Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:10:08 -0800 From: Joshua Seeker Subject: Torchlight Hope you like it - email me at JSWalker24@gmail.com Luxomancy. Not many normal people have heard of it. Hell not many "normal" people have heard of capable wizards or the things we keep from wreaking havoc on daily "normal" life. It's a special kind of magic, being able to control light. In fact I consider it the most important. Most people have an irrational fear of the dark - except, really, it's not irrational. You know the saying "do not fear the darkness, fear what the darkness hides?" Bullshit. This dark IS what the darkness hides. This is a darkness of another kind. I'm talking a serious malevolent force. This is why I consider my power the most important. I control light. There are those who control the darkness, can draw it to them. Most end up crazy killers; people like that end up thriving on the evil the darkness brings in. I however shine through that. I radiate light, and it's the exact light that counters what those people draw to themselves. It's what I do. I fight the darkness, literally. I It had just been a shitty week for me. I knew there was something wrong when I missed a location reading. That's how I determine where these people who bring in the dark operate. I had been off on finding the target like three times and that never happens. I'm not perfect or anything but come on, three missed spells in a week? In a row? This was not normal. I had decided to just go for bust when out of the blue I knew something was amiss. There's an alley behind my house that vagrants use to sleep in. Only the really desperate go after the street bums and they sure as hell didn't go after the ones anywhere near my place. But sure enough I saw it, the whole place started going dark. "Son of a bitch," I said looking out my window. Not that it did any good, the thing might as well have been painted over. I grabbed my ring and slipped it on heading out the door. Without my ring the light emanates from the center of my chest and it looks hokey so I rigged a special ring made of hematite as a focus for the energy. That way the ring would glow, not "my heart." As I skidded into the alley I heard crying - young crying, a child's crying. I clenched my jaw, nothing infuriates me more than these people preying on children. The darkness was so pervasive even the street lights couldn't pierce it. I threw my hand out and from my palm, specifically the ring on my finger, I ignited a ball of purest light. I swept it across in an arc in front of my and the light blazed through the darkness, penetrating it and holding it back. "You picked the wrong alley asshole," I snarled and pushed forward with my will, making the shine more intense. There was a gasp, someone fell, and the pressing dark lifted, almost blew away with no one to hold it in any longer. On the ground lay a boy, about eleven years old, dirty but not ragged. On his hands and arms were cuts and bruises. I could tell they were defensive wounds. Someone had attacked him. I kept myself ready, expecting to be jumped by the person responsible for the darkness and for hurting the child; nothing came. I released my energy and with an almost audible puff the light ceased to radiate out of me. I knelt by the boy and took his head in my hand. I gasped and knew instantly what had happened. Mages have an ability to detect one another, but only by direct contact. The ability to manipulate energy with your mind leaves one open to other's mental energy. Soon as I touched him I could sense it. It was the boy, the boy was the luxomancer. He had the ability to call darkness and it was he who had called it in the alley. He had been so scared... so frightened, I could feel it. It was that emotional torrent that called his power to action. I remember it myself as a child, feeling the rush and exhilaration or something would cause the light to shine through me. But this, this poor boy was the opposite. When he felt emotion strong enough, the darkness would collect on him. The darkness pulled down to him, and would threaten to smother him. I've felt that dark before, it nothing a child should ever have to face. Steeling myself, I scooped up the boy's tiny form and carried him into my home. I laid him down on the bed in the back and quickly moistened washcloths in my adjoining bathroom. When I entered the bedroom again, there at the edges of the walls, was the darkness closing in. I was afraid this would happen. Being unconscious does nothing but disrupt the abilities for a moment if the dread is still there. I used to go off in my sleep all the time, almost blinded the cat once, but this boy called the dark to him and if it happened while asleep, he'd have the most horrible nightmares. I didn't want to think about it. I began to focus my will, bringing the