Disclaimer:All characters, character names, worlds, and world names belong to their respected companies, authors, producers, etc. I do not benefit money from writing this story. I do not own any of the characters or places.

Author's Note: All right, all bow before Albel as he enters stage right. Check out my profile for a pic of Beele and Sariel together. Very sexy. Thank you for the reviews they make me feel good. Please continue reviewing. At the end of this chapter is a list of requested/suggested couples and my answers to each of them.

Thank you to Empress Satori for correcting me on some name spellings. I didn't look them up and now I'm going to have to go back and change them b/c it'll annoy the hell out of me.

I couldn't agree with crematosis more—I wouldn't mind female characters so much if they were worth anything. They're always screeching and annoying. But what annoys me the most is when the strong male characters fall weak to such undeserving and weak female characters. The best example of this is Rinoa and Squall from FFVIII. I HATE Rinoa and we all know Squall would have never given her the time of day, but unfortunately the decision was up to the story creators and poor Squall was forced into her arms kicking and screaming. But enough about that, let's get on with the story…

Chapter 3

The small village of Seran1 was ablaze with dragon's flame. Thousands of fiery fingers licked at the sky as homes and shops burned to the ground. The inhabitants already dead or fleeing further into the Sanmite Republic to escape. A lone figure watched from beneath the hood of his black cloak blending him almost invisibly with the night.

"Lord Kagekiyo," a Dragon Brigade soldier approached him, bloodied sword drawn in one hand. The hooded lord did not look at him. "Captain Nox is returning with his men."

"Did he get all of them?" Lord Kagekiyo asked.

"Not one escaped. They're bringing the bodies back. But there is one survivor in town—"

"Why is he not dead?"

"He's giving us trouble. No one can get near him. Everyone that has tried is dead," the soldier said trying to convince himself as well as the lord that his men were not incompetent.

For the first time the lord turned his hooded face in the soldier's direction. A cold shiver ran down the man's spine feeling the dark gaze on him.

"Show me," the deep voice was barely audible above the roaring flames a little distance from their position in the trees. Kagekiyo followed the man through the destruction to just about what must have been the center of the town. The Dragon Brigade soldiers were circled around a single humanoid. Even though their weapons were drawn and the young man had none, the soldiers gave him a wide berth. As the lord approached with his escort a soldier attacked. Before anyone could blink, inhale breath or let it out, the man screamed and fell to the ground adding his death to the circular pile that was building at the youth's feet.

To the spooked soldiers it appeared that the youth had not even moved, but Kagekiyo's eyes had followed every movement as one hand lashed out and broke the neck of his attacker.

"Archers?" Kagekiyo asked in a smooth voice.

"They're spent, my lord. He caught or knocked away every single arrow," the soldier replied sounding nervous. "It's bloody sorcery." Kagekiyo chuckled darkly. "Ah, no offence, my lord."

Kagekiyo ignored his blubbering apology. The soldiers parted scrambling out of the way for the mysterious lord to pass. The green-haired youth turned to them, velvety fox ears laid flat, his wide eyes that of a cornered animal. Confusion flickered across his pretty face too quickly for the others to notice but Kagekiyo relished it. Then the whirling wind created by the roaring fires shifted and Kagekiyo caught the sweet smell of a uke. He stood for long moments in shock. Only when he could be certain his face was stoic once more did he push back his hood revealing his hard, handsome face and raven-black hair.

"We take this one alive," Kagekiyo said, his eyes entrapped by the beautiful uke. The soldiers buzzed with disbelief.

"Lord Kagekiyo," another soldier spoke up. "Our orders are to leave none alive. Taking prisoners is—"

"Did I ask for a recitation of orders? I want him brought to Airyglyph castle."

There was silence among them again.

"H—How do we…?"

In a fluid swirl of black cloth Kagekiyo seemed to disappear and reappear behind the prisoner. He grabbed him by the arms and twisted them behind his back. The youth let out an involuntary pained cry as his bones threatened to break.

A soldier handed him some rope, but Kagekiyo shook his head.

