Disclaimer: This is a story of pure fiction. If you are not allowed to read this in whatever part of the world you are living, then try not to get caught, and legally you shouldn't be reading this. If you are not 18 or older then again, do not read, lastly, this will contain gay sex between consenting people and if this offends you, then click back and ask why you're on here in the first place.
This story is property of myself, the author and may not be copied or used on other sites without my express permission. All characters are fictional.

Note: Each line break denotes going to the perspective of a different character.

All comments to monkurchakar@yahoo.com.au greatly appreciated.

Chapter five

Sonny's heart pounded. They had made good time to get to Trobal Forest, but he felt eyes peering out at him and wondered if they knew he was hiding a secret. The others from the Predator clans had run a full six days on no sleep or rest to keep up with him as he ran in his Panther form. Most had changed into half cat/half human to keep up the pace, and those that couldn't transform at all had collapsed as soon as they arrived at the Forest outskirts.

Sonny had felt guilty about that, but it was tradition. And breaking tradition now was not a good idea for what he had in store later. He consoled himself with the fact that they would have a whole day to recover and hunt to build up their strength.

A well trodden path through the tall trees had been created from all the generations of predators that had walked this way. It was the entrance to the shrines. There were no sleeping arrangements as everyone had to sleep out in the open. This was part of the test; to see how many knew how to set up camp by using the environment around them and how well they could gather and hunt.

Trobal Forest teemed with life and it was forbidden to hunt unless on the quest journey, which was done once every year for those that had turned eighteen. Normally a grown adult, such as the king, would accompany them. This year, the duty was handed over to Sonny, as he would be leading the next generation of Predators to this spot from now on. As had his father before him until his future child took over the honour. He snorted at that thought, wondering if there would even be a Trobal Forest left if he and Kiri didn't succeed in what they were to do.

Although he wasn't sure how he would go about his task the Fey Elder had set him, he had hoped that he would get inspiration once he reached the forest. So far, nothing had shown him the way and his frustration was mounting over how cryptic the Fey Elder had been. But it was the thought of Kiri out there somewhere that made that dread surface to the front once again, but he pushed it aside. He could not afford to be distracted.

Waiting outside the entrance to the shrines that would become their testing grounds, was a Priest of Trobal Forest.

"Welcome Prince Sonny and those of the Predator Clans far and wide. We have been expecting you and since you have had a hard travel, food will be provided for this one night only." Sighs of relief rustled through the gathering.

He bowed his bald head to Sonny first and then to the rest of the Clans behind him. His skin was leathery and his grey eyes could barely be seen with all the wrinkles around his eyes. But he smiled politely and with humour sparkling in his eyes so that Sonny instantly felt at ease in his presence.

Night had left the Forest full of shadows and creaking whispers of wood, swaying limbs and the sound of chirping insects. Sleeping bodies lay sprawled around the clearing. Sonny switched to night vision and opened his mind. He let his mind wander over the sleepers to see who was truly asleep and who wasn't. Mind reading and control used to be a common skill within most predator tribes. The power came from within, and didn't draw on the power of the elements like the Prey Clans needed to create their magic. Now this skill was becoming as rare as the talent to read and manipulate emotions. Sonny suspected Kiri had that last talent and that that was why Kiri could read him so well.

His mind skimmed over those around him. So far all signs spoke of deep sleep. The Tigress and the Lion had slipped off earlier somewhere and he suspected they were in a tryst. Annoyed, he decided to slip out of camp. He reinforced the need to sleep on the rest of the campers before leaving. He followed the tracks of the two, as he saw their footsteps weaving and twisting on the forest floor. He sighed as he imagined them struggling out of clothes and fumbling with pant laces. A loud moan further along gave confirmation to his imaginings.

"Let me fuck you up the ass, babe." The Lion was pleading with the Tigress.

"I have never been fucked there before. Won't it hurt?"

Sonny crept up on them. He watched as the Tigress was stroking the Lions cock. His own began to rise at the whole scene.

