Chapter Text
"Fuck, the commander's here! Run!" Goujun watched them take off into the distance, mentally noting their scent for an discipline inquiry later on.
The new recruit they were bullying looked up at him with clear eyes behind broken glasses. "Thank you sir." He said as he got up carefully.
Goujun looked at the torn uniform and internally sighed. The army was bleeding money as it is without the need to reissue kit as and when some bullies felt destroying them. He looked around, they were near his office and he was sure he had a robe or something to offer to this soldier. His clothes were hanging off him and he was covered in bruises. "Follow me. I should have another set of uniforms in my office." Without waiting for a reply he strode off.
The new recruit was right beside him as he unlocked the door, looking around quietly. "What caused the fight?" Goujun rummaged around his cabinet, looking for something he could pass to him.
There was a slight pause. "Sir, they wanted something that I didn't want to give." Goujun found a set of slightly outdated uniforms and straightened up to pass it to the recruit.
In the brighter light of his office, this recruit was very pleasant to look at. What the kami around him would call beautiful even. Goujun looked at the bruises, seeing what looked like bite marks and how their placement seemed like it was meant to keep hands out of the way and legs in a certain position. Realization came a bit too late as he coughed and looked away hurriedly. Mating wasn't something to be forced. It was always something that all parties involved desired and would seek out mutually. He never understood how kami could force their urges on another like that. It didn't surprise him though so he dropped that train of thought.
"What is your name?" He asked as he turned around and walked to the door to give him some privacy to change clothes in. Privacy was something else he found that kami liked. It came along with the idea of fabric covering your body. It took him a while to get used to it at first, along with maintaining the bipedal form.
The rustle of cloth and there was a reply after. "I am called Tenpou, sir. I joined the army two months ago." Goujun waited a few more seconds for the rustling to stop before he turned around. Tenpou looked absolutely exhausted. Goujun's plan was to pass him a change of clothes and usher him back out but something in the way this kami swayed on his feet yet still mostly kept his posture intrigued him.
"I will be looking through some paperwork. You will rest on the couch there till I decide what to do with you and the others that attacked you."
A sharp flash of something showed behind those cracked glasses but the recruit nodded. "Yes, sir." He said as he made his way to the couch and promptly collapsed onto it.
Goujun sat himself behind his desk, a hand to his temple. He didn't like the way the officers were preying on the younger kami but it was hard to change the mindset and habits of immortals. Thinking about this was taking too much so he did exactly what he told him earlier. The inklings of a plan to reform the army went on the back burner as he picked up a sheet from the stack of paperwork that just came in.
The battle plans submitted by his best marshal were vague and confusing. He wasn't sure if it was intentional. Perhaps they were counting on him to be like his father and just blindly approve what was set in front of him. He didn't like his marshals very much. The others weren't much better. The generals were barely literate and the rest below them seemed to be plucked from the smashed remains of the proverbial barrel. Goujun could feel the stress lines forming on his face the further down the stack he went. The position of the western army's commander was an inherited one and his father and fathers before him had warned that it would be difficult. It is hard dealing with the affairs of only dragons but when you throw kami into the mix, kami with all the unpredictability of their kind…
His scales itched. The air up here was too dry as well, and he kept a veritable cocktail of lotions and moisturizers in his desk drawer but they couldn't replace the salty mists of the sea breeze absent up here. He glanced at the calendar, seeing his sole day off marked at the end of the month. Perhaps he would use that day to fly down and take a dip in his domain down below.
The sun was starting to come up when he moved over to the large map rolled over his other table. Colored mini standing flags made of wood denoted important forces of both heaven and earth. He spread them around in accordance to what the latest information was.
Some youkai king below seemed to think himself much of an upshot and had amassed an army over here. There was where those giant centipedes roamed the hills, devouring both kami and mortals alike. Over here was a small base camp that was usually staffed by a skeleton crew in the off chance heaven's armies needed a space to rest. Next to it were the burning remains of yet another upstart queen, her numbers and castle destroyed in the last battle they were deployed to. There was so much information milling around the place, so many things to note and adjust for.
Goujun shifted some pawns around, trying to make sense of it all. Why would this be happening? Surely the enemies would lie in wait over here, where the defences were stronger but intel from the ground told him otherwise. He pushed them around again, in his mind wondering if General Sakamoto's forces were enough to deal with this or should he deploy Sayuri instead. What about that ragtag group led by one of the few dragons remaining in the army? What about those? What about them? And the new weapons that haven't been tested? Would this be a good time to try those instead?
He audibly sighed and touched his face, feeling the scales crack slightly. Perhaps some cream would help. Cream and some hot tea.
He was startled when he heard movement in the other room, he had almost forgotten about the kami he saved yesterday. Well, that can wait till he was done. Goujun finished applying the cream, feeling somewhat better afterwards. Out of a strange sense of kindness he made two mugs of tea, bringing them over to the recruit. To his surprise he found him at the table, staring intently down at the small tokens and moving them around as well.