"I do not believe there is rope that can hold this one," Kagekiyo said. "He will ride with me."

"My lord, but—"

"I will return to the castle," Kagekiyo ignored all protest. "When Lord Nox returns tell him his men have clean-up. It is imperative that there is no evidence of our ever being here, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."


High on a hill a figure watched the prisoner forced away and loaded into a carriage. The bright sapphire eyes saddened as the horses pulled away into the night. An agonized whine tore from the wounded throat. The scraping, eerie howl that echoed in the hills around the burning village possibly the last sound the wolf would ever make.


Albel Nox, Captain of the Black Brigade, emerged from the forest his men carrying the slaughtered villagers who had almost escaped. He scowled at the burning massacre before him. He thrived on battle but this was annihilation and did not please him in the least.

"Add the bodies to the flames," he told his men. "Make certain everything burns. There cannot be evidence they were killed with steel."

"Yes, sir."

In the distance he could see the Dragon Brigade mounting their dragons and taking to the sky. He growled as one of them approached him.

"Lord Nox," the man started.

"Where is Lord Kagekiyo?" the captain demanded. The soldier winced.

"He's returned to Airyglyph. He said you were to overlook clean-up."

Albel's eyes burned with hatred, a reflection of the roaring fire. The soldier shrank back under the glare.

"I am, am I?" Albel seethed.

"Ye—Yes, sir," the man almost squeaked.

Albel closed his eyes and straightened. Fine, he would do clean-up and he would make sure his majesty knew that Lord Kagekiyo had abandoned his duty. He almost smiled. He looked at the soldier. "Fine. Out of my sight, maggot," he hissed. The man clapped his right fist over his chest2 and scrambled away unable to get away fast enough, overjoyed he had escaped that confrontation with his head still attached.

Albel split his men ordering all traces of the fight vanished all the way down to the last dragon footprint. It was vital to his majesty's plan that the town looked like it had been engulfed in a forest fire started by the lightning storm early that morning. Lord Kagekiyo had directed the lightning and the dragons kept the fire under control directing it to raging propulsions and guiding it to their targeted destination. Albel's unit killed any who escaped the dragons' breath. It was an open and close operation. If anyone from Sanmite Republic came to investigate it would appear to be a freak accident.

King Airyglyph XIII would be glad to know everything had gone so well, but Albel looked forward to seeing Lord Kagekiyo punished for abandoning his post as overseer of the whole operation. He looked forward to that very much.


The black covered carriage bumped along the dirt highway, but Lord Kagekiyo was far too interested in his traveling companion to notice. The youth sat across from him entirely still, only his saddened and wary eyes gave away his fear.

"What is your name?" Kagekiyo inquired. His voice was polite but something about the man, perhaps the scents coming from him, disturbed the uke.

"Yours first," the youth said. Kagekiyo smiled.

"I am Kagekiyo. My titles do not interest you nor me, though the humans delight in lavishing them upon everything. Their system depends on titles. Titles give one power. I will simply assure you that I have many titles. You can decide for yourself how powerful I am." The uke frowned. Kagekiyo waited patiently.

"Akira," he said finally. "My name is Akira." The lord said nothing. It bothered Akira that he couldn't even guess what the wolf was thinking. He was so calm and utterly deceptive—the truth buried beneath his charm. "You are an Elder?" he asked finally.

"Yes," Kagekiyo smiled3. "You sensed that?"

Akira gestured with a small wave of his hand.

"Your wisdom and power pour off of you in waves. I would be a fool not to recognize it."

Akira glowered at the handsome seme. "I am not a fool."

"Quite. I am nearly as old as your king," Kagekiyo said sitting back against the leather seat. "At least, I assume he is still your king." Akira frowned. "And you must forgive me; I have nearly forgotten what it is like to live among my own kind. I forget that wolves do not need to witness my power to know I have it, unlike these humans who demand proof."

"You mentioned our king," Akira said unable to ignore his curiosity. All he knew about his people was what little his bearer had told him when he was a child. "I don't know much about him. I was born here in the Republic." Akira faltered when the Elder looked at him surprised.

