The Pellegrine

BY
Soul Lark

Book VII
Aurelia

Chapter 9
Quiet Before the Storm

© The author reserves all rights to this work.

Disclaimer:

This story is of an adult nature. It is not intended for minors nor for those whose law in their land forbids them to read this material.
This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people is purely coincidental and unintentional.

NB: Words found between asterisks (*) refer to words exchanged in psychic or telepathic communication.


Date: 11 December 2674, Friday

Jorg stpped into the medical facility with a heavy heart. He was about to meet the person who saved his life: Brin. At the same time, he had to ask Brin to take a temporary break from all activity, something that Brin would obviously object to. Jorg had received a call from the magi doctors saying that Brin was being difficult. He wanted to go back to Uranus to help Jorg out with his mission. However, Brin was recovering from a laser wound that was meant for Jorg. If he disregarded his doctors’ orders, he risks further damage to his shoulder wound and may not recover at all. Brin was a doctor himself. It is true that doctors make the worst patients.

Taking a deep breath, as if he was gathering up courage from the air, Jorg continued walking to the front medical station.

“Good day, I’m here to see Brin Ullun Shannon.”

“He should be in the artificial garden right now,” replied the nurse. “You’re Jorg, right?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Brin talks about you a lot. He thinks very highly of you. He’s been telling us that you’d bring him back to Uranus. The doctors advise against that, you know?”

“Yes. They called me. Telling him to stay back here to recover is not going to be easy. Asking me to say it is going to hurt him even more.”

“I think he feels useless and hopeless at the moment. To a certain extent, he is useless but then, there’s always hope, isn’t there?”

Jorg gave a nod and said, “Thank you …”

“Valerie”

“Thank you Valerie. You’ve just helped me.”

“Glad to be of service,” replied the nurse with a smile.

Jorg followed the directions to the artificial garden. The magi medical facility was actually in the middle of a huge city. It was several storeys below the underground railway of that city. Thus, it had to find a way to simulate the outdoors. Planting a garden using artificial lights was the only way to do it. Jorg had not been to the medical facility for quite a while. The last time he visited the artificial garden was when he was tending to the dying Silver Falcon, a former President of the Magi Council. She was in and out of the facility towards the end of her life. In the end, she requested that she be allowed to die. She was about nine hundred and sixty years old.

The first thing Jorg noticed was that the artificial sky seemed more real than it used to. There was a central moving lamp to simulate the sun but the holographic projection of the sky with clouds were very realistic. As he entered the walkway, there was a sign indicating the time every day when the garden is closed for maintenance. It was during supper every day.

Jorg mentally reached out and found Brin seated by a tree. As he approached, Brin caught sight of him.

“How’s things?” Brin asked Jorg.

“Could be better, I suppose,” replied Jorg with a smile.

“You know I could still be at Uranus and the Pellegrine? I may have lost my right shoulder but I can still work,” said Brin.

“Brin,” Jorg said, “don’t be difficult. You know that you can recover fully if you take the rest prescribed. Going back to active duty might cause your injury to become a permanent one.”

Brin was silent. Jorg could see that he was angry. He looked up with tears in his eyes and said, “I took the blasted shot for you, Jorg. I could’ve been killed. Now that I’m useless to you, you’re going to chuck me aside?”

“Brin! No one’s chucking you aside. You need to be healed! You’re a doctor, for crying out loud! You know what will happen to you if you got to Uranus right now?”

Brin nodded sadly.

“I know that knowing the truth doesn’t take away the hurt. I wish that it was me who took the shot.”

“Don’t say that Jorg! The future of humanity needs you. You need to lead the magi to the Creators’ planet.”

Jorg stood there stunned for a moment. “What gave you the idea that I was going back to the Creators’ planet?”

“When I was young, my great uncle used to tell us some of the legends of the magi. One that I remember distinctly was that someone would be chosen by the creators to lead a group of humans and magi to the magi creators. Then, the magi creators would be able to bestow the gift that has elluded humanity for millennia. I checked magi archives and found that this legend is one of the oldest in the archive. The legend is now all but forgotten with all the space flight and increased workload but I know that legends like that have a knack for being true.”

“How did you make the connection?” asked Jorg.

“You were taking genetic profiles. So many of them! Then the building of this new ship, the Pellegrine. This isn’t just about the cruise. It is about the ship eventually being used to reach the Creators’ planet. I’m right, aren’t I, Jorg? You’re the chosen one to lead the chosen few to the Creators’ planet?”

