Brian carried him out into the forest, going further in until suddenly AJ felt a shield as they passed inside of it. Suddenly he was pulled down and set on his feet. It took a split second for AJ to assess the shield around him and realize that it was a dome made to keep their magic in, and keep others out. Even as his mind did what was necessary to test the shield, his body was paying total attention to Brian. “I thought we were going to our tower top, lover.” He asked, smiling slightly.
Shrugging, Brian took a step toward him, amused when AJ took a step back in response. “I thought we’d come out here. Less likely others would find us and interrupt. I want you to myself.”
Humming, AJ took another step back. He slowly started to pull his clothes off. The look in Brian’s eyes was enough to have his skin heating and his blood boiling. While watching one another the two undressed together. Once they were both nude, AJ cocked his head to the side and smiled. He caught Brian off guard when he stepped forward and planted his hands against his chest. At the same time that he pushed, he raised up a small mound of soft earth for Brian to land on.
He straddled Brian’s waist and leaned down to kiss him. Moonlight stole through the trees painting their skin with moonbeams. As much as they loved their tower top, Brian loved to come out into the woods with AJ. To put him in his most natural element. There was something about him when he was in nature like this, with the love in his eyes and the glow to his skin.
AJ moved his lips to Brian’s shoulder, nibbling at the skin there. It left Brian free to watch him. To trace his hands up AJ’s arms, which were braced on either side of him. He touched the muscles that had become more defined in their time together. Traced his fingers over the skin that had a slight more tan. Then up, over those firm shoulders. Alex was so thin, yet that wiry frame held a great deal of muscle and strength.
He slid his hands down over the smooth skin of AJ’s back, tracing the few small scars he found there. Scars he had never asked about before. Then down, cradling those hips, holding him in place as Brian rolled his own hips. At the same time, AJ brought a hand, running it over Brian’s arm, then up to cup his face. AJ’s head pulled back so that they were looking eye to eye.
The look in AJ’s eyes had Brian frozen. He didn’t think that he could speak or breathe. It was as if AJ was looking down to his soul. His rings were glowing brightly, almost as if they were absorbing the light and reflecting it back.
AJ was mesmerized by Brian’s eyes as well. By the yellow there was now a grey ring, growing brighter and brighter. It was like looking at the sky on a sunny day at noon. That yellow of sunlight, the slight grey of the clouds that was almost white but just was quite. The blue of the sky around it. He felt as if Brian was bringing the sun to him, filling him with it.
Sitting up, AJ slid his bottom against Brian’s hardness, making both of their breathing falter slightly. Then he lifted, and Brian was helping to line thing up, and AJ sank down onto him with a moan that echoed through the forest. For just a moment he held still, enjoying the fullness. Enjoying the quiver to Brian’s muscles, and the pleasurable ache that was filling AJ. Soon he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to move.
Brian had drawn his knees up, bracing his heels on the table of earth that AJ had made and laid him on. Leaning back, AJ braced his hands on Brian’s knees, his feet on the ground, and started to move. A soft rise and fall that had them gasping.
The moonlight fell on AJ’s skin, almost blinding Brian with its light. He had his hands on AJ’s hips, helping him in that motion that was sending them both higher and higher. Their skin started that familiar glow as the pleasure and magic became one inside of their bodies. Brian moved one hand, sliding it over to AJ’s hardness, wrapping his fingers around him. He heard AJ’s gasp, watched as his eyes rolled up a little in his head. Smiling, he started to move his hand, to bring his lover to the same mindless point that he was.
Stars twinkled above them. With each move of AJ’s hips, Brian felt as if he was climbing closer and closer to the stars. He felt like a spring, tightly coiled, yet ready to split apart. Just a little more; he was so close. AJ’s name fell from his lips like a litany. He watched as AJ spread his hands out to the sides, as he seemed to call the light of the night to him. His hair was fanning out behind him, tickling at Brian’s thighs, and his eyes held that look, that special look that AJ gave no one but him.
It was too much. It was just enough. Brian’s hand picked up pace, wanting to take AJ with him, to soar at that height right by his lover’s side. Just as Brian felt it coming, felt that moment of indescribable pleasure explode through him, he saw AJ throw his head back and cry out to the sky. They were both flung over the edge, soaring high in the air. It seemed as if the moon came down to them, lighting their area. The stars were with them, in them, exploding one after another.
