Men who play games of war and soldiers born from circumstance...
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Scroll 06 : 02
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The land around them is washed in a deep orange red as they slow near the edge of the silent village and as the Captain commands his horse to stop, blue and green eyes narrow at the sight before them, his voice very low when he speaks. “It is …unusually still…” White eyes look around slowly. There are no animals, no sights and sounds that normally accompany a functioning village. As the sun sets further, no lights appear in the windows. “I do not like this…” Kso’ppghiel dismounts his horse, stepping slightly further into the small, seemingly deserted town. He reaches about five paces before the horse he pulls along behind him stops, refusing to move any further. His eyes travel to the overhead shop signs, half hanging off their chains in obvious disrepair. “There is no one here…” Bal’thial dismounts and steps up behind the Harbinger, tugging firmly on the reigns he holds when his own steed also refuses to move along with him. Mismatched eyes scan the town, long ears listening carefully for any signs of life at all. When he gets none, the tall Captain turns his gaze towards the man at his side. “No one, no animals, no sounds, no life… there is nothing in this town...” turning again and taking a breath in, he frowns. “The air is stale. Something is not right, we are in the open, this town-” He reaches up and waves at the area before them. “-is also in the open, the air should not be stale.” Kso’ppghiel shakes his head before a small clang of metal to their right as a rusted sign falls causes them both to whip around and their horses to right the hold on their reigns. An eerie silence falls over the area as the last bit of sun finally sets, blanketing the area in darkness. A small stream of words leaves the blonde’s lips as a small flame covers his palm, skin unaffected by the heat as he holds his hand forward. The area around them illuminates only slightly, shadows thicker than they should be. “I have never seen anything like this.” “It smells of bad magic.” Bal’thial says flatly as mismatched eyes remain fixed on the growing darkness just beyond the flickering flame his companion maintains. “Whatever happened to this town was not natural…” a soft smirk forms on the white haired man’s lips as he glances to his side, meeting Kso’ppghiel’s gaze with his own. “Our horses seem intent on remaining where they are, so do we remain with them and risk traveling through the wetlands at night? Or do we deem ourselves adventurous and find a place inside?” A stale wind blows almost like a breath, extinguishing the flame spell in Kso’ppghiel’s hand. White eyes blink in disbelief for a moment. “That… is not possible.” Small sounds draw his gaze forward once again as small sets of what appears to be luminescent eyes begin popping up in the distance, growing in number as the seconds pass. “This place is dangerous… I would rather we come back during the light to investigate. We cannot defend ourselves if we do not know what we are facing.” Bal’thial’s blue and green gaze stares ahead as the growing sets of eyes begin shifting closer for only a moment before he turns back to his horse, both men’s steeds beginning to fidget and pull back nervously at the reigns that hold them. “Then I suggest Harbinger,” he starts as the other man moves simultaneously along with him as they mount their animals. “-we make haste.” With one quick movement, the tall Captain is up on the leather saddle that covers his animal, followed seconds later by the blonde on his own and within moments both steeds are turning towards the dark wooded area behind them. Neither horse needs any prodding before they are in motion and suddenly a feeling of dread rises up from behind, as if there’s a presence treading on their heels. The horses race blindly through the shadows that seem to thicken around them, shapes shifting and undulating around their hooves. Wherever the shadows pass, the world grows deathly silent in their wake. “Move towards the river!” Kso’ppghiel shouts out ahead of him, unsure where the Bal’thial is. He lets his horse take over, knowing it will run in the safest direction on instinct. The wave behind them begins to close in, bringing with it a cold, stale wind. Whatever they had disturbed, it was not about to let them simply walk away. There’s a faint sound behind him, the sound of Kso’ppghiel’s voice but the words are lost as his horse continues to race forward, engulfed by the silence trailing in the darkness’s wake. He yanks back on the reigns to slow the animal down, the feelings of dread only growing in intensity while he struggles to regain some control over his animal long enough to find the blonde haired man. Gritting his teeth, Bal’thial pulls hard once again and finally manages to steer the beast back, the loud protests of the steed swallowed