City of Saints

Yay! I finally got a review ^^ and it was so nice. Thank you so much Infundibular! Constructive criticism is always welcome btw ^.^ I've changed my spacing, seperating all dialog from the character actions. Let me know if this helps. I usually type very late at night and off the top of my head so I'm sorry for the confusing layout. Anyway, thank you so much for the review and I hope this runs more smoothly for everyone.

I'd also like to apologize for the wait, this was a hard one to crank out, I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do. But I think the characters decided for me. ^.^

And finally, there is a new word to be added to the list of Latin that Kuran uses.

Scindo: divide

Ok that's all for now. Enjoy!



Kota sighed and snuggled in on himself. Everything smelled like tobacco and warmth as the covers smothered him comfortably. He didn't want to wake up, he had fallen asleep in the most beautiful place, something inside him knew he wasn't there anymore.

"Kota."

He flicked his ear at the intrusion and swished his tail under the covers in frustration. He didn't want to wake up, not ever. He listened to Kuran laugh in his throat, a warm masculine sound that stilled his tail.

"Are you hungry?"

He shook his head, even though his stomach betrayed him and growled loudly. Kuran was lying behind him, the weight of him on the bed making him ride low in the mattress.

"I have some business to attend to today."

Kota cocked his ear at him as his nose found the source of the tobacco smell.

"I thought maybe you would want to go with me."

Kota groaned and rolled over to face him, surprised to find him shirtless, leaning on his elbow with his hair spilling about his shoulders.

“I didn’t know you smoked. It’s not a very appealing trait.”

Kuran laughed quietly, unable to hide his smile as Kota held the covers up to his nose, a very tired and scolding look in his eyes.

“It’s a bad habit, but it keeps me calm.”

Kota scoffed and snuggled deeper into the covers, closing his eyes again.

“So you don’t want to come to the surface with me today?”

Kota perked his ears. He wanted to go, but everything inside him didn’t want to move, he liked where he was. Kuran sighed and rested his hand on his head, his fingers teasing his hair and ear.

“I’ll bring something back for you from outside.”

He stood fluently as Kota watched the sway of his long white coat. He reached instinctively, his hand gripping his coat. He noticed then how easily he moved. He wasn’t in pain and his shoulders were bandaged. Kuran smiled at him.

“I called the doctor last night after I brought you here. He was very good.”

He cocked his head at him as he let his fingers slide away from him.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

Kuran moved towards the door straightening his coat and shirt.

"It’s alright; I assume it’s been a while since you’ve slept comfortably.”

Fear welled up inside Kota as he watched him put on his shoes. Why was he acting to irrationally? He almost felt attached to him.

“Why are you going to the surface?”

Kota watched as Kuran pulled a gun holster from his bag and began to strap it to his leg.

“I have a mission. You don’t have to go.”

Kota rose up on the bed, suddenly disinterested in the covers and warmth.

“You can’t do a mission alone. A keeper must battle with his tool.”

Kuran didn’t look at him as he finished with his holster and made for the door.

“I did just fine against you.”

Kota threw the covers away, scrambling hurriedly out of the bed to find his shoes and shirt.

“Hold on I’m coming with you.”

Kuran leaned against the doorframe patiently, watching him search for his belongings. Kota blushed and quickly found his shirt to cover himself.

“If you come I have to ask that you conceal your ears and tail. I don’t want you to give yourself away.”

Kota’s brow furrowed as he stomped his shoe on.

“What kind of mission are you doing?”

Koran pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket and carefully lit it with small silver lighter.

“Lady Shiva wants me to meet an informant. If it goes badly, she wants me to sever them.”

Kota hurried to his side as he led them into the hall, he had never heard of the term ‘severed’. Kuran noticed his expression and rested his arm around his shoulders casually.

“It’s a spell that will cut the keeper and the tool from one another. There are two forms, the temporary and the permanent.”

Kota’s ears fell back as he masked his ears and tail, his eyes turning dark again. Kuran only watched as they hurried down the hall.

“Where will this meeting be?”

Excitement began to rise in Kota as they came closer to the exit. He felt the old usefulness returning that he had felt with Juliana, like he was waking from a long sleep.

“The city is different know. What used to be called Marx Avenue is now Market Square. They want to meet there.”

Kota was laboring to keep up with Kuran as they turned a corner and the hall became a severe incline.

