Boy Heroes: Prisoner Chapters 4-6

THE BOY HEROES FROM THE LAND OF ERIK (A Series of Epics)

Epic no. 3 -

Prisoner

By DamiJon

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Authors Note: Here's are the last three chapters in this story. I warned you before, this is a tragic romance, but hopefully it doesn't discourage you from reading the rest of the series.

Chapter Four.

An hour after his lover falls asleep he returns to his table, rereading some of the books he has already finished. An anxiety overtakes him at one point, so he meditates in order to calm himself down. The prison is as quiet as a mouse, which is unusual to him. There's typically at least a few people that call out and cry during the nights, but tonight it seems as if everyone fell into a deep rest. Aldan looks beneath his nightstand where three gifts and a silver coin are hidden and then he travels to the other side of the room by the door. The key is there. He could walk out right now, take his sword, kill the guards, and probably make a successful escape, but they would at some point find him again. He imagines how it would all go down in his head. Hiding in the forest, somewhere in a cave or hole starving and depressed, but nobody escapes from the prisons here without getting caught. Another trial would mean a worse punishment. He walks back over to the bed, carefully walking over Aldan and laying beside him again. The young demon doesn't rest, but pretends to do so until the sun is up. When he opens his eyes he feels his entire body at a powerful calm. Inmates are acting out, yelling, making jokes to guards again. Oddly enough, he feels relieved by this. He shakes Aldan's shoulders to wake him up, not roughly though. When Aldan awakes he helps him put on his clothes, cleans his face with a towel, and sends him on his way. Again, Aldan meditates as he waits. It's warm inside of the cell. He peaks out of his window, which doesn't reveal too much to him. He takes the time to exercise before he falls back into his books again.

Aldan is reluctant to leave. There's so little time left to them, he almost despises every moment apart from Drew. His other responsibilities are waived off by his relationship with a condemned boy, however. He allows himself a moment or two of near-overwhelming sorrow as he and Drew say their goodbyes for the day. As he closes and locks the cell door, he locks into place his years of training and service. He locks his emotions behind an implacable façade. Walking back to the guardroom, he cursorily glances at the other cells and inmates, ignoring their whispered comments or hateful looks.

He enters the guardroom, looking around at the days rotation of guards. Spying today's commander, he smiles slightly. Approaching the man, who is only slightly older than Aldan, he puts his arm around the commander's shoulder. "Gerald, I need a favor."

The commander, graying at the temples with a slight paunch around the middle, gives Aldan his full attention. "You? You need a favor from me? Gods, what's wrong??"

Smiling, Aldan explains his dilemma and makes his request. It takes some cajoling, but the commander agrees, somewhat reluctantly. "It's your neck on this, not mine, mind you!"

Smiling and happy, Aldan whistles as he covers the route home, his military pace eating up the miles in short order. As he stands at the threshold, he mutters to himself. Now I just need permission from the real general. Entering into his house, he calls out in a cheerful voice. "Oh, Katey! I wanted to ask you something, darling."

Within an hour, Aldan is perched atop a sturdy horse, tan with white forelocks and stockings. He rides easily. Behind him, his son Bryan sits, one arm wrapped around his father's waist, the other pointing to this or that item or person of interest. The son is a younger version of Aldan, brown hair and green eyes with a strong jaw. His skin is lightly browned from hours in the sun. He talks quickly, sometimes to his father, sometimes to Whirlwind, his horse. Each answer with their own variant 'grunt'. The father and son team make several stops as they travel and as they arrive at the prison, entering the main courtyard, Bryan's arms are loaded with bundles and baskets, though he still comments on nearly everything. Tying their horse, they make their way to the guardroom. Several of the guards greet the boy by name, and he delights in their attention. One of them pulls Aldan aside.

"Normally, I'd not question you on raising your boy, Aldan, you know that." The guard, a few years younger than Aldan and dark haired, dark eyed, and dark skinned, leans in close to whisper. "Are you sure it's wise to introduce Bryan to the prisoner? I know you've taken a liking to the demon, but this is your son."

Aldan looks at the man. "Davyth, I know what I'm doing. Drew. . .is different. It's important that Bryan and he meet and talk before the end. We've fought together and bled together. I trust you and appreciate your concern and words. But, I've thought this over and believe it to be the right course."

The darker man nods. "Very well then. I'll help if I can, but not at cost of my own head."

Aldan and Bryan move into the block, walking confidently towards Drew's cell. Some of the prisoners catcall the young boy, but he ignores them. He concentrates on his father, and his warning before they entered. "They want you to be scared, Bry. Ignore them. They can't harm you and won't try while you're with me."

As they near Drew's cell, Aldan has the boy remain back. He unlocks the cell door and enters.

Drew slaps a book closed, stands out of bed, and walks slowly to his husband before standing on his toes to kiss him. You came back faster than I expected. He peaks, noticing just a sliver of a person by the door. "Is that Bryan? Or is that just a very short guard?" He squeezes Aldan's hand, rubbing his thumb before letting go.

Aldan kisses Drew back. Bryan watches quietly as his father embraces and kisses a demon-boy only slightly older than himself. He looks away after a moment. Aldan holds Drew's hand. "Well, we have minimum height requirements for the service. Bryan." Aldan calls his son over, and the boy strides over, just like a miniature soldier.

"Bryan, this is Drew. My husband and your step-father. Drew, this is Bryan." Aldan bows to them both, with a flourish, as he introduces them.

Bryan steps forward, extending his hand. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"No need to call me sir." He takes his hand, smiling as he shakes it. "A handsome son you have. I've heard that you've taken an interest in me?" He lets go, stepping back over to Aldan. His tail flutters side to side as he grows curious to learn more about the boy.

Bryan nods. "Yes, sir. I am." His face flashes confusion for a second and he looks to Aldan. "What do I call him, daddy?"

Aldan shrugs and gestures towards Drew. "Ideas?"

"You can just call me Drew. Have you seen many demons before?"

"No, I haven't. Are there a lot of you? We have anthros at my school, though." He looks at Drew, up and down. Then he begins moving around Drew, in a circle, examining him. Inspecting him. There seems to be some hostility from the lad that Drew can sense. It's not malevolent, but it is there.

Drew stays still, not wanting him to be afraid of him. "There's a little over two hundred of us in the kingdom." He stops his tail, preventing it from hitting Bryan.

"Two hundred? That's not many." He stops behind Drew for a moment. "Do all demons have tails like yours?"

He nods. "We all have tails. Not all are like mine. Some demons have tiny horns, or medium sized ones like me, but there are others with large ones too." He forms a tiny fire from the tip of his index finger. "We manipulate fire too, but I won't do much of this or else I can get in trouble around here." He notices the boxes outside of the cell. "Hungry? I can smell food."

Bryan circles around until he's in front of Drew again. He purses his lips together, almost into a duckface. Aldan leans against the table, watching We brought all sorts of food. "Is it true that you like raw meat and fish more than cooked?" As Drew answers Bryan abruptly cuts him off, pointing a finger at Drew and demanding at him, "Have you cast an enchantment on my daddy? Are you trying to use him to escape?!"

Aldan starts and takes a step towards Bryan, his face clouded with anger. He stops, though, and watches to see how Drew handles this situation.

Drew laughs. "Enchantment? I don't think demons can do anything like that... Besides, I would never betray your father, my husband. I love him more than my own life." He looks to Aldan for a moment, then back at the boy. "Raw tastes better for sure, but I can eat cooked meals as well. You should know, Bry. Your father has slept here in my bed a few times now. If I wanted to escape, I could simply take his weapons and keys at any time that I'd like. But I haven't and I won't."

Bryan stares at Drew. He's chewing his lip, his face a clear map of his confusion and internal debate. "I know you and daddy have fucked. I--"

Aldan takes a quick, sharp breath. "Bryan, that's not a word for you to use. You shouldn't worry about what Drew and I do. It has nothing to do with you."

Bryan turns to his father, ignoring Drew for the moment. "It does so. I heard you and mommy arguing. How do we know he hasn't enskorkelled you! Mikey says demons can do magic and he can make fire. Mikey says that if you surprise a demon, he can't lie to you."

Aldan kneels down in front of Bryan, taking the boy's hands in his own. "And you surprised him and he said that he loved me, right? So that means that he does. And the word is 'ensorcelled'. And he hasn't. I just love him."

Bryan looks back at Drew. "You really love my daddy? Honest?"

Drew smiles, hands behind his back, and nods. "Yes, Bryan. I love your father. Yesterday, we met with a high priestess of Selune who permeated our love so that we will always united, whether it's in another life, another universe, whatever. She said our love was true."

Bryan close his left eye, opening his right one wide. He stares at you intently, the tip of his tongue poking out of the right side of his mouth. After an odd and strange minute, he turns to Aldan, and begins whispering. Aldan listens and whispers back. They do something with their hands that Drew can't see. Bryan's back rises and falls in a huge sigh and he turns to face Drew. He looks down at Drew's feet. "Get your shoes on, silly, we're leaving."

"Shoes?" Demons don't wear shoes. He checks his feet, which he had cleaned just before he had lay down to read a book. "I'm ready to go, captain!"

"Why don't you wear shoes?" Bryan asks.

"It's a religious thing. We believe it keeps us closer to the planet."

Bryan looks at Drew. At Drew's feet. Back at Drew. At Drew's feet. "Okie dokie. Well, let's go then. We're going on a picnic." He beams happily.

Aldan moves next to Drew, wrapping an arm around Drew's waist and guiding him to the cell door. He kisses Drew and then steps back, taking Drew by the arm. "I can't let the other prisoners know how much special treatment you're getting. Fucking is one thing, but taking you out is something else."

"Hey! You said 'fucking'." Bryan calls out at his father. "If I can't say it, you shouldn't say it either."

Drew cautiously takes his first step of the cell, the first one in weeks since he's been put into the hole. The hallway feels longer than when he first walked down it. Those first few days he was imprisoned he even had a cellmate, which he has forgotten about. The days are so long and even though he's only been in here for a matter of three weeks, it feels like months to him. He helps carry one of the boxes, looking from to side at the other inmates. Almost all of them are older and what you'd expect, but then there are two or three that he see's around his age. He keeps his head straight forward, following the young playful Bryan in front of him. He's so at peace and full of life, yet he's inside of this prison. Aldan has fell back into his role as prison guard, pretending to be escorting him somewhere else. He doesn't take it too personally, because he knows that nobody else in the prison is probably being treated this well as he is. Maybe a few high-class criminals who were once noble warriors had gotten similar privileges, but he sees himself still as just a dangerous teen. Drew stays quiet and focused as they reach the center of the prison.

They enter the guardroom. One of the younger guards starts to make a comment. "Aldan and his demon-bitch! Ho, ho, come to share him with the lowly plebs?"

The dark-haired guard elbows the younger man in the ribs. Hard. Very hard. The younger man doubles over, barely able to mutter soft curses. The dark maned guard looks around the room, as if to dare anyone else to speak. The other guards busy themselves.

Drew is led to the main courtyard, he can see the open portcullis and gate to the outside city, to the free world. He's momentarily confused as he's led to a horse, young and spirited who neighs happily as Bryan rubs his muzzle. Bryan climbs easily onto the horse, looking down and reaching down to Drew. "This is Whirlwind. Fastest horse ever! Hop up with me, hold my waist."

Drew's face brightens up with a joyful smile as he sees the horse. He reaches up, hopping onto the horse without any problems, and looks to Aldan as he speaks to Bryan. "Your horse is very beautiful with a mystical name. I haven't rode a horse since I was a child."

"Hold tight. You don't want to fall off if it's been so long. He digs his heels into the flanks of his horse." Whirlwind whinnies and Bryan guides him towards the gates. Aldan trots alongside the horse, smiling up at his son and husband. They exit the prison into the free world. People of many races and species pass to and fro, barely noticing the boy and demon on a horse. Aldan continues alongside, resting his hand on Drew's thigh as the wind their way through crowded streets, heading away from the heart of the city. Bryan takes it upon himself to narrate a guided tour, pointing out shops and vendors as they ride by, even though their signs and wares are plainly visible. Drew is something new and strange to the boy and it doesn't really dawn on Bryan that for months, Drew called the city home.

After an hour, they're approaching the less built-up areas of the city. Tenements and shops aren't packed close together. Here, there's room to breathe. Bryan steers them into a large, forested park. It extends as far as they can see and some of the trees here are ancient. Entering the park is like entering the wilderness. The sounds of the city are lost. Rarely, they catch a glimpse of a royal coated game warden or pair of guardsmen. But the group, escorted as it is by a uniformed officer is unmolested.

Bryan finally brings them to a stop near a small pond. The pond is fed by a small waterfall, the music of the water adding to the aura of peace and nature. They dismount as Aldan spreads a blanket on the ground. He and Bryan begin arranging a picnic. Candles, a small bronze brazier with lightly scented coal, wine, beer, raw fish and meat, cooked meat and pork pies. Fruit, vegetables, Breads and baked desserts. There's easily enough food for the three of them and another guest.

As Bryan and Aldan set up their picnic, Drew looks at the horse. One leap and he's mounted and away before Aldan could stop him. Drew carefully gets off of the horse, rubbing his hand along its face before he walks away and helps set things up. He looks down at his own clothes. "Don't you think this is a bit strange? Me in this prisoner outfit?" He sits down, legs crisscrossed, and kisses his boyfriend on the cheek as he sets up plates. "Say, Bryan, do you try to get out and ride your horse every day?"

Bryan smiles proudly. "I try to! And this is for you." He hands Drew a soft bundle. "I brought it in case I decided to like you."

Drew carefully takes it from him, setting it in front of him and holding his hands up before touching it again. "I'm glad I have your approval Bryan. Should I be careful opening it? I don't want to break anything."

Bryan giggles. "No silly. Just rip it open like it's a Winter Fest present!" He watches Drew, bouncing on his knees as he watches and waits. Aldan watches them both.

Opening the bundle, Drew discovers an outfit of clean, comfortable clothes. Shirt, pants, fundoshi. All varying shades of blue and hand made to fit a demon's particular physique.

He blushes as he notices the underwear, putting the shirt over it, then stands up to make sure the pants fit him. "You picked these out yourself? They're very beautiful, Bryan." He holds up the shirt, putting it to him, showing it off. "Any particular reason you chose these as a gift?"

Bryan shrugs and blushes. "I asked daddy and he said clothes and books would be the only things you could keep. He helped me pick them out. Or I helped him. Anyhow! We picked them out together." He stops. His smiles fades. He looks at Aldan, then at Drew. "I just want you to have something nice, is all. I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do, Drew."

Drew sets them aside and away from the food and begins dishing his plate with raw meats and fish. "I think I'll wear it tomorrow." As he takes the first savory bites of his food his tail flips back and forth. He looks to Aldan. "Thanks for bringing your son. I'm glad that I've been given this chance to meet him. Never did I think I'd ride a horse ever again in my life." He looks to Bryan, continuing to eat.

Bryan's exemplary manners disappear as he loads his plate with food, chewing mouthfuls of food while speaking. Aldan eats heartily as well. They picked dishes that are favorites of theirs, along with some raw delicacies that Drew has seemed to enjoy. Bryan asks questions between and during each bite, it seems. "Where do you come from? Why did you leave? Why did you come here? What do you like about the city? How come you didn't run when you could? Why do you love my daddy? How come you don't ask the King for a pardon? Why won't your family visit you? How do you clean your tail? Do you get furballs? Can you do anything besides make fires? Daddy says you like to read? What's your favorite book? Mikey wanted me to ask that one. Did you ever have a horse? What was its name?"

"Woah woah woa woa woah." Drew falls on his back laughing in surprise, almost choking on his food. "One second." He finishes his meat, leaving his favorite fish for last. "I was born in a small village about fourteen thousand miles away. My mom passed away while I was young, and my father and I moved here shortly after. We visit back home every once in a while, but I'm not really seen too well down there. Well, I guess they don't like me here either. I like the city for many reasons. It's beautiful, you have so much freedom, and not many kingdoms are so diverse and accepting to so many races and cultures. He pauses to drink some water and clear his throat. Ah, your Dad now... I love him because we are meant to be together and he gives me hope. We just simply love each other... One day you'll understand that too. You'll meet someone and fall for them when you least expect it and when it happens, you're going to be so confused, but it's the best feeling ever. Don't fight it." He tries to count on his fingers which questions he's answered, and which questions he hasn't. "Where are we now. Oh. The king! No... There's not a chance of a pardon. The law is pretty written in stone. Maybe one day it'll change, but for now it is what it is. My father won't visit because of the crimes I've committed. He's very religious and against killing, so he has disowned me." He looks behind him, getting his tail to move into his lap. It raises up and he licks it as he looks at Bryan. "This is how we clean our tails. We don't get furballs because our body digests everything so well. I'm not that strong of a demon, but I do have a unique power that is unlike any other demon that has ever lived. It's dangerous though and what got me in trouble in the first place, so I refuse to use it. Reading is a hobby of all demons." He sighs, getting some more water. "Favorite book, huh? The Serpent Knows Best is a good one. Kind of a depressing tragedy, but maybe that's why I can relate to it so much. We had horses when I was a kid, but that was when I was like..." He puts out his hand. "Around when I was five years old, so I can't remember much about them."

Bryan nods with every answer. Soon he's merely picking at his plate. He yawns and stretches, looking at Aldan. "How long til we have to go back?"

Aldan looks at the sky. We've a few hours yet. He pats his stomach. "I don't know about you two, but I am stuffed." He begins clearing the mess, packing leftovers in the basket and tossing bits of food off into the trees. When that's done, Aldan stretches out, using a basket as a pillow. He pats his left rib cage and quickly, Bryan lies down, using his father as a pillow. Aldan smiles and pats his right rib cage, looking at Drew.

Drew smiles and walks over to lay down to the right side of Aldan. The two boys law on opposites of him and relax to the sound of the lakes. For a moment the demon feels a strange presence as if he's being bonded to his new friend, or maybe he should call him his stepson. He doesn't know yet. As they lay there, the three of them rest and watch the clouds. At first, Bryan comments on this cloud or that looking like a dragon or a fat lizard. But soon he's fast asleep, his breathing serving as a complement to the nature surrounding them. Aldan gently tugs at Drew, beckoning him to lay with their faces close together so that they might talk as Bryan sleeps.

Drew adjusts himself, kissing Aldan on his lips quietly, then opens for a deeper, longer tongue kiss. "It's still morning, technically. Maybe today will last forever?"

"I wish it could." He kisses Drew back. "I wish we could command the sun to cease its race across the sky in pursuit of night."

Drew kisses him again, snuggling into his chest. He looks to Aldan's face and the two of them stare at each other smiling without speaking. Eventually, Drew stands up to stretch, then sits back in his crisscrossed formation, a serious look on his face. "Aldan, there's something that I want to ask when we get back to the prison, but I don't think you'll agree with it."

Aldan frowns. "Something serious? That needs we wait until we're back there?"

"Well, I don't want to ask in front of Bryan."

Aldan looks down. He smooths Bryan's hair away from the boy's face "He's asleep. After a big meal like this, he falls right out. Just like my used to." He reaches out to take Drew's hand.

Drew looks down as his hand is taken and caressed. "You remember how yesterday you said that I could witness an execution?"

"Yes."

"Well..." His voice cracks as he pauses. "I thought about that this morning and... I want to witness one today if I can. A beheading, like mine. I know you told me what will happen, but I still have fears and anxiety over it. I want to be prepared and unafraid. When they read whatever it is to me, I want to be able to have that liberation and accept everything for what it is. I don't want to be one that sobs and feels sorry for himself in his last seconds of living." He frowns, looking away from Aldan.

Aldan speaks softly caressing Drew's neck. "Are you certain?"

Drew looks to him, his eyes serious, but painful to stare into. "I am."

Aldan sighs. "Very well. I'll take you. There's no executions at our. . .At Old Castle today. But there should be several at Ravensberg." He sighs again. "The Minister of Justice insists we stagger our executions by each prison. He says it gives the people something to look forward to each day if there's a good beheading or hanging." Aldan shakes his head. "He says it reminds the poor to keep their place and keeps them entertained. But, yes, we'll have to cut our outing here short by a couple of hours." Aldan yawns. "If I nap, will you be here when I wake?"

Drew nods. "I'll lay here beside the two of you and pretend to sleep." He finally smiles, laying the back of his head on the top of Aldan's chest.

"Maybe after Ravensberg we can stop by your home? Or is that too dangerous? Do you think the prison would get suspicious or think I'm trying to escape?"

Aldan plays with Drew's hair. "You're in my charge. As long as I have you back tonight sometime, there'll be no alarm. We can stop if you'd like."

Drew nods. His tail slides down Aldan's pants, comforting and warming his leg. "Should we drop Bryan off after we leave the lake?"

"Yes. I don't want him to see something like that today." He glances down at the sleeping boy. "He'll start thinking too much."

"Yeah... Make sure he isn't of witness of mine."

"He won't be. I've already told him no." Aldan yawns, his voice thick with drowsiness.

"Rest." He puts one hand behind him, closing his eyes. Drew stares into the lake, his mind completely consumed by the sounds of water as he watches tiny ripples of waves crash and form. His mind wanders off, remembering his friend from the village, how he had promised him that he wouldn't give into his violent nature. He thinks of his father. Then shuts his eyes, imagining that sweet, fragrant smell of coffee at the temple. 'Will I ever have another cup of it again?' He tosses the worries into the water, stripping away all the wrongs he once was after confronting and admitting to them, then remembering what he has now in this brief moment of time: Aldan. His heart is so strong under him. Aldan's asleep now. He takes this time to whisper a long chant in his mind, then falls into a state of relaxation.

Soon Aldan is sleeping, his light snores a comforting sound to Drew. Shifting onto to his side, Aldan curls into a loose ball. But his movements have disturbed Bryan, who yawns and stretches. "Are you awake?" He whispers.

Drew doesn't move as he answers. "Yes. Did you think I would be gone?"

"Uh-uh. Daddy said that you could be trusted. That you gave him your word and you'd never, ever break it." He climbs over his father to sit next to Drew. "What are you doing?"

He looks to him, chewing on a piece of grass that sticks out of his mouth. "Huh? Just thinking. Relaxing. Enjoying the moment." He smiles, looking to Whirlwind. "Do you need to feed your horse or anything?"

Bryan looks over to Whirlwind. "He's okay. He's got grass and leaves he's eating and the lake to drink from." Suddenly he raises his eyebrows. "I gotta tinkle." Bryan hops up and move over to a nearby shrub. He drops his pants to his knees, holding his shirt up, tucked under his chin. His back and butt are to Drew, but he hears the unmistakable sound of a boy sighing in relief as he pees.

Once he's finished, he pulls his pants up and rinses his hands at the lake side. He's drying them on his shirt as he comes back and sits next to Drew again, smiling and happy. "Did you like the food we brought?"

He nods. "It's always delicious. Before your Dad was here, they fed me all cooked meat that tasted like dirt." Drew can't help but to comment on his beauty. "You know, whoever you end up with, like in love with, is going to be very lucky, because you're remarkably handsome and spectacular. Plus, you have a horse! You'll get all of the girls in the world with that guy." He laughs, picking pine needles out of his tail.

Bryan shrugs. "That's what mommy says. All the girls will love me. I don't think I'll have time for girls though. When I'm old enough, I want to join the Army like daddy did." He looks at Drew. "You're pretty, too. Do you like girls or just men? Daddy likes both, obviously."

"Just men." He sizes Bryan up and down. "I think you'll be a good warrior. You really do look like a miniature version of your Dad."

Bryan laughs. He catches himself and looks back to make sure he didn't wake Aldan. "Everyone tells me that! I wonder if I'll get married and fall in love with a demon-boy like you." He looks at his boots, fiddling with them, knocking mud off of the sole with a twig. "That wouldn't be so bad, I guess. You seem nice. Really nice."

He watches Bryan's awkward motions. "Yeah? Well... There's one demon boy in particular that I think you should keep your eyes out for. Not for that reason, but because he's in some trouble."

Bryan looks at him. "Yeah? What's his name?"

"I don't know..." He casts a flame into his hand, staring into it. A figure appears, but it's hard to make out who is inside of it. "I know that he's a little bit younger than I am, he's demon, but he's also half black wolf. That means he has wolf ears and a black tail. He's the only one that should exist on the entire planet and he lives in this kingdom, so he shouldn't be hard to recognize."

Bryan stares at the flame. "What kind of trouble is he in?"

The flame vanishes from his hand as he sits closer to Bryan and explains. "A while back, there was a boy who was visited by a shadow when he was five years old. After he was visited, he had gone kind of insane and killed a lot of people in the village. Thing is, he had a unique power that no other demons had seen before. Some think that he simply was driven to insanity by it. But then there was me, the second child visited by the creature. It came to me at the same time, exactly when I was five years old. When it attacked me, I had accidentally killed my own mother. Like the other boy, I possess magic no other demon has seen before. The shadow would attack me, telling me that I had to do these horrible things to people with my power... Eventually I started listening to it and let it guide me. When my father and I moved here, everyone was afraid of me because they believed that what happened before would happen again by me. Instead, I just ended up taking four lives with my magic. The voices were the ones that said that I should go through with my nature, just do it and everything will be alright! And I gave in... I just gave in. That's beside the point. He shakes his head, looking away to the lake. This third boy, he also possesses a unique magic, but unlike me and the other boy, his is unlike any other power that has been possessed on this planet. The shadow attacks him just as much as he did to me. Sometimes I can hear the boy crying and begging for him to stop when I cast a flame in my hand. I wonder sometimes, is he asking me to help him? Am I connected to him because of my power?"

