Date: Thu, 02 Apr 1998 06:37:39 GMT
From: skimble@jellicle.demon.co.uk (Richard Bellingham)
Subject: Dragon (t/t, fantasy)

Here we go, folks... My first actual posting the the newsgroup. I've been
reading and enjoying quite a bit of the stuff out there, so I hope you all
enjoy this...

There's no explicit sex in this story, but there is a fair amount of sexual
tension between the two main characters, and I wouldn't recommend that you
read it if you're offended by boys falling in love and lust with each other.
It's also worth noting that there's a strong fantasy element to the story.

I'd like to dedicate the story to all the people who've read it in the past,
and all those who'll read it in the future.

  Night. The moon was full, a pearly globe glimmering against the diamond
chipped backdrop of space. In the penthouse apartments of the massive
buildings, wealthy people laughed and smiled to the clinking of fine
crystal. Down on the street, there was nothing to smile about. The nights
were growing longer and colder, the scant clothing worn by many of the
homeless insufficient to keep the frost at bay during the night. Many of
the older ones went to sleep during the wind swept evenings and failed to
wake up, such was the toll of winter.
  Alex sat shivering, his arms wrapped around his bony frame. He was
huddling for warmth next to the exhaust vent of a restaurant's extractor
fan, the air spiced with a bewildering array of smells that made his mouth
water and his stomach rumble. At least it offered some scant warmth,
making the night bearable in part. He cuffed his nose with the sleeve of
his shabby coat, sniffling back a tear as he uneasily watched the night.
  Jimmy shambled through the night, an almost empty bottle clenched in his
numb hand, his bleary eyes looking for a warmer place to bed down for the
evening. He stopped for a moment, shielding his eyes from the glare of a
street-lamp, staggering and almost falling as he peered around. Over there
was a Chinese restaurant; maybe it would be warmer if he spent the night
by their exhaust vent. Jimmy giggled, a high pitched noise, and he
started meandering over to the restaurant as he took a swig from his
bottle.
  Alex saw something off in the dark. A dark shape approaching him,
swaying from side to side like a drunk. He whimpered, drawing his knees up
to his scrawny chest, ancient and battered Nikes pressed tightly
together. 'Oh please,' he whined softly, 'don't let him come over here.'
As he stifled his noise, the swaying figure came closer still.
  Jimmy got a bit nearer to the restaurant, squinting his bloodshot eyes
in an attempt to focus through the gloom. Was that someone there? He
raised one hand to his face, scratching the stubble that sprouted from his
unkempt face. He paused for a moment, trying to see what the shadowed
shape was in the alley between the restaurant and the next door shop.
Looked like a kid or something, just a damn kid! Grinning widely with his
yellowed and rotting teeth, he walked closer to the alley.
  Alex started rocking back and forth as the shadowy figure came closer, a
thin keening noise escaping from his lips as he closed his eyes tight, a
tear trickling down each dirty cheek. Moving from this place would mean
another search through the city. With what he'd eaten lately, he just had
to stay where there was some warmth. Otherwise, he didn't think he'd make
it through the night.
  Jimmy was now close enough to see the occupant of the alley, despite the
darkness and his drunken state. He'd been right, it was a kid. About
fifteen years old from the look of him, and a scrawny little bastard at
that. Maybe he could have some fun with him before he kicked him out of
the alley. Jimmy smiled, the grin not touching his eyes, as he got closer
to the kid. He felt his penis swelling, filling with blood at the thought
of what he was going to do with the kid. Glancing around, he could see
nobody, the back-streets completely empty at this time of night. He drained
the last dregs of his whiskey and threw the bottle down with a satisfying
crash of broken glass, and reached into his old, stained overcoat. He
pulled out a flicknife, and began to move at a lurching run.
  Alex could see the shadow approaching him even faster now, something
glinting in its outstretched hand. It was too late now to run, even if he
wanted to, even if he had the strength. He sat, resigned to his fate. The
shadow loomed over him, reaching out with one hand as he sat there whining
softly. Alex felt a wrench on the front of his tee shirt, and the world
moved.
  Jimmy reached the kid, not hearing the continuous whining over his harsh
panting. His cock strained for relief as he reached out and grabbed the
kid's tee-shirt. He lifted him easily up into the air, the kid was all
skin and bones. Strangely, the kid didn't struggle at all. Jimmy stood
there for a few moments, just holding the limp teenager in his hand.
He would have suspected that the boy was dead, if it weren't for the
continuous noise coming from his half open mouth, and the look of terror
in his eyes. He chuckled, bringing his knife around and slashing the boy's
shirt, being careful not to hurt the skin. Before long, the cotton
tee-shirt was in tatters, hanging around the boy's waist, his nipples
standing erect in the cold night air.
  Alex felt the man's knife cutting through his shirt, he could smell the
warm gusts of the pungent breath in his face, he could detect the cool
night air on his bare skin. His whimpering grew louder as the man dropped
his knife, holding Alex in both hands like a toy and leaning down to lick
and suck on his smooth chest like a rabid dog.
  Jimmy went down on the boys creamy white chest, his cock oozing
copiously as he tasted the salty muskiness of the unwashed boy. He rested
the boy back on his feet, holding him tightly around the bicep with one
hand, and slid down his zipper. His erection sprang free, and he grabbed
the boy again, fighting the kid's shabby jeans with his
drink-confused hands. Alex began to whine even louder.
  Across the street, a black cat sat on the pavement grooming herself. She
looked up, her eyes wide in fear, as there was the sound of a great
rushing of air from the alley opposite. She could see shadowy figures
moving in there, one of them much larger than the other, and much larger
than her too. As a scream echoed through the night, she bolted, not
stopping to regain her composure until she was some distance away.
  Alex gulped, looking down at his feet. There on the ground was the
corpse of the tramp, a pool of blood spreading out around his inert body.
Alex dodged back a couple of steps as the blood threatened to stain his
trainers, his mouth open wide in shock. The tramp was lying face up, his
hands still held up as if to ward something off. His cock was still out,
becoming flaccid now that the blood no longer pumped around his body.
Blood, there was so much blood. Alex couldn't help but look with
fascination at the blood-stained midsection of the corpse. There was a
massive crescent taken out of the side of his abdomen, a shape with jagged
edges, almost like a bite. There on the tramp's face was a look of utter
terror.
  Alex began to run down the street, feeling strangely invigorated despite
his near miss, or perhaps because of it. As Jimmy's blood began to congeal
on the pavement, Alex was settling down for the night in a pile of
cardboard left out by a small office for recycling. He closed his eyes,
and knew nothing until the dawn.
  Brian woke up at his mother's call, cuffing the sleep from his eyes.
'Come on, love.' she called. 'You're due for your volunteer job before too
much longer. If you must do it,  you can at least do it well.' Brian
sighed, swinging his legs off of the edge of his bed, sitting there naked
in the sun which flooded through his bedroom window. He idly fondled his
balls, pondering the day ahead with a grimace. It was Saturday morning.
