Chapter One

"Just a little bit closer...." Chay mumbled as he inched up the wall. The blue glass surface was slick, with only shallow grooves of etched decoration to hold on to. His upper arms ached with the effort to maintain his grip. Chay chanced a look up and saw the faint glow of the window only a few hand-lengths away; his goal was so close now.

When he reached the window, Chay let out a groan. "Damn them," he muttered. The window opening was covered with threads of a strong protection spell. They crisscrossed and formed a tight mesh of magical light that glowed orange to Chay's other sight. ::I knew it as gonna be like this.::

A grouchy voice echoed in Chay's head. What do you expect when you try breaking into an Imperial councilor's apartments? Apprentice level magic? Morrow grumbled at Chay, making his annoyance known. Morrow had not wanted to go on this insane job, but Chay had insisted.

Chay frowned at Morrow's bad attitude and examined the mesh of threads for a weak spot. Finding what he was looking for, he withdrew three black metal needles from his belt pouch. He brought them to his lips and kissed them, then mumbled a quick activation spell. They flared bright violet for a moment before settling down to a soft purple glow. Chay sighed with relief. The interrupters he'd purchased from Korin worked. You never knew what you were going to get with magiks purchased on the streets, but Chay's supplier had come through with some functioning spells- not an easy thing to do when interrupters were extremely expensive and highly illegal. But this job was worth all the personal expense. If he captured the prize, he could be rich beyond his dreams.

Chay inserted one of the needles into a tiny hole in the crisscrossing mesh of magical threads and watched as the strands immediately surrounding the interrupter changed from orange to gray. The remaining needles went into other spots on the mesh, creating a large section of gray.

Chay's fingers were beginning to shake from hanging onto the wall. He had to hurry. Grabbing a curved knife from his belt, he muttered another quick magic word and felt the blade and grip grow warm to the touch. Without delay he sliced through the now-dormant magical threads and pulled himself through the window.

A soft knock at the door interrupted Mikage's reading.

"Yes?" he asked, moving from a sitting position to a kneeling one, facing the door as it swung open. A young woman wearing nothing but a wrap of shimmery gold and white cloth around her waist entered the room. It was Megwin, a young palace servant.
 

"I have been asked to inform you that your new Master will be arriving soon, and to help you prepare for her arrival." Megwin walked farther into the room, examining the condition it was in. "But I can see there was no need. Your room is, as usual, immaculate."

Mikage said nothing to this and just stared at her, waiting for her to leave. She looked a little annoyed at his silence.

"Your new Master should arrive sometime tonight, so be ready. I do not know her name yet, but the Oracle says she will be in need of a bath and dinner."

Mikage nodded to her, and she turned to leave.

As soon as the door closed, Mikage returned to his previous position against one of the walls and curled into a ball, resting his forehead on his knees and closing his eyes.

::A new Master at last! And another woman this time!:: Mikage had been the property of three previous Masters - two women and one man - in the five years he had been at the palace. He liked his masters; they were kind to him. He knew that many other slaves in the Palace were not so fortunate. However, all three of his Masters left him after only a few months, even though they had claimed to be pleased with him. It left Mikage full of questions.

::Why have I been left alone for the past three years? Who is this new Master that is coming? And why was her arrival predicted by the Oracle?:: Mikage was almost in awe.

The Oracle was one of the owners of the Palace. No one Mikage knew had ever seen or spoken with the Oracle directly or even knew who he or she actually was. All that was known about the mysterious person was that they had a share in running the Palace, and that he or she possessed the gift of magical insight. It was said that if the Oracle saw something, it would happen. He or she had great magical talent that went beyond anything he had seen at the Palace since becoming one of the slaves. The idea of the existence of Magic and the possibility of foreseeing the future fascinated Mikage. He had no idea why his new Master's arrival would be significant enough to have been seen by the Oracle, but he was now interested enough to make himself presentable for her.

::My new Master must be someone very important,:: Mikage reasoned, lifting his head and looking around his room. ::And she is arriving soon. I shall do as Megwin bid and prepare myself.:: He rose to his feet and walked into his bathing chamber.

"There has to be SOMETHING in here that is worth a high level mesh spell to protect," Chay whispered, looking around the office.

You came all this way and you don't even know what you are going to steal? Morrow asked.

Chay grimaced. "Shush! I didn't hear you cautioning me against this venture! You were just as excited to piss of the Councilor as I was!"

Don't go shifting the blame to me! I thought you said there was an item you were going after! You mentioned some prize! Morrow hissed back.

Chay approached a desk and, with practiced ease, found all the hidden compartments and drawers built into it. Nothing of value could be found.

