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Chapter thirteen: The council's decision is . . .

Avalon's council chamber had been built to be a magnificent tiered structure. Each corner to be indicative of the different race that inhabited it. A round table had been placed in its center. It was hoped that such an act would inspire a sense of equality between the races. A sign that none would find favor over any other and that all could co-exist in peaceful harmony.

That was the intention anyway. Instead, the petty bickering's of a council divided by racial prejudices, memories that spanned lifetimes and opinions that border-lined the extreme echoed throughout the chamber. It was a small wonder whenever a quorum was achieved, and a miracle in and of its self if those few could ever agree to anything of value.

Few if any meetings were held in silence. And none gripped the council with the weight and gravity that did so now.

A voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Each could hear it as the words echoed in their minds, taking root in their souls. "Legends of the chaos mage. Angels of destruction borne on wings of celestial fire. They are the harbingers of the requiem. Power over everything and nothing. They reduce the world to ash. To recreate it anew." It was a grim warning, a promise of what would would happen if their unbridled power were free to run rampant. "Their names are engraved upon the rolls. Zion Val Radamanthus the Crimson Scholar. The Twins Nuova Luna the New Moon and Sol Venah the Sun Ascendant. Kyssandra Realo who did not live long enough to take up a runic name. And now, Shiro Tora. Who has named himself the Hidden Sword."

* * *

"House Calandra votes against the council's decision to collar the Hidden Sword."

Collaring a mage was the final punishment. It destroyed their ability to use magic. And without the use of their power, many took their own lives. It was as final as a death sentence.

Camilia earned no small amount of enmity with her announcement. Many had been expecting her support, and with a few words she had just upset a carefully played game.

"He has recently performed a valuable service for House Calandra. There may come a time when we may need to call upon him again."

Representative of the elves, Trawyn Silverleaf spoke up. "Some might consider that a vested interest on your part."

Camilia knew of him. He had been the hunter assigned to retrieving Shiro. He was also the one who had failed to eliminate him on sight. Coincidence? Or carelessness. Either possibility heralded disastrous consequence. "Don't be stupid. Of course our interests are invested in him. He is a valuable resource to both this Council and Avalon Island in general. Arcadia does not need to know of his existence as a chaos mage. And should he never awaken to that fact himself they can remain blissfully ignorant."

Shock resounded throughout the chamber. No doubt many of them had never considered the possibilities of what having a tame chaos mage could do for them. It would force many of them to reevaluate their position. Or at least, delay their vote. And most of the meetings are a waiting game anyway. Thought Camilia. Delay them long enough, and they'll find something new to argue about.

"Still, we cannot ignore the danger he represents." Said Trawyn. Almost half the council nodded in agreement, some still looked undecided. "We should place restrictions on him, or at the least put him under guard until we can ascertain whether or not he could prove useful to us."

She had never expected to find an ally in Trawyn. She wondered how much was his own desire and how much was the influence of the Black Soul. If his reach extended even here, he was beyond stopping.

"We would have to be discreet about such an act." Said Gaer the current head of the artificers guild. "Even without the power of chaos at his command his potential is still unnerving. For one so young to be able to have learned so much so quickly. We recently detected the use of a portable gate, one that relayed it self through several points in space. It was open for no more than a few seconds but. We believe that it was opened by him."

There was a subtle undercurrent of tension following his announcement. The destination of such a gate would be impossible to trace, let alone force open again. Such a thing had, possibilities.

"I can attest to proof of his actions." Said Camilia.

"You can?" Gaer's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?"

"He did it upon my request." She fed them a pleasant lie to put them all at ease. "It was at the behest of his own safety of course. As a member of the Azure Sky he does not undertake tasks without a certain amount of risks."

"I think we can forgive such an act." Gaer's greed was evident on his face. "Provided he doesn't do it again." The artificers guild maintained a monopoly on gate travel from Avalon island. It was part of what made airships so necessary. If they couldn't silence such a secret, then they would want it for themselves.

Already the wheels had begun to turn as each of them considered for themselves what Shiro's future potential would be worth. And if gambling on it it outstripped the danger of his discovery.

"A pity we could not slip an agent of our own into his midst." Said Trawyn. "A direct link to this council would prove invaluable whatever we decide upon. Something we will all consider I'm sure."

Then its a pity for you that I already have. Thought Camilia. But that was a secret she would keep to herself.

Chapter fourteen: Things left behind.

