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Gradually, a castle rose near the quarry a few miles away from Hundsburg, a quarry ran by the half dragon James Scale. At two stories, the right side from the gate was taken up by the great hall. Every other essential room was to the left.On the first floor, there was a kitchen right next to the gate with a children's bedroom right next to it. Next to that was the stairwell, along with a small bedroom that had been set aside for a personal guard, or Osmund if he was interested. On the top level, there were two bedrooms on the way to James' personal office. Between those and the great hall was a small room set aside for storage."Wow!" gasped Osmund as he marveled at the structure. The room set aside for either a personal guard or him consisted of a chest, a double bed, a nightstand and an armor stand. " It's a start," stated James.

"That it is," replied Osmund, "Its a pretty good start to."

" Yeah. Now, for a town."

"Yes. Small to start?"

" Yep. Farms first."

"Yeah, and get food."

" An inn as well."

"Yes. Maybe a boarding house as well?"

" Yep. Also, a smith. Anything else we should add?"

"Leather Shoppe."

" Right."

"What else?"

"Other Shops?"

"Yeah, maybe fur shops."

" Yeah, and shops for foreigners."

"Yeah, and a trade post!"

" Yeah."

"Maybe a fish stand," added Osmund." Yeah. Oh, and what about a plaza?"

"Yes!"

" Although, I feel like there should be something in the middle of the plaza."

"Yes. Maybe a fountain."

" Sounds like a plan."

"Or a small garden."

" Or a well?"

"Yeah that to. But we should have more than one."

" Yeah, easier to get water that way."

"That it is. And more for the people."

" Now, what el--oh yeah, a tavern!"

"Oh how did I forget?"

" How did either of us forget? We'll add one of those for sure!"

"Yes!"

" Also, a barrack."

"Of course."

" Well," finished James, "let's not waste time here."

"Yes. I will go log what we have sir."

" Sounds like a plan."

With that, Osmund was off leaving James behind in the courtyard of the keep. He went outside and wandered the area to see what he could find. After going down to the quarry, he managed to find some herbs and stuffed them in his pocket believing he could use them later. Then, he jumped and took flight heading towards Hundsburg. He watched as the mountain gave way to field and tree under him, and when he found Hundsburg, he glided until he was on the ground. There, he saw Osmund chopping at a tree with an ax. " See any black and white foxes?"

"Not yet. Why?"

" I know someone who's one."

"Ah, okay," called Osmund, before he took the head of his ax to the tree once more. "It's rare we find a fox person here."

James scanned the area for a sign of Takeo. For a while, there was nothing, until he spotted Takeo's daughter, Hisa. He followed her through the woods until she stopped and went into an inn. He stopped the door from shutting and went inside. He saw her shut herself in a room, went to the door and knocked. He heard footsteps and stepped back as the door opened to reveal Takeo. " Hey Tak."

"Konichiwa James. How may I help?"

" I was wondering if you'd like to check out my castle."

"I can. Hisa you want go?"

"Hai!"

" Alright. Walk or fly? Or, ride?"

"I can ride with her."

" Alright."

Takeo picked up Hisa, and James took a couple steps back. He turned and headed towards the door. He went outside, spread his wings and took flight. Within minutes, they all met at the mountain. "Pretty nice," said Takeo.

" Thanks."

"You welcome. Hisa, calm down!"

" Just needs some more battlements, and it'll be good. Let's just hope we'e got enough."

"So how many you have work?"

" About twelve."

"You need more."

" No kidding."

"Maybe I can help."

James gave a thumb up and said, "Sounds like a plan."

"Just not Hisa. She to small."

" Right. By the way, have you seen Emily?"

"Not yet. She didn't stop by."

" Damn."

James' eyes followed Hisa as she ran around the area. " Well, you've certainly got a hyper kid."

"Hai. I don't know why she like this. Eh," Takeo shrugged and said, "I was same way when little."

" Really?"

"Hai, strangely enough."

" I wonder if it's an Okuda thing."

"Most likely. My father was a 60 year old."

James raised an eyebrow and craned his neck. " What?"

"My father was 60 when my mother conceived me, she was 20."

" Yeesh!"

"What did you say," hissed Takeo.

" Forty years apart?"

"Hai. Trust me when I was born it was normal. Father lost his widow and my mother took his heart and so on. Me and my ex were 22 years apart."

"Wait for me!" shouted a voice from about a mile away. James turned around and said, " Well, look who finally showed up."

"Hai, my son!"

Once Haru caught up with James, he grabbed his tail, immediately met with a yelp. " Ow!"

Haru climbed up and crawled behind Takeo. Hisa clapped her hands and squealed, "Brother!"

James gave Haru a look and growled, " Never pull my tail again!"

"Slow hell down than!" barked Haru. Once they were close, James grabbed onto the edge of the balcony outside his office. One by one, the Okudas dismounted. Hisa was asleep in Haru's arms. On the way up, James took their feet in the face. Haru sat on the balcony, and Takeo looked at James and said, "So you know he's gayer than you home country."

" Yeah, I know."

"Can you tell which he is?"

" Yep." While stretching one arm, Takeo continued, "I can't blame him. His mother wasn't aloud to love him."

" What," James grunted after hoisting himself up. "Haruki. His mother was taken by a Shogun when she was pregnant with him as punishment for sleeping with me."

" What was up with you people?"

"I do not know, possibly social standing. See, with farmers, we marry until we die or partner dies. Than we remarry."

" Sounds like a basic system, a primal one at that."

