match either by submission or by forcing your opponent out of the ring." Kai was standing in the middle of the ring, and in the middle of two young gargoyles staring with black eyes at each other. He could feel the animosity like a heavy fog lingering in the air. The last thing he wanted was to pit these two against each other; he even went so far as to scrupulously arrange the matches despite who won the honor to climb the ladder, but it was inevitable. "This is a full contact match, but I will not allow serious harm to come to any student. Please remember, you are sparring with another gargoyle."

Both women nodded, but didn't even acknowledge the massive, tea green slab of flesh standing in between them.

Kai was sure they barely comprehended a word he'd said, so focused on each other. Set dead center in the main courtyard, they were surrounded by what seemed like the entire adult population of the Ishimura clan. The rest of the class were seated on one side with the Maza family on the other, Goliath and Elisa watching from their wooden bench their middle daughter about to get into a brawl, albeit a sanctioned one.

The crowd had swelled and the excitement level high; most of the gargoyles here knew of the animosity between these two and figured the shared revulsion would make for a good scrap, despite the disparity in their fighting skill.

"I'll give you three to one on the lavender female." one of the Ishimura clan members said to his friend.

The friend stroked his beard, studying the combatants. "You're placing a lot of faith in that one. She's not as skilled as the Chinese, and she just had a seizure three nights ago."

The other gargoyle laughed under his breath. "Despite her human heritage, she has an impressive sire. She might surprise you."

"Fine. I'll take that bet."

Hearing the two gargoyles conspire behind her in Japanese, Elisa leaned in and whispered to her husband, "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"

Goliath's Japanese limited to a conversational smattering, he nonetheless understood the general idea of the conversation. Since before the matches had even begun, bets were being placed amongst the Ishimura clan despite Kai's urging to the contrary. "Yes. But I think one of them believes in Liberty enough to wager in her favor."

Elisa bit her bottom lip and resisted telling the two off. "Well, that makes one of us."

"If you are both ready...you may begin." Kai moved out of the ring, but neither of the girls moved. They just kept staring.

Eventually, and slowly, a smile danced across Xiaoqing's lips. "You have no idea how much I am going to enjoy this."

"Blah, blah, blah," Liberty formed a mouth with her hand, "you finished with the banter or are you trying to bore me into losing?"

The smile collapsed and Xiaoqing's eyes sparked. "Foolish." she whispered. "Arrogant. Typical American. Typical human."

"As you've done so well to point out, I'm far from a typical human."

She reluctantly had to agree. "You're right." Without any warning, Xiaoqing struck, her hand exploding towards Liberty's head.

Liberty had to wrench her body out of the way to avoid getting hit. She wobbled back and barely regained her footing before seeing Xiaoqing smile and laugh to herself; she got faked out but didn't let it phase her. "You missed..."

"I won't next time."

"I thought you were finished with the inane banter?"

The smile vanished and Xiaoqing started towards her, light on her feet like she was defying gravity. Her skills easily surpassed her opponent and she knew it, but skill didn't always win the war. She wanted to humiliate this girl but thought to do it fast. Xiaoqing struck and Liberty blocked, then grabbed the girl's wrist with the same hand and held it down to force an opening with the other. Liberty barely got her other arm up to prevent the incoming fist from glancing off her skull, so Xiaoqing decided to shove her back, towards the edge. "Now's your chance." she said, pointing to the courtyard beyond. "A few more steps and you'll avoid a serious brain injury."

"I already have a serious brain injury."

"Fair enough."

Liberty suddenly jumped away from the edge of the ring, straight at Xiaoqing. She hoped the surprise would give her an edge.

But Xiaoqing countered quickly and easily sent her opponent to the mat. Liberty tucked her wings and rolled away, snapping her head up to see the arrogant smirk on her opponent's thin face. She launched on one foot and ran towards Xiaoqing, leading with a fist that gave way to the other as a distraction, catching her unawares and landing a blow to Xiaoqing's unprotected side. Despite the months of lessons, her fighting style was still influenced by simple American boxing style; Liberty danced away and kept hopping side to side, her clenched fists bobbing up and down.

With a sudden movement like a striking cobra, Xiaoqing leapt towards her and led with a flattened palm, her own fighting techniques influenced by her native kung fu. Liberty dodged but swore she felt talon-tips graze her cheek and managed to back away before Xiaoqing moved in to take away any advantage her distance allowed her. But the Chinese gargoyle followed her and every step she took to keep that gap, dogging her every movement no matter how subtle. She lashed out several times, alternating her fists and what seemed like blind thrusts were actually designed to keep Liberty on her toes, eventually forcing her to make a mistake.

