Notes- Please Read:

Dear Reader, if you are coming at this for the very first time, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy. :) If you are returning after my long, long hiatus from this story, welcome back, and please know that there have been many changes made to this chapter. I started this fic several years ago for a Valentine's Day exchange, then promptly got stuck and forgot about it. Recently, I discovered my unspeakable writer's block was due to the fact that I didn't like where the story was headed. So, I have revamped the first chapter, and re-outlined the entire concept. I feel much better about the whole thing now, and have just finished writing chapter two. Just need to get a quick edit on that and I'll post it.

Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me. I try hard to never leave a story unfinished, but sometimes that means I have to step away from it for a while. Hopefully, I can finish this one without any more major road blocks.

And now, for your reading pleasure, here is chapter one, revised.

Chapter One

Commander Shuuhei Eden of Farron sat astride his saddle, his brass claymore hanging heavily on his back. He slowly pulled the black wolf's maw helm from his head and breathed in the fresh evening air. He paused to take it in deeply, as it had been weeks since the acrid smell of blood and burning flesh had not assaulted his senses.

Mentally he tallied his losses and calculated the ratio of men to prisoner watches. Although the city of Shokes had finally fallen to Farron's forces, Shuuhei's fifth and sixth squadrons had suffered enormous casualties in the last hours of the battle. The injured outnumbered the fit for duty three to one. As things stood, his men would have to pull double shifts for the next few days.

The tall soldier released the reins and pulled his sweaty palms from his mail gauntlets. The icy wind hit his skin and he hissed at the sting. They needed to get extra blankets for the prisoners if they were going to survive the night. Shuuhei was a warlord, but not an evil man. He had sworn he would kill no more than was absolutely necessary to defeat Shokes.

His attention turned toward the prisoner lines. Twenty large wagons were crammed with Shokes survivors, women and children mostly. There were a few older men too decrepit to have participated in the defense, but not many. Shuuhei knew they need not spare blankets for the people in the wagons, body heat would get them through the night just fine. The problem he faced was the group of prisoners sitting in front of the wagons…

"Commander Eden!" He heard a willowy voice to his right.

Shuuhei turned to see Toshiro Wicklow rein up beside him. His azure cloak billowed around him in the breeze; the large cowl shrouded his face in shadow and hid the white hot blaze of his hair.

"How many are there, Toshiro?" Shuuhei asked.

"Eight," the smaller man replied, "All have the potential for magic, but I believe six of them have no idea."

"What about the other two?" Shuuhei asked.

Toshiro leaned forward to rub the pale neck of his mare, no doubt she was exhausted as the rest of the horses.

"I tied a breaker on their mana flows already just to be safe, but I do not think it matters. One is too old and too far gone to really know the difference if he was invoking or not, and the other seems passive aggressive. He practically shackled himself."

Shuuhei nodded. "That's good. So I should not expect problems then?"

"I do not believe so, Commander," the mage shook his head, "but I would still keep them separate for safety precautions."

Shuuhei nodded again. "Well done, Toshiro. Get some rest."

But the mage didn't move away. He hesitated, seeming to roll something around on his tongue and didn't like the taste. Shuuhei frowned and rested his arm on his helm.

"What is wrong?" he asked the smaller man.

Toshiro looked back at the Commander with an apprehensive look in his eyes.

"I was not going to tell you just yet," he said carefully, "Creator knows you have enough on your mind, but I believe it may become a problem amongst the prisoners soon."

Shuuhei sighed. He was too tired for this. "Just spit it out."

Toshiro looked at the small group of prisoners and made a face.

"The passive one I mentioned before? I believe him to be a half blood."

Shuuhei's eyes widened and his heart fluttered in his chest. He twisted in his saddle to lean closer to Toshiro and whispered in the smaller man's ear, "How do you know?"

Toshiro scowled at Shuuhei until the larger man pulled away slightly.

"I am not stupid Eden, his eyes are golden."

Shuuhei straightened and turned his gaze back to the huddle in front of the prisoner wagons. A half blood sat hardly thirty feet from him at this very moment! Excitement coursed through Shuuhei's veins before he steadied himself and tried to remember that this half blood was also a prisoner of war.

"What are you going to do?" Toshiro asked.

