Chapter One
One of the things Murata admired about Yosak was his ability to learn quickly. There was very little that the red-headed spy could not grasp quickly, few situations that he could not accurately interpret, and rarely was the information he discovered wrong.
Murata gasped, arched his back, thrust his hips back and impaled himself harder against Yosak's fingers. The spy grinned, nuzzled his neck and licked a trail from his collarbone to his ear. Yosak twisted his fingers again, brushing that spot deep inside the Sage's body, earning himself another gasp. Murata snapped his teeth shut as a deep moan threatened to escape. He wanted to keep a little dignity, a little longer. From the smug look on the ginger-haired man's face, Murata knew he wasn't fooling anyone.
Yozak free hand lifted one of Murata's legs, bringing them to either side of his hips. All thoughts of dignity flew from his mind as Yosak withdrew his fingers and pushed inside him with one swift move. Wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders, Murata pulled himself up to kiss the other with enough force that their teeth collided. With fingers threaded through the ginger mass of hair, the Sage allowed himself a smile against the other's lips.
Yosak was a quick learner indeed.
Reaching his arms above his head, Yozak stretched, feeling his back crack. A note from Lord Von Voltaire had been slid under his door during the night. Yozak hoped it had been delivered after the Sage had left- he didn't mind if people knew he was sleeping around, but he had a feeling that his Holiness would feel differently about the change in reputation.
Sighing, he lowered his arms. Murata had disappeared from his room at some point during the night, between when Yozak had nodded off and this morning. He couldn't help but feel disappointed and impressed at the same time – usually when the Sage left, Yozak woke to the sound of the door shutting. Apparently, after years of neglect, someone had gotten around to oiling the hinges. Regrettable, really.
With a shrug, he paused in front of Von Voltaire's office and tapped on it. The casualness of their relationship hadn't changed from that first time, and he didn't see it changing anytime soon, whether he wanted it to or not. Sex whenever the Sage happened to come around, whenever Yozak was in the castle and not on night duty. And since Murata came around often, Yozak had no reason to complain.
Gwendel Von Voltaire's office was much more homey than man himself was. With the small knitted animals of questionable classification lining his shelves, it made him look like a family man, as opposed to the hardened military man he was. The tall stern man sat at his desk.
Leaning against the front of his desk was Ken Murata. With bright blond hair.
The glasses were the same, at least. A blonde Sage reminded him far too much of the whole even in Big Shimaron.
He closed the door behind him, and sauntered over to the desk. "Where to this time?" he asked cheerfully.
It was Murata who answered. "We're going to get the Demon Ring"
A rare blunt statement. Yozak wondered what was lying under the surface of it.
At his raised eyebrow, Von Voltaire continued. "There has been intelligence that the Demon Ring was found in a small town just past the border of Shin Makoku. The two of you are going to go get it, and bring it back here."
"Right," Yozak walked up to the desk. "And why is a demon ring in human lands?" he frowned. "And why not send an actual demon for it?"
Murata shrugged. "It disappeared years ago. Who knows why it's near the demon border. Also," he tilted his head, disappearing behind the glare of his glasses, "Mazoku can't use it- it's designed for half-breeds and humans. The ring gives Maryoku to those who ordinarily can't use it."
Yozak nodded. "And you know what it looks like, Holiness?"
Murata nodded.
Yozak glanced around the room. "So, where's Kid-His Majesty? I thought he would be interested in something like this."
Kiddo would not only be interested, he would be thrilled for an excuse to avoid paperwork. From their expressions- the Sage's grin and the deepening wrinkles on Lord Von Voltaire's face- Yozak had a feeling they were thinking the same thing.
A vein popped out on Gwendel's forehead. "We would rather his Majesty didn't know the details of this particular mission."
"The ring is located in the human lands; it's a lesser known artifact, and there is no one looking for it." Murata explained, running a hand through blond hair.
"Three days in, three days out." Gwendel continued. "This should be quick and easy."
Yozak bit his cheek to resist grinning. A glance to Murata showed the Sage had tipped his glasses into the light, concealing half his face. "It always is," Yozak said cheerfully. "When do we leave?"
"Immediately."
A knock at the door interrupted the humorless man before he could continue. At Gwendel's gruff admission, a young soldier stepped inside, and saluted. "Sir, Nomads have been sighted along the edge of the city." The man hesitated before continuing. "They appear to be headed toward us."
Gwendel's eyes narrowed and he rose, hands planted on the desk. "Send a unit to meet them. See what they want, and then escort them to the edge of our territory."
Yozak didn't miss the flicker of grey eyes in his direction. Cheerful smile never fading from his face, he headed toward the door, waving back over his shoulder. "So we head out soon. I'll just make sure that this group isn't going to cause any trouble for us on the way out." Carefully keeping the mask firmly in place, he paused in the door, turned, and winked at the Sage. "I'll see you soon, Holiness."
The door closed before he could hear the other's response.
From where he stood, the group of rag-tag travelers didn't look too threatening. Murata grasped the reins of the two horses (one that had been hastily saddled, the other containing all the things they would need for the next week) and watched the small unit ride out to intercept the Nomads.
As they grew close, the leader held up her hand, halting the unit. Holding her bow out to one side and sword to the other, she nudged her horse forward, dropping the weapons as she moved.
Murata smiled wistfully. Even they, after four thousand years, had not changed much. Traditions were almost permanent in this world.
The woman was a bit older, chestnut hair falling in curls down her back, tall and strong. Reaching the small group of soldiers, she lowered her arms to her sides, letting one rest along the neck of her spotted horse.
The Sergeant kept one hand on his sword as he rode up to meet her. The two spoke for a few minutes before the woman, hands moving slowly, reached into a saddlebag and pulled out a note. Passing it along to the Sergeant, she nudged her horse backward, using her legs to guide it back to her group.
The Sergeant waved another man forward. Giving him the note, he spoke quickly and pointed toward the castle. As the man took off toward Covenant castle, the soldiers moved forward to escort the Nomads away from the town.
As they started to leave, Murata watched as Yozak peeled away from the others and headed back to the town. Even at the distance, he could see the ginger's blue eyes catch sight of him. The spy grinned and altered his course.
"His Excellency wasn't joking when he said immediately." Yozak said as he joined Murata.
"I doubt Lord Von Voltaire ever jokes," Murata replied, nudging his horse along the path that would take them out of Shin Makoku. "What was that about?"
Yozak's horse fell easily into step with his own. "They wanted a message to be taken to the Kiddo," he answered. "Apparently, they want to discuss some sort of treaty."
Murata looked over at the red-headed spy. "What sort of treaty?"
The Nomads – a group made up mainly of Mazoku blood and their half-human offspring– hadn't been apart of the Mazoku nation since Shinou had ostracized them. On their own, they had broken off into small groups governed by the nobility that would have eventually become part of the noble families that currently ruled Shin Makoku. They weren't allowed to technically be inside Mazoku lands, though most villages turned a blind eye to a group passing by. Many of the smaller villages traded with them. The Nomads were never allowed inside city limits.
Yozak glanced back at him. Although he was still smiling, Murata could read a bit of worry in those blue eyes. "They want to rejoin Shin Makoku."