die to take away that magic, and he would accomplish it by using Kinni to take him there.
He bit back an urge to laugh, afraid it would not come out as laughter at all.
Chapter Four: Blasphemy
"Master Raiden, the ship is here!"
Raiden looked up, amused as ever that, even though he had twenty-three ships to his name, only one was ever referred to as the ship , and that ship had only been in service a few years. He set aside the drafted contract that had arrived just that morning, along with a missive of urgency from Prince Nankyokukai, and went to greet Kin.
He strode out of his office and through the warehouse, wincing at the racket that his office mostly muffled. Men called out to him in greeting, and Raiden waved back, but did not slow his steps. Outside, he quickly made his way to where the Kumiko was docked. "Hail, Captain!" he called up cheerfully, grinning when Kin only shot him a scathing look in reply.
One of the sailors, already disembarked and helping to load crates on wagons and carts as they were hauled off ship, snorted in amusement and said, "Had several run-ins with the mermaids, Master Raiden, and a brief squall put us several hours behind schedule at the last moment. Otherwise we would have arrived half a day early."
Raiden laughed. "That would explain his sour mood, cert—" He broke off when he saw a tall man disembark, immediately recognizing his white hair and pale green eyes and feeling the power that emanated from him. Why was the White Panther in Kundou? He swept an elegant bow as Lord Ailill le Blanc drew close. "Your grace, welcome to Kundou."
"Thank you," Ailill replied. "Am I safe in assuming that you are the Master Raiden about whom I have heard so much?"
"Guilty as charged, your grace. Might I be so bold as to inquire as to your purpose in visiting our humble islands? Is there any way I might serve?"
Laughing, Ailill replied, "I am looking for something, actually: a piece of jewelry."
"My specialty," Raiden replied. "I am certain that if Kin discussed me, he complained about how much money I waste buying up baubles. What piece of jewelry?"
"It's a tiara, made of rubi and esmeralda. Nine hundred years old, it's called—"
"The Roses of the Faerie Queen," Raiden cut in softly. "Set in white gold, lost a long time ago, but it was found about two centuries ago and sold to the White Bat of the time. Civil unrest caused it to be lost again, though rumors surfaced about fifty years ago that it had been found again. However did you trace it to Kundou? I have heard no rumors that it is here."
Ailill's mouth tightened. "You won't. Anyone who spilled the rumor is dead. Someone of Piedre origins has it, and I believe he has made his way here to hide."
"Then he will likely be in the Sand district, your grace. That is where the foreign citizens tend to gather when they do not want to draw attention. Here, I will have someone escort you. Yuki!" he called the young man over and gave him orders.
"Thank you for the assistance, Master Raiden. Your knowledge is most impressive."
"I love jewels," Raiden replied with a casual shrug. "Good luck in your hunt. The Roses belong in Verde, and I fervently hope they return there with you."
Ailill smiled at him. "Bid your Captain farewell for me; he's a good man."
Raiden nodded, then glanced up at Kin, amused that he had dallied with Ailill when he was usually so staunchly against mixing business and pleasure. "I will, your grace. Farewell."
"Farewell."
He watched as Ailill walked away, led by Yuki, until they vanished from sight. The sound of footsteps approaching finally drew his attention, and Raiden turned, smirking. "Kin, how unlike you to fuck a duke—and a White Beast at that! I see you are finally learning to be—"
"Oh, shut up. I refuse to be mocked by a man who looks like he got into a fight with several cans of paint and came out the loser for it."
Raiden ignored that. "So I hear you suffered an inordinate number of attacks."
Kin
He bit back an urge to laugh, afraid it would not come out as laughter at all.
Chapter Four: Blasphemy
"Master Raiden, the ship is here!"
Raiden looked up, amused as ever that, even though he had twenty-three ships to his name, only one was ever referred to as the ship , and that ship had only been in service a few years. He set aside the drafted contract that had arrived just that morning, along with a missive of urgency from Prince Nankyokukai, and went to greet Kin.
He strode out of his office and through the warehouse, wincing at the racket that his office mostly muffled. Men called out to him in greeting, and Raiden waved back, but did not slow his steps. Outside, he quickly made his way to where the Kumiko was docked. "Hail, Captain!" he called up cheerfully, grinning when Kin only shot him a scathing look in reply.
One of the sailors, already disembarked and helping to load crates on wagons and carts as they were hauled off ship, snorted in amusement and said, "Had several run-ins with the mermaids, Master Raiden, and a brief squall put us several hours behind schedule at the last moment. Otherwise we would have arrived half a day early."
Raiden laughed. "That would explain his sour mood, cert—" He broke off when he saw a tall man disembark, immediately recognizing his white hair and pale green eyes and feeling the power that emanated from him. Why was the White Panther in Kundou? He swept an elegant bow as Lord Ailill le Blanc drew close. "Your grace, welcome to Kundou."
"Thank you," Ailill replied. "Am I safe in assuming that you are the Master Raiden about whom I have heard so much?"
"Guilty as charged, your grace. Might I be so bold as to inquire as to your purpose in visiting our humble islands? Is there any way I might serve?"
Laughing, Ailill replied, "I am looking for something, actually: a piece of jewelry."
"My specialty," Raiden replied. "I am certain that if Kin discussed me, he complained about how much money I waste buying up baubles. What piece of jewelry?"
"It's a tiara, made of rubi and esmeralda. Nine hundred years old, it's called—"
"The Roses of the Faerie Queen," Raiden cut in softly. "Set in white gold, lost a long time ago, but it was found about two centuries ago and sold to the White Bat of the time. Civil unrest caused it to be lost again, though rumors surfaced about fifty years ago that it had been found again. However did you trace it to Kundou? I have heard no rumors that it is here."
Ailill's mouth tightened. "You won't. Anyone who spilled the rumor is dead. Someone of Piedre origins has it, and I believe he has made his way here to hide."
"Then he will likely be in the Sand district, your grace. That is where the foreign citizens tend to gather when they do not want to draw attention. Here, I will have someone escort you. Yuki!" he called the young man over and gave him orders.
"Thank you for the assistance, Master Raiden. Your knowledge is most impressive."
"I love jewels," Raiden replied with a casual shrug. "Good luck in your hunt. The Roses belong in Verde, and I fervently hope they return there with you."
Ailill smiled at him. "Bid your Captain farewell for me; he's a good man."
Raiden nodded, then glanced up at Kin, amused that he had dallied with Ailill when he was usually so staunchly against mixing business and pleasure. "I will, your grace. Farewell."
"Farewell."
He watched as Ailill walked away, led by Yuki, until they vanished from sight. The sound of footsteps approaching finally drew his attention, and Raiden turned, smirking. "Kin, how unlike you to fuck a duke—and a White Beast at that! I see you are finally learning to be—"
"Oh, shut up. I refuse to be mocked by a man who looks like he got into a fight with several cans of paint and came out the loser for it."
Raiden ignored that. "So I hear you suffered an inordinate number of attacks."
Kin
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