After sitting in silence for a few moments, Roth spoke again, his voice quiet. “I take it your lover never told you any of this.”
“Since I found out about everything, we really haven’t had much peace to talk.” Brian said, automatically defending his lover. He needed time to think, to figure out what to do. Yet, even knowing that Roth was purposely saying all of this just to keep him there, and most likely to get him mad at AJ, he was still unable to force himself to stand and walk away. “I don’t doubt that it would come up at some point.”
“I sincerely hope that you are right. I would not want to think of someone deceiving you. I admit that, while watching Alyck, I have developed a, shall we say, fondness for you. It pleases me immensely to see you flourishing in immortality.” The compliment was delivered with a smile. Without realizing it, Brian found himself smiling in return. “Now, young Brian. Would you care to hear the rest of my story?”
“Yes.” There was no other answer. Whether he liked it or not, he knew he had to hear this. Until he did, he would never be able to think straight enough to leave.
“So, let me see. The next few years were really unimportant.” Roth began, staring off into the fire again. “Alyck was here to recover, and he took the time to do so. Yes, we used one another for that comfort some days. Other days, no. But as each passing year went by, I watched him heal little by little. We started to debate together again, as we always have and always will. Whereas I believe that mortals have almost destroyed this beauty we call Earth, my dear Alyck thinks that they will fix things on their own.”
Roth paused to chuckle dryly and sip off of his drink. “I have seen nothing to prove the validity of his arguments, yet scores of events that back up my own. Toward the end of our time together, we were both growing easily annoyed with one another. The year he left, it was a freezing December. 1908 was the year. We had spent the night together, walking as we often did, and arguing. We were on our way through Messina…”
…..flashback…
“It doesn’t make any sense to me, Roth! How can you think that this kind of destruction would be beneficial to the planet? You have yet to show me the benefits of traumatizing the entire earth, and all life forms on it.” Alyck insisted. His boots crunched the ground, which was just barely frozen. Not uncommon for the winters here.
Rothalo shook his head, raising his cane to rest it over his shoulder. “You fail to see so much of what is in front of you, Alyck! Think of how much damage one single day of war does to the land? These people have no respect for the earth they live upon. Things must be wiped clean, so that we can yet again walk on nature’s bounty, and show people the respect that our mother earth deserves.”
This time it was Alyck who was shaking his head. “To do what you wish has more repercussions that you will admit! In wiping out humans, you are also wiping out animal life, and plant life. You would be destroying some of what you preach you want to preserve! Leave these people their lives, Roth. They have earned their freedom. If you would but remember what it was like to be mortal. To have wants and desires.”
Rothalo grabbed Alyck’s shirt, pulling him in for a fiery kiss. When they pulled back, he whispered “I know wants, and I know desires, Alyck. I have not lost those.”
A corner of Alyck’s mouth quirked as he deliberately stepped back. “You know carnal desires, yes. Naturally. But in immortality, you have lost the concept of other desires. Look at this place around you. See you all the families tucked into their home. Have you any idea what it is they dream of as they sleep?”
“What care I of what they dream?” Rothalo snapped, frustrated at Alyck’s lack of reaction to his kiss. He set off at a stroll again, his companion following by his side. “What does one shenag’s puny dream compare to the grand scheme of things?” His use of the ancient word for a peasant, a slave, had Alyck’s temper flaring.
“See, this is what you’re missing!” Alyck exclaimed. “You measure everything by your standards and your wants.” Magic crackled around Alyck as he embraced that part of himself. He raised a hand and pointed at a house to their left. “The man in there, he dreams of building a better life for his wife and children. She dreams of always having her family by her side. She is content to live as they do.”
He pointed to another house. “Over there a young man dreams of glory, of serving his people and protecting them.”
“How does this relate to the discussion, Alyck?”
“These are not pawns in your game, Roth! They are living creatures, with hearts and minds and dreams! What you propose is murder, plain and simple. I will not stand for it!”
The proclamation echoed through the empty streets. Rothalo stopped, turning to face him. “You would stand against me?” He asked slowly.