Shiro sneezed once. Someone must be talking about me.

"I've never been to Seirei before." Said Rosalyn. "What's it like?"

Shiro leaned into the night breeze. The wind was whispering through the jagged peeks of the dragon's teeth. The border that marked the beginning of Seirei's lands. "It's beautiful. There's a reason why its called the land where dragons roam.

"Sometimes, during the night, dragons of every color will fill the sky. They dance amidst the heavens. Performing a celestial ballet of fire and light. Its called the Sora Ryu no Mai. The Sky dragon's dance." The familiar surroundings were a blessing, a balm upon his weary soul. The land resonated with something deep within him. To Shiro, it felt as if it was welcoming him home. I wonder if master is looking up at the same night sky?

He hoped so.

"I'd heard Seirei was famous for its festivals. Not its dragons."

"Well that's certainly true. In Seirei, there's always someone celebrating something somewhere. We like to say, 'If you can't find a festival, start one'." It felt awkward to explain something he had taken for granted for so long. "But there's more to it than that."

A loud belch suddenly shattered the tranquility of the night. "Foreign women. Foreign food and foreign red light districts." Koji ambled out onto the deck. "Woohoo!"

"Women, food, and sex." Said Rosalyn causticly. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Koji shrugged. "Not always. Sometimes I like to think about them in a different order. Sometimes I like to combine all three."

Rosalyn ignored him as he took up a position next to Shiro and simply said. "You're disgusting."

Koji sniffed the air and looked as if he had smelled something offensive. "And you're a human. But I guess that can't be helped. You were born that way."

Rosalyn countered by saying. "At least I'm not a walking parasite factory. When was the last time you bothered to even bathe?" Before Koji could even open his mouth to speak she answered her own question. "Never? I thought so."

Shiro knew it could have ended there. But werewolves were notoriously stubborn creatures and now Koji's pride was on the line. To him. It was a matter of personal honor.

"You, self-absorbed money loving snob. I know your type. You prance around, putting on airs about how being noble somehow makes you better than everyone else. All the while you secretly long to to be married to some fat, rich, bastard of a husband. Just so you can fake a headache for the next sixty years and bitch about how your life went to shit, all because someone born with fur and a tail dared to look at you the wrong way! Grow up and realize that its your own damn fault!"

Rosalyn was clearly not one to be outdone as well. "You overgrown mongrel! You ill-bred mutt! At least I'm not the bastard offspring of someone whose parents had to huddle together in the dark! People like you, you'll rut with anything that moves!"

"Damn right I will!" Koji had the good sense to realize his mistake. "Wait. That didn't come out right."

"Look." Said Shiro. "Both of you are acting like overgrown children." He had been trapped between them during the entire exchange and now he tried to create some distance by pushing them apart. "Whether we like it or not we're going to be working together. And while we're stuck on board an airship with no place else to go the least we could do is treat each with civility and respect."

They turned on him as one and shouted together. "You stay out of this!"

Duly chastised and without any sudden moves, Shiro just backed away, very, very slowly.

I can't believe I said that. What the hell was I thinking. Those two must really like each other if they're arguing like an old married couple already.

Once he was a safe distance away Shiro settled in to watch.

The argument between Koji and Rosalyn was devolving into a shouting match. With both combatants busy trading insults with one another.

"Dog breath."

"Pampered princess."

"Eunuch!" Shouted Rosalyn with great delight.

Koji's jaw dropped. "I'll show you who's a eunuch!"

"Don't you even dare!"

* * *

Carefully tended gardens lined a path guarded by stone Shisa and Torii gates watched in silence as pilgrims climbed the thousand steps that led to the temple. The Tsubasa no Mikomi had landed far enough away so that its arrival wouldn't disturb the serenity evoked by the temple's elegant simplicity.

The gardens had been shaped to reflect nature in its various forms. A stone in a bed of sand represented the ocean, trees had been placed to mimic the depths of a forest. So convincing was the illusion that one could wander between them and forget for a moment that they had been placed by the hands of man. Above all the monks of Shin Kami Ryu sought to achieve a natural harmony with the world around them. To strike a balance with the world and its many flows.

Acolytes tended to the various gardens. Despite the urgency of their request for aid, they would give no outward sign of any turmoil, preferring to present a mask of calm to travelers. To the unenlightened it revealed nothing of their inner selves, to Shiro, it merely illustrated how bad the situation really was. The true temple lay beyond the steps. And only their guide could lead them to it.