“When we reach the surface stay close until I tell you otherwise.”

Kota nodded. They were rushing, a sense of urgency from keeper to tool as the air went from cool to gradually warm. Kota felt himself begin to shake with excitement as they reached the door and quickly forced it open. He was surprised by the lack of security; surely Lady Shiva was protecting their hideout. Kuran held up his lighter and flashed it in the light before moving further.

“Lady Shiva keeps snipers in the nearby buildings; this part of town is almost empty. If they were to shoot an intruder no one would notice.”

Kota stared up at the empty windows, unable to see the hiding snipers. Kuran’s fingers snared his shirtsleeve as he pulled him into the daylight. The air smelled cleaner and warm and the sky was clear. He gawked at the spring he hadn’t been able to touch until the metallic creak of a car door pulled him back into focus. Kota quickly slid across the old worn seat of the jeep as Kuran followed, closing the door solidly behind them. It was an old military jeep with metal dashboards and no seat belts. Kota glanced at Kuran with doubt as it roared to light in his hands.

“Don’t look at me like that Kota; you should trust your keeper.”

Kota crossed his arms in a very pouting fashion. Kuran hadn’t even looked at him, how could he possibly know what was running through his mind.

“It’s not you I don’t trust.”

Kuran laughed and patted the dashboard as they lurched away and started towards their destination. Kota had only ever been in a car a handful of times and found that every time he didn’t enjoy it in the least. He now found himself gripping the door handle until his knuckles were white, his eyes closed to fight the feeling of moving far too fast. His breath hitched when Kuran’s hand rested on his shoulder, partly from tenderness, but mostly from surprise.

“You’ll be alright, look around you. You haven’t seen the city in such a long time.”

Kota took a long drawn breath before calmly opening his eyes. He was still uneasy but managed to take in his surroundings as they passed. Children played on filthy streets in filthy clothes, women were hanging clothes along lines tied between run down or falling buildings. He was surprised by the lack of men, only a few were to be seen, either working on homes or running some form of shop or market.

“This is the low end of town, a lot of the buildings and homes were destroyed in the battles. They’re still being rebuilt but this district will never be what it once was. The inner city is much nicer.”

Kota looked at him as he drove. He was tense, and he could smell the nervousness rolling off him. He was tense himself but more from excitement, he didn’t feel nervousness anymore. Juliana had done well to break him of fear and worry and only to think about his next move. His grip of the door handle loosened as Kuran pulled the jeep to the battered curb of the street.

“Get out here, I have to go another block. Come when I call, quickly.”

Kota struggled with the door handle a moment before swinging it open roughly and climbing out.

“How will you call me?”

Kuran leaned over and pulled the door closed easily making Kota blush as he watched the long muscles of his body stretch under his shirt.

“You’ll know, I know you’ll feel it. Stay out of trouble.”

Kota watched him drive away and disappear around the block. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and slowly followed him. He didn't want to get too close but he didn't want to be too far to respond to his call.

**

Kuran smiled to himself as he parked the jeep. Kota had responded to him, more so than he had expected him to as he remembered the pretty pink of his cheeks. He would have to remember how he had enticed such a response. He parked next to the cracked sidewalk; the dark alley was only a few feet away. He sighed and forced himself out of the vehicle and towards his destination. He knew he could reach out to Kota but would he feel him? He wasn't sure what he would be waiting for him around the corner, he wasn't even sure Kota could handle the situation if it went bad. He was still weak and out of practice. He rounded the corner, a calm falling over him as he slid his hands into his coat pockets. Two forms stood before him, both of them male and close to him in age.

"Kuran?"

He nodded, he had to keep his game face on, even without Kota to channel he could feel the energy rolling off them. But something wasn't right.

"What does Lord Dirkas send to Lady Shiva?"

One of the forms shook his head.

"That's not very polite. Are you alone? So foolish of you."

Kuran reached out to Kota as the air around him began to snap.