She stumbled, and Xiaoqing capitalized by throwing her arm into Liberty's sternum and then grabbing her by the kimono and flipping her over on her back. The wind knocked out of her by the impact, Liberty slowly scrambled out of the way only to have Xiaoqing appear in the direction of her escape. She was fast, her closed fist was faster. Liberty felt it against her ribs and again, against her chest, rattling her insides. Xiaoqing swept the legs and her opponent dropped.

Liberty struggled to get up, but Xiaoqing kicked out whatever limb she was using for support and let the girl fall to the mat again. Again she tried and again, Xiaoqing forced her down.

"Stay down." she hissed. "There is no dishonor in submitting to a greater opponent."

She propped herself up on an elbow, just enough to face the female standing above her. "No." Liberty growled. "I won't submit to you, ever."

"So be it. But history will maintain I tried to offer you an honorable way out, twice, and you refused." Xiaoqing grabbed the crumpled girl by the collar and forced her to a haggard standing position, and as soon as Liberty found herself on her feet, the Chinese gargoyle drove her flattened palm into her stomach.

Liberty saw spots. She staggered and retreated from the blurred form in front of her, shaking her head to force her vision to work. But it cleared just in time to see Xiaoqing suddenly emerge a few inches in front of her and strike. Liberty blocked the first couple but absorbed the rest and fell to her butt. She backpedaled to the edge of the ring and watched as Xiaoqing advanced on her. Just as she was about to strike, Liberty rolled away, grabbed one of Xiaoqing's legs and flipped her over, using a technique she'd learned from repeated falls by the hands of her instructors.

Xiaoqing bristled like a cat and both combatants jumped away from each other, but not before Liberty reacted first, swung her leg out and kicked as hard as she could. Xiaoqing nearly went upside down and only her tail and her reflexes allowed her to complete the three-sixty and flip back to her feet. Momentarily disoriented, she barely blocked Liberty's quick attack but couldn't quite dodge the foot that caught her in the chest. She stumbled backwards and Liberty capitalized while she could, kicking Xiaoqing again. This time, the Chinese gargoyle went down in a heap. But the momentum shifted when Xiaoqing pounded the ground with her fists in anger and hopped up, eyes flaming.

Liberty wasn't able to dodge the oncoming storm and felt the first blow nearly fracture her sternum. Xiaoqing hit her in the shoulders to numb her arms and bent low, catching her in the kidneys. Liberty shrieked but her sparring partner didn't relent; her anger was overriding any sense of mercy. A couple of violent shots and one more to knock the girl down, Liberty collapsed. And stayed there, breathing, hearing her own heartbeat rushing through her ears and feeling betrayed by her body that just wouldn't respond. Several moments passed and everyone in the courtyard figured the match was over, including Xiaoqing. So intent in her victory and turning to the gathered crowd, she took her eyes off of her opponent. Running on the fumes of fading adrenaline, Liberty willed herself into motion, jumped up and cocked a fist.

Before even stepping into the ring both combatants knew that Xiaoqing would come out on top, but Liberty wouldn't let her forget this particular match for a long time.

She dug her feet into the ground, closed her fingers and with burning, white-glowing eyes swung around with every bit of strength she had. Her fist found its intended target and impacted with Xiaoqing's face; bone met bone with a sickening sound. Xiaoqing's head snapped around by the force of the collision and Liberty felt the blow through her knuckles, through her entire right arm. The gargoyle fell away and crumpled, rolling several times before catching herself from being ejected from the ring by piercing the ground with her claws.

The entire Maza family inwardly cheered their sister's payback for everything she'd suffered at the hands of this gargoyle, all except Goliath and Elisa. Goliath watched with lowered brows; he knew retribution would come swiftly and force his daughter to swallow her small victory.

Once the embarrassment subsided Xiaoqing was up on her feet, chest heaving. The Chinese gargoyle grabbed Liberty by the scruff, kneed her in the stomach and put an elbow into the back of her neck, effectively finishing the fight by forcing her opponent to eat dirt. "How dare you, half-breed?!"

And Elisa quickly braced an arm to Goliath's instantly tense posture, trying to keep him from leaping into the ring to defend his daughter. She noticed her three remaining children wanting to do the same. "No." she hissed. "No one interfere. She knew exactly what she was getting herself into...especially with that last haymaker..."

"How dare some human-tainted genetic misfit strike me as if she was my equal?!" Xiaoqing continued yelling at her fallen opponent.