Sensha walked ahead of them in silence. She had refused to speak with them, offering her name and nothing else.

Koji was studying their surroundings with avid interest. "Hey Shiro. How come they're all wearing black robes. While you're wearing white?"

Shiro had changed from his school uniform into his white robes once more. Even here he was known and not wearing them could have been interpreted as a sign of him attempting to hide that fact. "That's because--"

Sensha spoke for him. "Black robes are for those who have been initiated into the order. Only those whose lives have been dedicated to the Divine Dragon are allowed to wear the white."

"Then that means Shiro here outranks you. Doesn't it?"

Sensha said nothing. And would continue to say nothing until they had permission from the master of the temple to be here. Hers had merely been a slip of the tongue.

"Koji, I don't outrank anybody. I was excommunicated by my master himself. Technically, I'm not even supposed to be here. Once we've finished, I'll be expected to leave just a quickly."

"That's just stupid. Look Shiro, I know you respect your master monk Tetsu or whatever his name is but."

"Koji no!" It was already too late. Not only had Sensha heard him but others had as well.

"Tetsu?" Sensha repeated the name. "Did he mean Master Tetsu?" Others were already spreading the name. Soon the whole temple would be in an uproar.

"Koji! My Master's name is forbidden. Speaking it is." Too late to stop her Sensha had already set off at a run. "A taboo."

It wasn't long before Sensha returned, a woman whose beauty could only be described as ageless moving at a sedate pace behind her. She was wearing robes embroidered with intertwining gold dragons, her face a delicate white mask.

"I am Shen Wa, Mistress of Dragons, and the Master of this temple." She snapped her fan shut with a decisive click. "Who is it who dares to disrupt the peace of this place?"

Shiro winced. This is really bad. He sent the thought to Kiara. We're a group, so the actions of one reflect on the whole. Koji's just broken one of the taboos. We're tainted now. Best case scenario they send us home and request help from someone else.

And the worst case? She sounded as if she already knew.

They kill us where we stand.

Her reply was brief. Fix it. Do whatever you have to.

Koji went to his knees, albeit grudgingly. Shiro 'overheard' when Kiara's mind speech leaked out just slightly. Bow. Or they will kill us.

The rest of him followed suit.

"Forgive us for our intrusion." Said Shiro. "We did not come seeking to shatter the tranquility of this place. I ask that you not judge us harshly, for we are strangers here. And we are not yet accustomed to your ways." It was a traveler's greeting, ritual words taught to everyone in Seirei.

"They asked us to be here." Koji whispered. "So why is Shiro kissing ass?"

"Keep your mouth shut and pay attention." Said Rosalyn. "It's your skin he's saving."

Shiro felt his eye twitch. Diplomacy may not be one of Koji's strong points. But if he didn't shut up and look humble this was going to go from bad to worse and no amount of abasing themselves was going to save face. Koji! Shiro's mind voice snapped out. She's the alpha, this is her territory, we're a rival pack.

Koji let his feelings of unease color his reply. Sorry Shiro.

Shiro raised himself to his knees. With one hand remaining on the ground he didn't dare look at Shen Wa directly yet. Even elevating his status from supplicant to petitioner was a dangerous gamble. For she had not given him leave to do so. Now his only hope was to make her recognize their importance as warriors. A caste that would often be granted certain concessions in matters of protocol. "We are unworthy, but we humbly offer our services in aid of defending this temple."

Shen Wa maintained an aura of casual indifference. "And who are you, to make such a claim?"

Damn. Shiro cursed himself. This was a delicate situation that balanced on Shen Wa maintaining interest in them. Only she could declare them fit to enter the temple proper. She was the one who held the power of life and death here. If she walked away, they would be declared outcast. And a lot of innocent people would be hurt in the process.

Then he realized it. She had given them a way to save face. She wasn't the one they needed to impress. It was everyone else who was watching.

Everyone follow my lead and rise to your feet. They think we're barbarians, lets show them the pride of the Azure Sky!

They stood as one, as smooth and graceful as any parade company. It was a fine bit of military showmanship that left its mark on those watching.