in the shadows that continue to close in. The instant he turns, the Harbinger springs into view, his own horse refusing the slow even in the slightest as he races past. White eyes meet his mismatched gaze for an instant and he turns his eager animal to follow the other man as he works to shout through the dead void that threatens to take them into its looming fold. “The river!” Kso’ppghiel yells his response and despite his words being lost the Captain catches enough to know they are on the same train of thought and within seconds he’s racing behind, this time allowing the animal to take hold and go where it will. The Darkness consumes them both and he loses sight of the blonde, the surrounding area so silent and still that even the hoof beats are lost as well. Another sudden streak of fear courses through him and Bal’thial doesn’t dare look back as he races forward until a hard grip latches onto chunks of streaming long snow colored plaits, the tall man’s gasp as lost as the rest when he’s ripped back and off his moving steed and swallowed by the blackness that pursues them both. Racing forward through the shadows, as small glimmer reaches his eyes and Kso’ppghiel pushes his horse forward faster as the sight of the moonlight off the river catches his eyes. As he approaches the water, the shadows begin to decline and the blonde allows himself a breath once hooves finally splash into the dark river. His heart beats fiercely in his chest as he turns quickly to watch the blackness slowly retreat and move back in the direction they came. Only once they are finally out of sight beyond the thick woods does he shift his white gaze towards the horse beside him. Fear and shock shoots through the Harbinger as he finds the saddle empty and the animal visibly shaken. “No…” The word is barely as whisper from his lips and he urges his horse back despite its reluctance. Kso’ppghiel calls out to the Captain, hoping that maybe he simply fell along the way. In his heart he knows better and anger joins the fear. He will not lose another he loves no matter the cause. The blonde wants to reach for his swords and slaughter whatever that was that took Bal’thial from him but his horse refuses to move. He will not be able to find his way back while it is still dark and a frustrated growl leaves him as he hops down and leads the animal back to the safety of the river, the rest of the night spent pacing restlessly back and forth along the bank while he waits for the sun to rise.
 Beneath him he finds bedding, the silken sheets he’s laying on something he’d recognize anywhere and something that immediately fills him with dread. Pushing himself up the instant recognition sets in, his suspicions are soon proven correct when he finds himself chained by the neck and resting in the center of his Mistress’s bed.
No magic, no force of evil was going to keep Bal’thial from him. He will journey to the afterlife to drag him back if he has to; he will not lose another he loves. Kso’ppghiel can barely handle the pain it has already caused. Pushing his horse faster, it does not take long before he reaches the village once more. All signs that something was present are gone now, the town just seeming empty, the occasional bird even landing on one of the buildings. Kso’ppghiel calls out to the white haired man, dismounting his horse and entering the small town to begin searching for his lost companion.
Gritting his teeth, he yanks hard again, this time pulling a leather covered foot up against the wall for added strength that fails him in the end. Again and again he yanks back and again and again his efforts prove useless. After a few minutes of his futile struggle and with a small frustrated growl, he allows his foot to slide down, the chains falling slack and pooling towards the floor as he leans forward to rest his forehead against the warm marble. What had happened? Did they run into mercenaries? And if so, why can’t he remember? If he’s here, what had happened to the blonde…? “Kso’ppghiel…” he whispers, the fear that fills him at the fate of the person he loves a little more than he can bear. Laughter pulls his attention from his thoughts, freezing every emotion he feels the instant that familiar sound fills the very air. Lifting his head and whipping around, the chain that binds him rattles when he finds himself staring across the chamber into the amused rust colored eyes of a person he served under for just over thirty years…
 After several hours of searching, the blonde falls to the floor of another abandoned farmhouse in frustration and fear. He cannot fight an enemy he cannot find and if he cannot find them, then he can never find the one he loves. Whatever it was must be laughing at him for all his futile effort. Tears fill white eyes as he smashes his fist through the rotting wood of the farmhouse. He cannot handle this pain again. His only hope is that whatever it is returns in the night… where he will be waiting for it.