Alyck squared his shoulders. “I will stand against the needless destruction of life, Roth. If that puts us on opposite sides, so be it. I will not let you commit this much murder.”
Anger boiled up in Roth like molten lava. “You would do this to me?” He swore. “Come to my house, partake in my hospitality, warm my bed, and then stand here and pit yourself against me? What will you do, Alyck; Kill me?”
“If I have to.”
The quiet words were like a flame on the fuse of his temper. Rothalo’s magic suddenly exploded from him in a rage. There was no thought in how to direct it, only that it had to come out or he would burst underneath the strength of it. He felt Alyck stagger back from him, and the world tremble underneath his feet. All along the streets, people screamed in their houses. A massive earthquake shook them all, tossing things here and there. “Roth, enough!” Alyck shouted, trying to step toward him.
So lost in fury that he was beyond reason, Rothalo slammed Alyck back, sending him flying onto the nearby beach. He stalked after him, seeking only to do one thing. End this man before Alyck had a chance to end him. “I will do what I need to, Alyck!” He bellowed, leaping on to the beach. The world stopped trembling under them, settling back into its slumber. “It is a pity that the first casualty of this war will be you. I think, yes, I shall go for your precious Howi next. After that, I shall start with your hometown. Shall I keep you alive for that, Alyck? Shall I do to this place what I did to your village?”
Alyck rose from the sand, the air crackling with the strength of his magic. Behind him the water started to rise, slowly building until it reached to near forty feet in height. On a cry of rage, Alyck slammed the wave forward, taking Rothalo down, and most of the island with him.
….end flashback…
“So you see, young Brian, in his attempts to save the world, he has created his own devastation. Those people rebuilt, that is true, but the damage was done. Almost all of Messina was destroyed, and the death toll reached near 70,000. In the end, was his result no better than what I was suggesting?”
A sickness enveloped Brian. His limbs felt heavy. In a temper, AJ had done something like that? A part of Brian wanted to deny that his lover would ever be so careless. Yet, hadn’t he seen flashes of AJ’s temper since they had left their house? Times on the island flashed back to him. Watching AJ using his magic to attack Howie, wrapped tight in his temper. Oh God. Oh sweet God.
No, no! He would not let Roth do this to him! He would not let this evil monster ruin the love that Brian had with AJ. Closing his eyes, Brian tried to banish those images. In their place popped up the image of that island burning, and of the tears that slid down AJ’s face. Of AJ kneeling at the back of the boat, praying for each soul that had been lost, calling them all by their names. Names he knew and remembered. That was the Alex he knew. That was who his lover was, in his heart. Nothing Roth said could ever change that.
Opening his eyes, Brian chose his next words carefully. “Yet here you sit, Rothalo, tempting fate for another accident like the one you just told me.”
Roth merely looked curious. “How so, my beautiful child?”
“You’ve taken me from him, in the middle of an ocean. If you’ve been observing us over the years, you should know that Alex is especially protective of me. Yet you’ve taken me from him, and let him with no idea as to whether I’m alive, or if I’ve been killed. As I said, that seems like tempting fate for a repeat performance.”
Throwing his head back, Roth let out a loud laugh. “You remind me of him so much!” he said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “So full of fire and passion! No wonder he has committed his heart to you. The discussions you two must have together!” He gave another chuckle as he reached into his pocket.
Something flew at Brian. He barely managed to catch it before it hit him in the chest. Looking down at his hands, he saw a cell phone.
“Call him, then, if you are so worried for the people here.” Roth said, gesturing to the phone with his glass. At Brian incredulous look, Roth smiled. “Please, I am being honest. Call him, tell him you’re alive. I assume either he or Howi would have a phone.”
“Yes.”
Still smiling, Roth climbed to his feet. “Well, by all means, call them. Might I suggest taking a turn about the gardens, to allow you some privacy?”
Brian stood, clutching the phone to his chest. “Thank you.” He said simply. Then he headed out the doors, into the evening twilight, and started to dial the familiar numbers.