Liberty coughed and rolled onto her side, rubbing her neck. Xiaoqing's elbow spur had almost broken the skin. Surprisingly, she started laughing. "Better a half-breed than a conceited, cowardly bitch."

Xiaoqing curled back her lips and readied another strike before being called off.

"Xiaoqing!" Kai bellowed, coming close enough to grab her arm if the need arose. "It is over. You have won. Congratulations, your skills are very impressive."

"Yes, they are." she said, never tearing her eyes from her lavender opponent. But she eventually backed off. "Which is why I did not belong here."

"It was not merely fighting skills you were meant to learn."

"Then what? Raking, painting, laundry, etiquette? Only hatchlings would benefit from this school." she chided him. "This clan...this foolish single-mindedness on bushido, it is laughable..."

Kai didn't argue her opinion. For almost six months this gargoyle resisted her lessons with fervor; if a student wasn't willing, then he couldn't teach them. But she was brought here for a reason. "I told you your prejudice is not welcome here. But if you wish a more skilled opponent, it can be arranged. But I warn you–"

Xiaoqing turned, bloodlust in her gaze. Her shoulders were knotted. She needed to vent. "Bring this opponent here! I'll defeat them as easily as I did the half-breed!"

He'd already heard the footsteps behind him, rapidly increasing their pace. It seems Kai wouldn't be the one to face this girl. "As you wish."

Riko shot past him like a dusty pink lightning bolt, wings mantled about her shoulders for aerodynamics. Xiaoqing wasn't quite prepared for the red-eyed fury coming at her so abruptly and barely got an arm up in time before the Second's ferocity was channeled into a single opening blow. She staggered back as Riko kneeled low and swept a leg into her ankles. Xiaoqing hit the ground on her side and rolled away, only to see Riko's double-spurred knee cleave the ground. She jumped up and struck. Riko countered. A flurry of hands and no one watching could figure out whose fists were whose. Xiaoqing was fast and young and livid, but Riko, through experience and greater strength and a calm demeanor met every one of her blows, blocking and deflecting them and dissipating all that kinetic energy. And it served to make an already angry Xiaoqing angrier.

She struck with her knee into Riko's thigh, sending coursing pain through her opponent's leg and causing her to stumble. She caught Riko's jaw with an open palm, stunned her, and used her elbow to knock her down. But Riko countered with a swipe of her tail, forcing Xiaoqing to move out of the way and giving her time to flip to her feet.

Riko whirled in a circle, opening her wings to further force the girl off her balance. She struck her stomach, and the younger female doubled over, and then used her gauntlet to hit the side of Xiaoqing's face. Hard. The sound echoed. She went elastic and Riko caught her in the chest, the chest again, then the stomach, her head, side, back and as Xiaoqing started to crumple, caught her in the back of the neck. As Xiaoqing literally bounced off the ground, Riko was already on top of her and dug her knee in to keep her down.

Xiaoqing's face was mashed into the mat and muffled her protests and snarls.

"You are defeated." Riko said calmly.

"Let me go!"

But Riko answered by twisting her knee even further into the youngster's neck, and dug talons into the nerve ganglia near her neck. Xiaoqing clenched her teeth against the lightning bolt that shot through her nervous system. "You are defeated." she repeated.

And Xiaoqing finally relented, if only to spare herself more pain.

"Good." Riko felt the girl relax and released her. Xiaoqing scrambled out from underneath her and stood up, glaring at the Japanese female. A low growl filtered through clenched teeth; it was a challenge.

"That is enough." someone called out.

An older female had appeared in the courtyard, flanked by several foreign gargoyles. The Chinese delegation had arrived. The elder's expression was stern and her brow, edged by thick, bony horns, almost obscured her flinty, unenthusiastic gaze.

Kai turned to the voice and immediately drew himself into a tight stance. He bowed. "Greetings, Meifeng. You honor us with your presence."

The gargoyle simply lifted her head and then cast it down in a pointed nod. She didn't seem to return the sentiment. "Kai. I did not expect to see a teacher attacking one of her students so viciously. Xiaoqing was not sent here to be assaulted."

Riko stepped towards the hunched female clad in a robe-like qipao dress. Her two male emissaries were dressed in similarly elegant clothing. "You are well aware of the reason she was sent here." Riko said tersely. "And you fully agreed with Kai to bring her here."

"Reluctantly."

"Is her hatred of humans and those of mixed blood shared by the rest of your clan?"

Meifeng lifted her chin slightly but didn't answer.

Before his second in command caused an international incident, Kai quickly overtook the conversation. "We had hoped this would strengthen the ties between our clans." he explained. "The Pact of Île de la Cité is not something our clan takes lightly."

