The road stretched out over hard, red, dusty desert stripped bone dry by the angry sun as it hung in the apex of the blue dome of the cloudless heavens. Only scavengers circled through the air, following the course of a lone rider on a black antelope stag. A tall, lean man of seven feet, his tan skin was shadowed by a broad-brimmed black hat, his muscled physique hidden under a well worn duster-- at his waist was a gun belt with two revolvers, on his saddle a long rifle, on his back a pair of elegant curved swords, and over his heart-- a single brass star.

This was the Sheriff of the Land Beyond the Dragon's Grasp: Asahi Hiromori. A stern featured man, with raven black scales along his jaw, and black hair shot with silver at his temples, tied under his broad brimmed hat. And he had places to be.

Namely a Cynri village at the edge of his jurisdiction. He rarely had business there-- the Cynri governed themselves, for the most part, only called on him when an outsider was involved.  And, even then, so long as the outsider wasn't a citizen of the Independent Lands, they handled it themselves. Asahi liked the beast-folk, though he still wasn't sure about calling them that, but there wasn't much better way to describe them-- hulking, muscular, furred, some with horns, some without, all with long, saber-teeth.  He'd made the mistake once of assuming they were all men, but learned that their horns were the key to telling them apart-- the villagers out here still mocked him over that.  Hopefully, though the Cynri of Clanmount would be in good spirits, and that this wasn't going to turn into a problem.

He prayed to Ameiaa, mother of all dragons, that this was not going to be a problem.

But, when he had received the messages-- so many messages, delivered by so many exhausted traveler jays-- he knew that this might be the sort of problem that turned into trouble.  If it wasn't for the deadly grasp of Summer heat, he'd be spurring his antelope into a dead sprint, but for now he just had to tolerate the beast's rolling trot.  

"At least it's pretty out here."  He muttered, to the air, or so he assumed.

"Aye, it is, Sheriff." 

He nearly fell from the saddle as he heard the voice, as deep as a storm, but as fleeting as a cool wind he looked back to see the rider who had come up behind him.  It was a Cynri-- her fur the color of the sand of the road, riding a stockier sort of antelope, wearing strips of cloth and chains of bones and polished stones to mark her rank. This was a Singer, and one he knew well.

"Valiesin, you should know well not to sneak up on a well armed man."

"I know no other way of traveling, but to cross Mother Desert in silence."  Metered, measured, even not speaking her native tongue, her voice could have been set to music.  "Was but riding out to meet you, Winter-born."

Winter-born. When he had told them that he had come from a frozen island in the Golden Empire, where it snowed for over half the year, the Cynri had taken that as some portent.  When he had dealt with a pack of Deserai bandits with a cold hand, they had named him Winter-born.  A man with an icy soul, or so he thought.  Winter, seemed to have a different meaning to these folks, one he was still working out.

"What happened?  The message just said there was trouble with Mikasi."  He said, keeping his voice as level as he could.  There was a rising panic in his chest he was still fighting down. 

"'Tis not the sort of trouble that warrants a pounding heart, Sheriff, just the manner of trouble that warrants your presence.  Katsuo already rode ahead, though the jays reached him with greater swiftness."  Valiesin nearly sang, though her voice was low as she brought her dun antelope up beside him.  On her feet, she'd be six feet tall, easily, almost his height if she straightened her back, and as she spoke, her long teeth flashed in her cat-like muzzle.

"You summoned Katsuo here as well?" That did little to calm him, knowing Katsuo had made the ride out here.

"Seemed only fitting for both to come out, rather than try to send Mikasi home."  Valesin leaned back on her saddle, resting clawed hands on the rump of the antelope, soaking sunlight into her fur.  It shimmered, and turned golden-- a reminder that the Cynri, though friendly to outsiders, were fae. Just the sight of that slight change was enough to let him know he'd get no straight answers until they reached the village.

"And, Raimu and Satsuki?"  He asked, his anxiety spread down his body, through his legs, and his antelope could feel it, and the trot quickened.  

"Both fine, had trouble come to any of your folks, we'd not have sent such a simple message of trouble, Winter-born-worrier."  She laughed, "But, such things, we don't want to talk about under endless sky with endless eyes.  So many things can be heard when speaking plainly when no clouds hide the truth of words."