"There will be a little pain and then I will make you feel real good, especially with my fingers playing on your little nub in your pussy," he replied.

She purred her pleasure at the image. Getting onto her hands and knees she licked and slobbered over the Lions cock getting it wet enough to penetrate her ass for the first time.

Moonlight dressed the two in colour and Sonny was transported back to another night and another moonlit clearing. His beast rose and he sniffed the air, smelling warm and willing heat. Images of what he and Kiri had done swamped his mind and the beast took control of his limbs as his mind wallowed in lust.

A cry of pain trembled across his senses as the Tigress was penetrated for the first time. The beast tasted her pain and discomfort, and purred. The two were startled to see Sonny stalking towards them, but the beast lashed out. It struck their minds filling them with images of coupling, sex, and a borderline twist of pleasure-pain. The two were trapped like flies in his web, and a fierce grin spread across Sonny's face.

"Lie on the ground," he said to the Lion. He watched as the Lion lay on his back, legs spread.

Turning to the Tigress, who stared at him half transfixed he lifted her chin in his hand. Imagining it was Kiri staring back at him, desire flared and travelled from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. But the image faded to be replaced with hers. The beast snarled. "Impale your ass onto his cock," he rumbled in a voice full of anger and dissatisfaction. "Face me when you do it." Sonny stood at the feet of the Lion and watched as the Tigress impaled herself on the Lion. Her back towards the Lion, face staring rapturously at Sonny. She whimpered at the sensation, but pushed until she hit the base of him.

"Now lean back," Sonny said to her as he stripped out of his clothing, his hard member nearly hitting her on the forehead as it bobbed. He lay on top of her, fumbled for a second and then slid his length into her. She was tight, and he had to force himself into her, making her gasp once again. He felt the tip of his member nudge at her cervix and pulled out only to slam back in. The Tigress screamed her pleasure-pain as the sensation of being stuffed full overwhelmed her. Sonny groaned as the thin lining of skin between ass and pussy meant he felt the hard length of the Lion rubbing against his cock as he pushed back and forth into the Tigress. They set a rhythm, and it was hard and fast. Groans and the sounds of flesh pounding flesh filled and echoed through the darkness.

Sonny's mind filled with the need to reach orgasm. He blocked out the grunting and moaning coming from beneath him and Kiri's face shone in his mind's eye. It triggered his orgasm and he screamed out Kiri's name.

The beast screamed as it used the power of orgasm to hunt out Kiri's essence. Sonny felt himself pull away from his body. Below him, he watched as the three of them collapsed in post coital bliss. Higher and higher the spirit form of his beast travelled. Like a beacon, the beast tracked something that was felt but not seen. A thin and potent cord was drawing him into territory where he had never been.

Faster and faster he travelled. Things began to blur as he shot over distances. He began to slow as he found himself above the strangest beast he had ever seen. It had wings, but ran with the grace of a panther, it collapsed and he watched as a wild Fey walked up to it. The beast looked around and sniffed the air, as if it could sense Sonny.

Sonny jerked with recognition as eyes stared up at him, shining silver in the dark. Before he knew it, he was falling into those silver depths, and both he and his beast were helpless to stop it.

The fear had finally stopped whispering around Kiri so that he could concentrate and think properly. With a bit of quiet, he understood this jail was a making of his own design. He had to learn to fight his demons.

It was with this realization that the walls had begun to shift and shrink upon him and the entrance had disappeared. He heard his beast struggling to return to the cave, but he sensed something else had decided to take human-Kiri out of the equation. He beat upon the walls until he was sure his hands would bleed, but the walls continued moving inward at a steady pace.

All four walls had now closed in on him; he was going to be crushed. The thought of never seeing his cousin Sonny sent a tide of resentment flowing through his veins. Fight his demons, he thought. Something clicked in his head. Bending down, he closed his eyes. The steady pump of his heart was the cadence he used to sway and dance on the spot. The sound of his heart pounded through his head drowning out everything but the need to dance.

