As soon as the door closed, Izumi jerked her arm from Takuya's grip.

"Okay, fire mage, just what is going on, and why do they need my rooms to do it?"

Takuya scowled at her on principle for snapping at him, then started to think. If I tell her their secret, am I betraying them, or helping them by explaining? Finally he decided on an answer that, if not entirely truthful, was certainly not an outright lie. "Their families have history together. Lady Tomoko knew their father about fifteen years ago."

Izumi seemed to consider something, then shook her head. "Oh well. Looks like all my good work has been undone by them. And I was so trying to help out, you know."

Takuya tugged her away from the door, and out of earshot of the room. "Maybe you should tell me what's been happening in the castle these last few weeks."

Izumi nodded and started walking. "Let's go to the gardens. We can talk without being overheard."

Takuya nodded, following her. "I guess you've heard of the offer the king made when I returned? Now that Goodwinson is gone, they need a court mage again. The king offered it to me because my magic is so different from the healers, and if we are entering the time foretold when humans gain magic someone is needed who comes from outside the healers and their influence."

"Looks like you're gaining status then," said Izumi, leading them outside. "A farmer's son being offered a position like that is most unusual. You may have a hard time with some of the more traditional nobility if you accept." She sat on a stone bench set within an arch covered in a flowering plant. "I believe that this is a time of change, and it will not be accepted graciously by many of the nobles."

Takuya sighed. "We should tell you everything soon. Much is going on."

Izumi nodded. "I am trying to find out what it is about Prince Joshua that makes Kouichi distrust him so by getting closer to his sister, Princess Kalinda. If I can find that 'artefact of power' Kouichi told us about, then maybe we can prove that he started the fire, and it wasn't some plot by my family." She looked unhappy. "I also have bad news. Prince Raoul is missing in the northern ice lands. No ransom demand has come, and the king fears that…"

"So that's why he seemed so old and tired," said Takuya, remembering the meeting with the king earlier that day. "Do we know who?"

Izumi shook her head. "All we know is that it was the Black Raiders, but we still don't know who sent them, or what it is they hope to achieve."

"Then maybe we should try to find out," said Takuya. "Damn it, things are happening too fast for me to keep up. I half sort one problem and another crops up!"

Izumi laughed. "It's not your place to shoulder the worlds problems, Takuya. You're just a boy. You've achieved so much already."

Takuya nodded hesitantly. "So it would seem…" He sighed. "Tonight, will you come to our chambers? I want to tell you, Junpei and Tomoki something important. You all seem to want to help."

"You mean I'm not already?" huffed Izumi in a friendly manner, putting her hands to her hips. "Takuya Kanbara, the only one not pulling his weight here is Junpei, not me."

Takuya raised his hands defensively between them. "That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is that there's a bigger picture that I think none of us are seeing. We need to share information."

Izumi seemed placated. "All right. I'll see you after dinner in the Great Hall. Tomoki and Junpei won't have any free time until after then anyway." She rose. "Then maybe you can tell me if Kouichi can see something on Prince Joshua."

...................................

Kouji sighed as he heard a set of footsteps he recognised creep across the floor towards him. Takuya never seemed to get the hint that as a human his attempts to sneak were rather poor at best. But he probably only wants to check up on me, cheer me up. He rubbed his arms gently. I really need some happiness right now. He felt Takuya close his arms about his shoulders in a hug. "Hello Takuya."

"Hey, how'd you know it was me?" grinned Takuya, squeezing gently. "Guess I really can't fool your ears, huh?" He moved to sit beside Kouji, and moved a hand to rest around Kouji's waist.

Kouji looked down at where Takuya's hand rested. "Are you sure you want to do that? Some one might see something more between us than we really want them to."

Takuya just shrugged. "You need cheering up, Kouji. I love you, and I'm not about to let other people's discomfort stop me from making you smile."

Kouji smiled and ducked his head slightly. "Thank you." He lent slightly into Takuya's offered arm. "I guess the gardens aren't so crowded at the moment that we can't be together like this."

Takuya smiled. "And if they stare, I'll just chase them away with this." He held a hand out. Come on, puppy. He smiled as small flames started to flicker about his hand.

Kouji watched them. "You've grown so much, I hardly recognise you sometimes. Before the fire here, you'd be too afraid to try something like that."