He sighed, "Of course, Valiesin."

"Fret not, but follow me, the roads are the makings of those who do not know their mother.  We'll make haste over truer paths."  Valiesin turned her antelope, into dusty scrub land, and he followed.  

The Cynri village was not so much a village, as it was a stand of overgrown trees, tucked away in a dark canyon.  The walls of the canyon were crowded with stone buildings that had been grown from the sandstone with the Cynri magic, and there were circular dwellings wrapped up in cradling branches of the crimson pines that stood along a flowing stream. Signs of outsiders were plain, as there were wagons and tents taking shelter beneath the trees, and a few travelers sat along the stream with fishing lines.  This was the Summer-Clanhome. And, he was surprised to see the hulking, but aged form of their chieftain, Cianan, swagger down the road with his ceremonial axe on his back.

"Shit..." Sheriff Hiromori muttered under his breath.

"Winter-born, finally made it."  Cianan stated, as he stopped in the middle of the approach. He lacked the metered tones of the Singer, Valiesin, his guttural accent was still distinct, his grasp of the the language of the United Lands weaker. "Distance kept you?"

Distance kept you, didn't mean a true distance, but meant his work, his duty as the Sheriff.  Cianan knew he had a duty to a large territory here, along the Peacemaker Range. Cianan was wondering if he had been dealing with trouble.  "Yes, sir."  Asahi said, dismounting, "Some exiles from Deserai were raiding up north, the town of Cliffsedge."

"Did the rope or the swords get their water?"  Cianan boomed, smiling, all teeth bared.

"The swords were justice enough."  Asahi approached the Chieftain and started with a formal bow that he knew would not be enough to sate the massive man.  Cianan was as tall as he was, and broad as an ox across the shoulders, rippling with muscle under his pale golden fur, his dark horns were swept back from his leonine face, and decorated with bones and chains of precious mythril. So, once he had straightened up, he braced for the grasp of burly arms around him that crushed the wind from his chest. 

"Good, good!" Cianan laughed as he released Asahi. "Come, Mikasi found trouble."

"Found trouble?"  He shot a look back at Valiesin, and could not read her feline countenance. But, one of her long, triangular ears twitched at him.  There was amusement in that little motion.

"Mm, yes, found it."  The huge man led the way through the undergrowth of the village.  Asahi offered waves to those he saw in the camps in this out of place forest.  Prospectors, trappers, hunters-- hard working folk, and brave to be this close to the Peacemakers. Cianan's tail was swaying, with a nervous twitch, and Asahi fought to keep his own tail from stirring his duster too much.  It wouldn't do to reveal his nerves any more than his voice was already doing.

He was led back, to a large 'cabin' that was grown of tightly packed, pale aspens, all bent over to make a quaking roof of green leaves, a gap in the trunks was all there was to offer for a door.  He bit his lip as he realized this was their destination. "What am I going to see in there, Cianan?"

"It's not bad."  The Chieftain shrugged, and stood to one side of the gap in the aspens. Asahi nodded, and stepped in, pushing aside the leather flap that served to provide some semblance of privacy.  Inside, the raw stone of the desert had been grown into basins, and hot, healing waters flowed from that same stone-- the precious gift of these Cynris' Deity, Mother Desert. 

Seated by one of the tubs, was a man, and two boys--all Amyruu, like Asahi. Tall, lean folk, who looked almost human, save for scales that traveled along the jaw line, down the neck, and over the bony places on the body-- collar bone, shoulders, spine, forearms, shins-- and in other small patches.  They had long tails, and cat-like eyes, with slit pupils, and a sensitivity to magic that was unparalleled among the other folk of the world. It had given their people an edge in the conquest of the East and West, and had, for a time, expanded the grasp of the Dragons on the world.  But, places like the Independent Lands could never be held for long.

The man was a head shorter than Asahi, with lighter skin, and elegant ivory scales, his hair was as white as snow, braided, and pulled back into what he would consider a messy bun, but anyone out here would think was as elegant as an Imperial Courtesan. Katsuo had been one such courtesan, before Asahi's exile, before being driven from their home in Ryuko to the Independent Lands.  He was wearing a white button up shirt, dusted with desert red, and sturdy, tan riding trousers. Even out here, he looked more prepared to entertain a guest than ride hard across the desert.  But, that look was deceptive, Katsuo was a survivor, and one who'd never backed down from a fight.  And, Asahi loved him like no other. 