The day when fifteen year old kids like himself were supposed to be having
fun, not moping around in some homeless place, helping to serve the
losers with their soup and stuff. Blech. He wouldn't be doing it except
that he'd failed a critical test earlier that year through messing
around, and he now needed extra merit points. He'd been told by his
teacher that the only way he was going to get them was by doing some
volunteer work.
  So, each Saturday he took the bus to the less fortunate part of the
city, working in a soup kitchen, helping serve or wash up or whatever was
needed. He called to his mum that he'd be down in a few moments for
breakfast, and stepped into his briefs. He stepped across to his dressing
table, pausing for a moment to admire his figure in the mirror. He grinned
at his reflection before picking up his can of deodorant and spraying
under his arms. He'd only be smelly by the time he came back, so he
decided that he might as well shower then. He stepped into his jeans,
quickly doing up the button and pulling the zip up. He belted them, the
buckle an ornate pewter dragon with a crystal for its eye. He slipped a
shirt on, and then ran a comb through his hair before taking another look
in the mirror. Not bad, he decided. His figure was of medium build, his
skin a pale tan from the summer. His blond hair and blue eyes caught the
sun nicely, his lithe body looking pretty good. He brushed his fringe out
of his eyes, grabbed his keys and wallet, and went to head downstairs.
  He had a quick look around his room as he left, checking that he hadn't
forgotten anything. There were a couple of posters on the walls, mainly of
comic characters. Judge Dredd featured prominently, and so did the ABC
warriors, characters from 2000AD, his favourite comic. His bed was still
untidy from when he'd got up, the double duvet still wrinkled and folded
on the single bed. His computer sat on a desk opposite the foot of the
bed, with a chest of drawers to either side. On every available flat
surface was his dragon collection. He had about two hundred dragons
of various shapes and sizes, made from pewter, or porcelain, or anything.
As long as it was a dragon.
  Brian nodded, a grin on his face. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after
all. He shut the door, and wandered jauntily down the stairs. He delayed
over his breakfast, watching cartoons on the breakfast TV, before his mum
started shooing him out the door. 'Okay, okay!' he said with a sigh,
kissing her on the cheek. 'I'll see you tonight, mum.'
'Bye!' she called, as he shut the door. 'Be careful!'
'I will!' he yelled, already halfway down the drive. His mother shook her
head. 'Kids.' she sighed, smiling happily.
  Alex awoke, his arms and legs chilled to the bone, despite the slight
insulative properties of the cardboard pile. He sighed, and tiredly
knuckled his eyes, trying to make the world come back into focus. In the
back of his mind something was nagging at him, something about last night.
He frowned, thinking for a moment. No, nothing there, and yet; why did he
have this feeling that a bad thing happened last night?
  He stumbled out of the pile of boxes, still sleepy and unsteady on his
feet. His stomach growled with hunger, knotting itself with the need for
some food as he glanced around. He ran his fingers through his greasy
hair, wondering what to do next. A filling meal would be good, he thought.
It always seemed easier to think on a full belly.
  Brian stood by a large urn of soup, ladling portions out into
polystyrene cups for those which wanted to take their soup away, or bowls
for those people which wanted to eat in the kitchen. Each 'customer' also
got a soft white roll to go with their soup. He sighed, idly stirring the
soup with the ladle. At least they hadn't got him washing the bowls up
yet, he thought thankfully.
  Brian leaned against the counter, waiting for the next hungry visitor to
the kitchen. He kept his eyes on the door, wondering what kind of person
would be coming in next. 'It's bound to be some old wino.' he thought to
himself. His attention wandered for a moment, and he heard the bell over
the door ring. Turning his attention back to the door, he saw a young guy
enter the place, not at all what he'd been expecting. In fact, he looked
about the same age as Brian. He was a lot thinner though, his rib-cage
showing through the remnants of his tattered tee-shirt, beneath his shabby
coat. His hair was dark brown or black, hanging down to his shoulders. His
eyes were bruised looking, his deportment meek and shy. Brian grinned.
Beneath all the grime and the shit, this kid actually looked pretty cute.
He'd definitely have to get to know him better.
  The shabbily dressed kid came over to the soup bar, attracting
interested looks from various patrons, although he seemed oblivious to the
attention he was being given. He looked down at his feet as he walked, the
sole on one of his old Nikes flapping with each step he took. Brian smiled
at him as he came up, and wished him a good morning. 'I'm Brian, by the
way.' he mentioned, as he served the kid a larger portion of soup. The kid
looked up, seeming to smile wistfully. 'My name's Alex.' he stated, his
voice mellow and tuneful.
  Brian nodded, winking a little. Alex seemed to blush a little, looking
down as he held his soup, seeming unwilling to break off the conversation
to go and eat. Brian noticed the tattered state of Alex's shirt. 'Hey,
what happened to yer shirt, Alex?' he asked, reaching over and playfully
touching the bare skin beneath. Alex didn't seem to withdraw, but coloured
slightly. 'I...I..' he stammered. His brow wrinkled in thought. 'I don't
know.' he finally answered. 'I just can't remember.' Brian nodded,
frowning slightly, and removing his finger. Then he brightened. 'Hey,' he
exclaimed. 'I'm due to finish now, do you want to chat for a while?' Alex
seemed to think for a moment. 'Yeah sure!' he said finally, with a smile.
  Brian grinned. 'Okay!' he enthused. 'Let me just go tell the kitchen.'
He did so, zooming off and talking to the kitchen staff for a few moments.
When he returned, Alex seemed to be gone. His heart sank. Then he heard a
faint 'Over here!' and turned to see Alex sitting at a table, patting the
empty seat next to him. He smiled, jogging over to sit next to his new
friend. 'Phew!' he exclaimed. 'I thought you'd abandoned me there, for a
second. 'Nah,' Alex said shyly, in between mouthfulls of soup or bread.
'You're too cute to be abandoned.' He smiled, and Brian felt a distinct
rise in his underwear.
  'So, how come you're living on the streets?' he asked curiously, waiting
patiently for Alex to think about his answer. 'I really don't remember.'
he replied. 'The first thing I remember is being on a street corner about
a year ago. I've been living rough ever since.' Brian frowned.
'I wonder what could have made you lose your memory?' Alex shrugged.
'I really don't know.' he sighed. 'But I wish I could be somewhere else
than on the streets.' Brian thought for a second, and then looked around
the room. Having made sure that nobody was looking, he reached under the
table and tentatively touched Alex's leg. He seemed to start a little, but
then looked at Brian and smiled. Brian gestured to the soup. 'How do you
like that?' he asked, not referring to the soup at all. Alex blushed a
little, then slipped his own hand under the table to touch Brian's. 'It's
good.' he replied, to Brian's approval. Brian smiled, winking
suggestively. 'Hey, my mum's out for a while. Wanna come back to my
place?' Alex thought for a second, then nodded shyly.