Drew turns back to Bryan. "Bryan... He needs someone. A friend. He's alone and afraid. I don't think he can handle it for too much longer and I don't want him to end up like me."

Bryan listens carefully, nodding along. "So he's all alone?"

Drew nods. "He has family I think, but no friends. No support. Like me before I met your Dad."

"That's terrible! I'll keep my eyes open for him, Drew. I promise." He chews on cheek again. "I mean, if he's part demon and part black wolf, it should be easy to know him when I see him, yeah? He looks worried I hope I find him before he ends up. . ." He stops and looks at Drew. His eyes grow sad I'm sorry. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No. You're fine, Bryan." He puts a hand on his shoulder, then stretches his legs.

"I don't think it's fair. What's happening to you and to the other boy. Mommy says we should try to help people when we can. But no one tried to help you, no one's helping the wolf-boy." He looks at Drew. "You killed people, but they were trying to hurt you, right? And you're sorry and you wouldn't do it again, right? So why can't the King pardon you?"

Drew looks at him sympathetically. "Yeah, your mom is right. You should help people whenever you have the chance. Bry, you need to understand... None of them tried to hurt me. Three of them made jokes and tried to offend me, but I was the first to attack. The other person, I flat out ended him just to get money. It was all stupid. I gave in and I shouldn't have. Yes, if I were given the chance, I wouldn't do it again, but it's been done. You can't be angry at the King if you're going to serve him at some point. The things I've done, they're nobody's fault but my own and I must take responsibility for that."

Bryan looks at Drew. His brow is knitted as he processes what he's just been told. "But you're so nice. Gentle." His voice drops to a low whisper. "They didn't hurt you? You just killed them because the shadow told you to?"

He shakes his head. "It influenced me, but I was in control, I think." He looks down. "I.. I.. Think we should, uhm, wake your father up."

Bryan stands on his knees. He looks as if he's about to cry. "You wouldn't have done it if the shadow wasn't in you, though. You wouldn't have done it if you'd met dad first!" He begins to cry. "It's not fair. You're sorry and you could help people. It's not fair!" He throws his arms around Drew and sobs. "It's not fair. It's not fair. Daddy loves you. It's not fair."

"Ssshhhh. Shhh." He hugs him tighter, patting and rubbing his back. "Let it out if you need to." His tail tries to comfort Bryan by touching his left leg. "I know it's rough. It's rough on me too, you know? But it's okay... I met your Dad and now I've met you. Time is irrelevant. All is irrelevant other than that." He pulls Bryan apart from him, wiping his tears with his shirt. "You're going to be okay, right?" Aldan has woken up to the sound Bryan crying, watching quietly, and pretending as if he's sleeping. "I'll see you again tonight and tomorrow morning. We'll ride Whirlwind again." Drew brings him in for another hug, a long streak of tears coming down his cheeks for a short moment before he pulls himself together. "Just promise me you'll never do what I did."

Bryan cries freely, "I promise, Drew. I promise." He wipes his eyes and blows snot onto the ground, away from their blanket. He's still crying, but not sobbing as powerfully as he was. And I'll find the wolf boy and be his friend. "And I'll visit you when I can, too. Always. Even when I'm old like daddy." Aldan can't help but laugh. He joins his favorite boys and engulfs them both in a hug. Bryan hugs him back, crying into his side of Aldan's chest. "It's not fair, and I hate it, and I'm going to find the wolf boy and save him." He looks at Drew, his eyes red. "I'll tell him all about you, too. How you were strong and turned away from hurting people. I promise. I promise." Aldan pulls Drew into a kiss and Bryan clings to them both, crying and repeating his promise.

Drew looks to Aldan, confused as to what to say or do in this unique situation. He squints his eyes, tries to forget where he is, but he's still there in this confusing moment. One kiss to his lovers lips calms him down and then he rubs Bryan's right shoulder. "Maybe I could put these clothes on that you bought for me tonight when I visit. We can find something extra special to do too. I'll make you and the rest of your family the most powerful and exquisite coffee you'll ever have in your entire life. Nobody knows how to do it quite like me." He licks and bites his bottom lip.

Bryan pulls away from them both and wipes his face. He nods without saying anything and stands. He goes over to the lake, where Whirlwind is drinking. He leans against his horse, reaching down and washing his face as the huge beast gentle nudges the boy's hair. "Stop trying to eat my hair! It's not hay, you silly horse." Whirlwind stamps a hoof into the water, splashing the pair of them.

Aldan holds Drew close. "You handled that well. You're an excellent father, Drew." He kisses Drew. "And about the coffee. . ." He pulls back and uses his hands to comb Drew's hair and wipe away his tears. "That's a deal. Do we have to buy anything special?"

Drew shakes his head. "No. You'll just ask for the freshest beans that they have. I can't go in. I don't want them to see me."

"Why? You'll be dressed normally. If anyone asks, you're there with your husband and your son." He repeats the words more forcefully. "Your son. And if anyone bitches, I'll arrest them. Or at least intimidate them."

"You don't understand. They think that I'm cursed." He looks down as he stands up, then looks to the lake and walks towards Bryan.

"I don't care." Aldan calls after him You're my husband. "I won't have you hiding."

Bryan smiles at Drew as he approaches, and finishes washing his face. "Behave, Whirlwind!" The horse snorts and bumps Bryan with his huge head, nudging him towards Drew. "Hey...I said behave."

Drew brushes the horses hair, then under his forehead, and kisses it right above its nose. "I think he was bored watching us cuddle together without him."

"He's always been jealous." He looks up at Drew, and playfully pushes at his chest. "Do you want to go for a ride before we leave? You and me, once around the lake?"

Drew nods. "Sure. I'd like that."

Bryan mounts his horse, who stamps with excitement at being ridden again. "Daddy! Can papa-Drew and I go around the lake once? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?" He draws out the please in a way only a child could, so long that Drew wonders that Bryan doesn't turn blue and pass out. Aldan nods.

"Go ahead. Not too fast and watch for low branches. If you run into any guards, bring them here." Aldan looks at Drew. "Keep him safe, Drew."

Drew nods and hops right on behind Bryan. He hugs him tightly and gazes to the water. "I'm ready, captain. Let our venture commence!"

Bryan guides the horse away from the lake and eases him into a gentle trot. "Hold on tight, papa-Drew! Giddyup, Whirlwind! To save the kingdom!!!" Bryan shouts and digs his heels into Whirlwind's flanks. With a slight jump-step, the horse leaps forward and soon, Bryan and Drew are flying around the park, ducking below tree limbs and taking small jumps with ease. The horse responds to Bryan almost before Bryan gives him a command, the two of them is synch. The wind rushes past and Bryan's laughter is the loudest sound, apart from the blood rushing through Drew's ears.

Drew playfully chuckles and holds on, commenting as they duck for branches. When the horse he leaps he ends up hitting his head into Bryan's back, laughing even harder than before. The lake glistens as the sun reflects over it. There's barely anyone out enjoying the weather or scenery. It's like a dream, just the two of them there, although they can still see Aldan watching and standing up from the distance. "Thank you Whirlwind. Thank you Drew." He holds on and goes quiet, just living into the moment.

It takes them a half-hour or so to ride around the lake. When the return to the picnic site, all three of them are flushed with excitement and out of breath. Drew and Bryan hop off of Whirlwind and the horse immediately begins drinking and splashing water. Bryan drops to his knees, rummaging through the assort bundles. He finds his curry brush and jogs back to rub down his friend, talking a mile a minute about their ride. The horse stamps its hooves, shakes and whinnies, almost as if answering back.

Aldan pours Drew a glass of light, refreshing wine, handing it to him with a smile. "How was it, love? I have never seen you smile like that. Well, with your clothes on."

Drew chuckles, hiding his embarrassment by downing half of the glass. "Good one. It was magnificent. Tranquil, if I may say." He looks to Bryan. "How are we traveling to the other town?"

"Ravensberg is just the other side of the city." Aldan refills Drew's glass and fills one for himself. "Three prisons in the city. Ravensberg, Old Castle, and Havenhill. Each serves a different district inside. Old Castle gets most of the murderers and rapers. Havenhill gets most of your pickpockets, burglars. Short timers and prisoners to be maimed or branded. They get the odd murderer, so as to have someone to execute every week. Ravenberg gets smugglers, chiselers, kidnappers, beatings, and their share of killers. But we get the worst. All rapers come through us." He shrugs. "It's worked so far, in a sense. We should be able to walk it a couple of hours. We can take a horsecab, if you wish. It would be faster and easier on the feet. I'm not sure how much walking you're used to now."

He looks to his feet, which have built calluses. "They're a bit tired at the moment. I've honestly never rode in a horsecab." Drew sighs, still trying to catch his breath. He sips more of his wine as his tail flaps all of the horsehair out from itself.

"Never?" Aldan asks Well, we will most assuredly take a horsecab. Aldan has everything packed and ready for them to depart when Bryan finishes with Whirlwind.

"What now, daddy? he looks at Drew Daddies." He corrects himself, emphasizing the 's'.

Drew finishes down his wine, handing his cup away and turning to Bryan. "Your Dad and I are going to visit some of the other towns for a bit and then we'll come back later tonight so that I can see you and the others. Is that alright with you and Whirlwind?"

Bryan gives them both a sidelong glance. "Promise?"

"We promise. Right, Aldan?" Looks to him.

Aldan nods "We'll be there. We have some business to see to, first."

Bryan grins. "Oooohhh! I know what you're going to do!" He giggles and blushes.

"Yeah. You get the idea." He plays along with it.

Still giggling, Bryan mounts Whirlwind. Aldan secures their picnic gear to various straps on the saddle or in the saddle bags. "You're okay to ride home from here? You know the way?"

Bryan closes his eyes and thinks. "Yep. I can make it, don't worry. Whirlwind never gets lost."

Drew walks up to Whirlwind, giving the horse another hug around the neck and kiss, then signals to Bryan. "Be safe. We'll see you soon."

Bryan leans forward, suddenly grabbing Drew's hand as he's patting the horse. He squeezes Drew's hand tightly. He doesn't say anything, although he looks like he wants to. He lets go of Drew and smiles at him. He gives Drew a little wave and rides off with a wave to his father.

Aldan pulls Drew into him as they watch the horse and boy disappear in the trees. "Right, let's get a move on. We're closer to the Ravernsberg than your temple." He takes Drew's hand and they begin walking.

Drew walks close to his side, slowly and carefully, hoping that nobody that knows him notices him walking by. "The cabs aren't expensive, are they?"

Aldan shakes his head. "No, not really." He looks at Drew as they walk. "Are you okay, Drew?"

"Yeah, yeah." He fidgets. "Just don't want to run into anyone in particular. Like the families I've hurt or my father or people from the temple that know me. It's a long shot though. The streets are too populated for anyone to notice."

"It's a long shot, and you're in custody, technically." Aldan gestures down to his sword. "No one will cause trouble. Even if you walk into your tea shop, climb on the main counter and piss all over it. Although that would be a waste of some wonderful piss." He chuckles at Drew.

Drew smiles. He notices one of the horsecabs in the middle of the road. "There's one. Do we just yell for it or what?"

Aldan smiles and brings two fingers to his lips. He lets loose with an incredibly loud whistle, surely one that could be heard for miles. The driver looks at you two and nudges his horse forward, stopping in front of Drew. It's a two-wheeled cab, with a roof, with the driver above and behind the passengers. It's pulled by a magnificent black gelding. "You worthy lords need transport? Where to, m'lords?"

Aldan opens the side door, letting Drew climb in first. He follows and sits. A small sliding panel opens in the roof and the driver peers down for instructions. Aldan looks at Drew. "Temple or prison?"

Drew looks around at the fancy seats, which sits tail slither and fall in love with. "I think the prison first. The furniture in here is so nice. Wish my prison bed were like this."

"Ravensberg Prison, driver." The small panel slides closed as the cab is set in motion. Soon, Drew and Aldan are riding along at a surprising speed. The cab doesn't take the most direct route, as some streets and road are too narrow, but the driver seems to know what he's doing. And the sit, mostly out view of anyone on foot, Aldan snuggles close to Drew, kissing his neck and sliding his hand under Drew's shirt.

Drew kisses him back softly. They speak like this until the driver turns an eye and the demon boy blushes. "Not in public, hun." He grabs Aldan's crotch as after he gives him a quick brief kiss. "There will be plenty of time for fucking tonight." He situates himself better into the seat, sitting up closer to his husband. "Did Bryan remember to grab my clothes?"

Aldan rummages in his sack and produces them. "You should change now. Wouldn't want there to be any confusion at Ravensberg." He look up and the panel. "With that closed, the driver has no idea what's going on in here." Aldan winks.

"Okay. I'll get changed." Drew sits up, trying not to bang his horns and head on the top of the vehicle as he strips. He teases Aldan by untying his fundoshi slowly. Putting it on in the cab is probably one of the most difficult things he's ever done in his life and for once he actually curses at the fact that his religion requires that he wears this underwear. In frustration, he quickly puts the new pair of pants on, then slides off his shirt. "So when we get there, do they have some sort of clipboard somewhere outside of the prison or whatever saying when is what or what is when?" He reaches down to grab the shirt, taking his time before he puts it on. "Comfy... Reminds me of the robes at my temple."

Aldan suddenly leans forward, kissing Drew's left nipple, sucking it gratefully for a moment, before pulling back and sighing. "There should be a board showing their standard schedule for executions. Two days a week, usually in the early and late afternoons, unless they're exceptionally busy."

"I see." Drew snuggles into Aldan's chest, focusing on his own breath and the beat of his lovers heart as the cab travels.

They ride together in silence, holding each other closely. Aldan gently rubs Drew's back. Sitting with his eyes closed, he concentrates on the sounds of the city and the feeling of Drew's warmth next to him. It seems as if they're only in the cab for a few minutes when is jangles to a halt. The roof panel slides open and the drivers peers down at them. "Ravensberg Prison, noble gentlemen."

Aldan exits the vehicle and waits for Drew to do the same. He looks at the driver, hands him a handful of coins and tells him to wait as long as those coins will hold him. The driver nods.

Crossing to the main gate, they see "The Board". Executions have already begun for the day. As they're about to enter through the public entrance, Aldan stops and faces Drew. "You're absolutely sure on this?"

Drew nods and takes his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Yeah. I think so. We're already here anyway." As the continue walking, the demon remembers the first and only one he witnessed, a hanging when he first moved into the kingdom with his father.

Aldan sighs. "If it gets to be too much, just look at me. Bury your face in my chest and I'll get you out of here. Understood?" With Drew's nod, they enter. Ravensberg is dark and brooding. The stones here are dark with soot and age. The ceilings seem impossibly low, as if poised to crush any who pass beneath them. And number of guards, alert and ready for trouble, watch those who enter and leave. Drew notices their uniform badges are different from Aldan's. Aldan's is a silver diamond; these guards wear a crimson square. Soon, they pass into the executioners yard.

A scaffold and platform sit in the center of the courtyard. As they enter, a pair of burly workers are sealing a coffin, while a young boy, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, spreads fresh sawdust atop the platform. The crowd is buzzing with excitement, eagerly awaiting the next prisoner. The axeman stands at the rear of the platform, his face hidden by his black mask. Aldan muscles his way through the crowd, leading Drew to the front rank of spectators. They'd just to their left of the block. A spray of fresh blood colors the cobblestones, forming a morbid triangle that looks like it might reach an incautious spectator.

"Should we stand back by chance?" He does so he asks. "The crowd is much larger than he expected to be. Could it be that it's further along in the day?" He only hopes so. Drew looks around behind him, trying to count how many people there are, but then returns his attention to the platform. "I hope there won't be as many people tomorrow. I don't mind a few people saying something at me, but a hundred or so would be strange." His eyes reach to the axeman. "Will he be at mine tomorrow or is he a different person?" Drew's tail slaps from side to side anxiously, then calms down. "Sorry. I'm asking too many questions."

Aldan leans close, resting a hand on Drew's back. "We're here so you can understand. Ask any question you have. There probably won't be as many people. Mornings are always smaller crowds. We're good where we're at. For whatever reason, they always seem to fall to the other side." He points to an area of the front rank, perhaps 5 yards distant. "That's where the spray flies. The more nervous and anxious, the more and stronger spray there is. It's the same axeman. He's quite good."

Drew nods and notices the blood, which is quickly covered with hay. "I see." He focuses attentively, waiting for the teenager up top to finish his job.

The boy looks sullen but scatters the hay and sawdust quickly. The drums begin to roll, and another prisoner is brought forth from a black door behind and their left or Drew and Aldan. A man is escorted by a cadre of five guardsmen, four forming a box around him, one leading by his manacled wrists. The man seems scared but makes it the steps leading up the platform before showing any real fear. He balks at the steps, trying to wrench his hands free of the guards, to no avail. He's dragged to the front of the platform and held in place with a guard on either arm. An officious looking man steps forward, just in front of the platform. He unfurls a parchment scroll. When the drums stop, he begins reading the charges.

Drew loosens his grip on Aldan's arm, whispering quietly. "He's afraid, isn't he? That's not good at all..."

Aldan nods. "He's terrified. He's going to try and bolt." He sounds sad and irritated.

"What a poor fool." He gives a sympathetic look. "I won't be held like that when they read from the scroll, will I?"

The clerk speaks, "Here stands Bartholemew Bergestrand, late of 17 Finch Road. Charged with smuggling into the city certain items of value, without proper license or tax, of attempting to bribe a custom's agent of His Majesty, of attempting to bribe members of the city constabulary, attempting to bribe a magistrate, threatening a magistrate, resisting with arms arrest by the city constabulary, failure to pay duties, fees, and taxes. Defendant has been found guilty, after due trial, of all charges and has been sentenced to death by hanging. However, upon plea for mercy from defendant's wife and children, sentence was commuted to death on the block. Sentence to be carried this day, this time, in the name His Majesty, the King, and by authority of Magistrate Jaymes LePetimay and Royal Mayor Sargonne Belcter."

Aldan whispers, "Only if it's likely that you'll try to flee."

Drew tightens his own arm around Aldan's arm. "I won't. I'll be calm and ready." He closes his eyes just for a moment, then continues to observe.

Behind Aldan and Drew, a woman screams for mercy. "Mercy, mercy, mercy for my husband! Mercy for his children to be orphaned of their father!"

Other members of the crowd begin to boo and shout her down. The man, tries again to wrench himself free and leap to the cobbles. The guards club him with an oaken cudgel and he goes limp. The woman screams again and there's more commotion in the crowd. Turning, Drew and Aldan see the woman being shoved and spat upon. Aldan's hand falls to his sword, but guards move in from the sides, grabbing the woman and pulling her off to one side where one talks with her.

"Oh Gods, lord of Light..." Drew prays for a moment as he sees the woman scream, then turns his attention back to the platform.

On the platform, the man is lifted and places over the block. Spit drools from his mouth and he's only dimly aware of what's happening. He tries to push away from the block, but the guards knock his hands away each time. The drums roll. The man jerks his head to and fro. One of the guards curses and spit on him. He kneels down in front and just to the side of the man, grabbing his head and holding him down, his neck stretched over the block. The executioner quickly pulls his axe from beneath the hay, lifting and swinging it in a fluid, beautiful, almost elegant motion downwards. The axe slices through flesh and bone. The guard holding the head falls back, almost losing the severed head, but keeping control of it by a handful of hair. The body jerks and spasms to its left, away from Drew and Aldan. Blood sprays forcefully and far, spattering the first row of the crowd. The crowd cheers loudly. One of the people sprayed runs the hand over their blood-spattered trousers and hold their bloody palm up for the crowd. The cheers grow louder and more frenzied. The guard stands and presents the head to the crowd, to their delight and joy. Someone calls out "Now the wife!" and the crowd laughs.

Aldan pulls on Drew's arm and drags him back the way they came, ignoring any protest from his love. He doesn't stop until they're inside the cab, clattering down the road. "Where to, m'lord?"

"Anywhere. Just get us away from here." Aldan's voice is tense.

As soon as Drew's hand is taken, he follows the direction he's being pulled immediately. His eyes are bulging and still trying to understand everything that just happened. It's not that he's surprised from the circumstances, but more so baffled by how foolish everyone was. "It seems the only two that didn't do anything wrong were the executioner and the man who read the scrolls. The guards were forced to attack the prisoner but spat on him too and couldn't calm down the crowd. The crowd itself were full of lunatics that just wanted to see blood."

The prisoner, who Drew felt sorry for since he had a wife and children, also had some fault. As Drew enters the cab, he holds his face with one hand and pulls back his hair. His tail is stiff and erect, signaling that he's frustrated. "That wasn't what I expected... It was a stupid idea anyway." He sniffs up snot, rubbing at the temples of his forehead. "If the man had any dignity... Don't they realize that it only makes things worse to try to escape or fight the guards?" He looks up, exhausted, and continues ranting. "I can't tell if you're as angry as I am. Guards at our prison seem nicer than those and yet they commit lesser crimes. That doesn't make sense either. Nothing makes sense." He kicks at the floorboard, then brings his right leg up to rub at his feet. "I feel like... I feel like what I saw just told me what not to do tomorrow. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for saying that we should have gone there." He grunts, then rubs one hand into Aldan's thigh, rubbing his head against his right shoulder as he tries to relax. "Driver! He opens up the little sleeve to speak. Take us to the demon temple, the temple of the great owl." Drew looks to Aldan, waiting for him to respond. "You know I'm sorry, right?"

Aldan turns to face Drew. He cups the boy's face. His own face is lined with worry. "Sorry for what, Drew?"

"You obviously weren't pleased with what happened and how it was dealt with."

"It was damned unprofessional! Foolish and irresponsible. The only guard with any sense was the one who pulled the wife aside and tried to calm and distract her."

Drew gulps, continuing to rub at his husband to try and comfort him. "Now I understand why you don't work over there."

The horsecab comes to a stop. A moment later the door is opened for them. Aldan hands the man a few more silvers before they exit. Drew immediately knows where he is. "Home. This is it..." The temple looks like any other shop on the square, but there are several floors beneath it where rituals and magic are commenced, along with apartments and luxury for those living beneath it. Drew guides the way into the shop, which is dimly lit from the corners of the room. There are no customers, just an old man behind the counter cleaning mugs and setting up his filters for the next customer. Further down the shop is a man playing a grand piano, which has hauntingly beautiful sound to it. Drew knows this song. He heard its melody in the music box. He walks to the counter, taking a seat and waits for the busy man, a frail demon in his early 120s, to notice the younger boy, whom he has his own personal feelings about. "Uh hem... Rath Mullan." The old man looks to him, his face shocked and confused. "Drew... Or am I hallucinating? Why? How are you here? You shouldn't be. Did you escape from prison?"

Drew waits for Aldan to take his seat and continues explaining. "No, no. This man has me on custody. I wanted to visit and get some fresh coffee beans so that I could make a final fresh batch of coffee. Tomorrow is the day, although I'm sure you and nobody else will be there in support of me, as none of you were at my trial."

The older man winces his eyebrows, putting four scoops of beans into a bag before sealing it with a string. "You desecrated this temple with what you did. People already look at us funny and have their hatred, bigoted feelings towards us. What you did just makes it all worse. Business goes down. People wait outside of the temple to stare at us. Follow us. I'm not saying it's all you, but you have your part in it, boy."

Drew shakes his head, looking to Aldan. "He will take a glass of absinthe, please."

Rath nods, pouring two shots worth of a bright green material into a glass, then putting it on Aldan's side where he would sit. He bows his head for a moment and smiles. "It's on the house."

Aldan looks at the old man. "Some folk look at you funny because when a boy was in trouble, his people ran and hid. When a boy needed someone, none of his people were there for him." He slams coins down on the counter. "Of course people are wary of you. You won't stand for one of yours. Why would anyone expect you to stand for the city or the kingdom or any of us?"

Rath puts both arms on the table. "Wo wo woh, there. Calm down, you little knight on a chess board. I have stood for this kingdom more than you know. You know how many wars I fought in before you were born? When I was his age I had no rights. People would kick me, stomp my face in, try to pull my tail out, but I never killed those people for it. Nor did I break into someone's house and rob them so that I could escape the very home that had given him everything on a silver platter."

He spits towards Drew as he speaks. "I know you're not a horrible boy, Drew. You're not all evil. But possessed or not, I cannot look the other way. And you..." He points his finger towards Aldan and the glass. "My father built this temple with only two other men. And when he went to protest for our rights and was put to prison, I was there in front of the king with my people. We stood up. We fought back. And here we are, alive and succeeding. Drink your damn alcohol and stick to what you know about - killing people just like you in the battlefield and killing." He looks at Drew, somehow already noticing the chemistry those you feel compassion for. He sighs, holding his chest as he tries to breathe.