"Born here?"

Akira nodded.

Kagekiyo crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I thought I was alone," he said to himself as if he'd forgotten his company.

"What do you mean?"

"I am King Laures's younger brother. I was the first welf he exiled to this continent, but apparently not the last."

Akira swallowed trying to take it all in. His bearer told him very little and only what a child could understand before he died. Akira did not like his ignorance. If nothing good came from meeting this murderous seme at least he could discover more about his people. Perhaps find a way to get to them.

"Why would your own brother…?"

"I challenged him for his position as king. It was close. I do not know which infuriated him more: that I would challenge him, or that I almost beat him. Does not matter though. That was nearly four hundred years ago."

"Shit," Akira breathed. If that were so then Kagekiyo was truly—extremely—powerful.

"How did you come to be here?" Kagekiyo asked. The question sparked Akira's earlier fear and anger. He almost forgot he was conversing with the man who slaughtered his village. What Akira didn't know was that Kagekiyo hadn't actually lifted a finger, but he had certainly made sure it was done.

"Tell me first why you murdered my people," he demanded.

"They are not your people," Kagekiyo chided.

"They were! They raised me and my—" he stopped himself. "My sire and bearer died. The people in that village accepted me."

"That is where you are wrong," Kagekiyo said as if correcting a naïve child. "Humans will always destroy what they do not understand." He looked pointedly at Akira's green furry wolf ears and tail.

"They were humanoids, not humans," Akira argued. "With ears and tails similar to mine."

"Makes no difference," Kagekiyo said. "Did the whole fox village really know your secret, or just the family that took you into their home?" Akira was silent. "That is because any one of them discovering you meant your destruction. It is that simple. It has always been…that simple." The last was almost a whisper.

They rode in silence after that and so their questions went unanswered as they traveled into higher, colder country.

They arrived at Airyglyph castle several hours before dawn. The stable hand that greeted them to assist the driver in putting the horses away was nearly frozen on his watch. Lord Kagekiyo waved both men away.

"I prefer to take care of my own horses, thank you, gentlemen."

"But, Lord Kag-g-gekiyo," the poor man shivered.

"Away with you both to your homes and warm yourselves. No one should stand duty on such a night. No one in their right mind would go out in this, so your unobserved services will be useless."

"Lord Nox—" the stable hand desperately wanted to go home but duty reluctantly protested.

"Lord Nox and his men will see to their own horses as they always do, yes? What good is a frozen stableman?" Kagekiyo asked as he unhitched the horses.

The man's trembling smile warmed his features. "Gods be praised, bless you Lord Kagekiyo." The men bowed to the lord and the carriage driver walked the elder stableman out into the storm to the waiting warmth of home and feather beds.

Akira stood by watching, arms folded tightly to his chest to keep as warm as he could in the cold, stone stable. He couldn't figure out this man. He leads two brigades to massacre innocent people and then treats an old man with such a gentle kindness. He couldn't stand this unpredictability.

Kagekiyo was busy brushing one black stallion down before Akira finally spoke.

"That was kind of you," he said in an unusual tone—skeptic and begrudging, a little cautious.

"I despise waste," Kagekiyo said simply. Akira picked up another currycomb and began combing down the other side of the magnificent beast. Their eyes met over the horse's back and Kagekiyo offered a hint of a smile. The whole scene was too casual. They could have been friends. Could have, but all Akira had to do was look into the hard, inscrutable eyes to crush the otherwise friendly illusion. When they finished with one horse Kagekiyo covered its back with a wool blanket and moved to the next. Akira followed.

"All things unnecessary should be done away with," Kagekiyo continued. Akira glanced over at him but the man was devoted to his task and did not look up. "Do not mistake my action as a random kindness. I sent the man home because forcing him to remain here on duty when there is no duty to perform is a waste of a good man. It is also the beginning of the turning of his loyalty."

"Is that your intention here?" Akira asked grasping at some semblance of truth to figure the man out. "Turning the people against their king?"

"No, although most of them would follow me in a heartbeat." It wasn't a boast just a fact.