'Yeah, that'd be cool.'
  The pair wandered through the streets, taking the long way back to
Brian's home. They were an entirely incongruous pair, Alex the shy and
introverted street kid, and Brian the extrovert. Not only that, but they
were dressed completely differently too. Alex was dressed in a ripped
tee-shirt, scruffy jacket, torn jeans and self-destructing Nikes, when
Brian was dressed in smart jeans, a freshly pressed tee-shirt, and a pair
of new training shoes. And yet, they got on well. There seemed to be a
link between them, something which transcended their social classes.
  It seemed like no time at all before they arrived at Brian's place.
'Welcome to my home.' he grinned. Alex looked around in awe.
'Wow!' he exclaimed. 'I've never lived in a place as nice as this, I'm
sure.'
Brian smiled, resting a hand on Alex's shoulder. 'I tell you what, why don't
you have a shower, and you can borrow some of my clothes? You're a little
shorter, but I think they should fit all right.' Alex shook his head a
little, raising a hand to his mouth. 'Oh I couldn't do that!' he
exclaimed. 'I mean, I'd make the place all messy, look at me!'
Brian laughed. 'Hey, that's okay. As much as I like the view, you'll catch
your death with that ripped shirt!' Alex blushed again, looking down at
the tatters of his shirt, and smiling ruefully. 'I guess so.' he agreed.
  'Anyway,' Brian carried on, 'if we're lucky, I can persuade my mum to
let you stay here for a while.' Alex looked wistful again.
'Do you really think so?' he asked. 'I can't believe she'd be that kind.'
Brian sighed, shrugging. 'Well, there's no harm in trying.' he replied.
'Come on,' he said, 'Let's get you in the shower and find some clothes for
you.'
  Alex looked about with awe as Brian led him up the stairs. Having no
memory of his previous life, and having spent the last year or so on the
streets, this place was beyond his wildest dreams of luxury. To Brian, it
was merely an ordinary family home. Brian opened the door to his bedroom,
gesturing lavishly and smiling. 'Welcome to my humble abode.' he grinned.
Alex smiled shyly, tentatively walking through the doorway. He gasped as
he saw the room, and moved with more confidence directly over to Brian's
dragon collection. He picked up a pewter figure, his eyes seeming to
sparkle in delight, his mouth open in amazement. Brian smiled, walking
over and resting one hand on Alex's shoulder. 'You like 'em, huh?' he
asked, amused. 'Oh yes, they're wonderful!' Alex replied, slightly
breathless.
  Brian found one of his older tee-shirts and a pair of shorts, and then
got a clean towel out of the airing cupboard. 'Right, the shower's through
here.' he stated, gently taking the dragon from his newfound friend's
hands and guiding him through to the bathroom. Alex looked up, a little
dazed, smiling wistfully. 'Hey, you okay?' Brian asked, his brow wrinkling
in concern. 'W..? Oh yeah, I'm fine.' smiled Alex, seeming to snap out of
his reverie. Brian nodded. 'Cool.' he grinned. 'Now come on, get yourself
in that shower!' Alex nodded, giggling slightly as Brian playfully slapped
him on the buttocks. 'Okay then.' he smiled, going into the bathroom and
shutting the door.
  Brian waited by the door until he heard the shower running, and then
returned to his own bedroom, smiling slightly. He lay on his bed with his
hands tucked under his head, and couldn't help but fantasize about Alex.
'God,' he thought, 'he is soooo cute!' Brian felt a stirring at his groin
as he thought about the lad currently occupying his shower. 'And he
should look even better when he's clean.' Brian realised. He reached down,
fondling himself absently through his jeans, not really thinking about the
fact that Alex was just a homeless kid. There was something about him
which had drawn him, something appealing and somehow different.
  Alex lathered himself up, luxuriating in the clean scents and the
feeling of the water running down his smooth body. He thought of Brian,
his new friend, and he felt a stirring at his groin. There was something
about him that appealed to him, something which made him feel wanted for
the first time he could remember. And those figures, the dragons! He'd
felt drawn to them the first time he saw them, unable to remove their
majestic forms from his mind's eye. The call of the dragon and the boy, he
thought to himself.
  Something was nagging in the back of Alex's mind as he soaped and washed
his genitals. Something about another man, something bad. A memory trying
to come to the forefront of his mind.

/The tramp, sucking on his skin/

  The recollection suddenly flashed into his conscious memory, making him
gasp and slam back against the shower wall. A second or so later, he was
confronted with the mental image of the tramp on the floor, his blood
staining the asphalt red. His mind reeling, Alex turned off the shower,
groping for the towel and patting his eyes. He desperately tried to
reconcile what the tramp did to him, what happened to the tramp, and what
he felt for Brian. Surely nothing like that would happen to Brian? And
then the realisation hit him, followed by a flood of relief. What the
tramp had done was bad, because Alex didn't want it. That's why something
had happened to him. But anything he did with Brian would be good, so
nothing bad would happen. He smiled, towelling his newly clean skin dry.
Then another thought hit him. What /had/ happened to the tramp? Was it his
fault? He racked his brain, and just couldn't remember. But he still felt
that somehow it was he who'd killed the tramp.
  He shrugged, absently towelling his body, memories and worries fading
back into his subconcious. He grinned, thinking about Brian once more. He
finished drying himself, and quickly dressed in the borrowed shorts and
tee-shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror, surprised by the wonderful
change in his appearance. As the memories of his encounter the previous
night faded away entirely, Alex unlocked the bathroom door and went to
find Brian.
  In a dark cavern beneath the surface of the Earth, something stirred.
Huge twin orbs were unsheathed in the lightless void, casting a burning
scarlet illumination across the scarred and twisted muzzle of the great
beast. It stretched its wings a little, hearing the creaking of leathery
flesh as it contemplated the small one. It had been harder this time to
subdue its memories. A worrying development, the beast pondered. It wished
to avoid a confrontation before it had regained enough strength, and at
this rate it could only be a matter of days or months before the small one
was strong enough. Closing its eyes, the beast sent its mind out once
more, leaving the hulking body behind in the earth.
  Brian had his hands down his jeans when Alex walked in. Slightly
embarrassed, he pulled his hand out, sitting up and blushing a
little at Alex.
'Oh hi.' he smiled, looking Alex up and down as he noticed the vast
improvement in his appearance. 'I was just, uh, waiting for you to come
back.' Alex smiled softly, his eyes seeming bright and alert.
'Oh that's okay, he replied, sitting next to Brian on the bed, his thigh
pushing against his, seeming warm and inviting. Brian grinned, looking
into Alex's eyes. 'You look /much/ better for your shower.' he
complimented. Alex nodded. 'I feel much better too. You forget what it's
like not to have the dirt and grime all over you.' He shuddered. 'I have
to go back to all of that tonight, the cold streets, the poor food.' Brian
felt his heart aching. 'Not if I have anything to do with it.' he stated
grimly. He didn't pause to think that he barely knew this guy. For some
reason he trusted him implicitly, and felt an emotion akin to love when he
looked at him. Alex smiled wistfully. 'Well I can't see your mother
letting me stay here.' Brian reassuringly patted him on the thigh.
