The next three days were some of the most frustrating and yet entertaining days. Training sessions started at dawn with sparring out in the fields. After a few hours of that, Shay’s group moved on to magical training and Brian’s group moved toward fitness training. Then, in the afternoon, the two switched places. At the end of the day, the two groups sparred with one another. It worked well for them. At nighttime the groups went to bed exhausted both in mind and body, but they were going to learn.<?xml:namespace prefix = o />
AJ left them in Brian and Shay’s very capable hands. He had utter faith in those two men to handle the training. Shay had even incorporated a ‘rank system’ much like the military. When AJ had asked him about it, he’d grinned and said that was all he knew, having a military background himself. He’d just used slightly more modern titles.
“How do you know the modern titles?” AJ had asked before he’d stopped to think about it. Shay’s grin had been quick and humorous. “Did you think I never used the Sight to check on you, Alyck? I Saw a few of your military excursions, enough to grasp the military rank. So, when I built the resistance, we used that rank to keep the system running. Privates, Sergeants, Majors, Corporals, the whole lot of them.” He’d answered pertly. All AJ had been able to do was grin.
While those two did the training, it left AJ free to deal with the elves and the incoming races. Most of them were sending reports for their arrival. Each and every one of them was due to arrive the night before the full moon. That would leave one full day to organize everyone together, which meant that AJ had to have as many details as possible ironed out before then. So he poured over maps with Flreu, trying to learn the terrain of Nellador.
He met with military strategists, trying to plan some basic attack ideas and how they could make it to the castle. There was no doubt in AJ’s mind that his friends would be held in the castle as well, so planning on getting there for the final battle was also the best way to get his friends. It was agreed that a rescue mission to retrieve Kevin and Nick would be the smartest thing to do, but the timing needed to be perfect. If they went in too early for their other plans and happened to be caught out trying to get them out then the confrontation between AJ and this evil he had to fight might come too early. He needed to be prepared for it.
That grated him like crazy. The thought of leaving his friends in that place while he prepared to invade was hard for him. Every moment they were there was one moment too long. Who knew what was being done to them? That thought ate at his and Brian’s minds when they had nothing to do. It was part of why they tried to keep so busy. If they were busy than they couldn’t think too hard on what their friends might be going through.
But after a couple days of dealing with the politics of things, AJ had had about enough. He’d done his part for three days straight. On the morning of the fourth day he found he wanted, needed, to do something more. So he hunted down Tadhg and Flreu, finding them ensconced together in the ‘war room’.
“Ah, Alyck!” Flreu announced jovially. “Bright morning to you!”
AJ couldn’t help the smile that creased his face. “Morning to you Grandfather and Uncle. I was hoping I’d be able to catch you two alone.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. See, here’s the thing.” AJ stepped into the room, spreading his hands as he spoke. “I’ve been shut up in these rooms from sunup to sundown for three days straight and, well…”
The looks that Tadhg and Flreu wore were identical with their amusement. “You need a little break. Some sunshine and physical labor.” Tadhg finished for him.
He’d known they would understand. With just a few quick opinions on some things, AJ found himself set free to join the others outside. He practically skipped his way out of the castle and into the sunshine. Oh, bless the Goddess for the sun against his skin! Doing his duty was one thing, but every now and again a body just needed to be outside, away from paperwork and plans and talks of battles and war.
Now, the only question he had was which group did he want to join in with for a while. The two groups had already sparred for a while and had now separated to magical training and fitness training. Well, the fitness would probably feel good, but it wouldn’t exactly be good for morale to pit him against a group of mortals. They didn’t stand a chance against the speed and strength of an elf that AJ had.
So he moved off toward Shay’s group which was doing their magical training. This was one of the most important parts anyways. This group, their elite little group, needed to be magically trained to be able to help out the army. The physical fighting was important but they would learn quite a bit in battle. The magical training, though, needed to be done or their own magic could kill them or others around them.
Shay’s group was off in the field, away from their sparring area, where Tadhg and other spell casters had set up a magical training zone. AJ had helped strengthen those shields himself. Anything done in there would dissipate when it hit the shield.
He jogged his way over, watching as Shay demonstrated a small fireball, turning it into a ring to spin around himself. He spoke the whole time the fire circle him, spinning faster and faster. Just to be ornery, AJ stepped quietly inside the shields and channeled water, drawing it from the ground and bringing it up to spin around Shay only an inch away from his ring of fire. The two moved together, not quite touching.