light, but I still had on the ring and rather than a soft glow, all I was answered with was a bright ring of stone. I quickly slipped it off and began again, this time it seemed like my whole being began to radiate. There was a warmth just beneath my chest and I felt it give off the light which would counter this poor boy's power. Sure enough I could see the darkness halt and cease its encroachment. I began to clean the boy's hands and arms, gently washing the blood away. Someone had attacked him, these were defensive wounds. As I cleaned and tended him, the boy relaxed, the darkness receded, and I released my will, diffusing my glow. I used a special bandage to seal the cuts and was gently rubbing in a cream to help the bruises when the boy's eyes opened. "What?" he began and I put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from jarring himself. "Shhh," I said pressing softly. "You're alright. It's fine, you're alright." "Where am I?" the boy said looking directly at me. For a moment, I was amazed he could keep calm until I realized he probably taught himself to keep emotions under check, for fear of the darkness coming. He had the most striking green eyes. Like a wooded glen at night. They were deep and very solemn. Over his nose was the smallest smattering of freckles and on his chin was a small scar on the left side. Hairline thin; going downwards. His hair was sandy brown and his bangs covered his forehead in little pointed lines. He squinted his eyes as though trying to study me, looking to see my reaction. "You collapsed in the alley behind my home," I said, "I found you and saw you were hurt so I brought you inside to clean your owies" "My wounds are fine thank you," he said dispassionately. His cold nature broke my heart. I realized this boy must have been hounded by the darkness for most of his life, his powers having manifested early. I wondered how many years he suffered before finding relief. If remaining emotionally bricked was relief... My fingers dropped the boy's hand and I sat back to look at him. His breathing was slow and steady, his gaze was straight and narrow. He'd managed to train himself to remain calm no matter what. He wasn't a little boy... he was a broken boy... "How-" My voice choked and I had to start again. "How did you end up behind my house?" The boy took a deep breath and spoke in a cold and detached voice. "My mother took her final disagreement with me over her destructive habits too far and threw me out." (That explained the wounds. The boy's own mother.) "In a panic I left and wandered the streets for days trying to escape." (He did not elaborate, but I knew what he was running from.) "I could go no longer and I ended up in your back yard. I am sorry." His breathing started to pick up as he talked. I began to speak when he caught his breath with a sharp intake and his eyes went wide. "No!" he hissed and gripped the bed hard with his hands. I looked up to see that in his mentioning his mother, or his ordeal, his emotional defenses had weakened and he began to call the darkness toward him. He was in a state and it looked like it was going to get worse. I took a chance. I concentrated and reached out my hand to touch him while I called forth the light. The instant my hand touched him I illuminated the room with my power and he saw the darkness push back from the room. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open with a silent gasp as I held his curse at bay with my power. "It's ok," I said and the boy scrambled up and embraced me, hugging me into him, hugging the light I offered close to him. I heard a sob and knew he let himself feel, let himself go. I pushed back his darkness and just held him. He cried into my shoulder and chest and I raised my hand to the back of his head and stroked his hair. It was softer than anything I had ever felt. II Liam had his head buried in the fridge for the third time this afternoon. "We're out of sandwich bread!" he yelled, to which I responded, "I just bought a loaf of sourdough!" Let it be said that boys will eat you out of house and home. "You can't make peanut butter and jelly with sourdough!" he yelled. "Make turkey!" I returned. "I don't want turkey!" "Ugh..." I picked myself up from my chair in the study and made for the kitchen. I found the little guy barefoot in his favorite green shorts and white shirt gazing into a full fridge and complaining there was nothing to eat. In the month that Liam had been with me there had been a wonderful transformation in his demeanor. His paralyzing fear of the dark has begun to wane since he knew of my abilities to banish the darkness. The first week he never left my side and I had to use my abilities almost constantly as I taught him to control his power. When he seemed to master a few basics I saw the greatest transformation ever. He began to feel. This