A/N: I know you guys have been waiting, but with moving and working and everything I haven't finished a full chapter yet. So here's a little (very short) plot advancing interlude featuring the bad guys and our little Familiars.

Warnings: scenes of violence, mentions of death

Pairings: some fluffy PruCan, maybe a little China/Japan (if you choose to interpret it that way)

Interlude: The Tiger and the Lamb

The spattered wet reds and dry browns on his boots were oddly satisfying, considering they were from dirty Westerners. Yao smiled softly as the heel of his boot came down on the man at his feet and he ground it harshly against a deep stomach wound. A scream – strangled and quickly muffled – left the man's mouth along with globs of dark blood and bile.

So satisfying.

"Dear general," Yao laughed lightly, his expression serene and friendly. "It is almost unfortunate that you will die here, in the snow and mountains. I would much have preferred that you lived to carry notice of your failure to the emperor." Yao paused to put in a mocking sigh of regret. "No matter. It will be almost as enjoyable to show up on his doorstep when he has nothing but palace guards and some half-trained troops to defend him."

Yao let the words sink in, the expressions of horror and sorrow in the general's eyes more warming than the first breath of southerly winds after a long, dark winter. Wishing to see the light of life fade from the eyes of his defeated enemy, Yao drove his blade harshly through the man's throat, more blood trickling down to cover the snow and the toes of his boots. He doubted he would ever wash them; not if he could keep the blood of his greatest challenge, his most glorious victory on them and look at it whenever he pleased.

The thought was tantalizing, sending new bursts of adrenaline through his system. He glanced around at his men, watching them finish off the last few surviving soldiers with the same proud expression a parent would give their children. Yao raised a hand to beckon his second and Kiku appeared almost instantly at his side.

"When everything here has been taken care of, move the men up onto the mountain ridges. We will make camp for the night and carry on toward the Imperial City at dawn."

"Sir," Kiku acknowledged quietly, bowing slightly and moving to go spread the order.

"And Kiku," Yao murmured before the other could fully leave. He watched with pleasure as the other tensed, back to Yao. "I wish to...speak with you later. Come to my tent after the men have eaten."

A quiet 'Yes, sir' was his only response as the man moved off. Yao continued to watch his surroundings with a pleasant smile, stroking the soft feathers of his falcon as she shifted restlessly on his arm.

"Soon, dear one," he hummed to her. "Soon we will have this empire at our feet. Have Roderick at our feet."

Matthew woke in a cold sweat, his nerves buzzing and a horrible lurching in his stomach. He could practically feel the strings of Fate pulling at him, only to moments later snap and fade. Something big was happening; something that would change this world. Matthew tried desperately to latch on to one of the passing feelings, but each was wrenched from him just as quickly as it latched on.

He hadn't realized he was crying and shaking until warm hands gripped his shoulders and shook him gently, a concerned voice filtering over his ears.

"Gilbert," he breathed into the darkness surrounding them, eyes latching onto the pale figure before him. In the background, Alfred was still snuffling softly in his sleep, exhausted from a hard day of training and the near-disastrous bathing encounter.

"Matt, what's wrong?" Gilbert demanded, keeping his voice low.

"I-I don't...I don't know," Matthew admitted, flinching every time a particularly strong pull was ripped away from him. "Something is changing in the world, I think. Something big...and I think Alfred is going to be part of it, whatever it is." He paused as images of the dream that had woken him came back. "I was dreaming of the Imperial City and the palace. There was blood, people dead in the streets or tied up."

Matthew's voice broke and he hugged himself, tears beginning to fall again. He let the dragon pull him into his lap; let him pet his hair and sooth him. He knew he wouldn't sleep again tonight, but the warmth offered by his companion was a nice distraction from the feelings still assaulting his mind. He wrapped his arms around the other Familiar and buried his face in a scaly neck and just breathed in the scent of fire and magic.

They stayed that way until the grey light of pre-dawn lit the canvas of the tent.

Hopefully this little bit will get me rolling again with this story. Too much time away from it has sorta killed some of my muse's brain. I have started on the next chapter, so it shouldn't be too long a wait