AJ sat on a stone outside the castle walls, his legs crossed underneath him, his mind a million miles away. There were so many things that felt like they demanded his attention. Things that he needed to plan before the full moon came. Days had gone by since the Goddess had spoken to him and Brian, yet instead of his thoughts being clearer now, they were only more muddled.
Faith that he had carried his whole life was being put into question. Ironic that he was the one here struggling with faith and Brian was the one who was calm about that aspect of it all.
“She was right.” He told AJ the night after everything had happened. “She rules her world, Nellador, and something rules ours. What’s to say I can’t have my faith for here, since she openly admitted she isn’t the Goddess for this mortal world? My faith for Earth doesn’t change just because I now have a faith for Nellador.”
Easier said than done. There was no denying that the Goddess in all her aspects was the creator and ruler of Nellador. But to blindly accept that was something he was having a hard time with. Always he had been the questioner in life. The one who didn’t take anything at face value. The scholar, Howi had once called him, always seeking answers even to those things that didn’t have any.
Sighing, AJ shifted on the rock and lifted his face toward the sky. He let his eyes drift closed, seeking that center inside of himself. Only there would he find the peace he needed to find.
Under the calming waves of his meditation, AJ felt the grief of the past few days start to slip away. He felt the angst and the anger and confusion melt. There was only the calmness of his center; being adrift in the pool of his own magic, buffered by the sensations of love that always sat in the bond he shared with Brian. This was as close to the peace of the Heavens that he wanted to get until he was called into the afterlife.
In this calmness, things made a little more sense. Yes, the Goddess had spoken to him and Brian. Yes, she had opened their powers up to them, powers that had been slowly leaking out anyways. It wasn’t like she had forced the power on them. It had already been there, slowly growing with each time they used it. Eventually all these changes would have happened on their own. That he knew. All she had done was grant it to them earlier than they would have gotten it on their own. So, in reality, this was a blessing. It upped their chances of survival. Not just for themselves, but for everyone.
The danger in thrusting new power onto people was the fear of misuse. When you gain more power over time, gradually, you learn a proper respect for it. But when it’s simply given to you, you don’t always respect it the way you should. But he and Brian didn’t worry too hard about that. They both knew magic, both its ups and its downs, benefits and pitfalls, and so they regarded this new magic warily and with the respect it deserved.
There was always a tradeoff to strong magic. Using simple elemental magic left you weary if you drew too much for too long. Power for exhaustion was the tradeoff there. Then, when exhausted, you were exposed and weak.
With these new powers there were tradeoffs as well. Brian could detach his spirit from his body but that left him open to possession or death. AJ could communicate with spirits but that meant that he could talk to them and be made to feel their pain. Already he’d learned that the leftover spirits on the battlefield here were hurt and angry and they could, if they chose, make him feel that anger and pain. He had to learn to take it in, to buffer his sanity when needed, and offer them the blessing of the Goddess to pass over to the afterlife. But that meant that, in battle, he would need to learn to control these sensations or he could be lost underneath them.
They could speak into another’s mind now and read the thoughts there if they wished, but at the price of potentially offending someone or finding out something that they might not want to know. A price for everything.
He could shape shift, which he admitted to himself was really fucking cool, but the price for that was pain. It hurt to shift his body’s shape. To change muscles and bones and move his organs around. The more different the shape, the more excruciating the pain was. Even though it last only for the moment of shifting, it was still enough.
There was also the way that others treated you because of these powers. The elves, already respectful of their trulion and baka, were more so now that the two were touched by the powers of the Goddess. Thank everything that Richard and Geoff didn’t seem to worry about it. When AJ and Brian had told them what happened, the two had shrugged and simply accepted their new powers as a part of them.
Donnelly, now. A corner of AJ’s mouth quirked. That man was an interesting fellow. He hadn’t said anything really when they’d told him about this, but he’d been quiet for the rest of the afternoon.
AJ saw so much of his younger self in Donnelly. Pride, arrogance. A fierce determination to take the world on and win. He was a good kid, and AJ couldn’t help but think of him as a kid, but he was a little hot headed.
He was also going to get himself in trouble if he wasn’t careful. Brian was being very well behaved, which AJ was very proud of, but Donnelly kept pushing buttons with Brian that he should have learned by now not to push. So far AJ had managed to keep them from coming to blows about it but something was going to have to be done and soon.
Maybe it would be better to let them fight and get it out of their system. Otherwise it might just simmer and burn underneath the surface and then end up exploding at the totally wrong time. They couldn’t afford having that happen.
But how to get them to bring it out? AJ meditated for a while, mulling that one over, until it finally came to him. He grinned internally. Oh yeah, he knew how this would be done.
With that pleasant thought, he drifted toward other matters, important things that needed to be dealt with before the crossing over happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So everyone who needs to be alerted, has been?” AJ asked Flreu a few hours later as they stood outside the castle walls, watching the clouds in the sky.
