In the eyes of the kami, knowledge was currency, poison, curiosity, tedium, gossip. It was bureaucratic, a need to pretend control through documentation. It was politic, opportunistic, shading into blackmail as it was shaped and filtered and edited. It was consumable, disposable, something to occupy a bored mind for a moment or a year and then be discarded like refuse when interest waned.

Knowledge to the dragons was a weapon, a shield, and a responsibility. A weapon to be used in the fight for what was right and just. A shield to defend a position that could never be surrendered. Responsibility to test for truth and understand it deeply, to accept and guide the changes that knowledge demanded, to act as honour required of one who knew.

Knowledge was not to be shared with one who could not be trusted to recognize and respect it. It was not to be entrusted to one whose loyalties might be questioned. It was saved for those in whose possession it might become wisdom. And so, the dragons tended their knowledge in ways that might be seen as jealous and petty hoarding to other races.

Goujun rarely visited Tenpou's office-turned-library. Besides the official difference in rank and the private power dynamics that made it more fitting for Tenpou to come to Goujun, he did not like to confront the maelstrom of disorder that was Tenpou's tangible horde of knowledge. He was, however, very aware of the contrast between the outward mess, and the ordered repository of knowledge within the marshal's mind.

Tenpou had asked him to stop by so that he could show Goujun the newest texts he had acquired from Below, but lately Goujun had other reasons on his mind to venture into the private library.

It was only after Goujun knocked a second time that Tenpou eventually called for him to come in, but the marshal did acknowledge his superior officer's presence quickly once he entered, by scrambling to his feet and bowing deeply while murmuring a broken string of greetings and polite apologies, all without looking up from the book he was engrossed in until he had finished the passage. Finally he closed the book around one finger to mark his place, instead of setting it aside, which made gathering up the books he had wanted to lend Goujun and clearing off a chair more of a slow and awkward process than it needed to be.

"Thank you." Goujun said gravely, bowing as he accepted the texts, before seating himself in the offered chair.

Tenpou smiled absently and lowered himself to the floor at Goujun's feet. He leaned against Goujun's knee as he opened his own book again, murmuring more apologies and something about being almost finished, although it looked as though he had at least fifty pages to go in the thick volume.

Goujun allowed himself a small indulgent smile, brushing his fingers through Tenpou's hair before perusing the books Tenpou had lent him. One of the philosophies about strategy and the nature of war seemed to be intriguingly close to draconic thought, reminding him of his assessment that his Tenpou might be worthy of knowledge kept by dragons.

"There is an ancient scroll I would like to show you, someday," Goujun said thoughtfully.

"Oh?" Tenpou looked up from his book and turned to him, eyes focusing on Goujun much more quickly than they would at any other interruption, he was sure.

"It has been handed down in my family for generations, and is now in my younger cousin's keeping. However, dragons tend to value knowledge differently than other races, and we are slow to share it. My cousin must be convinced that you are worthy before he would let you see it."

Tenpou closed his book around his finger again and stood, to lean against the desk and face him comfortably rather than twisting to look up at him. "What it is about? Can you tell me?"

"It is rare for dragons to write down our own knowledge, though we do seek and treasure the writings of other races." Goujun absently ran a finger along the worn leather spine of one of the books he held. "Our own race shares its knowledge through oral heritage and ancestral memory within families. Occasionally, however, we do record our interactions with the other races of Heaven and Below, and give written form to our most powerful magic so it will not be lost to Time. The scroll I am thinking of is one of the oldest such histories."

Tenpou was focused on him entirely now, eyes shining with interest and breath quickening.

"The scroll itself is an object of great power, but the knowledge it holds is also weapon and defense, a record of the events leading up to the dragons' alliance with the first kami, from the ancient time when we helped order the world and separate Heaven from Earth. We received sacred oaths of rights and freedoms, political autonomy, and a position almost equal to that of the kami. Formal alliances were established ensuring that neither of our races would ever turn against the other, but would aid each other in times of crisis."

"I have heard and read only the vaguest references to this," Tenpou confessed, glancing at the overflowing shelves behind him.

"I know." Goujun sighed heavily. "My presence and position in Heaven is meant to be living memory of that ancient alliance, but the kami themselves have long since ceased to honour that history. That is why I would like to convince my cousin to let you see the scroll, so that you may become keeper of such knowledge as well. It is not right that Heaven should forget such things." Although, Tenpou was hardly a normal part of Heaven, but there were no others he would trust with such knowledge in its pure form.

"I would be honoured to receive such knowledge," Tenpou said reverently. "I do hope your cousin can be convinced of my respect for it."

Goujun suppressed a snort, imagining what his cousin would think of the disordered state of Tenpou's personal library. Yet he did know the great respect with which the kami treated knowledge itself. In the meantime, he could smell Tenpou's arousal at the prospect of being allowed even a glimpse at such a rare scroll. The familiar, intimate scent was having its own effect on Goujun's desire.

Pushing the thought aside for the moment, he stood and set the borrowed books on the chair before he continued gravely, "Few know why I command and serve in Heaven's Armies. Many more would be too easily convincied if given reason to suspect that my loyalties to Heaven and to my own kind are contradictory. It is my duty to prove beyond doubt, in my service and in my life, that my loyalty to the kami and my loyalty to my people and family are meant to be inseparable, by the nature of the trust and ties between our races. Both loyalties are necessarily absolute. There is no room in my duty or honour for politicking or opportunism. And no personal attachments could ever be allowed to conflict with those loyalties."

Tenpou frowned but nodded, accepting the price of such knowledge and duty. "But as long as such attachments are not in conflict with those loyalties, then...?" he began, trailing off questioningly.

Goujun stepped forward and reached out, pulling the kami against him to whisper into his hair. "Then nothing need come between us."