Takuya settled his magic back down into sleep, and the flames about his hand disappeared. "I can't be afraid all my life. My magic and I have come to an understanding of sorts, and I know it won't get away from me if I don't wish it." He held Kouji closer. "Do you want to talk about… her?"

Kouji sighed. "Don't know if I can even explain. All my life, whenever I did something badly, or wrong, I'd blame it on her influence. That some how she was reaching out from the afterlife to make my human side do these clumsy, stupid things, just to get me in trouble. I even tried to deny that I was half human for about a year. Said I was just going to be really tall, because I was growing so fast. In the end I had to accept what I was. I just didn't do it very gracefully." He tilted his head to look at Takuya. "I had all these associations about her. That she was trouble, and clumsy, and in a way, evil. Since I met you, a lot of what I think about humans has changed, but that always remained. My image of my mother as some sort of tormenting monster would not be changed. Until I met her." He looked down. "Now all I see is the sorrow of a woman who has lost her mate, and had strangers forced upon her as family. I see her in pain because of us. I never thought that this pain in my heart could travel both ways."

Takuya shifted round, and hugged Kouji gently. "It's okay, sometimes we don't think. That's what it means to be a human kid. You know her now; know that she's no monster. You can learn who she is, and she can learn about you, and together you can mourn as family, and support each other."

Kouji returned the hug tentatively, then stronger, hiding his face against Takuya's hair. "My world is slowly turning inside out, Takuya. I don't know where I stand any more."

Takuya paused, and then stroked Kouji's hair gently. Kouji stiffened at the touch, and so regretfully Takuya moved his hand away from Kouji's hair. "You stand by me, Kouji. You're my friend and partner, the one I love. Even if things get really crazy, I'll always be here for you, and so will Kouichi. I want you by my side in this. There's no one else I'd trust more, even if you aren't fully elven, or fully human. Surely you can learn to take the world as full of individuals, not entire groups."

"I'll try. Starting with Tomoko… Mother… She's not who I thought she was, and it will take me a while to get over that."

"No one is expecting you all to be okay with this straight away, Kouji, except maybe yourself." Takuya let Kouji go. "Do you feel better?"

Kouji nodded. "Yes. Thank you for caring. You always seem to be looking out for me."

"What are friends for?"

...........................................

The evening found the children sat in the common room of Takuya and the twins' quarters, all looking vaguely uncomfortable. At Takuya's request they had all come, but what exactly the others knew, none of them was sure about.

Takuya decided that the best way to go was to get the biggest shock over with quickly. "Um… I guess you all when to temple and heard the stories about the gods?" He looked around receiving nods from Tomoki and Junpei and a 'Who hasn't?' from Izumi. He cleared his throat. "Then I guess you've heard the story about Selk's last prophecy? That magic would come, heralded by a warrior for the gods? The Warrior of Flames?" He took a deep breath. "That's me. I'm the Warrior of Flames that the gods sent to unite two peoples to destroy the darkness."

Silence filled the room for a moment, before Junpei burst out laughing. "Even if you're not a demon, you sure have a high opinion of yourself, Takuya. Thinking yourself to be some warrior for the gods long foretold. This is not a place for fanciful ideas of purpose and certainly not from a farmer's son rather than a lord."

Takuya shook his head. "I know. It sounds impossible. I ignored it for a long time, the magic in me, and how it wasn't healers' magic. Then the Goddess came to me in a dream and told me. She showed me my home, and told me why I was born the way I am. The further I continue in this way, the more right it feels."

Tomoki looked at Takuya in awe. "You're a warrior?"

Takuya nodded.

Tomoki latched onto Takuya. "Then please, go save my brother. Someone nasty has him, and if you and your magic powers went to go save him…" He trailed off as Takuya patted his head.

"I will, Tomoki. When the king no longer has need of me for the peace treaty, I'll go searching for your brother."

Izumi frowned. "But you shouldn't be here. No treaty has been formed for the last hundred years. Others should have magic if it was the last treaty that formed one blood from two people. It can't be that it's taken the gods so long to find one who is worthy. King Elbert himself would surely be worthy, far more than some commoner… no offence Takuya."

"Hmph."