Beside the dozing Katsuo, the boys, Raimu and Satsuki, both as moon-pale as Katsuo, were playing with some sort of cub.  The Cynri had strange beasts, and this one was no doubt one of theirs, brought in to keep the boys distracted. They were also dressed for travel, but Raimu was in a red shirt, and Satsuki was in a deep indigo. Asahi was certain that if they swapped clothes, he'd get his sons' names wrong. They were close to identical. 

But, worryingly, in the tub, was a woman-- well, a woman until you got to know them.  Mikasi, his second partner.  They were thinner than they should be, marked with years of illness and struggle, the scales on their body were like emeralds, and glittered in the sun, and their pale skin was covered in elaborate tattoos-- some words in a language that should have stayed dead, others geometric designs found only in forbidden texts of the arcane.  The tattoos shimmered wickedly with their own internal light as the healing water washed over Mikasi. 

"Dad!"  Satsuki shouted, and leapt up, pushing the cub-- something scaled and furred simultaneously-- into his brother's arms before running over and throwing his arms around Asahi's waist.  Raimu was quick to follow, plopping the cub in Katsuo's lap, startling him awake as the boy reached him.  Asahi knelt and held his boys close-- they were not his by blood, that much was obvious to any outsider, but they were the sons' of his heart. "Dad, they let us play with a Sha-Wyrn cub!"

"I see that." He looked into Satsuki's blue eyes, seeing that the boy was more happy about a cub than worried about his mother gave Asahi some relief. 

"It's cute, but they said it's got poison--"

"Venom."  Came a soft voice, Katsuo, gently correcting Raimu as he got up, and within a few graceful, gliding steps was at Asahi's side. The sheriff stood, and swept his husband up in his arms.  He felt a shaking in Katsuo, that told him that maybe, the boys didn't know everything, and he squeezed Katsuo reassuringly.  Raimu and Satsuki lingered there, just watching their fathers, before returning to the cub.

They stood like that, Katsuo finding strength in his arms, while he tried to figure out why his partner, mother of his sons, was lying in the healing spring. They likely stood too long, as he heard the faintest sound of a cleared throat behind him.  

Cianan was still there, watching the reunion, and Valiesin stepped past them to go sit by the water's edge, and brush some of Mikasi's hair from their drowsing face.  "They're still lost in the warm, deep sleep of healing, but should you wish, they could be woken.  It's not a dead or dying sleep, so fear not Sheriff."

"What happened?"  He said, wrapping an arm around Katsuo's waist and going to join Valesin at the water's edge. 

"Mikasi was exploring a cave, from what I gather."  Katsuo said, "And broke their leg, somehow."

"More than that," Valesin stated, "Their magic was disrupted by whatever was deep in that place, old things can do that, old and terrible things, better left buried beneath the stone."

"What do you mean?"

"Ruins of the old gods, from before the land was bled.  Storm-song described them as plain as a verse." 

Storm-song. One of Mikasi's many other names here, due to those tattoos, and their magic.  Rot-speaker, Storm-song, Night-shimmer, Mikasi had a special place with this clan.  They'd lived here for years.  It was here, in the Summer-Clanhome, that he had met Mikasi-- a silent figure who sat with their back to the trees, and drew pictures of beasts and birds. He'd fallen madly in love with the stranger, though it had taken longer for Katsuo to feel the same, when he brought them back to Nirase City.  But, a love had bloomed between the two, that was plain to see in the faces of their blood children. 

"Wow, old ruins!  Can we go?"  Raimu asked, sitting up, as Satsuki cuddled the venomous cub. Asahi's tail stiffened with worry at the thought that the clan had given his boys a venomous beast to play with, but he also knew that he was friend to these people, and they'd never let his children come to harm.

Cianan let out a guttural chuff, and said something in the growling, rolling, tongue that Asahi just didn't have the ears to understand.  Valiesin laughed, shook her head, and looked back to them.  "Cianan said he wants to investigate the cave, but complains his knees have no strength to carry him down. It's why we called for both of you.   Healing-dance, should stay with Night-Shimmer and see to their wounds. You, Winter-born, should descend, and see what it was that affected Mikasi so dearly."