He swirled in concentric circles, something was building but it wasn't enough, he danced faster. His fingers scraped along the edge of one wall and it very near sidetracked him. His dance space was shrinking. The sensation of something building drew towards a conclusion, and he turned in one last spin, and felt energy flood through him.

Arms raised he pushed that energy out towards the walls. A shudder shook the rocky floor he stood upon. The beast roared in the distance, but Kiri was on an energy high. This was his body, his mind, and by all that he held dear he was not going to allow his beast, nor someone else to control him any longer. With power came an invincibility that rode Kiri like a drug. Opening his mouth, he sang. It filled the space and vibrated along the walls, like it had substance.

All four walls exploded outwards. Kiri floated in a haze of purples, blues and greens. The beast roared and charged towards Kiri. He saw the feral anger in its eyes and knew that, in this state, it would probably hurt him more than help. Something was trying to control the beast without him there to supervise.

"I don't think so," Kiri whispered. This was not the time to fight his beast. He knew that now. The death of his father had taught him that. The beast had only his fear, anger and hatred to feed off of; it was time to show him love.

Opening his arms wide, he watched as the beast roared and leapt toward him. He remembered the way Kale's face lit up when he had achieved a task; how his cousin Sonny laughed and rubbed his head at the antics they would get up to. They were good memories. They flitted across his mind as the beast barrelled into him. His body swallowed the beast. Kiri gritted his teeth as he felt the beast trying to rip its way out.

Kiri sang. He closed his eyes and thought of the first time he had made love to Sonny. He wrapped the intensity of that lovemaking into his voice and bathed himself with it, hoping to ease the rage the beast was feeling.

The anger and fear slowly died from the beast, but now a longing filled them. A yearning to be touched and held and nurtured overcame Kiri. The beast cried out its loneliness and Kiri echoed that cry. This was one emotion Kiri could not keep out of the love he felt for Sonny. A love he felt was one-sided. The colours muted in the air around them.

A premonition of danger crept up Kiri's back. Below, a black swirling hole opened. Loneliness and sadness became a magnet that drew Kiri down towards the hole, he felt mired in his own depression.

The tip of his toe touched that swirling darkness, and Kiri saw the purples, blues and greens dribble away to be replaced with grey. Everything was grey. Human emotion was being leeched away and Kiri felt that this was better than feeling loss or pain of any kind.

A sharp inhuman intelligence tickled across his mind and he shied away from it. It was this small distraction that Kiri realised what his premonition meant. Someone was using his emotions to project back onto him.

The beast had become silent within him and he couldn't wake it. "NO!" he screamed. Something powerful was gnawing into his control. Kiri danced, he swirled as his feet sank into the chill of the dark hole. He danced anti-clockwise to the swirling hole. The inhuman mind lashed out at him. Kiri screamed his pain, using the emotion as power, he shook his beast awake. It hunched its feet to attack.

"Stay with me," Kiri told the beast and they remained melded. The inhuman mind attacked once more. The beast snarled and slashed at it like it was a foe it could hit. They heard a distant scream, and Kiri and his beast cheered. They had scored a hit.

Kiri's dancing had enabled him to keep his feet above the swirling black hole, and he continued his movements. Faster he spun, finally moving further away from the black hole. The attacks became more frequent and the beast roared and swiped, biting and lunging as Kiri rose ever higher. Colours came back into glorious life, and Kiri could see a light high above him leading to the conscious world. He danced and sang and felt his heart rise as he moved toward the real world once more.

"You think you can defy me?" a voice echoed, as Kiri's hand reached out towards the light above. "Then meet my brethren."

Kiri felt it. Ten powerful minds latched onto him. The beast screamed as it was hit on all sides, unable to attack that many at once. Once again, he plunged down toward the dark.

A hand reached out from the light above and held onto him. Joy spread through him as the scent of his cousin, Sonny, wafted down to him. It became short lived as Sonny, still holding onto his hand, began to get pulled down with him. Sonny pulled backwards and grunted at the pressure.

"Let go Sonny," Kiri said, staring into the dark golden eyes of his cousin.