Jorg smiled. “You aren’t wrong, Brin, but not completely correct at the same time. The Pellegrine that we have is not suited for long distance space travel. It is truly a cruise ship.”

“So you know where the Creators’ planet is?” asked Brin.

“Yes and no. How do I explain this? I know the route there but I don’t know how to get there. If it makes any sense to you.”

Brin thought for a while. “You know the route but you don’t know how … well … you have a kind of map but you don’t have the means to get there?”

“Something like that. It’s more like having a map but not knowing where the starting point is. It’s like having a map of an island but you don’t know where in the world the island is,” replied Jorg.

“It would be a great adventure …” said Brin dreamily. Then he looked up with sad eyes and said, “But I won’t be part of it, will I? … Now that I am crippled?”

“Yes you will. You just need to rest a bit. You’ll need to heal. Furthermore, we have a different mission from the Magi Council now. A very powerful magus has decided to use a very ingenious means to control the world. He’s stationed on Earth. We need someone on Earth to monitor his movements. Once the regeneration of your muscles are proceeding fine, you could be the one to monitor him. In one sense, you’ll be in the front line again.”

“But it isn’t the same as before. I’ll be far from the rest of you,” said Brin sadly.

“No it won’t,” admitted Jorg. “However, it won’t be a permanent thing. Once we’ve completed this mission, you would have already completed the regenerative processes and then be ready to take on our original task.”

“Who are we talking about, this renegade magus?” asked Brin. When Jorg sent him the identity, Brin’s eyes grew large. “I do believe we need to be careful with this one,” he said, watching Jorg nodding in response. “Perhaps we will require more time … more than what it takes for me to completely heal.”

§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §

Date: 18 December 2674, Friday

Jacques could feel his heart pumping. He could sense every corpuscle that was coursing through his veins and arteries. He was in total awareness of his body. He began to get deeper into this awareness and he was vaguely aware of his own surroundings. He was able to sense one of the antique vases that the Master Jorg had in his home. He could sense the smoothness and the hardness of the porcelain. He allowed his mind to continue in the experience of being able to feel the vase without physically touching it. The sensations were the strongest so far. He was even able to sense an imperfection in the seemingly perfect vase. There was a little brushstroke missing. He could sense that it was found on the part that was facing the wall, the part that was not displayed. His senses became aware of the vase being half-filled with water. As he got deeper into his training, he sensed other things …

† ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ †

“You look tired,” remarked Heath. “Perhaps we should rest.”

“I’m sorry,” replied Jacques apologetically. “I’m not being much fun, am I?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Heath, though he knew what Jacques was getting into.

“I mean … Friday night is always love-night. I’ve spoilt it. I knew I shouldn’t have trained that extra hour …”

“You’ve spoilt nothing,” interrupted Heath. “Master Jorg sensed that you were advancing further and he sensed that you’d enough strength to carry on. You’re advancing pretty quickly and it’d been a waste if you stopped. Don’t worry. We don’t have work tomorrow and so we’d be able to spend the morning in bed. With our energies replenished, it’d be so much more satisfying. Quit beating yourself up. I’d read that making love in the mornings can be more thrilling.”

This caused Jacques to smile in gratitude.

Heath looked at Jacques tenderly. He brushed off the little fringe that fell across Jacques’ forhead. Jacques was also staring intently into Heath’s eyes. The blue eyes seemed to speak of eternal love. Then he felt Heath’s mind slowly open. Jacques looked into it and felt the great love Heath had for him. Heath would feel serenity whenever he looked at Jacques sleeping silently in the morning. He would feel tremendous joy whenever Jacques smiled. Whenever Jacques became anxious, Heath’s heart would beat a little faster as well. Whenever there was an argument between the two, Heath might be angry but he appreciated Jacques’ being able to stand his ground when he was right, or admitting wrong when he made a mistake. In the final analysis, Heath would want Jacques in no other way than what he was right then. It was a very intense emotional moment. Jacques’ eyes began to become wet. Jacques sensed that fatigue was setting in within Heath. So, very gently, Jacques removed himself from Heath. Then Heath leaned forward and kissed Jacques on the forhead.

“I do believe we just made love,” Heath said softly.

“That was so intense, Heath,” replied Jacques. “Thanks.”

