In Which all Main Characters are-

Lord Tauron smiled, watching the riders atop a sleek black panther and magnificent lion approach the entrance of the mansion. It was a surprise to see certain lords here and had been a rare delegation achievement, to be able to get both overlords to agree to go overseas at the same time, given their diverse weighty commitments and interests, especially when at least one of them was terrible at keeping such promises.

Lord Ariakas Kelman slid off Ranma's back and was quick to stride forward to embrace the elder lord warmly.

'We are here, and not because of obligation. We must thank you for saving us headaches that you have taken upon yourself. Furthermore, Endorras has us curious.'

Tauron pulled back slightly, faint smile widening to a grin. 'Is it my imagination, or are you ACTUALLY-'

'Don't start on the shoes. Or the colour of my shirt. All his bright ideas, literally.' They could hear the gritted teeth beneath uttered words. Upon hearing what his friend said, a certain shinma lord rubbed Nyssa's ears before dismounting, laughing gaily as he did so. Ariakas shot him a look, telling him not to rub it in.

'It is a decent moss green. And doesn't the shirt look nice on him? In a matching shade too, I must add; all that gold and cream just gets so tedious. It really suits his eyes… all right, stop glaring… more suited to my eyes. His sister Silvara will be so pleased with me, since she benefits most, until she can get over her sister-complex and stop being overly-possessive of her little brother.'

Ariakas turned back to Tauron, enquiring as to whether he and his son were settling in nicely. Tauron replied in the affirmative and could not refrain from mentioning how his son had made friends with the godson of the lord who owned the mansion. '…and they have gone horseback riding, since sunrise. They should be back soon.'

'Given what happened here, that was an interesting spell to exercise. Your son's choice of magic mastery is intriguing.'

They both turned to see the other lord staring at something on the ground. Lord Kai was studying the makeshift chessboard where a meadow of wildflowers had once been. Sunlight glittered relentlessly across the scar on his cheek. The smile on his face resembled a stalking feline, as he said something which made no sense. 'Check. Mate.'

'What?' Lord Tauron had wandered over to look. He recognized his son's work anywhere, but this spell… What did a certain warlord mean by that? He watched one clear but lethal nail trace a cross in the ground. Soft laughter puzzled him.

'He'll be back very soon… I hear hoof beats.'

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It was Larva's turn to be amused. Garline was obviously not experienced in riding a horse and in turn, the horse was not fond of him. In the end, Garline had used his powers to charm the horse but it worked in breaks. He just had to stop staring, as it was an awful habit to develop, especially when the recipient was very perceptive.

'Tell me what your name means again, and try not to fall off while doing so, ha ha ha…'

Larva's difficulty went unnoticed, as Garline tried to maintain his balance. 'In my mother's family tongue, The Light of the Sea…woah!' He clung to the neck of the grey mare, when she suddenly stopped cantering and dug her hoofs into the ground, nearly pitching him off. Larva was about to ask how he got his name when he decided there were more pressing matters to attend to. Stilling his own black stallion, he launched himself off the horse, somersaulting into the air and landing lightly in the saddle behind Garline.

Pale hands closed over fair hands, pulling them back to the reins. At the same time, Garline straightened against the firm body seated behind him and upon contact, went rigid.

'Grip properly with your knees. Relax. Let your waist flex like a snake, when you are in rhythm with your horse… tighter, that's it. Why are you so tense?…'

There was no answer, but with Larva so close? Garline was… uncomfortable. He could feel his friend's breath tickling his cheek, as he gently whispered instructions into Garline's ear. Garline could not resist gasping in delight, upon realising he could hold the reins by himself, and the mare was heeding every pull of the reins. So much so, he was unaware of those pale hands with fatally sharp red nails now resting on his waist.

Behind Garline, Larva inclined his head slightly, darkening blue eyes warmly taking in his friend's joy. Undefined fluttering in the pit of his stomach became defined, when Garline felt his gaze and turned slightly towards him, a child's satisfaction etched in a face alive with triumph. What was felt though, was not the feelings of a child. He wanted to kiss pale rose-tinted lips. Violently.

Garline was puzzled at the wolfish intensity in Larva's eyes. 'Is there something on my face?'

Larva opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and mouth, then shook his head. He shifted his hands to his side and giving a whistle, his stallion cantered up next to the grey mare. Grasping the saddle horns on his own steed, he swung back into the other saddle. Fighting back a heat surging from nowhere left him cold.

'First one back to the mansion wins!' With that, Garline set his steed into a gallop. The young noble did not see the yearning in Larva's eyes, or the melancholia on his friend's face.

Larva was not about to let Garline win so easily, neither would he ruin this newly-treasured friendship because of some strange urges he was having… Digging in his heels, the other spurred his horse in hot pursuit.

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Lord Pazusu was discussing peace policies with Lord Ariakas. Lord Kai was making Tauron laugh with his exaggerated imitations of certain local lords, especially when they had been arguing in Tauron's absence. In mid-sentence, Kai turned to watch the figure on horseback galloping up the hill to the mansion. Pride was evident in Tauron's eyes. His son had mastered horse riding in one morning.

Garline pulled up abruptly, at the sight of the two large cats sprawled out on the front lawns. His gaze fell on the small assembly basking in the sunlight and chatting. Lord Pazusu, his father, two lords he had glimpsed rarely and only at a distance, until now… The one listening to Lord Pazusu was clothed in a moss-green shirt and cream breeches, cream cloak emphasising- He was reminded of a contented lion, a human twin to the one stretched out on the cobblestones. Broad cheekbones added to a tan face, white gleaming teeth flashing in a smile, a trim moustache, quiet confidence and majestic aura giving the man larger stature than he had first perceived. This lord could have been a monarch with that Roman nose, and the way the sunlight set his golden mane afire… it matched amber eyes now fixed inquisitively on him.

