The second floor of the inn was silent, even though some sounds from the first floor of people drinking and having fun could be heard. The door leading to the stairs was shut anyway making the main room of the second floor quite peaceful. There were several bedrooms - at least a two more than they were using, but Luc preferred the privacy. He didn't mind paying for the empty rooms as long as they didn't have to care about random strangers in the second floor.

The mage stared at his drink in silence, having too many things to think about. A lot of things in what he was planning to do still bothered him, and he didn't actually feel like trying to figure everything out right now.

There was only one other person present from his party right now - Albert Silverberg. The redheaded strategist was sitting on the other side of the table, sipping his drink from time to time and staring at the fireplace behind Luc.

"Something on your mind, Master Luc?"

"Huh?" The mage looked up, noticing that Albert's green eyes weren't looking at the fire anymore, but rather at him.

The redhead smiled slightly. "You look thoughtful. A little troubled, almost..."

"It's nothing," Luc answered, turning to stare at the door of his bedroom. "Nothing to worry about, anyway. I just have a lot of things to clear to myself."

The strategist didn't answer, he merely gave the younger man a small nod, his eyes wandering back to stare at the flames in the fireplace. He had enough things to think about as well, but he made a mental note to keep an eye on the mage. With the current state of their plans, Albert was slightly worried, even though he never let it show.

He didn't pay too much attention when Sarah stopped by to ask if Luc was alright, and after getting something for an answer she quietly informed the mage that she was going to rest. She was saying something about Luc needed rest too, but he ignored her at that point, just telling her goodnight. Albert raised his face for a moment to tell her good night as well then returned to staring at the fire.

He should've listened, Albert thought. I do think he needs rest...

Some time passed, and it felt like the room turned a little darker. Albert moved his gaze to the wall, as the difference of light between the fireplace and the rest of the room was starting to hurt his eyes.

"...Albert?"

"Yes?"

"It's silent here," Luc noted, apparently ignoring the muffled sounds from downstairs. "So silent... I can almost hear my heart beating, and I don't like that. Let's talk about something."

The redhead changed his position in the chair. "If you wish. What would you like to talk about?"

Luc stared at the table for a moment, apparently trying to think of something to talk about. A minute passed, and then he shook his head.

"I can't think of a subject... Anything. Strategy? The weather? Grassland cuisine? Books?"

Albert took a sip from his drink, almost smiling. If Master Luc wished to talk about something random which wasn't related to what they were doing that was fine with him. The subject didn't really matter. It was only a good thing if the mage got his mind away from the things troubling him about their mission.

"Books... Sounds good to me. Have you read anything interesting lately?"

Luc stared at the wall absently. "Not really... I don't think I've read many books since I left... You know. You read a lot, don't you?"

The redhead nodded slightly. "Yes."

"Have you been to the One Temple lately? The library...?" Luc asked as he changed position in his chair and turned to face the other wall. "That place, with all the books... Must be interesting for a strategist..."

Albert closed his eyes, resting his hands on the table.

He didn't raise his face from the book, but he felt the presence of someone near the table. It irritated him slightly even though he knew he should have gotten used to it already. As it was most likely the world's biggest library there were a lot of visitors, and a lot of people walked by the small table in the corner where he sat reading.

What troubled him with this stranger was that he moved so quietly; he hadn't heard him coming. He saw the person from the corner of his eye; a blond man, clad in black. He appeared to be just passing by, but for some reason, he felt like the other was staring at him. Only for a fleeting moment he looked up, seeing the stranger smile at him.

There was something in that smile, something in the way the other looked at him. The blond's eyes looked so strange as well. Those eyes stared into his for just a moment, and a few seconds later the man was gone.

He concentrated back on his book, shaking his head. He was used to seeing a lot of people and had never seen that person before. Considering he was in the Harmonian Capital, it wasn't too likely that he'd see that person again either.