Drew is looking down and holding the bag of coffee, noticeably depressed and full of shame. "I told you I didn't want to come back here."

Aldan slams back his absinthe, inhaling sharply as it burns going down. He looks at the old timer. "So, when did you decide you'd stood up enough? That this one boy..." He points at Drew. "Wasn't worth the effort? He killed people when he shouldn't have. He's paying for it with his life. But you people?" He looks around and sweeps his arm around the entire shop. "You made him pay twice by cutting him off from his own people, his own family." He stares down at his empty glass. "And tell me, old timer, how many humans or anthros have come in here saying, 'You know what? I didn't like demons, but the way you turned your backs on the Drew kid, sure made me like you a bunch. Sure made me change my mind about you'? How many?"

The old man holds his arms, pressing his back against the wall. He pours himself a full glass of absinthe and swallows it down, looking to Drew, then back to Aldan. "I don't need to hear this from you. This conversation is over." He points to the door. "I'm asking the two of you to leave before I am forced to do something that I don't want to do."

Drew stands up, tugging on Aldan. "Come on. We got what we came for. Let's just go."

Aldan arches his eyebrow. He grins, but it's not a mirthful grin. "Threatening a King's man? Are you sure you want to do that?" He jerks his arm free from Drew. He stares at the older demon. In his mind, Aldan already planning out how to go over the counter after he embeds a dagger in the old man's throat. When Drew looks at Aldan, he sees menace. He wears the grin of a killer. He's never seen Aldan like this. He looks ready to kill. Almost eager.

The old man grins at the warriors frustration.

Drew curses. "Come on! Stop fucking around."

Aldan looks at Drew. He sees something in his eyes. Anger? Frustration? Fear? He reaches out and cups Drew's cheek running his thumb gently of Drew's skin. "See?" He looks at the old demon. "Even after you turned your backs on him, he saved your life. That's why he's better than the whole stinking lot of you." He spits of the bar and lets Drew pull him away.

As soon as they're outside, Drew wipes away his tears, pulling his up to his horns as he closes his eyes and catches his breath. "They're not all bad people. Just misguided. Afraid." After he passes the temple will be in better hands. He shakes the bag of coffee as they walk until they spot another horsecab. "Let's get to your home. I want to meet the rest of your family. Unless... Do you think your wife will kill me herself the second I walk into the house?" He imagines it happening on a serious level, then on a much less serious one, her trying to hit him with a spoon on the horns or something. "You said she was pretty forgiving, I guess..."

Aldan grabs Drew by the shoulder, turning him to face him. He embraces Drew and holds him. "I love you." He holds Drew's face between his hands and kisses him gently on the forehead. Walking with Drew, Aldan relaxes quickly. "I don't think she'll try to kill you. She promised me she wouldn't kill any more of my lovers after the incident with the triplets."

"The tiplets?" He whistles out for the cab, which stops.

They climb into the cab and Aldan gives the address for his house. The driver nods and goads his horse into a trot. "Yes, the triplets. I've never seen so much blood. It really brought out the green in her eyes, though."

He gasps, backing away in his seat from Aldan. I don't.. understand. You cheated on her with triplets and she killed them?"

Aldan sighs. "Well, jealousy and all that. Like I say, it was years ago now and she promised not to do it again." He looks out to the street whizzing by. "Of course, she'd promised it twice before and ended up breaking those. But I'm sure this time she won't."

"How did she get away with such crimes, though?"

Aldan smiles. "I think she had someone inside the constabulary who covered for her."

Drew stares dead eyed at him, unknown is he's just bullshitting to him or not. "Your wife sounds like a major freak... How does she raise a child as sweet as Bryan if she's so cold blooded?"

"Well, you've never seen Bryan angry. He's got a temper on him, that one. I promised him that I'd never tell anyone, but you are his father now." He looks around cautiously, checking the portal to the driver to make sure it's closed. "But there's a reason Bryan doesn't have any friends his own age anymore." He watches Drew closely.

"Huh? Why not?" Drew puts his feet out on Aldan's legs, moving his toes around to him. "I don't understand. He's so nice and interesting. And he has a beautiful horse."

Aldan bursts out laughing. "I can't go on. Kate may not love you like Bryan does, or like I do, but she won't attack you." He laughs until tears dribble down his cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, Drew...I was teasing, I didn't think you'd take me so seriously." He takes a deep breath and clears his throat. "No, it may be awkward at first. But Kate understands that I love you as I've never loved any man or boy and that I love her as I'll never love any other woman. She may see you as her rival for my bed, but not as her enemy."

"Not a rival for too much longer." His face flattens as he moves his feet and toes to your legs. "But after this life, forever... It's weird knowing exactly when you'll die." He pauses. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your joke."

Aldan looks down and begins rubbing Drew's ankles and calves. "It wasn't much of a joke. You didn't ruin it, my love. You don't ruin anything." He looks at Drew, smiling sadly. "It's strange. I'd almost forgotten about tomorrow. It's no less weird to the exact time that you'll be helping kill your greatest love..."

"The last few days have been the best of my life. Today, besides the last two things, have been good as well though. Strange to think that the sun is still out. I wish today would just last forever." Drew cracks his legs, scooting up closer so that he can put his hands under his head and relax more. He looks above him and speaks freely. "Is it wrong that I'm not afraid or depressed over tomorrow? The only part that I'm not okay with is leaving you."

"I don't think it's wrong. Not at all." He cradles his lover's legs in his lap, rubbing and massaging them, sometimes getting close to Drew's privates. "I wouldn't object to having today last and last. Even if it was just this cab ride. Every moment is a moment that I treasure, that I try to commit to memory because today won't last forever. The love will, and the memories will. Until we can be together again."

Drew relaxes silently, closing his eyes. After a while he responds simply with three words. "I love you."

Aldan sighs. "And I love you." He holds his lover's legs with one hand, resting the other on Drew's stomach. He watches his young love resting. Soon, though, the houses begin to look familiar. Aldan wishes he could stop time. Or gain time somehow. He can't, though, and the knowledge that he and Drew will together again in the next world, and the one after that and after that offers little comfort as he realizes this is the last sunset they'll see together. Aldan closes his eyes and breathes. They still have tonight. He scratches Drew's stomach as the cab slows.

The driver opens the cubby. "Here we are, gents."

"Oh?" He sits up, his tail erect and curious. Drew steps out of the cab and looks at the house in awe. "Wow! You live out in the country? Look how big your home is! So beautiful..."

Aldan pays the driver. "It's not that large, Drew. It is home though." As the cab clatters away, Aldan stands in front of Drew. He combs his hands through Drew's hair, adjusts Drew's shirt, stick his thumb in his mouth and use the wet thumb to wipe Drew's cheek. "You've got some smudge on your cheek. One moment."

Drew looks away and blushes, waiting for him to finish cleaning him up. "You can give me a bath tonight again if you'd like. It's okay that I'm barefoot in your house, right?"

"Certainly, that's okay. And I'll do more than give you a bath." He looks at Drew, smiling with pride and affection. "I'm actually nervous. Are you?" He takes Drew's hand and leads him towards the front door. Potted flowers and herbs dot the front porch and window boxes, their scents lending a sweetness to the air. "Ready?"

Drew nods. "I'm nervous, but excited." He calms his tail down, exhaling deeply. "Let's meet the family!"

Aldan nods, squeezing Drew's hand comfortingly. He reaches for the door.

The door flies open before Aldan reaches the handle. Bryan screams and leaps out, launching himself into Aldan and Drew, wrapping an arm around each of them. "Daddy! Papa-Drew!!!" He rocks side to side as he hugs his two dads. Aldan reaches down, tousling the young boy's hair. Another boy, standing just inside the threshold. He wears simple homespun tunic and trousers, his blonde hair is slightly longer than Bryan's and his bright, green eyes stare at Drew. He's pudgier than Bryan, and shorter, but the resemblance is clear. Bryan pulls away, taking Drew's other hand and pulling him inside.

"Mikey! It's rude to stare! This is our other daddy, Drew."

The pudgy smiles awkwardly. "You really ARE a demon!"

Drew allows Bryan to direct him inside as he locks his eyes on the blonde. "It's fine if you want to stare." His tail dances from side to side gracefully, showing off its beauty. "Nice to meet you, Mikey. I hear that you're a great writer, hmmm?"

Drew hears Aldan breathe in sharply and whisper "Uh-oh. Now you've done it."

"It's Milliken, if you please, sir." He looks at Drew and watches his tail with great interest. "Is Drew short for Andrew?"

"Sorry, Milliken. And no, it's just Drew." He bows his head, squeezing Bryan's hand. "What now?"

Bryan shrugs. "Now, Mikey's going to stare at you for a while. Later, he'll start asking you questions and won't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever stop."

"Shut up, Bry!" Milliken bristles at Bryan.

"Make me, tubby!" Bryan sticks his tongue out at his brother.

"Mommy said you're not to call me that! Why are you such a weenie?"

Aldan steps between the two of them. He points to Bryan. "You! Don't call your brother tubby. Mother warned you about that." He points to Mikey. "And you! Don't call your brother a weenie. The two of you behave or you're spend dinner in your room. Understood?"

A pair of mumbled 'Yes, sir's' and the friction is passed. Bryan pulls Drew towards the kitchen. The sounds of cooking and children's laughter echo through the room. Kate sits at the table, mixing dough in a large bowl as a younger girl and boy play in one corner under her watchful eyes. They all stop and look at Drew as Bryan drags him in.

"This is daddy-Drew." Bryan announces.

The children look at each other. Kate scrapes dough from her hands, wipes them on a towel, stands, and extends a hand towards Drew. An eyebrow is arched the entire time. "I'm Katey. Aldan's wife."

Drew is cautious, holding out his hand for a moment before he shakes and makes contact. "Hi Katey. It's nice to meet you. I... Have heard lots of good things about you." He smiles, then takes a seat at the table. His tail curls and spirals around one of the bottom legs, tightening to it as he tenses, afraid that she will hate him or he will say something wrong to her.

Katey smiles a strained smile. It's clearly awkward for her, too. "I've heard a lot about you, too. From Aldan and Bryan." She looks at Drew, not as obviously studying him as Mikey did, but searching for something. "Would you like some tea or wine? I have lemonade, too."

The little girl looks up. "But that's our lemonade!"

"Sally, don't be rude. Drew is a guest. He's a close friend of your father's. Of the whole family." She chastises Sally not with anger, but with patience. The little girl apologizes to Drew and goes back to her play.

Drew puts the bag of coffee out on the table. "I don't want to take any of her lemonade." Looks to Sally. "I'll have some tea. Thank you. After dinner, I'll make coffee. I know it's late at night, but you must try it." He turns to Aldan. "We have a good two to three hours before I need to go back, right? So we can be alone and I can have time to rest."

Aldan nods. "We just need to be back for tomorrow. They'd like us back tonight."

At the mention of time alone with Aldan, Katey tenses almost unperceptively. She offers Drew a mug, a ceramic canister of loose tea and a tea caddy in the shape of a frog. She fills the mug with hot water and places a dish of lemon wedges and pot of honey nearby. She puts a plate of cookies on the table, which catches the attention of the children. Butterscotch cookies. She looks at the children You may each have one cookie. "Drew, you can have as many as you'd like."

"Thank you, Katy." He doesn't like cookies but takes one and eats it anyway to please her. After finishing it, he puts one spoonful of money into his tea and a small squeeze of lemon with it. "Your house is very nice. I lived in an apartment the size of this room, so I didn't have much. Part of our religious beliefs state that we shouldn't live materialistic lives and we should focus only on the present. I think it can be taken with a grain of salt though, because I can't imagine how awesome it would be to live in a place this big." He sips from his tea, then looks to Aldan. "As stupid as it sounds, I feel like I'd rather sleep there. You can stay if you'd like. If that's okay, I mean." He bites his bottom lip.

Aldan smiles, a warm easy smile. He's much more relaxed here than outside. "We've already talked it over. I'll stay at the prison tonight."

Katey nods. "Yes. It's only fair." She looks at Drew, her eyes fixed on him, her face pained.

"You must think I'm a monster or something."

She looks away. "Bryan, take Sally and Jer to play in the sitting room. Mind they don't get too close to the fire. Mikey, why don't you go upstairs and arrange your books. I'm sure Drew would like to see them later." She looks at Aldan. He nods, stepping forward and laying a hand on Drew's shoulder.

"I'm going to change out of this uniform. I'll be back before you know it." He pats Drew's shoulder. After thirty seconds of frantic child-herding, Katey and Drew are alone.

Drew continues drinking from his tea, turning his head to the side as he waits painfully for her response.

Katy sits near Drew. "Perhaps we should talk before dinner."

"Yes, we should."

She takes a cookie, breaking into tiny bits and nibbling each bit individually. "Can you start?"

"Start... How do I?" He rests his chin on the palm of his hand. "Aldan and I met with a high priestess of Selune and she confirmed our love was true. It's not that I needed her to tell me so, but I wanted to make sure that I would be able to stay connected to him for eternity. In this life, the next, wherever we go after we pass. I love him more than anyone. I would never betray him, you, or any other person in the family. I'm a demon, but that's not what made me do what I did. Demons believe in peace, harmony, kindness. I was troubled. Possessed by an evil being. Something that has attacked others. It wasn't the sole reason I committed those crimes, no, I take responsibility... But Selune said that even though I have darkness in me, it is not all that I have. I have love. I just didn't find it until now at must seem to be my worst, but I don't see it that way... I see Aldan as someone who gives me hope and helps me find peace before the end. Nobody has cared about me like that. Well, maybe one person, a friend of mine, but it's been so long and I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I don't want to hurt you. I didn't want to be with him at first because of you, but I gave in like I always do... But it's more than that. It was fate. Aldan and I had met and performed the wedding ritual in other lives and we will perform it again. This is a pure fact and there's no way around it." He sips his tea to clear his throat. "What do you think of what I've told you?"

She stares at her tea. "Does that mean in lifetime after lifetime I lose Aldan to you? For eternity." She swallows hard, containing her emotion for now.

"Lose him? You still have him. He loves you. I don't know what it means. Maybe you could speak to the priestess of Selune yourself."

"I've been with Aldan for twenty years almost. Born him four children, soon to be five." Her head drops and she speaks very softly. "I've never loved any other man than Aldan. We've had our moments, when he's been away and the loneliness was too much to bear. But he loves you. From the first day he saw you, you were in his mind and heart. We'd talk about you." She stands and pretends to cook. "I wanted to hate you, you know. That would make things simple. Hate and hold my tongue for a few more hours. Then Bryan comes home this afternoon and he's talking about you, how much he loves you, too. So you're taking my husband and my first born." She pauses for a moment "Then I see you. I see how Aldan is with you, how Bryan is. And you're just a boy. I can't hate a boy. With everything going on, that's going to happen, I can't hate you, Drew. I just wish it wasn't going to hurt them so much when it happens. I just wish it wasn't going to hurt my boys."

"It hurts me too. The weight that I carry... You can't tell me how much it hurts. All of my people are looking at me with their own narrow lenses. And maybe they're right. Whatever." He finishes his tea, pulling himself better up in his seat. "Trust me when I say that I will guide and protect them."

"I know you will." She turns and looks at Drew. Tears stain her cheeks and she wipes her face with her apron. "All that you say makes sense. Had I one wish, one wish, Drew. I'd wish you could live. I'd rather deal with any strangeness between you and I than see the pain I see in your eyes and that I'll see in theirs come sunset tomorrow."

He looks away, feeling a gripping feeling in his chest. "Uhm... We should have dinner."

She nods. "We have a bit before everything is finished. You prefer raw meats? We have something set aside for you. Why don't you have Bryan take you upstairs to his room. I'm sure Mikey has a stack of books to show you. Can you ask Aldan to come in and help me finish dinner?"

"Raw meat would be preferred. I'll go fetch him for you." He stands up, his tail uncoiling from the chair leg as he does so. Aldan and Drew bump into each other as he's about to enter the kitchen. "Katy wants you. I'm gonna go upstairs and play with Bryan and Milliken." He kisses him on the lips before we walks up the stairs and looks to the rooms. There's chattering come from the right, so chooses that door. Once it's opened, he steps inside, his tail wagging as he inspects the room. "You two sleep in here? What a wonderful room. You even have a window outside!" He runs to it. "That's where you keep Whirlwind, right Bryan?"

Bryan looks out the window. "Yep. That's his paddock, where he exercises. And that's my pole. Where I play with my sword. "

Milliken is sitting on his bed, writing on his chalk board. He giggles. "You play with it when we're supposed to be sleeping." He makes a mocking squeaking moan sound, giggling again.

Bryan turns on him, his face turning beet red. "I do not!"

Drew blushes, sitting on the bed beside Bryan. "Maybe after dinner we can play outside for a bit, Bryan?" He looks to Mikey. "What are you drawing, Milliken?"

He looks up. "I'm making notes on your physical appearance. My books have it wrong." He opens a book that shows a drawing of a male demon, nude with arms and legs spread. There are several comically bad inaccuracies on the drawing. On his board, Milliken has a list of errors and corrections, all done in a tiny, very exacting hand. "I'd ask to draw you, but Bryan says it would be rude."

"No, no. It's fine." He walks over and picks up the book. "Yes... I've seen this one before. You know, you could always take a field trip to where my temple is and look at us there. Plenty of books there too. All of them are as accurate as it gets. Now, I don't think I'll be getting naked like that guy in the picture." He smirks.

In absolute seriousness, Mikey looks at Drew. "But it would be essential! Otherwise my drawing would be incomplete." He hops down from his bed, reaches underneath, and pulls a small chest out. He retrieves a key from a lanyard around his neck. "Bryan, privacy!" He barks.

Bryan sighs. "I'll be outside. Don't take too long."

Mikey unlocks the chest. He looks up at Drew. "You can't mention this to ANYONE."

He says a few words in his demon language to keep the promise. "Done. Are you sure your parents would be okay with this?" He sits beside Mikey and doesn't peak over at the drawing.

He opens the chest and pulls out several loose sheafs of papers. He stops, setting a leather folio, sealed with a silken knot on his bed. He hops next to Drew and sets the folio on their laps. He unties the silk knot and opens it, watching for Drew's reaction. He looks like a kid again.

The drawings are of a variety of objects and animals at first. There's several of Whirlwind, Aldan, Bryan, Kate, Sally, Jereminy, and humans Drew doesn't recognize. At the back are drawings of Bryan, Aldan, and Kate in the nude. They're arms and legs are spread as in the scholarly work, and there are notes and arrows pointing to different areas. Each of Aldan's scars is reproduced in detail, with notes on cause and year inflicted. There are details of their genitals, hard and soft for the males, with more notes. It's all very clinical.

"See? It's part of my studies."

"Wow. These are incredible! Can I touch them?"

"Yes, but wipe your hands first, please."

"On my shirt?"

"Or my blankets. I guess we can get a towel if you'd like. No one know about these, though." He holds his finger to his lips. "Sshhhh."

Drew wipes his hands on the blankets, then carefully holds up the one of Aldan into the air. He's never seen anything so fine, detailed, and true. Not only does the drawing capture what he looks like, but his soul, seriousness, but emotional and empathetic, are all in it too. There's nothing sexual about these nudes. It's pure art. To him, Aldan is the epitome of beauty. He puts it down as if it were a feather into grass right back into its place, straightening it with the others. "Don't worry. I've already sworn my promise." He takes of his shirt, slides down his pants, setting them to the side as he sits down by the pillows on the bed.

Milliken stands and stares at Drew. He holds his hand in front of his face, extending one, two, and three fingers. After a couple of minutes., he smiles at Drew. "Thank you, very much. Can you arouse yourself?"

"Arouse myself? Why? I don't know if I feel comfortable doing that in front of you..."

Mikey frowns. "We won't have another chance. I'd have to guess and I don't like guessing. I can draw from memory. I never forget anything." He takes a drawing of Bryan, aroused. "See? I peeked under his sheets when he was sleeping. Then I drew this two days later when I was alone. I can't make you, but it would be very helpful for my notes."

Drew laughs. "Okay. Okay... One minute. You get it in your mind, then I'm putting it away." He strips off his fundoshi, lifting his butt before he puts it with the rest of his clothing. It doesn't take long for his curved six inches to get erect. All he has to do is imagine what Aldan and him will do later tonight. His tail moves over his right leg, resting there. He sits still, not wanting to mess him up on his drawing.

His eyes widen. "Oh! It would give me insight as to what arouses demons as well. I have no idea. The literature on that is lacking." He looks unhappy. "Laziness, really." Mikey does the same thing with his hand, one finger, two, three. "What are you thinking of? Are you just willing it to be hard?"

"Your father." He blushes.

"I see." He smiles at Drew. "Thanks ever so much! You can call me Mikey now." He sits down and repacks his drawings, carefully sealing the folio and placing it back in his chest. He waits for Drew to finish dressing, then calls out, "Bryan! Permission!"

Bryan comes back in. "I hope it was worth all that. You're so weird sometimes, Mikey."

Drew leans against the wall, putting one leg over the other, and sighs. "So what now?"

"Did you want to look at any of my books? I don't know how fast you read, but your welcome to borrow one or two." Mikey says.

Bryan whistles. "Wow. You don't let anyone borrow your books!"

"I've never had a demon as a friend before."

"Me either. I told you he was nice."

Mikey nods. "He is. And he appreciates learning."

As Drew stretches out his back his tail reflexes. "I can read a four-hundred-page book in about an hour." He sticks out his tongue. "Some of the older demons need only touch a book and immediately have all of it consumed. It's a very bizarre magic. I don't know if I can borrow a book, since I won't have much time tonight or tomorrow morning. Hey Mikey... Maybe I can have my books given to you as a gift."

For the first time, Mikey looks like a little kid. He smiles broadly and hops from one foot to another in excitement. "Really? Really? You mean it?"

Drew nods. "Of course I mean it! What else would they be of use for? Heck, they might even take you a year or two get through them all. Some of them are kind of sad and others are hard to read, but I think they'll teach you a lot about the art of writing."

Mikey does a weird, awkward little dance of joy. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise that I'll take good care of them and keep them always." Bryan frowns and grabs Mikey's arm, pulling him into a corner and whispering to him. Mikey's head drops and he looks at Drew, his eyes welling with tears. He runs over to Drew, throwing his arms around him. "I'm sorry, Drew, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" He holds him by the back of his head, wiping away his tears.

"For being so happy. The only reason you're giving me your books is because of tomorrow. I forgot."

"No. That's not true." He hugs him tightly, smiling as he explains. "I've read all of those books. I'd rather have new ones if I had more time anyway. So they're yours. That's all."

"Well, I didn't forget, I just didn't connect the dots."

Drew looks over to his desk, thinking of same way to change the conversation. "So you're a writer, correct? Maybe you could get a job working for the papers or at the libraries before you become a famous novelist and painter."

"I hope to study at one of the colleges. Would you like to read one of my stories?" He looks very hopeful.

Bryan chimes in. "He writes really good stories. Some of them are about daddy, too! Oh! Oh!" He grabs Mikey's arm and gently shakes him. "Show him the one about daddy's first big battle."

Mikey grins. "If you want to???" He pulls his chest out again and opens it, waiting for Drew to speak.

"I might have heard of it already, but I'd love to hear it from you." He moves around on the bed, waiting for Mikey to find it and show it to him.

Mikey retrieves a sheaf of papers, sewn together by hand. The front page has a drawing of Aldan as a young man with rows of soldiers, flags and banners behind him. It's surprisingly thick, perhaps a half inch. Opening it, the hand-written letters are even and precise, small but not tiny. There are nearly fifty pages, each clean and precise.

Drew wipes his hands clean before taking it from him, sitting it on his lap once his tail moves out of the way. "Bad handwriting. That's a good sign. Means you'll be a very creative writer. Don't worry though, I can read it." His eyes naturally speed through each line at a rapid pace, but he takes elegance and carefulness when he moves each page to the side. "What kind of material are these pages made of? They're so soft and gentle. I feel like I'm handling something sacred." He continues to read, his brain absorbing and taking in all of the emotions. His tail moves anytime he reads something tense, such as Aldan fighting or watching one of his comrades die. His voice is quiet, but you can hear his heart beating faster as he dwells faster into the story.

The story is brilliant, given Mikey's age when he wrote it. He spends a little too much time on pointless details and sometimes uses big words when more direct language would read better. Drew looks at the nine-year-old. That he wrote something of that length, as well as he did, is impressive. As they watch, Mikey and Bryan sit on Bryan's bed. When Drew is about halfway through, Mikey leans over to Bryan and whispers, Bryan nods and takes his little brother's hand. They sit like that until Drew is finished. It's Bryan who asks, "Well, what did you think? And be honest."

