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For Love He Would Suffer By Jukebox
Darkness.
He stumbled along, unable to see where he was going for the cloth over his eyes. His hands bound in front of him offered little assistance in feeling his way through. It had happened so suddenly that his mind still whirled in an attempt to catch up to the here and now. One moment he was storming out of the camp after a particularly brutal verbal assault from Caled, the next moment he was attacked, bound and blindfolded by an unseen assailant, and forced to follow along by a rope pulling at his wrists. So caught up in the love-hate relationship he shared with the mercenary, Hadrian hadn’t even had a chance to see the one responsible for taking him. And now, they had walked for such a long time, that his legs threatened to revolt and send him to the ground.
“Come on, sorcerer. We have a ways to go yet.” The gruff tone of his would-be kidnapper startled him from his thoughts as the rope yanked unmercifully on his wrists. Hadrian had tried earlier in the trek to ascertain who the man was and where they were headed, but it had been made clear to him that no conversation was forthcoming from the other.
They traveled a while longer, but time lost all meaning to Hadrian in his exhausted state. His head throbbed in time with the ache in his limbs. Fingers had long since gone numb as circulation to his hands was restricted by the ties around his wrists. He was only dimly aware of the other man coming to a stop until one last yank of the rope sent the sorcerer to his knees; panting for air and head bowed. The voice, as he decided to call the man, muttered under breath as Hadrian listened to him moving about, what he presumed to be a campsite. No sooner did the sorcerer have his breathing back under control when he heard the other man approach and his body tensed as the voice drew near.
The blindfold was roughly pulled off the sorcerer’s eyes and he gazed for the first time upon the face of his attacker. The man was older by several years, the ravages of time having been unkind to his weathered features, though he was not unappealing to the eyes. With hair fading to gray from its once auburn nature, he was broad shouldered and muscular, a height and weight much like Caled, with a scar running down one side of his face. The weapons about his person spoke of his occupation as a mercenary.
“By the gods but you are beautiful, Hadrian ni Leyanon.” he breathed. If he were expecting a surprised reaction from Hadrian, he was sorely disappointed. The sheltered, if not cruel, upbringing he had endured may have rendered the sorcerer naïve in most things, but Hadrian was not stupid. The smirk making its way onto the mercenary’s lips clearly showed that he recognized this fact. It stood to reason that if the mercenary had gone to the trouble to kidnap him, the older man knew his identity. After a moment more of appreciating his victim, the older man stood and continued to prepare the site for the evening, placing some meat onto the fire for both of them and generally ignoring his prisoner.
Hadrian watched bemusedly, taking the time to observe his surroundings in an attempt to identify exactly where he had been taken. But, his lack of skill as a woodsman left him wholly at a disadvantage. All the trees looked the same to him, no different from the trees of the campsite from which he had been stolen earlier in the day. And though he might be able to escape his bonds if luck chose to honor him, there was no doubt that he would be hopelessly lost in the woods and in no way capable of outmanoeuvring an experienced hunter.
Worrying at his bottom lip, Hadrian turned his attention back to his captor. “What is your name?”
The mercenary looked at him briefly and then threw him some cooked rabbit, turning his attention back to his own meal. For a while, it seemed as if the older man would never answer him, and Hadrian focused on his food, his eyes studying the fire. Inwardly, he sighed at his weakness, wishing yet again that he could return to Shard’s Point and simply shrivel away to nothing; turning to ash and blowing away in the wind along with all the other life he had destroyed in his birthplace. But that was the coward’s way out, as he had been informed on numerous occasions by his former lover.
Caled….
What was Gavedon’s Bane doing at this very moment? Was the beautiful, blonde mercenary even aware that Hadrian had been kidnapped by one of his ilk? Surely by now he would be missing the sorcerer. After all, Hadrian mused, Caled wouldn’t want the whole day to go by without tormenting his raven haired beauty.
Hadrian was brought from his thoughts by the husky voice of the scar faced man across from him. “The name’s Corin.” Dark chocolate eyes looked up at the sorcerer as the older man grinned widely. “But you can call me master.”