Shiro bowed low from the waist. "We are the Azure Sky. An elite group of warriors dedicated to serving with honor and protecting those within our sight." There. Let them chew on that for a while. "My companions are the Phantom Blade, the Gryphon Knight, the Scarlet Rose, the Moonlight Fang, and I am known as the Hidden Sword." Shiro drew Road to the Dawn from its sheath amidst a flurry of whispers. "My companion spoke nothing but the truth." Shiro raised his voice so all could hear. "I was once the disciple of the Silver Dragon. If you still find us unworthy, then let us prove our valor on the field of battle. So that we may cleanse ourselves of the taint of dishonor."

Shen Wa's fan was carefully guarding her expression. But Shiro could tell by the lines of her face she was smiling. "Perhaps we can forgive such outbursts." Shiro held his breath. "But here is not the place to talk of such things. Let us first retire to the hall of silent contemplation. There we may refresh ourselves." She spoke so that everyone in the courtyard could hear. "Let none say that that our hospitality is in any way lacking!"

With the show over and nothing left to see people slowly drifted back to their assigned tasks.

Shen Wa guided them into the temple, slowing her pace so that Shiro walked alongside her. "For a moment. You looked just like Tetsu when he was young." She laid her hand on his shoulder protectively. "It's good to see you again Shiro."

"Its been far too long, mother."

* * *

While the others had gone off to patrol the perimeter Shiro had remained behind to speak with Shen Wa in private.

"When we received the missive to come to Seirei, I never expected it would be you who greeted us." Shiro abandoned protocol. "How is, Tetsu doing?"

"He misses you. But he stands firm in his decision."

"I see." Shiro had hoped Tetsu would have reconsidered by now. "Then, perhaps you could tell me more about what's happening in Seirei. I . . . don't receive any word of home. Its difficult, not knowing anything."

"You never could leave a problem alone." The sense of familiarity in her voice made him want to lay his head in her lap and let her stroke his fears away. "Not until you found an answer."

The same way she used to when I was a child and had had a nightmare. It was a comforting feeling.

"I suppose that tenacity serves you well. But you've always been one to try and shoulder the burden alone." Shen Wa seemed to be considering something when she said. "That's why a few days ago I sent word to inform the capital of your arrival. They've already sent an imperial regiment to investigate the area."

"An imperial regiment. Is it that bad already?"

"For the past several weeks we have received reports from travelers that the ogres have been displaying unusual behavior. And now they have been spotted massing in the teeth. A force big enough to rival the populations of many of the great city states."

That many. Even if they didn't put clan rivalries aside. That's still enough to wipe a good chunk of Seirei from the map. "What could have possibly caused such a thing?"

"Progress." Said Shen wa. "Arcadia's expansion, Seirei's race to compete economically with a growing power. Land that has never been considered safe is suddenly being developed. People are reaching out to grab whatever they can. And all of it is forcing the ogres from their homes. After being pushed them from their ancestral mountains. Where else will they go but through the populated areas?"

* * *

Shiro flexed his claws as he stared out at the mountains. He had wanted to shred something ever since Shen Wa had finished bringing him up to date.

We've never had problems with the ogres before. At least, not like this. There's always been the risk of some traveler being accosted in the mountains. But most people learn to look for signs of ogres and simply avoid them. Now that we have people from all over the Arcadian empire journeying to Seirei. There's just no educating all of them.

Now he was busy patrolling the grounds all the while wondering whether the true enemy lay outside the walls or within them.

Something about it all was leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Shiro felt someone tug on his tails and was surprised to find that it had been a young girl with calico hair and pale green eyes. "Big brother." She held up a red leather ball. "Will you play with us?"

There were at least half-a-dozen children of various ages with her. Not one of them could have been over fourteen. But one thing was the same for all of them. They all had cats ears and twin tails.

"I don't know." He was drawing a crowd of curious children. There had to be more than a dozen by now. They were all looking at him with uncertainty in their eyes. He could feel a desperate hunger from them. A longing to connect with something tangible. They're like lost puppies looking for a home. No. Lost kittens. And I am one of them.

Cya wrapped herself around his leg, the ball completely forgotten. "Pleaseeee?"

"Why not?" After all. They aren't the ones who started this mess. But if I can keep them from getting wrapped up in it.

All thoughts of the mission and its peculiarities were swept away; as he let himself be a child for just one more day.

* * *

"You came with the other's on that airship." Asked a young woman named Marella. Only a few years younger than he was she was one of the oldest and the de facto leader of the group. She was also the self proclaimed speaker for those who were too young to talk. Or those who were afraid to. "That means you can use magic right?"

"I can." Shiro started juggling wisps of light to prove it. He was rewarded with indrawn gasps of awe and delight.