"Compared to where you from, its primitive. See, the Shogun gets what he wants. It was still more up to date than Europe where if woman no love man she was stuck with him. We had free roam, unless you were Daimyo or higher."

" Well, of course, in Europe, if you hated your spouse, you could always kill them. But then, if someone found out, you'd be hanged, burned, squeezed in a cage or god knows what else."

"Hai, that no work in Japan. You commanding officer was able to off you head, but you could try. But no work. You just kick her out and she normally found someone else."

" That sounds nice."

"Yeah. Or worse, she became a farmer lady like my mother. Lets just say she wasn't a thinker like my father."

" Who was he?"

"Who," asked Takeo, "my father? Or the Shogun who had a thing for quarter Japanese women?"

" Your father."

"Oh, Okuda Jiro. He was nice man, but he was killed after rogue bastards attacked. With my little sisters, and I couldn't find my mother so she was probably kidnapped."

" And, god knows what else."

When James added that, Takeo shuddered at the thought of what could have happened to his mother. "If I could, I would've kill them."

James stood up and opened the doors into his office. All three of them entered before James closed the door behind himself. The office was quite empty so far consisting of only a single desk with a chair. Seeing Haru was at least 5'7, taller than Takeo, the kitsune growled. " Well," said James, "I wonder how much Japanese Haru has."

"He be sixty five percent Japanese at least. He no get height from mother, she was shorter than me."

" Really?"

"Hai. I think her father, a German, was tall. I not know."

" it's possible."

"Hai. I only knew her mother barely. She was my height." Well, shall we see the rest of the keep?"

"Hai."

As James opened the door, Takeo came out of nowhere with a question. "Is it weird I slept with my mother?"

Haru gritted his teeth and tugged on his collar, possibly thinking the worst of this. James took a deep breath and said, " If you mean sleep sleep, a lot of kids do it all the time."

"Hai. That what I mean, but I was 16."

" You serious?"

"Hai. Well, you slept in the beds you had which was maybe two. The kids slept with mother until she had twins, than mother slept with father. She was pregnant before the raid. You know, what I never found sisters either. Only father's burned up body."

" So, you were the only one left?"

"Hai, I was. That's when I met Tsuki."

" And, the rest is history."

"Hai."

" Well, on another note, this floor consists of two bedrooms, the gatehouse and this office. Downstairs is the storage room, another bedroom, the kids' room and the kitchen. Across from this wing is the great hall."

"Good, good."

Haru put Hisa down, and she bolted through the hall. James watched as she rounded a corner and asked, " Where do you suppose she's going?"

"Yomi if I know," Takeo grunted before giving chase. James looked at Haru and shrugged. "I was never that hyper," Haru sighed with his arms crossed. James beckoned and headed into the hall. He stopped, pointed at the door right next to the office in the hall and said, " I'm sleeping here."

"That's nice. I most likely will stay with father."

" I wonder if he'll decide to build something or sleep in the spare bedroom."

"Most likely the spare, father hate building stuff."

" Too much work?"

"Hai, you read about how Samurai are."

" Yep."

"At least the high rank losers like him." Takeo stuck his head around the corner and barked, "The hell you say about me?" James raised his hands and said, " Nothing!"

Haru, on the other hand, was frozen in place. He gulped before James asked, " So, how about we look at the kitchen?"

"Hai!" Haru yelped before he bolted down the stairs. James stepped around Takeo with his back to the wall and led the way downstairs. He went outside and led them to the door closest to the gate. Inside, there was a chest to be used for storage, as well as a counter cluttered with tools and an oven next to it. "This is nice," said Takeo.

" Thanks. Feel free to help yourself, I'll go look for Haru."

"Can do."

As Takeo began digging through the stock, James went outside the keep and searched for Haru through the town and the quarry. Eventually, he found him in the shack. " What're you doing here?"

"Hiding from father, he going cut my balls off!"

" Well, I let him loose in the kitchen, so you should be good for now."Thank gods," Haru sighed before climbing up on his feet. " So, wanna help me plant some herbs?"

"Hai!"

" Alright. Ever heard of Wolfsbane, Belladona or Mandrake?"

"Uh, What?"

" So, I take it you don't know what they are."

"Exactly."

---

Come nighttime, James and Haru went to where his horse was and mounted, Haru behind James. " Still an active one, he is," James commented.

"Who, the horse?"

" Yeah."

"Why you say it active?"

" I see him running around and rearing like usual."

"Ah! Well is it bad thing?"

"It depends."

"True."

" What do you think would be a good name?"

"It up to you."

" How about Poltergeist?"

"That sounds good, and seems to fit."

" Yah!" The horse reared back and bolted down the hill. They rode to the west of the mountain under the cover of darkness and snow. After a few minutes, the horse came to a sudden halt. " Oof!"Haru went into a position that looked like he was smelling James' snout. He pushed him off his shoulder and dismounted. " Haru?"

"Hai?"

" You coming?"

"Hai. Sorry, my leg felt itchy!"

James pointed at what stood before them, a statue of some sort. " Now," said James, "what do you think that is?"

"I don't know, a dog?"

" Ah, too much decay."

"Then what?"

" Who knows?"

"Hai, can be anything."

James turned around and went to mount the horse again. " What I would also like to find is another mountain."

"What for?"

" A new castle, a bigger one. I kinda limited myself with this one."

"Oh, true."

" I was thinking this one could be the market town, the one I have so far."

"True, true."

James clicked his tongue and led the horse back towards the hill.