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The jester and the apex predator.

Tatsumi moved through the streets of one of the huge inner yards of the castle as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself. He had the hood of his brown coat over his head but he didn't want to run or jump around now. He needed to blend into the masses so he didn't dare to move any faster than a brisk walk.

He was heading over to the jaeger's quarters. The only person he really needed to avoid was Esdeath but he was a bit unsure of where she was at the moment. He knew that she had headed towards a meeting with the prime minister after locking him up but he had no idea of how long that meeting was gonna be. She had said that she would return to their chambers by dinner time but that didn't necessarily mean that she was gonna spend the entire day at the meeting. She might have had other plans for the day as well.

Not that it was that hard to notice her, when she was just walking around on official buisness. If you just payed mind to the way people were acting around you, then you could avoid her entirely if lucky. Since most people either were walking to look at her or trying to move away to avoid her. When she walked around in civilian areas it usually caused a small commotion like that, which one might get away in.

There was a risk that she would detect his presence even if she couldn't see him but as long as she thought that he was still locked up in her bed, she woudn't be looking for him. That would probably make it easier for Tatsumi. Even if he lacked Incursio for the moment.

That was also why he dared to venture directly towards the jaeger's quarters. Even if the probability that he would meet her increased more, the closer he got.

It was almost midday now. In best case scenario he had until dinner time before Esdeath would notice his escape. He wanted to be go to her himself before she started to catch up to him. He wanted it to seem like he had intended to go to her from the start. Not that it was his choice only after he started to notice that she might catch him. It needed to seem a proof of his loyalty to her. Not an act of submission after he had realized his defeat.

He needed Incursio and he needed to meet Wave as well. To convince him to be his alibi.

He reached the part of the palace he was heading for, forty minutes later. A military wing mainly dedicated to Esdeath's forces. He was a regular here so he didn't even need to identify himself to the guards. He simply removed his hood for a moment and they immediately recognized him. Letting him pass through without a single question. He smiled despite himself. Sometimes, it felt good that the imperial army that he had fought so hard now were forced to respect him.

He moved towards the jaeger's quarters. There was a lot commotion and movements in this part of the palace. The diffrent parts of the imperal army trying to cope with the loss of their archives in diffrent ways.

He was in a slightly calmer but still pretty occupied corridor when a voice called out to him from behind. He knew who that voice belonged to as soon as he heard it and immediately realized that he had forgot about one factor in all of this.

"Ahh, my favorite little assassin. How are you doing today?"

Tatsumi turned to see the ragged form of the general calmly walking towards him. His tired eyes filled with curiosity. "Or was it ex-assassin?"

"General Makeias!" Tatsumi saluted the man for is rank.

He had momentarily forgotten about the other people that had been sneaking around in the archives during his nightly visit. Had they been Makeias people as he had first suspected? And if that was the case, had they been able to notice him?

"How are you doing today?" Makeias said wih his usual smile." You seem a little bit.. tired."

He knows, Tatsumi thought. The question was how much he knew. Did he know that it had been him who set the building on fire?

"If you excuse me for saying so ,general, you yourself look like you haven't slept in days. As usual."

"Ohh, I know why my body is constantly strained. It is your reason that I'm interested in."

Tatsumi shrugged. "It's been a troublesome day,general. That's all. Thanks for asking."

Makeias gaze traveled down tatsumi's body. "I can't help but notice that you aren't carrying your teigu with you either."

"Not every teigu wielder carries their weapon with them all the time."

"True enough. But I don't see why you wouldn't carry Incursio around. Especially considering your position."

Tatsumi shrugged again."I am actually on my way to pick it up from the jaeger's quarters. What about you, general? Where are you heading?" he asked. His thoughts were moving rapidly in his head. Trying to figure out a way to verify how much the other man knew.

"I am actually on my way to fight your girlfriend. In a small sparring match."

Tatsumi smiled bitterly at the general."My girlfriend died a long time ago."

To Tatsumi, to be girlfriend and boyfriend required that you had some sort of balance in the relationship. Some sort of trust. If the morning had been any proof then Esdeath certainly didn't trust him.

He also knew that Esdeath didn't care much for such titles either. To her their relationship was something more animalistic and instinctive. He was her partner, her mate, her lover. Their relationship was not grounded in something as weak and uncertain as her hoping or trying to make him like her. She would shower him with affection and hope to get some back but if that didn't work, then it didn't change the basics of the situation. She had claimed him as her male and now he belonged to her. Anyone who tried to change that would regret it. Even Tatsumi himself.

Makeias gave him a questioning look.

"But you mean that you are going to fight my lover?"

