Authors note: Hello everyone I would like to say thank you to all those who have helped me continue onto to chapter 3. The chapter below was the one that was voted for the most. Don't laugh but I wanted to spell the names right so I looked up the series of characters on Wikipedia. So I hope you will all enjoy this chapter.

Pairings: Yuri x wolfram, Original Character and wolfram

Chapter 3

One Year Later:

Yuri sits at his desk in his private study; he looks down at the huge pile of paperwork in front of him and sighs. Things have gotten really rough since wolfram disappeared. He pinches the bridge of his nose and gets up, strolling over to the large window behind him, "thank goodness we were able to repair this room" he thought to himself. He stares off longingly at the horizon outside of his window, he so badly wanted to be out there along with everyone else searching for wolfram, but after 6 months of heading search parties and traveling to different regions thinking there was a clue as to the blonds whereabouts, he was finally forced to stay at the castle to continue on with his kingly duties. Yuri could still remember the morning they all discovered wolfram was missing.

[Flashback]

Lady Cecilie was the first to organize a search party and head out to find her son. She was also the first to discover the blond's disappearance after going into his room that morning to check on him. By the time all the other search groups were form she was already on horseback with her group leaving lady Anissina in charge till she returned. Yuri runs out of the castle and joins a group of soldiers from wolframs battalion to search himself, he was soon followed by Conrad who knew it would be impossible to stop Yuri from going. They all sped off on horseback to begin the search. Gwendal and Gunter soon followed with their search groups and took off for regions outside of the demon kingdom.

[Flashback ends]

Yuri goes back to his desk and tries his hardest to concentrate on his work. Even though they told him to go back to the castle, that didn't stop Yuri from sending out various troops to continue the search. After 8 months of searching Lady Cecilie decided to not come home at all until wolfram was found, she took her cruise ship and turned her voyage for free love into a voyage to find her little boy. Her flirtatious manner was completely gone at this point with all the worrying and fretting over her dear son. She also took Greta along with her seeing that the little girl had adopted wolframs stubborn spirit and threatened to never speak to Yuri again if he didn't let her go with lady cecilie, so how could he say no. Gwendal was also sending out his troops to continue the search but he himself had to attend to other matters to attend to at covenant castle, everything was neglected that year to look for his brother, now he had to deal with nothing but back up work, which was plenty. Gunter and Conrad stayed with Yuri back at blood pledge castle to help him with the new rising problems occurring in the demon kingdom.

Gunter walks into the study along with Murata and Conrad. Yuri Looks up and frowns knowing full well that this was going to be yet another set of bad news.

"What is it this time Gunter?" the double black demon says with a sigh.

Gunter looks back at him distressed "It's happened again your majesty, another senseless murder".

Yuri gritted his teeth in frustration "who are these guys? This is the fifth murder victim this week, have the culprits been captured?"

Gunter shook his head "it's the same as always they have killed themselves vowing to be brought back to life by some phoenix goddess, it's beyond all reasoning".

Conrad nods also looking a bit tired from the events happening now and the year previous to this, "I have sent my men to scout the kingdom for anymore of them, we will apprehend anyone who poses a threat to the demon kingdom".

Yuri nods to this "that's good but we still need to shed some light on who these people really are".

Murata steps forward grabbing everyone's attention "I think have an idea of who they are, but I can't figure out why they decided to spring up recently".

Yuri looked at him hopefully "well any idea is a good one right now, spill".

Murata thinks for a moment making sure his past memories were in order before speaking "well I remember in one of my past lives that there was a group of humans who used to run around into villages and cities killing women and children and using them as sacrifices to a giant phoenix they referred to as the actual mother nature, a bright red phoenix ".

Gunter looks at Murata a bit taken back by this "but there are no such birds in the demon kingdom".

Conrad also looks at Murata "that's true beside aren't phoenix's simply pure mythology".