"Then I confess I do not understand why you are here," Akira said a little frustrated. "You have the power to force this country to follow you, but you don't want to lead. You display a great amount of pride but are content to do the bidding of a human king."

"What bothers you, young one?" Kagekiyo asked.

"That you're a monster who kills without thought one minute and then is compassionate another, except that you say it isn't kindness but a product of rational analysis." Akira's eyes watered with angry tears. "I hate you, but I'm so confused at the same time that I forget I hate you."

Kagekiyo finished brushing and covered the animal. Then he walked around to face Akira. "There are two things you must know right now and never forget." Akira could not look away from the eyes that were suddenly intent. "One, I have never personally killed a living soul. And two, I remain here because King Airyglyph amuses me. I do not hold myself accountable for any of my actions. After four hundred years alone and no hope of ever recognizing, as was my dear brother's intent, I have become most bitter, and unfortunately am pressed for things to occupy my time with." He grabbed Akira by the arm and roughly pulled him toward the stone stairwell leading into the main grounds of the castle. "Until you have lived as long as I alone, you may not stand judgment for my actions."

Akira was taken aback. This was raw emotion…Akira knew emotion in his experience to always reveal truth. Could Kagekiyo, this most formidable wolf, really just be lonely and bitter?

As they walked it was obvious that the Dragon Brigade had arrived long before them and the men were already settled back in to normal duty or home asleep where they would remain until called again. Though it was very early Kagekiyo knew the king would be restless and unable to sleep until he gave a report of the mission's success.

Akira kept his eyes open as they ventured through the frozen castle corridors to the audience chamber on the second floor. He noted every door and every turn and corridor. Though he could not escape while in the presence of the powerful Elder, he did not plan to pass up any chances he might have if left alone or in less capable hands.

Other than the posted guard there was no one around. Kagekiyo walked straight to the king's quarters and rapped his gloved knuckles against the heavy wood.

"Enter," called a tired but instantly alert voice.

Kagekiyo opened the door and held it for Akira. The uke hesitated. Kagekiyo smiled down at him.

"His majesty is waiting," Kagekiyo said so only Akira could hear. "You don't really want me to force you, do you?"

Akira glowered at him and stepped into the study. A fire crackled in a stone hearth against one wall. All sides of the room were covered with bookcases overflowing with books and manuscripts. Piles of them littered the floor around the desk in the middle of the room. Outside the window the snow stormed and swirled. Akira shivered just watching it.

A man rose from the chair behind the desk and walked forward hesitating when he saw that Akira wasn't who he was expecting. Kagekiyo closed the door and walked into the light. The king's face brightened slightly in recognition.

"Ah, Lord Kagekiyo, at last," he said. Kagekiyo merely tilted his head as a show of deference. Despite himself Akira could not help but think it was the king who should be bowing to Kagekiyo. "What have you to report, and who is this?" The king's lip curled when he looked at Akira's dirty peasant attire and humanoid ears and tail.

"A prisoner from Seran," Kagekiyo said.

"What! Did I not specifically order there be no prisoners?" his majesty demanded.

"This one is very special, my lord," Kagekiyo said in a smooth tone.

"In what way exactly?" The king looked at Akira skeptically.

"He and I have very much in common," Kagekiyo hinted.

Airyglyph XIII immediately caught on to the implication.

"He is of your kind?"

"Yes."

"But how? I thought you said you were the only one," Airyglyph XIII growled.

"If you will recall I said I was the only one in this land. That seems to no longer be the case."

The king considered for a moment. "Well, what do we do with him then?"

"Secure a place for him in the dungeon, I should think," Kagekiyo said. "As he was raised in the Sanmite it is too dangerous to let him loose. And I am especially curious. I would like to keep him around a little while."

Akira didn't like the sound of the dungeon. If the stables were freezing he could only imagine the temperature of the dungeon in this cursed land that lay in winter nearly the entire year.

The king agreed to Kagekiyo's request. As they turned to leave Kagekiyo turned back, his eyes suddenly cold and dark.