 Something isn’t right… something is off. What stands before him looks like Queen Io’fayl, but she doesn’t feel like the Queen at all. Rust colored eyes narrow the second his thoughts form, the grin pasted on pretty features widening even as she moves away from the closed chamber doors and towards him. “Perceptive.” She says simply in a voice that doesn’t match that of the one Bal’thial knows. “Nobody else has seen past what their eyes show them.” “Who are you?” the tall Captain demands, immobile from the spot he stands by the wall even as the figure draws closer. “Where am I? Where is my companion-?” “Silence.” She says simply as she steps in close, sliding clawed hands up as if to touch at his face. But when he jerks his head back, the smile that had been gracing the woman’s features turns into a short frown and an instant later she grasps onto the chain around his neck and yanks his head down until their gazes meet even. “You talk too much.” She suddenly yanks back on the chain with a force that rips him free of the wall, spinning him around in one fluid movement that sends him flying back onto the bed waiting patiently behind. Before he’s even had time to settle in the fall, she’s straddled his muscular frame, delicate hands wrapping the base of his horns to rip his back free and pull his face up until her lips nearly touch his. “I have been searching for a suitable mate…” sliding her tongue out, she licks at the Captain’s mouth, holding him firmly in place by the grip on his horns to keep him still when he tries again to pull his head away. “And you… you might prove better than the others by far…”
The blonde races as fast has his feet will carry him but with every turn he just misses seeing what he is chasing. After several minutes he finally follows around a large shop and back out into the open village square where a small figure stops and turns around to face him. Kso’ppghiel blinks at the young, dark haired girl that stands before him. At first he thinks it’s just a playing child but her eyes tell him differently. Those weren’t the eyes of a child. The blonde’s fury kicks back in as he draws his swords from back, wasting no time moving forward to meet the creature face to face. Cold metal stops just short of her neck and the tired Harbinger grits his teeth as he forces out the words while doing everything in his power to wait for an answer instead of just slaughtering whatever this was. “Where. Is. He.” “If you kill me, you will never find him.” The small child grins as her unflinching gaze remains locked with white even when the sharp metal begins to bite into delicate skin. “Do not worry though. You might see him again… if he is stronger than the others had been…”
Rust colored eyes narrow as her free hand continues down, the smile on her face turning sinister when Bal’thial again tries to jerk himself free of her hold only to fail as her grip remains strong. Reaching the ties to lose linen pants between them, she begins slipping them free. “I do not care whether you are interested or not. I desire a mate and the others failed. You saw beyond the eyes. You will not fail or I will kill your companion.”
Kso’ppghiel growls in frustration. It takes everything he has not to slice the girl’s head off. “Because you have taken the only creature alive in this world that means anything to me. Let him go, he is not yours, give him back to me. Why have you taken him? What did you do to this village?” A frown forms on the small girl’s lips and when she answers, there’s anger clearly tinting her tone. “They stole from us. We merely tried to take back what they killed, but…” a small clawed hand rises up to touch at a long sword’s tip and she runs her tiny fingers along the metal’s edge as her tone turns thoughtful. “…they were not strong enough.” Stopping her movements, dark pupiless eyes slide back up to meet white and the faintest smirk forms on her lips. “You and he are stronger; we can tell… she likes him best though. She likes his eyes. So she will take from him what they took from us…”
“Would you sacrifice that one you travel with?” she says, shaking him just slightly. “You do not care at all?” “You touch him, and I will rip you apart.” The white haired man spits out, causing her to laugh before she drops him onto the bed below. “Then if you wish to see him again, you will mate with me now.” She grins, crawling on top of him once more. “If you do this... I will let both of you go…”
“We were here first.” The small girl starts as an impatience begins to settle in both her tone and her eyes. “We live in the darkness and have long before they came here. They disturbed us…” sliding her hand down, the small girl points to ground below. “There… and when we rose up to find out why, they killed us. Hunted us. Used their magic and destroyed our companion. We need another or we will not survive. We want to continue like we had before. They were not strong enough. But… he will be… will he not?” “We did not kill any of your kind. We came for lodging and were hunted ourselves by you. He is not your kind, he cannot be your companion nor does he want to be. If you came at others like you did us, then this is why you were hunted. Fear. What would you have someone do when there is a mass of shadow overtaking them? They feared for themselves and their families, they did not know better.” Kso’ppghiel pulls his sword back. “I understand the need for survival and the pain losing one of your own must have caused more that you will ever know, but this makes you no better than the ones who attempted to destroy you. He is my companion, my mate and you are tearing him from me.”