'Who knows?' he asked. 'Stranger things have happened.'
  The two boys spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other
better. They played on Brian's computer system, something Alex hadn't had
a chance to do before. He was surprisingly good at it. After that, they
went down to the kitchen and made cheese and pickle sandwiches, Alex
happily munching on the best food he'd had in ages. After lunch, they sat
and watched TV for a while, their hands occasionally straying on to each
others thighs.
  The afternoon seemed to fly by, the two kids just enjoying each other's
company, having an occasional tussle or wrestle which they both immensely
enjoyed. Brian reached out and tousled Alex's hair. 'Did you enjoy that?'
Alex smiled, reaching out to tenderly touch Brian's chest through his
shirt. 'Yeah,' he whispered, 'It was really great.'
  They were sitting back down and watching the television when Brian's
mother arrived home. 'Hi son,' she said on walking in, and then paused
when she saw his visitor. Alex smiled at her wanly, and she frowned.
'Who's your friend, Brian?' she asked. 'And aren't those your clothes he's
wearing?' Brian's friend looked very scrawny, she noted, the tee-shirt
hanging loosely on his thin frame.
  Brian smiled angelically at his mum. 'Mum, meet Alex.' he said,
gesturing to Alex. 'Alex, meet mum.' he added, gesturing to his mother.
Alex stood up, going over to Brian's mum and offering his hand. 'Nice to
meet you, Mrs Connor.' he smiled, shaking the bemused lady's hand when she
gave it to him. Alex stood with his hands behind his back as Brian also
stood and came over. 'Uh, Mum, I have something I need to ask.' Brian
began. His mother rolled her eyes. 'Come on, spit it out.' she said.
'Uh, can Alex stay here for a while? He can have the old camp bed set up
in my room. He won't be any trouble, I'm sure.'
  Brian's mother was about to refuse outright, when she was caught by
Alex's gaze like a fly on a web. His soulful brown eyes seemed to pierce
her to the heart, his wan smile seeming to flood her with emotion. 'I..I
don...' She put a hand to her forehead while Alex continued to fix her
with a gentle smile. She suddenly brightened, smiling. 'Of course, dear.'
she answered. 'He can stay here for as long as he wants to.' Brian gasped,
his mouth open in shock. Alex smiled more widely, turning to Brian and
holding one hand out with the thumb up. Brian also grinned. 'Cool! Thanks
mum!' She nodded, smiling at Alex and touching him on the shoulder.
'Just make yourself at home, Alex,' she told him. She wandered off,
mumbling something about sorting out school for Alex.
  Brian looked at his friend and new room-mate. 'How did you do that?' he
asked. 'Do what?' asked Alex, confused.
'What you just did to my mum.' Alex shrugged.
'I didn't really do anything. I just hoped with all my heart that she'd
let me stay here, and she did.' He shrugged again, looking worried. 'You
aren't mad at me, are you?' Brian smiled, putting his arm around Alex's
shoulder. 'Of course not. I'm not mad at you for anything.' Alex
tentatively smiled, then hugged Brian for all he was worth.
  The beast beneath the ground stirred uneasily, opening its eyes once
again. The small one was growing more confident in the use of its
abilities, although it was as yet not aware on a conscious level that it
was using them. This was a worrying event for the beast within. Perhaps it
was time, it decided, to take more direct action. It breathed out, a long
wheezing sound, and a chittering noise filled the cave. About a hundred
tiny winged lizards gusted from his mouth and left the underground
amphitheatre by a small vent. As they flew into the night, the beast once
again closed its eyes.
  Alex had his first full hot meal for ages that night, a wholesome meal
made with pasta and meat sauce. He sighed contentedly after the meal,
sitting next to Brian with their thighs touching. 'Okay,' Brian's mum told
them, 'it's time for bed, I think.' Brian and Alex looked at each other
and winked subtly. They said goodnight to Brian's mum, and then headed up
the stairs.
  'What do you want to sleep in?' asked Brian. 'I have some spare pyjamas
if you want them.' Alex considered for a moment.
'No,' he answered, 'I'd rather sleep in the nude. I really like the idea
of the warm sheets against my naked body.' Brian smiled.
'I prefer to sleep in the nude too. That's why my pyjamas are all spare.'
Alex grinned happily. 'I just want to thank you.' he said solemnly, his
eyes almost brimming over with tears despite his happiness. 'You've been
so kind to me.' Brian smiled, hugging Alex fondly.
'That's okay.' he reassured. 'You've been good to me too.' Brian and Alex
both felt stirrings below at the shared bodywarmth. They pulled away for
the moment, neither of them ready for the next stage. 'Well. shall we get
to bed?' asked Brian, looking slightly flustered. Alex nodded.
'Okay.' he answered, still smiling fully.
  The two of them undressed gradually, in between a lot of horseplay.
Before long, they were dressed only in their underwear. They sat on the bed
for a while, their naked thighs pressing together in a vaguely sexual
way. They talked for a while, occasionally turning to look into each
other's eyes and just smile. After a while, Brian sighed. 'Well,' he
wistfully said, 'I suppose we ought to get some sleep.' Alex nodded,
standing up and unashamedly sliding his underwear down. Brian felt himself
colouring slightly as he stared at the revealed genitals. Alex just stood
at ease, smiling slightly as Brian ogled his half erection, the tip of
his glans just peeking from the warm foreskin. He looked up at Alex's
face, seeing him smile mischieviously.
  'Come on,' Alex grinned. 'Now it's your turn.' Brian went slightly
redder at the words from his naked friend. Despite all his coming on to
Alex, Brian was a virgin, and a little nervous about being naked with
another guy. In the end though, he stood up and hurriedly slid his briefs
down. Alex smiled as he faced Brian, viewing his tackle with unhurried
thoroughness. Brian's penis was a little smaller than his, and he'd been
circumcised. Brian looked down at Alex's uncut penis, then cocked his head
slightly on one side. 'How come you aren't cut?' he asked, nodding in the
general direction of Alex's genitalia. Alex shrugged, causing his balls to
bounce slightly. 'I don't know.' he replied. 'I guess I'm just lucky.'
Brian nodded. 'Well, you're right there.' he agreed. Alex opened his arms
wide. 'Here, gimmee a goodnight hug.' he suggested, grinning impishly.