"Yes, there is an item in here that I am after, I just don't know exactly what it is...." Chay sighed and shook his head at his own stupidity. He could feel the other mesh spells protecting the room. There was a web of orange strands covering the door, and another window was still wrapped up in similar orange light. The hum of the protection spells was very distracting. There had to be something in here worth taking.

Chay closed all the desk drawers and continued his examination of the room. Councilor Ilara was one of the highest ranking government officials in Rhimas and also one of the most close-minded. Her strict beliefs and great influence in the council swayed the other members into voting her way, and people like Chay were left to live with the outcome.

He seethed at the thought. He had been born and raised on the streets of Rhimas, and it was by the very stubbornness of his character and strength of mind that he was able to make it to the age of 17 with his soul intact. He'd lived in squallor, while Council Ilara sat smugly in this beautiful office. It pissed him off.

Chay had always known he was different, and he'd done everything he could to take advantage of his skills and rise above his origins. Trust no one. Allow no one close. Believe in yourself. That was the code Chay lived by, and it had helped him survive. Now he was the most infamous highcrawler in the city. He could steal anything for the right price. However, this time the mission was purely personal. No one had paid him to break into Ilara's office. This time he was stealing for himself.

Chay dropped to his knees and peered under a leather couch and the table in front of it. Nothing. He ran his hands along the underside of the table, searching for some sort of trigger to a secret compartment, but once again found nothing. He stood up again and examned the walls. There were two landscape paintings, but a search behind them yielded no secret compartments of false walls. The room was, by all appearances, a normal office. But Chay knew beyond a doubt that Councilor Ilara was anything but normal.

The news that Ilara was back in the city, after many months of staying at the capital for council sessions, had sparked Chay's interest. Ilara made no secret of her loathing for Rhimas, so he'd wondered why she was returning. He had watched from the shadows the day of her arrival, following the procession of fancy carriages and vehicles from a safe distance. But even from far away, Chay could feel the power emanating from Ilara's person, power that did not 'taste' of her signature red magic. She had something else on her person, something foreign and very, very powerful. Was this the reason she had returned? Chay instantly decided he wanted whatever it was for himself. Personal vendettas were not his usual. But something about the new magical presence he felt called to him.

If only it would call to him now. Looking around Ilara's office, Chay could not sense a firm location of the magical item in his other sight. He knew it was in here, but the exact spot would not be pinpointed.

You have to concentrate! Morrow reminded Chay. The protective spells are disrupting your abilities. Close your eyes and feel for the item.

For once, Chay listened to Morrow and closed his eyes. He pressed his gloved fingertips to his temples and opened his other sight. The hum of the orange threads faded and he searched the room for the new magic. As his inner gaze hit the corner of the room behind the main door, his senses lit up with an almost blinding flash of magical light.

Chay's eyes shot open and he stumbled back, hitting the corner of a bookcase and falling to the floor. He pulled his other sight back and lay on the carpet panting. ::Well, I found it, no doubt about that! :: He could still feel the imprint of the magic lingering in his mind, like light-spots on the back of his eyelids after looking at a bright light. Every muscle in Chay's body was shaking from the experience. Whatever the items was, it had a distinct flavor of green power, and was locked inside a box hidden under the floorboards in the corner of the room.

Mikage took some extra pains with his appearance. After soaking in a lightly scented bath, he dressed in a formal robe of peach silk embroidered with dusky rose flowers and dark green vines. He brushed his clean black hair until it shimmered and let it fall loose over his back and down to his knees. The only accessories he wore were 2 small butterfly clips in his hair to keep it out of his eyes, and a thin bracelet of copper. Mikage's almond-shaped eyes were accented by a faint touch of kohl and peach shadow. A hint of faint dusky rose gloss colored his lips.

He arranged some of his silk pillows and cushions on the bed and cleared the tatami mats of obstacles. His room glowed with the light of the setting sun streaming in through a wall entirely made of windows. Soon the sun would set and illumination panels would be the source of light in the room. Mikage preferred to use only one of the many light panels, to preserve the intimate atmosphere.

Now ready for his new Master, Mikage settled back to await her arrival. He picked up a book and read for awhile, occasionally glancing up to see the sun completely set, and the sky change to the dark blue of the night sky.

Mikage began to wonder if perhaps the Oracle was mistaken and his new Master was not going to arrive this evening after all. The hour was getting late. He sighed with annoyance. Why was he so anxious?

You found it, great! Morrow exclaimed. But you'd better hurry! Your presence will soon be noticed, if it hasn't already.