Shay didn’t break stride in his speech. “You’ve got to know what it is you want to do with the more solid elements, but fire and air and water are more fluid. They respond easily to thought for they have no base form. But that can make them so much more dangerous in their unpredictability. “ Not batting an eye he sent the fire flying in a streak toward AJ.
The four watching him gasped in surprise, spinning to watch as AJ easily caught the fire, taking control of it and forming it into a ball in front of him. He held his hands out around it. “You have to be careful with fire, though.” AJ warned them. A twinkle lit his eyes as he joined the group, moving steadily toward Shay. “It’s not about just molding what you have, such as with water and earth. You have to always watch what you make. Call fire too hot and you could have something that blows apart in your own hands. Call something too cool and your fire will fizzle out.”
He pulled his hands apart and separated the fire into two balls. By now he had reached Shay’s side. Bayani, Nura, Tao and Geoff sat cross legged on the ground, watching them both. AJ passed one ball of fire to Shay. “You just lecturing, my friend, or you actually working a little too?” He teased him.
Shay pretended to scowl. “We’ve been working, thank you very much. I just wanted to take a minute to discuss the ways that the elements differ.”
“Psh. I suppose that’s acceptable. Not quite what I was looking for today, but acceptable.”
A twinkle came into Shay’s white eyes. “Looking for, hm? Getting restless, Alyck?”
The look on Shay’s face was a familiar one. AJ took a step back, the hand still holding the fire now moving to a defensive position. “Shay…” he said warningly.
Shay let his grin grow wider. “Soldiers, outside the barrier.” He called out. The four ‘soldiers’ instantly obeyed. When they were safely out of the way, Shay looked back to AJ. “Maybe I can help you burn out some of that restlessness, my friend.”
“Shay…” AJ tried again. He backed up a few more steps. “You remember how this ended last time.”
“I’ve been practicing, Alyck.”
That was all the warning AJ had. The fire in Shay’s hand went flying at AJ like an arrow. With a simple thought AJ sent his own flame out, crashing the two together. In that moment of heated contact, AJ seized control of the flames, pushing them back toward Shay to wrap tightly around him.
In mutual agreement, the two used only fire, wrestling control back and forth between them. While they did, Shay called out things to his trainees, pointing out moves that he made or that AJ made, showing what was smart and what wasn’t. It was a great exercise. AJ enjoyed using his abilities, a sort of stretching out for his magical core.
When he’d tired of it, though, he wove his magic together and put a shield over Shay while, at the same time, grabbing control of the fire and extinguishing it in the air. “Of course, you can always just shield the person and take the fire away.” He winked over at Shay.
Shay rolled his eyes at him. “Cheater.”
“I won, same as last time. In magic you’ll never best me, Xshayarshan.”
“Shove it, Alyck.”
A whistle called, signaling the break for lunch. The others were dismissed, leaving Shay and AJ to stroll toward the castle together, arms linked. Halfway there they met up with Brian, who linked with AJ’s other arm. The trio moved toward the cliff, keeping apart from the others, sitting on the edge so that their legs dangled. For a while they sat there quietly.
Brian was the one to break the silence. “I’ve wondered for a while now.” He began, looking over at them. “I finally gotta ask. You two going to tell me how you met?”
Laughter tickled the back of AJ’s throat. He let go of them to lean back on his hands, smiling out at the water. This was a story he thought he’d leave to Shay. He wanted to sit and watch Brian’s face when he learned about their past. It would help Brian understand them so much more.
The memories seemed to make Shay smile softly. “To put it bluntly, friend Brian, he is my patron.”
“Patron?”
Shay looked over to AJ, quirking his eyebrow in amusement. “Do they not use this word nowadays? I’m woefully behind in current customs of the human world.”
A small snicker slid past AJ’s lips. He looked over to Brian. “It’s kind of what you think it is, but back in our time it had a deeper meaning. Back then, a patron took care of the person. A patron is a protector, a sponsor, and a benefactor. The things a patron does might include legal representation in court, loans of money, influencing business deals or marriages, and supporting a client's candidacy for political office or even the priesthood. In return, a client was expected to offer his services or skills to his patron when it was needed. There was great loyalty between the two.”
“So, basically you were his sugar daddy, hm?” Brian teased him.