"Yeeeaaah..." Makeias said slowly while studying Tatsumi's face. Trying to determine what the younger man meant with that distinction.

"I thought I told you that trying to defy Esdeath would only lead you to misery, sir." Tatsumi said while raising an eyebrow at the general.

"Don't you remember what I said about the things that kills us?" Makeias asked.

"I refuse to believe that you are the type of battle fanatic that lets the search for thrills dictate their decisions."

Makeias smile grew a bit wider."Your assumption is correct. But I have my own reasons. I do ,howerver ,get the feeling that I am about to face just that kind of fanatic. Which makes her actions rather easy to predict."

"Be careful, general. If you mistake Esdeath for being a simple minded creature, then it will come back to haunt you. Her mind is far from dull."

"I know." Makeias sighed. "My life would be far easier if she was nothing more than a violent brute."

Now it was Tatsumi's turn to try and decipher what the other man was insinuating.

"Either way, I would like to talk to you. About plans and flames. Seek me up when my little sparring match with you lover is over."

"Of course." Tatsumi answered. He relished the chance to talk Makeias without anyone around. Especially if he had Incursio with him. "I am a bit busy today though but i will seek you out as soon as I get some time over."

"Good. You don't want to delay our meeting for too long though, Tatsumi. Believe me." He patted the shorter man on the shoulder and walked of . Disappearing around a corner.

Tatsumi immediately started walking towards the jaeger's quarters again. Thinking about the situation. The good part was that it seemed that he still had some time now. Since Esdeath was heading to a sparring match with Makeias after her meeting. And it seemed like he could at least prioritize the silencing of the anonymous source for now. He would have to figure out how to deal with the genral later.

Why he had been in the barracks belonging to Esdeaths forces in the first place, though?

Half an hour later he had met Wave in his own room inside the jaeger's quarters. It was a small room without any windows but it was well furnished and tidy. A bit nicer than what a normal officer of the empire would recieve during duty.

Wave had been glad to see Tatsumi at first. Believing that this meant that he and Esdeath had worked things out. That enthusiasm quickly faded though. After five minutes, Tatsumi had explained the situation and what he wanted Wave to do. Omitting what he was actually buying time to get done.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Wave whispered angrily. Suddenly trying to keep quiet even though they were the only ones in his room and the door was locked."You are well aware of how Esdeath handles disobedience."

"She ain't gonna be that hard on you,Wave. She actually thinks you are one of her better subordinates." Tatsumi whispered back. Uncertain of why they were keeping their voices so low.

"Yeah, but I am still her subordinate, not her partner,Tatsumi. I know that you could get away with just some smaller punishment for defying her. If anyone else of her subordinates disobeyed her orders she would make an example out of them. You know that there is no one she is harder on than traitors and deserters."

"Then simply say that I stole Incursio when you wasn't looking."

"Didn't you hear what she said. She even warned me for what would happen if I lost Incursio. She warned me. She almost never give warnings like that." Wave said. His whispering frantic and fearful.

Tatsumi could understand Wave's fear but he needed his teigu."I honestly don't believe she will be that hard on you if she believes that you have been doing your best." he whispered and scratched the back of his head. "But fine. How about this, you tell here that I lied to you and said that she sent me to get it since she no longer thought I killed Bellany."

"I don't know." Wave said. Still unsure. "She will already be angry that you have escaped."

Tatsumi decided that having Wave be his alibi as well would be too much to ask of him. He focused on getting back Incursio.

"After I leave with Incursio, you can go and tell her that you gave it to me. Tell her that you went to her just to make sure you did the right thing. And when it becomes apparent that she doesn't think that you did, then you can tell her where I have gone. Okay?"

If he could send Esdeath on a wild-goose chase out in the slums of the capital he would have more time to find the anonymous source.

Wave still seemed doubtful. Looking at Tatsumi with a concerned look.

"And you can tell her that I didn't want you to tell her where I was going. That ought to earn you some points. Don't you think?"

He put a hand on Wave's shoulder. "I need time to go and prove my innocence, Wave."

Wave sighed."Fine. I will do this favor for you. But I just know that this gonna come back and bite me."

He went over to a big cupboard that was standing on their right side and brought forth a key from one of his pockets. He unlocked it and lifted out Incursio from it. He threw the teigu back to Tatsumi who catched it with one hand.

"If this ends up with her mutilating or killing me then I will be blaming you for it." he said. Casting Tatsumi a sullen look.

Tatsumi looked at him for some moments. He was actually a little bit afraid of something like that happening to Wave. Not that he thought it would but he was still worried.