Shuuhei thought for a minute and then threw his leg behind him and slid from his saddle. Before Toshiro could refuse, the Commander had thrown his helm, gloves, and reins into the unsuspecting mage's lap. Shuuhei moved across the rocky ground, ignoring Toshiro's angry shouts from behind him.

"Oh, Eden don't you dare leave me with this beast! I hate your horse, Shuuhei! No one can control this thing!" The mage's voice could be heard several kilometers down the line. "I am going to gut you when we get back home, Shuuhei! And then I'm going to gut your horse! I swear to the Creator I will!"

As he approached the small group of prisoners huddled together, Shuuhei became inexplicably nervous. What the bloody hell was he going to say? Greetings, my name is Shuuhei Eden. You probably do not remember me because we only met once when we were children, but I have been obsessively searching for you for fifteen years.

Yes. That did not, in any way, sound eccentric.

He surveyed the despairing faces of the small group; they all seemed to shrink back as he approached. It was understandable, Shuuhei was a formidable figure. He stood almost a head taller than most men, and the side of his face that was not covered by three long scars, was tattooed with the warrior's crest from a barbarian mountain tribe. He was not thick like most soldiers, more lithe than muscular, but the plated, leather armor he wore no doubt gave the illusion that he was twice as large as he actually was.

A woman tried desperately to hide her tears against the shoulder of the man sitting next to her. One of the group, a boy who could be no more than ten, started to whimper. Shuuhei forgot his nervousness for a moment as it was replaced by pity. These people had no idea why they had been ripped from the prisoner wagons out into the cold. He could almost taste their fear as it hung thick in the air.

He held his hands up and spoke softly in the Shokes' native tongue.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I am just looking for someone."

The boy's eyes widened. "You speak our language!" he said in awe. One of the men wrapped his arms around the child's frame and pulled him close.

Shuuhei frowned. He counted seven heads in this huddle. Did Toshiro not say there were eight?

"Is this all of you that were pulled from the wagons?" he asked.

An older man with several teeth missing, turned and pointed towards the side of the wagon. "Master, if you are looking for the demon," his hand shook violently as he pointed, "he is over there…"

Shuuhei ignored the comment, and moved passed the group towards the prisoner wagon and two lower ranked soldiers. They saluted as he approached: a fist to the chest over the heart. Shuuhei nodded in acknowledgement as he came close to issue orders.

"Blankets for these people," Shuuhei said quietly. "They must be kept separate from the rest, but I do not want them dying before we get home. Make sure they have not been skipped over for a meal as well."

"Yes sir," the two soldiers said in unison.

Shuuhei moved past his men but slowed when he saw the figure huddled against the wheel of the wagon. His heart sped up and the nervousness returned. He could feel a flush spread across his cheeks and hoped it could be passed off as a reaction to the cold.

It is him… It is absolutely him…

Before him was the most attractive man he had ever seen. He sat with his long legs bent and his slender arms shackled and folded against his chest. His head was resting against the wheel and his eyes were shut. The skin of his long, graceful neck almost glowed in the light of the setting sun. His face was beautiful, almost fragile looking, but still managed to retain certain masculinity. His hair was a pale yellow and it danced across his face as a gentle breeze played through the strands. Shuuhei knew that if he touched that hair, it would be finer than spun silk. He knew the skin would be satin and the lips would be soft and sweet.

The half blood seemed to feel Shuuhei's presence, and opened his eyes. The Commander lost his breath. Those striking golden eyes were exactly as he remembered them. As the man turned to met Shuuhei's stare, those eyes flashed like the eyes of a cat caught in candlelight. The Commander felt another shiver wrack through his body underneath that arresting gaze. He felt as if he was suddenly the prisoner and this man had taken back everything Shuuhei had just claimed with just this one look.

"Can I help you, sir?" the man asked in a sultry tenor that sent pleasant shivers down Shuuhei's spine. The man's lids drooped like he was falling asleep and he regarded the Commander through thick eyelashes. Shuuhei knew this half blood was not afraid at all, and it was completely intoxicating.

Shuuhei panicked for an instant when suddenly, he couldn't think of anything besides carrying this man back to his tent and having his filthy way with him. But the tattooed soldier was nothing if not graceful under pressure.

"You will freeze if you stay here alone. My men are bringing blankets, go join the others."