Tenpou, was that his name? looked up when he approached, a suddenly embarrassed smile on his face. "Apologies sir, I will reset them to the way I found them." Goujun didn't reply, watching as he did move them back into their original spots and with the same facings as well. He caught his wrist before he moved the next few.
"Why did you move the youkai king up there?" He asked, pure curiosity winning over the other emotions. He wouldn't have expected this from his marshals let alone this brand new recruit. Perhaps it was just on a whim, you can't expect great things from kami after all but he waited for a response.
Tenpou looked at him for a moment then to the two mugs set on the table behind. "The king here was newly crowned. He killed his much more popular brother to get to it and would not stay in his home stronghold for fear of retribution from the families nearby. The next available spot that would be easily defended is either here or there but since the centipedes are not yet subjugated, they would not move too close."
Goujun frowned, "But surely they fear the heavenly armies moving in at any time should they pick the ruins of the former queen." He pointed to another spot. "This would then be likely."
The kami shook his head. "Time down below moves differently from up here. To them it must seem like ages since any of us were spotted there. Mortals are a hasty bunch." He looked up at Goujun's face and quickly added in a "Sir." His hand was still caught in the commander's grip and the pinpricks where claws lightly dug in were starting to bleed.
Goujun felt the wetness in his hand and let go, mentally kicking himself when he saw crimson drops dot the map surface. "Apologies, I forget kami do not have scales for protection." He looked at his fingers, concentrating slightly and the claws retracted back into his hand.
"That's amazing." Came the utterance from the kami beside him. "Could you do that with other parts- I mean, apologies, I asked a very private question. I will leave now. Thank you sir." Goujun watched as the recruit blushed deep red and bowed before he walked out of his office.
For some reason all he could think about was how underneath the distracting guise of beauty, that kami could be very dangerous.
---
He stamped the form in front of him then paused to re-read the letters scrawled in the space provided. Up for promotion was a single name. This was common for most kami, as he had picked up from the men. Only the very elite of the upper crust had family names. There weren't many of them in the army but for some reason all of his upper ranking officers sported flashy chakras and distinguished family names.
General Tenpou.
It had an interesting ring to it. Goujun read the reasons for promotion with renewed interest. Half the army hated this feminine faced kami it seemed, and half sung his praises every chance they could. More than three quarters wanted to bed him and it seemed to be a sort of game amongst the men, about who would be the first to be welcomed in his arms.
Oh, but you better be careful. Whispered the shadows prevalent everywhere. He's one of the white lizard's men. Goujun knew the undercurrent of rumors that ran below that statement. Touch him and you'll end up as roasted meat. The dragon doesn't share his toys.
Well, part of that statement is true. Said white dragon doesn't allow harrasment, sexual or otherwise, in his armies. All the ritual hazing and subtle threats that were on the peripherals when he took up the position, all those are now gone and ever so often Goujun gets an anonymous letter of gratitude from those who found their lives bettered immensely.
A knock on the door and Goujun nodded at the person to come in. "You're early." He said as he signed his name at the bottom next to the stamp.
The smell of cigarette smoke irritated his nostrils and he was about to reprimand him before there was a hiss and the offending stick was extinguished. "Apologies commander. My previous meeting ended early so I came over to see if I could be of any assistance."
When there was no seeming reply to that statement, the person continued. "I also brought the next volume you requested. In a suitable bag as promised as well." There was mirth behind that comment and Goujun finally looked up to see a battered brown paper bag proffered to him and smiling purple eyes behind cracked glasses.
"You had no meeting I was aware of before this." Goujun offered him a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his mouth. He seemed to be roughed up, with his uniform missing a button or two but mostly still on him.
Tenpou took the handkerchief and used it to wipe the unbroken lens of his glasses. "It was a rather large last minute meeting to discuss my career aspirations. They vehemently disagreed with the course of action moving forward." He cracked a smile that wasn't a smile. "An exchange was proposed that was very much to my disadvantage. I of course refused so they attempted to take what they wanted as usual." He coughed and looked at the handkerchief before stuffing it in his pocket. "But should you require more time before our meeting I could adjourn to your couch." Something in that comment told him it wasn't a suggestion and Goujun sighed before nodding and waving at him to go.
Tenpou gave him a sharp salute and promptly collapsed onto the couch in a very familiar way.
Goujun looked over at him before stuffing the promotion form in an envelope and sealing it. From his desk he could see out the window and sure enough an alarming amount of silhouettes were limping off in the direction of the infirmary.
"They are under the impression our meetings are of a carnal nature." That was unexpected and Goujun put down his pen as he looked back at the couch. "I'm not saying that is a bad thing, being under your perceived protection is a boon as of itself." Newly promoted General Tenpou was sitting up on his couch, wiping off his glasses with the handkerchief again.
Goujun paused again, trying to figure out what was happening. "You seem to be attacked for that very nature often. I'm sure it must be tiresome."
Sharp purple eyes stared back at him. "I used to think it was because you are not kami that is why you never seem to be in possession of such instincts but I've had my run-ins with other dragons since and they have proven me otherwise." The general on his couch took a deep breath and then hunched over, holding onto his side. "But I would gladly give it to you should you ask." He said quietly, "And you'd win the current pool that's built up over the years."
