A/N: Sorry that I didn't reply to some of your reviews.
To my anons: There were a lot of you. Thanks so much for reviewing.
Part 2 Chapter 16
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Through stained glass windows shone only the night. The air inside the room was hot and heavy. Upon the altar, two bodies were pressed together. Dim, flickering light from the candles fell upon them, making their skin glow a soft orange. There was a rustle of fabric, a small moan, as the lovers continued their ministrations. Their bodies trembled with need as they sought each other out through the darkness, their hands grappling at whatever was in reach. The process was frantic, yet they were in no hurry. There was kissing and thrusting, grinding and groping, all things that constituted a union between two lovers. There was suddenly a knock on the heavy wooden door. Then, through the panting, came a voice raspy with lust.
"Wolfram."
"Mmmm."
"There is something wrong with this, wouldn't you agree?" The knock came again. There was a sigh.
"We happen to be on the altar?"
"You know very well what I'm talking about. We are leaders. Physically and spiritually we are icons, and it just so happens that I, the Great Sage, and you, the Holy Vessel are engaging in unprincipled behavior in a holy sanctuary."
"I don't want to hear about this while you are between my legs," the Vessel said, pulling the Sage down for another kiss. The knock was heard again, louder this time. Wolfram disentangled himself angrily. "Ah fuck it! Put some damn clothes on! I'll deal with this."
Wolfram threw his robes loosely around his shoulders and scurried to the door in his bare feet. He cracked the door open enough to show his bare thigh and flushed face. On the other side stood a man in a cloak with a sheet of paper in his hands. Upon seeing Wolfram he began to fidget uncomfortably.
"Are you going to stand there all night, Libra, or are you going to tell me what you've found," Wolfram snapped, "The Great Sage and I were in the middle of a very important ritual."
"Yes, Your Holiness, I beg your forgiveness," he said, bowing and handing the paper to Wolfram, "We've found one of them, Holiness. One of the ones we've been searching for."
Wolfram's lips curled into a smile as he read the address. "Alert the others. Tell them we've found a new target."
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
The smell of the battlefield was exactly how he remembered it in his dreams. Sweat, blood, and dry desert dust all mixed together in one, invisible, disgusting flurry. Blood rushed to his head, making his eyes see everything with a red tint. His entire body perspired in the heat and sweat poured down his face as he hacked away at nameless enemy soldiers with Morgif.
On the first day, he had smiled. This would be a decisive battle. A hoseki mine stood in the middle of the desert, unmarked on any of their maps. If captured, it could make the perfect oasis needed to complete the journey into Big Shimaron. Now, the only thing Yuuri could feel was fatigue. Fatigue for this battle which had gone far too long in a nasty stalemate and fatigue for desert warfare.
He had lost many men, most of them horyoku users. For this battle, Yuuri had a special army made up of only human soldiers. They were the only ones who could fight without feeling the draining effects of the hoseki. The plan was to secure the mine and then Yuuri's forces would rendezvous with Conrad and the rest of the Mazoku on the other side of the quarry.
But then again…nothing goes according to plan.
"You're majesty, look out!" Yuuri ducked as an arrow wizzed past his face struck the soldier behind him. He fell off his horse and lay on the ground, unmoving. In the past, Yuuri would have gotten off Ao and healed the man to the best of his ability, but now, his eyes were only on what lied ahead. He had cried over enough dead soldiers.
Today, Yuuri would break through. He would end this ugly standoff that his country and Big Shimaron had been locked in for fifteen long years. Two options were ahead: end the battle victoriously, or die trying. Today, there would be no in-between.
Fifteen years…
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
To my son:
I hope this letter finds you well. The desert is the same as always, boring and hot. I hope you are being a good son and studying hard at school. Someday you will take my place as king and I fight this war so that in the future, you and everyone else can live in a peaceful world. I know this must be frustrating. I keep promising to come home soon and things keep coming up. I am very sorry and I can assure you that I will be seeing you very soon.
Love,
Yuuri Shibuya 27th Maoh of Shin Makoku
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
To my husband:
The desert is a lonely place. The battles and my status keep me isolated from my men. Occasionally, my army will join with Conrad's, but mostly, I play the sad song on my flute alone. I never thought I would ever be writing a letter to you. Even still I hate you most passionately and yet you are the only companion I have left. Throughout these years you have always been by my side and I have taken you for granted. You and I share a common goal. We both accepted his child into the royal family and loved him to the best of our hearts. I guess I shall commend you for your hard work. I want you to know, should I not return home, that your love for me may have been unrequited, but it was never ever unnoticed.
Sincerely,
Yuuri Shibuya 27th Maoh of Shin Makoku
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
A gaggle of nervous men stood in front of the doors to the prestigious school. They watched as a carriage pulled up bearing the royal crest. The Bielefeld Military Academy had been the choice school for those of royal blood, but very rarely did they have their reigning sovereign himself visiting the school…quite so abruptly.
He stood in their presence with the smug sort of confidence that any Bielefeld possesses, and yet he was different. He had a rightful arrogance about him that made him stand out…that made him their superior. He was dressed in black with a heavy traveling cloak around his shoulders. His soft, golden hair was styled so that most of it hung in his face, obscuring all but his pink lips from their view.
He did not raise his delicate hand from his side and offer his greetings. Instead he walked over to them gracefully and three simple words fell from his lips.
"Where is he?"
The Academy Chairman stepped forward, wringing his hands nervously.
"It is an honor for us to be graced with your presence, Your Highness-
"Bring me my son. I must have a word with him about his behavior. I hear he has been causing much trouble for this school and is failing all his classes. This is unacceptable and I wish you would have notified me sooner."