Hadrian had to turn his gaze from the older man, a slight tremble running through his slender frame at the last statement. He could kill this man so easily and make his way back to Caled. Only he wouldn’t do that. The thought of killing another human being left him cold inside. And to open up to Life, even for just a moment, was too painful. He didn’t want to rape from Life again, not when the only thing he would be saving was himself. Besides, who was he to question the fates? If anyone deserved to be turned over to justice and put to death, it was the Scourge of Rhiad. Bitterness and self-loathing overtook him and he struggled to thicken the walls of ice he had learned to hide his heart behind.
The sorcerer’s inner turmoil was lost on the older mercenary as the man shifted and came to stand over Hadrian. “Get up.” The command took a minute to register, causing Corin to issue it again through gritted teeth. “I said get up.”
Hadrian stood then, and watched as those dark colored eyes raked over his body with barely contained lust. He fingered the ropes about his wrist in his nervous state, waiting on edge to see what would happen next. Corin finally locked on the younger man’s storm gray eyes, his breathing gone slightly heavy as he leered at the boy. “I know all about you. I’ve been watching you and the rest of those fools for quite sometime now.” A low chuckle rumbled from his chest as he continued. “Your lover is very skilled for his age. There were several times I just knew he was onto me. But I have been playing this game a lot longer than he. I even managed to get so close one night that I could have easily reached out and sliced his throat before he knew what hit him.” That shook Hadrian to the core. Caled was one of the best there was in his chosen profession. For this man to get so close…..
“Ah, I see you understand the implications of that.” Corin raked his eyes down Hadrian’s body again, licking his lips in anticipation. “Take off your clothes.”
The sorcerer blinked and then blinked again. Surely he had not just heard...”I’ll not say it again.” Corin barked. With that, the older man reached across his waist and unsheathed a large dagger. “Take. Off. Your. Clothes.”
Hadrian blanched. He couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the demand. Anger welled up as he recognized similarities between this man and his former lover. Both liked to dominate. Both liked to order. And apparently, both liked him naked. “No. I will not do such a thing.” Hadrian said, his chin rising in defiance to the ogre before him.
Corin laughed at the display, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Make no mistake, pretty one. You will ride my cock tonight. Now, you can either take off your clothes”, he held the knife out in front of him, pointing towards the sky and staring at the metal lovingly, “or I cut them off.”
Hadrian shook his head and shifted one foot behind him, ready to run at the first opportunity. There was no way he would just let this man have his way. But, the last thing he expected from the older man was a sigh. “I am not an unreasonable host. You may choose for yourself from the options I present you. I prefer not to damage my property if possible. But, I will if you make me.”
“What makes you think I won’t just kill you? You know who I am, and you know what I am capable of.” Hadrian was wary of the other man and his double-talk; his limited sense of trust that Caled had coaxed out of him on that beautiful, fateful night in the hay loft long sense shattered into so much dust.
“Because the thought of killing another to save yourself fills you with the deepest dread. Because Life hates you and to channel the energy of Life tears your very being apart in pain, leaving you vulnerable to all around you.” Seeing the sorcerer’s eyes widened, Corin grinned. “Yes, I know all about the Order of the White Shard. Besides, you love that blonde who torments you and would not want to see him dead. I meant what I said about getting close enough to cut his throat with him being none the wiser.”
Hadrian gasped. This man had been watching, and for a very long time. He felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away determined not to show any weakness. Biting his lower lip to hide its trembling, Hadrian slowly removed his tunic, coming up short at the rope binding his wrists. With a quick motion, the mercenary sliced off the constraints, allowing the garment to pool at the sorcerer’s feet. “Now the breeches.” Swallowing hard, Hadrian complied with the demand after removing his boots. He stood naked on his tunic, a blush slowly raising on his pale skin much to the mercenary’s delight.
Hadrian exuded an innocence that was very appealing. Corin stared hard at the supple young form as an idea took root in his mind. The sorcerer couldn’t look at him and Corin was sure that the boy was unaware of his natural beauty. “Beautiful” the mercenary whispered.