Brian smiled, shaking his head a little as he opened his own arms and
embraced Alex. They felt each other's body heat, the bare skin seeming to
transmit the warmth of their feelings. Their now erect penises pushed
together, further stimulating the sensitive organs. Brian felt Alex's hand
roam over his buttocks, making him squirm as they embraced. He did the
same, his hands sliding down over the masculine firmness of Brian's
buttocks. Alex leaned down a little and kissed Brian on the shoulder, a
show of friendship, before pulling away. 'Um, I don't think we should do
anything more for now.' he hesitantly suggested. Brian nodded, his heart
beating wildly. 'Whenever you want.' he replied huskily. 'I'm in no rush.'
Alex nodded, kissing Brian chastely on the cheek before climbing in to the
sleeping bag on the campbed. 'Goodnight Brian.' he called softly as Brian
stood dazed and naked. 'Uh, yeah. Goodnight, Alex.' he replied, switching
off the light and then sliding between the cool sheets. The last thing he
thought about before he fell asleep was Alex...

  Brian awoke from sleep with a gasp, his naked body coated with a thin
film of sweat. He sat up in his bed, touching the back of his hand to his
forhead, feeling the fevered heat of the nightmare slowly leaving him. The
moon cast a pale shadow on Alex's form as he slumbered on the low camp-bed
next to Brian's bed, and there was a faint ticking as the central heating
system wound down. All seemed right, and yet, he somehow felt uneasy. The
wardrobe cast a large shadow across the floor, harking back to the days
when Brian had been sure a monster was going to come out and eat him.
  He was beyond that now though. He knew rationally that there were no
monsters in the world, nothing was going to get him. And yet, why did he
feel so nervous? Maybe it was a hangover from the nightmare, he
rationalised. The old alarm clock on Brian's bedside table ticked
reassuringly, a long familiar rhythm. Brian lay back down again, and
started to drift back off to sleep.
*Skritch*
Brian was jolted awake by the strange sound. He sat up in bed, his heart
pounding as he strained his ears in order to pick up any slightest sound.
There was a slight shift in the moonlight, as if something was casting a
shadow and moving around. 'Probably a tree branch.' Brian reassured
himself.
*Skriiiiiiitch*
It was a long, drawn out sound this time, as if someone were dragging
their fingernail down the glass. Brian pulled the covers up to his chin,
despite the warmth he'd felt just a few minutes earlier. The sweat was
cool on his skin, making him shiver and his flesh goosebump.
  There were no noises for the next few minutes, and Brian began to relax,
telling himself that he was imagining things again. He lay back down,
feeling warm once more and throwing the covers back. As his consciousness
began to fade once more, Brian heard a faint chittering noise, like that
of a cricket. 'Damn thing' he thought fuzzily. 'How'd that get in?'
  He lay there, his naked body still feeling warm, as he gradually went to
sleep. Then he half felt something on his thigh. He dismissed it as an
insect, barely pausing in his deep and rhythmic breathing. The small shape
began to crawl up his thigh, unnoticed by Brian as he fell into a deep
sleep. It paused at Brian's scrotum as another similar shape began to
climb up his leg. Brian spoke in his sleep, and then resumed snoring.
Dozens of the tiny shapes began to clamber over Brian's body, his mind too
deeply asleep for him to notice the invaders.
  At some unseen signal, the tiny forms all stopped moving, perched on
Brian's skin. At the next moment, one hundred sets of needle teeth sank
into Brian's skin. His scrotum, his thighs, his penis, every area of flesh
they could get to. Brian awoke with a scream, his body feeling as though
it were on fire. 'Jesus!' he wailed as he sat up, two of the tiny lizards
dangling from his nipples like obscene piercings. A thin sheen of blood
trailed down his body as the sharp teeth sank into his skin. He screamed
in agony as Alex sat bolt upright in his bed, the little lizards
chittering madly as they sank their teeth in again and again. Alex's face
contorted in anger as he saw what was going on. 'Leave him alone!' he
cried, running over to the stricken Brian. The lizards continued their
attack, striking again and again with their hideously sharp teeth as Brian
flailed at them hopelessly. A couple flew off and hit the wall, but that
was all, the majority of the tiny horrors carried on with their attack.
Alex seemed to grow a little in the room as Brian carried on shouting, and
then he screamed again. "GET OFF OF HIM" His voice had sunk about six
octaves, and his body suddenly seemed to small for his spirit. He stood
there, naked and glorious, as the power came rushing from his body. A
bright light filled the room, and the small lizards were suddenly erased
by the searing power, leaving only the glowing after image of the bright
light. Alex rushed to Brian, seeing the damage the things had done as he
cradled him in his arms. 'What have they done!' he sobbed, touching
Brian's wounds. Brian groaned as a more subtle power seemed to flow
through Alex's hands.
  Brian's wounds slowly closed, and they held each other for a while.
Brian smiled beatifically as Alex stroked his newly repaired skin with
tenderness. 'My love' Alex whispered. 'I will always protect you.' So
saying, he kissed Brian tenderly on the lips, and returned to his bed.
Brian sighed and pulled the covers up to his chin, as his mother opened
the door. 'Is everything alright?' she asked sleepily, wiping the sleep
from her eyes and yawning, attempting to overcome the non-prescription
sleeping pills. Brian looked up from beneath his duvet, still smiling
slightly. 'Oh fine, mum.' he answered. 'I just had a nightmare, but now
everything's just fine.' She nodded, coming over to the bed and stroking
his forehead tenderly, before leaning down and kissing him there gently.
'Sleep well.' she whispered, and went out, closing the door carefully.
They slept the rest of the night through without further event.
  The Beast beneath the earth cursed, its rumbling voice sounding
gargantuan in the cavern. The small one had been more powerful than it had
hoped, able to banish the chitterlings as if they had been nothing. And
heal his friend, too. It had underestimated its foe once again, a mistake
it would not make again.
  The next morning dawned bright, the early morning sun pouring in through
Brian's bedroom window and waking him with its caresses. His memory of the
previous night had faded, only the remembrance of his fierce love for Alex
staying with him. His skin was unblemished, even the old scars from
childhood scrapes vanished in the aftermath of Alex's power.
  Alex too had forgotten the more unpleasant events from the night, the
only impression remaining being his overwhelming love for Brian and the
need to protect him. They both stood and embraced, unashamed in their
nakedness, their closeness more than just sexual. After a moment or so,
Brian frowned, cocking his head slightly to one side in thought. Alex
kissed him gently on the lips, then looked at Brian quizzically. 'What's
up?' he finally asked.
'I..I don't know.' he responded. 'I was just thinking about a, a dream I
had last night.' Alex nodded with a frown. There was a glimmer of a memory
in his own mind. He shrugged it off, smiling brightly. 'Well, nightmares
come and go. It's probably just as well you can't remember it.' Brian
nodded, smiling himself and kissing Alex on the tip of his nose. 'Yeah,'
he admitted, 'you're probably right.'.
  They spent the day relaxing at Brian's home, lying on their stomachs
with their legs kicking behind them and playing Monopoly and other
board games. Brian's mother pottered in the garden, tying back plants and
suchlike ready for the harshest part of winter. They watched TV that night
while Brian's mum cooked the dinner, their legs touching, their arms slung
over each other's shoulders. They headed to bed at about ten in the
evening, laughing and playfully chasing each other up the stairs.