Drew waits for a moment after the book is closed for a few minutes until every scene and moment of the story is strung together in his head. A tear runs down his left cheek, which he quickly wipes away. When he opens his eyes, he takes one of Mikey's hands, then one of Bryan's. "It... Allowed me to see your father on a deeper level. I could see myself there with him. The visuals were so precise. I think you could flesh it out a bit more though. Maybe one day you could make one big book of all of your fathers battles into one. Everyone in the kingdom would buy it. that I know for sure." He grins, letting go of their hands. "It also allowed me to feel closer to you. I don't really know you all too well, but I know that you're creative, smart, bright." He looks to Bryan. "While you might not be as much of an artistic wiz, I see a heart of gold in you. I'm glad I've been given this chance to meet the two of you. It was destined, anyway... What are the chances that I would be let out of my cell to come here? I never thought I'd have my way out of the prison for even a single second. Don't either of you cry. I wouldn't be able to hold myself together. Just remember that I love you both and that I will guide and protect you for as long as you live."

They watch and listen, totally captivated by Drew. He sees their eyes welling up, but they both manage to keep from crying, thought their chins and lower lips quiver. They both latch onto Drew, hugging him tightly. They don't seem inclined to let him go. A knock on the door, and Aldan sticks his in. He smiles as he sees the affection and bond between his husband and his sons. "Dinner time, boys. Wash up and head to the table."

The boys let go of Drew, Bryan runs out of the room and downstairs. Mikey kisses Drew on the cheek and chases after his brother.

"It went well, I take it." Aldan pulls Drew to his feet and embraces him. "I was hoping it would." He sees the book on Mikey's bed. "Oh no..." Aldan blushes slightly. "I was just a soldier, my first action. I was more terrified than what he wrote." He leads Drew downstairs. "He said that wouldn't make a good story. Heroes can be afraid or nervous, but never terrified."

"It was your first battle though. Of course it was terrifying!" He argues with him jokingly as they go downstairs. Drew situates himself at the table, sitting next to his husband.

Dinner is a form of organized chaos. Mikey and Bryan sit next to each other, Sally and Jereminy next to their mother. The table is covered in plates, saucers, cups, glass and food. There's raw fish and eels for Drew, along with hot water for tea and wine. There's plenty for everyone and even the dishes that Drew doesn't particularly care for are well made.

"There's so much food! Is it always as festive as this?" He dishes himself a plate of eels, a meaty chunk of raw fish, and scrappings of raw turkey. Aldan pours him a glass of wine, which he sips carefully to note its taste. "And to think another one is on the way! This table is like a buffet!"

Kate beams with pride. "If I can't feed my family, a poor mother I'd be! We love having guests, too. Sharing a meal is an of civilization and peace, my father always said."

Aldan nods in agreement. "I made quite a living in battle. There's always plunder in war, and even with taxes paid and bribes given, there was enough to start us well. It helps that Kate makes most of our clothes, too." He takes Drew's hand and squeezes gently. "Any meal is better with family. Love is the best seasoning. Your mother said that." He nods to Kate, who smiles.

When the meal is finished, Bryan takes Sally and Jereminy upstairs while Mikey helps clear the table.

"Pipes in front of the fire before dessert?" Aldan asks.

Drew chuckles. "I'd love to." He follows Aldan out of the kitchen.

Aldan sits in a comfortably stuffed chair. He pulls Drew down onto his lap, wedging his hand between Drew's legs. He whispers, "I want you so badly, Drew. I'm tempted to take you here and now, on the floor." He sniffs Drew, making even that feel as foreplay as he massages between Drew's legs.

"Here? Right now?" Drew grabs his hand, letting him continue to grope him. "Your wife could walk in. Or the kids. That wouldn't be right. We'll just have to wait, won't we?" He grinds his ass against Aldan's growing erection. "Ah, sorry, had to adjust a little better."

"A little better? That's a lot better." Smiling he packs his pipe and smokes, offering Drew a pull. It's sweet and rich smelling tobacco. He holds Drew close. "I just want to hold for now. We'll wait." He gropes his husband. "This will build our mood, though, and make tonight even better."

Drew takes in the smoke, inhaling it deeply before it blows it at Aldan's face. "Remember?"

Aldan smiles. "Yes, I do. Gods blood, if we weren't married already, I'd marry you again right now." His face grows serious for a moment, then curious. "You've had a good day, haven't you, babe?"

Drew kisses him on the lips, then inhales more smoke. It drifts out of his mouth and nostrils as he speaks. "Mostly, yes. The good parts have been transcendent. Like a dream, but real, obviously."

Aldan smiles contentedly. "I will carry today with me forever, Drew. I think Bryan and Mikey will, too, judging by those hugs earlier."

"Yeah." He looks down, holding his own hands. "I... Uh... Katy said something that made me really think. Not really the best thought though. I feel like even though I've had these beautiful moments now in my life with you and your family, I'm hurting you all as well, because of what happens tomorrow. There's no way around it either. It wasn't my intention to hurt you."

Aldan pulls Drew's face close to his, their foreheads and noses touching. "You're not hurting any of us, my love. It's the law causing us all pain. Not you, my sweet, sweet demon-boy." He whispers into Drew's ear. "You made Bryan happy today. Mikey, too. Even Kate. No, you've done nothing but bring us joy. And you will do so even after tomorrow."

Drew pulls him in, kissing him deeply, their mouths locked as tongues swirl and fight each other fiercely. When he breaks the kiss his face is of sheer overflowing love. "I fucking love you so much." He kisses him again.

Aldan returns the kiss, willing time to stop. To let them keep this kiss forever. He pours his soul into this kiss and commits every detail of this moment to his memory. The sound of dishes being washed, the indistinct voices of Mikey and Katey in the kitchen. The crackle of the fire and the sound of Drew's breathing. The smell of the fire and his tobacco. The smell and taste of Drew's mouth, his neck. The warmth from the fire and from his husband. Every detail. "I love you just as much, my Drew. I always have and I always will." He holds Drew close, trying not to cry.

He takes the pipe from Aldan's hand, using his finger to light the tobacco again. He exhales more smoke at his face, relaxing his body into his lover and the chair. "Should I make that coffee for everyone now?"

Aldan's face brightens. "I think that's a capital idea. Anything I can do to assist?"

"We will see." He moves his way into the kitchen, taking the bag of coffee beans off of the table and to the counter where Katy is. She notices what he's about to do and hands him a medium sized decanter that specifically works for his needs. He presses down on the bag, closing his eyes and sings a single phrase. The beans instantly crush. Drew opens the bag and the smell consumes the entire kitchen. Strong, but not bitter or acidic. Smells like peach, vanilla, and cantaloupe. Funky and fruity. Katy hands him a measuring cup of water. "Thank you, ma'am." He heats the water up instantly, pouring it into the decanter, then putting the beans in afterwards. Steam rises from the tip. Drew puts his thumb over most of it, letting it simmer while his other hand controls the temperature at its base. He sings again, a lovely a capella in his language, smiling in joy as he does so. His hands are not harmed by the heat. After he sings, he takes it with him to the table. "Aldan, can you take out some cups for everyone?"

"Gladly." He pulls down full sized cups for the three of them. "Will this keep the children awake or can they try some as well?"

Katey places a round layer-cake on the table, along with small plates and forks. She begins cutting slices as Drew and Aldan discuss the coffee.

"Not the young ones. Bryan and Mikey can have a sip if they'd like." He pours the same amount into each cup, setting the decanter to the side. "I must warn that there is a small cayenne-like spice in it, a special trick that only I know how to do. It shouldn't be so warm that it will burn your mouth when you sip from it." He takes a sip of it from his cup, immediately feeling it rush through his entire body. Little does he know that the extra spice is going to get Aldan to fuck him real good tonight.

Aldan calls the children to the kitchen, bellowing with military volume. "Children! Kitchen! Now!" The sounds of running feet sound on the stairs and sitting room as the four children arrive in the kitchen.

"Oh, cake!" Bryan observes.

"Mommy and I made it. It's ginger and spices," Sally says proudly.

Each child is given a slice of cake. Bryan and Mikey are offered a single sip of Drew's special coffee. Mikey declines initially, but once Bryan agrees to try it, he follows suit. They each take a small sip, but neither of them seem to enjoy the coffee, their youthful palettes confused by the depth of flavor of the dark brew. Aldan, of course, loves the coffee and Katey seems to enjoy hers as well. Luckily, it seems to go well with the cake. The children finish their cake quickly, with Drew and the adults taking longer to enjoy both.

Drew watches as they drink his coffee, hoping they're not disappointed in them. He knows that they enjoy it, but can't tell if it's the best they've ever had. Either way, it doesn't matter to him. As long as it does what it needs to do to Aldan tonight, everything will be fine. "Hey Bryan. Should we see Whirlwind before I get ready to leave?"

Bryan's eyes light up at the idea of taking Drew to see Whirlwind. He hops up from his chair. "Yeah! That'd be great. Maybe next time I can -" The words catch in his throat and the smile disappears from his face. He walks over to Drew and takes his hand, one of his hands wrapped around the first two finger of Drew's right hand, Bry's other hand wrapped around the last two fingers. "Yeah. He'd want to say goodbye, too. He likes you." As the pair reach the back door. Mikey calls after them, "Bryan, may I come too?"

Bryan looks back at him. "I thought he scares you?"

Mikey shrugs, "He does sometimes. But I still want to come."

"The horse scares him or I do?" He scratches his head as he's dragged outside. The sun is setting. It'll be dark in half an hour. Drew stars into the light, which has no effect on his eyes.

Mikey catches up to Drew and Bryan, taking Drew's other hand Whirlwind. "He's so big and he loves Bryan but not me so much." Mikey explains. "He senses that I'm afraid and that makes him nervous which makes me afraid which makes me nervous."

They reach the barn and enter, Whirlwind stamping and whinnying as they enter. He turns in his stall and reaches his head over the gate, allowing Bryan to stroke his muzzle. The beast turns and twists its ears, whinnying in Drew's direction. Bryan fetches some oats and refills his water as the horse and Drew regard each other.

"Hey, Whirlwind." Drew steps over the gate without asking if he can, walking around it, even behind where its tail is, knowing that it could easily kick him if it wanted to. He returns over, feeling to his shoulder and up to his forehead. "Thanks for letting me ride you. Make sure you keep Bryan safe, will you? I'll do my best, too." He kisses the horse above its nose, hugging it before he looks back over to his stepson, who is only a few years younger than him.

Mikey watches Drew with the horse, sniffling. Bryan watches smiling. "I told you he likes you. He knows you have a gentle spirit."

"It's gentle now that I've found love." He jumps back over the fence, looking to Bryan. "Is there anything special you want to do tomorrow? That is, if you want to see me. We might have an hour or so to talk or whatnot. Then your Dad and I should have some alone time. Not that kind of alone time. Just to be together alone for a bit."

Bryan shrugs. "Maybe I can bring breakfast? I mean, if you think you'll be hungry. I can ride Whirlwind." He kicks at the ground. "Daddy won't let me watch." He looks at Drew. "I don't think I'd want to, anyway."

"It'd be best if you didn't. I wouldn't want you there. I don't want your last memory of me to be of... that." He bites his lip and his tail flaps nervously. "We're going to have to get going soon, because I have to sleep tonight."

"Okay." Bryan says good night to Whirlwind. As Drew walks back to the house, Bryan and Mikey walk very, very slowly. Bryan takes Drew's arm and wraps it around his shoulders as he leans into him, his own arm wrapped around your waist.

When the three of them reach the kitchen. Mikey looks up at Drew, his eyes huge and wet. He digs in his pocket and hands him a folded sheet of parchment. He opens his mouth, but doesn't speak. As tears begin to roll down his cheeks, he turns and runs upstairs. Bryan looks at Drew and hugs him tightly. "See you in the morning, okay?" He runs after his brother.

Drew holds the paper tightly. His face is ghastly and disturbed. Almost as if he just fell into a nightmare. Seeing them like that. Knowing it will only get worse. Before he can even look to Aldan he walks away into the darkness of another room, shutting out the candles so he's not seen as he cries. "Fuck. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't hate me." He prays, although his voice is broken and distorted as he does so. Praying that the Gods that he worships will understand and allow him the chance to grant Aldan and his family peace. Praying that at some point the wolf-demon boy will also be saved from being tempted into darkness like him. Praying that the kingdom will be saved along with his own people, the same people who turned their backs on him. He cleans the tears from his face, pulling himself together as he enters the kitchen. "I... I need to calm down. I can't have these feelings right now or tomorrow."

Katey pats Drew's shoulder, rubbing them gently. As a mother would her own child. "More coffee? Or..." She looks to Aldan. "...Would you like to be alone before you head back?"

"Coffee... Please." He walks over to the table, taking a chair and sitting down to it. "Think I just forgot how to breathe." He focuses on his breath, taking long slow inhales and exhales as he feels his pulse lower back to normal.

Kate pours Drew a fresh cup. She continues to rub his shoulder and combs his hair with her fingers.

"Thanks, Katey." He takes a small sip from his coffee and unwraps the paper in his hand.

Aldan sits next to Drew, holding him. Drew feels . . .protected. Blanketed with warmth and affection. He unfolds the paper. There's a small drawing. A boy, slightly round and obviously Milliken, standing next to a demon, carefully drawn tail and horns easily recognizable as Drew. The boy holds the demon's hand. Beneath the picture are a few lines, carefully written - Dear Drew, I will put you in a story with Daddy. The Two Daddys is what I will call it and you will both be heroes. I am not good with feelings, so this is my hug goodbye. I will think of you when I read and write. Your ~~friend~~ son, Mikey. Underneath the sentiment is a heart.

As soon as he finishes reading it, Drew folds it in half and puts it into his pocket. He sighs, gulping down half of his coffee. "I'll have to tell you more about myself tonight before we sleep so that you can give it back to Milliken. He wants to write a story about us, but it's important to know everything, I think." He stands up, finishes his coffee, then walks over to hug Katey. When he first entered the house, he never expected that he'd get along with her, but now he knows that she understands. As Drew pulls away, he thanks her, then turns to Aldan. "We should get going."

"'ll be along in a moment." Aldan kisses Drew's cheek. Drew goes into the sitting room. Aldan's pipe sits in an abalone shell ashtray, a pouch of tobacco resting beside it. Candles and the fireplace light and warm the room. Presently, less than five minutes, Aldan enters from the kitchen. "Are you ready, Drew?"

Drew nods. "Goodbye Katey." He nods his head to her, then walks to the door with his hands in his pockets. "Now I don't know if I should have met them or not. Will their memories of me be only that of hurt or will they see them as something else?"

Aldan grabs a bundle and walks with Drew, exiting the house and closing the door behind him. He walks close beside Drew but doesn't speak or take his hand. He lets Drew think, reminding him with his presence that when Drew wants him, needs him that he's right there. They walk slowly into the gathering night. Not looking back, they don't see the boys watching from the window, Bryan's arm wrapped protectively around a sobbing Mikey's shoulders. The pair watch until their fathers disappear into the night.

Chapter Five.

Drew is quiet for another moment before he begins speaking again. "I thought I was prepared, but now I don't know. It feels like all of that mental contemplation and acceptance is fading now. I don't know how to get back. Not after seeing them cry."

Aldan nods. "That's the risk with life. Love hurts. Caring hurts. They care for you, and as much as they can in so short a time, they love you. For whom you are and for the happiness you give them, that you give me." He sighs. "I wouldn't trade any of this. If I had to relive it exactly the same, I would. Because the joy and love far, FAR outweigh the sorrow. You're my Drew. If I could trade places with you and give you more time, I would. But I'll cherish every moment we've had. So will they."

Drew takes his hand as they walk down the streets at night. They're not vacant, but much less busy than they were before. After a while, he's able to finally give him a simple, "Thank you", and then the unconscious response his heart throws out to his husband, "I love you. I always will. This life and the next." He stands up closer to him but let's go when he sees the prison come into view. "Home, sweet, home... How are you feeling?"

Aldan stops and faces Drew. Like I'm on the last page of the book of my life. He cups Drew's face in his hands and leans to kiss him. There, in front of the prison, as men and women pass them by, Aldan locks his lips with Drew's and kisses him. Hard and long, heedless of any who may see. He pours everything into this kiss. Everything that he's ever felt for Drew, ever will. He breaks the kiss after a few minutes, smiling at Drew.

He whispers, "I am going to fuck you tonight so well, so deep, so passionately that stone of your cell walls and the iron of your cell door will cum as well."

Drew blushes, licks his lips, and tightens the grip on his hand. "You're going to get all of the other criminals yelling and pleasing themselves to us. We have to careful, you know." Under his fundoshi his erection tries to fight through the fabric but fails to do so. "I'm so hard now."

Aldan grins wickedly. "Shall I fuck you here and now? In the middle of the street?" He's standing so close to Drew. The young demon can smell him. Sweat and desire, a residual scent from the morning's after shaving balm. Aldan warmth radiates to Drew, his breath, hot and smelling of the best of tobacco and coffee, washed over Drew's face. He reaches around, squeezing Drew's ass cheek. "I want you."

Drew humps him in the middle of the street, breathing heavily to his neck, then kisses him lightly. Their cocks are grinding into each other. "As soon at that cell door is closed, I want you pulling my clothes off. Understand?" His left-hand slides down from his chest to his pants, squeezing his cock. "Yes?"

Aldan nods. "Perfectly, my love. It shall be done." He kisses Drew again, a little more roughly than earlier. When they break, he winks, pulling a small phial from his pouch. He swallows the contents in one gulp. "Let's get into that cell."

Drew takes the phial from his hands, taking a big gulp from it before he hands it back. As they continue to walk closer up to the front of the prison, he adjusts his hair and clothes, trying to fake a depressing look on his face in case the other guards get any ideas.

As they approach the main entrance, one of the two guards on duty outside the doorway smirks as the two pass them by. He says nothing. Aldan guides Drew through the maze of corridors. It all seems so unfamiliar to Drew until the reach the guardroom. None of the guards on duty in the morning are here upon their return. There's some low murmuring as Drew and Aldan enter.

Drew is asked to stand near the door into the cell block as Aldan speaks with the watch commander. "No problems, Markys. He was a model prisoner. Gerard told you about the arrangement for tonight?"

The commander nods. "Aye, it's been made clear. You must be calling in every favor you've earned over your whole career, Aldan. To get a four-timer out for an entire day and then tonight's arrangement? Incredible. Everything's ready as you requested." The commander looks at Drew. "I don't pretend to understand, but I know your work, Aldan. Have a good night, you two."

Aldan guides Drew into the cell block, past other cells. The prisoners whistle and call out, jeering and propositioning, offering to join in. Aldan ignores them and leads Drew to his cell. Entering, it's clear that it's been cleaned. Fresh linens cover the bed. Cut flowers sit on the table, driving away the smells of the prison with their aroma. A covered bucket splashes below the table. Candles dot almost every flat surface, most of them unlit. Aldan pauses once inside, locking the door as usual.

"Huh... Holy moly." He spins around as takes in the entire room. "How did you arrange this? You're crazy... This is just crazy." He touches the flower petals to make sure that it's real, then he feels at the sheets. "Aldan..."

Aldan unhooks his sword belt, hanging it over one of the chairs. He grabs Drew, pulling him close. He holds Drew against him, his hands roaming over Drew's hips and buttocks. "Yes?" He kisses Drew's neck, biting and sucking. He tugs at Drew's tunic.

"You're all I need." He kisses him back, raising his arms up as Aldan takes off his tunic. They continue kissing as they fall back onto the bed. He helps Aldan strip off his heavy gear quickly, throwing it to the cold ground, then tanks down his pants, leaving him in his fundoshi. In an instant all of the candles across the cell are lit.

Aldan pushes Drew onto his back on the bed. Wearing only his pants, he straddles him, kneeling over his thigh and pulling and tugging at the fundoshi. He doesn't seem to be trying to untie it so much as to rip it from Drew's body. As he strains against the cloth, he's careful not to accidentally hurt Drew, and his arms and chest ripple with his muscles. He's not built to impress the onlooker. Aldan's build comes from years of blade work and practice.

Drew reaches up, feeling at the three most prominent scars on Aldan's chest, then he sits up to kiss them, helping Aldan untie his fundoshi. His six-inch erection drizzles with pre-cum without having even been touched. "Want to get naked for me, babe?"

Aldan leans down, kissing Drew, driving his tongue into Drew's mouth. He slides it along Drew's teeth, cutting himself and bleeding into the demon's mouth as they kiss. With a grunt, he pulls away and stands at the side of the bed. Slowly, teasingly he unbuttons his trousers. He stops. Grinning at Drew, he grabs his cock through the fabric, showing Drew his erection. Drew sits on his knees, pulling down the fabric of his underwear as Aldan strokes himself. He looks up to him, then puts his lips to his husbands sack, kissing and licking as his hands stay at the side. "Let me." Aldan moves his hand away, running his hands through the demon boys light brown hair, avoiding his horns as he does so. Drew takes the thick erect member into his mouth, sucking passionately and slowly. There are loud slurping sounds as he pops it out of his mouth, returning to it with more spit and suction. The taste is sweaty, purely masculine, the smell strong from walking around all day. Drew loves him like that. Having clean completely clean would be fine too, but he likes him worked up and dirty. He strokes him with two fists as he reaches up for another kiss, which turns into a long mouth to mouth session. When they break, Drew takes him by the neck and guides him down to his own cock.

Aldan kneels next to the bed. He grabs Drew and pulls him to his mouth, kissing his stomach, swirling his tongue around. Suddenly, he darts down and flicks his tongue over the mushroom head of Drew's cock. "Mmmmm...I love your taste." Instead of returning to the dick, he resumes kissing and licking his belly. Angling down one side, he bites at Drew's hip bone, licking along his thigh and waist. Darting in to take the mushroom into his mouth, sucking it hard and lashing it with tongue at the same time. Then quickly moving to kiss and lick the other hip. He does this for several minutes. Sucking and licking Drew's thighs, stomach, pubic area with a few seconds devoted to Drew's head or shaft or balls. Teasing Drew's dick. Building both of their desires, their hunger.

Drew's hands mess around with his husbands hair, following his movements as he moans, drifting in and out consciousness as the ecstasy overtakes him. He repeats his lovers name like a broken record in between gasps of pleasure. "Please. Suck me."

Aldan pushes Drew onto his back. He grabs Drew's ankles and pulls him towards himself, raising the boy's legs and laying them over his shoulders. He bites his way, not soft playful bites, hard bites that don't draw blood but do leave marks. Aldan bites his way down Drew's legs. Ankles, calves, back of the knee, inside of the thigh. He takes Drew's sack into his mouth, almost juggling his balls in his mouth. As he suckles on Drew's nuts, he spreads the young demon's cheeks with his thumbs. Never removing his mouth from Drew's skin, he leaves the balls, wet and slick, tonguing his way down to Drew's hole. Aldan moans as he kisses Drew's asshole. His tongue darts over the sensitive hole, then presses against it. He rims and tongues Drew's hole madly, opening the boy wider so he can lick deeper. Drew's moans and cries egg Aldan on. It's not long until Drew feels spit sliding and dripping from his hole, along his butt. He grabs Aldan's hair, trying to pull that mouth, that mouth that is eating Drew from inside his ass, up to his cock. Aldan won't be moved. Drew's tail sways and slaps at Aldan, reacting to the desire and lust driving Drew.

Suddenly, Aldan abandons Drew's ass and engulfs his cock with his mouth. In an instant, the demon cock is surrounded by the warmth and wetness of his husband's mouth. Aldan doesn't rise and fall over the shaft. Instead, he twists his head and mouth around and over Drew's shaft and head. All the while he sucks as hard and he can, pausing only to take one or two deep breaths before returning to suck the demon meat he loves so well.

"Ahhhh.... Fuck, Aldan. You sure know how to tease and drive a demon wild." He grins widely, devilishly, as he squeezes one of Aldan's ear, then rubs along his shoulder, exploring different parts of his skin. "I want to make sure that I've touched every part of you tonight." His hands continue to explore as his head bends and forth. His desire to be sucked is thrown away when he realizes how good his husband is at rimming him. By the time he gets to his dick he doesn't care what is done to him. He will lose control anyway. His body shivers and explodes with emotions as his fists squeeze at the soft, lush bedsheets that were once rough and uncomfortable. All that he feels now is love. All of his worries, gone. All of the pain swept aside at least just for this moment as the candles fluctuate their flames based on how much pleasure he receives. Most of the time he would be able to control his tail, but not now. "How do you want me? More than one way I hope."

Aldan pauses his sucking. He looks up at Drew, his mouth against Drew's balls, the demon boy's cock against his face. "Every way. I will taste every bit of you. The tincture we drank will keep us hard as long as we wish to be. It will allow us to cum over and over. I plan to make full use of those benefits." He takes Drew's cock into his mouth, at the same time sliding a finger into his well-lubed hole. He stops. "Right now, I want your seed filling my mouth and slaking my thirst. I want you to wash it down my throat with your piss. Then you can suck me for a time before I fuck you so well that your cries of pleasure will be heard by our future selves. Or we can play cards. Your choice, husband."

Drew looks at him, confused and baffled for a second, then grabs him behind his neck and pulls him up to him for a kiss. "Let's see how many loads we can produce." He strokes him and Aldan off as they continue their kissing. "Finger me. Fuck me. Cum inside of me. Make me cum. And then I'll fuck you. And we'll do it all over again for however long we can."