**

Kota paced anxiously, tensing his body in an effort to hear Kuran's call. He wanted so badly to reach out and feel the informant's power but doing so would exploit his own and Kuran had stressed discreteness. He sighed and leaned against a building, frustrated. It had only been ten minutes; surely Kuran could handle things, unless he should face a pair. Kota put a hand to his forehead, reaching only a short distance with his energy, searching out Kuran. His fingers dug deeply into his scalp as a sharp call reached him. It took everything for him not to double over from the pain. The only time he had ever been called with such force was when Juliana was dying. Kota forced himself past the pain as he bolted for Kuran. He would not stand by while another keeper was killed. As he rounded the corner to the alley the smell of blood filled his nose. Everything left him then; his kitsune came screaming out as he lunged at the enemy. He would have ripped them apart if Kuran hadn't grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him to his chest. His arms encircled him and held him fast as he leaned away from him, snarling at the enemy. Kuran leaned down to his lowered ears, his breath falling lightly against his hair.

"Don't be rash Kota, it's only a scrape. Take control."

Kuran released him despite the fact he was still shaking with anger. One of the men clapped his hands as Kuran's fingers slid into the back of his collar, giving him some stability as he stood between the danger and his keeper.

"I told you Soma, I knew he was wielding the great Shane."

Kota growled low in his throat as Kuran's fingers slid against the back of his neck.

"My name is Kota. And you have no room to talk when using a tool that doesn't belong to you."

Kuran glanced at their adversary and realized why the energy didn't feel right. It was clashing rather that combining in harmony.

"You're very attuned Kota."

He was losing his patience with the insolence of them.

"What do you want?"

The one called Soma stepped forward, placing himself between the problem and his keeper.

"We have a message from Lord Dirkas for your master."

Kuran's fingers left his collar but Kota was still held fast as they traveled to the nape of his neck to tease his hair.

"Then give it to us and leave."

The keeper smiled.

"You're injured Kota. I think it would be more fun if you took it from us, don't you?"

Kota struck out hard against the keeper as the tool struck out at Kota.

"Declino."

Kota only flinched a moment before a boundary broke the energy around them. Kota didn’t have to glance at Kuran to know he was the cause.

"A caster, now nice. You know, if I rip out your throat you can't utter your evil words."

Kota bristled as Kuran held the boundary, his fingers. His fingers slid along his jaw and tilted his head so he could whisper in his ear. Kota gazed at the waiting opponent with as much heat as his eyes could muster.

"They're energy is in contrast. Separate them and we double the damage while dividing the power."

Kota nodded and tried to remember a time when Juliana had touched him to tenderly. She never had. The boundary fell and Kota quickly lashed out, forcing them apart as the ripple of the blow struck the keeper firmly. Both keeper and tool cried out, the pain affecting both equally.

"Scindo."

A boundary rose between them as Kota found himself on the side of the keeper. Kuran released him, allowing him to lunge at the man. He wasn't a caster, or a kitsune, without his tool he was nothing. Kota danced around him, ripping and slashing and they jumping away. Attack and evade, just as Juliana had taught him. The screams of pain from the tool sent chills down his spine and made his hair stand on end.

"Kota, come."

With a final snarl he danced away, returning to Kuran who rewarded him by scratching his ears. The keeper was barely standing; blood falling from various cuts and slashes. The tool was still, shaking on the ground from the stinging pain. Kota was still targeting him as Kuran slid his fingers under the collar, pulling him closer. He didn't stop bristling until those gentle fingers found his hair and tightened painfully, forcing head back to look at him.

"You did well Kota, but killing them will get us nowhere."

He glanced away from his hypnotic gaze, scanning his chest to find a large deep gash tattering his shirt and coat. A sharp jerk brought his attention back to his eyes. He pulled him up until he was standing on his toes, his eyelids fluttering shut in time for Kuran's lips to rest against his.

"You're sick Kuran. And Shane is even more disgusting! His type is unnatural. A tool cannot serve two keepers!"

Kuran looked up at him, still holding Kota firm.

"What does Lord Dirkas want to tell our Lady?"

The tool cackled from where he was lying.

"He knows where she is hiding. He wanted us to draw you away to let you know."

Kuran felt Kota stiffen in his hands.

"What do you mean?"

Kota's fingers gripped the front of his shirt desperately. He no longer wanted to be there. The keeper managed to straighten himself.

"An ambush."

Kota wretched himself free and dashed towards the jeep. Kuran quickly followed as the tool laughed at them.

"You're too late!"

Kota scrambled into the vehicle as Kuran followed and closed the door.

"Lets go!"

The jeep roared to life again as they pulled away from the curb.


Yay! Ok, I hope to get another chapter out soon. Plz R&R or I'll be sad. tata!