Laughter exploded from AJ’s lips, rocking him back in his seat. He wrapped his arms around his waist, shaking with mirth. “Oh, man.” He chuckled. One hand came up, wiping at his eyes. “That’s one way to look at it, song of my heart.”
“So, you made sure he had cash, kept him out of debt, protected him in court, helped his business deals and marriage if he wanted, and you kept each other’s beds warm.” The laughter in Brian’s voice was obvious. “That says what you two were to each other, but not how you got there. How’d he become your patron?”
“Ah, yes.” Shay’s smile dimmed only for a second. “Well, that is the most interesting part of the story. You see, not long after I was made immortal, another Immortal found me. He was stronger than I was and I was still so new in so many ways. Like a child, unsure of where to go or what to do. He captured me, shielded me so I couldn’t use magic, and then kept me like a mortal slave. My vision, when it came to myself, was still murky at the time.”
Brian’s eyes grew wide. “What? Didn’t anyone try to help you?”
“Times were different then. With the right circumstances, slaves were accepted everywhere.” Memories seemed to swamp Shay for a moment. His eyes drifted back out to look over the ocean. “A human life didn’t hold much worth if the right story was told. He told others that I had committed a crime against his family. Theft, actually. He set a price, too, but it was just another lie to keep people from trying to buy me from him. I don’t remember how much it was.”
“Three hundred aureus.” AJ said softly. He remembered perfectly. “I bought your freedom for three hundred aureus.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Pain flashed over Shay’s eyes.
Being the kind soul he was, Brian reached over AJ to touch Shay’s leg. “I didn’t mean to bring up something that would hurt you, Shay. You don’t have to finish this.”
But Shay reached out and patted his hand, giving him a small smile that held its usual mirth. “It’s ok, Brian. It really is. Sometimes I get lost in the past for a moment, but there’s been enough distance that the pain is minimal. Plus, it’s a tale I want to tell you.” He looked back out to the water again. AJ knew that Shay found it easier to speak when he looked at the ocean. It had always calmed him. He also knew this part of the story well and was working to keep his own temper under control.
Shay sighed softly before continuing. “The immortal that held me wasn’t a kind person. He called me his little puer delicatus. Literally, that means a tender child. But back that it just was a way to call someone your boy toy. I was his sex slave. With him shielding my magic and he having his own, well, I wasn’t much to fight back. I grew depressed. In my depression, my Sigh dimmed. I saw no future for myself outside of there.”
There was a moment of silence. The only sound that came was the sound of the waves hitting the beach.
Then Shay turned to smile at them. “But all of that changed. One evening I was in a home with my master, standing in the corner and waiting to serve him if he needed. The family we were staying with saw me only as his personal slave. So they ate together and drank and had a good time. But the door burst open, suddenly, and with a I remember jumping when I looked over. Then came someone the likes of whom I’d never seen. Alyck walked in.”
AJ smiled, his eyes sliding shut as he was transported back to that time and place. He let Shay’s voice wash over him.
“Alyck, though I didn’t know him at the time, laughed and shut the door behind him. He called out in a language I didn’t know to the owner of the house. The two embraced and laughed. That’s one of the first impressions I had of Alyck. He was a man who liked to laugh and did so, often. He pulled up a chair and joined the man and my master, who was watching him with loathing. I know now that Alyck and my master must have sensed one another’s magic, though I was shielded so tight I didn’t sense a thing.
“The evening went on. Together, the men drank and laughed and told stories. Alyck had switched to the Roman language by then, for that was where we were. They discussed all manner of business. But occasionally I felt eyes on me, looking me over. It made me nervous, I’ll admit that. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had admired me. My master had threatened to sell my services for a night, but so far he hadn’t done it.”
“I was watching you.” AJ kept his eyes closed, his voice soft in the air. “I could feel the potential inside of you and was amazed. It was so vast compared to the man that was next to me. Yet I felt your shield too. So I watched you, trying to figure out if you were dangerous or something, and wondering about the boy with the beautiful face and the white eyes.”
“You terrified me.” The humor in Shay’s voice had Brian and AJ smiling. “I had no idea what you were there for but I thought that, this time, my master was going to finally sell me and I was terrified by that thought. So I stood in my corner and I trembled. When Alyck pointed to me and asked about me, I was sure this was it.
“My master laughed and told his story about me thieving from him and how I was his slave to work off this debt. I remember watching Alyck sit back in his chair and look over at me. He asked how big the debt was. My master told him three hundred aureus. Somehow the conversation drifted from there. Within the hour, the three separated for bed.