  They slowly stripped off, more comfortable now with each other and their
nudity. As they embraced, Alex reached down to hold Brian's warm testicles
in the palm of his hand, leaning down a little to kiss him gently.
Brian felt himself growing erect under Alex's touch, his body shuddering
slightly with the intensity of the feelings. His lips parted almost
involuntarily, and he felt Alex's tongue cross into his mouth for the
first time. He could taste Alex on his tongue, the slickness of this
darting organ feeling wonderful to him. He groaned into Alex's mouth,
wrapping his arms tightly around him. As Alex stroked Brian to a full
erection, Brian found the taut buttocks, stroking and massaging them with
the tips of his fingers. They fell to the bed, their slender bodies
twining lithely around each other, and they lost themselves to the passion
which they both felt.
  Brian lay contentedly next to Alex, face to face, their torsos
pleasurably adhering together with the stickiness of their emissions. He
could still taste the salty tang of Alex's semen in his mouth, his mind
overwhelmed with the sensations and tastes which he'd gorged on. His
flaccid penis lay touching Alex's as they caressed each other, exploring
smooth skin with the tips of their fingers and then their tongues.
They kissed languidly, the flame of passion dulled to a smouldering
ember, and then in each other's arms they fell asleep.
  Their sleep was not entirely undisturbed. The veil of darkness lifted,
and Alex found himself dreaming of a place he knew. It was a green place,
and Alex was standing in the centre of a large circle. The circle was
formed from huge stones, towering megaliths which cast shadow over Alex.
'Stonehenge!' he whispered to himself in awe. The dream was vividly real,
despite the fact that he'd never visited the place whilst awake. The moon
was shining brightly, and a cool wind blew from the south side of the
massive circle to the north.
  Alex found himself growing uneasy, for no apparent reason. There seemed
somehow a weight or pressure in the atmosphere, as though a storm were
brewing. Beneath his feet, which were bare, Alex could feel a gentle
rumbling or thrumming which was beginning to grow more intense. In fact,
it wasn't just his feet which were bare. In the sudden way of dreams, Alex
realised that he was gloriously naked, his skin cool in the moonlight.
  And yet, the feeling of oppression and danger continued to increase.
Like a dynamo, the thrumming filled the air, making it hard to think of
anything but the incessant noise. The feeling of cold dread increased
tenfold, making goosebumps rise on Alex's flesh.
  With no warning, the ground before Alex suddenley began to crack, and he
jumped backwards in alarm. A huge shape began to rise from the opening
hole in the ground, a massive darkness which seemed to loom over the
circle. It was not clear in Alex's dream vision, just this cold blackness
which exuded an aura of inutterable evil. Alex felt himself charging with
his own power, a power opposite in every way to that of the malevolent
entity before him. The power rushed through him, seeming to stem from the
very stones of the circle themselves. The dark presence at first seened to
be beaten back by Alex's energy. Before long, however, the strange evil
began to recoup, its dark waves of power emanating out from the centre of
its being and enveloping Alex. He cried aloud, in contrast to the utter
silence from the beast.
  Alex was driven to his knees by the cold power radiating from the
hideous darkness, his head feeling as though it were in a vice. Waves of
darkness rippled through his vision, and he felt the end drawing near.
Just at that moment, as the wall came crashing down on Alex, he was aware
of a presence drawing near. A voice cut through the silence and oppression
of the dream, Brian's voice. 'Leave him alone!' Brian embraced Alex, and
there was a bursting explosion of power. The dark being at last made a
sound, an agonised roar. Alex felt a sense of overwhelming euphoria, and
the curtain of sleep descended again.
  When Alex awoke the next morning, every detail of the extraordinarially
vivid dream was locked into his memory. He felt a strange urge to travel,
to journey to the place in his dream. He felt sure that he must visit
Stonehenge.
  Brian too had dreamed that night. He dreamt of his lover in
inconceivable danger. And yet he knew that Alex must complete a task, a
task which he was destined to help with. When Alex broached the subject,
to his astonishment, Brian was not at all surprised. 'I know what you have
to do.' Brian reassured, clasping Alex's shoulder. 'And I know that I must
come with you.' Alex smiled, kissing Brian.
'I thought that you wouldn't understand.' he sighed.
  With very little conversation on the subject, the decision was made to
leave that evening. Brian packed the necessities of life into a rucksack,
and raided his money bank for emergency supplies. Alex paused in the hall,
taking one last look around the place where he'd found a home and love.
Brian rested a hand on his shoulder. 'Don't worry, man.' he soothed.
'We'll be back soon.' Alex smiled a strange half smile, and nodded
absently. 'I suppose we'd best be on the move.' They left a note for
Brian's mother, telling her that they'd be back soon, and that she
shouldn't worry.
  Brian shouldered the backpack, heading towards the road which ran
alongside the house. He turned round, and saw Alex looking wistfully up at
the window of his bedroom, the place where they'd enjoyed each other's
company so much. The set of his shoulders suddenly changed, and Brian knew
that Alex had resigned himself to whatever events were to come. He turned
round, smiling slightly as he came level with Brian and rested a hand on
his shoulder.
  They left the residential street, turning on to the main road which led
out of town. Somehow, Alex knew he was heading in the right direction,
even though he'd never been to this part of town. Something was drawing
him like an iron filing to a magnet, some presence which he knew he must
go to. They walked at a fair pace, talking subduedly as they watched the
outskirts of the town pass them by.
  The main road was fairly well frequented with traffic, a car passing the
two lads every few seconds as they walked along the grassy verge. Neither
of them felt like hitching a lift at that time, the cool winter air was
too fine a feeling on their skin for them to travel in the stuffy confines
of a vehicle.
  They stopped for a short rest every couple of hours, watching the cars
go by and conversing aimlessly for about five minutes, before shouldering
the backpack once more and carrying on. During one of these short breaks,
Brian got out some of their food, sandwiches which they'd prepared for the
first day of travelling. Brian took a big bite out of his cheese sandwich
and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. 'So what do you think it is that
we're going to find?' he asked curiously, as Alex took a big bite out of
his own sandwich. He brushed his fringe out of his eyes absently with one
hand, his eyes seeming distant. 'I really don't know.' he replied, picking
up a can of coke and popping the top. 'I just have this tugging sensation
in the forefront of my mind, pulling me to where we're going. As to what
we're going to find there, I really don't know. But it's going to be bad.'
Brian nodded, finishing his sandwich and licking the crumbs from his
fingers. 'Well, I know you can handle it.' he assured Alex. He stood,
patting him on the shoulder affectionately. 'We'd better get moving.' he
suggested. 'It's going to get dark soon.'