Aldan kisses Drew with fire in his heart. It's a passion that almost has physical form. His tongue makes love to Drew's mouth for a time, then almost fucks Drew's mouth. He kisses his way down Drew's chest, biting his nipples and along his ribs. He fingers his lover as he sucks him deeply into his mouth, letting Drew's head massage against the back of his throat. As he's sucking and finger, his free hand traces up to Drew's collarbone. His caresses change as the starts to dig his nails into Drew's skin. He looks up to see his husband's reaction, rising and falling oh his cock, waiting for the go ahead or the wave off.

Drew loses himself in the feeling of having Aldan's fingers enter and fuck him, his touch and desire noticeable from the scratches over his body. "You can scratch harder if you want. It won't take any effort from me to scar you." He tongues at his cheeks, opens his mouth, arcing his back up as he continues to moan. "Go ahead and fuck me whenever you want."

"I will. When I want." Aldan smiles, He sucks Drew fast and deep and hard, fingering him the same way. Dragging his nails down Drew's chest, he leaves deep, red scratches the fill with blood. Instead of scratching again, he squeezes Drew's balls, eager to milk his cum and taste his spunk.

Drew can feel that he's getting close. He moves his ass up and down as he's being sucked, takes Aldan's head and fucks it roughly. "Ahhh!! Fuck! I'm gonna fucking cum!" Before he can mutter the word 'cum' he fires six shots of semen down Aldan's mouth, falling back on the bed and pillows. He's not exhausted though. If anything, he's just getting started. "How much is left in that phial?"

Aldan swallows Drew's load, smacking his lips happily at his lover's salty, sweet seed. He stands and stretches, rubbing his tummy with one hand. In that moment, he reminds Drew of Milliken. Aldan moves over to the table and pours wine for them both, grabbing the phial as he returns. He holds it near a candle. His cock is hard and wet with precum, bouncing slightly as he walks. "Enough for another full swallow for each of us."

Drew sits up, stroking himself as he opens his mouth. Aldan pops the cork on the phial. He holds it near the head of his cock, giving Drew a choice. He steps off of the bed, crawling on the ground over to Aldan and licks up from the bottom of Drew's shaft, his eyes pinned to him as he sucks, then holds his mouth out and open again right over the head of his dick.

Aldan dribbles a dose of the tincture, it's cooling, thick mint flavor dripping into Drew's mouth. "Get me hard and wet. I want to ride your ass like you rode Whirlwind earlier."

"Yes sir." He deep throats him, locking his hands to Aldan's kneecaps as he sucks on him fast without any gag reflex.

Aldan's eyes close and turns his face towards the ceiling. He moans softly, "No one's ever sucked like you do, Drew." He let's Drew suck and work, lowering his gaze and watching his cock disappear into Drew's mouth. After a few moments, he gently strokes Drew's hair. "I'm going to fuck you now, Drew. On your back." He points at the bed.

Drew walks back to the bed, laying on his back. "You want me to pull my legs up?"

Aldan grins, grabbing Drew's ankles again. He lays them over his shoulders, kneeling down with his cock poised to enter Drew. He adjusts himself so that he's over Drew, his fists on the bed just above Drew's shoulders. "Ready?" He pushes into Drew, sliding his entire length into his husband watching Drew's face and he presses deeper into him. He slow fucks Drew for a few moments, letting his ass get used to Aldan's length and girth.

"Ohhhhh.... Fuck yeah, Aldan. Fuck, feels so big inside of me." His face is complex, that of pleasure that continues to transcend everything. It's not like it's his first time being fucked by him, but right now it's on a completely different level to him. "Allllldaan..." He softly holds to his shoulders, rubbing his horns to his chest unconsciously. "Fuck me, babe. Harder."

Aldan leans down, kissing Drew hard, biting his lip and pulling it. He let's go and shakes his head, spraying sweat over them both. He begins driving himself into Drew, letting gravity and his own body weight add to his thrusts. His entire body weight rests inside Drew's ass for a second before he begins to withdraw. He pumps into Drew, his body slapping loudly against his lover's. He's fucking Drew hard and deep. Both of them grunt with each thrust, Aldan's face is wet with sweat, his cock thick and hard deep inside Drew. Drew finds himself rolled almost into a jack-knife. Aldan is pumping him hard, harder than he has before. The love is there, but there's also an animal passion, a primitive lust that's helping drive their actions. Aldan adjusts himself again, only his fists and the tips of his toes touching the bed or floor. Everything else is focused and channeled through his cock into Drew. "Oh, fuck, Drew!"

As he's being power fucked by him, he leans his head forward to bite into Aldan's left shoulder, sucking blood like the vampires that he despises, hugging him from under his armpits. Blood trickles down his chin as he lets go. It flickers onto the clean bedsheets, which are already messy from all of their sweat, and then it falls onto his skin. He rubs it over his nipples, then all over Aldan's chest before letting him taste it. "FUCK! Fuck yeah! Fuck me like an animal!" His entire body is overloaded with lust as he feels the much longer, thicker, monstrous cock pound him like he's never been fucked before. Every thrust feels like he's ejaculating like he did before, which makes it hard for him to focus. His entire body is a sweaty mess and he's becoming delirious, lost in it all. "Ahhh, oh Gods. Harder! Harder! Don't stop!" He holds him tighter, smirking widely and even laughing into him, completely overtaken by the feeling of being fucked this hard. Without even touching his own cock he ends up having another orgasm. Eight shots of thick, white cum that splatter up to his chin. He's never came this much before, nor has his cum been this thick and colorful.

Aldan leans down, licking up blood and cum that he can reach. He kisses Drew again, pressing his mouth so hard against his husband's that their teeth click against each other. He stops fucking him for a moment, wiping the sweat from his face and onto Drew's. He scoops Drew's cum off of his chest with his fingers and eats it. He spreads his legs, giving himself a more stable base. Lifting himself on his toes and fists, he starts fucking Drew again. Somehow, he fucks him harder. The sounds of their moans and their bodies smashing together in rapid rhythm fill the cell block. Neither of them hear the catcalls or cries of the other inmates as the strokes themselves and cum to the symphony of Aldan and Drew. Spit dribbles and sprays from Aldan's mouth as he fucks Drew. Sweat drips down, landing on Drew and pooling at the nape of his neck where Aldan dives down and licks it up before biting his collarbone. He draws blood, smiling with a hiss and licks and sucks it, gathering enough to share in a blood drenched kiss with demon-boy love. He's pounding Drew now, the entire bed clattering against the wall, Drew's cries echo, leading the chorus of the condemned.

Aldan arches his head back and screams, "DREWWWW! MY HUSBAND," As his cock swells and spits the contents of Aldan's balls deep inside Drew. Neither of them count the streams of cum that are injected into Drew, and for a moment Aldan doesn't even slow as he fuck cums inside his lover. But then his pace slows, as do the jets of cum, until finally, Aldan collapses on top of Drew. His cock still lodged inside his boy. He breathes hard and fast, his heart pounding in his chest. He nuzzles Drew's neck and licks. Sweat, blood, cum. Fluids returning to their place inside the lovers. He weakly raises his face and lets his mouth fall onto Drew's mouth. Kissing him. Desperately kissing him.

Their kissing continues for a few moments as Aldan begins to fuck him again, this time slow and softly without moving much. It still has an effect on him, since his ass is so sensitive to it all now. "...More... I want you. It's my turn now."

Aldan nods. "And how do you want me?"

"On your stomach." He moves up forward, moaning loudly as Aldan's cock slips out of his ass. Semen drools out of him, which he uses to jack himself off. Aldan takes his position, but then Drew directs with authority. Hands and knees. I want that ass of yours in my face. He steps off of the bed, then back on and onto his knees, his face right in front of Drew's ass. It's hairy, but not like a beast. Just the right amount. Of course, it's also sweaty and a bit putrid, which is exactly what he wants. Without waiting, he puts his mouth between Aldan's cheeks, opening them wide as he squeezes them. He forms enough spit into his mouth to make sloppy kisses over Aldan's pink hole, kissing it before he begins to push his tongue into it and slide around it. Sweat trickles from his horns and hair as he closes his eyes, fingers stroking at Aldan's thighs and lower legs. His tail moves upwards, dancing as he tastes him, getting him loose in ready. One finger, two fingers, then back to rimming him. It's not until he has the third finger in knuckle deep that he finds the small bottle of lubricant, which he uses with a nice glob of spit on his dick to stroke and ready himself. "Ready, babe? I'm gonna fuck you now." He slaps both cheeks as hard as he can, points the head straight to Aldan's hole, then thrusts inside right to his pubis. Aldan moans out loud and he pulls out, leaving just the head in, then driving it in again once his one comes to an end. 'Perfect,' he thinks. 'I won't let him go a second without making a sound.' He pushes in again, beginning his rhythm that never breaks. Nails scratch up his ass cheeks, over his back, drawing bits of blood here and there. The scars from the previous days are already mostly healed, but they will most likely scar. That's fine by him. He still has one or two more to leave before the night is done. "Feels good? Want it harder?"

Aldan is in ecstasy. Pleasure is wonderful, but pleasure with pain will endure as a memory. He looks back at Drew. Trying and failing to hide how much he's enjoying this. "Oh. ungh. You started. ungh. I hadn't notice... ungh. Harder, lest I fall asleep. Oh! Ungh." He smiles between groans, sticking his out at Drew. He turns back, clenching the sheets tightly in both fists. He buries the top of his head into a pillow, grunting and moaning as he is now the one being ridden. "Fuck me, Drew, so that I never forget even a single stroke. Ungh."

Drew begins pounding into him, leveling both of his hands up on Aldan's ass as he does so. His eyes are closed and so focused on the rhythm, fucking him faster and faster as his balls slap against Aldan's. "Fuck yeah. You feel so fucking good. So warm and tight around my dick." He reaches one hand down, over his right leg and strokes Aldan's erect cock, still continuing to fuck him at the same furious pace. His thumb slides over the head, rubbing the pre-cum drizzle all around as he strokes faster and faster. "Fucking take that dick. Just like that, baby. Just like that." He lets go, situated his own legs behind his lovers, gripping his hands under to his chest, roughly pinching his nipples and caressing his skin as he fucks him like a mad dog. His tongue breezes over Aldan's side, tickling and messing with his mind in ways no other human could understand without having been fucking by a demon or anthro. "Oh Gods. Goddess of love, hear us cry out to you in love! I love you, Aldan! I fucking love you!" He pounds him so hard that the flames from the candles rise up to the ceiling. They stay at a medium height before fluctuating back down as he focuses back on the song he tries to write by pounding at his husband.

Aldan steadies himself on one arm, reaching behind himself with the other. He searches for some part of Drew to hold onto, eventually settling on one of his hands as it ravishes his chest. His eyes go wide as the candles flare. "YES. Fuck me, Drew. . .ungh. . .make me yours." He spreads his knees, trying to give Drew more room to go deeper into him. Drew is pounding him hard and Aldan savors every sensation. He groans and grunts, the instrument being played by Drew. His mouth is open as he tries to breathe and moan and cry out Drew's name. His eyes are shut, as Drew drives him into the pillow. His hand joins Drew's in stroking himself. The heat from Drew's body rises, and combined with the exertions undertaken, Aldan is sweating profusely. The sensations of being pounded and bitten and caressed threatens to overwhelm him. He concentrates the feeling of Drew's cock entering him again and again. Every breath becomes a vocalized plea for Drew to go deeper, to fuck him harder.

He warns, "Almost there, babe. Bout to get that big reward you've been waiting for." Drew fucks him as hard as he possibly can. The slapping sound is so incredibly loud that it hurts his balls as they slap against Aldan's. The whistles and cheering come back again, one of them yelling, 'Give it to him, fuck his ass!' "Fuuuuuck! Gonna cum!" He stops deep into him, gripping the ass cheeks again as he fires his load. Oddly enough, it's just about the same size. His harms warm up, almost scolding hot as he squeezes the cheeks. Red marks are obvious and pronounced as he pulls out and slaps each cheek again. Drew licks up the cum that comes out of his hole, turning him over on the bed and spitting it into his mouth before tongue kissing him again. Their tongues trade the semen and spit, swallowing it with ease. The two lovers lay on top of each other, Drew humping into him, their warm cocks into each other. Drew goes down to his upper right arm and bites without warning, digging right to the muscle before he pulls out and lets go. After capturing the taste of blood in his mouth he falls over to the left side of the bed, his heart beating like crazy as he tries to catch his breath.

Aldan lies on his side, facing Drew. He licks blood from his arm. Draping himself partly over Drew he slides his face close to Drew's, kissing him gently over his cheeks and face. He holds his hand over Drew's heart. He smiles, tired and exhausted. "I love you, Drew." Gentle kisses continues. "Let's have some wine. And then try that again. If you want."

"Can you bring a glass to me?" He situates himself against the wall in bed, spreading his legs out as his cock being to soften.

Aldan sighs. "I've fought vampires." He stands up slowly I've fought Daemon Princes and their Golden Gaurds. He moves to the table, grabbing a bottle and two glasses. "I've marched and fought and marched some more. I've never felt like this." He comes back to the bed and lies next to Drew, pouring them each a glass of wine. He holds Drew closely. "That was incredible."

Drew takes one sip before kisses Aldan. "Yeah... That was the most insane feeling ever. Good, though. Just crazy." He laughs. "My love..." He looks under the table, noticing a bucket, "What is that under the table? Did you bring a fish or something?"

Aldan laughs, "Live eels. I thought you might need a snack and it seemed the fresher, the better." He snuggles against Drew's neck, sliding his hand up and down over his stomach. "I wanted to make sure you kept your strength up."

"Nobody could ever love like you do." He kisses him again, then stands up, walking over the table naked, and sips down most of his wine. "I should eat then if we're going to fuck more."

Aldan snorts, "If?" He stands and takes a seat at the table, opening a small basket. He pulls some fruit and nuts. "I think we both want to do that again. There's still parts of you that I haven't licked yet tonight."

Drew lifts up the bucket of eels, sitting on his knees to look up into it. "Woah! Haven't seen something like the last time I was back home. When I mean home, I mean far away." He reaches down quickly, grabbing one and chewing it down. It makes a nasty sound when he bites into it and some of the guts stick out on his bottom lip, but he licks it up quickly and wishes it down with some wine. "Ahhhh... Nothing like a living, squishy, slimy raw fish."

Aldan laughs. "Well, that's sexy as all fuck." His cock is still half hard; the tincture obviously having its effect. "I'm glad you enjoy them." He takes a bite of an apple, savoring in every bit as much Drew does his eels. "For the next round, same thing? Or do you have something else in mind?"

"One second." He lifts out another one, which is much larger than the baby sized one. It's half the size of his hand! He blushes, "Don't look at me for a second. I have to get this poor fellow in my belly."

Aldan nods and turns his chair away, chomping on a handful of nuts. "Go ahead, love." He calls out over his shoulder, crunching loudly on his own snack.

As soon as Aldan looks away, he throws the creature into his mouth, chomping and chewing hard on it. Humans will never understand how delicious these are raw. He pats his stomach after chewing it down, finishing his glass of wine. Before Aldan looks away, he takes the glass under the table, sitting up close on the edge of his seat, and pisses into it until it's at the very tip. "Thirsty, hun?" He puts down the glass in front of him.

"Parched! Um, are you finished?"

"Yes!"

Aldan peeks over his shoulder. "Okay..." He turns back around. "How was it? The thing about eels, is they have tons of tiny little bones that we can't digest. So we have to prepare them somehow." He takes his glass of wine. "Thanks." He takes a sip. A quick look of confusion passes over his face, then a look of recognition. "Aha! My favorite vintage." He throws his head back, tilting the glass and swallowing most of its contents in one gulp. Some of the 'wine' spills, running down his face and neck onto his chest. He smacks his lips loudly, setting the glass down. "Love that." He lowers himself to his knees, takes a bite of apple. "Is there more? I'm still thirst." He looks at Drew, opening his mouth wide and wiggling his tongue in the air.

"Was hoping you'd say that. I can't hold it any longer." Drew walks over to him, aiming his now half-erect dick up to Aldan's mouth and accurately pissing right into it. He fills him with a mouthful and the rest spills down onto the tiles of the ground. "I'm feeling a bit dehydrated myself. You might need to help me quench my thirst." He sits down on the floor with his legs spread wide out.

Aldan stands. He rubs his hands through and spray or splatter on his face or neck, spreading it over his chest. As he does so, his erection returns. He spreads his legs just slightly wider than his shoulders. Grabbing his cock around the base, he bounces it up and down. "You want some of this, husband? Come and get some." He waits for Drew to scoot closer.

Drew crawls close enough that his kneecaps are touching the legs of the chair. He looks up like a dog with his tongue sticking out happily.

Aldan runs a hand through Drew's hair and gently along one cheek. He holds his dick, with the head resting on Drew's tongue. He pees for a couple of seconds, into Drew's mouth, and stops. He pulls his dick away and then slaps it against Drew's face. Moaning, Aldan slaps Drew's face with his hardening cock a few more times, then rubs it over his face. Finally, he pushed the head against Drew's lips, peeing in short bursts of five or six second, a pause for Drew to swallow, another short bursts. "You've drained me, Drew."

"That tasted wonderful." He stands up, kissing him again. Drew fills their glasses of wine again, which empties the bottle. He takes it back to the bed, stroking himself with one hand as he holds the glass and sips from it every now and then. "Come here. There's something I want to ask you."

Aldan gives a slight bow, holds his apple in his mouth and brings his glass and a clay bottle of water. He settles in next to Drew, pulling him close. "Ask me anything."

Drew takes from the water, sipping it before finishing his glass of wine. He sits it above by window-seal of the gated window. "I want to know about your life. Before war. Your parents, when you were born, growing up, everything. You don't have to tell me it all right now, maybe half now, half after sex, but I want to know. You're my husband, my everything."

"And you mine." He kisses the side of Drew's head. Even gently kissing one of his horns. "What's to tell? I don't remember much. I was a baby." He laughs and shakes his head. "That's always been a bad joke. I was born on the coast, Selintan to be exact. The gateway to the Sea of Teeth. When I was a child, it was always assumed I'd be a sailor. My father was an architect. He worked for the crown until his retirement a couple of years back. His specialty was lighthouses and beacons. Hasn't been a lighthouse built or rebuilt in the last 40 years that he hasn't had a hand in. My mother was a poet, but made money teaching letters to the daughters of the wealthy. They're still married, still living by the sea. I've an older brother, younger brother, and younger sister." He takes a drink of wine and munches on his apple, given Drew a chance to comment or ask for details.

"By the sea? That must have been exciting. How did you end up serving the king here then if you were so far away?" He cuddles in closer We didn't have an ocean where I was born, but there were massive lakes throughout all of the mountains. "Figured I'd tell you anything I've left out of my life to you after you're finished. Is all of your family all across the world?"

"It seems so, but not really. My father served the king well, and when my older brother came of age, he was trained as an officer in the navy. I didn't want to be a tag-along. I could have studied building with father. But I wanted to set my own path. And the rebellions were fresh started. I enlisted. A chance to make my own way on my own merit. The promise of loot and battle was more than I could resist at that age." He shrugs. "I showed promise, fought bravely and rose through the ranks. Ruby Fords gave me my commission. My brother, Jalen, commands a ship in the king's name. He's married with wife and children of his own. We all try to get together for father's birthday every year. It's a fine time for all. All of the grand children are spoiled during those visits. That's how Bryan got Whirlwind, how Mikey got many of his books. My sister married a glove maker, renowned for the quality of his work. They live near father. My younger brother is partners in a small merchant's concern. Deals in wines, liquors and spirits from around the world. He's not yet married and I think father and mother have given up on that dream for him." He lowers his voice and whispers, "He prefers men. Well, young men. Very young sometimes. Changes them every two years or so. He treats them well and they've no cause to complain, but he'll never have children of his own. I met Kate before I enlisted. I don't think it was love at first sight, but it was love soon after. She traveled with me until we had Bryan. We needed a stable home for children, so my bonuses and shares from Ruby Fords paid for our home and land. She settled down and cared for the children one after another until I made rank and seniority and transferred to the prisons."

Drew listens attentively, still awake and feeling the coffee and drink rushing through his body. Every detail opens new doors and reveals such a deeper insight to him that he never imagined. "You said your father had worked in lighthouses all across the world. Have you traveled around it?"

"Throughout the kingdom, not the whole world. I can guide you anywhere along the coast. Jalen and I both accompanied him often. We'd explore the coast near whatever site he was busy with." He takes a sip of wine. "Jalen's been more places, traveled more miles. But I've seen more of the world. He's seen more water." Aldan laughs. "I've fought for the King in two rebellions and half dozen wars, large or small. Most of the rest of the world that I've seen has been going to, coming from or in battle. Still, can't complain. I thought I'd seen all the great beauty in the world. Sunset and sunrise in the desert, over snow covered mountains. The dancing girls of Arathi, the elven Sisters of the Moon. Even seeing Bryan and the others born of their mother." He looks at Drew. "It all fades when compared to you."

He looks away and at the ceiling, imagining what the moon must look like tonight, then having memories of his childhood home. "Strange... Thinking about what the priestess said about us meeting again in other lives. I want to travel this planet with you. I figure that if I did meet you again in another life, you'd find me in a light house, lost at sea..." He rubs one hand over Aldan's back, then drinks from the mug of water. "Tell me about an encounter that you had at war." He kisses at his husbands chest hairs, then licks at each nipple with love and grace.

Aldan furrows his brow. "An encounter? What sort of encounter? Battle? What sticks most in my mind?"

"Sexual. You said you had lay with many beauties while at war." He kisses down to his stomach, then leans his arm over Aldan's legs to support him as he looks into his eyes.

He thinks for a moment or two. A wistful smile crosses his face. The smile disappears and his countenance grows sorrowful, he stares into his glass. Thinking. Aldan stares at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. He absently caresses Drew's neck and shoulder.

Drew looks up at him, kissing around his belly button and settling his chin up to him. "And don't tell me of any girls. That won't turn me on."

He speaks while frowning, "Love in wartime rarely has a happy ending. There was a boy who I remember well, and fondly."

"It's okay. I want to know."

Aldan nods. He refills his wine glass, setting it on the floor next to the bed as he readjusts himself. He stuffs a pillow between his back and the wall as he sits, pulling Drew up to sit against his chest. "It was my first real campaign. I'd been in service two years, just over two years. My squad was part of the secondary force retaking forest land from the Cruiberg. The primary force would fight them, push them back, we'd follow and secure supply lines and offer reinforcements. My squad was deployed to a small village. It was on a lake, where a major river fed into the lake. They had a water powered saw mill and grist mill. Our mission was to protect the village and make sure the mills operated without interruption, sending planks, beams, flour to the frontal troops. Well, they'd been forced to do the same for the Cruiberg, except all of the non-human residents who were captured had been executed. Brutally. And we had been there for nearly two weeks, using a pair of abandoned houses as our quarters. The owners were dead."

Aldan takes a sip of wine. He rests one hand on Drew's chest and stomach, making lazy circles.

"Yes, the Cruiberg..." Drew pauses him. "I hadn't gone home for a few years now because of how dangerous it is out there due to them. Anyway, continue, my love."

"I was standing watch one night, roaming around the village, bored out of my mind. Trying to stay awake any way that I could. I was near the grain mill when I heard someone entering or exiting the mill. I surprised the thief and caught him without a struggle. He shakes his head It was an elf boy, thin as a rail! Disheveled, frightened out of his wits. He was stealing food. I gave him some cheese and jerked meat and let him go, warning him not to break into the meal again. Next night, he's in the shadows, waiting for me. I give him more food. We talk. Turns out, one of the houses was his family's. His parents had been tortured and killed by the Crui's when they occupied his village. He'd been living wild for months. He'd watched the executions...they had been whipped to unconsciousness, then burned alive. And he's seen it. Ended up, we sort of adopted him. He really only trusted me, but he'd fetch water for us, tend the fire, help keep the place clean. But he slept at the foot of my bedroll. At first. One night, my room mates are taking their turn on patrol. I take the opportunity to pleasure myself. As I'm doing that, the boy starts pleasuring himself. I can hear his breathing and he hears mine. He whispers my name and lights a candle. He's looking at me, on his knees, nude. He'd regained some weight and gone from looking like a wild thing to a boy once again. There was a yearning in his eyes, a sort of longing. I smiled and he reached out for me. We ended up pleasuring each other that night. Without hands and our mouths."

Drew rubs one hand over Aldan's stomach, kissing his chest lightly as he speaks. "One day the Cruiberg people will all need to be wiped out."

Aldan nods. "Indeed. For the fall and winter, the boy stayed with me. Never more than a few feet from me. When we'd have time alone, we'd couple together. When I fucked him, he would practically howl. He asked to come back with me when the war ended. I told him yes."

"But that didn't happen, did it?" His eyes depress, remembering the stories he grew up with when the mountains were first attacked.

"No," he sighs sadly. "It was late winter and the Cruiberg attacked without warning. Our forces were pushed back and we were driven from the village. We fought them in the streets before being compelled to withdraw. I'd fought and killed two of them and we fled back to my quarters to retrieve the rest of my gear before falling back to our rally point. We were running, hand in hand." Aldan takes a drink. "And he let go. . .I turned to grab his hand and pull him with me. He'd been hit with an arrow. Here." He leans Drew forward and touches his back, below his left shoulder blade. "It was deep and when I knelt to pick him up, he was already coughing blood. He told me he loved me." Aldan's voice is heavy with emotion. "He died in my arms, I had to leave his body. Speed was of the essence and I couldn't carry a body. Even that of a boy I love. I kissed him and told him I'd be back for him." Aldan lays his head against Drew's shoulder and neck. Drew can feel the moistness of tears.