"Nor ours." the Chinese elder replied snappishly. "But the pact you refer to involves gargoyles, not humans."

"The humans allowed a clan to re-inhabit that island and one of their oldest cathedrals as an offer of peace and contrition."

"Having one of my clan members training in a village that freely intermingles with humans is questionable, but if I had known you were allowing humans to train with this class I might not have been so agreeable six months ago."

"That was the point. Prejudice is becoming a disease amongst our clans. Ignorance and hatred of the world around us will not protect us, it will only lead to our extinction."

"You may preach all you want, Kai, but our clan has thrived in the absence of humans. And wasn't Ishimura a secret to most of humanity for centuries as well?"

"Most of them, and our humans allies increase with every passing year. We realized we could not hide forever."

Meifeng shook her head at an argument already decades old and countered, "Regardless, Kai, I believe our clan will not be so willing to participate in your training next time, at least until you decide to limit the student body."

He crossed his arms. "Whoever wishes to learn bushido will be welcome, human or gargoyle. To deny them that because of their species is...less than honorable."

The only reaction was through the skin around her eyes, creasing ever so slightly. "This altercation is on your hands, not Xiaoqing's." she said finally. If Kai had a response it would've been delivered to her retreating form as Meifeng had already turned around, heading for her fallen charge. "Come, child," she said to the sullen Xiaoqing, "we will take you to the healer."

"If you will follow me." Kaede offered.

But one of the delegates held up a hand to block her access. "We thank you but that will not be necessary. Our healer will tend to her."

Kaede linked her hands and allowed the group to leave. "As you wish."

As the Chinese clan prevented her from treating Xiaoqing with no less than a polite yet veiled threat, Kaede turned her attention to the other combatant. Liberty was sitting on the examination table tenderly feeling around a quickly swelling bottom lip. She was preparing a homemade remedy to salve her wounds, the same remedy that had kept the Maza children from turning into giant walking bruises throughout their training.

"So, doc," Elisa asked, "is she going to live?"

Kaede turned and smiled at the human. "I believe so. I have already spent six months bandaging cuts and mending bruises and yet she still comes back for more. She seems indestructible."

With Goliath in tow, Elisa sidled up to her daughter and grazed a finger across Liberty's fat lip. She recoiled and mewled. "All teenagers think they are, and then reality comes crashing down."

"Mmm." Kaede burbled as she crossed the infirmary with her brew and set it beside Liberty. She gently grasped the girl by the face and peered into her eyes, looking for dilated pupils or bloodshot irises or any other outward sign of a brain injury. "Well, I think this particular hatchling is going to be fine."

"Sez you..." Liberty mumbled.

"Ah, some dinner, a good day's sleep, my tender care and I believe you'll survive to fight another night."

"Fighting's the last thing I want to do right now..."

"Good." Kaede sharply nodded her head. "Bushido teaches that one should only fight when it is necessary."

"Should I commit seppuku due to the fact I lost?"

"You lost the match, but not your honor. You will live to see another day–"

She was cut off by a sound at the doorway; a few of the students crowded the infirmary's door, led by Bertwistle. He was all grins. "Bloody hell, luv." he cheered as he politely pushed his way to the bedside. "You gave her a good old fashioned shit-kicking."

"Da, you fought well." Ismagrad said, giving Liberty a hearty thump on the shoulder and almost knocking her off the table. "Perhaps humans aren't weak after all."

"Uh...thanks." Liberty offered half-heartedly, trying to smile with a fat lip. But she supposed any praise from the Russian was praise nonetheless, even if it was delivered monosyllabically. "But I'm pretty sure I lost."

Bertwistle shook his head so quickly he almost lost a few feathers. "Nah. You got the last word, that's fer sure. She won't forget that haymaker fer a long time."

"Which probably won't help their opinion of humans or hybrids."

"I would not worry about clan relations, daughter," Goliath rumbled, "the Chinese clan isn't a part of our accord by such tenuous circumstances. I'm sure they'll be at the next summit."

"Yeah," Bertwistle chirped, "forget them. They've had sticks up their arses for centuries. And a well placed fist t' the noggin won't change that."

"Speaking of a well-placed fist..." Liberty groaned, looking at her hand. Her knuckles were swollen and looking more purple than normal. "Anyone got any ice?"

"Here you go, slugger." Elisa appeared beside her with an icepack, tenderly wrapping it around her daughter's bruised hand. Liberty sucked in a breath at the sub-zero plastic coming in contact with swollen flesh. "So," Elisa said, "do you feel vindicated?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. It wasn't the celebratory feeling she was hoping for. "I don't know. It felt good to slug her, but...it still doesn't change anything. She still despises me because of my DNA and almost breaking her orbital socket definitely won't change that."