Something just bothered him. Was it the stranger's eyes? He hadn't even seen his face too well; the man had been wearing a hat. It was not like people didn't stop to look at him often enough; he was, after all, quite handsome. The rest of it didn't make any sense. He didn't feel like bothering himself with the thought. Just another stranger passing by whom he was likely to forget about it in a few minutes anyway.

But why in the name of the gods did this bother him so much? And why... Why did that look make him aroused?

"Albert?"

"Hmm?" The strategist blinked, looking at the mage. He sighed, realizing he had let his thoughts wander. "Yes? I'm fine. Were you asking something, Master Luc? The library in Crystal Valley... Yes, it's an interesting place. You know I've spent a lot of time there. There are way too many books for just a short visit..."

Luc nodded. "More like too many books for a lifetime. Anyway, I wasn't asking about anything important, really... Just if you've read the original version of the Chronicles of Harmonian Heroes. I'd guess you have."

Albert answered with a slight smile. "I have indeed. Quite interesting, the Harmonian version. They leave some things out in the versions published elsewhere."

"What were you thinking? I don't think that was about the book..."

"Something about the library," the redhead answered truthfully. "Not the library itself, actually, but an event that happened while I was there, reading some diaries of ancient strategists. Just..."

He paused, noticing Luc was staring at him with a rather curious look on his face. "If you really wish to know, Master Luc, I was thinking of the first time I ever saw Yuber. My grandfather fought on the same side with him in the Dunan Unification Wars, and I had heard about him, but I didn't know it was him until later."

"Yuber, hmm..." Luc looked thoughtful, involuntarily turning his head a little to glance at the direction of the bedroom where Albert was staying. He wasn't sure if the room was empty; even if it wasn't, he wasn't so sure if he could've sensed the presence of the other person who stayed there.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Luc started, stopping to stare at his drink. He realized he hadn't drank much of it during the whole evening.

"Master Luc?"

The mage raised his face. "Yuber. And you. It's not like it is my business why you two share the room. Forgive me for being too curious, if you don't want to answer. But I still... You and Yuber. How exactly did you two...? Well, you know. You're..."

Albert looked slightly amused but raised his left hand a little to stop the other as Luc decided two seconds later that the question had been inappropriate and was about to apologize.

"It's all right, Master Luc. I guess I could explain it... It's kind of a long story, and at the same time it's not. It is related to the library, yes. That's where I saw him the first time. He was just another stranger exploring the library, another one passing by the table where I was reading. I didn't hear him coming; I just felt his presence. Now I know more about it; back then, it bothered me. Anyway, I stopped reading and looked at him because I felt him stopping to look at me..."

He rarely guessed wrong and had been correct when he thought he would forget about the stranger in the library sooner or later. By the time he'd finished the book he was reading, he didn't remember the blond. He enjoyed the rest of the day, reading a couple of old transcripts and learning about small details which might be useful in the future. Then, by the time he left and returned to the inn where he was staying, he didn't remember ever paying attention to anyone in the library...

...Until he woke up in the middle of the night to the feeling that he wasn't alone, and realized he was naked. He did know he'd had a shirt on when going to bed, and now, even the sheets were pushed aside. He opened his eyes slowly, noting the fact that the room was almost entirely dark, the only light being some stray rays of light from the street lamps outside.

Someone was sitting on the bed, between his spread legs. He noticed this only now, a slight feeling of mortification taking over for a short moment. His control was better than that, though; he didn't move, or even try to make a move to close his legs.

He took a short moment to calculate the situation. It wasn't likely that the stranger was a random thief who'd gotten perverted ideas. Nothing in the room appeared to have been touched. The facts pointed strongly to another kind of nightly visitor anyway. He wasn't tied, which meant that either the person planning on raping him hadn't had time to do that yet or was planning on holding him down otherwise.