"His secret is my secret, your majesty," he said.

"I am not a fool," the king snapped.

"There are times I am forced to wonder…your majesty." Kagekiyo tipped his head and pulled Akira back out the door with him, leaving the king with a dark look that made Akira shiver.

Kagekiyo walked in silence, but Akira could not.

"What did you mean back there?" he demanded. Kagekiyo raised a brow at him. "The secret, what did you mean?"

"Our secret, yours and mine," he said.

"You mean—"

"King Airyglyph is the only person on this continent that knows what I am," he said.

"But the others—the soldiers knew of your power. They feared you, I could see it," Akira protested.

"Have you already forgotten what I told you in the carriage?" Kagekiyo smiled. "The only reason his majesty knows is because he caught me in my weak state of transformation."

"Caught you?" Akira's voice was soft. If there was anything he remembered from his bearer's stories it was the fear of capture, the terrible things humans did to welves if ever given the chance.

"His majesty was quite the hunter," Kagekiyo said quietly as they passed a posted guard. There was a strange look on his face as if he was lost in memory. "He promised to keep my secret in exchange for my services."

"But you didn't have to serve him, you could have killed him," Akira growled.

"I could have," Kagekiyo agreed. "It has taken a long time to earn a place here among a civilization. Now that I have it I cannot imagine returning to my endless solitude. I do not suppose you understand. You see me as a monster, and I am. I could not care less about what happened to those villagers this night. Not because I enjoyed the blood spilling or their screams for mercy." Akira's eyes watered and his heart ached at the visions burned into his memory. "But because after four hundred years without so much as speaking to anyone I am only now beginning to remember how to feel anything for anyone other than myself."

Akira walked in stunned silence. He wanted to hate this man. At the same time he pitied him. After all, if what Kagekiyo said was true, and Akira believed it was true, then the Elder had not directly murdered his village. He wasn't certain he could blame it on Kagekiyo when the Airyglyph king was truly to blame.

Kagekiyo led him deeper into the underground passages of the castle. Lost in his thoughts Akira forgot to keep track of where they were going. But soon he could not ignore the freezing temperatures and the icy frost that clung to the stones. Their breath puffed in little clouds.

As they stepped off the last stair into the dungeon Akira saw rows and rows of cells closed off with strong-looking iron bars. It was dark this deep in the mountain and the torches were too few and too far between. Fear began to build inside him again. When Kagekiyo opened the door to a cell Akira panicked.

"Please, I don't want to stay here," Akira's teeth chattered.

"Where else could we trust to place you?"

"I can stay with you," he tried. "You're stronger than me."

Kagekiyo grabbed him by the wrist and pushed him into the cell, slamming the door. Akira grabbed his hand through the bars.

"Please," he said.

"Even a dragon is vulnerable when it sleeps," Kagekiyo said quietly. He pulled away from the uke's grip and walked away, the thumping of his boots on stone growing distant.

Akira listened to the sound until it disappeared hoping it would return. He began shivering in the cold. The cell had only a filthy mattress on the floor in the corner that reeked the stench of so many past prisoners. The smells came from every stone and repulsed him so much that he couldn't bear to touch them. So he stood in the agonizing cold in the middle of the dark cell. It wasn't long before the hot tears began. He wiped them away quickly afraid of the thought of them freezing to his face. How could they not in such cold?

Thoughts of his murdered foster parents and his friends plagued him. Thoughts of his beloved brother—not knowing if he was alive or dead—tormented him. Link had been injured by one of the dragon beasts when Akira tried to help his brother escape. Had his brother gotten past the line of enemies? If so, was he suffering now, bleeding and alone in the forest?

Akira mourned his great loss vowing that when he was finished and there were no more tears to shed for his stolen life, he would bleed4 the one's responsible dry.


Albel Nox grew more and more furious as he barged through the castle heading straight to the king's quarters. It was well after sunrise when he and his brigade returned after many long hours of work and travel. His men were exhausted and Albel seethed with hatred toward Lord Kagekiyo and now even toward Lords Vox and Woltar. It seemed to be happening a lot lately that his brigade ended up with the dirty work and four long hours on horseback was more than enough time to work himself into a rage.