"Not on your life," Sonny grunted. "And if you ever say something like that again, I will knock some sense into that pretty head of yours."

Heat flared inside of Kiri. Sonny had never called him pretty. A smile spread across his face. It was now or never Kiri decided. "Sonny, I..."

Pain lashed out at Kiri as the other presences got past the beast to attack his mind. He screamed, and his grip went lax in his cousins' hand. Sonny gripped Kiri's hand tighter and used his other hand for more leverage. But, as hard as he tried, he couldn't move his cousin up out of this strange dream realm.

"Come on Kiri, wake up; don't let those fuckers get to you." He shook his cousin in desperation as Kiri dangled, unconscious. Sonny's beast slid out of his skin, black and as large as a pony. It slipped past Sonny and began swirling around the unconscious form of Kiri. It roared a challenge. Sonny felt what the beast felt. This was his mate, and it would kill anything that harmed Kiri. Sonny's panther began to push Kiri towards the light above.

"So little panther, you think you can take our quarry from us?" a multitude of voices spoke.

Pain splashed across Sonny's mind and his beast echoed him as he felt himself slip downwards. His grip remained strong on Kiri, but unconsciousness was skirting the edges of his mind. Down they fell, approaching the swirling black hole.

"Oh God, Kiri," Sonny whispered hugging him close to his chest. He kissed Kiri's lips. Electricity jumped from Kiri's lips to his. As if the sound barrier had been broken, noise ricocheted from Kiri's body. They halted their downward fall. Silver flashed in Kiri's eyes as they opened and he returned the kiss.

Tongues duelled, sliding over each other. Sonny groaned and held Kiri to him tightly. Lust and love built and created a bubble around the two. Their beasts purred and glided against each other. The two lovers moaned at the sensation of fur against fur.

Grass tickled their feet as the myriad of colours and the black hole was replaced with forests and a warm sun setting in the distance.

"You don't get away that easily" the voices sneered.

Pulling away from the kiss, Kiri turned in the direction of the setting sun. "You want to play `little' Feyans? Then play we shall." Kiri's voice held a sibilant tone. He opened his mouth and sang. The old tongue trickled out like a stream. The world they created shimmered, but held. Kiri sensed the ten Fey that held his body in sway. He wrapped the words around them, and watched their confidence turn to fear. The beast lapped up that fear and channelled the energy into Kiri.

Sonny doubled over as he felt the pull in his stomach that said the old tongue was being used. The skin on his face tightened as energy swirled around him. He watched as Kiri glowed, his flesh filled out, and his shoulders became broader. His auburn hair darkened into a deep red, and it shone like spun rubies. A sense of great power seemed to fill Kiri's body, and his face grew calm and serene. This was not the Kiri he knew; this was something more, much more. Fear wanted to crawl up the back of Sonny's neck.

The setting sun turned into a view of the real world. He watched as the ten Fey that had surrounded Kiri's body screamed. Arteries pulsed under their flesh and he shivered as their skin turned to clay and hardened. The arteries continued to pulse, causing the skin to crack. A second later, the clay bodies turned to dust and skittered away on the wind.

Sonny was in shock. Kiri had just killed ten Fey, and with the power of the old tongue. No one but the Fey could speak the old tongue. The power to draw it could burn a man from the inside out. Many had tried in the past. Fear of Kiri was a full fledged thing now, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Kiri turned towards Sonny. Silver covered his entire eye. A bitter smile sprawled across his face. "You fear me now." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Sonny couldn't meet those eyes, and looked down. The words of the Elder Fey echoed in the back of his mind. And he knew what he said next, would determine what path Kiri would tread. "I don't fear you Kiri, but I fear the power that you hold."

"This power will always be a part of me Sonny. I can't change that; it has taken hold. Even as we sit here, I can hear the voice of the world herself talking to me." The wind blew gently across his face, and Sonny watched his cousin, as he tilted his face to the sky.