Yuri blinks at this as if remembering something "well I thought that dragons were simply mythological too, until I met poachy".

Murata nods and continues with his story "well the myth surrounding the phoenix is that each bird has a 500 to 1,000 year life span, after the phoenix's life ends it burns up and turns to ash. Then out of the ashes rises a brand new phoenix to continue on. The group that decided to sacrifice people in the name of this phoenix called themselves the phoenix disciples. They are a group of former murderers and thieves who claimed to see the heir of their ways and decide to pay homage to Mother Nature through death and destruction. They believed that in doing so they can properly prepare for the coming of the brand new phoenix who is supposed to be the son of the phoenix goddess herself. The one reborn from mother nature with the power to control every living thing on this planet". Yuri and the others look at him not really knowing what to say to all of this information.

Gunter breaks the silence "but why is it that I haven't heard of this?"

Murata smirks at him a bit "well I don't think anyone was supposed to know, the events that happened during that time were often so horrific that it's been blocked from the history books, no one has ever recorded these events, but you might find hints or clues in the archives referring to one or two incidents, I only remembered because I was a victim in one of the sacrifices".

They all looked shocked at him "no way" Yuri says in disbelief "they sacrificed you?"

Murata face grows stern for a moment "yes I was a grown woman in that lifetime and it was brief, I had stumbled upon their secrets and before I could record my findings I was hunted down and murdered. That's why we have to put a stop to these people, they are not really being commanded by a phoenix, they are just a couple of crazy idiots that think that the phoenix's son is coming to bless them all for the sacrifices and grant them the power to control everyone and everything on this planet".

Yuri leans against the desk letting everything that Murata tells him seep in, he felt torn between getting back out there and searching for wolfram or protecting his kingdom "a lot of good that'll do" he thought to himself "if we haven't found him by now, are we ever going to find him?.... Oh wolfram what would you say in this situation" He could actually hear wolfs voice now in his head yelling at him "do you even have to ask, get out there and protect our demon kingdom, I can take care of myself I don't need a wimp like you to save me". Tears welded up in Yuri's eyes, he'd give anything to have the blond call him wimp again. He sighed and wiped his eyes before anyone could notice, he then looks up and drawing everyone's attention to him "alright we will tighten security, Conrad we need a soldier at every home to stand guard, if anyone even so much as sneezes the wrong way they are to be brought to the castle for questioning".

Conrad looks up at him for a moment, he noticed that the year Yuri spent searching for his ex fiancé and being disappointed time after time again had hardened him and the problems and stress around him would often force him to forget his pacifist ways.

Murata chimes in to try and break the tension "I think I will go see Ulrike, maybe she might be able to search for any imbalances of power in the regions, I'd like to truly see if there really is a phoenix out there".

Yuri nods to him as the great sage leaves the room he then turns to Gunter "I need you to hit the archives if there is any shred of information on this group report it back to me, also send word out to Gwendal we want him in on this too", Gunter bows to Yuri and takes off out the door leaving Conrad behind with Yuri. The double black Maoh turns and stares out the window again.

Conrad breaks the silence between them "you're thinking that they might have something to do with wolframs disappearance".

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned grim "Conrad, there's a possibility that this group might have already done away with him, I don't know for sure, but here's what I do know. I want this entire kingdom searched from top to bottom, if any of them are found they are to be brought in for questioning, I want to know who their leader is, I want to know why they are doing this, and I want to know why they have targeted my kingdom, anyone who refuses to cooperate shall be dealt with accordingly by any means necessary". Yuri turns to Conrad revealing the frighteningly angered face of the Moah himself "I want that information Conrad, if they won't give it to me peacefully then they will do it through their screams". The sky through his window lit up as a stroke of lightening flared by the window and the entire kingdom was engulfed in rain.

Conrad knew full and well what Yuri meant by that, but all he could do was bow "as you wish your majesty". Yuri goes back to gazing out the window as Conrad leaves the room.