"That's right, it won't." Elisa scolded her. "You let your anger override your common sense."

"I know."

"And you were lucky Kai was there to call her off."

"I know."

"Because you could've had the ever loving shit beaten out of you just to prove a point."

"I know." Liberty said exasperatedly. "I know..."

Elisa narrowed her gaze but didn't say anything more. With a few bruises, a swollen bottom lip and a layer of fine dust, her daughter looked wretched enough to take pity on. She stroked the uninjured side of her face. "Well, I suppose you get the point. I just wish you didn't have to suffer through a pummeling to understand it."

Liberty just stared at the bloated knuckles on her right hand, lavender skin blushing tomato red. "At least I got one good shot in."

Day 177.

His scent was growing stronger with every step she took. But she soon realized she never needed to track him as she found herself on a very familiar path worn into the soil, one she and her mate had taken many a time to escape from the rest of the world.

She'd played here as a hatchling with her rookery sisters, away from the stern rules and constant presence of their keepers. The main river branched off into this small creek, winding through hidden scrub and ending in a small lake, almost completely obscured by the surrounding forest. Moonlight danced on ripples caused by fish pecking at the surface for insects. And a massive silhouette stood vigil on the water's edge. "Kai?"

He acknowledged her with a turn of his head. "Sora."

She knew that tone. He was brooding again, and it was a habit she had tried unsuccessfully to break. He'd always carried too much on his wide shoulders. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"My apologies. I would have told you but..."

"You wanted to be alone to mope."

He bristled at the comment.

Sora slowly padded forwards and joined his side, straightening her kimono and removing a few tiny twigs that had snagged the fabric. Despite her presence her mate simply lingered, staring into the black shallows of the lake. "Are we going to waste such a romantic setting by standing here and staring? I for one could think of more than a few ways to better pass the time..."

"Would you consider the last six months a success?" Kai asked abruptly.

"I wouldn't consider them a failure." she replied. "Is this causing your introspective mood?"

His answer was a grunt.

Sora looked up in time to see those same great shoulders heave and hunch. "Yes," she surmised, "yes it is."

"What transpired was...unfortunate." he said quietly. "But it is my fault I suppose. I never told the Chinese clan Xiaoqing would be training with hybrids, even knowing their opinion of humans. And Liberty suffered for my pretense."

"Xiaoqing's prejudice is limitless, it seems. But not all of the Xanadu clan is as stubbornly xenophobic as she is, especially amongst the younger generations. Quite a few in fact have been visiting Ishimura on a more frequent basis. Change takes time."

"Sage advice."

"This was an experiment, was it not?" she tried to console him. "Designed to test the validity of offering training to other clans? Not everything will go as planned."

"Our students argued, fought and stubbornly defied every lesson...and one of them almost died." His voice died to a whisper.

"But at the end of the night, they all survived."

He slowly turned his head towards where he knew he'd find an unsuccessfully concealed smirk. "This is not supposed to be amusing, my love."

"Of course." she conceded, doing her best to mute her glowing expression. "You also must remember the circumstances in which these students came to us; each of them was suffering in their own way. I assure you, even if Xiaoqing did not benefit from this training the others did. Not a bad percentage."

"I just wished–"

"Yes, you wished she would have completely embraced the lessons of bushido, despite being raised in a completely different clan, country and way of life." She held up a slender, scolding finger, wagging it back and forth. "Do not be so arrogant to think everyone will benefit. If you wish to train others in the ways of bushido, human and gargoyles alike, they must want to do so or we are simply using something we have dedicated our lives to as a punishment. I doubt you would wish our students to think of this as...ah, what do the Americans call it?"

"A boot camp." Kai finished for her. He wasn't fond of the term, despite the similarities any outsider may imprint upon the strict lessons of Bushido.

"Yes, yes." she said quickly. "I know most, if not all of our students thought of this place as a prison. But six months later, I believe they think differently now. Perhaps one day, they will return."

For the first time tonight, she thought she saw the hint of a smile touching his lips. "I truly hope so."

A few quiet moments passed between them, so much so they could hear a few of the animals skirting the edges of the lake beyond and the fish bobbing at the surface for the fireflies that hovered tantalizingly above. "Is this all that is on your mind, beloved?"

"No, I suppose not."

"I thought so."

"This entire experience has only served to remind me of how much time I have left."

Sora looked at him with a mixed expression, equal parts humor and passive concern. "To live?"