“Your life means nothing?” she hisses near his ear. “Your companion’s life means nothing? Would you rather die than to mate?” Bal’thial struggles to breathe as his chest is stretched up by the chain that tightens at his neck, mismatched eyes closing when the lack of air the one behind him is causing blackens the world that surrounds them, “I have… said it already” he gasps as he reaches up in an attempt to loosen the constricting metal noose. “…I am not…interested…”
“It is not about mating, it is about love. We are not together to continue our species. I love him, there is no other, nothing can replace him. He is my life.” Kso’ppghiel shakes his head and replaces his sword. “If all you care about is continuing your species then you will never understand why I need him and him alone. He is not even your kind, how can you mate with him? Did you even ask him if he wanted take part in this? I can guarantee you he will fight whatever you have planned for him until the death. He will not be taken against his will.” The small girl frowns. “We did not ask because they did not ask. We took because they took from us, but…” dark pupiless eyes narrow and she looks down towards the ground beneath her feet, her voice falling low. “He is fighting her and she is not happy. The others did not fight but they were not strong enough. He is strong but she will kill him if he continues to fight… If… he is your life and there is nothing to replace him, then why does he fight when she has said she will kill him unless he mates?” “If the others told you that you must leave your home or they would kill you, would you do it simply because they told you? He fights because he is his own, he does not belong to anyone but himself so why would he follow the wants of some creature that took him against his will and is now trying to force him to do something he has no interest in doing?” The blonde sits down in the dirt facing the girl, knowing the only way to free Bal’thial is to try and convince her the reality of the situation. White eyes catch dark ones as he grabs her attention. “He is not of those that killed your companion, he did not take from you, he has done you no wrong, yet you are committing the same acts as those that have done you harm. He would rather die than be taken against his will. If you had simply asked for help, I am sure we would have done what we could to help you find a new companion.” The young girl tilts her head, dark eyes traveling over the man that sits to her front curiously before she steps forward and reaches out to touch a spiraling horn. “We need a new companion or we will not continue… if we give him back… will you help us find one?” Kso’ppghiel nods slightly. “I am not even sure what you are or how to even start finding another for you but we can certainly try. It would be better if you had a willing companion than to continue as you have. Please return him to me.”
Kso’ppghiel rushes towards the unconscious man, lifting him into his arms immediately. A sense of relief washes over him as he discovers him breathing. Clawed fingers move beneath Bal’thial’s neck, bringing his bruised throat in close to his lips as he whispers into warm skin. “I was worried you would never return to me.” A spell is quietly streamed, partially healing the marred, angry skin of his neck. His mouth moves up to the other man’s pressing their lips together as he holds him close. Dark eyes catch white, the Harbinger’s mouth slowly sliding away from the Captain’s as he lifts his head enough to meet the gaze of the young looking girl squatting down at their sides, simply watching the pair with a look of curiosity painted on her youthful features. The blonde’s expression doesn’t change and he gathers the white haired man closer to his body as they remain as is, one simply staring at the other before she finally decides to speak. “Why do you do this when he cannot return it?” she wonders lightly, small elbows resting lightly on her dirty knees while her hands cup just beneath her own chin. “Will it reach him when you touch like that?” “I believe that it will…” The Harbinger’s gaze returns to the Captain as his breathing becomes easier and steadier. Another stream of words heals the gashes along the white haired man’s torso. “There is much, it seems, that your kind does not understand about love. I would gather this may be one reason you have failed to find a new companion. What you feel is just as important as what you do.” “We do not understand.” The young girl starts as she pulls her hands away from her face in order to rise up and move towards both men. “We feel the need to mate and continue. One is no different than the other and our companion felt this as well until they stole him from us…” stopping just to Kso’ppghiel’s front, she reaches out to tap a small clawed hand along the adornments that dangle from Bal’thial’s horns. The Harbinger pulls the taller man back just as her hand would touch, the girl frowning at the gesture as she curls her fingers away. “She is not happy I took him from her. She wants him back. But he fought her and he will be killed if I give him to her again because you said he will continue fighting until his last…” Dark eyes travel up towards the sky as the shining sun sits halfway waned above. “When the darkness comes, she will come out again and she will take him if he is here…” dropping her gaze, she smiles at the blonde once again. “Will you help us find another? If you love him and do not wish him to be our companion, will you find us one who