Time seemed to pause then and Goujun looked again beyond those glasses and into the eyes of the kami before him. Something was there, but still it wasn't fully formed yet and he wasn't sure if taking the offering was a good move. Tenpou seemed to stand up in slow motion but when he started to lose his balance, time went back to full speed and suddenly the dragon commander was holding him in his arms. A fire suddenly lit in him and he wanted nothing more but to rip all these flimsy pieces of fabric off the both of them but the kami in his arms let out a small pained gasp and with regret he looked at his hands, seeing claws dig into the unscaled skin deeper than he expected.
He laid him down on the sofa, quickly inspecting his body for more damage and his heart sank as he calculated how much damage a group of trained soldiers out for blood could do against a single person walking by himself to the lonely halls of the western army commander's quarters. The fact that this general could fend them off and survive was a feat in itself and he did not regret signing the promotion form one bit. A quick check found him a messenger who had just turned up bearing more paperwork and he sent him off with a coin pouch and instructions to drag the nearest medic here as soon as possible.
"Apologies commander." Came the laboured breaths and Goujun pushed him back down on the sofa. Tired eyes stared up at him and he so very much wanted to take that mouth in his and explore the intricacies of what makes a kami different from dragonkind but the five glistening red pinpricks on his exposed shoulder ground all that to a halt. With a quick stare at his hands, he again sheathed his claws, internally reminding himself to be more careful in the future.
If there was a future.
Suddenly he saw himself, a beastly white figure standing over his prey, claws dripping with blood. The sight would scare any kami. The two races rarely worked together at the best of times and his being in the army was due to some bygone ancestor of his making a deal with the Emperor for the right to rule the seas below. His mother had explained that to him before in secret, away from the proud hearing of his father. It was bad enough that they had to so called serve the heavens in this capacity so just do your time and go. Don't get involved with them, it is more trouble than it's worth and his ailing mother only had a handful of eggs survive to adulthood. Kami don't have natural weapons, their skin is softer and they don't have much stamina but they have guns and swords and unless you know how to move faster than a horde of kami brandishing those weapons… keep your head down my little hatchling and come back soon to where you'll always be welcomed.
His father explained it differently. Dragons are better than kami and kami are better than mortals. There are fewer dragonkind in the world now, that was a given, but quality over quantity is the better way to proceed. Dragons kept the scales from their prehistoric ancestors, retained their horns and fangs when they transformed and could even choose to retract their claws should they want to. But why should they? Keep them displayed, his father told him. It is a reminder to those soft sacks of flesh that we can rend apart their silks and tear into their bones at a moment's notice. That is how we command their fear. Don't bother with respect, you don't need respect from lesser beings. Just do the jobs they assign you, sign whatever you need to sign and once your term is up, come back down and reign over the waves again. Let them play their games of politics and backstabbing. Lesser beings need those.
You are a dragon.
You do not.
Goujun realized there was a lump in his throat. Strange. He did not eat anything yet today. His ears felt hot but all he could do was stare down at the kami before him. Tenpou had fallen unconscious, it seemed. Goujun looked down at him, fighting the urge to mate yet again. No. His partner wasn't even awake and he is injured, badly injured to boot. He knelt down, brushing the bangs away from his face. A cut ran across his temple and onto his forehead. It was still bleeding for some reason and without thought Goujun leaned forward and licked at the cut. Would that work? Dragons had no need for medics, all they needed was a place to lick their wounds and rest should they get hurt. He watched as the cut knitted itself together. Looks like whatever was in dragon saliva also works on kami. It was annoying moving around him in this form so he concentrated and transformed, tweaking the form slightly into something more manageable. Now the size of a large dog, he flapped his wings and crouched on his chest to lick at the wounds he found there.
Immersed was he in this new role that he didn't register the blow aimed at his body till he was on the floor, staring up at a terrified medic wielding her medicine bag. "Get out!" She yelled, trying to muster the courage as she moved her body between him and what was his. "I don't know how this monster got into the commander's quarters but you stay away from this poor soldier!"
Realization quickly came to him and with a flash he assumed bipedal form again, keeping his face blank as he picked up the clothes he was wearing from the floor. "Please see to him." He said simply as she suddenly recognized the uniform and put two and two together before letting out a horrified shriek. He silently retreated to his desk, donning the uniform as he moved.
That was right, he had never transformed in front of kami before. Why should he? The bipedal form is already enough to scare them and unless he specified the size, he would stretch out from one end of the hall to the other. Goujun sat himself down at his desk again and picked up a pen. He stared down at the crimson stain on the paper and traced it to his drying claws. Kami are fragile creatures. He reminded himself yet again. The medic outside kept glancing at him ever so often but he ignored her, thinking instead of how the rumors would twist and spread from this would be mundane meeting.
"No! Sit back down!" He heard commotion from the room and saw Tenpou at the door, holding onto the frame unsteadily. "You're very injured, I don't know what he did to you but-" She gasped again as she saw Goujun staring at her and quickly bowed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to imply that, that you…"