  They carried on walking for a while after the sun sank below the
horizon, navigating by the light of the moon. They'd left the outer limits
of the town quite some time ago, and were now in the rural areas
surrounding the urban concentration of buildings. There were several farms
around, every now and then during the day they'd walked past a farmer in
the act of ploughing his field. Now that night had fallen, they needed
somwehere to spend the cold night. Off to the side of the road, they could
see a farm, a couple of lights still burning in the farmhouses windows.
Brian shivered, his breath pluming out before him. 'It's getting really
cold.' he chattered, clasping his arms to his body in an effort to keep
warm. 'Maybe we should go and check out the barn of that place over
there.' Alex suggested, pointing over to the farm. As they watched, the
last light vanished, and the farmhouse grew dark.
   Brian nodded. 'Anything's better than this cold.' he complained. They
headed off to the farm, checking that there was nobody around as they left
the road. The farm was fairly small, but there was a barn just opposite
the farmhouse itself. A faint whinnying came from another building,
signifying that the farmer was a horseowner. They looked around cautiously
as they approached the wooden building, walking as furtively and quietly
as they could. Brian opened the door, expecting a squeal of rusty hinges,
but instead finding the door to be silent, running on well oiled hinges.
  The barn was obviously the farmer's feed store, the pale moonlight just
enough to make out the details inside the barn. There were several bales
of hay in a stack opposite the door, and some big paper sacks of horses
oats. Some of the hay had escaped from the bales, forming a thin layer
over the ground. One of the bales had been opened, the hay spilling out a
little now that there was no string holding it in. Alex smiled coyly.
'Perfect.' he grinned. 'Comfortable and fairly warm too.' It was warm,
warmer than you'd expect considering the weather. Brian looked around, and
noticed a couple of gently humming heaters on the wall. 'There must be
something here that the farmer doesn't want getting cold.' he mused.
  They embraced tightly, holding on to one another as if they were the
only solid objects in an increasingly ephemeral world. They kissed,
tasting each other, feeling the heat of their passion cut through the
coolness of the night. They stripped off slowly, oblivious to the cold
weather, their bodies seeming to meld together and fuse to form one
glorious whole. They dressed again after their passion, in order to stay
warm, and then in each others arms they fell asleep. Perchance to dream...
  Alex found himself once again in the Stonehenge. Standing next
to him was Brian, both of them joyous in their nudity. Alex looked around
the stone circle, the wind lashing at his hair. The circle was complete,
and all of the stones were upright. Alex knew this was a dream, and yet
intuitively he also realised that he was in the past, looking at things as
they once were. There was a sudden swirling, disorienting Alex as the
scene changed around he and Brian. The centre of the massive stone circle
had sunk into the earth, forming a huge pit in the stone beneath the
plain. A group of white robed men stood in a semicircle around the far
side of the pit. In between them there stood a huge darkness, hazy in
Alex's vision in the same way that it had been in his previous dream of
Stonehenge. The only details which he could plainly make out on the
obfuscated darkness were a set of golden shackles around what seemed to be
the forearms of the shape, and another set around the ankles. These were
linked by chains to what appeared to be a golden ring around what must
have been a neck.
  The oldest looking of the white-robed men stepped forward, turning to
face the dark shape, his back to Alex. His voice boomed like thunder,
echoing clearly across the circle. 'We banish you to a place below the
ground in order that your reign of terror may end. You are chaos, we are
order, chaos must never be freed again to corrupt the ordered. We follow
the wishes of the Goddess whilst you seek to destroy her, you must be put
down. As long as this circle is a place of worship to the Earth mother
then you shall be imprisoned. A guardian of Order will be set to watch
over you, and you shall never again be free.'
  A grunting sound came from the unclear figure, almost like laughter. The
spokesperson rejoined the other white-robed figures. They began a chant,
linking hands as they did so. The dark shape began to struggle against
some invisible force, writhing in seeming pain, chains jangling
madly, before losing its balance and tumbling down into the hole. The
white robed ones changed their chant, and the ground seemed to
fill in, until there was no sign of the scar which previously marred the
Earth. The spokesperson looked up, his eyes locking with Alex's, and then
with Brian's. 'Guardian.' he acknowledged, his eyes switching between the
two. 'You must serve us well.' So saying, the scene dissolved, and night
drew over them once more.
  When the morning came, the two boys were shivering from the cold. They
embraced as they awoke, sharing as much body warmth as possible. The time
was early, the sun not even fully risen. They ate a hurried breakfast of a
couple of chocolate bars, and headed off.
  During their first break, they discussed the rapidly fading dream which
they'd both shared. 'What did it mean?' asked Brian. Alex frowned, trying
to remember the last words which the oldest druid had spoken. 'I'm not
sure.' he replied. 'I had the feeling that it was something which had
happened in the past.' Brian nodded, his own brow wrinkling in thought.
'I got the same feeling.' he told Alex. 'Somehow, I think that it was sort
of background information for whatever we've got to do when we get there.
But if that's the case, who told us the information?' Alex shrugged, half
smiling as the rising sun warmed his shoulders. 'We'd better get moving.'
he reminded Brian, stroking his back languidly. 'I have the feeling that
time is of the essence.'
  The Thing beneath the ground stirred uneasily. The Small one was going
to force a conflict, and it wasn't sure that it was strong enough. It
began to limber up its muscles, stretching as much as it could in its
hollow niche beneath the earth. Shattered gold objects crunched beneath
its feet as it manouvered, attempting to move as much as it could. Time!
There was never enough time!
  Approximately a fortnight after they left Brian's home, the two
teenagers were following the signs for Stonehenge. Surprisingly, they'd
never been stopped by the police, or by any concerned citizens. A few
people had looked at them oddly, starting to come over to them, but Alex
had just fixed them with a gentle stare, and they'd returned to their own
business. Each night was spent in a different place. When in the country,
they slept in barns or in haystacks, or if these weren't availaible, they
both hugged each other tightly, wrapped in a thin blanket which they'd
brought with them. Once nearing Salisbury, they stayed in various hostels,
always fading away before they could be asked any awkward questions. Their
love became deeper as they travelled, they became almost as one being.
Each seemed to know what the other was thinking, and when they made love
it was glorious. As they approached Salisbury, their minds began to seeth
in nervous anticipation.
  There it was on the horizon, the huge stone circle which dominated
Salisbury Plain. The massive granite liths seemed regal in their bearing,
their great age weighing down the air. The moon was full as the weary
young men approached the monument, the gate opening of its own accord to
allow them entry. As they approached the outer circle of stones, Alex felt
an unbearable urge to become free, as nature intended. He dropped the pack
he'd been carrying on his shoulder, his eyes open wide to drink in the
appearance of the stones. He knelt, undoing his shoelaces and shucking his
trainers, then taking off his socks and feeling the dewy grass beneath his
bare feet. A slightly bemused Brian followed his lead. Alex swiftly
stripped off the rest of his clothing, his skin gleaming paley in the soft
moonlight. Brian too stripped naked, leaving his clothing in a neat pile
next to Alex's. If it weren't for the ever present, overwhelming sensation
of dread, Brian doubted very much that he would have been able to keep
from hugging Alex right at that moment and wrestling him to the ground.