"Do you have any paper and ink around here Wave?"

"Yeah sure, why?"

"I will write a letter to her that you can use if the situation gets too bad."

Makeias flew backwards through the air. He stayed about two meter above the ground for almost four seconds before his upper back hit the arena floor. The force of the momentum made him topple over in an involunarily backflip-like movement. Landing on his feet.

As soon as both his feets were on the ground he crouched down slightly as his body slowly came to a halt. After two meters he had finally stopped entirely. He straightened up.

The roar from the crowds were deafining as they cheered for Esdeath's succesfull hit. The first of the match.

When the great general had heard about the match he had immediately ordered them both that they would hold their match in a properly isolated arena in the outskirts of the capital.

Six diffrent teigu wielders were standing around the outline of the arena floor and two regiments of the imperial guard were circulating the perimeter. The generals had both promised to not use their teigus in order to minimize the collateral damage. Both their teigu's were ,however, fused to their bodies so they could not disarm themselves. And the great general did not trust the other generals to not lose their cool once battle was joined.

Makeias wielded a long training staff that he used as a substitute for the long bladed halberd that was his usual weapon. Esdeath carried a slightly smaller training staff but she used it as if it were an insanely long sword. Wielding it with one hand as she usually did with her rapier.

Makeias looked up at huge crowds of people that had gathered in the arena's spectator gallery. The vast majority were cheering for Esdeath. Waving flags with her clan's sign on and roaring in encouragement whenever they thought she got the upper hand.

"You know," he called out, "this was not what I imagined when you said "a small sparring match"."

"I didn't invite them, if that is what you mean." Esdeath said with a smile. Looking both happy,calm and sinister at the same time. Slowly walking towards him.

"You seem to be the crowd favorite though."

"Everyone likes a winner."

"I think it has more to do with your looks to be honest."

She simply smiled at him in response.

Makeias took a deep breath. Assessing the damage. Three of his lower ribs had been broken but that seemed to be it. That was not too bad. This sort of damage wouldn't even slow him down.

He had been lucky though. If she had hit him the throat or face with the same attack the situation would have been much worse.

They had been slowly testing each others abilities for almost two minutes when he had chosen to take a risk. He knew that she had an extremly strong body. He had seen her mop the floor with all who dared to challenge her in any form of physical race or match during her first year in the military. But it was easy to see that her legs were the stronger part of her body. So if he could block her weapon and avoid her leg then he would be in the clear.

Or so he thought. When he had put his theory to the test it had all worked out as he wanted during the first moments of it. He had waited for her next attack and then blocked her training staff. Evaded the obvious follow-up kick and then he had gone in for a counter attack. Reaching out with his arm towards her throat. Thinking that the mayor threaths were avoided.

Ony to feel her fist connect with the lower part of his chest with a force stronger than what he himself could muster with his arms. Sending him flying through the air. He had misjudged the strenght in her slender arms. And it had cost him three ribs.

He took a deep breath and started to walk towards her again. Holding his staff horizontally behind his back.

"Have i misjudged you since the very beginning or have your body gotten even stronger during these last two years?"

She shrugged. "I guess it have. I am always trying to find ways to get better at fighting. My body has simply adapted to my will. That and the fact that it is constantly trained during battle."

Makeias smiled. "Training in real life battle,eh?! I can relate. Way too often that is the only type of training our ground troops get."

"It is a good way to cull away those that can't handle themselves." Esdeath said. Keeping her calm smile.

Makeias smile faded a little bit. The distance between them were growing very short now.

"Your fighting style is self thought isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded at him.

"Thought as much. That explains why I don't reco-"

He interrupted himself in the middle of his sentence. Launching himself forward in an attempt to catch her off guard. Reaching out with an arm toward her face. Bringing his staff around to block her when she tried to bring her own weapon up to smash him away. Just as his finger were about to connect with her face, she grabbed him around the wrist with her free hand.

She drew his body past her side and started to lift her leg to kick him while he was flying past her. Makeias did however notice this and brought the end of his staff down into the ground. Pushing himself higher up into the air before her kick could hit him. The push made his body spin around a couple of times before he landed on his feet. Directly going into a crouching position. The entire attack was over in the span of a second.

He had landed about a meter and a half away from her. They were both well within range of each others weapons. Both stayed entirely still. Watching each other,waiting for the other one to make a move. Due to the results of the last attack, Esdeath now had her side turned towards him. Her training weapon was in the hand at the other side of her body. It made all the diffrence in the world right now.

Those who were not used to observe fighting on this level didn't understand why both generals suddenly weren't moving a muscle, after those lightning fast movements just a moment ago.