Flreu smiled. “Yes. They will all arrive with a few days to spare. With luck, we’ll all pass easily over together. Then each party can go to their designated homes, gathering those that they trust along the way. Within a month of arriving we should be able to bring together information of troops for you.”
“I don’t know how much time we’ll have once we’re there, Grandfather.”
“Well, the note you received mentioned a night, the na’aha. Timed with our arrival, we should have four months to gather our resistance.”
Well, that was better than he’d hoped for, yet shitty in some ways too. That would give plenty of time for them to marshal together their troops for an attack but it would also allow time for them to be attacked. “There’s a thorn in every rose.” He murmured to himself.
A small sensation in the bond warned AJ that Brian was coming toward him. Automatically he turned, facing the direction his lover was coming from, giving that no thought. At least, not until Donnelly, who was walking with Brian, said something about it. “Creeps me out when you two do that. How on earth did you know which way we were coming from? We didn’t even say anything to draw your attention.”
“First, my hearing is quite a bit stronger than yours, Donnelly.” AJ said with a grin. “Second, I know we’ve told you him and I are bonded. I can feel him coming. Plus, I can also feel your magical currents in the air. All those on their own would point me to you two and the way you were coming from. Together, well, it’s almost impossible for you to sneak up on me.”
“Not impossible.” Brian said. There was an impish light in his eyes that had AJ chuckling.
Donnelly crossed his arms when they reached AJ, looking curiously from one to the other. “How does this bond work?” He couldn’t resist asking. There was no off tone to his voice, just an honest curiosity. He’d never asked before. AJ took that as a sign that he was getting more comfortable around them.
“Well, we were already bonded before we came here the first time together. Just the ability to enter one another’s minds, share thought and sensations. Feel what the other feels. Speak in our minds. Stuff like that. But then we came here and had our ceremony,” AJ paused to smile at his partner. Together they held up their tattooed hands. “We got these tattoos there. These kind of intensified our bond. Now, no matter how far away he is from me, I can always stand and point in the direction he is. We can share thoughts and feelings from an even further distance.”
Putting his arm around AJ’s waist, Flreu stepped up beside him. “They are more bonded than most, though.” He added in. His eyes twinkled at his grandchildren. “Not only were they bonded on their own, then add the bond of the sacred tattoos, as well as the bond of trulion to baka, well, they are more closely knit than any two ever have been. They are more like one soul in two bodies.”
“That’s exactly how we’ve always described it to one another.” Brian said. Mentally, he added to AJ ‘I think we’re making it worse, not better, for your young friend here.’
‘He’s older than you, Bri.’ AJ couldn’t resist adding. A small pinch on his backside made him jump a little. He mock glared at Brian. ‘Watch yourself, Littrell. Don’t make me come teach you a lesson.’
‘I’m not scared of you.’ Smirking, Brian stepped forward until he and AJ were nose to nose. ‘I could take you.’
That comment made AJ laugh. ‘You think so, do you? Need I remind you that I am many, many years your senior and have quite a bit more training than you, song of my heart? I could best you easily!’
‘Ah, but I know how to distract you. I would definitely win.’
It was Flreu laughing that cut into their conversation. They looked over to see him smiling at Donnelly. “Ignore my Grandchildren, please. They find amusement in these arguments.”
“Arguments?” Donnelly looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened and his face cleared. “You guys were arguing in your heads with one another?” He asked in surprise.
With a little turn, AJ nudged Brian’s chest with his shoulder. “Just reminding him that I can kick his ass anywhere, any time.”
Brian bumped his shoulder against AJ’s. “You think so, do you? I told you, I could take you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah!”
“Well, prove it then!”
With that said, AJ stepped back from Brian, creating a large gap between them. He saw the other elves gather around, making a nice circle around them. Flreu was pulling Donnelly back, laughing as the man protested. “They’ll be fine, young Donnelly!” he insisted. “Now come, let us get our wagers in before it’s too late!” That made AJ shake his head wryly. Elves would bet with one another on almost anything.
That was all the time AJ had to focus on anything but Brian. He knew that Brian was going to be a challenging opponent. They were both skilled. Seeing as he had been the one to train Brian, he knew that he was fast and strong.
AJ grinned as he reached behind him for his ever present swords. The steel rang as he drew them, two scimitars that glinted in the sunlight. Brian copied him, pulling out his claymore and dropped into a fighting stance. For a moment the two simply stared at one another.
Then, quick as a flash, they rushed together at the same time, swords crossing together with a loud clang. AJ was pleased to see that neither of their skills had dulled, though they hadn’t practiced lately. It was wonderful exercise, twisting and turning this way and that, trying to get around Brian’s guard. He was proud that Brian was holding his own. AJ only had to hold back just slightly. He didn’t want this fight over too quick.
Brian, however, noticed that. “You’re going too easy on me.” He said, his sword flashing toward AJ’s leg only to be blocked by one of the scimitars. “If that’s how you want to be, heart song, let’s try this.” Without any more warning than that, Brian used air to send their swords flying safely away from the circle. Then, still holding that element of surprise, he jumped on top of AJ.