Chay grunted in agreement, pulled himself to his knees, and crawled over to the corner of the room. He pulled out his curved knife and cut through the carpet and then pulled up a floorboard. Directly beneath it was another mesh of high-level protective spells. Chay used his last interrupter on the mesh and cut through the dim threads to reveal a small compartment containing a long wooden box. Slowly Chay picked it up, careful not to let the box touch the still-active protection threads.

He could feel a gentle vibration as he held the box. Examing it, he found a small latch on the front that was not magically protected.

You don't have time for this, you have to get out of here! Morrow nagged. See what's in the box later!

Chay sighed and slipped the box into a pouch. He was turning back to the window when suddenly a crashing sound came from the hall outside the office door.

"The protection wards have been broken!"

Chay grimaced. It was Ilara herself. It sounded like she had a battalion of guards with her. He had to get out of the office fast! Chay pulled a rope from his belt and tied it around the leg of the desk. Then he raced to the window and slipped out. Clutching the rope, he hung from the window edge, struggling to get some sort of grip with his feet on the slick glass walls. His feet refused to gain purchase on the wall and he continued to hang.

He could hear the chanting of the royal mages coming from outside the office. They were releasing the protection spells on the outer door and would be inside the office in moments. Chay looked down and the ground seemed impossibly far. He twisted his waist and grunted as his feet continued to slide.

Just as the door to the office burst open, Chay's feet hit the wall. He immediately pushed off it again and began to propel himself down. Shouts from the guards came from above. Chay's heart raced with excitement and fear. The rope slipped through his gloved hands, and he could feel the friction heat burning against his palms. He was just over halfway to the bottom when the rope he held onto was cut from above. There was a split second of weightlessness before he plummeted to the ground.

Chay hit the turf hard. His ankle twisted and he landed on his side, hitting his head on a magically sculpted rock. He was unconscious for a few moments, but Chay recovered quickly. He could feel a warm wetness trickle down his temple.

Move! Move! Morrow urged.

Head ringing, Chay lurched to his feet. His legs quivered, but his sense of self-preservation spurred him on. He limped between the buildings of the Councilor Compound, heading towards the wall that he had entered from. The grounds suddenly lit up as light orbs burst into existence.

"Shit!"

Voices were coming from all sides, and Chay could feel the air quiver with magic. Search spells. No doubt Ilara had the best mages in the Empire after him. His breathing was coming in quick gasps. His side hurt terribly, and his thigh throbbed. He'd landed on the box and a corner dug into his thigh. Fortunately the box was undamaged.

Chay reached the wall and looked for the enchanted rope he'd stashed away for his escape. It was no longer where he'd hidden it. Who the hell had taken his rope? The shouts were getting louder. The guards would be upon him in no time.

The box! Maybe there was something he could use in it. Chay reached into his pelt pouch and withdrew the box. He flipped the latch and opened it. Nestled in a cushion of golden velvet was a large polished brass key. A blue crystal knob was on the handle and attached to the knob was a golden tassel and a small charm in the shape of an arrow. Next to the key was a thick golden ring with four large blue stones set into it. The magical aura emanating from the box was overpowering.

"There's the scum!"

Chay glanced up to see several royal guards running towards him. He looked around frantically. There was no way he could make it up the wall now. None of his spells were powerful enough to stop the guards. He looked at the box in his hands. No doors in the wall would would require a key like this. He took the key from its velvet cushion and gripped it in his right hand. Then he took the ring and slipped it on his finger. A feeling of intense power raced up his arm. The guards had formed a circle around Chay now, and were closing in. He threw the box at the guards, but they laughed and moved closer.

Chay held his ground. But then the guards parted to allow another to approach. It was Ilara herself! Chay gasped at the sinister gleam in her eyes and fervently wished he was anywhere other than where he was right now.

It was almost sunrise when Mikage woke from his slumber. He blinked, for a moment disoriented. He was sitting in the corner of his room against the wall. His book was in his lap. He must have fallen asleep while reading. This was highly unusual; Mikage was normally very fastidious about his grooming habits and had a long ritual of preparation before bed. He blinked a few times and wondered what had awakened him.

Mikage was heading for his bed when a groan from outside his room caught his attention. He tentatively approached his door. When he was without a Master, Mikage was allowed some roaming time around the Palace, but now that a new Master had been assigned to him, he was supposed to remain confined to his chamber and not allowed out without permission. Mikage frowned. He shouldn't go out to see what was happening.

Another groan came from beyond the door.

Mikage sighed. Very well, he couldn't just listen to the pathetic moaning all night long.

Mikage opened the door and peeked out.

Crumpled in a heap in the hallway outside of the door was a person holding the Sagittarius Key. The Key to Mikage's room.