But the teigu user who watched knew that this could be the conclusive moment. As luck would have it, Makeias had landed on Esdeaths more defenseless side. It was as good of an opening he could get and a warrior of general level could cause some serious damage if given a free hit.

The next move could be the last and it would all come down to speed.

"I should have guessed that you were the kind of warrior to use such cheap tricks." Esdeath said. Referring to how he had used her courtesy against her when he used a conversation to catch her slightly unaware.

"Esdeath, we have both been on the battlefield long enough to know that there are only two types of warriors. Those who survive.."" Makeias smiled a bitter smile, "..and those who don't."

Esdeath looked at him for a moment. Then she let her more bestial smile spread across her face. Baring her teeth at him. "Well said."

She started to move a step back but Makeias was ready. Immediately launching towards her. Bringing his staff around in a long arc so that she wouldn't get away. But the moment he launched himself forwards she changed direction. Kicking off the ground so that she sent herself flying towards him. She had no chance to bring around her weapon in time but neither did he, now that he had commited his arm to a longer swing. He suddenly remembered how much stronger she was than him.

Feint!, was the only thing he had time to think before she smashed into him with her elbow. He had brought his own arm up to block it and reduce the damage but the hit still lifted him off his feet. Sending him flying backwards once again.

But this time she followed him.

She jumped straight forward. Intending to attack him as soon as he landed if not before that. When Makeias saw that she was getting close he brought his staff down towards the ground in order to change the direction of his momentum once again. But this time Esdeath was ready for the trick and swatted away his staff when it got close to the ground. This did however put her in a position where he could easily direct a strong kick towards the side of her head. Which she easily blocked with an arm but the kick then served the same purpose as the staff would have done. Sending them both flying in diffrent direction. Both landed comfortably on their feet. Almost ten meters from each other.

For the exception of the three broken ribs, they were back at square one.

Makeias straightened a bit as Esdeath started walking towards him again. He didn't like his chances of winning this match. It had become clear to him that ,while he was a head taller than Esdeath, she was much stronger than him. Their speeds were a bit more evenly matched but she had the edge on him there as well.

He was used to facing off against opponents who were more proficient in battle than himself. His entire military career was based upon him defeating warriors superior to him. Using his wits and tricks to gain the upper hand. But this time would be tougher. Esdeath had superb instincts and they had no other tools than their training staffs. It was hard to gain the upper hand through tricks and wits when the scenario was so basic. If he could have used his teigu openly it would have been a diffrent story.

No, he would most likely not be able to win this match, Makeias concluded.

But that had never been his main purpose for accepting her challenge. This match could mean a lot more than a simple sparring match between two generals if he managed to do what he had come here to do.

If he could manage to touch her skin directly then he could infect her with his teigu. Even if it was only the slightest touch he would still be able to put a small infection into her. She would most likely notice that something was going on if he did but that didn't matter. She wouldn't be able to tell what he was doing specifically. She wouldn't be able to tell what he was going to hide in her body.

Even with her monstrous physique, his teigu would at least be able to slow her down a little when he choose to activate what he was gonna put inside of her. That could literally change the fate of the empire if he used it at the right time in the future.

He just needed to touch her skin for some moments. Just a second or two. Just a slight touch. And then the empire would be his.

"You have been silent for a while, pillager." Esdeath said as she got closer to him."I hope you are not breaking down already. We have barely started."

Makeias smiled his usual sly smile."How would you break something that was never whole?" he asked and dashed towards her.

Kurome watched how the two generals jumped around each other from the sideline. She had been summoned as one of the teigu users that were stationed to watch over the duel in case something went wrong or out of control. While the crowd that had gathered was roaring and cheering in amazement, she could easily tell that both the generals were only testing the waters. Poking at each others defenses and abilities. None of them seemed to be willing to commit to anything yet. With the exception of the hit Makeias had received in his chest.

She had hoped that Wave would have been here as well but the young man was nowhere to be seen.

Now she had to deal with the advances from some of the other teigu users on her own. During this last year, Kurome had noticed that some of the men she worked with had started to look at her in a diffrent way. Some had even tried to flirt with her. Most of them stayed away when Wave was around though. She missed the young man which she had come to regard as her closest ally in the capital.

Ten minutes later, Makeias was panting heavily. He had to stay at the top of his game at all time. Otherwise Esdeath would capitalise on his momentary relapse. He was starting to realize just how big the gap in between them were. At least when it concerned physical strength. He had not been able to even grace her skin.