Corin slowly circled Hadrian like a predator stalking prey, watching sinewy muscle tense under creamy flesh. He pulled the sorcerer’s hands behind and bound them once again. Stepping close behind the raven haired youth, the older man’s breath blew warm across a slender neck causing a shiver to run through the sorcerer’s body. “You have a choice, pretty one. You see yonder tree with the skin removed?” He pointed a large, calloused finger to the far side of the camp, indicating a medium width tree with the bark scrapped clean for approximately two feet from its base. It was obvious that the mercenary had removed the hard, outer skin in preparation for this very night. “I can tie you to that tree where you will remain for the night after I have taken you. Or, you may lay in the bedrolls beside the fire with me.” He paused for effect, allowing the choices to sink in. “Now, if you choose the tree, I will only take you once, but you will not be aloud your clothing and will sit on the bare ground as you hug the tree all night. If you choose the other, you will lie on material, away from the touch of Life, and warmed by the fire. But I will take you several times throughout the night. Make your choice.”
Neither selection was acceptable as far as Hadrian was concerned. His stomach threatened to repel the meager dinner portions consumed as he agonized over the situation. There really was no option. Either one allowed the older man to bed him at least once. But his very sanity would not survive a night of direct contact with nature. In weary resignation, he delivered his decision.
Corin came round to stand in front of Hadrian, leering at him before taking the dark-haired sorcerer’s arm and walking him towards the bedding. “P-please don’t do this to me.” Hadrian was unable to control the shaking of his voice, to his dismay. The older man paused for a moment as he glanced back at Hadrian’s widened, expressive, storm gray eyes. Something briefly knotted in the mercenary’s gut at the soft plea and unshed tears, but he ruthlessly pushed it aside as his lust rose anew. The smile that appeared on his face was not quite malevolent, but not quite sincere causing Hadrian’s breath to hitch.
As they lay, the older man spooning behind him, Hadrian gave up all pretense of bravery. He sobbed openly as the tears ran down his face. The stroke of the mercenary’s hand up and down his spine was surprisingly tender, as if taming a skittish colt, and it sent an unwelcome shiver straight to his groin. He felt Corin shifting behind him, removing clothing, and then naked flesh met naked flesh. “Please don’t.” Hadrian continued to whisper as Corin worked hands over him slowly and almost reverently, stirring an unwelcome reaction from his traitorous body.
Warm, wet lips kissed the nape of the sorcerer’s neck and, eventually, Corin moved two fingers across Hadrian’s lips, slipping them inside. The raven haired beauty, though lacking much experience, understood the unspoken command and he laved the fingers with his tongue. Disgust and shame filled him as his cheeks heated in embarrassment. But, he continued to suckle the digits as Caled had taught him, blinking around the tears as his blurry vision turned inward to his beautiful, blonde lover. How long had it been since he had felt this way? It seemed like eons had passed since that night in the loft, the memory of which he called on now to help him through this ordeal as he became aware of those fat fingers opening up his passage in preparation for something larger. The mercenary was skilled in his own right, twisting and pumping the fingers until he found what he was looking for. Hadrian moaned like a whore, arching his back and seeing stars when Corin touched that sensitive spot inside. NO his mind roared. He could not be enjoying this. But, Hadrian’s body didn’t seem to follow the same edict as his mind.
All too soon the digits were gone, leaving Hadrian with an empty feeling as his hips involuntarily moved back towards the body behind. He felt Corin’s tip position itself at his opening and pause. “Ready for my cock little sorcerer? I can tell you want it.” the mercenary breathed huskily into his ear. But all Hadrian could do was whimper as his body continued to writhe under the expert touch of his captor. Corin chuckled at the boy and then grabbed his hips, moving a hand under one of Hadrian’s legs to lift it and open him up more. He entered the sorcerer slowly, using all the care of a husband with a blushing virginal bride. It confused the man that he was being so careful with Hadrian. After all, in his line of work one couldn’t afford compassion or mercy. But something about the dark haired beauty, some kind of innocence that the jaded man hadn’t seen in too many years, called out to a small, almost dead part of his soul. No, he would not injure this creature nor would he turn him in for the reward as originally planned. His other plan that had taken root upon seeing the boy’s face, however…..