'Are you better now? Your father said you were not well, during the voyage here.'

Garline did not know how to respond to this handsome stranger. He was unexpectedly saved from answering.

'Ready to be surprised further?' An unknown salvo from a different speaker was a soft, steely purr.

He looked back the way he had come from, the voice sounding as if it was almost right behind him. Stark contrast between two famous overlords kept his gaze arrested to the second speaker. This lord had a simple black leather cap on his head, accompanied by a flowing black cloak. Black clung to him like a second skin, shirt and breeches and leather belt with a bone dagger looped through it. Magic had obviously been used by a high-level spellcaster, or the shinma could not have been standing in that spot right now. Leaner, but in no-less-superb physique than the other. Waist-length black hair was bound with a leather thong, a grey osprey feather through it. Pale hands with sharp nails were surprisingly clear.

They tipped up the hat, and he was rewarded with the sight of silvery sparks intertwined with steadily burning green fire. Thick black lashes framed twin enigmas, and the sharp cheekbones in an oval face only made a scar running down the right cheek more prominent.

If these two infamous shinma warlords had been human, Garline would estimate them to be around thirty-five to thirty-eight. Although rather dissimilar, similar auras and lazily-confident poise emanated from these two. They had to be two of the most striking shinma he had ever seen in his life, as a young shinma. Was this how it felt, to be on the receiving end of a magnet? He could not look away from the gaze of-

Garline Heliopolis was at a loss for words, until he saw the smile on the dark lord turn sardonic, making him recollect himself.

'Son, you look much better.'

In response, Garline swung himself off the mare to face his father, noting that as he did so, the two lords were at the very least, half a head taller than him. 'I left Larva back there, oh here he comes!' His face was alight with pleasure as Larva reined the stallion to a halt next to the mare, and he friend gracefully leaped down.

Lord Pazusu introduced those who did not know one another. 'Lord Ariakas Kelman, Lord Kai Descantor. I present my godson Larva, and this is the son of Lord Tauron Heliopolis: Garline Heliopolis.'

Ariakas extended his hand to shake with the two youngsters, while Kai only made a slight bow with his hands behind his back. The two young men were clearly dazzled by the older shinma warlords, as Lord Pazusu continued. 'They will be staying for lunch. You won't be seeing much of them as they head the treaty talks along with Lord Tauron, not until the Queen's Ball anyway.'

Kai's eyes were fixed on Garline. He had dismissed Larva within seconds of their meeting.

'Your father speaks highly of your swordsmanship, which I am hard pressed to believe. What with wallowing in depression, I doubt you've had time to practice, much less sharpen your skills.' Ariakas and Lord Tauron managed to suppress flabbergasted expressions at the breach in noble etiquette by their friend, but Garline only smiled.

'If you are dying to cross swords with someone, I'll oblige you, at least so I don't get rusty.'

The dark lord was pleased to hear this and unfastening his cloak, tossed it to one side. Garline gracefully dropped his chocolate-brown cloak to one side in a heap, and summoned his sword between both palms, grasping the hilt firmly. 'Song of The Night, my faithful blade ever since I could fight.'

Kai studied the black longsword with its intricate golden hilt, loosening the top two buttons of his cambric shirt with one hand. He soundlessly summoned his weapon with the other hand, a katana with a purple guard and a black line winding down the silvery blade.

Garline studied the shinma renowned as the Serpent Sage, with no display of emotion. That subtle shift of air molecules, when a certain katana had been produced and enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, told him enough about the usually-suppressed power of its wielder. He had heard numerous stories about a certain warrior-mage in combat, although he had never met this shinma warlord while growing up. He had assumed most of the related stories were exaggerations or bawdy tales, told to amuse or frighten gullible listeners.

Where most swords hummed with some form of power demonstrating the prowess and traits and magic-mastery levels of the shinma owner, the aura around this gently-curved blade revealed nothing, as if the air around it was dead, drained of all vitality or completely robbed of expression. If he had not been keen on magic and had not reached his current level of spell-mastery, Kai Descantor might not have been noticed by him, where magic was concerned. Windmaster Ariakas Kelman could not completely hide his power, although the level achieved was well-concealed. The Serpent Sage was more powerful, being able to pass for an unassuming shinma with no talent. Encountering the latter would be fatal, under the wrong circumstances.

Not many shinma could summon a weapon of magic borne of their blood and power in maximum unison reaching a certain threshold, and to produce a weapon of such magic worth noting was not easy. He could not read anything from the katana about its summoner, which made this opponent unusually dangerous. Perhaps the stories about the Serpent Sage were true, a reincarnation of the god of war and death capable of traversing many worlds and dimensions.

One thing was certain: A wound from that silver blade would be crippling or fatal.

Why had neither of these two lords ever crossed the ocean, to the Eastern lands such as Japan, where conquering such countries must be easy for them, given the levels of power they possessed? The next words from his opponent broke Garline's musings.

'The Sycamore Blade… otherwise known as the Scythe- 'em-All blade. Never been defeated in actual combat.'

Larva's voice rang out. 'You must have crossed swords many times with Lord Ariakas Kelman for practice. What are the results?'

'He's the only one I have ever drawn with so many times, when sparring for fun. En garde!' The ring of steel against steel silenced any further verbal exchanges.