"Are you sure that damn teigu of yours haven't turned you into a demon?" he called out to her as she walked towards him. "Because you sure as hell doesn't seem to be human."

"Can't say that I care." Esdeath said with a smile. Holding her cap in place with a hand."You yourself seem to have quite the control of your own body. I felt your ribs break under my hand, yet you are still able to put pressure on your chest when you jump around."

He smiled and shrugged.

"By the way, pillager. I can't help but notice that you have been trying to touch my skin for a while now. I thought we agreed upon not using our teigus." she said as she steadily approached him. Keeping the cold smile.

"Believe me, Esdeath. You would know if I activated my teigu." he lied. He was certain that there were very few in the capital that actually knew about his teigu's abilities.

"Why then?"

"Well, what can I say.. You are a gorgeous woman. Can't blame a man for wanting to touch your beautiful skin."

Her smile grew wider. Not believing him for a second."Then lower your weapon and stay still. I will let you feel the skin of my knuckles against your face as many times as you like."

"Thanks for the offer but I am not that desperate yet.", he said with a smile. She jumped at him and they once again started to trade blows with each other.

Not much more for this then, Makeias thought as he jumped up a couple of meters into the air in order to avoid one of Esdeath's swings. If she was aware that he was trying to touch her then he was probably not gonna be able to do so. Not without risking taking some serious damage. Which he was he not willing to do when the outcome was so uncertain.

"Let's talk a little bit about your relationship with my partner, pillager." Esdeath said as she striked her training staff against his with both her hands. Forcing the other general back with her assault.

"Hmm?" Makeias gave her a questioning look before he swinged his own staff into her blocking one. He was unsure of how much Tatsumi had told her about their earlier meeting.

"You have been trading knowing glances with each other everytime you are in the same room. Why?" she said calmly.

"Sorry to tell you this ,Esdeath, but sometimes boys can be intrested in each other as well. Sorry if I have stolen your lovers intrest from you." He said as he ducked one of her swings.

Esdeath did not appreciate the joke. "You will stay away from Tatsumi. He belongs to me." She put further emphazises on her statement by striking at his staff with all her strength. Making Makeias stumble backwards.

"You might want to talk to him about that. When I met him earlier today he seemed to be happy with our relation."

Esdeath momentarily lowered her weapon. "You met him today?" she asked. Sounding suprised.

"Yeah. I met him when he was walking past one of your barracks. Right before I came over here."

Esdeath's eyes widened slightly."This not one of your jokes, is it?" She said in a hard voice.

"Is my humor really that bad? There was nothing funny about my last statement."

Esdeath looked at him for a moment and then decided that he was telling the truth.

"I had intended to play around with you for a much longer time but now it seems like my duties once again spoils my fun." she said.

"Do explain." Makeias said. Smiling.

"It's nothing that you need to know." She said in a grim voice. "General Makeias." she exclaimed loudly. "If you admit your defeat right here and now, then I will let you walk away with just this. You should considered yourself lucky."

Makeias thought for a moment. He had already given up on trying to get a part of his teigu inside of her in this duel. It was a pity but it was simply not possible now that she knew that he was up to something. So this was probably for the better. He had an small urge to keep Esdeath occupied for a little while. Since it seemed like she really needed to go and do something. But since he didn't know what he would be delaying it was no point to it.

He answered her in an equally loud voice. "I have enjoyed our little sparring match. It is a pity that you have to leave already. I accept my defeat." He said with a mocking smile. Bowing down in a ridiculing motion.

The gesture true intent was not lost on Esdeath but she let it slide. For now. Her duties took precedence over her own fun. She had planned to make the man properly submit to her, to make him hurt a lot. But now there was not much to do about it.

She turned around and walked off at a fast pace. A feeling she wasn't so used to feeling had started to build in her chest, worry.

The crowd was completly silent as they watched the very sudden, and to them, unsatisfying conclusion to the match. No one knew why Esdeath had chosen to leave already. The teigu users sighed a collective breath of relief as it became clear that the match was over. Makeias remained standing in place after he had straightened up. Watching how his opponent left.

Esdeath walked out of the arena. Heading straight for her chambers.

Tatsumi walked into the main post office of the military. The military postal system and message delivery had an entire wing of the palace dedicated to it. It was one of the biggest institutions in the capital that were only focused on administrative work. The person he was searching for was supposed to be here somewhere.

After he had gotten the teigu from Wave he had spent the day consulting some of his informants and allies. Finding the anonymous source had turned out to be harder than he had expected. No one seemed to know what had happened to Bellany. She had been seen leaving the military district the archives were located in just as the fire started to envelope the entire archive. Heading for the palace. But what had happened after that was a mystery.