"In my position as leader." he clarified.

"You've often thought about stepping down from your position, due to your advanced age."

He whirled around, quickly enough to make her flinch. As insulted as he appeared, Sora knew he was being overly dramatic. "I am not that old."

"Oh," she replied teasingly, trailing her talons across his chest scar, "I am well aware of your physical prowess, my love. But you are also over a hundred years old."

He leaned away, resuming his brooding.

"You thought teaching would be a suitable duty in your...twilight years..."

"Now you are just being cruel." Kai harrumphed.

She muffled a grin under the sleeve of her kimono. "I apologize, I know you do not like being reminded of having to eventually give up your position."

"It is not that, aisai, it is..." he trailed off, his brows floating upwards. "I have always known I would one day pass my title to someone else, presumably Riko. It just seems...that day is fast approaching."

"Nonsense."

"Some of the elders already believe it is time to elect a new leader, a younger leader." he revealed. He'd already heard a few of the rumors being voiced a little more vehemently since the entire training session began half a year ago. "And perhaps after this incident, that opinion may spread."

Sora didn't say anything else; she simply wrapped herself around his arm and stood vigil with him near the lake's edge, allowing his thoughts to swirl and fester and eventually arrive at an end.

"This garden is well-constructed." Goliath trailed his talons along the edges of the boulders rolled from a distant hill, one by one. The design itself was inspired, better than merely and haphazardly dropping them whenever they got tired. "You should be proud."

"Yeah, well, just don't ask us to build one at the castle." Storm told his father. "Lugging a dozen of these things up two thousand feet might be a little hard on the arms."

He made a sound through his throat, but smiled.

Seated between her daughters, Elisa was dragging her fingers through the clear waters of the pond. "Your father's right, it's impressive. More impressive that my children actually worked together without killing each other to build this place."

"Well, you can thank Xiaoqing for most of this." Trinity revealed. "She designed it, we were just the grunts."

"Really?"

"Yeah..." she said, wistfully embarrassed and hard-pressed to admit Xiaoqing's skill.

"Well, I'm still proud of you." Elisa said.

"Proud enough not to send us back here?"

"If you think you're going to guilt me into rethinking the entire decision to send you here..." Elisa crossed her legs and smiled, leaning back on one of the boulders one of her children probably spent considerable effort to bring here. "You're very wrong. In fact, I'm happier than ever Goliath and I insisted you come here."

Her children were silent, pointedly staring at their mother.

"You may not see the difference, but I do." she continued, lest she and Goliath suffer a mutiny. "In fact, I think another class is a real possibility in the future."

Trinity quickly grasped her mother's arm. "Let's talk about that later, shall we? We're ready to go home."

"I'm sure you want to see the clan again. Not to mention Alexander..."

"Well, yes, everyone." she furtively altered her mother's wording. "We haven't seen them for six months."

"Even Alex?"

"Yeah...it's been a long time–"

"Bull." Elisa's voice cracked like a whip within the small confines of the smaller courtyard. "We know you were in contact with him over the course of this entire time and how he got spanked for your stupidity."

Everyone reacted differently, but silently. Liberty surreptitiously shuffled away from her mother and sister while the boys started smiling into their cupped hands.

Trinity on the other hand was staring with wide eyes at her mother, jaw hanging low. "You...know?" she whispered. Any hope of keeping this entire incident quiet was shattered.

"Oh yes," Elisa continued, "Kai thought it was best to explain what happened, especially when the Xanatos' only son limped home after being caned."

"Okay," Trinity slowly buried her face in a hand, sighing and then raking her fingers through that long, black hair, "so you know."

"Yes." It was Goliath's turn to chime in and from his seven foot plus height watched as his daughter sheepishly raised her eyes towards him. "We do."

She swallowed. "And how angry are you?"

"I would only be angry if you did not learn from this experience. You and Alexander both."

"Oh trust me, I learned all right."

"Good, as I would hate to have to call an end to this relationship if you are unable to handle it responsibly and maturely."

"Yes, sir."

His oldest rarely called him sir, only when he was overly stern and she was overly apologetic. "You are no longer a hatchling, Trinity," his voice softened, "you are the oldest of your generation and will always be held to high standards, whether you think it is fair or not. But only you can decide whether or not you are worthy of that esteem."

Her expression transmuted from scolded teenager to a perfect replica of her mother's, elegant and sharp. "I understand."

Day 179.

The second to last day the duties were kept light; just a bit of sweeping and general cleaning, especially in the newly constructed garden.