Sweat covered their bodies as the mercenary continued to thrust, his movements becoming faster and less rhythmic as the pressure built. He lifted the sorcerer’s leg higher, reaching his arm further under it for support as his hand came up between the boy’s legs to grab his neglected sex. A large meaty hand clamped around the slender erection standing proud among hair as dark as night, and began to pump frantically as the sounds of moans and grunts filled the air around them. Try as he might, Hadrian couldn’t fight his body as Corin cooed nonsense into his ear. Squeezing his eyes tight, he panted as the sensations overwhelmed him until, at last, he arched and failed to hold back the scream that ripped from his throat with the release of pent up passion. The squeeze on the mercenary was enough to bring about his own climax and he continued to thrust until the last of his seed was spent in the other’s body.
For a long moment, they both lay there struggling to get their breathing under control, and then the older man pulled out, eliciting a groan from his captive. “By the gods. That was more than I expected. You are a good lay, ni Leyanon, so very tight.” He laughed as his gulped in air, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. “I think I shall enjoy you many more times before I set you to work.” Ignoring the sob from the dark haired young man, Corin spooned behind him and proceeded to share his plans. “You are too special to destroy Hadrian. Your beauty alone should be cherished. I will not turn you over to death. But I will need something to compensate me for the loss of the large reward on your head. Rather, I will share your beauty, as it truly deserves to be shared, and I will reap the rewards of this act with payment for the privilege and pleasure that will be had by those who will be with you.”
Even as Hadrian felt the other’s seed seeping down the back of his leg, he let the tears flow unrestricted, breath hitching periodically. He had let this man take him, and worse, had found pleasure in it. He was nothing more than the whore that Corin said was to be his new purpose in life. Sleep did not come for the sorcerer. The older man took him several more times throughout the night and for several nights afterwards; sometimes hard and fast, other times slow and gentle, each time causing Hadrian to find release and pleasure as well. With every time, another part of Hadrian withered away. Corin caressed, stroked, and praised the sorcerer until Hadrian began to crave the couplings.
How would Caled ever want to be with him now? If it weren’t for the geas Manix placed on them that bound Caled to him, he would have gladly ended his pathetic life. But to do so now would be to end the blonde’s life as well. To spare his love’s life, he would suffer.
**********
Caled slammed his fist into the drunken man’s face, sending the overweight sloth sailing across the room. It was a short-lived balm on his soul to take his frustrations out on the first man to cross his path the wrong way. He had been searching for weeks and the false leads and dead-ends were beginning to take their toll on the shattered remnants of his control. He had been stupid, utterly stupid in his confidence. He knew something was wrong. The prickling of the hairs on the back of his neck told him they were being watched. But he let his eyes overrule his instincts, finding no evidence to the effect despite how thoroughly he searched. And he let Hadrian get under his skin, his infatuation with obtaining any kind of reaction from the sorcerer causing him to lose focus, and lose the sorcerer. How easy it was to blame Hades for his own failings.
“Fool.” he hissed to no one in particular as he stormed out of the tavern with Gam and Lio following at a safe distance behind. He knew the others of their merry band did not blame him for the loss of their sorcerer. But he couldn’t share in that sentiment, and it stung all the more that he failed to protect the one person he vowed to destroy. He had always heard that one never realizes what they have until it’s gone and he was feeling that all too keenly. In the weeks they had been searching, Caled had come to realize that everything he had been doing to the dark haired beauty up until this point had been a way of staying close to the man. Soliciting any kind of response, even negative, from the sorcerer so that his attention focused completely on the blonde had become important somewhere along the way. And now that his obsession was gone, he realized something even more terrifying, that he still loved Hadrian despite his vow of vengeance. Worse yet was the unexpected feelings of loss and regret that followed in the wake of the revelation.