  As it was, the constant nagging at his nerve endings was making him
jumpy, acting like a constant high pitched whine on the peripheray of his
hearing. Alex began to stride purposefully forwards, a sense of duty full
upon him now. Although he didn't know the extent of that duty, he knew
that it was a task that must not be shirked. As he entered the perimeter
of the central circle, he paused as if he'd hit a physical barrier. A
memory was flashing through his mind, momentarially incapacitating him.
With staccatto rhythm, a flood of memories poured into his mind. He
suddenly recalled the events of the night before he met Brian, the night
Jimmy had died. He recalled Brian's wounding the night after, and many
other events which had been struck from his memory. At last he realised
his true nature, and he felt ready for the challenge ahead.
  He strode into the smallest ring at the centre of Stonehenge, as the
wind began to pick up around his naked body. Brian watched from the
sidelines, feeling somehow that it would be a bad idea to approach the
centre. He watched, awestruck, as Alex stood at ease in the center of the
circle, his hair being whipped by the wind. He felt his unease crank up
another notch as the ground started to tremble beneath his feet. His skin
goosebumped, his testicles withdrawing into his body, as he felt the
presence of some-thing- coming closer.
  Alex stood at the center of the circle, his legs widely spread, as his
own feeling of dread and unease increased tenfold. Beneath his feet, the
ground was vibrating rapidly, as whatever he was here to combat came
rushing to the surface. The ground cracked in front of him as the thing
impacted with the surface. He jumped back, preparing himself for the
challenge ahead. With an explosion of earth and debris, a huge black shape
came bursting from the earth.
  Brian's mouth dropped open as he saw the beast which rose from the
fertile earth. It was huge, easily as large as a four story building, and
it was the nightmarish creature of legend. It had a huge bulky body that
seemed to be covered with iridescent black scales, and a pair of massive
leathery wings sprouted from above the hideously black-taloned forefeet.
The tail was long and whiplike, thrashing around as the thing clawed its
way from the earth. The neck was long and thick, the muscles rippling
beneath the scaly skin as it moved its head to gaze upon Alex. The head was
the worst thing of all. It was huge, as large as a cow, and the eyes were
crimson pools of fire. As it opened its mouth and hissed, a tongue of fire
licked along its own forked tongue, and razor sharp teeth glinted
malevolently. Brian recognised it instantly, of course. It was a dragon.
   Alex frowned grimly, feeling dark waves of force emanate from the
hideous apparition and surround his body. He concentrated, opening his
arms and allowing his own force to flood out. His head pounded at the
force from the black dragon, his lines of power flowing from his hands to
counter the effects. At first, it seemed to be enough to hold the foe at
bay, but slowly the dark dragon began to edge forwards, its eyes glowing
fiercer as it began to scent victory. Alex held his hands to his temples,
the sweat running down his face as he buckled to his knees. His power was
almost snuffed, and the beast came triumphantly forward.
  Brian saw his lover fall to his knees, and he felt that he must take
some form of action, no matter how hopeless. He ran forwards, his face
contorted in a scream. 'LEAVE HIM ALONE!' he shouted, and reached Alex. He
embraced him, and all hell broke loose.
  Alex could feel himself growing weaker, when all of a sudden he heard
and saw Brian come charging up. A few seconds later, he felt strong arms
around him, and power seemed to flood through him. Brian was his missing
part, the one which could give him the key to his identity and his power.
Brian's love and force flowed through them both, and Alex shucked off his
human form. He grew rapidly, Brian on his back as his form altered
dramatically. He became large, although smaller then the dark dragon. His
scales were alabaster white, his eyes glowing pools of incandescent white
fire. His tail was beautiful and lithe, his claws silvery-pale. His wings
were like gossamer, his teeth clean and silvery as his claws. He roared,
the power of his true form flooding through him, and he charged the dark
dragon.
  The Dark one felt a tremor of fear as the small one made his
transformation. But then he struck, his sharp teeth slashing through the
night.
  Brian felt an intense pain in his chest, and let out a scream. Looking
down, he saw blood running in a river down his torso, and he looked up in
shock. He slipped from the scaly body of his lover, landing on the soft
grass, blood pumping swiftly from the terrible wound.
  Alex barely noticed his lover fall, so intense was the fight. His head
met that of the Dark one, their teeth clashing with a hideous sound. The
Beast struck with his claws, wounding Alex's flank and causing him to roar
with pain. He lashed back in retaliation, damaging the Dark beast's
foreleg.  The fight raged on, each of the dragons striking whenever they
had the opportunity. Black fire licked from the snout of the Dark one, and
Alex barely had time to dodge it before launching his own burst of searing
heat. As the moon shone down on the combatants, they began to be the worse
for wear, exhaustion setting in. At the last moment before he collapsed,
Alex was able to seize an opportunity at the Dark one's throat, striking
with his sharp fangs. The evil one roared in agony as its blood ran down
Alex's throat, its tail and forefeet twitching in agony. Alex struck
again, biting through the tough muscles in the beast's throat, and the
head flew free. The steaming corpse sank to the ground as rain began to
fall on the exhausted victor. He slowly changed, becoming human once more.
He sobbed, pondering the horror he'd faced, as the Dark dragon was washed
away by the rain, its body swiftly decomposing to nothingness.
  Then he saw Brian. A tortured cry escaped his throat as he saw the pale
body of his love, his chest torn and bloody. He crawled over to him, his
own skin marked and scarred from the combat, and he stared into the blank
eyes of his dead love. He raised his eyes to the heavens and screamed
aloud, his mind numbed by the loss of the only person he had ever and
could ever love, his missing piece. He sobbed over the corpse, tenderly
kissing away a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth.
  He knelt there in the mud for a while, when there was a sudden flash of
light, and a soft singing sound. Alex turned, stunned, and saw a vision of
beauty. A pearly, translucent being with fine wings of sheerest white, which
glistened in the moonlight. Its face was kind as it spoke in Alex's mind.
'You have done well, Guardian.' the soft voice intoned, and the form
raised a hand. A bolt of lightning fell from the heavens, shining in
Alex's tears as he was bathed in the glow. The celestial lightning struck
Brian, blinding Alex for a moment. When the afterglow had faded, the being
was gone. And so were Alex's wounds. He looked at his skin in wonder,
marvelling at how it was whole and untouched. Barely daring to hope, he
looked down at Brian.
  His body was perfect once again, his skin unblemished. He was breathing,
his eyes starting to quaver open. Alex choked out a sob, an unarticulated
cry, and embraced his love. Their warm bodies fitted together perfectly,
each making the other whole, and a choir of angels sang for them as they
kissed.

--
'Remember the truth that once was spoken:
  To love another person is to see the face of God!'
-Les Miserables