“Thanks nothing,” said Heath with a leer. “I want the works tomorrow when we wake up!” Heath laid himself on the bed.

Jacques grinned and moved into his partner’s arms. They kissed and soon, Jacques fell into a deep sleep.

§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §

Date: 19 December 2674, Saturday

Jacques woke up feeling very rested. He turned to see Heath’s side of the bed empty. However, he sensed that his partner was near.

“You’re awake, I see,” said Heath as he entered the bedroom from the bathroom. He was naked as a jay bird.

“I remember someone saying that he wanted the works,” Jacques teased. He was surprised to see that Heath was still unaroused.

“I was thinking of a sensual bath before the works. I’ve filled the tub. Let’s get in,” said Heath in a soft voice full of feeling.

Jacques could sense just a little hint of lust in his partner. Heath was full of care and concern this morning. Jacques realised that his partner wanted him to recover his strength more than callisthenics in bed.

Heath had filled a warm bath with certain aromatic oils added to soothe and relax.

*Thanks,* Jacques sent a mental word to Heath.

*No thanks needed. Your well-being is very important to me.*

The two of them got into the bath and they started washing each other. Far from being relaxed, they got more and more aroused by the time they finished their bath. As they towelled each other, they were still communicating with their thoughts.

*I didn’t realise how horny I was …* started Heath.

*You aren’t the only one …*

*I wanted you to be fully recovered after the exhausting day yesterday.*

*Let me show you how fully recovered I am …*

When they were dried, they moved back to the bedroom and were already kissing and feeling each other before collapsing on the bed. Heath opened his mind, allowing Jacques to invade his mind. Jacques reciprocated. Their linked minds actually increased both the pleasure and the intensity of their love making. Jacques could feel he was doing to Heath with his efforts. The knowledge and experience of what pleasure he was giving to Jacques doubled the pleasure for Heath. They were lost in their little world of love and pleasure. After they had climaxed, they rested a while before going for a second round.

¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤

Jorg had to wait for the two lovebirds, Jacques and Heath, to complete what they were doing before he could call on them. They were doing more than just cuddling when Jorg reached towards them psychically. Jorg had to wait almost an hour before they were done.

Jorg was a little envious. He had to train to reach at least level eighteen because the adversary was at least at that level. That meant that he could not engage in any of that sort of sexual activity; and Jorg was in love with another magus, Kean Feehan. Kean was his fourth love in his six hundred and fifty-four years. The other three were already dead. At first Jorg had relieved himself with fantasies of Kean but found them rather distracting during training. So he gave up the fantasies and found that his need to relieve himself was waning as well.

“What are you doing here?” exclaimed Jacques as he came out into the living room naked. Not to embarrass him further, Jorg willed a bathrobe over him. “Thank you,” he said.

“What’s that, love?!” Heath called out from the bedroom.

“Put something on, Jorg’s here!” Jacques replied loudly.

“I’m sorry for this but I had some great news for you,” Jorg said. “I realised that you were awake but not quite ready to see me and so I waited.”

“How long have you been waiting?” asked Jacques narrowing his eyes.

“Please be careful of what you do. You may hurt someone,” Jorg warned.

“What do you mean?” Jacques asked

“I’m here,” said Heath, coming out wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Good morning Master Jorg.”

“You won’t be needing the medallions I gave you anymore,” said Jorg with a grin.

Jacques’ eyes widened.

“You don’t mean?” Heath asked with his eyes widened too.

“Yes. Your magi transformation is complete. It was completed last night.”

“Wow!” they said together.

“Actually, you needn’t give me back the medallions, I could’ve easily retrieved my psychic energy from my place. However, when I tried to retrieve it this morning, I was surprised to sense some strong emotions emanating from you. I guessed what was happening and so I came and waited here to tell you the news instead.”

The two of them blushed and Jorg gave a small laugh.

“Now then, if you’d allow me?” Jorg asked. They nodded and Jorg psychically retrieved his energies. Once complete, he gave a grin. Jacques and Heath looked at him questioningly. “Your powers have increased,” replied Jorg. “Both your strengths are at the brink of level three. Wow! that’s news to me. I’m happy.”

“You mean that we can do some stuff that only magi can do?” asked Heath.

“Yes. But only those in level one at the moment; those which I have taught you. You’ll need to learn more to be on par with the level you’re going to. Your training’s going to be more difficult from now on.”

End of Book VII

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