"Please, allow me to invite Your Highness inside. We can discuss your son's…disruptiveness in the private of my office."
The Prince Consort merely turned up his nose with a small "hmph" and led the way through the double doors.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
A small breeze blew through the streets of an abandoned human village somewhere within Big Shimaron. Five hooded figures stood at the entrance to the town, not even bothering to hide their figures from the bright light of the full moon. They began to walk. In their wake, followed death.
"Angela!" cried a woman's voice as the door to a tiny apartment opened. For a moment everything was illuminated by a lantern. One room. No windows or doors. It was the dead of night outside and once the lantern was extinguished the room was flushed into complete darkness once more.
"Angela, please tell me that it is you!" the woman's terrified voice called again.
"Hush Emilia!" the newcomer whispered, closing the door, "It's me. We have to leave now! I don't know how they found us, but we must go!" the woman approached her partner who cowered against the wall.
Emilia sobbed. "This is it, isn't it? We're doomed," her voice was hysterical, "Father always said I should have never married you!"
"Emilia, calm down. Where are the children?"
There was a knock at the door. Both women froze and chills went through their bodies.
"It's Death," whispered Emilia, so frightened she was on the verge on unconsciousness, "Death has come to claim you… to claim us."
The door creeked open. Several hooded figures stepped silently into the apartment. One, Her, the leader, was covered in a white cloak that seemed to shine through the darkness. Her appearance was ghostly as she glided smoothly to the center of the room. Despite the eerie ambiance, Angela decided to speak up.
"So you must be the rumored "Maiden of Death"", her voice wavered with false confidence. The words were loud in the silent apartment. "Many of our lesser man have fallen to your sword or to your beauty. Have you come to take my soul as well?"
The leader chuckled. When it spoke, it was with a man's voice. "I'm not sure where you and your cronies are getting this name from but perhaps it is more appropriate than I once thought." He lowered his hood. Long, golden hair was released and flowed down his shoulders like silk. His green eyes and fair skin gave him the look of nobility. His beauty was…flawless…unspeakable. Angela found herself captivated by his atmosphere.
"Am I as pretty as they say? Well that is for you to decide. Most of the men I've sent to Hell did not live long enough to hear me speak. Consider yourself fortunate."
Angela extended her arm. In her hand, she held a giant hoseki stone. "Be you angel or demon, I shall obliterate you where you stand." For a moment there was complete silence. Were they afraid? Angela thought. She stood ready, her eyes focused on him. Then, there was laughter all around her.
"Foolish woman. Did you not sense the horyoku barrier we set up? Your magic is useless," the mazoku all the way to the left said. The stone shattered in Angela's palm. She let the shards fall from her bleeding hand onto the floor. No matter. He fist tightened. She rushed to the blonde demon, the leader, reaching into her cloak for her knives as she took those few, decisive steps. Her daggers clashed with steel and she jumped back.
"I will not go down so easily," she said, crouching low into a battle stance. The man in white only smirked, unsheathing his sword.
"Then shall we turn up the heat?" fire spread from his fingertips and made his blade glow red hot. They began their fight anew and Angela found herself overwhelmed immediately. Without her horyoku, she didn't stand much of a chance, but this…this mazoku…wasn't normal. Her vision was swimming and she fell to her knees in a matter of minutes, defeated. She looked over to her wife, whom she had failed, and then back to the assailants.
"Good! Very good!" one of the hooded men jeered. "Some of these fully-fledged crows put up quite a fight!" The figure all the way to the right laughed harshly as well. A woman, apparently.
"Well spotted, Capricorn, but we will pick them off…one by one…until no little birdies remain." They all shared in another bout of laughter until their leader's impatient gaze told them to shut their mouths.
"What do you want to know?" Angela whispered, when his eyes were on her once more.
"Who is your leader?" the white-clad mazoku asked.
"I can't tell you that," she whimpered, shaking her head.
"We know you are in his inner circle. You're not just another goon. Give us a name, and we will spare your lovely wife."
Emilia and Angela exchanged a look.
"Tell them, Angela. Let me live," Emilia pleaded, "Oh please Angela, think of the children." Angela threw a disgusted look at her wife and turned back her executioners.
"Never."
The Maiden of Death looked into her eyes. She knew he could see…see that no matter how much she was tortured she would never give up the information. Never would she betray the secrets of the White Crows, even when her lover's life was on the line. And somehow that disgusted him.
The terrible…beautiful mazoku raised his sword.
The blood of Angela and Emilia splattered the walls.
"Your Holiness," began one of the figures as he stepped forward, "You needn't of killed her. We still could have gotten the name out of her somehow." Wolfram cocked his head, refusing to turn around.
"Aries…are you questioning my authority? The decision was mine to make."
"I apologize, Your Holiness. You are our true, divine leader and your word is our law," Aires replied suddenly, stepping back into line. Wolfram gave no answer. Instead he walked over to a large wardrobe and threw open the doors. Two small children were huddled inside, terrified out of minds and shaking uncontrollably with tears covering their faces. Wolfram smiled sadly at them, his eyes misting over.
"May Shinou bless your souls." Wolfram stood up and walked past his five followers. He stopped at Aires and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know very well my feelings on killing children. I shall leave the task to you." Aires nodded stiffly.
Wolfram shut himself out of the apartment and covered his ears. Somewhere far away in Shin Makoku he has his own son. He was unwilling to hear the bloody screams of someone else's.
.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
A/N: I fear I may have touched a nerve with the first part of this chapter. This story is still Yuram. There is a good reason why Murata and Wolfram were fooling around.