"Well. Some of us were wondering if."

"It's just a bunch of stupid balls of light. Who cares about something like that." The newcomer who had spoken was a head taller than the rest. He had pitch black hair tinged with white and eyes that were a storm colored gray. They were eyes that were clouded by pain.

The feelings of loss and despair were a mirror to Shiro's own. They were a dark reflection one could only find, when someone has seen the worst the world has to offer, and lived to tell about it.

"That's Vahn. He's just mad cause he wants to know what it like to shift. But he's afraid to ask."

"Shut up Marella!"

She danced out of reach. "Well its true isn't it?"

"You're all orphans." Said Shiro. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, we're orphans. Our parents went and got themselves killed before they could even teach us how to shift. So what." Vahn was sullen, angry, and in pain. "What's it to you?"

"I never knew my parents." Shiro ignored the anger in Vahn's voice, the need to lash out.

The heart is a fragile thing, and a young heart breaks so easily. To reach him, he first had to show him that he was not alone. The pain in his own heart however, was not so easy to ignore. "I had to learn what it was like to shift on my own. Without anyone to guide me." There was no pity in Shiro's voice, he offered no empty words, no meaningless platitudes. Merely the simple belief that a pain shared is a pain lessened. "Because I am an orphan as well."

It was to his credit that Vahn didn't run away or lash out. He merely looked decidedly unsure of himself. "You could show us. Not that we'd thank you or anything." Shiro found himself admiring the courage it took for someone so proud to ask another for help. "Just, if you wanted to. I wouldn't complain is all."

It was enough.

For Vahn to ask for help and for Shiro to accept it in the spirit in which it was given. He embraced the other half of his soul, and let the power of the shift carry him away.

Fur rippled outwards in a wave across his skin as he increased in size. His silver eyes stared out of a form that of late, had become more familiar to him.

Some of the children drew back in fear. He couldn't blame them, in this form even he felt like a monster.

Marella was the first one to approach. They had taken to calling him 'big brother' rather than by his name. Shiro had been adopted as one of them before he even knew it.

"Big brother?"

"Its still me." Said Shiro.

She reached up to stroke his face. "It is you." She tugged on his whiskers, pulling him down to her level. "Don't scare us like that! You're supposed to set an example for us. But, I suppose I can forgive you." She rubbed his face with hers, while her eyes laughed and her tails were held high. "This time."

Shiro was left wondering what had just happened.

"I thought you were gonna turn into a cat." Said Vahn with obvious wonder in his voice. "But you can turn into the beast too. That is so cool!"

Cool? I've never thought of my ability to shapeshift as being 'cool.' Some of the youngest were already clambering around him. Asking for a ride on his shoulders.

"How did you do that?" Asked Vahn. "What does it feel like? How old were you when you first realized you could shift? How old do I have to be before I can shift?" Vahn just kept asking questions until he ran out of breath.

It was making Shiro's head spin.

"Can you teach us how to do that?"

Now there was one he could answer. "Of course."

* * *

Nelo found the nights in Seirei to be pleasantly warm. And Shen Wa had seen fit to join her. A pot of tea lay between them. The fragrant aroma of jasmine filling the air.

"They would steal him from you in a heart beat. Yet he hasn't taken his eyes off of you for a second." She said without a hint of envy. "He guards you as jealously as a dragon guards it treasure."

Nelo had been watching Shiro play with the children and failed to hear her remark.

Despite Shiro's best attempts to convince them otherwise they had been openly wary of her. So she had contented herself to simply watch. Shiro would make a wonderful father. It's a pity I will never be able to bear him children.

Shen Wa noted her avid interest and said. "Those children are some of the few remaining descendants of the Nekomata clans. They were all but wiped out when Arcadia first invaded Seirei. It is good to see them smiling again." Her voice grew distant. "Shiro. He is . . . a direct survivor of Honsho."

The Honsho massacre. It was a blight upon Seirei's history. Though Avalon was above such things Nelo still remembered the day the Arcadians had set out on one of their crusades. And all because they had discovered a chaos mage had been born.

The empire is all, it must be safeguarded at any cost. It was Arcadia's creed, their call to arms. And civilizations fell before them. "I often suspected as much. Shiro. He, never talks about his past."

Shen Wa spoke offhandedly. "You're his familiar. You must have received some of his memories when the two of you joined."