Sonny took a deep breath and held it. It was time he held onto his convictions, and the one thing that hadn't changed was his feelings for Kiri. "I'll try to adjust to this scarier side." Kiri hid behind his hair. An old habit, and one that made Sonny feel easier, breathe easier. "But that still don't change the fact that you're my cousin, and I will always stand by your side no matter how different your power may make you... Besides you've always been different, and I may not understand it, but I will love you regardless."

The silver in Kiri's eyes began to shrink until Sonny could see the whites of his eyes once more. Anguish spread across Kiri's face. He needed to make Sonny understand. "Is that the only way you can love me Sonny? Just as a cousin?"

Sonny reached out to Kiri and held him tight. There was torment and indecision upon his face. Kiri watched as his cousin kept grinding his teeth. "This is hard for me Kiri. Every time I see you, this pain punches me here." Sonny spread one hand over his heart. "These feelings are so damned strong that it takes my breath away sometimes, and losing that much control, well...it's just hard. No one has ever held this strong a hold on me." He let go of Kiri and paced. "When it was just you and me in the village, everything was great. But when we made love last year and things changed..." He turned to Kiri, pain and hurt on his face. "Why didn't you speak to me? The very next day you walked past me as if I wasn't there."

"You walked away from me, Sonny, not the other way around. Your fear of who might discover us outweighed anything I could have said. Don't blame me for that, I was only trying to do as you asked... `don't make anything of this' were your exact words."

Sonny looked away, but not before Kiri saw the guilt and self blame cross Sonny's face. "You're right. I know I fucked up... I was scared."

That was a big admission for him, Kiri realized. He had never had to apologize for anything in his privileged life. Kiri's face softened. "And now? How do you feel?"

Sonny smiled gently and stared into Kiri's face. "You have changed, cousin, I don't think you can hide in the shadows any more, and I think I might start liking this new `in charge' you." Turning more serious, he continued. "I had a meeting with..." Thinking about what Kiri had destroyed he changed what he was about to say. "An interesting travelling man a month ago; he made me confront my own conflicted heart." He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Even my own beast knew what my heart had been trying to tell me for so long." Cupping Kiri's face, he tilted it up towards his own. "I can be a selfish and possessive bastard, but I am yours Kiri, heart and soul. If...if you'll have me?"

It was that unsure, part scared look, which made Kiri's lip wobble with a trembling smile. How could his cousin be so blind to his feelings? Wrapping his arms around Sonny, Kiri kissed him. The warmth of Sonny's mouth made Kiri go weak, and if they hadn't been holding each other so tight, Kiri would have fallen.

"Is that a yes?" Sonny asked with an endearing grin.

"It's a...I love you."

A gleam lit Sonny's eyes. "Good, because I missed you, and I think you need to make it up to me."

Kiri arched his brow in mock annoyance. "Oh really?"

"Ahuh. Start by making sure all your clothes disappear in two seconds"

"How about one second?" With a flick of Kiri's hand his clothes faded to nothing.

"Now we're talking," Sonny said with a lusty sigh and a smile of appreciation.

He touched Kiri's skin and wondered how it could feel so soft, and yet firm at the same time. He blew across Kiri's collar bone and watched as goose bumps rose to the surface. Sonny smiled and blew across Kiri's left nipple. It stood out, a dark pink against his pure white flesh. The bud hardened. He blew across the other one and lips, tongue, and teeth followed. Kiri gasped and moaned aloud. Sonny's beast began to stir. It appeared beside the two lovers and yowled. Kiri's beast drew away from him and joined the panther. They turned into mist versions of themselves and flowed around each other, merging and then splitting apart only to do it over again.

Sonny and Kiri groaned at the sensation. It was like silk gliding against silk, but in all the most erogenous zones of the body. Sonny put his nose to the side of Kiri's neck and inhaled. He smelt Kiri's arousal and, underneath it, the pure scent that was Kiri's alone.

Kiri was mewling in pleasure. He touched Sonny on the back and wished his clothes away. Hot, slick skin met his hand. He slowly drew his nails up Sonny's back, and felt his lover shiver at the sensation. Sonny's beast rumbled its pleasure and Sonny echoed it.