"I want to come with!" Satsuki declared, handing the cub now to Valesin, who took it and whispered a soft song to the creature, who now waddled towards the door on six pudgy legs. 

"Let me speak with my family, but I don't want to go down alone.  Let me gather a few of the hunters around the camp, make a little exploration posse, and then look into this, Cianan, Valiesin."  He nodded to both Chieftain and Singer in turn. "But, I just got off my antelope, and could use a bit of time with my husband and wife.  Can you wake Mikasi so I can speak with them?"

"Of course, We will give you the privacy of the healing springs to speak with your family."  Valiesin smiled and leaned down to whisper-sing something into Mikasi's pointed ear.  The thin figure stirred, and nodded, as if responding to a gentle command.  

"I will wait at the Hearth, come find me."  Cianan rumbled, and Valiesin nodded, before both the Cynri departed, the leather flap noisily closing behind them.

"I swear, the times I have come here, I still can't tell if the names they give are mocking or not."  Katsuo laughed, as he reached down into the water to pluck up a thin hand to lift it to his lips.  Mikasi was still drowsing, eyes half open as Asahi sat on the edge of the stone tub.  He tilted his head to get a look at Katsuo's face, catching sight of those pale pink eyes that he adored. 

"Maybe you should give them some of your own?"  He joined the laugh, and leaned in to gently kiss Katsuo now that they were more alone. The Cynri did not mind public affection, but the conversation about the cave had seemed far to serious to interrupt with such things. 

"Well, I was thinking, since they insist on calling me 'Healing-Dance' I should dance for them, like back in Ryuko." Katsuo teased, his pink eyes flashed with all of the intention that implied.

Asahi snorted a laugh, though his chest swelled at the thought of that dance. "You'll end up with half the clan wanting to--"  He stopped, feeling four inquisitive eyes on him.  Katsuo still did services as a Courtesan in Nirase, but the boys were too young to understand that their father wasn't just a healer.  He healed wounds deeper than those of the flesh with his arts. 

"Can you tell us about the cave, mom?"  Raimu climbed up on the side of the tub by Asahi, and Satsuki sat on the other side of Katsuo. 

"Boys, they are just waking, give them a moment."  Katsuo said, softly, not chastising, but firm.

"It's okay..."  Mikasi sat up, eyes as green as summer fields opening to look around, and they smiled.  "Asahi... Katsuo... My loves... My boys..." Their voice, despite being known as a Singer among the Clan, held a soft stutter, though it was still sweet and musical.  The stutter was worse when they were hurting, and this broken speech let him knew that what had happened must have been bad.  He reached a hand down to touch a tattooed arm, and felt the painful waves of the magic those marks held.  

"Take your time."  Asahi rumbled, before pulling Katsuo closer.  He could feel that faint tremble of worry again. "It'll be alright, Katsuo, I promise."

"I know it will be alright."  Katsuo teased, swapping his fear for confidence in a heartbeat-- something that Asahi envied of him. "I'm here."

He gave his husband another kiss, and broke the embrace to pull his duster from his shoulders.  He winced, and touched his side-- one of the Deserai bullets had grazed him, but the pain was now just catching up to him. There was a small amount of blood that had seeped through his rough field bandage, and it stained his palm. He rubbed his hand on his dark pants, hoping Katsuo wouldn't notice the injury-- the last thing his long suffering husband needed was more to worry about.

"Boys, why don't you go play with the kids outside?"  Katsuo said, sweetly, though his pink eyes narrowed at Asahi.  The Sheriff withered a little under that stare.

"But, we wanted to hear about the cave!"  Raimu protested, and Satsuki nodded in agreement. For a pair of ten year old boys, they could look remarkably serious. Katsuo shook his head, and gave Satsuki a squeeze as he looked at Raimu.

"We have very important dad-things to talk about.  You'll be bored to tears before your mother is prepared to talk about the cave.  Run off, I'm sure they will be happy to tell you later."

The groan from Raimu and Satsuki was almost identical, but in the way of young children, the boys set off outside.  Once the leather flap closed behind them, Katsuo's soft smile turned into a frown.  "Shirt off."