does?” Kso’ppghiel nods as he continues to grasp onto Bal’thial protectively. “You have brought him back to me so I will, but I need your help in return. I have never seen or heard of anything like you before. I would not know where to start or even who would be compatible. I do not understand how you can mate with a creature that is not of your own. Your past companion was of your kind, correct?” White eyes look down to the unconscious man in his arms again. “I need to bring him somewhere safe. Are you able to leave this village?” The girl nods. “I am able, but she will not be happy and she will chase you when she can.” A smile reforms on her lips. “Do not be afraid though, I will protect you both so long as you help us find our new companion. If you want to be safe, return to the water… I will not be able to stay as I am when the light leaves the sky but I will be with you to keep her from you.” The blonde gathers the man in his arms and throws him over his shoulder as he stands, moving back out towards the town’s entrance and the horses. “I will set up camp at the river’s edge. He will need time to heal so that we may help you.” Kso’ppghiel reaches his horses, the animals startled and backing away as it sees the creature behind him. He reassures them before throwing the Captain over his saddle, mounting soon afterwards and adjusting Bal’thial’s unconscious form in front of him, placing his arms around the other man. He takes a moment to bury his face into white hair, relieved to have the taller man with him once more. Dark pupiless eyes stare up into white, spending a moment to watch the Harbinger’s affections lent to the one he holds at his front before she nods. “I will join you there when the sun has set… but now I must try to convince her not to take him again so that you may help us find another who will not fight.” Just as her final word is said, the small frame fades from view and leaves the pair alone. Wasting no time, Kso’ppghiel pulls back on the reigns and turns his horse along with the Captain’s tethered to its side, a single kick sending both animals racing back towards the river bank they’d left far behind.
Clawed finders move messy, white braids away from the sleeping man’s features. Over the past few hours, the blonde has worn himself out with healing spells, doing everything in his power to return Bal’thial to his original state. He couldn’t fully heal him but he should be well enough to travel. As much as he would prefer the Captain get his rest, he would need water soon as well as not wanting to give the creature a reason to be impatient with them. Kso’ppghiel leans down, whispering softly in the white haired man’s ear. “Bal’thial…” The tall Captain remains beneath the surface for what feels like an eternity, the blackness that surrounds him not quite willing to let him go. There’s points of clarity that seeps through… a soft touch of lips… soothing words that calm and heal… gentle fingers despite being calloused and hard from war. He tries time and time again to pull his muddied thoughts free, to find the light that he knows to be somewhere far off ahead but it eludes him at every turn and all he can do is wait until his mind and body connect enough to allow him free. His name is whispered somewhere far away, the voice he hears calling flooding him with a fair measure of relief when recognition sets in. He tries to move, to shift, to make any gesture at all so that he may rise up enough to touch the person he’d been torn from however long ago but his limbs feel as heavy as his thoughts and the task seems near impossible for many long minutes before he manages to work heavy lids partially open. Hazy mismatched eyes find some focus in the shadowy darkness of the tent that surrounds them, the white haired man blinking slowly in his attempts to clear the fuzz from his vision as the Harbinger’s face finally comes into view. He shifts over, a clawed hand rising to grasp at the other man’s structured jaw in his need to reaffirm that what he’s seeing is truly real and not another illusion that creature had decided to pluck from his mind the way it seemed able to do before. “I was fearful…” he whispers as he pulls the blonde down towards him, metal adornments chiming when he touches full lips in between spiraling horns to a crown of white gold. “…That I would not be able to see your face again before it killed me.” White eyes close tightly as the blonde holds Bal’thial close, holding back the flood of emotions that threatens to overtake him. “As was I… I went back for you when the sun rose. I was unable to find anything until one of the creatures showed its self to me. They are looking for a mate, the residents of that village killed theirs so in retaliation they were killed. I convinced it to let you go if we help to find it a suitable companion. I have no idea where to start, but it was the only way. I am just happy to have you back with me again.” He brings that Captain in closer. “I could not bear to lose another I love…” A smile forms on the taller man’s lips, his tone gentle and low. “I have said it once and I still mean it will every bit of my soul … not even death would keep me from you...” Mismatched eyes close and the two hold one another tight, neither one willing to give up what they’d been forced to give up before. Long moments pass before Bal’thial’s eyes snap open, that same feeling he’d had the night before sinking into him all over again. The Harbinger’s white gaze meets his only briefly as he pulls away, sitting quickly