poor boy had literally shut himself off emotionally, but as soon as he felt safe, he opened up and the smile on this boy's face was more brilliant than anything my powers could generate. He was becoming a boy again, in full, and I was helping him along. To hear him laugh and not be afraid that his emotional state would cause a crushing appearance of the darkness was like the music of life itself. Liam used his foot to close the fridge door and crossed his arms in a pout. "We could order something," I offered and his face lit up at the idea of having pizza. "Not pizza though, Chinese." His mouth made a little point and his eye brows cocked in a puzzled furrow. "You can order Chinese food from home?" he asked and walked over to one of the bar stools I kept along the kitchen wall. He hopped up and sat, his little feet dangling down to the floor, bouncing on the legs of the stool. "Oh yeah," I said picking up the phone. "Since when?" He asked, now pressing the cross bar of the stool leg's between his toes. "Since forever," I replied and started to dial a place I knew. I watched as he played his toes along the wood and wiggled them against his chair as the phone rang. Finally it was picked up and I ordered the deliciousness that is Chinese takeout. As I hung up Liam hopped off the stool and began to wander out of the kitchen when I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Let's do our exercises," I said and he paused for a moment before nodding. This was the only time Liam's old personality resurfaced - or rather I should say he buried his real personality. When dealing with his magic he became very serious and always listened intently to what I was teaching. With his control though came his ability to laugh and smile so I knew this was an important element in his life. Liam took his shirt off and began to stretch his arms a bit. I watched his smooth back ripple as he rotated his joints and when he turned to face me the band of his white briefs poked up out of the green shorts just below his belly button. The little innie moved back and forth as his stomach tensed and relaxed, his increased breathing making his chest expand. He had little dime sized nipples which appeared quite dark against his milky skin. He cracked his neck and put his arms to his sides. I began. I always went first because he knew I was his safety net. I would begin to illuminate and he would begin to bring down the shadow. We'd teeter back and forth - I'd push against his force; his will would bend in toward mine - it was how he learned control. He'd become so good at it that by the end of the matches, as he called them, he could sit in a full meditative state and not have his magic overtake him. By practicing in the absence of emotion and then allowing the feeling in, one can learn to control anything of the mind. We started standing, and slowly sat down over the course of half an hour. Liam closed his eyes but I left mine open, to watch him. I looked at the little cross legged boy and marveled at him. How he could withstand so much, and how he had thrived with the barest assistance. His chest rose and fell gently as he breathed. His feet were tucked under his legs and his hands sat gently on his thighs. Suddenly I dropped my field to the lowest level and I saw Liam tense as he held the darkness at bay. He was good, he'd have more control than even myself when he finished developing his skill. The magic dropped and Liam was in control. He grounded the remaining energy, opened his eyes and smiled at me. "You've gotten very good," I said and with a whoop he bounded up and danced around, pumping his fists and shaking his butt. It was wonderful to see. The doorbell rang and the food had arrived. Liam and I made quick work of it while we watched TV, Liam opting to remain shirtless as he learned to use chopsticks, and after spilling noodles, chicken, and three kinds of rice on his chest and tummy decided to use a spoon. The remaining evening was given to the gods of video games and I returned to my study while Liam went and showered for bed. It was about an hour later when I heard the scream. I jumped up and gathered my will while dashing down the hall. I could see the shadow already hanging low over Liam's door which was closed. He never closed his door. And for a boy scared of normal dark cause evil dark was always after him, that's a big deal. I opened the door and poured my will out into the light illuminating from my chest. There on the bed was a naked Liam, curled into a ball, his covers thrown off and his underwear on the floor. I got to the side of his bed and shoved the darkness back. What the hell had happened? I pulled his shoulder and he uncurled and I saw he was crying. That's a good sign, normally he just locked up emotionally. He flung himself to me and hugged me tight as he cried into my