"You are so fucking hot," Sonny growled in a voice that had dropped an octave. Kiri was lost to sensation and moaned his response. He lifted Kiri up, and Kiri wrapped his legs around Sonny's waist. "That's it baby," Sonny said as his hard and ready cock rubbed against the sensitive ring of Kiri's ass. The two beasts were now writhing on the ground. Dark mist flowed over reddish white mist. The beasts' pleasure in each other echoed in the two humans, and it was torment for Sonny and Kiri to hold back and take it slow. But they wanted it to last, and if that meant taking their time, then they would do it. It was pure bliss and blissful torture.

"Let me suck you first," Kiri pleaded. Sonny looked at Kiri with his silver eyes shining and let him slide down his body. Kiri stared at the long brown length of his lover and his mouth watered. He kissed the tip and tasted pre-cum. His tongue slipped out and licked it, sliding along the slit to get as much as he could.

Sonny groaned and pushed his hips forward as he watched Kiri's silver eyes darken with pleasure. He groaned and gritted his teeth as Kiri's lush red lips slid one third down his length before he could feel his cock hit the back of Kiri's throat.

Kiri looked up at him with a mischievous smile, moaned and let the vibration tingle down Sonny's cock. His lover roared with pleasure and gripped and encouraged Kiri's head to bob up and down on him. Kiri bobbed his head back down until he felt Sonny hit the back of his throat once more. Relaxing his throat, he felt the bulbous head touch his oesophagus, pushed it past the muscle and swallowed. The head of Sonny's cock popped past, and the muscles pulled it down.

Sonny very near came as he watched Kiri's lips meet his groin. "Enough babe, enough," Sonny panted. Sweat had built up along his temples and it looked as if he had run for miles. A dark, jealous thought crossed his mind. Pulling Kiri up until his feet were off the ground and they were eye to eye, he looked at Kiri's startled face. "I don't know who taught you how to suck cock so well, but if you ever do this with anyone else after me, I will hunt that person down and kill him. Are we clear?"

Kiri could only nod, eyes still startled. Hugging him close he whispered in Kiri's ear. "Your mine, Kiri, mine."

"It is you I love" Kiri whispered back, wrapping his legs around Sonny. "Know this also: if I find you with any other after this, I won't kill the one you fucked, but I won't be around for you to find me."

Sonny's beast snarled a warning. It wasn't clear whether it was for Sonny or Kiri. Sonny spoke, "Do you remember that little rhyme you gave me when we were five, so I could find you? That is how I found you now. My beast wanted you, used my distraction, and we left. You may fly across this entire world, but I will find you, Kiri." He felt Kiri tense. "Rest assured," he said. "Babe, it is you I love, and none have compared to you since we last touched like this. You make me lose control and I don't want to ruin things this time round, like I did the last... forgive me?" Kiri relaxed in his arms, but said nothing. "Please?" Sonny asked gently.

Kiri began kissing the side of his neck. Sonny sighed. Kiri drew power into his hands and trailed them across Sonny's back. A tingling vibration travelled down his spine and centred on his groin. Sonny moaned and writhed, tightening his hold on Kiri.

"Oh that feels so good, don't stop. Kiri that is fuck-amazing." Kiri chuckled and grazed his glowing hands up and down Sonny's spine. His back arched and Kiri felt Sonny's cock prodding his ass.

Sonny was on fire. Lust dripped from his pores and body like a heat wave. He needed to be inside Kiri right now. "I don't think I can hold back," Sonny moaned.

Fierce lust and love glowed within Kiri's eyes. Blowing on his hand, he traced it over Sonny's raging cock. A warm liquid trickled and absorbed into Sonny's shaft. "Push it in Sonny; I want to feel you in me."

Lying on his back, Sonny lifted Kiri above him. Kiri raised himself onto his knees, grabbed hold of Sonny's hard length and pushed it inside him. There was a little bit of resistance at the entrance of his ass, but he pushed and felt the spongy head push past his sphincter and inside him.