Drew lifts his husbands stronger body to him, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry that I ever asked. I... Guess I wasn't considering the circumstances of war. Their time will come. Their kingdom is much smaller than ours." He is silent, holding him tightly. Do you want to bathe me soon?

Aldan nods. "I did go back. We went back. Not even a week later we retook the village. They'd desecrated his body, using him to decorate the village green. Splayed out on a post. Mutilated. Abused." He looks out of the window of the cell. "I lost my mind. Not raving or screaming. We had captured three of them. I went to where we had them chained together and I beat them to death with their waste bucket and my bare hands. One after the other. Their blood was still warm on my hands when I turned myself in to my commander. I expected to be arrested. He looked at me. Said "Good thing you caught them as they were escaping." Helped me take the boy down. I buried him in the woods, near where the villagers had buried his parents."

Drew sits up, looking disgusted. He bites his lip, his tail slapping the bed just once. "You did the right thing. I think the Gods would understand. I remember very well the last summer I had at my home village. When my father and I went on our way to return home here we had ran into several Cruiberg warriors. I could have killed them, but he would not let me. He disarmed them and broke their legs so that they wouldn't chase us. We found bodies that had been mutilated on our way home. There was a small village we had to travel through that had been burned down at some point. The images are still in my mind... Eight anthros impaled on stakes, their bodies burned, limbs cut off, bodies torn open. I didn't sleep until we had gotten back home. I'd never seen such brutality in my entire life." He takes Aldan's glass of wine, sipping half of it down before he continues. "I was six when they attacked, so I don't remember much. We had won. To be honest, there was really no chance of them defeating us. But the lives they did take, they made sure to leave a mess. My best friend who is moving here in the next month or so, his parents were killed in this attack. Famously took down around a hundred humans themselves before succumbing to injuries. Nobody wants to fall victim to them. They're not warriors. They're savages. Monsters unlike any other." Drew stands up and walks out of the bed, stretching his naked body as he walks to the large bowl of water. He puts one finger into it to warm it up, then looks to Aldan.

Aldan nods and moves to the edge of the bed. He stretches as he sits. "The thing that I've always remembered is how much I loved the boy. How much I wanted to get him home and safe. And how much I enjoyed killing those three. For a long time, I was afraid that killer, who took such joy in bathing my hands in their blood, was who I was at my core."

"I think I understand what you mean. Except... The people I hurt... If I could go back, I would have done differently, but those kind of thoughts are useless now. Being with you, seeing Bryan and the rest of the kids, the ceremony we took, all of it made me realize that the darkness inside of me isn't all that I am. That I can also love. That I love you. And now my sense of love is stronger than the darkness."

Aldan walks over to Drew. He kneels down in front of Drew, leaning close so that his breath blows warm and moist on Drew's cock. "I know. I think of the elf-boy almost every day. I couldn't save him. . ." He looks up at Drew, in anguish. "And I can't save you."

"Then do something with that knowledge. Save others like me, like the elf boy." Drew steps into the bowl, sitting down carefully.

Aldan takes a sponge and wets it. He begins washing Drew, starting with his back. He scrubs firmly, but gently, not just bathing Drew, but caressing him. "I will. Would you like to know anything else? From that time or about the boy?"

"I don't know... If it's all as depressing as that was, then I probably wouldn't want to know." Drew stays still, his eyes stuck to Aldan. "Scrub well. I still have that urine of yours on me."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing!" Aldan jokes, smiling. "The life of a soldier is framed in death, Drew. It all comes back to that. Kill or be killed. For your King, for your family, your gods. Maybe for gold and loot. When you're young and you first join up, you think it's all going to be glory and trumpets. You'll be taught to use a sword and let loose on the hordes of enemies." He washes Drew as he talks, washing his arms and legs, his back and chest and stomach. His butt and privates. "It takes a few days, but you learn quickly that there's so much more to it. Then with your first battle, you find out it's about death. It's all about death. If you're lucky, you fight enemies like the Cruiberg. Enemies so cruel that war and death are the only response. The harder ones are when the foe doesn't torture the living and desecrate the dead."

"I don't think I want to see Bryan going to war with the Cruibergs. I hope they're all dead before he enlists." He sits up on his knees to let Aldan get at other spots of him, then stands up, moving his tail in front of his face. Once it's clean he wags it like crazy, sits down and puts out his head to Aldan for him to clean his hair. "Be careful with the horns, remember?" Once his hair is clean he uses a towel to dry the rest of his body.

"You know I'm just going to get you wet and dirty again, don't you?"

Drew shakes his butt as he walks back over to the bed, leaning right over it and standing on his toes. Aldan follows him. He rests his cock in Drew's crack, and leans over him, his chest to Drew's back. He kisses Drew's neck. "Standing like that, I want to fuck you again." He slides his cock along Drew's butt. Drew feels it hardening.

"Yeah? I was hoping that the drink hadn't worn off so quickly." Drew leans his head to the side to tongue kiss Aldan. "Get me loose first, babe." His own erection hardens and presses against the sheet.

Aldan breaks their kiss. He slowly moves down Drew's back, biting and kissing as he goes. He massages Drew's cheeks, sliding his thumbs around Drew's hole. When he reaches Drew's butt, he bites his cheeks before licking from the back, underside, of Drew's balls to his hole and back again. He kisses and swirls his tongue around Drew's hole, after a few moments, he begins sucking tonguing the demon-boys sweet hole. Reaching around, he squeezes Drew's cock, not stroking it, just holding and squeezing it as he delves his tongue into Drew.

Drew moans and purrs. "Allldaann..." He nuzzles into the soft bed sheets. "I'm gonna make you do all of the work for now, but after you're done i'll return the favor."

Aldan rests his chin on Drew's tailbone, gently sliding a finger or two into the boy, fingering him as he speaks, "I've dug latrines, my love. I've built stockade walls. This isn't work. Fucking you isn't work. It's never been work loving you." He returns to slurping and eating Drew's ass. He's able to lock his lips at the edges of the hole and drive his tongue into Drew, squeezing the demon-boy's balls as he moans and eats.

"Fuuuuck!!! It's work not letting myself cum too soon when you lick me like that." Drew pushes his ass further up into Aldan's face, rubbing his nipples as he relaxes in submission.

Aldan pauses. "It's your fault for tasting so good and moaning so hot. If you're going to cum from this, lay on your back then. I don't want to waste it. I want to be able to lick it off of you."

"Not yet... I want you to fuck me in this position and then I want to ride you on the bed."

"As you wish." Aldan pushes his tongue deeply into Drew one more time. He stands, taking the jar and smearing his cock with grease. He takes Drew by the hips, rubbing his slickened cock along Drew's butt-crack. He aims his cock, positioning the head against Drew's hole. He pushes in forcefully, pulling back on Drew's hips until their balls lightly slap together. Aldan moans, "Oh, yeahhh...Still so tight and hot, Drew."

As soon as Aldan thrusts inside of him he moans out again. It's as if his ass somehow tightened even more in the short time span they had from when they last fucked. Once his prostate is touched he drizzles pre-cum from the tip of his dick. He squeezes the sheets tightly, his mouth open as he moans from each push. "Fuck me, Aldan. Fuck that tight ass."

Aldan smiles. "Yes, sir." He brings one foot up to the edge of the bed, leaning forward over Drew. He holds on to Drew's shoulders, again pulling him back onto his cock and he slams his dick deeply into true, brushing roughly against his prostate. He holds himself inside Drew, slightly circling hips, for a moment. He pulls out just past halfway before slamming himself into Drew's ass again. Their balls slap against each other more forcefully, more loudly. Aldan grunts ever time he pushes in, "You're so fucking tight and hot!" As he's fucking Drew, he leans forward and bites Drew's back, drawing blood. He's set up a rhythm for them. Fucking Drew deeply with each stroke before pulling partially out, slamming himself home again. He's picking up speed and both of them moan nearly constantly. Taking hold of Drew's shoulders he pulls the boy up for a moment. Long enough to pull his chin around and kiss him hard, forcing his tongue into Drew's mouth. Drew can taste his ass on Aldan's mouth. As they kiss, Aldan professes his love for Drew once again. "I love you. . .I love fucking you, being inside you."

"And I love you as well. I love being fucked by you, have you inside of me." He holds himself up with the palms of his hands, which is now the only part of him other than his dick against the bed. "Fuck yeah, fuck me!" Sweat drips down his hair and horns, trickling from the front, spilling on the back down his spine. He swings his sweaty hair all of the place as the end of his tail touches his belly button, moving itself out of the way for Aldan to pound away at his ass.

Aldan kisses the back of Drew's neck and shoulders. His kisses timed with his thrusting as he pounds Drew's ass. He raises himself on the edge of the bed, using the improved leverage to drive his 8 inch, thick-dick into his lover, gaining a fraction of an inch of depth, a fraction more contact with his prostate. Aldan breathes like a horse after a hard run, spit and sweat fall and drip on Drew. "I'm going to fill your ass." Their moans merge into one loud song of animal lust and pleasure, punctuated by their cries of affection. Their bodies slap and smack together loudly, applauding their efforts and passion.

"Go ahead." Drew gasps and moans softly in pleasure as his mind is completely overtaken with lust.

Aldan's pounding continues. He grabs Drew's hips holding him securely, fucking him roughly, deeply. His breathing becomes more labored and desperate, his orgasm growing. Drew can feel him deep inside, he can tell by Aldan's breathing and moaning that he's close. Suddenly, he cries out, "Unnnggghhh! Drew!" His body shakes as he drives his cock home again and again, shooting his love juices inside his husband. He drapes himself over Drew's back, holding him close and tight as his hips slide his dick in and out of the demon, milking jet after jet and finally dribble after dribble into him. Aldan stops. His cock is still throbbing inside Drew.

"Ahhh... Hahhhh.... Fuck.... That was... A lot more than I thought it would be." He reaches back to feel Aldan's sweaty body against his. "You think you can stay hard for a little longer?"

Aldan grins. "Oh, yeah. What do you have in mind?" He kisses Drew's back, reaching around to squeeze and pinch his nipples.

"Have you already forgotten? Lay on your back in the bed. I want to put on a show for you."

Aldan eases himself out of his lover. He takes a drink of wine, offering the glass to Drew. Laying down on his back, he strokes his cock, keeping it hard as it glistens in the candlelight. "A show? I'm looking forward to this."

As Drew stands up he feels at the cum drooling from his ass hole, which he uses to jack off with. He grabs the bottle of goose oil, masturbating Aldan with it as he positions himself on the bed. "Make yourself comfortable." Aldan puts the two pillows under his shoulder blades to hold him up. The demon boy then spreads his legs out as he kneels down and sits down right on his husbands thick eight inch cock. As soon as it's completely inside of him he lets out a long moan. His own curved six inches is hard and eager to cum. "Good enough view for you? I'm gonna start moving." He rises up and down on him slowly at first, trying to figure out how to master this new position. "You have no idea how good this feels."

"I know how good it feels for me." He runs his thumbs over his body, slickening them with spit. Grabbing Drew's chest, he swirls one thumb over each of Drew's nipples. "When you can, raise your arms. I want to see your armpits. I haven't licked them yet and I need to before we sleep."

"Of course." He raises his arms behind his head, showing off his hairless pits as he rides him. He learns that he can only rise up by five inches or else it becomes easier for his cock to slide out of him. Drew learns quickly, dancing his ass up and down faster on Aldan until the sound of his ass cheeks slapping his balls is prominently loud. "You're so fucking massive. Stroke me, babe. I'm going to cum soon."

Aldan drags his down, fingernails scratching Drew's skin, from his nipples to his thighs. He takes Drew's dick, six luscious inches in one hand and slowly strokes him. His other hand grabs Drew's sack and squeezes and fondles his balls. He licks his hand, savoring the taste of Drew on it, then returns to squeezing and stroking his lover. "You are incredible...nothing could ever look as good as you do right this moment."

As Drew feels himself coming closer to the edge he picks up his pace, riding him like a wild horse. "Oh fuck! I'm gonna cum!" Four thin shots of cum spray out onto Aldan's fuzzy chest, the rest dribbling onto his fingers. He pants, feeling at his heart for a moment before he steps off of Aldan's cock, then falls to the left of the bed for the second time of the night. "I think I'm spent for the night, my love. At least for sex."

Aldan scoops up Drew's cum from his chest and licks it from his fingers. "Are you?" He slides down and licks Drew's cock and balls, slowly licking his way to his chest and nipples, gently pausing there. "It's important after any strenuous exercise to have a cool down period." He moves to Drew's armpits, lifting the exhausted demon's arms for full access. Licking and kissing Drew's pits, Aldan holds Drew as closely as he can. After several minutes, he pulls back and kisses Drew. He teases Drew's lips with his tongue, finally cuddling next to him and holding the back of his head, massaging his scalp. "What now, then, love?" The young buck yields...over powered by the older male.

"I don't know... Is there anything you'd like to know about me, Aldan? Before I go to sleep?" One of his fingers plays around with the fuzz of Aldan's chest as he pulls the sheets halfway up.

"Yes, there is." He plays with Drew's hair. "Everything."

"From the beginning?"

Aldan nods, kissing Drew's head. "Mhm. Everything."

"Ok... Well, let me think of how to start." He cuddles up closer to him, feeling his warmth, their love. "My full name is Drew Caphriel Colhan. The first name originates from the demon that lived one hundred thousand years ago. Story says that when he was born he was found outside of an orphanage in a city where demons were only known from stories. None of his kind lived on the island he was found on and yet there he was... So he was adopted and cared for. At his coming of age he left to the sea and was challenged by insanity. Eventually, he found land, but had already lost his mind. A female demon found him on the beach, took him into a cave, and helped him out of it. She and her sister have their own famous backstory, but I digress. Obviously they made love and fell in love and yada yada yada. A war had been going on between all species and it was only a matter of time before they were found. She bound him with magic and hid him in the cave, letting herself be captured knowing that she would eventually be rescued and the information bestowed to her would help end the war. I'm sure you can guess what happened after that. He went after her. Rescued her, but died in the process. That war did come to an end, but as you know there have been millions of others. Caphriel, my middle name, comes from my uncle who died. Committed suicide, actually. He suffered from a very rare disorder in our kind where his horns would cause him extreme pain with just the slightest sense of motion, meaning he could never go outside, could never stand by a door... That isolation of being locked inside forever, never experiencing weather, it had drove him mad. The last part of my name is simply of my mothers origins, as the female always takes the males name if it is a heterosexual marriage. If it's homosexual, the males decide for themselves."

Aldan whistles. "That's an interesting beginning. But then, your people are lore keepers. Is there more? What of you, Drew. Your life. Your joys. I would know of you happier times, too."

"My happier times?" He laughs. "I don't know.... I'm an only child. My mother Serenity was a median and a healer. Never used her magic for violence even though she served with white mages and the like at war. As you said before, she healed you. Her blood connects all of the way down to that very woman that our ancient Drew had saved. Ironic, isn't it? The average life span of a demon is a hundred and fifty years. Our blood has been known to live up for three hundred years. Even with that small amount of life she lived, she still has the record for number of lives saved in the entire kingdom, even though she never lived in it. Mother knew the importance of having our land protected and wanted to make sure that the kingdom would swear to it until the end of times. So it is written. Father is religious, but never became a median because he is selfish and unable to help others. He is so focused on rituals that he's forgotten the basic principles of our religious beliefs. But I do not hate him. I don't know how to feel about him. Maybe he's insane like his brother. That's why I sometimes curse my middle name. As for me... I was born on the ethereal Mooneye Peaks in the E'hbel, where high mountains go on for hundreds of miles. We lived twenty miles high. Our people are scattered all across these mountains and I could point every village out to you if I were there. There is no other place I can imagine as beautiful as E'hbel, especially when the moon is full and red and reflected over the lakes. Everything there is like a dream to me now, some of it more like a nightmare, actually. After the incident with mother, we moved to the kingdom and I was put under extreme care of all of the medians, forced into every ritual you could imagine, into prayer every day. They became afraid of me because I was so much stronger than them, that I could tell them exactly what the shadow was saying to me. It hasn't visited me since I had been imprisoned though.

Every summer since the age of six I had visited back home to be with friends or other relatives. Most of the time it was quite lonely. I had a few friends that I was close to, my best being the boy I might have told you about that will eventually be living here. Gods... When you find him, you must watch over him. I don't know how he will handle this. Him and I used to meet up with others from different villages, anthros and mages, and we'd study nature, camp out, explore parts of the mountains not even our ancestors had been inside of. Imagine playing hide and seek on mountains as high as 20,000 feet. But as I was saying, the nature that defies anything else besides you was not enough while I was there. I felt like the uncle I'd never met, slowly going insane as well. Every time I came back I'd act out just as much. The past three years have been difficult for anyone from Mooneye to immigrate to the kingdoms over here, because there's more hunters out than before. That never bothered me. I protected my father when we traveled the last few times, but he would never let me kill those that questioned or tried to attack us. I robbed that man because I knew he had tons of money and that I could use it to move away to somewhere better away from all of the people that have hurt me. After the first time I knew I wanted to do it again, but of course that never happened because I had to get angry at those three men by the bar. I was sentenced here. Met you. Fell in love. Our love is bound for eternity. I met your wife and children. And now we're here. But that isn't the end, because it never ends. Not tonight, not tomorrow." Drew sighs and yawns, stretching out his arms as he kisses Aldan softly and sloppily. He's obviously tired.

Aldan holds his husband close. "Sleep, babe. Sleep and rest. I have errands to attend, but I'll be back. I won't leave until you're asleep. I love you, Drew Caphriel Colhan."

"Alright... I'll uhmmm..." He yawns even deeper, quickly falling into sleep. "...See you in the morning. If I'm not awake, just have me up three hours before. I love you, Aldan. Always and... forever..."

The demon boy quickly falls asleep, drifting into a deep rest. He dreams of himself as a child, playing among the mountains with others, and other boys and girls that are cubs and jaguars. Someone is taking his hand, leading him into a cave. A light shines. The room is lit by a white flame inside of a cauldron. The younger blonde demon pulls him next to him. They pray and meditate together inside of the cave. Afterwards, they venture further into it and swim in a warm pool. The walls are clear and made of crystals, shiny and sparkling. After they swim, Drew is laying by the fire as his friend practices with a guitar. He's not so good, just learning how to play it. Other friends find them. A boy tags them both and says, 'You're it!' Drew laughs and they wrestle playfully.

Chapter Six.

Authors Note: You've been warned. Might help to have also read the Aizen and Holt story if you haven't by now. Don't lose faith! There's still two more epics to go. As always, thanks to everyone who's read these stories.

Aldan waits and watches Drew sleep. He lightly plays with his hair, twirling it around his finger. He stares at Drew's body, committing every inch to memory. After an hour or so, he slides careful out from under Drew, settling his demon-boy husband comfortably in the bed, his head resting on his pillows. He quickly kisses Drew's stomach and chest before pulling the sheet up to cover him.

He dresses quickly and quietly. Taking a drink of wine, he refills the glass by the bed, and leaves a mug of water next to it. Tenderly, he brushes hair from Drew's eyes and kisses his forehead. He exits the cell, locking the door. As he heads down the hall, he fastens his sword to his waist. He ignores the few prisoners who are awake to notice him. In the guard room, he speaks briefly with his commander, then departs from the prison.

It's late. He moves through the streets with purpose, heading for an alchemist he knows. He knows the man well. Not a man, but a male. Reaching the shop as the night mists rise from the river and begin to hide the low lying streets and alleys, Aldan tries the door. Locked. Undeterred, the knocks three times, using the pommel of his dagger. After a minute, he knocks again. Hearing movement beyond the door, he steps back. The door opens, the weak light of an oil lantern struggles against the dark and fog. A short man looks up at Aldan, squinting.

"Aldan? Aldan Jaeger?" The man sighs unhappily. "When you said tonight, I thought you'd meant earlier. Come in, come in." The figure tugs as Aldan's sleeve. He pokes his head out into the street, looking both ways before withdrawing and slamming the door. "Follow me, follow me."

"Yes, well. Would you have kept knocking?" The man looks back at Aldan, who nods that he would have. "Well then, well then, what choice did I have?" The figure moves behind a low counter and climbs atop a stool. A small, anthro-raccon looks at Aldan and smiles. He wears a silken night shirt and padded slippers. He stretches. "Besides, besides, I owe you. Vampire ash? Drake's teeth? Do you know how hard those are to find? And you brought them to me. No, no. Never too late, never too early for you my friend."

Aldan nods. "You're too kind, Harold. Do you have what I asked for? Time is short."

The raccoon nods. "I do, I do. A calming draught strong enough to calm a demon but leaving his faculties intact and clear. I must say, I must say, it wasn't easy, but it's ready." He reaches beneath the counter, pulling up a small, pumpkin shaped ceramic jar. He opens it and pulls out a cookie, nibbling it as he offers the jar to Aldan. "Pecans and butterscotch, pecans and butterscotch. The wife's perfect recipe. She sends her love as well. When will Milliken be back? I'm anxious to have my star student back. Well, two afternoons a week that is." He reaches back down and retrieves a small phial, perhaps an inch and half long. It contains a slightly luminescent purple liquid. "Drink this, drink this and wait a half hour. There might be some initial dizziness, but it should pass. Your friend will feel no fear or anxiety. No fear or anxiety."

The small man looks at Aldan with sympathy in his eyes. "This is for the demon, Drew? The demon, Drew?" When Aldan nods, the raccoon sighs, "So young. What is he to you, Aldan? So young."

Aldan looks at the phial, then tucks it carefully into his pouch. He takes a cookie and bites at it. "He's my husband. My true love, across time and worlds."

The raccoon starts. His eyes going wide, seemingly huge due to his "mask". "I had no idea! No idea. I'm sorry, Aldan. You must be in a terrible position. Will you be present for the sentence?"

"I'll be overseeing the procedures."

The raccoon starts again. "Gods, no! Gods, no! Why? Can't another take your place?"

"They could. But I need to make sure this is done right. That he's at ease and at peace. Thanks for this." He stacks gold coins on the counter.

The small man looks forlornly at Aldan. "Boy, do I feel like rotten fish. A rotten fish. Taking your coin for this."

"I insist. I must be going. I've much to do." Aldan heads for the door, pausing at the threshold as whisps of fog lick at the doorway. "Thank you, Harold. And Maxinne for the cookies." With that, Aldan leaves. He strides into the night, heading for the temple. Mist sticks to his boots as the moon ascends into the night sky. Somewhere, an owl hoots loudly. Somewhere nearby, a drunken couple shout-whisper their undying affection. Aldan ignores them all, marching until he stands at the base of the steps into the temple of the demons.

Aldan takes a moment outside. He breathes once, twice, three times carefully and deeply. It won't do to lose your temper. Nothing gained by antagonizing the man. He heads inside, looking around for a worker or customer.

The shop is closed, but a woman appears at a table, a single candle lit at the center of it. Her hair is long and red, small horns about two inches long, a skinny vermillion red tail. She's young, maybe a year or two older than Drew. She notices him standing there but is calm. "I'm sorry, but we just closed an hour ago, sir." She marks the page of her book and stands.

Aldan speaks softly. "I need directions to the rooms for the Colhan family. I've urgent business for the older male."

"Colhan. You mean Yohav? Is he expecting you? Is he in trouble?"

"Yohav Colhan? Father of Drew? He's not expecting me."

"Oh... He's downstairs. Very bottom floor. First floor on the right." She bows, walks back to her seat, and opens back her book.

"Thank you." He heads towards the stairs. He stops halfway and turns back to the girl. "Excuse me, miss, but do you know Drew?"

"Drew... Yohav's son? Not well." She looks to him, then sips from her coffee. "Our high Lord of the Temple said that he killed and has made a disgrace to our people. It's rumored that he is cursed by a shadow spirit that only brings destruction. Other than that, I do not know."

Aldan arches an eyebrow. "I see. He has not disgraced your people. He faces his own death with courage and humility, knowing that it is owed for what he did. He does credit to your people, if your people believe in honor. Think kindly on him, when you think on him or hear his name." Aldan nods at her and heads down the stairs. He descends until he can no longer descend. The first door on the right. He stands there for several minutes, composing himself. He knocks briskly.

A few minutes pass. Aldan knocks again and again until the door is opened. A white haired man about Drew's height opens the door. His hair is half gray, half white, the same sized horns and tail. In his left hand is a walking stick. He wears a light gray robe, which is tight around him. He looks so young, yet so frail and fallen apart already. Aldan can't help but to wonder what has drove a demon of his young age to look so sick.

"Hmmm. Judging by your armor, you're a guard at the prison my son is at. What is it that you want?" He blocks Aldan's way from entering. When he peaks, he notices barely anything inside. A mattress and a prayer mat with a cauldron in front of it. Nothing else.