Which didn't make the situation any easier since Tatsumi had no idea if she would suddenly turn up from nowhere with her accusations.

It had also been hard to even deduce who the anonymous informant might be. Bellany had a rather large network of fellow soldiers she worked with. It could pretty much have been any one of them. But he knew that whoever they were, they had probably been following him during the night, along with Bellany. So his best guess were that the anonymous source was one of the soldiers she had last been seen with.

And it seemed that she had been in this part of the palace during midnight ,yesterday ,when a soldier came running and fetched her.

He had gotten the name of the man that was the last person she was seen talking to before her soldiers came and got her. Which by coincidence was a man that he had buisness with outside of this situation.

The institution were pretty much in chaos. Losing the archives had been even harder on this organization than any other part of the military. Since all registers, addresses and troop positionings were lost. He walked up to the reception but it took almost twenty minutes before anyone came to help him.

After showing his jaeger insignia and talking to the personnel he managed to figure out where the person he was searching for was. He had apparently just returned from delivering messages for some ministers.

He was given direction of where to find him and walked away.

He found the man he was searching for sitting in what seemed to be a dining hall. He was sitting among friends at a table in the middle of the crowded hall. Even though it was the first time Tatsumi saw him, it was easy to see who he was since he was the only one in the room who fit the description he had been given.

He walked up to him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder."Military courier Isamu? Could I have a minute."

"Can't this wait? I'm having my break right now." he said and turned around.

The young man was rather tall. Even when he was sitting, Tatsumi could tell that he probably was two heads taller than him. He was very well trained and had alot of messy blonde hair falling down on his shoulders.

"Sorry. Jaeger buisness. Your lunch will have to wait." the entire table grew quiet at those words.

Only now did Isamu realize who he probably was talking to.

"Tatsumi, I would presume." he said and rose up from his seat.

Tatsumi nodded to him.

"Have you come here to try and intimidate me, jaeger?" he said in a rather unfriendly tone.

"I told you,didn't I? This is jaeger work. Come with me for a moment." Tatsumi said in a tired voice. He could already tell that this would be troublesome.

"Just saying that this is related to the jaegers doesn't really answer my question." the other man said and crossed his arms over his chest.

He got some encouraging mumbling from his friends who were sitting at the table. A big part of the military didn't like the jaegers. Partly because of the complete authority they had over most other parts of the military. They only had to answer to the top of the military. But mainly it was because of the teigus that all the members possessed. Most people regarded teigus as strange, unnatural and to some extent evil in their nature.

Tatsumi couldn't blame them. Even if it was a bit satisfying to see how the taller boys eyes were constantly slipping down to Incursio, which was strapped across Tatsumi's lower back.

He shighed."This is a murder investigation, Courier. Are you sure that you want to make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Isamu got a suprised look on his face."Who died?"

"Bellany. Main administrator over Esdeath's collected legions" He said and studied the other boys face."I have been told that you knew each other."

Isamu's blue eyes widened slightly."Yeah, we did. I talked with her yesterday."

"Come with me for a moment, I have some questions for you." Tatsumi said and gestured towards the door. Isamu hesitated for some moments but then nodded and walked out of the dining hall with Tatsumi.

Wave could feel how the sweat was making his shirt stick unto his back. He was standing outside of Esdeath's chambers. He hadn't dared to knock yet. He had given Tatsumi an hour before he had gone searching for Esdeath. After asking around a bit he learned that she had been seen quickly walking back towards her chambers after her sparring match with general Makeias.

He sighed deeply. His kindness had gotten the better of him again. He gathered his resolve and raised his hand.

He managed to knock two times on the doors before he heard a scream from inside the chambers. A shrill and feminine one. It lasted for less than two seconds before it fell silent so abruptly that it made the hair on his arms rise.

"General Esdeath" he called out. He waited for three seconds before he opened up one of the unlocked doors and ran into the room. He quickly looked around. He had never been inside her personal chambers before so he had no idea of where each one of the doors lead. But only one pair of doors were wide open and it was in the direction of the scream he had heard. He rushed through them and then through yet another room. Running in the general direction of the cry he had heard.

After some seconds he came into what looked like a bedroom. He halted himself in the doorway.

Esdeath was sitting on her knees in the middle of a huge bed on the other side of the room with her side to him. Her long hair falling down on the bed all around her. A chain and some handcuffs were laying in front of her. She didn't even give him a glance as he took a step into the room. She had a solemn expression on her face. She actually looked kind of sad. She was staring at a belt she was holding in in one of her hands.