::This is my new Master!::

Another groan issued from the heap and it began to move. Mikage took a step back and watched as the person crawled to a standing position. It wasn't a woman at all! A young man stood before Mikage, an expression of utter confusion on his handsome features. A trail of blood ran from his temple, down his cheek, and dripped off his chin. His grip on the Key was so tight Mikage could see his knuckles were white.

"Where-?" Mikage's new Master said, right before falling forward into Mikage's arms, passed out completely.

Chapter Two

Mikage staggered under the weight of his new Master. After a moment of total shock, he regained his senses and looked around the hallway for a Palace servant to assist him. Unfortunately, the halls were empty. The young man, obviously injured, had fallen face-first into his arms, and was getting very heavy. He had to do something right away. Mikage struggled with the limp body, forcing the arms over his shoulders and around his neck, in a position resembling an embrace. He stepped back into his room, and then turned as best he could with the burden in his arms and nudged the chamber door closed with his toe.

Mikage dragged his Master over to the bed, which was merely a sunken portion of the floor filled with a mattress and plenty of pillows. The Key that was in his Master's hand slipped from his limp fingers and landed on the tatami mats with a thud, but Mikage ignored it. He wasn't sure how to handle his Master without aggravating his injuries further, but he did the best he could. He kneeled by the bed area, and slowly lifted his Master's arms from around his neck and carefully slid him back against the pillows. Little did Mikage guess when he arranged these pillows that he would be using them for this purpose. Mikage smiled wryly to himself.

With a grunt of effort, Mikage pushed his master into a more natural position flat on his back and arranged the pillows around him. He sighed. "What in heavens name happened to you, my Master?" he whispered. Mikage thought about calling the Palace servants for assistance, but paused to consider. ::Why is my master injured? How did he get to my room in such a condition?:: The Palace staff would not allow a Master to be in such a condition; the Palace was a place of pleasure for them. Mikage had a strange feeling about this whole situation. He was unused to being so uncertain, and he didn't like it. There had to be a reason for his Master's strange and sudden appearance. Mikage decided he should make an examination of his Master first to see if the injury wasn't something he could attend to on his own.

After turning on more of his room's light panels, Mikage lowered himself into a comfortable kneeling position on the floor next to the bed and got his first really good look at his new Master.

::Beautiful... young like myself... I have never seen anyone like him before...:: Mikage could only stare transfixed at the unconscious form. He knew he should be rushing to help his Master, but he couldn't help letting his gaze linger over his exotic physical beauty.

His Master was slender but muscular, with pale, creamy skin lighter than Mikage's own golden tones. His face, relaxed in unconsciousness, was perfect- oval in shape with a slightly pointed chin, straight nose, high cheekbones, and coal black eyebrows that arched imperiously over eyes whose color Mikage desperately wanted to know. He had been unable to see his Master's eyes in the dimness of the hallway.

Yes, his master was quite beautiful in face and limb, but it was his Master's hair that fascinated Mikage the most. It was just long enough to tickle the back of his shirt collar. There was a section in front that was longer and flopped into his face. Mikage couldn't stop staring at the color. At the roots, his Master's hair was black. The pure ebony continued until about an inch and a half from the tips where it suddenly changed to a dark metallic jewel green that glittered in the glow of the light panels. It was as if someone had dipped his Master's head in a bucket of metallic paint. Mikage wondered if the coloring was natural as he reached out a hand to touch the hair. It felt like softest satin beneath his fingers.

Just then, Mikage caught sight of the blood running along his Master's temple, and recoiled in horror. ::What have you been doing! Staring at him like this when he could be in pain!::

Shame rattled Mikage's frame and he immediately went to the bathing chamber to get some towels and a basin of water. ::I have never been so distracted from my duty before!:: He returned to his master and sponged the blood off his face and looked for the cause of the wound. it was a shallow, but long cut on his temple near his hairline. Mikage sighed with relief.It was not serious. Perhaps it was the shock of the wound that caused his Master to collapse. But what had caused the wound?

Checking to see if there were any other injuries, Mikage slowly unfastened the buckle at his Master's waist and removed what looked to be some sort of light tool belt. Without pausing to examine the contents of the many pouches in the belt, Mikage continued undressing his Master. He moved to his Master's feet and tried to pull off the tight knee-length boots, but the slightest tug caused his Master to groan. Mikage glanced up, but saw his Master was still unconscious, and was now in pain. Mikage sighed. He would have to cut the boots off. They were were very tight, and the strong black leather resisted his knife, but Mikage finally cut them enough to pull them away. He winced at what he saw.