up and giving his body no time to argue from the movements as he stares at the flickering light just outside the tent’s entrance. “Something is coming.” He whispers, reaching instinctively back to pull Kso’ppghiel behind him despite the continued heaviness of his limbs. “I can feel it…” glancing back in the slightest, he meets the blonde’s gaze. “The one I was with felt different than what is coming now. How many are there?” Kso’ppghiel rises behind him, moving calmly forward as he opens the flap at the entrance of the tent despite the Captain’s reluctance. “I know of two, the one that took you and the one I spoke with. The one I spoke with said she would come and that she would keep the other from taking you again as long as we helped. She will not hurt us, as she could have done so already if that was her aim.” The blonde steps out of the tent, gesturing for Bal’thial to come forward and see the creature that would soon be showing its self to them. The tall Captain stares at the other man for a moment in silence before he rises up as well, the movements he makes to follow a little more labored than he’d like. He feels drained and there’s parts of him that still ache despite the fact that his body seems less broken than it was when he’d been with that one in the guise of his former Queen... he makes a mental note to thank the Harbinger for it at a later date since he suspects it was by Kso’ppghiel’s hand that he’s healed at all. Stepping into the darkness that awaits them outside, the flickering light of the fire burning just beyond the tent seems to shrink with every breath he takes. The air begins to grow still and as both sets of mismatched and white eyes look on, the area that surrounds them grows blacker with each second that passes. Bal’thial glances to his side to meet the other man’s gaze and before he can open his mouth to say even a word, a shadowy figure calls both their attentions to their sides. Mismatched eyes and white alike meet glowing silver, the figure standing before them shimmering gently like a mist blowing in a wavering wind, seemingly unable to fully take shape yet resembling the outline of a slight female barely half their height. [She is not happy] the words are more of an echoing thought that resonates from somewhere within [She does not believe you will help. She wants him to come back.] the eyes shift away from the Captain’s and over to meet the blonde’s gaze. [She said that if he comes back she will accept you as well.] “That will not happen, she will have neither of us. Even if she were to simply take him, she would still not get what she wants. At least if she allows us to help, there is a chance she can. Right now, we are her only hope of finding a willing companion. These are her choices. If she tries to take him again we will move beyond her reach.” Kso’ppghiel moves in front of the Captain protectively. “This is my mate and I will defend him. She has to understand that much at the very least. The time wasted dealing with this futile endeavor is time taken away from us finding her next companion.” Reaching out, a long arm slips around the Harbinger’s neck while another slides to wrap around his broad chest, the tall Captain pulling the man at his front back against him while mismatched eyes never leave the shadowy figure that shimmers before them. “I will tell you the same thing I had told her while she had me…” Bal’thial says quietly as he holds the Harbinger close to his body, the slight scratchiness in his voice present from being choked into blackness before. “I am not interested in being her mate and his sentiments are mine as well. This is my mate and I will share neither myself or him with any other...” blue and green eyes narrow as he continues. “And especially not with one who takes without asking then hurts in the guise of a woman’s skin that is not her own…” The shadowed figure stands still as its glowing eyes stare up at the two men, one standing protectively in front while the other holds him protectively against him. [She does not understand…] she says quietly after a few moments. [We chose a face that you have mated with before because we saw that you enjoyed it and joined many times with her. Should she have chosen his face instead even though he is male?] A smirk forms on the Captain’s lips, his gaze constant with the creature at their fronts even as a look of reserved question forms on Kso’ppghiel’s features. “No matter whose face she chose, I would have given the same answer. Her looks are not the reasons for my denial, she is not Queen Io’fayl, nor would she be him. I love this person I hold with all of my heart and there is no room for others. There is only one in this world I have chosen and she is not it.” [You… love him just as he loves you?] She wonders lightly and Bal’thial nods before her gaze shifts away from his to meet the pupiless white eyes at his front. [We wish to find a companion like this and even though she wants him to be it, I will not let her take him. I will tell her the answer is no. I do not want to waste time. I wish for help. She will be angry but when we have our new companion, she will forget… I will return once I have calmed her so that we may speak more.] and as the last thought is spoken, both the eyes and the shadowed figure fades abruptly from view, the light of the fire growing stronger even as the darkness in the forest beyond seems to deepen. Kso’ppghiel turns in the Captain’s grip, white eyes meeting mismatched blue and green. “I will never let anything take you