He considered calling for help but discarded the thought. It wasn't likely to do any good; most likely, the person assaulting him would just proceed to silence him. Calling for help would have worked as there were a lot of people staying in the inn, including several mercenaries and Harmonian guards from outside Crystal Valley, but he wasn't the type of person to call for help the first moment something went wrong. He could take care of himself quite well.

There was a dagger hidden under his coat which was on a chair next to the bed. He considered that fact and decided to grab it if needed. And if the other would be able to deflect that and would proceed to rape him anyway, he wouldn't give any response.

Thinking of all this took him only a few seconds; as a strategist, he was able to think through any situation in a matter of moments and plan the required actions in a very short time. His green eyes studied the stranger carefully, and he made a mental note that the other was naked as well. From what he could see in the darkness, the stranger was quite good looking too. Those sort of thoughts were irrelevant though, as he seldom paid any attention to anyone's looks. He breathed calmly, easily controlling himself, and didn't wince when the stranger placed his hand on his thigh and ran his fingers along the skin, stroking gently as if he'd been fondling him.

The stranger didn't say anything, and neither did he. It did make his control fail a little when the other man placed his hand on his crotch. He didn't move though but he felt surprised at the fact that his body reacted instantly. That was, as far as he knew, something which shouldn't have happened. He frowned mentally as his eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to see a slight grin on the other's face.

Then the stranger leaned closer, close enough that he could see those eyes again. He recognized them immediately and realized who it was. How the blond man in black from the library had found him and entered his room, he had no idea, nor what he was planning.

He wasn't given much time to think of the details as the blond leaned in to kiss him.

Luc stared at the redhead who paused to take a sip from his cup, lost in his thoughts. Luc was curious; he didn't know the details of why exactly Yuber and Albert were sharing a bedroom. He wasn't stupid; he knew why, but he didn't know the story behind it.

"And?"

"Hmm? Yes," Albert continued, placing his cup on the table. "He was gone a moment later. The way he looked at me bothered me, but I forgot about it soon enough. I spent the rest of the day reading something, not paying attention to anyone there. It was pretty late when I left and went back to the inn where I was staying."

"So... That man you saw in the library looking at you was Yuber?"

The strategist nodded. "Yes. But as I said, I didn't know who he was then. I learned that much, much later... You see, Master Luc, we never really talked much."

"Hmm. But..." Luc stopped to consider things for a while, finally taking a sip from his drink. "Well, I'd guess there's more of this story, since you didn't really meet yet, only saw each other in the library. Or are there some details you'd rather not share?"

"I don't mind telling the details. I'm not so sure if you want to hear them all though... But yes, that was just the first part. We... met again later. I'll say, Yuber appears to have rather peculiar ways of getting to know people. Well. I was at the point where I went back to the inn and to my room where I had something for dinner. I went straight to bed after that since my plan was to get up early and go to the library again in the morning. Except that the next time I woke up it wasn't morning yet, and I wasn't alone."

As the blond broke the kiss, moving to lie next to him, he decided to forget about the dagger. He just knew that the man who was now caressing his chest and nibbling on his neck couldn't be surprised with such a weapon. He hadn't seen any kinds of weapons on the stranger, but guessed there was something, and the stranger was skilled enough to defend himself even without a weapon.

Another fact he found himself pondering was that he wouldn't have wanted to try anyway.

The latter thought disturbed him greatly, and he frowned visibly now. He had never imagined sharing a bed with another man; not that he'd wasted much thought on sex in general. He had a general idea of how it was done - whether normally or between two people of the same gender. Actually trying was another thing. The idea had never interested him very much, and suddenly finding himself touched by another man was strange. He considered it for a moment, managing to keep himself calm as the blond man's lips advanced lower on his body.

The truth was, the stranger attracted him in a strange way. He didn't remember ever feeling something like that towards anyone; he'd never wanted it... Until now.

His control didn't slip when he was touched even more, and he managed to keep himself from blushing considering what the other man was doing to him. He bit his lip though to keep himself silent as what happened next was included in his general knowledge of the act, but he wasn't prepared to actually feel someone touching him from the inside. The caresses on his skin burned him, and the touch inside of him forced him to fight for the control.

