Chapter 18
A friend or a foe?
Youko felt the warm rays of the sun on his face and saw the glow through his closed eyelids. He sat up and immediately shook his friend awake. Koronue blinked and sat up. "I have to tell you what I learned yesterday."
"Hm?" he yawned then nodded Youko to continue.
"The only way to get into the castle is to have a special mark in your eye made by a member of the von Wolfblut family."
"How do we do that?"
"I have no clue. Could you cast the illusion of having a mark like that?"
"That's awfully specific. I don't know if it would work for long."
"It doesn't have to be very long, just long enough to get into the castle, then we go back underground."
"I'll give it a shot." Koronue picked up his pendant and held it in front of Youko's face. "This will be even harder because you know me well; I can cast illusions better on strangers." The red jewel glittered with his reiki. It swung back and forth slowly, casting its light into Youko's eyes. The fox stared intently at the sparkling pendulum, and then his eyes became very serene. Koronue held up a mirror, "See anything?" Youko looked closely at his reflection. His amber eyes were very clear, the irises shown a scrawl that vaguely resembled the words 'von Wolfblut.'
"Close enough, what about you?" he said, preening his ears while he looked in the mirror. Koronue shook his head, "I cannot hypnotize myself, even if I use a mirror."
"Hm, maybe…" the fox' cunning began to tick again, " if only we could get a real family member to mark us."
"Like who?"
"Well, remember yesterday when we pretended to be bastards? If the guard bought it, then that means Raden really is a sex-crazy person who has illegitimate kin to spare. Maybe one of his offspring will help us."
"How in the three worlds would we find one?"
"It won't be easy, but I could sniff one out. I already have a sample of Raden's scent." He took out the check Raden had sent to Gabriel's 'father.' "I put it in a sealed pocket so none of his foul scent would rub off on me," he wrinkled his nose in contempt, "the seal also kept the scent fresh."
"This city is huge, Youko, it would take too long to find anyone, even with a scent. You would have to be in the general area of a place they often go, where their scent is strong."
"Well, if you were a bastard, where would you loiter?" Youko crossed his arms irritably. Koronue thought for a moment. "I would be bragging about sharing the same blood line as Raden, and I would be somewhere where I could show myself off-"
"A prostitution house maybe…"
O.o "okay…" 'Gutter brain.'
"No, think about it, wouldn't you try to get laid if you had leverage to?"
"Me, no; a bastard to that bastard, yes."
=-= "A hunting we shall go!"
The nearest burlesque house was not as hard to find as they thought. Nearly the whole city was a seedy place. Asking around, they found nothing at all for the first eight hours, but when they came across more secret 'areas' they heard a rumor going around. Apparently, Raden had only one child, after that, he was more careful. He shunned this child and never spoke to him or recognized him as an heir. The child of Raden had claimed the title of prince for himself and bagged quite a few women a day, each of them hoping they could somehow be a princess. Raden's son was named Arden. He was the easiest thing to find on the whole journey. Arden was a loud little man, constantly gambling, drinking and flouncing with handfuls of women at a time. It was harder to get him alone.
Arden was getting ready to call it a day, when a servant in a casino walked up to him with a message. "Mister Arden, I have been informed you have a present from an admirer upstairs in your room." The servant whispered to him.
"Really?" Arden said standing. He looked remarkably like his father. He sauntered up to his room eagerly and swung the door open. A hand yanked him in by his collar and the door shut softly behind him. His yelp could be heard through the door, but nothing more. Youko had wrapped his rose whip around Arden's arms and throat. "Make one sound and your throat will be punctured." The fox threatened. Arden, being a coward, whimpered shamefully. "Word on the street is you are the only child of Raden. Is this true?" Koronue paced around Arden, sizing him up. Arden answered an inaudible 'yes' because the whip cut into his skin. "We need you to do us a favor, and in return, you can have some of your father's money." Youko said, holding the check Raden had written to Gabriel's 'father.' "The name written on here can easily be erased and your own replaced."
"What do you want me to do?" he whispered.
"Mark us, like Raden's servants are, then take the mark back when we tell you to."
"Why?"
"That is not your concern."
"I won't do it if I can't know what its for."
"You don't have to know what it's for; but I will tell you that you may soon be the heir to his throne."
"You're going to kill him?"
"Smart boy, so what do you say?"
"Untie me first, then I'll mark you." Youko unwrapped the rose whip from Arden. "You have to let me touch you to Mark you." He said, Youko leaned forward and gave him a look as if to say, 'I'm waiting…' Arden reluctantly touched Youko's face; he was shaking. He made the Mark on Youko, then turned to Koronue and did the same. Youko made the name on the check disappear and gave it to Arden. "200, 000,500,000 yen?" he practically shouted.
"If you want more, then you will up hold the second half of this bargain. If you betray us, I will kill you myself." Youko hissed melting into the shadows. When Arden looked up, they were gone.
"I don't know why you are still sad, Miss. The Master has been better to you." Toko sat beside Gabriel's bed fiddling with his bag of equipment.
"It's not about trying to make it seem better," she spat at the ceiling. " He did something wrong, and he's trying to make amends for it in the wrong way. He has to reverse what he did, not cover it up."
"Miss, can you be so stubborn? Thinking about the past is making your present worse. You should count the blessings you have." Gabriel stared at Toko in disbelief. "You're taking his side?" she whispered. "You would take such a horrible person before me? I thought you were my friend, Toko!" she became more angry than sad then.
"No! Miss, I- uh- you-"
"If I can't lean on you, I can't lean on anyone… I think you should go now, Toko."
"Miss!"
"And don't come back."
"Miss!!" Toko pleaded, she had turned away from him and scooted to the farthest point on the bed from him. The demon began to shake, his eyes filled up with tears. "Miss, you can't shut me out. You're the only friend I've ever had; the only one who talks with me and listens to me."
"You sure didn't act like a friend. I wouldn't be surprised if you were in coalition with Raden himself." Toko stiffened; his blood ran cold. 'She knows,' He stood up and slowly walked out of the room. He paused at the door and looked back at her, "Goodbye, Miss. For good." She didn't react to his words. He heard her sob through the closed doors; Toko left Gabriel with a heavier heart than she had ever had while in the castle.