"Why must you do these things to me, Tatsumi?" she silently said and opened her hand slightly. Letting the belt slip out of her hand and down on the bed. Wave could see that it had been cut open.

He took one more step into the room and was about to ask her if the scream had been hers. But when he took that step the origin of that scream came into his field of vision. He drew a sharp breath.

On the wall to the left of the doors he had entered through, a servant was nailed to the wall. A maid. She had an icecicle bigger than a baseball bat stuck into her mouth, through her head and into the wall behind her. Pinning the dead body to the wall. The huge piece of ice had been far too big for the little girl's mouth. Her jaws has dislodged from her skull, opening her mouth up to an horrifying width for her otherwise small head. Her cheeks had been torn open by the widening of her jaw. Revealing that most of her teeths had been smashed to splinters as well. A pool of blood was already forming around her dangling feet.

Wave clenched his teeth and forced down his urge to walk out of the room. Damn you, Tatsumi. He looked away from the body and took another step towards Esdeath.

Esdeath still didn't look at him. She was slightly hunched forward. Looking at the metal bindings lying in front of her. "Is there no binding I can put on you that will make you stay where I want you?"

"Commander?" he tried. Speaking so silent that it almost was a whisper.

She sighed."What do you want,Wave?" she said with an empty voice. Not looking at him.

"What happened ?" he asked.

"Tatsumi has run away from me. Again. Someone set him free." she said, her voice growing a bit harder. " Most likely one of the attendants."

"Was it the girl who is on the wall?"

"I don't know." she said ni an slightly irritated voice. "But it doesn't matter, there is about fifteen people that have free entrance into my chambers. They will all die for this. Unless one of them can provide proof that he or she was not involved in this."

"Esdeath." Wave said a bit louder. She looked at him for the first time since he had entered the room and he immediately remembered his position and manners."Excuse me for stepping a bit out of line general, but ain't that a bit extreme?"

"It's more than just them freeing Tatsumi, Wave. They are allowed to walk around freely in these chambers where I keep everything from state secrets to occasional teigus. They are trusted to not touch or meddle with anything that is not a part of their job. Now one of them has betrayed that trust. It is in these types of scenarios were you should statuate an example and not take any risks." she said. Sounding like she was casually teaching him a normal lesson in leadership.

She crawled out of the bed and stood up. "And the first job the new staff will have will be to gather and dispose of the remains of their predecessors. Should be a good lesson for them."

She started to walk over to one of the drawers in the room."Though I will not deny that the fact that one of them has momentarily bereft me of my mate will not be easing their passing." she said. Anger creeping into her cold expression.

She opened the drawer where Tatsumi kept his civilian clothes and started to look through them. Trying to deduce which ones were missing.

Wave decided that the longer he delayed telling her, the worse this would probably get.

"Commander." he said and walked up to her. Stopping when he was just a couple of steps in front of her."I met Tatsumi an hour ago."

Her eyes were on him immediately."Where?"

"The jaegers quarters, he came to meet me." he said. Steadily meeting her gaze.

Esdeath turned and took a step towards him. Now standing less than a meter away from him.

"And you gave him Incursio,didn't you?" ,her tone was calm and ice-cold. Holding promises of horrible things to come.

"He said that you two had resolved the problem and that you were going to let him walk around as he pleased again." he quickly said."He said that it was you who had sent him to retrieve it."

Wave had lied to his commander before but it still left him with a bitter aftertaste. But considering his alternatives, it was an easy choice.

"And you thought nothing more about it." she said in the same cold and ominous voice.

"No, commander. I didn't. I'm very sorry." he quickly bowed down as deeply as he could without his head bumping into her.

One of her hands came down and grabbed his chin. Her long and slender fingers grabbing an iron grip around his jaw. She tilted his head upwards so that she could look down on his face.

"Do you have any more excuses that you wish to say?"

Wave felt how fear started build up inside of him. It didn't seem like he had managed to avoid the punishment.

"I do, I do!" he said loudly."Or rather, I mean- not an excuse, I don't want to excuse my- I know that I made a mistake- I just thought" he started to franically stutter.

Esdeat slapped him across the face with the back of the hand that wasn't holding his jaw. The momentary pain and sharp sound stopped Wave's frantic talking.

"Calm down,Wave." Esdeath said in the same cold voice. Still keeping his head in an iron hold at about the same height as her chest. "Whatever fate awaits you won't get any better by you panicking."

Wave looked up at her for a moment and then took a deep breath. Strangly enough, the lingering pain on the side of his face actually made him a little bit calmer.

"I realize that I once again have made a grave mistake while in your service. However, I don't think the fallout of this mistake need to be that bad."