A scowl seemed to be a permanent fixture on Caled’s face and he stalked into the stables where the Elder and his apprentice were waiting with the horses, the two thieves trailing at a distance behind him. “Were you able to find out anything?” Manix asked cautiously in a low tone, as if trying to calm a wild animal.
Caled raked his hand roughly through his hair as he locked eyes with the leader of their group. “No. The information he had was not what we were looking for. He was simply trying to make a little coin and have us pay for his ale.”
“Well, he could be anywhere by now. He may even be dead. I think we have wasted enough time searching for him.” Syellen tossed out casually, paying no heed to the murderous glare coming from the mercenary.
Lio, sensing his sometimes lover about to send another body across the room, quickly stepped forward and placed a restraining hand on Caled’s arm, drawing the other’s attention from the oblivious apprentice. “He is not dead, Caled. The geas that bind you tell us as much.”
The words seemed to deflate some of the ire that had built in the mercenary, and he suddenly looked older than his years, worn out from the stress of the past few weeks. But the next words spoken by Manix successfully restored the anger. “Syellen is right. We can no longer afford to spend time searching for Hadrian.” But before the others could protest, he waved his hand to halt any words and held Caled’s eyes. “I want to find Hadrian as much as you and not just for the sake of this mission. Every one of us has formed a bond that extends beyond the goals that were originally set. But, we can not forget the primary task that has been assigned to us. Gavedon must be stopped before thousands more perish at his hand. And that is more important than any one person no matter how strongly we feel for that person.”
Lio spoke again, his voice full of concern. “But I thought we needed Hadrian to defeat him. Without his magicks, we can not surely fight Gavedon.”
Manix closed his eyes, bringing one hand to the bridge of his nose to rub at the beginnings of a headache. “It is true that Hadrian’s presence would have evened the playing field. Without him, it will not be…..as easy to take his father.”
Caled snarled. “I will not stop looking for him Manix. This mission be damned. All that matters to me is Hades.” The fierce determination in Caled’s face as he spoke those words was enough to dissuade any argument to the contrary.
And Manix nodded, sighing in resignation at the loss of another member to their group. “Very well Caled. I wish you luck. It is my hope that you find Hadrian and bring him back to us. You know the path we will be following. If you are successful, you can catch up to us.” The Elder mounted his horse and glanced at the other three before nudging the animal forward. Syellen gave a remorseful look at the mercenary, perhaps a silent apology for her insensitive comment, then quickly mounted to trot after the mage. Gam and Lio both looked at Caled as they, too, straddled their horses.
Gam nodded to a heartbroken Lio to go ahead, and once his partner was out of sight, he pulled up on the horse to turn it back towards the mercenary. “Caled.” he called out to his friend and waited until the blonde’s attention was focused on him. “I did not want to bring this up in front of Lio or the others. But, I heard something in the tavern while you were questioning that trash. One of the barmaids told me there is a brothel in Sheyll that caters to all types. I guess she picked up on my preferences.” He blushed slightly and then continued. “She said there is a new attraction there that has become popular.” He bent down to clasp a hand on the mercenary’s shoulder. “Caled, I don’t know if anything will come of this, but this new whore has been there only a few weeks and she said the rumors are he is quite beautiful. I pray it is not Hadrian, but it may be worth checking. If it is….”
But Caled finished for him, a possessive type of anger making his voice rough. “If it is, the others do not need to know. This we can do for Hades.”
Gam squeezed his shoulder and nodded. “Be careful.” he whispered before leaning down further and lightly brushing his lips against the mercenary’s. After, he straightened and kicked his horse forward to catch up with the others.
Caled stared after them briefly, his mind whirling with the possibilities. It shouldn’t take him more than a day to travel, but he would need his strength and his wits about him. If the star attraction were his Hades, he doubted the owners would just let him go without a fight. A new purpose in mind, Caled quickly mounted his horse and galloped off in the opposite direction from his comrades.