The man actually smiled, and Shuuhei felt his heart do a flip in his chest.

"Do you really think they will share a blanket with me, sir?" he asked softly. "I am Yellow Eyes… The villagers all wanted me dead before and now is there chance. I believe I will be spending tonight alone."

Shuuhei had one more quick fantasy of taking this man back to his tent with him before he turned around and walked back to the small group in front of the wagon. His soldiers had carried out his orders and the seven prisoners were huddled underneath the coarse, brown wool. Shuuhei snatched up one of the smaller blankets eliciting a cry from two of the men.

"I am taking this one," Shuuhei growled. "Figure it out." He turned away and left them to scuffle over the remaining blankets.

When Shuuhei dropped the blanket into the blond's lap, the half blood looked up at him with such surprise that it made Shuuhei's heart ache. As the smaller man ran his fingers over the fabric in almost a daze, Shuuhei wondered if his shock was just due to the fact that Shuuhei was an enemy solder, or if kindness was something the half blood rarely received.

"No one is going to freeze on our way back," Shuuhei said. "Whether they be from Shokes or Farron, I will not allow it."

The blond looked at him and his gaze steadied. He pulled the blanket around his shoulders and closed it beneath his chin.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered.

The Commander nodded and when he turned to retrieve his horse, the half blood spoke again.

"Sir?"

Shuuhei turned back to him. "Yes?"

"What do they call you?" he asked slowly.

Shuuhei smiled softly. "I am Shuuhei Eden. What do they call you?"

The man smiled back. "I already told you. They call me Yellow Eyes, or Yellow Demon… Golden Death."

"Ha ha," Shuuhei put a hand on his hip. "You jest. All right, what do you like to be called then?"

The blond blinked and a peculiar look passed over his face before his smile returned.

"Kira," he said softly. "My name is Kira."

X x X x X

The next two days were grueling. Shuuhei kept his lines in order and tried to keep the moral from plummeting, but it was so cold and everyone was beyond exhausted. Near the end of the third day, the ground began to change from hard-packed rocky terrain, to soft grassy wetlands. The Wilds was uncharted territory between Farron and what used to be Shokes. It was said to be dark and treacherous, filled with beasts and all types of magical creatures. Unfortunately, going around and cutting through Tarth was out of the question. Tarth was also at odds with Farron, and the army was running low on supplies. Shuuhei did not like it, but the quickest route home was through The Wilds. They would have to chance it.

They made camp on the outskirts and the complaints about no fires started up again. Shuuhei's First Captain, Grimmjow, sulked beside the Commander after barking at a few linemen to 'shut their bloody holes before he filled them with their own arses'.

"Bunch of sniveling children, if you ask me," the Captain muttered as he raised the visor on his helm. "Curse the damn counsel for lowering the age you can join the army."

Shuuhei chuckled. "It has nothing to do with the age of the soldiers, I assure you, friend. It is cold, let them be."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. If he had been any other Captain, that act alone would get him a lashing. But Shuuhei and Grimmjow were from the same Northern tribe, they were family. They had also fought many battles together and trusted each other with their lives.

"You're in a damn fine mood," Grimmjow scoffed.

Shuuhei did not look at him. "Maybe."

Grimmjow's voice lowered slightly. "I heard you found your Earthkin…"

"Maybe," Shuuhei replied again. "My hopes are high."

"What are you going to do?" Grimmjow asked softly.

Shuuhei shifted in his saddle and pressed his heels into his stallion's sides. Grimmjow followed suit and soon the two were moving toward the makeshift cover for the horses. Toshiro said it would snow tonight, so soldiers were erecting tents and putting covers on the prisoner wagons.

"I do not know yet," Shuuhei answered. "I promised His Majesty I would bring the prisoners back safe and unharmed, but that does not mean they will stay that way once we reach Farron. I may have to negotiate for his life, but I am hoping it will not come to that, in light of our… past."

They dismounted and almost immediately, it began to hail. Ice pounded the ground and tapped roughly on Shuuhei's head. He called for Grimmjow to check with the Lieutenants to see if all camp preparations had been completed before he turned and headed towards the prisoner wagons.