It was instinct that had AJ dropping backward, letting Brian’s momentum carry them to the ground. Then he planted his knees against Brian’s stomach and used them to propel him over AJ’s head. Just as Brian landed on his back, AJ was spinning from the ground and making a dive of his own.
The two wrestled for a while, each trying to pin the other. They were sweating and grinning when they pulled back to circle each other again. Brian’s grin went a little sharper, a sure sign that he was planning something, but what he did wasn’t anything AJ had been expecting. A hand of air wrapped around his semi hard cock, giving it a light pull. Already turned on by wrestling with Brian, this drew a soft moan from AJ. “Oh, you are cheating.” He gasped out.
“I told you I knew how to win.”
AJ growled. So Brian wanted to cheat, did he? Much as AJ wanted to continue the game that Brian was starting, he knew that if they started it right now in front of an audience then he’d have no cares to who was watching and would end up taking Brian right there in the grass.
So he did the only thing he could think of to end things. Lightning fast, he slammed a shield over Brian so he couldn’t use magic, then leapt at him, transforming his body in mid leap. There was the flash of pain, rippling down his body, and then he was knocking Brian to the ground. By the time Brian was on his back, AJ had shape shifted fully to a wolf and was using his massive paw to hold Brian down on his chest.
Brian’s eyes twinkled up at him. “Now who cheated?”
‘You started it.’ AJ insisted. Just to be annoying, he dropped his head down and lapped at Brian’s face. That made his lover laugh out loud. “Dammit, Alex, keep your slobber off of me!”
Laughter echoed around them from the elves that were watching. They moved around, collecting on their bets.
‘You like my tongue on you.’ He gave a small growl of enjoyment that he knew Brian understood to be laughter.
“Not like this, though!”
‘Ah, it’s all semantics. Still my tongue. Just shaped a little different, my lovely.’
“Oh, get off.”
Now that had AJ grinning at him. He felt his tail wag a little. His snout dropped down so that his nose nuzzled against Brian’s shoulder. ‘I’d like to. Nightfall, our tower top?’
When Brian grinned at him in response, AJ released him and padded backward. He sat down, looking around him. Damn. There were his clothes. He was going to have to start packing some extra clothes with him from now on if he didn’t want to embarrass Donnelly, Richard and Geoff by reappearing naked every time he had to shape shift. Not that he planned on doing this consistently. It was enjoyable, sure, but it hurt like a son of a bitch to do and was always a little disorienting to adjust from one form to another.
For a moment, though, he wanted to be a little playful. The wrestle with Brian had left him in quite a good mood. So he stood up and stretched before walking over to look at his friends. Flreu was grinning at him. As soon as AJ was close he reached a hand out, scratching him behind the ears. The pleasure this brought had AJ freezing in place, his head pushing against that hand. No wonder dogs loved to be scratched, he thought to himself. That felt fucking good.
Richard laughed at him. “I swear, you get weirder the longer I know you, Alyck.”
Playfully AJ growled at him. He looked over and saw Donnelly staring at him. There was shock on the man’s face as well as uncertainty. With a chuckle that came out sounding like a small growl, he stepped forward and bit the end of Donnelly’s shirt, pulling lightly on it. Donnelly gave him a funny look as he tried to take his shirt back.
AJ let go of it, only to dart around and grab again from the back. “What the hell, Alyck?” Donnelly demanded, half annoyed, half amused. Growling at him again, AJ pulled even more on his shirt, making him stumble a little. When Donnelly tried to spin to him, AJ let go and darted around again, grabbing the front of Donnelly’s shirt between his teeth and tossing his head side to side as he’d seen thousands of dogs do in his life. Then he let go and bounced back, dropping his front half down and leaving his butt up in the air in the sign of canines everywhere. Let’s play.
It was worth it to see the laughter lighting Donnelly’s face and eyes. This was the most relaxed he’d looked the entire time he’d been with them.
Their play was interrupted by Brian, though. He had been lounging in the grass, watching their play with an amused smile on his face. But he was suddenly on his feet, his eyes wide as he stared off into the distance, every part of him on alert.
Now that he was paying attention again, AJ felt the same thing that Brian did. His body went tense and his hackles raised. There was a current of magic in the air that didn’t belong to anyone they knew. Quite a currently, actually. More than one magic user.
“We have company.” Brian said to the others who were watching, alert.
AJ sent thoughts to Brian, who in turn relayed them to those standing around. “Richard, Geoff, Donnelly, with us. Warriors, keep a ring to the castle. Let none in without us. Stand your posts! We’ll be back.” With one move Brian scooped up AJ’s swords and slung the baldrics over his shoulders before taking off to the forest in a loping run.
Staying in wolf form, AJ ran beside him. Maybe staying like this would give them an advantage. He cast a thought to Brian. ‘Shield me so they can’t sense my magic. If necessary, I’ll be the element of surprise. I want them to think I’m just a wolf.’ He felt the shield slide over him and grinned. They would find out who these magic users were and deal with them accordingly. They had better be friendly or he would make them regret ever coming here to threaten them.