shoulder. I held him against me and just let him get through it. His tiny frame against me was chilled but warming fast and I felt a poking in my stomach from his hips. When he had calmed down he let go and I let him slide to the bed. I sat down on the edge and he curled his legs into him and held them against his chest. His toes gripped the sheet he was so tense. "What happened?" I said and put my arm around him, stroking his back. "I thought I could control it," he said, talking into his knees. "What were you doing?" I asked. He shifted his legs a bit and then it became clear. I could see his little hardness still sticking out. He'd been trying to masturbate, probably his first time ever - no, second, I corrected myself. First time he was attacked by his own powers from the loss of control emotionally. Now he thought he had enough control to try again. But the rush of feelings were too great... poor kid. I pulled him toward me and he rotated and released his knees. He leaned back into me and sighed sadly. "Why is it like this?" he asked and I thought of a dozen things he could mean but I knew what he meant. I sighed and replied I didn't know and stroked his hair. He relaxed a bit and moved his head to the side, letting it lull. His neck stretched and I looked down his body to see his toes point. I licked my lips and as I shifted my arms to wrap toward his belly I kissed his neck. His intake of breath was gentle and the sigh he gave was sweetened by a small moan. I kissed again, taking the soft skin into my mouth and suckling on it. He pushed down with his arms to rise up and I held him by the tummy as he pushed into me. The light began to emanate from me as I kissed him softly over and over. I took his earlobe into my mouth and pinched it with my lips. His little gasps came out as moans of pleasure and I moved my hands over his taut stomach while he writhed in my embrace. His little penis was so hard but I didn't touch it, leaving my hands on his tummy. I sat up a bit to relieve my craning neck when Liam shifted. "What are you doing? No... go..." he said and rose up and offered me the other side of his neck. I didn't have to bend down to kiss him now. His legs were ramrod straight as he arched and I could kiss him all over the nape of his neck with ease. The smell of the boy's hair was intoxicating and the taste of his skin was sweet and salty. I hugged him close and nibbled a bit on the nape of his neck before kissing repeatedly on his gently sloped shoulders. His head fell back into the arch of my neck and I held him until I was sure he was asleep. I placed him down and covered him up and went to bed myself. III The next day I didn't mention the event from that night and neither did Liam. Poor kid had tried to masturbate but his emotions ran too high and he lost control of it again. I felt terrible. Not just because the kid had been interrupted in what I thought was one of the few wonderful things a person can do for themselves with no expense to anyone else, but because it had probably been my praise at his success that convinced him he could try it. He did though seem appreciative of my handling the situation, both that night and afterward. In fact it was the next morning when he gave me a kiss for the first time. Just on the cheek when he came down for breakfast. He'd never done that before and it felt like in that kiss he poured out his thanks. He seemed more at ease, and not just with emotions, but with his ability to be close to me. There was defiantly a barrier dissolving. It was about four days later when I was awoken in bed by a gentle movement. I opened my eyes to find Liam standing there in his briefs, shaking my shoulder. "What?" I said blearily. "What is it?" "I'm scared." He whispered. I couldn't sense anything so I knew it wasn't the darkness - his darkness. It may have been the normal dark scaring him but he could keep his power on check against normal fear now. "Do you need a light?" I asked considering lighting a candle for him. "Can I... sleep with you?" he asked quietly. That suprised me. Even when he was first here he never asked to sleep with me. I always slept near him or sat guard by his bed for him. Never with him. "S-sure," I said and I scooted back to let the little boy into the covers. He climbed in and I felt him press his cold feet to my legs. He snuggled back and his soft cotton clad behind rubbed into my stomach. I put my arm around him, covering him up with the blanket and he laid his head down in front of mine, sighing as he did so. I leaned forward and kissed the back of his head. "Good night Liam," I whispered. "Will you..." he hesitated a moment. "Do like the night before please?" He bent his head exposing the nape of his neck and in the dim light his skin looked so soft. The downy hair at the base of his neck glowed softly in the half shadow and