"Explain." Esdeath said. Giving him a chance to redeem himself.

"Tatsumi told me where he was going. He is heading out into the slums of the city. He said that he was gonna find a way to prove his innocence and then return to you."

"How?" A small tone of genuine curiosity sneaked it's way into her voice.

"I don't know. He said that he didn't want you to know where he was going. He told me to not tell you."

"And that didn't make you suspect anything?" she asked.

"No. Well, yes but he told me that you had chosen to trust him." Wave lied. "He asked me to give you this letter."

Coming to the end of his rope, Wave felt that it was time to use the sealed letter that Tatsumi had written for him. He reached down into his pocket and fished up the folded piece of paper and gave it to her.

She took it with her free hand opened the seal with a finger and read through the short message written on the paper in a sloppy handwriting that she would recognize anywhere. Still holding Wave's head in her other hand.

"I will return to you later tonight.

Don't blame Wave. I escaped you and I fooled him.

If you deform or kill him I will never forgive you."

She immediately turned her face to Wave again.

"Do you think that I am gonna kill you,Wave?" she asked with an empty voice.

His eyes widened slightly. "N-no.. of course not... are you?"

"Of course not." she echoed. "Don't be silly."

She did not like the last sentence in the message though. She didn't like that he was trying to coerce her into not doing something. A part of her almost wanted to smash Wave's face in just to show Tatsumi that he couldn't boss her around. Not that she would ever hurt one of her subordinates to satisfy such a selfish wish. Least of all Wave, who she considered to be one of her best. She had grown quite fond of the blue haired boy during the last years.

"I was considering punishing you for letting Incursio escape your grasp but the more I think about it the more unreasonable that seems. Considering this would never have happened if I didn't fail to restrain Tatsumi in the first place." She let go of his chin.

He straightened and rubbed his chin with one of his hands. "This is why I still respect you so much, Commander!" Wave said with a smile. Trying his best to ignore that there was a young girl hanging dead from the wall behind him. "And I really am sorry for letting Incursio escape me."

"It's okay Wave, Incursio belongs with Tatsumi. Just as he belongs with me. It was more the fact that you failed to do as I bid you than the fact that Incursio now is in Tatsumi's hands that annoyed me." She turned around to the drawer again. Starting to once again rummage through Tatsumi's clothes. "I actually didn't like it when the great general demanded that Tatsumi would not be allowed to have his teigu when he joined the jaegers again."

She brought one of Tatsumi's shirts up to her face and sniffed it. Trying to determine if it had been used. "Incursio is part of his strength and I want him to be as strong as he can possibly be."

"Yet the great general managed to get the support of the imperial court in that matter." Wave said. Remembering how strange those first months with Tatsumi had been.

"It was a reasonable request." Esdeath admitted. "And I will take whatever I can get when it comes to Tatsumi. Even if it just a little bit of what he could be."

"But in the end you managed to get Incursio back." Wave said with a smile.

"It took some negotiations. I had to do some small deals and call in some favours. But of course I got around it in the end. To Budo's dismay." Esdeath smiled a triumphant smile at the memory.

She closed the drawer. She had managed to figure out that Tatsumi was wearing his brown coat but that was it.

"You see Wave, when it comes to Tatsumi, my needs and desires only grow stronger and more aggressive if I am denied them." She walked over to her weapon, which was resting against the bedframe.

"It doesn't matter if it is the great general not letting me have his full strength or Tatsumi trying to keep his body away from me. If they deny me in this matter, then they challenge me. And I always crush my oppositions. One way or another."

She grabbed her weapon and started walking towards the door.

"I will not let Tatsumi run around on his own. I will show him that his freedom belongs to me as well."

She gestured for Wave to follow her. "Come Wave. You will help me find him. Before he does something stupid."

"Yes,general." he replied with gusto. He started to walk after her. He was however slowed down for some seconds when a very daring painting on one of the walls momentarily caught his attention. Turning his cheeks red.

Author's note:

So yeah, as mentioned, I wrote about 80% of this chapter without saving and then lost everything due to temporarily losing my internet connection. That is why this has been delayed by four days. Sorry about that.

A bit of transistional chapter. Building up for what's to come.

I am a bit unsatisfied with my current release schedule. I want these chapter to be released towards the end of the week. Not in the beginning of it. I will correct this by making the next chapter a little bit smaller so that I can get it done faster. So there will be two new chapters this week.

As always, thanks a lot for reading. The fact that you people read and follows this tory is the bigger part of why it is continuing. At least at this pace.

Have a great day and take care of each other.