His Master had a badly injured ankle. It was swollen badly, and the skin was an angry red color. Mikage wanted to stop and examine the ankle, but decided instead to look for more injuries. He carefully pulled off his Master's tight black pants to reveal strong, muscular legs. One thigh had a huge bruise on it, with a long gash that began to ooze blood. After pausing to quickly clean that wound, Mikage pulled off his Master's black gloves and slowly removed the black turtleneck shirt, careful to avoid any unnecessary movement of the injured body. Fortunately, his Master's muscled chest was free of serious injuries, but was peppered with small bruises.

What a mess!

Mikage soaked another cloth in some warm water and began to clean his Master as best he could. He marvelled at the pale luminescence of his Master's skin, the strength in the muscled arms and legs. He frowned as he encountered one bruise after another, and made sure his touch over the injured areas was light. Then Mikage returned the basin to the bath room and returned with a thick sheet, which he tore into strips. ::I should call the staff and request bandages... no, I can't alert them to my situation until I find out what happened to my Master.:: He bandaged his master's thigh, and found his gaze wandering again over his master's body. Mikage shook himself and moved to the swollen ankle. He didn't believe it was broken, but his Master would not be able to walk
on it for several days. It would cause him great pain. Finally Mikage checked the cut on his Master's head and found that the bleeding had stopped. He decided that once his master regained consciousness, he would move him to the bathroom, where he could soak all his sore muscles in the steaming waters of his large tub.

Mikage gently stroked his Master's hair. It was so dark and soft, and the ends shimmered in the soft light. He found himself not merely offering his Master comfort with the soothing touch, but also taking pleasure from being at his Master's side. How unusual.

Mikage's slender fingers absently played with his Master's hair as he thought over what he was going to do next. He was filled with uncertainty and doubt. The Oracle had predicted a woman Master for Mikage, yet it was definitely a young man who had arrived holding the Key. And Mikage was bound to serve the holder of the Sagittarius Key.

Suddenly Mikage felt a warm tingling at his fingertips. He glanced down and found that the hand tangled in his Master's hair was glowing a pale green color.

Oi! Chay! Wake up! Open your eyes damn you!

Chay's reaction to Morrow's yelling in his mind was to squeeze his eyes more tightly shut. His head throbbed. What had happened, did he drink too much ale at the tavern last night? Then Chay became aware of the aching pain in the rest of his body and he suddenly remembered. ::The ring, the key, the guards coming after me!:: Chay's eyes shot open.

No, the guards didn't get you.

"Wha..." Chay groaned, struggling to see where he was. But the light was dim, and the air was still. His body ached like the devil. He closed his eyes again and just lay there breathing. ::Morrow, what happened, where am I?::

You'll see.

::What happened after the guards surrounded me? I was at the Councilor Compound, and I was cornered, then-:: Chay could feel Morrow's frustration. He did not know what happened either.

Chay let out a slow breath and then breathed in deeply, noting the musky spice scent in the mild air. It was.... pleasant, and that was the LAST thing he expected to find in a dungeon of Ilara, if that was where he was.

Suddenly he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and heard a soft voice.

"Ah, are you awake now, Master?"

Did he hear that correctly? Was someone calling him Master? Chay groaned again and struggled to open his eyes. The soft touch left his shoulder and moved to his forehead, a soft, cool hand against his brow. Chay blinked and waited for his eyes to focus, but when they did, Chay closed them again, for what he saw surely could not be real.

Chay heard a gentle chuckle, and then that soft voice with its strangely cultured accent.

"You slept for longer than I anticipated. Please, you must be hungry, I have brought you some food..."

Chay opened his eyes again and realized the vision before him was real. Kneeling beside him was a young man in a beautiful loose robe of warm burgundy, embroidered with gold and green butterflies. the front gaped open, and Chay could see an expanse of flat, smooth chest. The young man's long black hair flowed from a knot at the crown of his head, over his shoulder, and brushed the cushion only inches from Chay's fingertips. Chay blinked and could only stare at the rich golden color of the skin and the delicate structure of the face that looked at him with such an expression of concern. Their eyes met and the young man seemed for a moment startled. Chay gasped. Those eyes- he had never seen their like. They were almond-shaped and tilted at the corners. Their color was very dark, with widely-dilated, round pupils. The young man smiled, a faint lift of the corners of sensual lips, but the subtle movement made the handsome face breathtaking. ::Who- who is this creature? He is so beautiful, almost feminine in his beauty, but... there is a strength I can feel- is this person human?::

Chay struggled to speak, but his voice would not come. He struggled to move, but his limbs would not respond.

"So you're Chayrin," the handsome young man said, "Morrow has told me so much about you."