He had known socializing with a prisoner was not a good idea from the first night when he had given Kira the blanket. He hadn't spoken to him since, but he had watched the half blood when he thought he was not looking. He watched Kira during meal times when the blond stood and looked out over the horizon. Shuuhei watched him as he walked, keeping a safe distance between himself and the other seven captives. He seemed to never tire. He always wore the same lonely expression, always had the same heavy lidded gaze, but never did he seem fatigued.

As Shuuhei made his way through the shower of ice, he spotted Kira standing a few feet away from the wagon, staring off into the hazy evening. The hail had collected in his hair and melted, making the golden strands darker; heavier. Droplets of water ran from his forehead down to his chin. He seemed neither cold nor aware that he was getting soaked. He just stood with his arms hanging loosely in the shackles, golden eyes searching for something that should have been there, but wasn't.

"Kira!" Shuuhei had to shout to be heard over the din.

Kira blinked and turned to face Shuuhei as he moved up beside him.

"Good evening, Commander," he said.

"I should not have to tell you to get under the cover," Shuuhei said.

Kira looked at him sadly. "And I should not have to remind you that I am not welcome." He inclined his head to where the seven under watch sat beneath a makeshift tent. They were looking back, making disgusted faces at the half blood. Shuuhei felt his blood start to boil.

"Animals…" Shuuhei whispered.

"Excuse me?" Kira asked.

Shuuhei looked back at him and shook his head. "Nothing, never mind." He motioned for the guard on prisoner duty to join them.

Kira gasped as Shuuhei ordered the soldier to unlock his shackles and the blond stood for several moments staring holes into the chains at his feet. When he finally looked up, Shuuhei turned to the guard and murmured a few instructions into the young soldier's ear. The smaller man nodded and left in a hurry.

"What are you doing?" Kira asked, ribbing the raw skin of his wrists.

"Come with me," Shuuhei said.

"Where are we going?" Kira asked as he squinted into the hail and followed.

"You ask a lot of questions for a prisoner," Shuuhei called over his shoulder.

"You do not give any answers." Kira made a face. "What am I supposed to do?"

Shuuhei growled as several soldiers seemed to be interested in their conversation. He turned back to the blond and hissed. "Maybe you should stop talking to me like I am your equal while we're outside where my men can see."

Kira's gaze lowered to the ground. His shoulders sagged and that lonely look spread over his face once more. Shuuhei hadn't realized how eager Kira had been until that poignant look returned. The blond had seemed almost happy as he followed the Commander though the camp. His eyes had shone brightly and his features seemed even more beautiful when his brow wasn't furrowed and his lips were turned up in a genuine smile. Shuuhei hated that it was his fault that smile was gone. He turned to face the smaller man and had to bring a hand up to shield himself from the pelting ice. Kira almost didn't stop and Shuuhei had to grab his arm before they collided. The blond shied away from the touch and Shuuhei was sure he heard a breathy whisper of apology.

"You can ask me questions if you like," he said quietly enough to not be overheard. "Just please wait until we get to my tent."

Kira's eyes opened wide. "We-we are going to your tent? Why?"

Shuuhei saw a blush spread over the smaller man's cheeks before he quickly looked away. He had to catch his breath at the sight; the half blood was just too attractive for his own damn good.

"I told you to stop asking questions."

X x X x X

Kira berated himself as he started walking again. What was wrong with him? He never lost his composure like that. Just because a perilously handsome soldier gives you a blanket when you're cold, does not give you grounds to fall all over yourself! Every time the tattooed soldier was around him, his stomach twisted into painful knots and he lost control of his traitorous mind. He kept up a good front most of the time, but when he felt the soldier's eyes on him during their afternoon breaks, or when he watched the sunset over the mountains, he felt his insides slowly start to melt. When Shuuhei had ordered his shackles be unlocked, Kira had thought for a terrifying moment he was going to burst into tears. It could not be helped however, the man was too kind.

He thought he had learned his lesson about trusting other people. In Shokes he had gone about his daily business researching and gathering ingredients and never spoke to anyone. He lived a secluded life and did not mind it.