from me.” Clawed fingers touch lightly at Bal’thial’s jaw before pulling the taller man forward, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. The two reluctantly pull away after several long moments, the blonde’s claw tips traveling down over the remnants of purple bruises on Bal’thial’s neck. “I did as much as I could to heal you, but the damage was very extensive. You will need rest once this is over.” He shakes his head as he pulls away slightly. “That one came to me in the guise of a child. They know little of love, only instinct. The villagers disturbed their home, killed their male. Finding a mate is the only way for them to survive so they have killed countless others attempting to find one. I offered to help in exchange for your return, but I know nothing of these creatures. I would not know where to begin.” “That one seems more reasonable than the one who did this-“ the taller man says as his own hand rises up to touch at his neck as well. “She was quite insistent that I ‘mate’ and when I refused…” slipping his fingers down as well as his gaze, claw tips run over the shredded remains of the blood stained tunic he wears and he shakes his head. “As you said, the damage was extensive; she seemed to care little of what I wished; only what she desired.” Blue and green pupiless eyes rise up to meet white and he smiles softly as he pulls his fingers away from the red tainted cloth to touch at the other man’s cheek. “Remind when this is over, Harbinger… to thank you properly for what you have done both in negotiations with that creature and in making me a little more whole.” Allowing his fingers to travel down as he traces along Kso’ppghiel’s jaw, he pulls away soon after and turns back towards the tent. “If it has killed countless others in an attempt to gain itself a mate, then I feel it will be best to do what we can for it like it wants. It would be easy for us to leave, but without knowing what it is there is no guarantee it will not follow. I have never seen anything like it though, never seen any type of magic that allows for the type of illusion it was capable of, so how we will accomplish this is not something I can say. Perhaps when that one returns, it will be able to shed some light on what and where we are to start in looking for a replacement for myself.” Kso’ppghiel follows as the Captain enters the tent. “If it had simply asked in the first place, I do not see why we would not have helped. From what the other has said, the river will keep us safe from her. I believe there is a point that she cannot reach, but that point may not include my home village.” His hands reach out to grasp at blood stained braids. “I would have fought to free you from her grasp, only I did not know where you had been taken.” A small smile cracks over his lips. “I will admit the selfish part of me was very unhappy another looked upon you as a potential mate. I feel I will find myself very possessive of you during our travels. Apparently I am a jealous lover…” A sly sort of smile forms on Bal’thial’s own mouth and he glances back, meeting Kincaid’s eyes with his own. “I think the thought of your jealousy pleases me more than it probably should…” reaching back without turning, the taller man wraps his hand around the Harbinger’s wrist and pulls him towards his body, twisting him around during the movement to shift the other man to his front. Sliding his freehand down to wrap around Kso’ppghiel’s waist, metal adornments capping winding horns chime softly as he tilts his head to the side while sliding full lips to the palm of the blonde’s hand. “It is a shame we do not know when it will return…” he says before biting softly at the hand he holds. “and that I am un-rested from my ordeal otherwise I would thank you properly now instead of later…” “Let us hope the task can be accomplished quickly then, so that we may rest and I may be thanked properly.” Kso’ppghiel returns the sly smile, pulling the white hired man’s head up and leaning in to bring full lips to his own. Nothing will ever take this man away from him, no matter the cost. They pull each other in close, removing all space between them as the kiss deepens. A small breeze followed by the darkening of the fire with shadows pulls their attention and the two reluctantly part from each other as they move toward the tent’s entrance and the creature standing just beyond the fire. [I find that I am confused…] the creature starts just as the pair emerge from the tent, glowing eyes shifting from one man to the other and back again. […You feel for him and he for you, you claim to be mates and yet cannot mate. You -] she shifts her eyes towards Kso’ppghiel. [-say he is your everything and you-] shifting her eyes back, she meets Bal’thial’s mismatched gaze [-claim there is no other. Does it not concern you that you will not continue with this choice? Do you not wish for a companion that will provide what either of you cannot?] The tall Captain blinks before blue and green eyes shift over to meet white and he motions towards the shadowy figure with the slightest of smirks. “This one is all yours.” Kso’ppghiel smiles at the hand-off, turning to face the shadowy creature to their fronts. “I believe you are missing the fact that he does provide me with everything. I have no desire to create children and with our lifestyles, it would not be a suitable environment to bring up offspring. I am not concerned about the continuation of our species, they seem to be doing that just fine all on their own.” He kneels down