Sonny was groaning and gripping onto Kiri's waist. He raised Kiri's hips and shoved them back down using his pelvic muscles as added force to go deeper. Kiri grunted and bit his lower lip. "Don't stop Sonny" he said; his eyes dark silver, lust filled.

Sonny went wild. The pinnacle built. Kiri clawed Sonny's chest, blood beaded from the scratch marks. Sonny grunted, the pain enhancing the gratification he was feeling. The pleasure spiralled; it caught the two lovers in a hurricane of lust and love, with them in the eye of it. Their two beasts lay coupled, the Black Panther biting the neck of the winged panther.

Kiri screamed his fulfilment to the sky. Sonny bellowed his a split second later and held Kiri welded to his groin. The beasts roared their satisfaction beside them.

Kiri watched Sonny rest. He seemed so peaceful and much younger this way. The world outside whispered her secrets in his ear. There were things they both had to do. Gathering the essence of his lover, and his beast, into arms that became as wide as the world, Kiri slipped through witch time. But this was a much more advanced version of that talent. Reading the designs of the Architect, he twisted time, and went back two hours into the past. He watched as his lover, Sonny, the Tigress and the Lion copulated in the forest. His heart hurt, but he knew it was necessary. For within the womb of the Tigress, was the next generation of Royal Predators. Sonny's legacy.

The earth whispered once more. He watched as Sonny's beast looked upon him in the spirit world the moment orgasm overcame the trio. Drawing a cord from within him, Kiri pulled it out and flung it to his body that lay to the east, trapped in a sorcerous slumber. "Go" he said to the black panther, off it leapt, dragging Sonny behind it.

Placing his precious burden back into his body, he watched as Sonny's essence sank into his skin like mist. Trobal Forest seemed to crave Kiri's touch and yet fear him at the same time. He watched as the Tigress untangled herself from Sonny on top of her. Sonny, thinking it was Kiri, whispered his name and tried to hug the Tigress again. The Tigress never heard Sonny whisper, and purred her pleasure holding Sonny possessively. The Lion watching the scene got up and walked away in a huff. The Tigress's life path flashed in Kiri's head. Tears trickled down his face. It was necessary, but the pain left his heart bleeding.

"Sleep." Kiri called. He watched as the Tigress cuddled up to Sonny and went back to sleep. Placing his hands on the ground he commanded the forest to give up its secrets. "Show me where the scrolls are." The Forest whispered and swayed towards Kiri. They had been hidden by the last keeper of knowledge, before he had been slaughtered. Down in a deep cave they had lain over the centuries. Part of the walls had collapsed, sealing the scrolls within.

Through rock, tree roots, and dirt, he drew them from their tomb. Where he laid his hands, the earth parted and the scrolls rose up, safe in air tight cases of a material that had not been made in over two thousand years. Putting them beside Sonny, he bade Sonny's beast farewell and admonished it to watch over the scrolls. He gave one last glance at Sonny.

"Thank you beloved." Kiri whispered on the winds.

He saw how his life had been shaped. His mother had unwittingly created a powerful vessel when she danced the Architects design the night his father had come to pillage her village. And, it was Sonny's love-making a year ago that started opening the cracks in the doors to his destiny. But it was Sonny's love tonight that had set the path in concrete. For Kiri had drawn the power of the female aspect of the Architect inside him after the attack from the Fey. He now had to collect the male aspect. The past was coming back to destroy the future and Kiri was the only thing that was in its way. The enemies of the Ciaran, were coming to this world, and if the Avatar of Change was not ready? Then this world would perish, just like the homeland of the Ciaran. Let's hope Sonny was up to leading whatever was left from the aftermath.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, to email me contact me at monkurchakar@yahoo.com.au

By the way guys, I have a yahoo group where you can see all my writings. I haven't sent all my stories onto it yet. But I will be sending my chapters there first. So become a member and enjoy!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chakars_Tales/join

Thanks as always goes to Richard for his fine work in editing!