And within a few hours of the setting sun, transports started arriving at Ishimura. More representatives had come to see how their charges were faring. As the students were reunited with their clans, the mouth-watering scent of food wafting from the kitchen preceded the announcement of a great feast.

The main dining hall was set up with tables full of food. As the guests were shown their seats they were served heaping plates with every delicacy Ishimura had to offer. And the food kept coming, an endless supply. The twins were in their element, grabbing anything in arm's reach while Ismagrad and Bertwistle were going head to head in amounts of deer meat and dumplings. Several of Ismagrad's clan had arrived, presumably their leader and a few of their most impressive warriors, if only to put up a show of strength for the other clans.

Leo and Una were here representing the London clan and were pleased with Bertwistle's improvement.

Sitting next to Elisa and her children, Ares and Aurora from the Ottawa clan were in awe of the number of dishes being served, Aurora trying her best to master the chopsticks on generous pieces of sushi as her mate simply poked at what he wanted with his talons. His two-fingered hands didn't lend themselves to a pair of delicate wooden sticks.

Kai had retreated to a quiet corner, watching as gargoyles from different clans ate and mingled and traded stories; Noburu had already been challenged to an arm wrestle by one of the Russians. He was reflecting on the last six months when a monstrous shadow crossed in front of the closest lantern and settled in beside him.

"So my old friend." Goliath said. "Do you think the experiment was a success?"

"I believe so. Teaching bushido to outsiders was a contentious subject amongst my clan, but we all realize how important it is to pass our teachings to our hatchlings, despite where they hail from."

"I agree. I know many gargoyles that could benefit from the knowledge. Gargoyles and humans. But do you think the other clans will be amenable to mixed classes?"

Kai's expression didn't outwardly agree. "If we are to truly unite our kind there cannot be any room for prejudice. All who wish to train and learn will be welcome, despite their species."

"Good." he nodded and washed his gaze over the banquet room. "Your first students are an eclectic group."

"Your hatchlings are...spirited, if not difficult."

Goliath smothered a laugh; that was such a succinct way to describe his children he'd experienced the best and worst of for twenty years. "Yes, they are. Thank you."

"For...?"

"Helping them." he said. "You cared for them as if they were part of your clan."

"I could do no less for hatchlings I've known almost all of their lives. But," and he smirked when he said this, "now they're yours again."

Goliath sighed; as much as he wanted to see his children return to the castle, he and Elisa had been enjoying their free time and privacy. "All good things I suppose..."

Kai laughed and clapped him on the back. "Come, old friend, I'm sure Takashi is ready to serve the dessert."

Day 180.

They'd made it. One hundred and eighty days of chores, sparring, falling, bruises, sprains, eating mush, rolling boulders, building gardens, painting, raking, washing, hunting, arguing, yelling, crying, and now they were going home.

As the elders of all clans struck up conversations before they each flew back to their respective corners of the planet, the students were lined up in the courtyard to receive their final lesson. They were given the gifts of new clothing, hand-made by some of the finest artisans in the clan. The men's kimonos were simple but regal, each tailored to the specific gargoyle. The women's kimonos were much more elaborate, with colorful patterns, land-, sky- and seascapes covering the entire garment. Even Xiaoqing had to admit hers was of exquisite craftsmanship, the tailors having outdone themselves.

Ismagrad seemed uncomfortable but got over it quickly when she noticed a few of her unmated rookery brothers staring at her from a distance. One of them even tripped over someone else's tail considering where his attention was. It almost ignited a shoving match before a burly male with a steel gray beard shouted them down in Russian.

As the students and the other gargoyles mingled Sora singled out a student in particular, one she'd known since she was a baby. Her new kimono was a layered canvas of light violet shades, meant to compliment her lavender skin. "It suits you."

Liberty looked down, slightly self-conscious. "Thanks..."

"I'm glad..." Sora started and drifted off; she rethought what she was going to say. "I'm very glad you came. I'm glad I had the opportunity to know you better. You are growing so fast."

"That's what dad always says."

"Here." Sora presented the young girl with a bundle of ink wash painting brushes, tied together with ribbon. Intricately carved from bamboo and made from deer hair, the brush hairs were tapered to a fine point. "If you wish to continue painting." she explained. "I hope you can enjoy it, rather than see it as a chore."

Liberty looked upon the gift with a rare, genuine smile and where Sora expected a traditional bow, the young gargoyle instead caught her in a hug.

Surprised, she nonetheless returned it. "It was an honor, Liberty-chan. I hope one day you will return."

"I will. I promise." Liberty whispered. "But please don't make me roll boulders or sleep on bales of hay."