Kouichi hesitated before speaking. "It was not a treaty that your god spoke of. 'When two ancient foes become one blood'… Is that not so?" He looked at each person in turn. Only Kouji did not meet his gaze, but offered a small nod of agreement. "That," continued Kouichi, "happened eleven years ago. The most ancient foes are not human against human, earth against earth. It is the People of the Trees that are the ancient foe of the People of the Earth."

"I was right!" crowed Izumi, then slapped her hands to her mouth, dismayed at the un-lady-like display. She calmed herself before continuing. "You're Lady Tomoko's children, aren't you? Half elf, and half human? That's why you have black hair, when no other elf I've seen has, and why you're eleven years old, not twenty-three, like I first thought. It's why your magic isn't elven… it's what humans might gain one day."

"What…" spluttered Takuya, before replacing that thought with a better question. "How?"

Izumi sniffed haughtily, and flicked her hair. "I only play at being a brainless bimbo for the court. I'm not stupid. You telling me that their families had history just confirmed it."

Both Junpei and Tomoki stared at the twins silently.

Kouichi shifted uncomfortably. "We didn't tell you because we didn't want people to stare at us. And because, to our… to the elves, we don't have a human side, or at least, they don't recognise it."

Takuya sighed. "So that's why I think that I've got a destiny. It's not just some silly idea that I've gotten into my head for no reason, not delusion of grandeur." He closed his eyes. "I feel in my heart its true. I've spent months fighting the knowledge, making excuses. 'It's not me. I'm not good enough. The priest must have it wrong.' Now I know that it's time I started to trust myself, trust my heart. It's not led me wrong so far."

"Then your trip to the south is to Selk's temple?" asked Junpei. "To see if what you believe is true? While we here just wait for your triumphant return, to give you praise?"

Takuya shook his head. "Not at all. Anything you can do to protect the king is worthwhile. Keeping your ears open for news of what the raiders are doing." He looked nervous. "If they are expanding their range south, where my family is."

Izumi shrugged. "Well here, we're trying to prove what Joshua is up to. And the only way to do that is to catch him up to something. He's too careful to run into you again, when he knows that you can read his feelings, and can see if he's been near magic."

"That's a dangerous ploy." Everyone turned to look at Kouji as he spoke, and he kept his gaze at the ground. "Consider this, he's already tried to kill his brother, someone who must be as close to him as its possible to be. Killing someone he has no attachment to would mean nothing."

Izumi nodded slowly. "I know. If I get too close, and he realises, I could find myself in trouble."

"No," said Kouichi. "You could find yourself dead. He doesn't play around with people in his way."

Junpei shifted uncomfortably. "I've done some checking. Mage Goodwinson has disappeared. Last anyone heard from him, he was heading south as well, but he vanished without trace from the caravan he was travelling in. No one's heard of him since."

"That won't happen to me," breezed Izumi. "I know how to be careful."

Kouichi looked nervous. "Be very careful. You're a friend to all of us. We don't want you to get hurt."

Izumi smiled at him. "Don't worry. I know how to take care of myself, I won't get carried away."

Junpei looked at her. "See that you don't. Because Prince Joshua does know how to take care of himself. I don't want to see a beautiful, intelligent lady like you end up like Prince Raoul did."

"Prince Raoul isn't missing because of Prince Joshua," said Tomoki quietly. "He can't be. Because that would mean Yutaka is missing because of him too. And I can't hold a grudge against someone I may one day serve as a knight."

Takuya moved to sit beside Tomoki and put an arm around him. "If Prince Joshua is doing something that's bad for the kingdom, we have to stop him, because there are more people he's hurting than we'd hurt in stopping him. And I promise we'll get the Prince and your brother back, as soon as the king doesn't need us for talking with the elves."

Tomoki nodded. "Please do, Takuya. It'll take too long for me to become a knight to help, but if you're a warrior already, then you can help."

"I'll do what ever I can, Tomoki." Takuya looked up at the twins. "First stage to being a warrior, weapons. If we leave day after tomorrow, is that okay with you? Or do you want…"

Kouichi sighed. "Months wouldn't be long enough, Takuya… leave when you want, we'll follow. Our place is at your side."

Takuya shook his head. "This is important to you, I don't want to steal time you could be spending with your mother."

Kouji looked at Takuya. "We'll go. Like you said, this is about more people then just us. Just… give us one more day… then we'll go. We'll need space to think anyway."

Takuya nodded. "One day. And we'll make the journey as fast as we can. Then you can spend as long as you want together."