Chronicles of the West

Chapter Thirty Eight

Victor devoted the majority of his free time to finding answers. Answers to the mysteries of his science and answers for Ryu and Silvana. Satoru watched him work tirelessly for weeks on end. Teaching his classes, jotting down his notes. His face bent to his task, night after night.

His quills scratching rhythmically on his parchments and papers. His thoughts flowing like water, flowing like his ink across the page. He'd collected the information he felt was required from Silvana and Ryu, he was confident that he could continued his work without their presence now.

They would journey to Japan and he would notify them of his findings. It was his hope that when that occurred, he would have found and initiated the solution they sought. He knew one thing for certain, to complete it they would need a source of incredible power. More than even they carried.

His thought turned to Satoru then, a powerful creature to be sure. Perhaps he might be helpful. But no, Victor could not ask him for anything. He had already given so much. A home, a life, a place in this world of his.

He had grown much closer to his enigmatic host-turned-employer. The demon was all that he had ever truly imagined to be perfection. A gentle heart, a kind spirit, a keen intellect, wrapped up in a body of lethal grace and adorned with a face from heaven. Did he dare?

Satoru began to worry for him. He was after all, only human. He ate but little and the lack of sleep was beginning to manifest itself in the dark circles that hung beneath his eyes. He was a man driven. Victor had uncovered more information in his efforts and felt that he was making good progress towards a resolution for his friends. That was until, he learned of the storm.

Victor knew little of the storm, though it was mentioned in several scrolls and volumes. All he knew thus far was that it was some catastrophic event that had taken place within the boundaries of the school. It was steeped in death and question and at the very heart of it..lay Satoru. What HAD happened?

Satoru entered the study library late one night to find Victor slumped over the long table. Poor man, he'd fallen asleep at his studies. Striding on nearly silent feet to his side, the demon took the opportunity to study the elegant features of his newest companion. The quill was still upright in his fingers and Satoru took it from him, placing it near the ink pot. Quills and brushes littered the top of the desk, along with inks.

Victor was slowly driving himself into the ground. His desire to reach his goal, pushing all other needs away. Satoru understood that self-placed pressure. He did it to himself even now. The difference was of course, that he was a demon and therefore stronger.

A claw gently, swept his long hair from his face, gliding against a smooth cheekbone. Victor moaned softly in his sleep and Satoru froze, catching that alluring scent spiking off of him once more. Victor shifted in his seat and slumbered on. Satoru knelt beside him, noting the circles and worry lines that marked the lovely face.

"You do too much" he said softly, his golden eyes sweeping the papers that lay scattered about the table. "hmm, S-Satoru?" Victor asked softly, his voice low and laced with the confusion of sleep. The demon locked eyes with him. "I am here" he answered.

Much to his surprise, Victor lifted his hand to cup the pale cheek before him, "So beautiful" he mumbled and then his brown eyes slid shut, sleep claiming him again. Satoru blinked. Victor had called him beautiful. And he was clearly exhausted.

Gathering the man against his chest, he rose. Striding through the halls towards Victor's chamber. Pushing the door open, he settled the human on his bed and tugged his boots off. Pulling a quilt over the man, he left him to his rest. Fighting the inner desire to stay and watch over his sleep.

The demon shook his head over such thoughts. He was not some pup to fawn over this man. He was the one who had found love and killed it off. He looked down at his claws and his sword. "With these did I carve love from this world" he muttered, "I cannot ask for it's return".

Satoru's feet led him back towards the library. What was it that drove Victor so? It was something that the scholarly demon was eager to find. The man's mind was brilliant, like the diamond he'd created. The one Satoru kept beside his bed. A glittering reminder of the one he found himself thinking of more often.

The halls were dark and quiet now, even the servants asleep. Lights flickered in a few scattered window, the grounds quiet. Satoru's golden eyes glowed softly in the dimness, reflecting what little light was present as he made his way through the twisting halls.

His heart was heavy tonight, Daishi would leave his halls with the morning. He suspected she might take the sunlight with her when she went. Her smiles, her scent, her temper, they'd become daily facets in his life. Things that he'd come to count as precious and now they were his no longer.

He stepped over the threshold of his library, closing the door softly behind him. Inhaling deeply, he took in the scent of leather bound books, and watered down ink. The citrus and sage that lingered in that seat. He resumed Victor's previous position and sank down in the still warm leather.

His gaze fell over the elegant script of Victor's handwritten notes. The human seemed quite interested in Silvana's elemental powers and Ryu's hanyou abilities…. And the limitations of both. What was he after? Satoru continued to read, doubt beginning to creep into his mind.

Why was he so devoted to this course of study? It hinted of darker things. That displeased the demon. Flipping through yet more pages, his frown receded. There were rather intimate details on both of them here, ones that only they themselves would know. Only they could give him.