"Shiro gave himself completely to the joining." It was embarrassing to be talking about something so private. Especially with someone Shiro considered to be his mother. "But I held back."

"Then you have not truly joined with him."

It was a simple enough statement. But hidden within it was a wealth of meaning.

To some, a full joining would have constituted a marriage. Since most human familiars were their mages partners both in life and work it was a natural extension of the two.

Nelo considered who the woman sitting across from her was to Shiro, and wondered how much she knew and how much she was simply guessing. "It would seem Shin Kami Ryu has come to mean something completely from what I once knew."

Both of them were dancing around the truth. Each guarding their secrets carefully. Testing the waters between them. It was a dangerous game to be playing. And Shiro was the prize.

Shen Wa was the first to concede. "Times . . . have changed. And our order stands at the crossroads of that change. We must change as well; or be forever left behind."

Nelo sipped her tea, waiting patiently for Shen Wa to continue.

"Seirei did not wish to join with the Arcadian Empire. But because we chose to ignore magic and its possibilities . . . we payed the price for choosing to ignore the threat that was in front of our very eyes. Arcadia came with its soldiers and its magic. And we were powerless to stop them.

"It has only been twenty years since Arcadia invaded, subjugating our land and its people. We may have surrendered, and thus spared ourselves from complete destruction. But the years have still been ones marked by rapid change. Already airships fly our skies, and magic is becoming far more common than it once was. We truly have become just another colony."

"Maybe." Said Nelo. "But you're still here. There have been many Arcadia conquered who can no longer make that claim." It was thought Nelo, small consolation.

"If only things were that simple. But faced with the choice of losing our way of life completely or becoming a mere footnote in Arcadia's history books; many embraced Arcadia willingly. Changing even their lives to fit within Arcadia's cultural identity. Including some of its more, unsavory elements."

"The Purists." Shen Wa nodded that it was so. "So they are causing problems here as well."

"They are still a relatively unknown power. But their message is quickly gaining in popularity amongst the working class. Already there have been speakers walking amongst the temples, claiming the purity of spirit that many have come to associate with our order.

"In turn, our numbers have already begun to dwindle. It would seem Shin Kami Ryu is in danger of becoming a lost art." Shen Wa stared into the bottom of her cup. "If it weren't for Tetsu giving us a new path to follow, a way to carry on our traditions without sacrificing our past. We might already have been lost."

"Shiro."

"He is merely the first of those who have come to embrace magic's potential. But in his heart he is still Shin Kami Ryu." Shen Wa's words held a whisper of the past, a secret longing buried deep within them. "I'm glad that he is the one to come to our aid. That he would still choose to wear the marks of our order."

"Shiro is Shiro." Said Nelo fondly. "Leaving Seirei did not change him that much. He came back because you asked for help. You may have known him longer than I have, but I fear that you still do not know his heart. Shiro would never willingly turn his back on someone in need." Nelo wondered if she had spoken the words to reassure Shen Wa, or herself.

"Thank you." Shen Wa looked relieved. "It is good to know that he does not hate us. When you get as old as I am, you forget just what its like to be young.

"Its so easy to become set in your ways, and forget just how hard it is to seek a new path. It would seem that the future is in good hands."

Nelo, who had lived far longer than most, had seen empires rise and fall. Marked as they were by the people who lived in them, Shiro was among the few who would set those wheels of fate in motion.

Shiro and others like him, they will be the ones to set a new course for our world to follow. There are no roads that can show them the way. No well worn paths that can guide them. They must create one all on their own. And that makes their's the hardest task of all, for where they are going; no one has ever gone before.

* * *

"So what did Shen wa want to speak to you about?" Said Shiro.

"Oh, she just wanted to talk. Make sure that I was an acceptable match for you. A mother's instincts to protect her son and all that."

"And are you?" He asked her, his hand reaching up to cup her face. "A good match?"

She leaned in. "I don't know. Maybe we'll have to try and see how well we fit together."

Shiro moved in to complete the kiss.

Vahn interrupted halfway through. "Ewww kissing."

They pulled apart in surprise. Shiro's heart was racing. "Don't knock it till you've tried it kid." He kissed Nelo once as an apology. "I'll make it up to you later." His whisper teased her with promises of secret trysts.

Her gold eyes shined playfully in the moonlight. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

"Right." Shiro was suddenly all business. "Come on. It's time for you to go to bed."

The others had already been collected and ushered off to theirs.