People will hate you because they fear you… or do not understand you…

Kira's master, Gin, had taken him in after finding Kira begging for food on the dirty back streets of Phillion to the East. No one wanted him because of his obvious heritage. Gin had taught him the ways of alchemy and shamanism. Kira had proven himself an incredibly fast learner. He had mastered the languages and customs of all the surrounding realms, not to mention how to decipher ancient text from the Druidian journals that his master kept in the study, in just a few short years. The silver-haired man had taught him many wonderful things before he died a year before, and the most important was: With your powers you can never trust anyone.

But who was this man, this Shuuhei? He was obviously a battle-hardened soldier, judging by the way he carried himself and the surfeit amount of scars decorating the portions of his skin that Kira could see. But the way he spoke and the kindness he showed… He was dangerous and beautiful and frighteningly seductive, all the more reason to refuse his kind offer and head back to his place in the line. But Kira was cold and hungry and the thought of seeing Shuuhei out of his subordinates' earshot made Kira press on. It was daft really, but he couldn't stop himself. Shuuhei drew him like a moth to a flame.

There was also another problem. Beside the knots in his stomach, and the way Kira's mind ran away with itself when he was in close proximity to the handsome soldier, Kira felt more at ease when Shuuhei was around. The Commander seemed familiar to him. He reminded Kira of someone… but he was not sure who.

The Commander's tent was surprisingly similar to the rest. Kira had imagined a lavishly decorated canvas with the army's flags flying over head and larger than his workshop back in Shokes. But what he saw was ordinary brown leather and not any larger than the common soldier's sleeping quarters. Granted, Shuuhei had it all to himself, whereas linemen slept eight to a tent, but it was just another mark that attributed to Kira's agreeable impression of the man.

Inside the furnishings were sparse. A cot sat to one side covered in furs, several bags of weapons and weapon's cleaning supplies lined the wall, and a table covered in maps and other various things sat in the middle beside a heating pot. Someone had left bread and dried meat along with a cask of wine on the table and lit the lamps. Shuuhei motioned Kira to come inside and promptly started to strip off the thick plating of his armor.

"You can hang up your jerkin if you want," Shuuhei said, "and you can have some of that food. They always bring me more than I can eat."

Kira blinked as Shuuhei tossed him a rough cloth. He stood staring at it in confusion until he heard Shuuhei's soft chuckle. He looked up as the Commander untied his breastplate and set it on one of the bags.

"For your hair," he smiled. "You're dripping."

Kira mentally shook himself, everything was so overwhelming. Not an hour ago, he had been readying himself for death. He had resolved himself to that fact that once his eyes were seen by authorities in Farron, it would mean his end. He remembered long ago being chased by Farron soldiers through dark streets, and that memory haunted him as he slowly made his way back to that country. But now, by some kindness—or perhaps cruel mischief—by the gods, he was being offered a warm place to stay during the storm and a meal with the leader of an army.

He toweled his hair dry and unlaced the cord in his jerkin. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Shuuhei dried his own hair and moved to sit on his cot. Kira's fingers started to tremble slightly as he watched the muscles in the soldier's arms flex and roll as he reached for a piece of bread and one of the parchments from the table. The lamplight played across Shuuhei's scarred skin, deepening the lines and angles, making his already chiseled face seem more masculine, more ruggedly handsome.

"So what happened to your questions?" Shuuhei's voice startled Kira from his thoughts.

The blond pulled off his jerkin and hug it from one of the tent poles. He moved toward the table and sat on a crate set up by Shuuhei's cot. He tentatively reached for a piece of bread and thought quietly for a minute.

"Supplies must be low if we're going through The Wilds," he murmured.

Shuuhei glanced up from his parchment with a look of such utter confusion that Kira almost laughed out loud.

"What?" the blond asked.

Shuuhei shook his head and smiled softly. "Of all the things I imagined you asking, the state of my army definitely wasn't one of them."

Kira shifted on the crate to fold his legs underneath him. "What did you think I was going to ask?"

Shuuhei glanced at the floor thoughtfully. "Why do we have no fires? Why were you pulled from the prisoner wagon? Why am I talking to you? I don't know."

Kira smiled and reached for a piece of meat. Commander Shuuhei had an accent he suppressed when around his men. The way he slipped into it so casually when he was alone, charmed Kira even more than he already was.

"But I know the answers to most of those questions."