to the creature’s front. “The same affection and possession that you felt for your former companion, the connection and need to have him with you, the protection he provided you, this is what we feel for each other despite the inability to continue. For us, it is more than enough.” “For us, this is all we need.” Bal’thial says as he steps forward, reaching down to touch a clawed hand along a spiraling horn while his gaze remains on the creature at their fronts. Glowing eyes shift from one to the other before she speaks. [If this connection is the same then we understand. We wish for it again. We need our companion or we will not continue.] The tall Captain’s hand remains resting on Kso’ppghiel’s horn. “Neither myself or he has ever seen anything of your kind, so to find another is… a lot to ask. Perhaps we would have luck in this if you told us more of yourself?” [Our companion does not begin as ourselves.] the creature answers without pause [Our companion begins like yourself. We mate, we continue and our companion continues with us. But those from the village were not strong enough to survive the change. We need someone like you because you are strong. Our companion must be strong.] “I suppose that makes it slightly easier…” The blonde thinks aloud before rising and turning back to the one behind him. “She had said it had taken the guise of that woman because she was who you had coupled with prior. I am assuming it can take the form of whatever one desires. I do not know how to find someone willing once explaining this, however. Those of strength do not fall for illusions. I… do not know where to begin. We can travel to nearby villages but to come as strangers… a solider may be a better match.” Kso’ppghiel turns back towards the shadow. “You can take the form of a young girl during the daylight, can the other do the same, only of herself without illusion pulled from another’s head? Perhaps her presence alone can find her what she is looking for with the right direction and introduction. There are few soldiers that will turn down a beautiful and strong woman.” [She can take any form she chooses, but just as I can only hold that shape when the light is in the sky, she can only hold her own out here when that light is gone.] the creature says simply. [No others have come this way since they stole our companion. You and he were the first. She likes him. She wants him because he saw beyond the eyes. How will you find another to replace him when no other besides yourselves have come?] “I know of some mercenary clans that travel between the territories.” Bal’thial says as mismatched eyes move towards the Harbinger. “Finding them may be difficult, and we may have better luck with strays than we would with entire clans. But there is danger in this as well for us both because I have no doubt Queen Io’fayl has already put that price on my head. There is little risk of recognition in villages, more when the person’s business is made in collecting. Either way, we will have to be allowed passage through if we have any hopes of finding one they will be compatible with since I am assuming, given the restrictions of this water, that their movement is limited.” “If she could travel with us through the clans, I have no doubt that we would run across someone compatible. If she chose to display a form of beauty, she may have her pick. Though I fear her forcing herself on someone to the point of death as she has done with so many others. If travelers do not come by here I am assuming this place is known for what happened to that village. Anyone who knows their way around here will be reluctant.” Kso’ppghiel sighs, unsure of how to proceed. “Is there any way to bring her with us? Especially in such a way that is not a threat to her taking him away?” [The water will harm her so she will not travel near it.] the creature says. [We can accompany you both should you not go near water but we do not wish to leave our home for good.] glowing eyes shift between the pair for a moment before the creature continues. [Until there is another companion to make her forget, I feel that she will try to take him if she sees him again. She is stronger than myself when the light is gone from the sky and without water, I am not certain I could protect you as I have been if the journey continues for long. I understand your need and I do not want to steal like they have stolen from us, but she does not understand. She wants to mate.] Bal’thial smirks. “Then I suppose we would simply have to hurry, should we risk it so this will not happen again.” Mismatched eyes turn to meet pupiless white. “correct?” “She will need to come with us if we are to present her with others who may want to be her mate. I would not ask that you leave your home for long.” Kso’ppghiel turns toward the river. “We will travel away from water during the day but at night… we may have no choice but to be near it for our safety. It would only be at night and we would resume travel away from it during daybreak. I believe it will not take more than a couple days to reach a clan.” He turns back to the shadow. “We can leave as soon as the sun rises if these terms are acceptable. I understand this is something you want done quickly as we share that.” [I will speak with her and deliver your terms. I will return with an answer.] the creature blinks out of view once more, the fire at their sides again growing brighter with her absence as the shadows grow darker in the forest beyond.
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