When the light started to fade, and the passion left them spent, AJ pulled himself free before collapsing on top of Brian’s chest. He barely had the strength, but he used what he did to lower their bed back into the earth where it was supposed to be, leaving them a tangled mass of sweaty limbs on the grass floor. It was perfect. Everything was just perfect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning light brought back reality. With the rise of the sun came the return of responsibilities. AJ found himself spending most of his time cloistered in the war room, planning things out. If he wasn’t there, than he was off meeting with one race or another and discussing and adjusting things as needed. Each afternoon he got together with Tadhg and the two of them worked on the hurricane that they were growing.
Days bled together. One sliding into two, two into a week, a week into two weeks. Each day more came together. Weapons were handed out and drills were run daily. Each race was setting up their preparations for the fight that was coming. AJ felt his hope grow as he watched things fall into place. He knew there was no way that they could plan for everything, but they would do as much as they could.
He kept his senses open as well, trying to find a sign of when Roth would be coming. Each day he flew with Tripha, scanning the area for the sign in the air of Roth’s magic. If they just had enough warning they would do so much better. But he knew that a short warning was all he could hope for. What Roth knew of magic was going to be so different than what AJ knew. Roth would be using his blood magic, knowing that this was something AJ did not do. For all AJ knew, there may have been a way to hide himself magically so that no one would sense him coming.
To that end AJ kept scouts out, a network of them that would be able to relay the message fast if anything was spotted.
His days were jam packed with business and war and diplomacy. He couldn’t visit only one race and not another. So he had to divide his time and his days between each of them equally. It helped that Brian was with him. That he was always by AJ’s side to assist him in things, and help remind him that there were some things he could delegate. He forced AJ to keep himself in mind. “What good is our trulion if he works himself to death before the battle even begins?” he would say.
If they days were busy and stressful, the nights were a perfect contrast. Every night he and Brian sought out one another, no matter what was going on. They came together and let their passion free, reveling in their closeness. During the day they were inseparable. During the night, no one dared interrupt them. Most of the others were the same. Those who had loved ones were joined together with them as often as could be.
No one had any doubts that some would die in this coming war. Who, they didn’t know. But there would be casualties. Because of that, everyone was eager to spend as much time with those they loved as they possibly could, on the off chance that it would be someone they loved that was lost.
The closer the time came, the more that they felt the fear in the backs of their minds. Who would they lose? Who would never come home again from this war? Yet no one turned aside. Even with the fear in them, they knew that they fought for what was right. If they lost, it wouldn’t just be a few that suffered the loss of loved ones. The entire world would suffer. So they waited anxiously, yet somewhat eagerly.
On the first day of September, the scouts brought word of what they had all been waiting for, and what they were the most afraid of.
AJ was in his war room when the doors burst open. Flreu and Tadhg were with him, the three of the pouring over a map that held little markers, indicating different troops they had stationed. For once Brian was actually not by his side. Instead he was upstairs, visiting with Kevin and Nick. All three sets of eyes came up the instant they heard the doors swing wide.
A scout stood there, gripping the handle on either door, his eyes wide. Even before he spoke, AJ knew. He knew what was going to be said. The scouts words only confirmed it. “Roth had been spotted on the Celtic Sea, coming close to the southern part of Ireland.”
They had been worried about which direction he would come from. But they had plans ready for any instance. AJ didn’t waste time. “Grandfather, let the troops know. Everyone needs to get into position. Uncle, you’re with me.” He ordered. This was not a time for formalities or manners. This was a time for war. He sent a single thought to Brian, letting him know that the time had come, and felt the sudden iron determination fill his lover.
They strode from the room together to find the hall crowded with people. The looks on their faces said that they, too, had guessed what was coming. AJ looked around for those he needed and started barking out orders as he moved through the hall. “Cyth, send someone to my room to fetch my things. I need both swords and my war clothes. Sheeta, gather together all the healers, have them prepped. You, Trs, inform the archers to get into place. Get the spell casters up there with them!”
He strode from the hall amid the chaos that was now surrounding them. A controlled chaos, though. Everyone moved with a purpose. The time was on them. There was no room for disorder. Taking Tadhg with him, AJ moved to where Tripha was already waiting, his scales glittering in the sunlight. “Can you speak with your scout and see what the time frame is before they arrive?” There had been a dragon on the way to speak with the scouts. AJ just hoped that the dragon was there.