Shuuhei raised a scarred eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Kira nodded. "You have no fires because in these territories it attracts fire wraiths. One or two might be all right, but an entire army encampment lighting fires during the night in this wide open space would attract several hundred kindlings, maybe even a firelord. And about me being pulled from the wagon? That is obvious."

"Humor me," Shuuhei said quietly.

Kira took a moment to chew and swallow before continuing.

"You had your mage separate all the people who had possible magic abilities, dormant or not, for a precaution. Then he tied off our mana flows so we could not cast spells. He is very powerful. I did not see it coming until he had tied off the flow at the base of my spine. It was rather uncomfortable, so I released it."

Shuuhei's mouth fell open as Kira spoke.

"That… is incredible…" he breathed. "You're talented enough to break my strongest Mage's spell blockers?"

"Is there a way I can answer that and not sentence myself to death?"

Shuuhei set the parchment down and folded his hands in his lap. "I'm not going to let anyone kill you, Kira."

Those words were said with such assurance and passion, that Kira had no choice but to believe them. The two sat for a few minutes in a silence that should have been awkward but was not. Kira watched as Shuuhei's eyes ran over him again for the hundredth time. That too should have been uncomfortable but, again, it was not. Kira had spent his whole life being stared at, gawked at like he was some wild animal in a cage. But the way Shuuhei's eyes ran slowly over his form made Kira feel like treasure. The soldier did not linger on his strangely colored eyes like so many others. His gaze traveled over the skin of Kira's neck, paused on the jagged scar adorning his jaw. He caressed Kira's hair with his eyes tenderly, if you could possibly feel tenderness from someone looking at you.

Kira felt himself flush slightly as he felt his manhood stiffen in his leather trousers. Now was not the time to be letting his body and his emotions steer him. He needed to bring back the conversation before he did or said something stupid.

"That last question you asked though," Kira said after clearing his throat. "I am still trying to figure that one out."

Shuuhei blinked himself back from wherever he was. "Come again?"

Kira reached for a tiny chunk of bread and slipped it into his mouth. He didn't miss how Shuuhei watched his fingers slide over his lips.

"Why have you taken an interest in me?"

Shuuhei glanced at the floor and rubbed that back of his neck.

"Because you're a half blood."

Kira's mood plummeted. So that was all it was. Shuuhei really was just interested in his heritage. The only people Kira hated more than the people that feared him, were the people that wanted him for their own greedy purpose—the kind of people that would put him on display and parade him around the streets for money. A bloody side show in some shady carnival. Maybe he had misinterpreted and Shuuhei had seen fame and fortune when he looked at him.

Kira chuckled softly, but it held no amusement. "I should have known…" Kira whispered as he started to curl in on himself.

With your powers you can never trust anyone…

Shuuhei moved closer. "What?"

Kira closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his waist. He wished he had died in the attack, at least that way he wouldn't have to be subject to this man's perverted antics.

"I said I should have known," Kira said quietly. "I am one of the last—could very well be the last of the Earthkin, 'the most powerful tribe of elves up until the Great War.' I should have known you had an ulterior motive. I should make you some good money when we get back to Farron, should I not? Or maybe your Lord? Are you or your master going to make me do tricks? Or will you be selling me to the highest bidders?"

He felt Shuuhei close the distance between them and the bigger man's hands gently grasped his arms.

"Good Creator, Kira. No… please don't think that of me." Shuuhei's voice was pained and it made Kira look back up at the scarred man.

"What then, am I supposed to think, Commander?"

Shuuhei took a slow breath, then turned and pulled another of the crates close. He sat and laced his fingers together between his knees. His eyes watched the floor with a faraway gaze, and Kira once again felt himself becoming lost in those dark depths.

"I will tell you," Shuuhei said softly, "I promise I will tell you. But not now, and not here. I wish to keep you safe, and this is not the time or place to be discussing our entwined pasts."

"But," Kira frowned, confusion making his head hurt, "why does it matter who I am? What could our pasts possibly have to do with each other? You are a nobleman, a warrior of Farron! Despite whatever you have come from, you have overcome it! I am a child of a prostitute and grew up on the streets of Phillion! My father was a rebel in the uprising and killed hundreds of innocent people! I was the slave of a witch doctor for eight years, and now, the city that depended on me for their most unspeakable secret ailments, turns their back on me! They shun my existence as if none of them had ever come to me for a discrete shedding of an unborn child! Like none of those other men pulled from the wagon had ever come calling in the darkest parts of the night! Like none of them had ever sent me requests for poisons or curses!" Kira was aware that tears were running from his eyes, but he paid them no mind and poured out his heart like he had never done. Why he felt he could in front of this man, this Shuuhei, he did not know, but suddenly it had to come out. All of it.