“I was outside, taking a private moment to relieve myself, when I heard someone coming. I hurried as quickly as possible and tried to hide behind a tree. I had no idea that Alyck could sense me there. He stepped around, not seeming to mind the little rain coming down. His face was serious as he looked at me. ‘You are a magical being.’ He said bluntly to me. ‘Did you know this?’
“I was too well trained to not answer. ‘Yes.’ I told him. He looked at me so curiously. ‘Then why are you allowing this man to shield you and treat you as a slave?’ He was so honestly confused by this. I didn’t understand the kindness in him at the time. I didn’t understand quite a bit. I’d been broken in my captivity. I was reduced to a quivering child who sought only to please. I told him I didn’t know what I did to deserve this but I must have done something. I told him I wasn’t strong enough to break the shield and so I was stuck.
“My master’s voice rang in the air then, calling for me. Alyck ducked behind the tree, holding a finger to his lips. I remember nodding at him. I moved out though, unable to make myself hide from my master. I didn’t trust Alyck then. Master grabbed me with air and yanked me forward before slamming me onto the ground. My head rang for the instant that it hit. Then he was hissing at me, demanding to know what I’d done, what I had been doing, was I trying to run away. I was so scared I couldn’t make myself answer him.”
Yet again Shay grew silent. Brian’s eyes were wide as he stared at him, caught up in the story. AJ, on the other hand, felt a flash of that old anger. He saw that Shay was having a hard time finishing the story and so he stepped up, his raspy voice filling the air. “I couldn’t just stand back there. Especially when this jerk pulled Shay up and struck him, knocking him down, only to do it all over again. So I ran out and shouted at him.”
“I was lying there in total awe. No one had ever yelled at my master before.” Shay said. He had gained back some of his composure. Enough to finish his own story. “Alyck shielded the man and broke my shield, all in one move. Then he pulled back his fist and hit my master right on his nose.”
That had Brian laughing. He looked fondly at AJ, patting his knee and telling him “Way to go, heart song.”
Shay grinned. “It was amazing to see. Just when my master stood back up, the owner of the house came running, his own slaves with him as well as his wife and two other friends. The man asked Alyck what was happening. I watched Alyck put a hand down into his bag, felt the magic he did, and then he was pulling out a false document and telling the man ‘He sold me the slave and now he’s trying to go back on his sale when I tried to pay him.’
“My master protested, saying he had done nothing of it. But the man worked in law. He found the document binding and said that my master had to argue it. So Alyck tossed a bag of money at him and told him to be gone. Then he came to me and gathered me up in his arms and carried me straight from the property to his horse. I was quivering, terrified that I was going from one horrible master to a worse one, but at the same time I wanted to badly to hope. He hadn’t shielded me, which was something I clung to.
“After speaking with the man one last time, Alyck had his things and a bundle of food and we were setting off from the land. I sat sideways on the horse, cradled between Alyck’s legs, up against his chest. It was soothing. He took me a distance away, traveling for a while, until he brought me to a cave. That was where I first met Howi. He was waiting for Alyck there. He was surprised to see me.”
That was an understatement. AJ laughed as he remembered Howi’s face. “He asked me if I was picking up scrawny little strays.”
“Alyck told him that he’d bought my freedom from another immortal who had been holding me hostage and using me. I didn’t hear the rest of what they were saying to one another. My brain was so scared it was trying to shut down on me. I felt Alyck dismount and had to work to keep my seat. But then his hands were there, lifting me down, cradling me in his arms. He carried me into the cave and set me down on blankets near the fire. He wrapped me up tight, for a slave wore barely any clothes, and silently fed me soup.
“When it was done, he set the dishes aside and sat before me. In a calm, sweet voice, he explained to me that he had not bought me to become his slave, but to bring me my freedom. He explained that I would have no master here. I was my own master. I didn’t believe him.”
In friendship, AJ put his arm around Shay’s shoulder. He fondly kissed the side of his head. “It took forever for Shay to stop flinching every time we came around him. Or to start to be comfortable with touching. But we brought him around to our side. Then we set up our home there in Rome for a while and I introduced us in society with me as his patron, to make things easier. I took him under my wing and helped him heal.”
“I owe Alyck my life.”
Brian slanted a look at AJ. Love flowed over the bond. “That seems to be a common trait among your friends, Alex.”
Before AJ could respond, the world behind them seemed to explode.