*********
It was a small, two story building on the edge of town. There was nothing fancy about it. On the contrary, the dwelling was quite common if not slightly run down, with a stable to one side for keeping the horses of those patrons that may choose to stay the night. Caled had visited places like this in his past. But, for some reason, the thought of this particular brothel brought a sneer of contempt to his face. He had ventured into a nearby tavern earlier in the evening and managed to come away with the information he needed. From everything the barkeep told him, it was definitely the dark haired sorcerer being held in the upper most room. The owner of the establishment was new to the business, from what Caled had been told, and only had a couple of women as well as one man in his stock. But it was the male that everyone was chattering about; supple slender body, pale skin as white as snow, long hair the color of darkness, and piercing gray eyes. Caled knew of only one that matched that description and his blood ran cold at some of the things he’d heard. Pushing aside those thoughts, he focused on his mission and strode directly in the front doors, drawing his sword as he entered.
He was rather surprised at the lack of resistance he faced. The two women were entertaining clients in their rooms, the doors locked. He made it to the uppermost floor and burst into the room, expecting to find the dark haired sorcerer strapped down, at everyone’s mercy. What he did not expect was to find the man standing on the other side of a well-used bed blinking at him owlishly.
“C-Caled?” Hadrian’s eyes widened, his heart caught in his throat at the sight of the blonde mercenary.
Caled could only stare, drinking in the picture of his sweet, innocent Hades standing before him in the sheerest silk outfit that left nothing to the imagination. There were no restraints on him, save for a leather collar about his neck that sported metal rings, with a matching pair of cuffs around the wrists. A quick glance at the bed confirmed the ties lying there waiting to secure the younger man, should a customer be so inclined.
At first there was shock, which quickly turned to disbelief. As Caled study the sorcerer’s body, he could see evidence of abuse. Bruises, some fresh and some faded to yellow, littered the smaller man’s body. The area around his wrists showed signs of chafing, reddened and raw from the strain against the leather straps. But it was Hadrian’s eyes that gave the most telling evidence. They were wide, dead pools of dull metal gray; absolutely no life flittering within the depths. “By the gods.” Caled whispered before shaking off his frozen state in an attempt to restore some control and escape. “Come Hades, we are leaving.” When the other man merely stood there gaping, Caled strode forward quickly and grabbed him by the arms, whirling around to lead him back through the door.
But the owner of the establishment stood in front of their escape route with three other men, facing Caled down with a look of pure malice. “I know who you are and why you have come. You will not take my property.”
“Hades is not your property. He is a man, free to come and go as he pleases.” Caled snarled at the scar-faced mercenary, keeping him at the front of his attention while casting cursory glances at the hired muscle.
Corin merely sneered at him. “Well, that’s not entirely truth now is it? He is a wanted murderer, with quite a bounty on his head. Since I have spared his life, and thus yours, he owes me for the reward money I have not claimed.”
“He owes you nothing but your death for what you have done to him.” Caled hissed. He used his free arm to maneuver Hadrian behind him as his sword arm swung out defensively in front of them.
Then Corin and his cronies lunged at Caled, swords arched overhead preparing to strike. Caled shoved Hadrian out of the way and rolled between two of the men, coming up on the other side and swinging his sword around to impact the back of the one on his right, the scream of the other man indicating Caled had hit true. Blood poured out of the dead body that fell backwards, but the blonde mercenary had no time to think about that as the others were already on the move. Corin let the remaining two of his men confront the sorcerer’s lover, content to let them wear him out before going in for the final kill.
Hadrian stood dumbfounded in the corner, watching the scene unfold as if outside of himself. His mind reeled as he continued to struggle with the fact that Caled was here, had come for him after all this time. A dark voice within him that had grown in strength since his foray into debauchery spoke up, reminding the sorcerer that of course Caled would come because the mission to bring his father to justice was of utmost importance. Besides, Caled had vowed to kill the sorcerer himself, and would not allow someone else to take that privilege away from him. How much time had past since he had been stolen away from the mission? For that matter, how much time had past since he lost Caled? The memories of their shared night in Rhiad seemed tainted by all that he had endured and all the pleasure forced on him in his time with Corin. He had long sense given up the thought of crossing the scar-faced man, having come to accept his lot in life and bask in the glow of approval the older mercenary had been lavishing on him. It was something he never received from his father, nor from Caled since Rhiad, and he seemed to desperately need it in order to survive. After all, his survival was Caled’s survival, and it was all that was important. For Caled, he would suffer.