without saying a word, I bent forward a laid my lips on him. He sighed and melted into the bed. I began to move around, kissing as I went, over his shoulder, his hair, his neck. His soft flesh under my lips was like a sweet drink that I sipped over and over. He snuggled under the blanket while I sucked gently on his skin, sending him into shivers. I paused to catch my breath and he turned around to face me. Liam's face was one of pure trust and his eyes begged for me to continue. I leaned in and kissed his forehead and I felt it on the edge oh my consciousness. The darkness. His powers were getting away from him because of his emotional state but there was no way I would deny him this. I pushed out with my will and held it back, then leaned in to kiss my boy's nose. Liam took the chance and moved his lips to kiss mine. The feel of his lips, the soft pillows that were his lips... nothing I had felt with anyone else could compare. He kissed me as a boy kisses, with unbridaled love, and I kissed back with his passion doubled over. The light shining out of me brightened as we shared each other's embrace. I was being pushed back. Liam laid me down and moved to straddle me, sitting on my stomach. He laid down on my chest and we continued to kiss as I ran my hands over his smooth back. I could feel his hardness pressing into me through the cotton of his briefs. The strained fabric was being stretched to its limit. My hands roved lower and I reached his soft cheeks. My hands gripped him through his underwear and I felt him push his hips into me. I began to lose control myself and the light shone brighter from my chest, and when Liam pulled off from our kissing his face was lit up and his hair shone gold in the light. Liam shifted now; he moved down and straddled my waist. I had grown stiff myself and I knew he had to feel it through my boxers. He moved his hands to the elastic of his underwear and leaning forward, shot his legs out behind him to slide his undies down off his body. He flipped off the briefs with his toes and then sat back up, rubbing himself against me. The stiff boyhood pressed on my own was above average for his age. He was hairless but the signs of puberty had begun in the growth of his penis. As he began to move against me, his foreskin would pull back and expose the purple head underneath. Then as he slid back it would retreat into the soft hood once more. The gliding action of his foreskin made his humping easy and natural. I could hear his breathing pick up and the force of his magic began to intensify. I didn't even have to respond to it. My own feelings were so strong now the light I gave off was enough to illuminate the room. There for all to see was my boy, his hands griping my chest, his penis rubbing my underwear, the head peeking out over and over as he thrust and humped. He paused for a moment and leaned back. He found the fly on my boxers and reached in. "Liam-" I began but I felt the finger of his hand touch me and grip me and I could say no more. He pulled me out of the cloth prison and lined his penis on top of mine. Then he began again to hump onto my body. I could feel his foreskin moving. I could feel his penis sliding and I knew I would not be able to stop myself. It was unlike anything I had felt before. Rubbing on my penis was my little boy, humping toward his first orgasm. Liam's hands gripped my skin and as he thrust I knew he was approaching his climax. I began to thrust with him, feeling our dicks slide together as from within me the rising cum began to boil. From between us a shimmering ball of light formed and Liam began to cry out in ecstasy. His legs twitched against my legs and he moaned hard into the air, arching his back. His climax brought my own and I thrust under him and as I came my magic pulsed and the ball of light shattered into glittering pieces that hung in the room as I came down off my explosive cum. Liam twitched and gasped, his orgasm seemingly to last twice as long as my own. He slumped forward and I caught his shoulder as he fell to my chest, my cooling cum squishing under his stomach. I felt nothing but peace as he fell asleep while I ran my fingers through his hair. Epilogue I had never met anyone like him. He was someone so special to me that I knew he could never be replaced by anyone else no matter how old I got. He taught me things I treasure and showed me how to believe in myself and control myself. That first night we had was the best night of my life because he showed me he loved me and I left afterward knowing I was loved. I do not fear the darkness anymore, because in the glorious instant we shared he gave me a part of himself. Now when the darkness closes in, I only have to think of him, and from my chest the light shines out to repel the darkness. Like a torch, my love burns so bright it keeps the darkness at bay.