"But I'm not." Vahn yawned. "Sleepy."

"The sooner you go to bed the sooner you'll wake up and then I can start teaching you how to shapeshift."

Vahn looked skeptical. "You promise?"

"I promise."

Watching as Vahn entered the temple proper Shiro found himself pounced on by Nelo before he could even turn around.

* * *

"Maybe we should have gone somewhere more private." Said Shiro as he looked around. Nelo had led him to a secluded section of the temple, somewhere where the only cover they had was a few stone lanterns and a jade shisa. "If someone where to stumble into this clearing, it might prove a little awkward to explain what we're doing here. Don't you think?"

Nelo silenced his objections with a kiss. "If you're so worried that someone might be watching us," She began undoing the ties that held his robes in place. "then just put up a shield."

"Oh. Oh." Suddenly naked Shiro looked at their surroundings in a newfound light. "Here, here is good."

"I thought you'd say so." Nelo turned around so Shiro could begin helping her out of her own clothes.

Holding her hair for her Shiro couldn't help but admire the way Nelo's milky white skin shimmered like the surface of pearl in the soft moonlight.

"Like what you see?" Said Nelo as the rest of her robes fell away, revealing her curvaceous hips and a satiny mound of pitch black fur.

"More and more every time I see it.

Nelo's smile defined his world, and started his heart racing.

Drawing him away from the twin piles of discarded clothing She stroked his face and said. "Change for me."

Shiro seemed surprised by the request. "Why would you--?"

"Because the ground is cold." Said Nelo as she slid her hands across his chest. "And when I lie down on top of you." She pressed his face into her breasts and whispered into his ear. "I want to go down on as much of you as possible."

"Well," Said Shiro. "with logic like that." He began releasing himself into the familiar power of the change. "Who am I to argue?" Holding her while he shifted brought forth a unique pleasure all its own. The growing warmth of her body pressed against his, the scent of her need sharpening as his sense of smell grew stronger, even the way the softness of her lips sliding across his tongue as he sought to bring her pleasure served only to charge the air with their barely contained passions.

Nelo gasped as Shiros' tongue slipped inside her. No, not yet. Leaving it as a promise of things to come she reluctantly pulled his head away from her hips. "Such a bad kitty," She said tweaking his ears playfully. "Starting without me."

Shiro chuckled as his tails sought to wrap themselves around hers. "I can't help myself. Just being with you like this is intoxicating." He rose to his full height and held her in his arms. "It makes me wonder just how much better it will be once the fun really starts."

Nelo pushed him towards the ground. "Then we had better find out. Shouldn't we?" Straddling his hips she began to use her body to bring his lengthening shaft to full arousal.

Every time her nether lips passed over the tip of his swelling cock Nelo let out a small breath of anticipation.

Enjoying both the sensation of watching her go about her work and feeling it Shiro began to run his fingers teasingly across her back. He elicited a gasp of pleasure from her when he finally reached her tail, and moving his hands to hold her hips steady he said. "It's cheating if you keep me waiting and you know it."

Nelo looked into his silver eyes. "Who's keeping who waiting?"

Shiro looked between her legs, to where she held tip of his penis pressed against the opening of her lips. "Sorr--" His words were stolen away as Nelo began to push herself downwards oh so slowly. He gasped for air when the feeling of sliding into her finally stopped. "Gods that felt so good."

Nelo smiled knowingly as she hilted herself. Her hair framing her face as she held herself above him she moved Shiro's hands to her breasts to hold her steady and began to purr. It sent a thrill of pleasure through both of them to hear it.

Shiro had come to love the sound of Nelo's purr, so soft, so feminine, and the way it seemed to rub itself against him in the most sensual of ways, it only served to excite him further.

"Tease." He said affectionately as he held her. Caressing her breasts gently with his hands He added. "Temptress." Nuzzling her neck while inhaling her scent he finished with. "Goddess."

Nelo's eyes glowed gold in the moonlight. "And what do the monks of Shin Kami Ryu do to those they consider to be a goddess?"

"We worship them," Said Shiro, "with our hearts, with our bodies, and with our souls."

Raising herself so that only the tip of his penis remained inside her Nelo said. "Then start worshiping kitty boy. Because you have all night to get it right."

* * *

Vahn's lessons in how to shapeshift were going well. He had already managed to transform himself into a small black cat with white paws and had even managed to successfully change back again. Now it was just a matter of mastering some of the dangers he would face. Namely, what to do when people thought that you were just a cat.