"Perhaps...oh!" Her brows shot up and Sora reached into her kimono, pulling out a small satchel. "I suppose you may have these back."

Liberty accepted the little bag into her hand with a telltale clink. She emptied the contents into her palm and her confiscated jewelry spilled out. She hadn't seen her rings for six months; she almost forgot she ever had them.

Sora poked a talon towards her brows. "I hope you remember where the holes are."

"I'll make new ones." Liberty smiled.

"An ever-changing canvas I'm sure."

Liberty offered an earnest look. "Thank you."

"For what, child?"

"For understanding me."

Sora just bowed in response and drifted off into the crowd.

As Liberty studied her gift, Trinity and her brothers sidled up to admire it.

"Well, ladies and gents," Bertwistle said to the Maza brood, "it was lovely suffering with th' lot of you." He reached out to Liberty and grasped her arm in a warrior's shake. He winked, hoping they were parting as friends. "See you around, human."

"You know it." Liberty snarked back. She'd talked to Una and Leo last night at the feast and wondered what would happen to him once he got back home, considering their response was as politely uncertain as possible. "Are you going to be all right?"

He waved her off with perfect Brit aplomb. "Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Well, if you end up getting banished for acting like a complete and total retard, you can always stay at the castle."

"Eh, I hate American food."

Liberty shook her head.

Suddenly the din of so many overlapping voices quieted as the crowd noticed Kai stroll towards the center of the courtyard and stand there, just watching.

He cleared his throat and the entire area fell silent. "I want to thank all of you. You are the first of, hopefully, a new trend. Teaching the younger rookeries the ways of bushido, no matter what clan they may hail from. Our world grows ever smaller, clans once thought destroyed have been brought back from the brink of extinction and gargoyles and humans are learning to live together. But there is still so far to go and our future rests in your hands, our hatchlings."

"All the anger, all the fear, all the hatred is trickling down to those who would lead us into an era of enlightenment, or an era of destruction. This training is but a taste of an entire life devoted to bushido. I don't expect anyone to blindly commit themselves to such an undertaking but perhaps you will act as our ambassadors, you will help spread the word. To any who wish to learn, to challenge themselves, they are welcome."

"I hope you learned much while you were here, about each other, about the different clans around the world but perhaps more about yourselves in the process. I know I have learned much and I am grateful for the experience. I am proud to have had the privilege to know you all." Then, he faced his students and bowed to them, with the teachers behind him mirroring his gesture. They returned the bow with their own, all eight of them, no matter how they felt after their experience here. "I wish you all good journeys." Kai finished. "Perhaps we will see you again one day. Congratulations, class is dismissed."

A round of applause erupted from the gargoyles and humans around them and as the crowd started to disperse, the gargoyles headed to their respective transports home.

As the Ottawa clan loaded into the jet bound for North America, Goliath and Elisa stopped by the stairs; Elisa seemed wistful while staring at the temple. "I love this place," she whispered, and looked down to her four children, "but I love that old Scottish castle even more. All right, ladies and gentlemen, load up and let's go home. We're going to get pizza, Chicago style."

Skye and Storm cheered, high-fived and raced up the stairs. But Trinity and Liberty lingered. From where they were standing, they could see the stable house down at the riverbank. There was already a pair of gargoyles on their favorite bench, while a gaggle of hatchlings raced around grabbing at fireflies.

"Well," Elisa's voice broke them from their reverie, "I guess you're both not as ready to go home as I thought."

"No, it's just..." Trinity trailed off.

Elisa understood. "I know. It's always hard to let go of this place, and I hope all of you take a bit of Ishimura home with you. But you'll be back in time."

The girls quickly turned to their mother, each of them raising a single spurred brow much like their father's.

"By your choice, of course. Unless the lessons learned here didn't take..."

"Time to go!" Trinity pushed her sister up the stairs and into the jet, leaving their parents to smile and follow behind.

Settling into one of the window seats, Liberty noticed Kai and Sora watching as their jet lifted off; they waved and Liberty couldn't help but smile and reciprocate. As she watched the temple grow smaller through the window, eventually disappearing into the forests, unbelievably Liberty Maza felt a pang of loss. She was going back to the castle, to her clan, her friends, her warm bed and her cell phone; Angela would probably catch her in a hug, 'Grampa' Hudson would stroke his beard and say something comforting in his heavy Scottish accent and Uncle Todd would feign annoyance the Brat Pack was back. But something weighed heavily on her heart; despite that harsh schedule wouldn't be such a constant in her life, it would be hard to adjust.

If only for the fresh sushi, Liberty knew she'd be back.