When he reached the door to the king's study he refused to express such courtesy by knocking and instead barged in. The fire was dying down and the room was empty. This only angered him more. So, I am not important enough for you to stay awake to hear my report.

He moved directly to the door across the room that led to the bed chambers and pounded his fist on the door.

In the bedroom Airyglyph XIII jerked awake and looked around him confused. When the pounding continued he threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side, slipping his feet into fur slippers. The cold stone in the morning was most unpleasant. He hurried to the door and threw it open. Anger quickly replaced surprise upon seeing the Black Brigade captain.

"Albel, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Your majesty," Albel bowed almost imperceptibly at the waist. "I need to speak with you."

"Could it not have waited till a more appropriate hour or at least after you've made yourself presentable?" Airyglyph XIII sneered at Albel's dirt-smeared and sweaty appearance.

"I would have thought that your majesty would want to hear my report," Albel growled. "Or did Lord Kagekiyo already give it?"

Airyglyph XIII frowned. "He did not need to, I know everything went well."

"How could he possibly know that considering he abandoned his duty to return here?"

Airyglyph XIII was quiet a moment. "Did he?"

"My brigade did all the work, the others did nothing. Lord Vox did not even come to supervise his men. I am not usually one to complain, but if something isn't done you will have a serious problem on your hands."

"Are you threatening me?" the king said dangerously.

"You're damn right," Albel said quietly. "I will not be treated like a dog nor subject my men to more than their share of work." Albel turned to leave the room.

"I would be very careful if I were you, Nox," the king warned. "You are not so irreplaceable."

"My men will follow no one else," Albel refuted. "You will have a revolution on your hands."

"You tread dangerous waters, Albel Nox…" the king let the threat trail off as Albel stormed out. Albel was not a fool. He knew that displeasing his majesty meant an assassin's knife in the dark. The thing was, though, that he didn't care anymore. And if Airyglyph turned against him he would turn against Airyglyph. It was that simple.


to be continued... This chapter is short. It's kind of more a filler than anything else. Plus, I needed to start talking about what's going on in other parts of the continent. Sorry there wasn't any lovin' but I'll make it up to you in the next chapter: Walter, Hiei, and Tetsuya will be returning and you know their mates are going to want to... Also, before that, Seiji will want to finish things with Ryo before they were interrupted by the birthing. More yaoi than you can handle in one chapter? I don't think so.


EndNotes:

1 Seran, pronounced suh-ran. The Sanmite Republic is merely mentioned in the game so I named this village. The Sanmite Republic is located NW of Airyglyph, and Aquaria is to the East.

2 I don't know if they salute, bow, whatever…if you know please fill me in.

3 If you've played Genji you know Kagekiyo does not smile and is far from the teasing, charming type. But there are just too damn many of these stoic, silent types so I decided to have some fun and make him a dangerously mysterious man with an equally dangerously wicked charm. But you'll find there's a lot more to him.

4 This refers to a medieval form of torture called the Cat's Paw. It consisted of pulling the skin from a person's body in long strips, basically skinning them alive and leaving them to bleed to death or die from infection. Akira has some dark visions of vengeance, but can you blame him?

Suggested Pairings:

Riku x Sora

Axel x Roxas

Zexion x Demyx all from Kingdom Hearts 2. Ok, I do love Riku and Sora, but I didn't really feel like this was a fic for them. I'll think about these two, though; see if there's anywhere I can put them in without making it seem forced, etc. The others I say no to.

Sasuke x Naruto from Naruto. I admit that I like Sasuke a lot, but to be honest I cannot stand Naruto. Sorry, he will not be making an appearance.

Eclipse x Raenef from Demon Diary. I do not know them.

Dark x Daisuke from DNAngel. I do not know them.

Balthier x Vaan from FFXII. I love Balthier! Vaan reminds me of someone I cannot stand. Sorry.

Light x L from Death Note. I have indeed decided to bring L and Light into the story, but with L as the seme, I think.