Shiro, who had already shifted, knew full well the dangers Vahn would face in his new found form. And what better place to experience them first hand than the women's baths.

Vahn sat outside the entrance, doing his best to look casually disinterested. He didn't have to wait long before his first mark took the bait.

"What a cute kitty you are." Sais a priestess who leaned down to scratch him behind the ears. Vahn rewarded her with a steady purr. "Where did you come from?"

He sniffed her fingers, just like a normal cat would. The priestess picked him up and began to stroke him. "Ah, who cares. I just want to hug you."

Shiro, who was watching as the event transpired from behind a nearby bush, merely thought. The same thing happened to me the first time I shifted.

The priestess set Vahn down and waved goodbye as she went into the bath.

"Whoa." Vahn stumbled around on unsteady legs. "Is it always . . . like that?"

"Sometimes." Said Shiro. "Just be careful no one catches you in this form. A lot of things can happen to you when you're a cat that wouldn't otherwise happen to a human." Shiro could see the wheels turning in Vahn's mind. The possibilities for potential mischief, the wonders of a new form and perspective. The opportunities to sneak into the women's baths undetected. "And of course, you're still going to be naked when you change back."

Vahn stopped in mid step. His tail flicked back and forth. "Some things." He said. "Are just worth the risk."

Master used to say he envied my ability to shift. I think he just wanted a convenient way of spying on the women's baths without being caught. Shiro had to fight the temptation to sneak in himself. Now I know why.

A massive shadow suddenly loomed over top of him. It was Shen Wa. "You wouldn't happen to be teaching Vahn anything inappropriate." She said, lifting Shiro by the scruff of the neck and bringing him to eye level. "Now would you?"

Shiro pressed a paw to his chest. "Nothing that my own master wouldn't have taught me."

Shen Wa appraised him with a critical eye. "Now why is it I find that to be less than reassuring?"

Before Shiro could answer they were interrupted by a scream from the women's bath.

A black blur with white feet suddenly streaked past them while shouting. "Shiro, it was worth it!"

And just like that. A new monk Tetsu is born. Shiro sighed. "It feels just like old times, doesn't it?"

Shen Wa couldn't help herself. She laughed.

* * *

Vahn was waiting for him by the temple gates. Marella standing protectively at his side. "Shiro I." He bowed by way of apology. "I'm sorry I ran off like that. Shen Wa wasn't made at you was she? You tried to warn me and it was my fault and."

"It's alright Vahn. She wasn't mad. In fact, she tried to convince me to stay, and help take care of you all. She seems to think that someone like me might prove to be a good role model. Now I wonder who could have given her that idea?"

Marella blushed and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"But why? Why do you have to fight? Can't someone else handle the ogres? We need you."

Shiro held his sword out to Vahn. "Because this is the road that I chose for myself. I vowed to become stronger, so that I could always protect the people who became important to me."

Vahn seemed to consider his words.

"And are we," Marella asked, "important to you?" She was holding onto Vahn's shoulders. She was afraid that he would decide follow Shiro after he left. All they had was each other, and she didn't want to lose anyone else.

Without words he said to her. More than you know. "Tell you what." He removed his Azure Sky badge and handed it to Vahn. "Why don't you hold on to this for me."

Vahn looked unsure of himself. "But . . ."

"If I want it back. Then I guess that means I have to come back for it."

Vahn brightened considerably. "That's a promise right!"

"The best kind of promise. One that's man to man. Right?"

Vahn held the badge close to his heart. "Right."

* * *

_I feel as if a burden has been lifted from my shoulders, as if the past no longer weighs heavily upon my mind. Acceptance is a strange thing, we long for it, even as we learn that first we must give it to ourselves.

Teaching the others that their ability to shift was a blessing and not a curse has healed some small part of my heart.

Perhaps they will grow, secure in the knowledge of who and what they are, as I did not.

I pray that this is so.

For they are innocents in this. Forced by circumstances not of their making to wander; with even their pasts taken from them, their future remains an uncertain road._

I have returned to the land of my birth and found in it a desperate need.

To protect those who cannot protect themselves. I will pay any price. I will bear any hatred for them, so that they need not grow as I did; afraid of the power which rests within themselves, lost in a world that thrives on silent indifference, and alone, amidst the shifting sands of casual cruelties.

They are children without the need for guile, and I wish for them to remain so.