Tripha’s eyes unfocused as he went inside of his mind, questing on that link that all dragons shared. A moment later he pulled back out and looked straight at AJ. “Within ten minutes he will be on the shores of southern Ireland. Within the hour he will be upon us.”
Shit, shit! That was cutting it too close. Way too close. AJ’s steps were quicker now, almost racing to the cliffs with his Uncle behind him. Before they even reached the edge they were linking. It was easy enough, as they’d been doing it for days now to work with the hurricane. Now they joined together, and Tadhg gave control to AJ. Instantly he flung his mind out, finding the storm they had made, checking how big it had grown.
Inexorably he started to pull it toward him, wrapping his magic around its center, forcing it to obey his will. He changed its winds, added to its power so that it started to move toward him, growing as it did. He used all the control he had to time it just right. It would reach them just shortly before Roth would. The hurricane would rage over Ireland, but with the rate it had been growing most of the Island had been evacuated to safe areas.
Once it reached them, there was a magic waiting around the castle that would anchor it so the eye would be over them, keeping their battlefield clear and bright with the sun. They would be hidden from mortal eyes, but still free to see what they had to do. Now that he could see it was on the right route, AJ sighed and pulled himself back, centering and grounding and then releasing Tadhg from the link
Even as he reoriented himself, before his eyes even opened, AJ knew that Brian was waiting for him. He opened his eyes to find his lover standing there, dressed down to simple clothes. Breeches, light boots that were calf high, a close fitting tunic, and the light armor that the elves were famous for. He wore no gauntlets or helmet. Just the simple chest armor. His curls had been cropped close to keep them from his eyes. Around his waist was his sword belt, holding the simple claymore that he always used.
In his hands he had AJ’s clothes. Quickly, without caring who was near, AJ stripped out of his clothes and pulled on his warrior clothes. Breeches, soft boots that laced almost to his knees, a leather jerkin. Next his leather armbands, which came up to fit over his hands like fingerless gloves. Without being asked, Brian quickly tied the leather laces on those for him. Then AJ pulled on the two baldrics, checking to make sure the swords were loose enough to grab.
While he adjusted the straps on those, Brian moved behind him and braided two small braids on either side of AJ’s head, joining them at the back. A green leather band was tied around AJ’s head, the strips left to dangle down the back of his free flowing hair. Hair that now hung down below his bottom, almost to his knees.
This part of things AJ knew that he had to do, but not everyone liked this part of the plan. Still, AJ wasn’t keen on letting Roth just continue to walk unaided. Eventually everyone had agreed to it.
That was how Brian and AJ found themselves standing at the edge of the barrier, staring down the open, empty field, the forest at their backs, as Roth and his troops came into sight. The storm had come just as AJ had called, passing over them, leaving its telltale marks on Roth and his troops in the sign of the moisture on them still. But the eye was over them, anchored to the castle. AJ felt himself moan internally at the sight of Roth's army. Hundreds of thousands of Krutas marched behind him, as well as more ni shia than AJ had known had existed. They marched in the lines of troops, with other creatures that AJ recognized and cursed steadily to himself over seeing. The one that made his blood start to boil was the sight of the goblins. They had turned traitor, and gone to a darker cause.
But it was Roth, standing front and center of all of them, which held AJ’s attention. Closer he came, until they could see the smile on his face. They reached the area right before the barrier and stopped, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to cross it. None of the people on AJ’s side were in sight, but they were near. Near enough to do what was necessary when the battle started.
His lips curling back into a parody of a smile, Roth looked at them with eyes that were not all his, and were no longer sane. Blood magic oozed from him like some foul disease, rotting his body from the inside out. He was dressed in black pants, black boots, black shirt, his raven hair pulled back, his skin seeming darker than ever before. He was the darkness, come to try to swallow them whole. AJ felt Brian shudder next to him, and felt the same sentiment in his own body. This was the first time that they had seen Roth since their imprisonment.
Still smiling, Roth took one step closer, just a hair away from the barrier that would prevent him from stepping in. “Hello again, Alyck Tuian. Hello again, Brian Littrell. So nice to see you.” He said, his voice as sweet and thick as syrup. But they heard the poison beneath it. Taking a deep breath, AJ sent love along the bond to Brian and felt love sent back in return. There was no going back for them. It had started.
“Hello, Roth.”