"I made my life by taking Shokes' secrets and burying them were even your Creator would not see them. I am damned to the darkest parts of the Underworld for all eternity for the things I have done... There is nothing that could tie us together." He swallowed thickly, watching Shuuhei's dark eyes search his face carefully. Rough fingers caressed his jaw and Kira shivered uncontrollably. The touch was warm, and Kira wanted more than anything to give himself over to it, but he would not.

"You are a man of strength and honor… My world is polluted and I will not dishonor yours."

Shuuhei leaned in close and the lines of his tribal tattoo came into stark relief. Kira watched his eyes as they continued the search of his face. He felt stripped down, past flesh and bone as he was studied. The Commander's gaze bore a hole into what was left of Kira's soul.

"I know you are him," Shuuhei growled softy. "Whether you remember and refuse to admit it, or you have forgotten; you are him. I have searched for you for over fifteen years, and I will not be deterred now that I have found you." The larger man lifted his other hand and cupped the sides of Kira's face. The blond's heart pounded against his chest and he worried for a moment that Shuuhei might be able to hear it.

"I do not care where you have been, or what you think you are," Shuuhei continued. "I am who I am—what I am—because of you."

His lips looked rough, but if they were anything like his hands, Kira wanted to feel them pressed to his skin. Shuuhei held him gently but firmly, the caress from the hardened flesh of the Commander's fingertips sent shivers cascading down Kira's neck and spine. Oh, what a fire would be kindled if Shuuhei were to lay his hands on him! Such passion was contained in this man's touch. Against his will, Kira felt himself falling hard for the tattooed soldier, and wondered what would happen if he tilted his head ever so slightly and gave into his temptation.

Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to find out. At that moment, a low rumble started to shake the ground. It was powerful enough to jar a lantern and several scrolls from the table. Kira shot to his feet and watched as Shuuhei threw on his armor. The soldier grabbed his sword, and flew past Kira and out the tent flap.

The blond snatched his jerkin and followed, tugging the leather over his head and pulling the cord tight. Outside, soldiers were watching the forests of The Wilds with keen interest. Shuuhei stood outside the flap, his sword drawn and his helm clasped in his hand.

"What is it?" Kira asked quietly.

"Trouble," Shuuhei replied.

As Kira watched in fascination, trees started to fall about fifty yards into the forest. All manner of birds and other winged creatures flew in different directions as whatever was knocking down trees, came straight towards where the army was camped.

"Commander Eden!" Kira heard a voice behind him, and turned to see the white-haired mage with the ever present scowl.

Shuuhei turned as the shorter man glided up beside him.

"I believe we have a serious problem, Commander," the mage said.

"Oh really?" Shuuhei raised his eyebrows mockingly. "Whatever gave you that idea, Toshi?"

"I have told you on several occasions to never call me that," Toshiro growled low in his throat. He was much more menacing than someone of his stature should have been. "But that aside, the long rumble before the advance gave the creature away, it is definitely a dragon."

Shuuhei shook his head. "No, that rumble could easily have been an ogre. They are spotted often in this area."

"We shall see…" Toshiro scowled and folded his arms over his chest managing to look exceptionally superior.

Shouting started throughout the camp as whatever was heading towards them became visible. Kira looked back through the haze of snow and sleet just in time to see a gargantuan reptilian head press through the treetops. Large, scaled hands pressed forward, knocking the trees from the creature's path. Its enormous talons ripped the wood to splinters and clawed great holes in the ground as it took another step.

The monster looked quickly from left to right, taking in the site of an entire army of meat for its taking. It opened its maw to release a screeching call across the lines of Shuuhei's regiment. Kira covered his ears at the horrifying sound. It seemed to dig into his head and bury itself painfully into his brain.

When he looked up again, Shuuhei was scowling and Toshiro was smirking.

"I told you, Eden. I know dragons. You owe me three gold parcs."

TBC

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