It hurt like hell; it felt like heaven. He swore to himself that he wasn't going to lose control.

Albert smiled to himself, tilting his head a little. The memory was still clear in his mind even though it had happened a long time ago.

"Well, Master Luc. Wish to hear the short or the long version of what happened then?"

Luc looked a little thoughtful but smiled back to the strategist. "Er... Somehow I got the feeling I know what happened next. So he just... came to your room and you... made love?"

"Something like that. Well, actually I should say, 'that exactly'. I hadn't ever been with a man before, of course. I had a weapon nearby and was planning on defending myself if he tried anything... I mean, I didn't know who he was. I just gave up that idea after I realized it was the man from the library. For some reason, I... wanted it. I don't know why; I didn't even know him back then... That surely wasn't like me."

"And that's how you got to know him?"

Albert laughed silently. "Kind of. Not really, Master Luc. He was gone when I woke up the next morning. To be honest, I didn't learn his name until we started working together on this mission. It's been a long time since that first time, and... Let's just say that wasn't the only time I've found someone in my room in the middle of the night."

Luc smiled a little, shaking his head. "That's was... an interesting story anyway. I didn't know you two even knew each other before this. Or... is 'knew' really the right word..."

"I don't think it is. But the first night after the mission started... Neither of us really asked. We just use the same bedroom. I've learned a lot of more about him now and know a lot more according to what I heard from my grandfather and have read from some archives concerning the wars in Dunan and Toran. Not that one could really learn everything about Yuber."

Luc nodded. "I guess. Thank you anyway, Albert... Talking about something random like this made me feel less worried right now. I think too much."

"It was my pleasure, Master Luc."

The mage moved his chair away from the table and stood. "Well. Good night, then. I think I'd better go get some rest... We still have so many things to do."

Albert smiled, wishing for the young mage to sleep well. Then, he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Being taken hurt more than he'd ever imagined; he blinked, eyes widening, and couldn't stop himself from crying out from pain. His blond companion apparently wasn't feeling like bothering with lubricants aside from preparing him a little earlier.

The pain lost its meaning soon. He didn't care. He wanted this, wanted that strange man to fuck him. When the blond leaned in to kiss him again, he dug his nails into the stranger's bare shoulders, drawing blood. This made the blond laugh against the kiss, amused.

"Albert Silverberg... Mine."

He didn't really pay attention to the fact that the stranger apparently knew his name. His mind was in total chaos, still firmly in control, but at the same time unable to think of anything. He had never enjoyed anything as much as he was enjoying this.

He laughed too, wrapping his legs around the blond. He answered the kiss fiercely, not letting his control slip a bit. And he didn't allow himself to orgasm before the other man...

"Albert."

The strategist smirked, sensing the energy of the teleport spell vanishing from behind him. "Hmm. You were gone for a while. I think Master Luc was wondering where you were even though he didn't say it."

"You should know me better," the black-clad swordsman answered calmly. "I come and go as I please. And you don't have to remind me about the importance of the mission or anything. I know what we're doing and will stick around till the end. Heh..."

The redhead got up, turning to face the blond. "Yes, I would know, Yuber. Thank you for saving me the trouble of reminding you about the mission. I'm going to bed."

"Sounds like an idea. It's late anyway."

Albert turned to the bedroom door and opened it, a calm, amused smile on his face. He knew well where Yuber was planning on sleeping and could hear the silent footsteps as the other followed him to the bedroom.

Author's notes:

I still fall for the bad guys when playing games, so yeah. I liked Yuber and Albert. This was just a random idea I came up with. Came up with the locations when randomly checking facts for something, so yes, that library actually exists.

The text in italics is obviously some flashback/memory thing, if you couldn't figure it out. Well, hope you enjoyed reading. Was fun writing, anyway.

- Lady Harken (August, 2003)