As he read, it became clear that not only were Silvana and Ryu aware of Victor's activities, but they seemed to be assisting him. What WAS this about? Perhaps he could ask the human. Victor was not one to withhold information and if they were both aware of what was needed, they might reduce the time needed to uncover it.

He felt guilty for having believed the worse of the man. Still, he was a creature of caution and all interest in his kind had to be considered carefully. Humans who knew too much were an inevitable danger. Even to themselves. He knew that much. Knowledge always begets the thirst for more.

He sighed, it bore watching, until he confirmed the nature of this research. Sifting through the remaining papers, he found what could only be Victor's journal. Satoru gathered it in his hand, intent on taking it to Victor's room.

As he moved it, a scrap of paper fell from it. He quickly retrieved it. Golden eyes went wide as he saw the question scribbled on the parchment. 'What is the storm and what is Satoru's part in it?'. Satoru felt a familiar cold sensation wash over him, through him.

Victor had uncovered the one unbearable secret of this place. He was slowly putting the pieces together, revealing the mystery of that long ago night. Satoru closed his eyes against the wave of memories. There was no way that Victor could uncover the whole truth. For the whole truth had never been cast in word. It was found, now, only in two places. The memories of himself and Daishi, and neither one had any desire to relive that time.

He stood, and moved stealthily back to Victor's room. The journal cradled in his large hand. He longed to know Victor's secret, but not like this. The human hid his painful past and hadn't spoken of it, so Satoru let him be. After all, didn't he understand that need well enough?

He set the private thoughts down on the bedside table and looked down at the slumbering man. Victor's deep red hair fanned over the pillows, his leather ties having come undone. Satoru looked away, toward the window. "We'll keep our secrets" he whispered, "Until we don't need them anymore".

Satoru returned to his room, to await the coming of the dawn.

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Daishi stared out the window. Sleep eluded her, but then she'd known it would. Her wagons had departed days before. She disliked the slow travel they required. She'd pass them at some point on the road, but that was fine.

She thought of this new task for her. Marriage. To a stranger. Or to Shippo. That was laughable, after all the work her family had put into this alliance, she knew, she was stuck with that coyote. Perhaps he wasn't that bad. He could be kind, handsome even.

'Have you even seen a handsome coyote?' the little mental voice asked. No. But then she hadn't seen a coyote at all, so she had nothing to go on. She had lived in the house of a beautiful dog, and known only freedom and happiness. That life was about to end.

She considered fleeing down the hall to Satoru's room and throwing herself at his feet. He'd let her stay. It was pride that kept her silent now. Pride and longing for a mother and father that had abandoned her to the kindness of a stranger.

She'd been shocked when word came from them. They'd known where she was all her life, but never attempted to contact her. Satoru had been understandably angry when the message arrived. It was a simple note. Not asking after her welfare. It simply commanded that if she wished to restore honor to the house of her father, she would present herself for marriage.

"This is ludicrous" Satoru had said, "They have no right to make such demands of you Daishi". She'd nodded, "I know that". He'd growled, "What do you want to do? Shall I tell them to take their marriage and go to hell?".

She'd been silent for long minutes. The love of her mother and father echoing back to happier times, when her family had been more than she and Satoru. Strange, that her happiest memories were here, locked deep within the stones of this manor.

She'd been allowed to grow and blossom, no pressure, no constraints. Free. Loved. Tears crept unbidden to her eyes and she swallowed them back, her chest and throat aching with the fierce emotion that she was viciously reining in.

"Ludicrous" she whispered, "And we don't cry over such things". Perhaps, she could convince her soon to be husband to allow her to return. She'd mentioned such a thing to Ryu earlier. He'd given her a sad smile, "No Daishi" he had said, "A woman in that world is a possession and little more. She stays where her husband puts her".

Shippo had said nothing, watching her with burning eyes. That world of course was not his world and he'd be damned if it became her world too. They had the trip ahead, and if he couldn't win her from her unknown fiancé, he'd just have to take her from him. Either way, he'd get the prize.

Shippo, he'd been the subject of her thoughts more and more of late. Her pale green eyes narrowed in moist irritation. Ass! He was so full of himself! "I will have you" she muttered in a deep voice meant to be an appealing version of his. "Bah!"

She knew why he was doing this. They'd known one another for years, and he'd never shown more than a passing interest in her. He was trying to be noble. No doubt, he saw himself as her great savior. Well, she didn't need that, didn't want that. Shippo was a free spirit and she refused to entertain the thought of being the weight that held him down.

Satoru had told her of Shippo's offer for her. She'd laughed it off, what a nonsensical idea. A scholar and a thief! Ha! A thieving prince of all things. She shook her head, clearing the image of deep green eyes and the scent of forests in spring rain from her mind.

Strange that her lips still burned from his chaste kiss and her heart leapt at the thought of him.