Aldan gives the man a relaxed salute. "I'd like to talk to you about your son."

"What about him? Has he escaped? Did he kill another innocent? Did he go berserk?" He looks frustrated at Aldan.

"None of that. He's been a model prisoner, actually." Aldan sighs. "I think you should forgive him and be there tomorrow when he pays for his crimes."

"Be there?" He tosses his head away, walking inside and to the middle of the kitchen. His balance is feeble and weak. "I've already requested that his median go, but I'm not sure she will. I, however, will not be there, nor do I forgive him. It is ridiculous that the court had him stay there for that long. He should have been executed on the spot to assure that he won't go berserk."

Aldan enters the room. "But he hasn't gone berserk."

"He could. He's cursed. It could happen when you least expect it."

"It won't. Be that as it may, why can't you forgive him? He's your son."

"He has killed four people, even if I don't count my wife, which could have been an accident. But how can I know?" His tone is sarcastic for a moment. "You didn't travel with him in the forests and see the hatred and violence in his eyes when we came across Cruiberg warriors. He would have torn them to shreds. You didn't see his bedroom when that, that thing came into his body and forever cursed him. And you certainly did not see the other boy that was cursed and slaughtered thirty of his own people before killing himself. Maybe if you had been there when those thirty had died you would understand, but you can't."

"Maybe not. But I've seen him ride a horse, by himself. And having the chance to flee but choosing to stay. I've seen with my son, lying under the clouds talking about nothing. I've seen his eyes, and his heart, when he thinks of what he's done. Whatever shadow was in him hasn't spoken to him for weeks. He goes to his punishment when he could have escaped. He goes to pay a debt he recognizes. It's not too much that his family show him some support. He deserves that much."

"You cannot convince me to go. You cannot convince me to think otherwise. I can't and I won't. Now leave!" He points his cane at Aldan, holding himself up with one hand on the counter.

Aldan looks at the man, shaking his head. "I feel sorry for you. You have a chance to make peace with your son and you choose not to. I'm ashamed to be related to you."

"Get! GET OUT!!!" He tosses his cane at Aldan, which pathetically falls and does nothing of damage. "Never show your face here ever again!"

Aldan moves to the door. "You should know. Drew is my husband. We're in love. I've held him as he cried, telling me about his mother. He told me not to waste my time, that you'd never forgive him. You don't deserve another moment of thought from either of us." He opens the door. "In the morning, I've going to make love with Drew. He'll cry out my name and I'll cry out his. Because I love him and he loves me. I pity you, old man."

As Aldan exits the room he feels a strange cold energy walk by him. He turns to look at it, but nothing is there. After a moment of standing still to make sure he wasn't losing it he walks upstairs. The front door of the shop is open, but the girl from before is gone.

Aldan sighs. He heads home. He dreads what today will bring. He knows that Drew is depending on him. That Drew needs Aldan to be strong for him. Once at home, he takes off his boots and rests for a few hours in his chair. He'll be up before the sun. There's still so much to do.

Drew wakes up early in the morning. He lays in bed for a moment, just looking at the light through the window, then stretches out and prays, reciting passages under his breath for about fifteen minutes. He thinks back about the past few days and meeting Aldan, how much he has impacted and changed his life in such a short time span, and then he walks over to the bath to wash his face and lick his tail clean. It's quiet in the prison today, which sort of discomforts him. He strangely enjoys when he can hear a bit of conversation from the inmates and guards when he wakes up. Drew walks back over to the bed and waits for his lovers return silently, also excited to see his step-son Bryan again.

As for Aldan, he also wakes early. His sleep was restless and he sits for a moment, his head in his hands. With a sigh, he rises, heading to the kitchen to start heating water. Then he heads up stairs. He pauses by the side of Bryan's bed. The boy looks so peaceful. "Maybe I should just let him sleep through it all." But neither he nor Drew would forgive that. Carefully he wakes his son, whispering for him to dress.

Back downstairs, Aldan quickly bathes and prepares tea. He slams back a cup, and when Bryan comes down, gives him a cup and a biscuit. The boy looks at him between bites. "No pardon from the King?" Aldan shakes his head sadly. They drink in silence, then saddle Whirlwind and gather what they need. With everything packed, the begin the walk to the prison. It seems so much further today.

Aldan arrives soon after sunup. He's grim this morning. People in the market, on the street move aside as he approaches. He picks up provisions for Drew. And something that may be needed, but he hopes it won't be. At the prison, the other guards give him a wide berth. No cat-calls of 'demon love'. The men who share the Execution Detail with him today nod silently. It takes time for them to prepare. He enters the cells followed by Bryan. "Wait here." He commands as he nears Drew's cell. He taps the bars, letting Drew know that he's arrived.

Drew leaps down from a metal bar on the ceiling that he was using to exercise with and quickly reaches under his nightstand table for something, then stands up by the table quickly composed.

Aldan unlocks the cell and enters. He puts the keys and sword on the table and approaches Drew. He stops at arms length. "Is something wrong, Drew?"

"No, no. Quite the contrary. I have something for you and Bryan. That is him standing by the door, right?"

Aldan nods. "It is. I wanted to see how were before letting him see you. We've brought breakfast. We can't leave the prison. Once was pushing it. There's a comfortable courtyard that we guards use. It should be pleasant. And private."

"That's fine. Bryan?" He calls out not too loud. "You can come in."

Bryan peeks around the corner. His face brightens as he notices that Drew is wearing the clothes he bought for him. He rushes into the cell, heading straight for Drew and hugging him tightly. "You look so handsome!"

"Why thank you. It is all thanks to you." He hugs him back tightly. As soon as Drew lets go he takes Bryan's left, hand, placing a small purple stone into it. He looks to Aldan, asking him to do the same and places two in his. "I give you two because you're going to find my friend Aizen when he moves here and give one of them to him. You'll need to find something that allows you to wear it. They're ancient protection stones that my people give away to family and friends when they're about to go to the light. I will protect and guide you if you wear these. You'll also need to find the black wolf demon at some point. That is by far my most important wish from you both. Help him as you would help me if I hadn't committed the crimes I had done and you knew that you could prevent them from happening. My other wish is that you never give up hope and love and that you find ways to help others. If you lose track as to how, then I will find a way somehow, through these stones or otherwise, to help you. It's the least I can do for everything you've done for me now." He walks around his cell as he continues. "Aldan, before you came into my life here in the prison, I had given up on love and decided to hide myself in the books. But now the universe has brought us together, as was fated to happen, so that you could help me see the light again. So I thank you." He sighs and shuts up for a moment, chugging his mug of water. "So shall we eat?"

Aldan nods. "Bry, why don't you take the food and set up a picnic breakfast for us in the Apple Court. You remember where that is, don't you?" Bryan nods and gathers up the basket and bundles. He smiles back at Drew and dashes off. Aldan stands close to Drew, facing him. He rests his hands on Drew's hips. "I spoke with your father last night."

"You spoke to him? Why?"

"Because I'm a fool. I thought that I could convince him to be here today, to make peace with you before. . .he no longer can."

Drew nods, putting his hands to his lovers hips. "You're not a fool. He is... He will understand one day."

"I would kiss you."

Drew pecks Aldans lips. "Would you?"

Aldan smiles, a cocky and sneaky smile. "I would. I will." He lowers his lips to Drew's, gently probing his tongue into Drew's mouth, passionately kissing his husband.

Drew accepts the kiss, letting his lovers tongue enter his. He responds in the same motion as his hands press him closer in, kissing him deeper. "I love you, Aldan."

"I love you, Drew." He holds Drew for several moments. Holding him close, feeling his heat. Trying to memorize his smell. Reluctantly, he withdraws from him. "Is everything here finished? We can come back if you'd like. If we don't, is everything in order?"

"One second. Let me organize some things." He walks around the cell, grabbing all of his books from different spots that they've been littered and then he stacks them on top of the nightstand. Drew then reaches back under to where he had hid the stones and grabs a silver coin, slipping it into his pocket. "The books are for Mikey. I'm ready to leave this room now."

Aldan looks around. He spies their music box. He walks over to it, pulling Drew with him by the hand. He triggers the magic. As their symphony fills the room, he kisses Drew one more time before burying his face in Drew's neck. Aldan sobs once. Quickly, he composes himself. "We should go. I just wanted to hear it one last time. Part of it, at least. With you in my arms. I want that to be part of the memories. Memories of you that will last a lifetime. Of me as your husband and you as mine." He almost cries again, but does not. "You are so brave, Drew. Our memories of our time together will lead us to each other. Next time." He kisses Drew again. Then exhales and shakes his head. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's go see Bryan."

Aldan leads him out of the cell, down the hallway. Some of the other prisoners whistle and catcall. At the entrance, Aldan opens the door. The guards stare for a moment. One or two snicker, but none of them speak. "We'll be in the apple yard until it's time."

The commander looks out a small window. "I make it just shy of three hours until the blade falls. I'll give you two and a half, Aldan. Then the detail will begin."

Aldan nods and leads Drew out. They walk a maze of corridors and hallways, past locked doors and cells. Whenever they come upon another guard, Aldan takes his arm, whispering that he's sorry. Once the guard is past he releases him. Drew passes through one final door into a small, square courtyard. There are a stand of three mature apple tree and small flowering bushes, with benches along the walls. Bryan has spread a tablecloth on the ground and unpacked breakfast. Eggs, cooked and raw, fish, eels, chicken raw and cooked, bread, biscuits, pastries. Wine and small beer. He stands and watches his father and his father's 13 year old lover enter. As he approaches, Drew is struck by the resemblance. From the eyes and face, to the way he stands to how he wears his boy-sized sword. It's almost like Aldan in miniature.

Bryan looks at them. "I hope everythings set up all right."

"I think it looks grand." Drew sits down with his legs crisscrossed. His tail curls to the left side under his leg. "Where's Whirlwind? Home?"

Bryan looks up at Aldan. "Can I bring him in? If we use the Beggar's Gate, we can come right through. It won't take but a few minutes. Please, daddy?"

Aldan nods. "That sounds like a good idea, Bry." Bryan whoops and dashes over to Drew, hugging his again. "'ll be right back!" He dashes off into the corridors.

Drew gathers a plate of food, raw fish and meat on a plate, which smells as fresh and rich. "It's just as beautiful outside as yesterday. Not too warm. The sunrise happened right before you got here."

Aldan sits and prepares a plate, sitting aside as he prepares another. For Bryan. He explains, pointing to the first one. "I'll eat lightly. It's not a duty for a full stomach. And it is a lovely day." The birds singing and the sun shining.

Drew eats as quietly as he can, which isn't so easy when chewing apart raw meat. He stays well mannered, wiping his fingers with napkins, sitting upright and chewing with his mouth closed.

The sound of hooves clopping along the cobblestones heralds the arrival of Bryan atop Whirlwind. He rides the horse nearly onto the picnic blanket before stopping, hopping off and sitting next to Drew. The horse neighs and whinnies and moves close to Drew, pushing against him with its muzzle. "I told you he liked you!" Aldan hands the boy his plate and he happily begins eating.

"Oh, hi there Whirlwind!" Drew stands up, his tail moving back and forth in excitement. He softly nuzzles the horse above his nose and makes a neighing sound to imitate the horse. "Huh. I don't think he understand what I was trying to say. Very well then!" He sits back down, finishing off the rest of his plate, then taking a few medium-sized slimy eels to his plate. "Were you supposed to be at school today, Bryan?"

"Daddy said that I could stay home today. From school. So I could see you again." He stops as his face grows very serious. "I wanted to see you."

"Yeah, well I did too. It's crazy how much like your father you already look. Right now you look so small, but in ten years I can't even imagine what you'd look like." He chews down one of the eels, drinking from his mug of water to balance his taste pallet.

"Do you think so? Everyone says it. Gramma, Grammpa. If I look like him now, won't I look even more like him when I grow up?" He makes a face. "Ugh! I don't even like eels when they're cooked."

"I'm sorry. I'll down them as fast as I can." He takes both of them, holding them up by their tentacles as they drops them into his mouth and chews them down. He smirks at Bryan after he's finished and sticks out his tongue. "Delicious! We had some of the best fish where I come from. Maybe one day when the situation in the forests has settled down you can visit the mountain rages that I grew up on."

"That would be keen." He eats, his manner far more beastly than Drew's. He routinely takes huge bites, and chews with his mouth open because he can't close it until the food inside had been partially crushed. He talks with his mouth full, too. But somehow, it's almost cute when he does it.

"Bryan... Is there anything you want to know about me that you haven't asked before? Now would be the time to ask." He puts his plate to the side, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Aldan and gripping one of his hands.

Aldan squeezes Drew's hand. He checks the sun. Bryan looks at them. He shrugs, "Are you scared?"

"Scared..." He doesn't need to really think about the question. "No. I'm not scared. A tad bit anxious that I might be right before I see the platform, which must be normal. But I'm not scared. Since I was put into a cell I had a lot of time to think about what I did... I must atone for things I did, regardless of the cost. That's important to me. I don't want to be a coward, running away, spitting and fighting, pretending what I did was the right thing to do. Of course it's not easy. None of this is easy. But now that I've found love I feel at peace."

Bryan nods solemnly. "I understand." He looks at Drew's tail. "How come your tail is so different from the anthros we have at school? We don't have a lot, but none of them have horns really. Just nubs. And their tails aren't...." He looks at his father. "Elegant? Is that the word you used, father?" Aldan nods. "Their tails aren't elegant like yours. They're always knocking things over or hitting people in the eye. Daddy says it's because they're so young and because you're so special."

Drew looks to his tail, moving it from side to side to prove his control over it. "It is strange, huh? Most demons aren't able control their tails until they're about sixteen to twenty. My fathers tail isn't as thick or soft as mine. I think I get these traits from my mother."

"Sometimes I wish I had a tail. Or horns or something. I'm just a boring little kid."

"No, that's not true. You should feel privileged. There are many kingdoms and parts of this planet that would slaughter anyone that isn't human, take our tails and horns as ornaments and trophy. We're treated as lower class. Having a tail isn't always fun either if you can't control it." He stands up, stretching out his back. "I know this area isn't too large, but do you think Whirlwind would be interested in giving us a ride?"

Bryan jumps up excitedly. "I know he would." Bryan climbs aboard his horse, reaching down to help Drew up behind him. "Hold on. Well, we won't go that fast."

Aldan warns them, "Don't steer towards the gate. The guards might think you're trying to escape."

"You hear that Whirlwind?" Drew holds himself over Bryan's stomach, hugging him tightly for a moment, then relaxing.

The three of them trot around the courtyard for several minutes. Demon, boy, horse, all seem to lose all their cares for a few minutes. Aldan watches them. His heart feels as if to break. He begins to think about what is waiting in a few hours, but stops himself. He knows that if he dwells on it now, he won't be able to be there for Drew when his husband needs him. Besides, they're having so much fun.

"I'm glad you brought Whirlwind..." He closes his eyes as the wind blows against his skin, remembering the dream he had with him and his friend in the cave, both of their hands touching as they bury something under a pile of rocks.

"Me, too!" Bryan calls back over his shoulder.

Aldan continues to watch them as he picks at his plate. He knows better than to eat much on day like today. Beheadings are gruesome enough. But to oversee the execution of his husband? No, that wouldn't sit well at all.

They ride in circles around the courtyard, around the trees, but eventually stop after a half an hour. Bryan brings a bowl of water to Whirlwind as he stands by the apple tree and Drew walks back over to his husband. He takes a drink of water to rejuvenate himself, kissing his husband softly on the lips just once, realizing that his face is flat and cold. He uses the warmth of his power to warm up Aldan's cheek, then his arms.

Aldan tries to smile at Drew. It doesn't come at first. He pulls Drew into him, laying back on the grass, the demon-boy love of his life on top of him. "We only have an hour or so."

He looks to Bryan as he walks over. "Bryan... I think your father and I should have some time alone. Is that fine with you?"

"I guess not. Does that mean I should go home." He looks very sad, almost as if about to cry.

"Well, you shouldn't be there when it happens. Maybe you can ask one of the guards if you can take a book of mine with you to a café and wait for your father there." He stands up, walking over to him. "Hey now, it's okay to cry. Come here." He holds his stepson closely, hugging him tightly and rocking him back and forth to calm him down. The boy cries loudly at first, an explosive rage of tears, then to a painful moan, finally to sniffs and soft cries before he finally stops. Drew cleans his face every time it gets too messy, running one hand into his hair as he continues to hug him close. "Remember to look for the wolf boy and to wear the stone that I've given you. I'll always be there with you, even if it's not in this physical form. I love you, Bryan. Do good with the life you have. Love."

Bryan looks up at Drew, nodding along with every instruction. He wipes his nose on his sleeve. "I'll remember. I promise. Demon-black-wolf-boy. I love you. I wish you could be my daddy longer." He shakes his head, making a strange noise from the back of his throat. From the corner of his eyes, Drew see Aldan cover his mouth, trying not to laugh. He busies himself packing up the picnic and loading the basket and bundles onto the horse's saddlebags. Bryan hugs Drew one last time. Then he mounts Whirlwind. They spin in place twice, and Bryan makes a clicking sound with his tongue. They stop, facing Drew. Whirlwind neighs and shakes his mane, lifting his head high into the air. Bryan holds tightly to the reins. The horse lowers his head, almost seeming to bow. Bryan bows at his waist then looks at Drew. His eyes well up. He waves with one hand, pulling the reins with the other, and kicking his heels into Whirlwind's flanks. They trot to the gate, waving good-bye one last time.

Drew holds out his waving hand until he see's the boy gone from his vision. Afterwards, he sits down back in the grass next to Aldan, staying silent. "Hey..." He doesn't know exactly what to say, but feels the anxiety coming in.

Aldan reaches over, playing with Drew's hand. "Hey."

"Are you okay? I mean, that's a stupid question to ask..."

Aldan looks at Drew. He smiles, a thin, regretful smile. "No, I'm not okay. I keep trying to think of other things. The blonde demon-boy, Aizen. I have to find him. The black wolf-demon hybrid. I have to find him. If I think of them, and not you, I don't have to think of what's coming." He sighs. "But how can I not think of you? You who are my husband, maybe a thousand times over already in a thousand past lives. You who bring me such joy and inspire such desire as I've never known. Am I okay?" He scoffs. "No, I'm not. But I will be. Right? Because you're going to need me to be okay. So, I will be."

Drew nods, sitting up and beside him. "My hands are kind of shaking. I thought I would be okay. It's hard knowing that I'll leave and not see you for who knows how long. Don't get yourself killed in war just to try and be with me. Live healthily and happily, at least for your childrens sake. Plus, the kingdom counts on you. If you don't help the wolf-demon, you can consider this entire kingdom, maybe even planet, gone." He pauses for a moment, feeling the shivers along his arm.

Aldan notices the goose bumps on Drew's arm. He moves closer to him. "Hey, I have something that will calm you. You'll be fine otherwise, just calm. No fear, no anxiety." He pulls the phial from his tunic, holding it out to Drew.

He looks to it. "Should I drink it now?"

"I think so. It will take a few minutes to work. A half hour or so." He looks at the sun. "Yes, take it now then rest your head in my lap for a while."

Drew takes the phial, drinking it quickly, then falls back onto Aldan and stares up at the slow moving clouds. "What was it like as a child with your father building all of those lighthouses? Did you ever get a chance to go into them? Venture inside?"

Aldan smiles as he looks down at his love. "It was fantastic! He'd take us with him when he could. We'd follow him around the work site. Sometimes we'd try to help, but we were just kids. I learned maths and how to build things, at least the basics. We could explore everything. I'm shocked looking back that we never hurt ourselves." He laughs. "Playing tag in a partially finished lighthouse seem insane now. No wonder my dad yelled at us."

Drew lays quietly, feeling himself at ease and relaxed with husband. He forgets about all of his worries, what is to come, none of it matters to him right now. "I can imagine... No, I can literally see the lighthouses, a younger you like Bryan inside of one of them." Quiet again, playing his husbands hand.

Aldan leans back. "You'd like my father. He loves building. He still designs things, lighthouses, bridges. He'd try to use his maths to explain you and I." At the same time, he laughs playing jokes on people.

"I still think you should visit the Mooneye peaks at some point in your life. At least just to see it with your own eyes."

"I think Bryan is going to suggest that every time we talk. At least for the next few years. Until we make the trip. You knew the boy, Aizen, there? Maybe he could show us your old stomping grounds."

"Yeah. He'd love to show you. I think him and Bryan would make good friends. Aizen is a gentle soul. A musician. That's why he's planning to live here." He sits up, exhaling deeply. The potion is having its effect on him and he feels no fear, no anxiety, no worry at all. "What will do after it's done? Today, I mean."

Aldan's face darkens. He looks away, struggling with his emotion. "I'll clean your cell. After I have you taken away and prepared for your final rest. . .After that, I'll be free. I don't know what I'll do." He lowers his forehead to Drew's. "I don't know what I'll do. I can't let myself think of that. Of living without you."

"You could go somewhere to turn that stone I gave you into a necklace." He puts one hand to Aldan's chest. "Kiss me."

Aldan leans down and kisses Drew, passionately. Deeply. "I will. For all three." He rests his hand on Drew's chest. "I think silver. It represents purity and protection."

Drew leans in and kisses him back. He permeates his taste, his smell, and the feel of his skin, and doesn't break his kiss until he knows that he has it captured well enough to take it with him to the next life. "I love you..." He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. "There's probably not much time left. Should we get going now? I don't want them marching to us out here. Seems strange."

Aldan holds Drew close. "We have another couple of minutes." He holds Drew. "I wish you'd bitten me more. Left me with more scars. I wish we'd had more time. I wish we could escape. I wish, I wish, I wish." For the next several minutes, he is silent. Stroking Drew's hair, gently caressing his chest, his stomach. Finally, he looks at the sky. "It's about time. We should head back and get ready."

Drew nods and pulls Aldan up with him. They wind their way through the halls and corridors. Reaching their guard room, Aldan tucks the basket away. The other guards avoid the demon boys eyes. The commander gives his final instructions. "This one goes by the book. Anyone messes up, anyone screws up, I'll let Aldan have them for an hour. If there's anything left, you'll be on latrine and cesspit duty until your sons retire. Follow his instructions, do it right. This is no dirty, damned rapist. This is an honorable killer here. Almost same as us, 'cept no uniform. Right. Get it done." He looks at Aldan. "Are you sure you can handle this? You haven't been yourself."

Aldan nods and shackles Drew's hands loosely in front of him. Drew whispers. "It's fine. They're not too tight."

The pain in Aldan's eyes is obvious to Drew. "The important thing to remember for you, is to concentrate on me. No matter what the crowd yells, or what you see, ignore all of that and concentrate on me. I'll make sure this goes smoothly." He swallows hard. "Don't forget to breathe. I've had inmates so worried that they stop breathing and end up fainting. I'll be talking to you the entire way. Just listen to me."

Drew silently nods in response.

The other guards move in front of Drew, hands on the hilt of their swords. Aldan walks beside him. He holds his arm in his. The group travels through more corridors, arriving at a black door all too quickly. The other guards open and move through, into a cobblestone courtyard. Aldan faces his love, wiping his eyes. Drew makes a smile, trying to comfort him, and then his expression returns to as it was before, calm and composed.

Aldan glances around. He quickly kisses Drew on the lips. "Final stretch. The crowd will cheer when they see you. They'll call for your blood and curse you. Ignore them. Concentrate on me, focus on me. We'll go straight to the steps, then up. Do you have your coin? Give the executioner one coin when he kneels. He'll ask for your pardon. Give it. He's doing a job, takes no pleasure in it." He takes Drew's face into his hands and locks eyes with him. "I'll lead you to the front of the platform. A scribe will read the indictment against you and the sentence. The crowd sometimes throws things, but I've given instructions. None of that shit with you. Once the reading is done, I'll guide you and put you into position. I'll talk to you. The executioner will swing any time after my signal. No warning. Understand?"

"Yes. Well, there's one part I'm missing. This." He kisses Aldan on the lips, unable to move his shackled hands as he does so. They part and he relaxes again, focusing on his breath. "I love you. Please... Follow through with my wishes. I'll always be here. I promise."

Aldan holds Drew's hands. "I'll find you when time comes, love. Until then, I'll look for you in the stars, in the wind. When Bryan laughs, I'll think of you. When I see him on Whirlwind, I will think of the two of you riding together. Two boys. My two boys." He takes a deep breath. "Right. It's time."

Aldan leads Drew into the courtyard. The other guards march alongside. He leads him to a wooden platform, weathered but still stout. There is a small crowd, no more than forty people. The families of the dead men, the morbidly curious. He only looks towards the crowd for a few seconds before turning away, focusing on his breath, still calm like before. A teenage boy rushes to him, placing something into the palm of his left hand. The boy speaks quietly. "This is for you. Hold onto it for as long as you can." He says something in a different language before walking back into the crowd and taking his place near a woman. He smiles for a short moment, squeezing the item tightly and thinking to himself, 'thank you', wishing he could have said it before he walked away.

