Chapter Two

When Ashram next awoke, he was in the castle infirmary. To his surprise, Emperor Beld hovered at his side, looking for all the world like an anxious father.

"Beld-sama……………" Ashram whispered, wincing when the effort of speaking strained his throat.

"Don't try to speak. You've had a rough time. Rest easy now." Beld said, gently; the gentleness belying his rough exterior. Despite his best efforts, Ashram found it hard to resist the urge to drift back off into dreamless sleep. His eyelids felt weighted and heavy, and his body screamed for rest, even though he'd just woken up.

"Beld-sama……………..Sir Darthian…………….." Ashram murmured, painfully.

"I know. Rest now, we'll talk on this later." Beld said, as the wounded squire drifted into exhausted slumber. Even though he had been relieved when Ashram had opened his eyes, Beld knew that a long, uncertain road lay before his favored squire. The healers had used all their powers putting Ashram's insides back together, and even now waited for their powers to recharge before trying again. When Ashram awoke again, he was alone.

"Where…………………..?" Ashram wondered, as he tried to sit up, wincing when he found that his body still hurt.

"Don't try to move. It will only make the pain worse." A soft feminine voice said, as the owner appeared before him.

"Where am I?" Ashram asked, trying, unsuccessfully, to hide the fact that he was disoriented.

"In the castle infirmary. Emperor Beld had strict orders for us to bring you here and tend to your wounds." The healer said, quietly, as she glanced at the bandages that adorned most of Ashram's upper half.

"I see. Has anyone else been attacked?" Ashram asked, not really concerned for his fellow squires, but curious as to whether or not they had had the same fate befall them. The healer hung her head in sadness.

"Yes, there were several more wounded after you. Though most of them were not as severely hurt, a few of them have succumbed to their injuries. You were fortunate; the Emperor seems to have taken a liking to you." The healer said, as she helped Ashram sit up and allowed a servant to enter the room with a tray of food. Ashram raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything more. As he ate his dinner, the healer kept at her duties, knowingly giving him the silence he desired. He sighed quietly; his chances at becoming a knight were slim now, considering his injuries and the loss of his mentor. He jumped slightly when the healer's cat jumped onto his lap and snatched a piece of meat from his plate.

"Sneak." Ashram muttered, for some reason feeling a little weight lift from his shoulders as he stroked the smoky gray cat. The cat purred, arching its back in response to his callused fingers.

"I see that Hibiki likes you. He doesn't do that to everyone. The only other person he allows to touch him (other than myself, of course) is Emperor Beld." The healer said, as the cat rolled over onto his back and allowed Ashram to tickle his belly. For a few precious seconds, Ashram allowed himself to forget his cold façade and play with the cat, which was enjoying the attention it was getting.

One Year Later

Ashram breathed in the crisp, cool air of an autumn afternoon. Even though it was almost always cold on Marmo, this day was milder than most. For some reason, part of him reveled in the fact that he was alive, but that feeling was hidden beneath a mask of indifference. Not long ago, in fact, almost three months prior, he'd become a knight. In the ensuing months, he'd risen in rank to become one of Beld's most trusted generals. He was cool-headed and intelligent; he'd even heard women whispering behind his back about him being 'devilishly handsome'………but he'd shrugged that comment off with his usual nonchalance. That particular part didn't matter. He didn't want to get bogged down by love. He was riding along when he heard some angry shouts coming from where his underlings and some Dark Elves were gathered. Silently he dismounted and went through the men, some of them realizing who he was and moving quickly to get out of his way. When Ashram had gotten to the cause of the ruckus, he wasn't in the least bit surprised. One of his underlings had gotten drunk and was now harassing a beautiful female Dark Elf. Needless to say, her kin were not pleased with the human's audacity and they were now baying for blood.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ashram asked, as he grabbed the man's arm and gave him an icy glare.

"N-nothin…………….General Ashram, sir! I-I was just leavin'!" the man stuttered, after Ashram had thrown him to the ground. Ashram didn't see the female Dark Elf's amused smile, nor did he see the looks of astonishment being exchanged amongst the other Dark Elves.

"Now he's interesting! He might be worth getting to know." The female Dark Elf thought, as she watched Ashram move away from the group, with the intent to further reprimand the drunken man.