"It's nothing serious--"  Asahi began to protest, but, Misaki's hand found his tail and gave it a squeeze.  He unbuttoned his dark red shirt and set it aside-- there was a patch of plastered on bandages on his flank, and blood had oozed through the fabric.  "Damn, it was just a grazing shot."

"You..."  Katsuo started, peeling off the bandage, and hissing through his sharp teeth. "I can't believe you got shot again."

"There were Deserai boys--" Men, really, exiled from their families to scavenge the desert when there were not enough unmarried women "--holding up a bank in Cliffside." He watched as Katsuo stretched out his fingers, and magic pooled between them-- pale scars on the backs of his wrists gleamed, reminding Asahi how much he had always loved this man.  He'd traded his life in Ryuko for his hands. "It's my job, love."

"It's your job to stop the bank robbers, it's not your job to get shot."  Katsuo pressed his delicate fingers to Asahi's side, and he felt the flesh knit and fuse under his touch. "Your job is to protect the people, and to come home.  You promised me that!"  

"It's really just a flesh wound..."  Asahi said, lifting his beloved's hands to his lips.  "What's got you all worried?" Misaki cleared their throat, very softly, and Asahi sighed, the reason for Katsuo's upset occurring to him then.

"You, getting shot, Misaki getting hurt, all the way out here, on the ass end of the province-- I love you both dearly, but I pray to Ameiaa that you end up with normal jobs one day.  Jobs where I can stop by on your lunch and bring you the bento you left at home!  Where the biggest risk is a strained back or papercut--not the chance that you could be dead in the desert, or buried in a cave in.  My hearts, some times I just cannot...  I wish we had never left Ryuko.  Things were normal there."

"Katsuo..."  He leaned in and kissed his husband's forehead, and looked down to Misaki with a worried frown.  They did not seem bothered by his outburst, but then again, they were sometimes very hard to read. "They were going to take your hands... just because you were a healer.  And, we'd have never met Misaki if we had stayed there."

"...And, if we go back, you're a dead man, I'm a dead man... and Misaki would be locked away, or executed as well..." Katsuo murmured, bowing his head, "I know all this already, Asahi, it just scares me so bad to think of losing either of you."  He pressed up against Asahi's bare chest, curling around him tightly.  Asahi held him close and kissed the top of his head. "You should get in the water, let it help ease the pain."

"You first."  Asahi teased, and Katsuo laughed but to Asahi's surprise he was quick to get out of his shirt and trousers.  His frame was thin-- well muscled, but looked as fragile as temple glass, it was something to do with the grace he held himself with. Asahi had never gotten over his beauty-- he still took his breath away, even years since their first night together.

He climbed into the water beside Misaki who had been very quiet, just watching them both for a while, but they snuggled up against Katsuo as soon as he was settled.  Asahi followed after a moment, setting his boots on the stone floor, and folding his trousers on top of them before settling into the hot water.

Katsuo's magic had healed the wound, but this water eased the lingering ache-- it was magic, but a slower magic.  The pain slid out of him and into the water, and as he settled on the other side of Misaki, he was grateful that Katsuo had so readily convinced him to climb into the water along side their partner. Misaki turned their head to snuggle against his chest as he slipped his arm around them to stroke Katsuo's arm.  Theirs was a strange affection.  He knew Misaki loved them both dearly, but they seemed content to merely exist near his and Katsuo's love, never urging attention away from each other.

Misaki was a strange thing-- both male and female, thus making them a heretical thing that would not be tolerated in Ryuko, if it was ever discovered. The violet tattoos covered most of them, accenting the sharp lines of their thin frame-- and yet, even thin, they were remarkably strong.  And, then there was the magic-- Misaki's magic was bizarre and terrible, and they had been hunted for it in the past, and yet they managed to survive.  But, even with all that, seeing them hurting never felt good. "How's your leg?"

"Sore. I fell and it broke."  They said, taking turns to nuzzle the chests on either side of them.  Asahi let out a soft sigh at their touch, and smiled as he heard Katsuo do the same.  

"What happened, my dear little storm?"  Katsuo said-- he had called them that for so long, it was practically their name. Asahi envied his skills with people, watching Misaki relax more at the sound of his voice.

"It is a long story." Misaki lay back, and Asahi kissed the top of their head.  

"You have time.  There's no rush, darling." Katsuo said, allowing them all to fall into  comfortable silence in the healing water.