Aldan leads Drew up a short flight of steps. Atop the platform, a large shirtless man waits, his face covered by a black mask. He kneels in front of Drew, holding out his hand. Drew reaches into his left pocket, which is an awkward function with his hands shackled, and places the one coin into it and nods. The man nods his head in response and stands. Aldan leads Drew to a block at the center front of the platform and stands beside him as an older man, a different one from yesterday, walks in front of him, standing a few feet back.

The scribe raises a hand and the crowd quiets down. He unfurls a scroll and begins reading the Bill of Indictment against Drew. The charges of robbery, murder in furtherance of robbery, murder. The crowd boos and hisses at each charge, one or more voices calling out for blood. The verdict of guilty, which the crowd cheers. The sentence of death by axe; the crowd cheers wildly. Someone yells 'Behead the hellspawn' and hurls a tomato towards the platform. Two of the guards move into the crowd, none to gently. The thrower is jostled and pushed further away from the platform. The clerk finishes his reading, rolls up the scroll, and moves to one side.

Aldan moves in front of Drew, his back to the crowd. Only Drew and the executioner can see his face. He takes Drew's hands in his own and guides him to the block. "So, when we visit your mountains, what's the best time of year to go?" As Drew answers, he encourages him to kneels, still holding his hands. Once they're kneeling, the crowd cheers wildly. Drums begin to roll. Aldan places Drew's hands on the sides of the block. "Hold that tightly, Drew. So, is there sufficient hunting in the mountains or will we have to bring our own supplies?" He leans Drew forward, his neck over the block. Aldan reaches over and pulls Drew's hair up, pushing his collar down. "I love you, Drew. I will always love you just as I always have."

Drew barely hears the sound of metal against wood. Before he can register the sound as the axe being picked up from beneath the straw, the blow falls. The last words before the axe severs his head are Aldan's I love you. As Drew's head falls, Aldan continues. "I love you, I love you, I love you." The last sight before his vision fades is Aldan's face, tears on his cheeks, saying I love you over and over.

Aldan steps forward, grabbing Drew's head by the hair. He is careful not to touch the horns, stifling a sob as he remembers. Their very sensitive. He holds the head to the crowd which cheers. He turns from the crowd. The executioner is using an oiled rag to clean the blood from his axe as he descends the stairs. Two undertakers ascend with a coffin. They roughly grab Drew's body, stopping as Aldan grabs one by the arm and squeezes, "Treat him with respect He hisses at them." They bob the heads and carefully lay Drew in the coffin. Aldan kneels beside the box and rests Drew's head atop his shoulders. He brushes he hair from the eyes, closing their lids. He fiddles with the head, trying to arrange it so it resembles an intact body. Aldan looks to the crowd. Most of them are gone, but two catch his attention. An elegant woman in silks, and a teen boy who cries into her arms. Allahna and Edric. One of the undertakers points to the ground beside the block. "Don't miss that, m'lord. Might want to bury it with the lad."

Aldan picks up a silver charm, shaped as a woman's profile. Drew dropped it when he. . . Aldan can't finish the thought. That's what the teen pressed into Drew's hand. A holy symbol for the goddess Selune. Goddess of Love, Mistress of TIme, Lady of Eternity. He lays it at the center of Drew's chest, giving a nod, and the coffin is nailed shut and carefully taken from the platform. Aldan drops to his knees and cries, eventually walking off of the platform to be comforted by Allahna and the younger boy.

Bryan did as he was told before he left, asking one of the guards if he could into Drew's cell and take a book with him. It was the one at the very top, religious scripture on meditation and love. He leaves the prison afterwards, going to a café nearby and stays there as he sits alone, drinking a tea as he looks at Whirlwind outside. He reads the first few pages before he breaks out into a cry again. Eventually, he leaves, riding Whirlwind back over to the prison, waiting far enough from the execution courtyard so that he wouldn't hear any cheers. His face droops and depresses as he see's people leave. The last two that he see's are Allahna and Edric, whom are just two other figures to him. He waits patiently for his father on top of his horse. While he waits, he thinks back of how scared and paranoid he was when he first met Drew all of the way til them riding the horse just an hour ago. His heart feels as if it's been torn apart.

Aldan gathers himself. A pair of older teen-aged boys are spreading sand over the blood, soaking it up and shoveling the resulting mess into a wheelbarrow. They are careful to avoid Aldan. He stands, wiping his face. He moves through the prison, relying on habit more than conscious thought, he returns to Drew's cell. His fellow guards give him a wide berth. He stands at the cell door. Moving in he begins cleaning the room. There's not much to do. Drew was thoughtful enough to have most of the cleaning already done. In less than an hour, the job is done. The bed where they slept and fucked is bare, the mattress rolled up, the linens on the way to be laundered. Aldan has a stack of books, the remains of a few bottles of wine, and the pillow that he and Drew had used. He holds one to his face and inhales, comforted by the scent. Gathering everything, he heads out of the block.

He passes through the guard room, dimly aware that someone speaks to him. Take the day and as long as you need. He nods and moves on, leaving the prison. Stepping through the gates, he looks around for Bryan and Whirlwind. Not seeing them, he turns towards home. he walks slowly, wondering if he'd done enough for Drew at the end.

At some point Bryan leaves, wondering if his father has decided to head home. He notices him walking by in the distance and Whirlwind races up to him. Once they're beside each other the horse moves slowly. "Dad..."

Aldan stops and turns. He looks up at Bryan, the pain in his face obvious. Bryan hops down and awkwardly embraces his father, trying to avoid knocking books and bottles from his arms. After a moment, he starts taking things and putting them in the saddle bags. Aldan stands quietly as Bryan empties his arms. When the last pillow is stuffed into a saddle bag, Aldan kneels and embraces his son, who holds him tightly. "Did it. . . Did he. . .Daddy?" Bryan begins to cry. Whirlwind nuzzles the two of them, there in the street crying over their broken hearts.

Bryan hugs his father for what seems like forever. The streets are getting busier, but they live as if they're the ones there. "Are we going home?"

"Where else can we go?" He looks at Bryan. "Thank you, son. Drew had fun with you. It helped more than you know. Both of us." He takes Bryan's hand and they begin to walk slowly towards their home. They walk is silence for most of the trip. As their house comes into view, Aldan sighs. Life goes on. Less of a life. But it goes on and his family will need him. "Let's get Drew's things put away. Then I think we should do something together. Something quiet and thoughtful, but not sad. What do you think, Bry?"

"Shouldn't we visit Drew's grave?" He looks to his Dad as Whirlwind guides them in the direction to home. "We could... Have the necklaces made."

"It's too soon to visit his grave. He's still being interred. We'll get the necklaces made, Bryan. But I don't want to deal with that right now. I don't want to be sad anymore today. I want to do something with you, something that makes us smile."

"I don't know if I will ever smile again." He leans his chest down on whirlwind, depressing his head in sadness.

Aldan walks with his hand around Bryan's shoulders. "You will. Next time you're trying to see how fast Whirlwind can run. Or the next time you tickle Mikey into peeing himself. We both will smile. Someday."

Bryan brings his head up, wiping away at his tears. "Can we visit the blacksmith today? See if he's finished with my new sword yet?"

Aldan nods. "That's actually a good idea. We'll do that. Then maybe we'll go somewhere with a giant box of sweets and gorge ourselves."

"Okay, Daddy. It's a deal." He forms a smile, which is mournful and still ridden with pain.

Aldan walks slowly, his hand on Bryan's shoulder. Without thinking, he needs to keep hold of Bryan. To keep him close and safe. They walk to the Street of Steel, where smiths of all types and skill level ply their trade. Finesmiths and blacksmiths. Weaponeers and armourers. The crowd here bustles and the air is thick with the twin smells of coal ash and sweat.

Bryan holds his breath through some of the rougher parts of the area until they come to one of the houses they've visited countless times before. He steps off of Whirlwind, hugging him in the front lawn before he walks towards his father. I think Whirlwind knows somehow. There's something with his eyes... He holds his Dad's hand as they walk through the gated part of the front yard and to the working area that the blacksmith is at. He's sitting in a chair smoking from his pipe when he notices the two.

The smith is large, powerfully built. His eyes are set deep giving him a menacing stare. He smiles as he sees Aldan and Bryan, waving one huge paw of a hand. "Aldan! Little Aldan! Come to check the little blade?" He calls to them as he approaches. Standing, he pounds three times on the side of the house next to the workshop. "Wife! Aldan and his little are here." He smiles at them. "She'll be along. Now let's see if little blade matches Little Aldan."

Aldan can't help but chuckle. He knows Bryan hates being called Little Aldan. "Thanks, Oswald. Let's see if sword matches boy. Right, Little Aldan?"

"Yeah... Why not." He rolls his eyes, hisses, and cross his arms as he pouts and walks. When they reach the workshop his eyes transform into a wave of inspiration and curiosity. He's seen the smith do his work several times and even tried his hand at it, but still can't comprehend the talent behind his work.

The smith, Oswald, rummages among a barrel, open at the top and filled with a variety of blades. He mutters to himself as he looks. "Nope, that's the elf-lad's blade. Nope, that for Little Lord Snot-Face. Oh! What's this? I thought I'd sold this. Well, well." Aldan waits patiently until a loud 'Aha!' fills the workshop.

"Here we are, little Aldan." He turns and presents a sword, sized appropriately for Bryan, if perhaps slightly to large. He hands it to Bryan hilt first. "I made it so you'd have room to grow."

Bryan sings a long 'Wooohhhhh' as he first see's the sword. He takes it carefully, inspecting it with both hands before he takes it by the handle and practices swinging it. Once he feels pleased enough, he sticks it behind his belt, and bows. "Thank you, Mr. Oswald. I promise that I'll come back next summer for lessons. Dad says school always comes first."

The smith smiles broadly, showing a mouth full of huge teeth. He pats Bryan on the head, a little roughly, but with affection. "That's not all, Little Aldan." He rummages through his cluttered work bench, letting loose with another 'Aha!' and turning triumphantly to face father and son. He holds forth a scabbard, chased and embellished with silver decorations. "No sword is complete without a sheathe." Lowering his voice he continues, "Besides, your mother would never forgive me when you sliced your belt and pants for the fourth time, eh Aldan." He elbows Aldan as he laughs, almost sending Aldan into a pile of coal.

A large woman appears from the house with a tray and pitcher. She smiles happily upon seeing the visitors. "Aldan! Bryan, oh Bryan you are the cutest little boy in the whole city, I swear. Lemonade for you." She pours a glass for Bryan. "Honey mead for you two, and you can pour yourselves. Honey cookies, too. Mind you that Bryan gets his fair share, Papa!" She tousles Bryan's hair and returns to the house.

Bryan spends just as much time observing the scabbard than the sword. "Thank you, ma'am." He sheaths the blade, taking it with home outside, and lays with it in the grass as he sips from his lemonade. It's warm outside, the beginning of a true summer. He sighs, looking up to the sky, unable to get his mind off of Drew. He thinks to himself, 'Where is he right now? With me in my pocket? He said he'd always watch over me. Is he here right now then?' His mind travels off until his thoughts are silent and he's completely absorbed by the slight blows of wind.

Aldan and Oswald talk for a few minutes, long enough to quickly, but not rudely down a flagon of mead. Aldan looks out at Bryan laying on the grass. He knows what he's thinking about. With a sigh, he makes his thanks and goodbyes to the smith and his wife, promising to return of fault is found with the blade or when Milliken comes of age for his weapon. As they leave the shop, father looks to son. "Well, are you happy with them? Shall we spar somewhere?"

Bryan looks up, nodding. "I guess... Maybe we should just go home. I just want to lay in bed and never get out."

"I know, son. I know." He reaches up to pat Whirlwind's neck. "But we can't do that. What did Drew tell you at the end? To give in to despair and sadness? Besides, Bryan, if I did that, I well might lay in bed until I withered away and died. And Drew would never forgive that, would he?"

"No... You're right." He exhales deeply before he stands up, jumping back on whirlwind. "Where do we go, then?"

"I'm not sure." He walks alongside boy and horse, resting his hand on Bryan's leg. "I can't stand the thought of watching them lower him into the ground. I think I'd like to walk along the river. Listen to the water. What do you think? Any ideas?"

"The river that we went to yesterday?"

"Yes. Why not?"

"I think that would be fine." His voice is still quiet and sad, which is rare to hear from Bryan. All he has to do is whisper into the horses ear and it instinctively knows where to take him. They leave the polluted square of shops, through some that are more decadent and consumed with a mass of people purchasing fresh food. Eventually, they find their way back to the river that they were at yesterday. "Do you really believe what he said about the stones, Dad?" He steps off of Whirlwind and leaves him by a tree, going through one of the sacks and feeding him before he walks further along the hill.

"That they'll protect us and let him watch over us?" Aldan nods. "Yes, I do. Drew was very special. He could do things that no other of his people could do. Even if he hadn't killed those men, he would have been feared and shunned." Aldan shrugs, grabbing a long strand of summer grass and chewing on it as they talk. "Maybe that's how he was able to be so brave through it all. No matter what, they would have turned on him." Aldan's voice drops He showed more dignity than his father, that's for certain. And more courage. He looks at Bryan. "Yeah, he's watching over us right now. I know he is."

Bryan unsheathes his blade, swinging it from side to side as he takes a few steps, then situating it in an arc towards his father. "Is my stance alright?"

"Hmmm." Aldan stands back, folding his arms across his chest. He begins chewing furiously on his grass stem, rolling from one corner of mouth to the other and back again as he examines Bryan's stance. "That's not bad. But..." He moves behind Bryan, dropping to one knee. He grabs the boy's left foot and adjusts it, along with his left leg. "That's better. You were a little out of place, and a smart foe would have been able to get you to unbalance yourself. But that's very good, Bryan. Very good, indeed. Let's see a couple of combination attacks. Show me what you can do!"

Bryan starts on guard, then swings upwards, back down as if to guard, himself, and practices dodging while swinging his sword upwards. Aldan can tell that he's going to be a fast one, but he's a little too sporadic for now. He repeats his simple moves in different combinations, throwing in some extra attacks from time to time, until he's worn out and working a sweat. "Thirsty. One moment." He walks back over to Whirlwind to hydrate himself, then returns back, a smile slowly easing over him. The exercising has gotten him out of his depressed mood finally.

"You're showing a lot of promise, son. I think if you stay with it and practice, you'll be far better than I've ever been." Aldan is every bit the proud father. Proud that his son has an aptitude and love for the work that makes a good swordsman into a great swordsman. He's seen hundreds of grown men take the first chance every time at ending their practice to rest or talk or gamble. His son, his Bryan comes back for more. "Watch and see if you can follow." Aldan draws his sword. He goes through a series of maneuvers, attacks, parries, ripostes. Almost faster than Bryan can keep track of. When he finishes, Aldan is on one knee, his sword in a high block. His offhand holds a dagger at the gut of some imagined attacker. "Now, Bryan, when did I draw the dagger?"

"You drew it right before you came down on your knee." Bryan copies this motion, pretending as he is pulling a dagger out from the same spot at the same time. He stands still in his high block stance with his tongue sticking out, then stands back up to wipe sweat off of his forehead.

Aldan laughs. "Excellent! I can't tell you how many times that's saved my life, my opponent fixating on my sword and not noticing the dagger until it was in them." He sighs and sits, patting the grass next to him. "You look about beat enough for today. What say you, Little Aldan? More practice or supper?"

"Just a bit more, Dad." He practices his blocks and quick attacks with fast runs, then moves onto more difficult moves that he's still learning before he finishes up. The boy wipes his sword clean with his shirt, sheathes it, and runs back over to his Dad. "Where are we going to eat?"

"Up to you, Little Aldan." He's got a glint in his and smirks. "What do you feel like, Little Aldan?"

He thinks back on Drew, remembering how much he loved his raw fish. "I think I have a weird craving for seafood today."

"Right then". Aldan stands, brushing grass from his trousers. "I think I know a shack that has fish & chips and chowder. Good enough?"

"Yeah. That sounds delicious." He runs back up to Whirlwind, jumping on in a hurry. "You lead the way, Dad!"

For the moment, the sorrow of the day is forgotten. Father and son make their way through the crowds to a small, riverside shack. The smell of cooking fish and chowder fills the air. Aldan's stomach grumbles loudly.

As Bryan ties off Whirlwind, Aldan orders for them. four planks, chips, and two bowls of white chowder. He sits at a small well worn table, barely big enough for the two of them. Figures and names have been carved into the top over the span of years. Aldan thinks back. He can't remember a time when this place wasn't selling food.

"Why don't we ever come here?" He munches down his chips, taking a spoonful of soup every now and then. "It's delicious. Better than mom, huh? He nudges a laugh and wink. I wonder if they serve eel here. Is there where you went for Drew?"

Aldan nods as he chews and swallows. "Aye. Had to pay a little extra for fat and fresh ones, but Drew loved them."

"Maybe I should try one just to see what it's all about." He finishes his plank of chips, pushing it to the side, and moves the chowder closer to him.

Aldan makes a face. He digs into his pouch and hands Bryan some copper coins. "You're welcome to try it son. Ask Margery and she'll boil one fresh for you while you watch."

"Boil? But shouldn't I have it raw like he liked it?" He's serious, waiting eagerly for you to answer.

Aldan inhales sharply. "I've never cared for eel at all. But if you're brave enough to try it raw, more's the credit to you. He also liked them alive. Do you think you can do that?"

He squints his eyes, trying fight about the idea of chewing on something alive and slimy. "Nah... I think I'll just have one boiled after all."

Aldan chuckles, "Can't say as I blame you."

Once Bryan his finishes his chowder he runs out of his seat to Margery, asking if she can prepare him a boiled eel. She challenges and tries to explain to him that they have many bones and that it would probably be impossible for him to digest the entire thing, but the money convinces her otherwise. He watches as she boils one of them in a pot of water, drains it after the creature is dead, and then lightly seasons it on a plate. Bryan stands over by the cooking counter while she watches him attempt to eat it. Aldan is still sitting at the table, looking from a distance. The courageous boy bites deeply into it, crunching his teeth down on its guts and bones, which slime down his chin. As expected, he spits out the first bite out on the plate and Margery laughs at him. "Sorry, Margery. I guess I don't have the taste for it after all."

He wipes his face clean with a napkin, putting it over the eel and hands it back over to her. After gargling the taste out of his mouth with water in the bathroom he rushes back to Aldan, sitting down in frustration. "I couldn't eat it."

Aldan pats Bryan on the head. "I'm not surprised, Bry. But you know what?" He slides his hand down to the back of Bryan's neck and duck down until his eyes are even with Bryan's. "Drew's laughing right now, and I bet he's so happy that you tried. It was very brave of you, very sweet of you and I'm very, very glad that you're my son and I'm prouder of you than I can say." Aldan pulls Bryan close and kisses his forehead. "I love you, son."

"I love you too, Dad." Bryan's eyes twinkle and shine as he smiles up to his father.

Looking at the sky, Aldan cracks his neck. "It's getting time, I think. To see his final resting place. If we take the side streets, I know where we can get some cinnamon cookies for us and some flowers for him." He stands and drops some silver coins on the table. "Ready to head out, soldier?"

"Yes, father." Bryan checks to make sure he hasn't left his sword behind and then follow Aldan out of the door. He stays close to his Dad and holds his hand as they walk to Whirlwind.

Aldan lifts Bryan onto Whirlwind and they head out. Before long, the streets are filling with people. Laborers heading home from their work, tradesmen making last minutes deliveries, merchants haggling over last minute deals before shuttering for the night. Small food carts are busy, with lines of citizens, buying hot soup or cooked meats and pies. Restaurants and pubs begin to fill with hungry and thirsty patrons.

Walking close beside Bryan and Whirlwind, Aldan marvels at the city as it comes to life. Fitful life before settling down for the night. Men, women and children going to and fro, alone or in groups. Anthros, humans, an elf or two. Different races and creeds from a dozen different realms, here in the city. Aldan's city. He sees the worst every day. Rapers and killers, mostly. It's hard to remember that not everyone follows paths of violence. Drew was so gentle. If only they'd met sooner.

Bryan spends most of his time people-watching as they head through the crowds. He tries to keep his eyes open for the wolf-demon boy that Drew told him about, but has no luck finding him. In fact, he see's no demon whatsoever among the entirety of the walk. Eventually, they stop to get some food, feed Whirlwind, and spend around an hour trying to pick out an assortment of flowers. The day has flown by so quickly for the two of them. "Are you as exhausted as I am, Dad? Are we almost there?"

Aldan looks up at his son. Bryan looks so young, so tired. "We're almost there, kid-o." He walks with his hand on Bryan's back, rubbing his back and shoulders. "It's been a long, long day."

Indeed, the hilltop cemetery rises in the distance. Spread over three low, sloping hills form the majority of the cemetery. It's well tended, with a few above ground mausoleums for wealthy and powerful families or organizations. The Knights of the Bloody Rose have a large mausoleum, recognizable even from this distance for the bronze statue of a knight atop it's peaked roof. As they approach the iron fence that surrounds the entirety of the cemetery, sorrow grows in Aldan's chest.

They approach the gates and Aldan slows. "Time to hop off, son It's rude to ride a horse in a cemetery. It upsets the dead."

"Yes, father." Bryan hops off of his horse, tying his tack to a tree and hugging around his neck before he walks away. He stays close to his father. It doesn't even seem real that he could be gone so quickly. "We just rode Whirlwind this morning and now we're..." His throat goes dry as he mutters, "Going to visit his grave."

"I know." Aldan walks with his hand on Bryan's shoulder. He's comforting his boy, but also gaining strength from him. He looks around, finally spying a fresh grave on a hillside, overlooking the river. A simple arrangement of summer flowers rests in a clay vase atop the mounded dirt. He steers Bryan towards the grave. A wooden marker rests at the head. As they get closer, Aldan can read the freshly painted and carved writing - "Drew. Beloved Husband."

His steps are heavy now and he feels his heart collapsing in his sorrow. He holds on to Bryan's shoulder. They stop at the foot of the grave.

Bryan puts his assortment of flowers into the vase with the others, laying on his knees as he looks down at the fresh dirt and the marker. "Will he get a new marker at some point? Isn't his last name and birth date missing?"

Aldan kneels next to Bryan. He wipes his eyes with his sleeve. It takes him a moment to be able to speak. "Yes. I'll have a stone marker made with his name and birthdate. I should have asked him what he wanted. I don't know if he'd rather use our name or his father's. I think we should add "Beloved Father", too."

He hugs his father as he speaks, "I read that when demons marry, they take on the females last name, but if it's a marriage between two guys or girls, they choose. Something tells me that he'd prefer to have our last name."

"I think you're right. I don't think his father would want Drew to use his name, either." He looks at Bryan. His eyes are wet, but he's not embarrassed to let Bryan see his pain. "We loved him, he loved us. We'll give him our name, won't we?"

Bryan nods, a stream of tears coming down both of his eyes. He smiles though, despite the situation, and holds onto his father tightly. "I'm going to miss you, Drew."

The two of them kneel in silence. Their thoughts run to their own memories of Drew. So alive this morning. Laughing with Bryan on Whirlwind. Holding hands with Aldan. Bryan cries openly, Aldan only slightly less so. The summer sun sinks to the horizon.

"Bryan, would you mind waiting down with Whirlwind?" Aldan swallows hard. "I'd like to have a few minutes alone."

Bryan wipes away his tears, putting one hand to the dirt and kissing at it before he stands up and responds. "Yes, Dad. I love you. Take as long as you need." The boy slowly walks away, making sure not to step on any of the graves as he walks back to Whirlwind.

Aldan moves so that he's close to the marker, and to the head of the grave. He rests one hand on the marker. His shoulder rise and fall as he cries, openly for first time since it happened. His tears roll down his face, dripping on the freshly turned earth. "I wish we had had more time, Drew. I wish I had kissed you more, or held you more. If you don't want my name, you'll have to give me a sign. We should have talked about that, I guess. All these scars, and I've never hurt like I hurt without you. Every wound, all at once, are a pinprick compared to how much I miss you, Drew. I love you." He sobs. "I'll find your friend, and we'll save the wolf-boy. I promise." Taking a few deep breaths, Aldan looks up to the sky. "If you can see me, Drew, or hear me, I love you. I love you and always will. I'll visit as often as I can, babe. Gotta get Bryan home. He's been a trooper today. You're proud of him, I know." Aldan stands, brushing dirt from his pants. He bows his head and takes a daffodil from the vase. He kisses it and balances it on top of the marker. "I'll see you later, Drew. Love you."

Aldan descends slowly, trying to compose himself. When he reaches Bryan, he takes him into a huge, great bear-hug, before helping him onto the horse. He hugs Whirlwind around the neck. "You're a good ol' horse. You always take care of my boy." Sighing, he pats Bryan's leg. "Let's go home."

Deep in their pockets, the purple stones that Drew had given them glow without them noticing for the entirety of their walk home. Somewhere among the kingdom, a young boy with long black hair, black wolf ears, and a glossy black tail lays on his mattress in fear as a strange shadow figure stands above him. Five hundred miles away from the kingdom, a half-elf and a blonde demon rest together by a river stream after defeating a group of vicious Cruiberg warriors. In the morning, the elf agrees to the demons plan to move to the 'peaceful' kingdom. Little does anyone realize the danger and destruction that lingers over it and is to come.

THE END.