So lost in his thoughts, he had missed the fight. Snapping back to the moment, he noticed with some detachment that the three men Corin hired, the three that had known Hadrian’s body more than once, were now dead on the floor. But the toll on his lover had been high, as several lucky hits landed the blonde on his back with the tip of Corin’s sword at his throat, and blood seeping from several slices on his face and body. “You fought well, besting these three. Though, it was rather foolish of you to attempt your rescue all alone.”
“You must not know your captive well. The odds are greatly in my favor with Hades at my back.” Caled spat in defiance.
Amusement gleamed in Corin’s eyes as he briefly glanced at the dark haired beauty cowering in the corner. With a laugh, he locked eyes with Caled. “Ah, but he is not what he once was. He will do nothing except what I tell him. He is broken to my will and my pleasure. I have made sure of it.” Moving the sword closer, he forced Caled’s head to tip back, a drop of blood beading where the tip dug into his flesh. “Now, I will not kill you because I can’t lose a good thing. There is too much profit to be made from that fine piece of flesh in yonder corner.” Another hasty glance at Hadrian. “But neither can I let you free to attempt such heroics again. So I will render you harmless. A quick slice to both elbows will remove the lower portion of your arms. A slight thrust will remove your eyes. Thus blind and unable to wield a sword, I think you will no longer pose a threat.”
Unable to fathom the mutilation Corin planned for his lover, Hadrian’s mind snapped. “NOOOO!” He yelled before opening his senses to Life. He pulled from the energies around him, drawing more and more as quickly as he could. Back arching in pure ecstasy, he basked in the glow of the power until, all too soon, Life recognized him.
Taker of Life
Life reeled in repulsion, causing a sobbing gasp to escape him. Corin stood frozen, eyes wide with terror at the sight before him. “Fire.” Hadrian whispered and a bolt of energy burst forth, striking the scar-faced man in the chest and hurling him back into the wall behind. There was a cracking sound as bone met wood, and the mercenary slumped to the floor.
Defiler
Rapist
Taker of Life
A low, keening wail rose from deep within Hadrian as his hands flew to his head, grasping and pulling painfully at his hair. Eyes shut tight, he again uttered the word in a broken voice, “Fire”, and the room was suddenly engulfed in flames. The smell of burning flesh caused past and present to blur together, and Hadrian fell to his knees ready to let it consume him. He was a murderer and a whore, worse than pathetic and even Life was sickened by his touch. He barely registered arms coming about his waist and lifting him. The room swam in his vision, and then the stairs were there, the walls all around being consumed by fire. For a moment, Hadrian was mesmerized at the sight, thinking how horrifyingly beautiful the flames truly were, vaguely hearing his own voice plead with his saviour not to leave him before the darkness descended to offer a welcome embrace. And then he knew nothing more.
*********
Hadrian woke slowly to the sounds of a crackling fire. There was a hole in his memory that had him momentarily frightened and at a loss as to where he was. With a start, he rose and surveyed his surroundings, noting the handsome blonde sitting very close and watching him warily. “Where?” he asked softly.
“Two days ride from Sheyll. We are on our way to join the others.” Caled’s voice was tight with some emotion that Hadrian was too weary to understand.
His head lowered, allowing his hair to hide his eyes from the unnerving look the mercenary was giving him. “I killed them.”
“Yes. But it was necessary Hades. You were more merciful to him than what he had planned for me.”
Eyes snapped up to lock with Caled’s. “How can you say that? I killed them. I killed them all. I am a murderer and a whore.”
Voice rising in anger, Caled resisted the urge to physically lash out at the other. “You did not kill them all, you only killed Corin. The loss of the building itself was insignificant. And do not call yourself a whore. They raped you Hades. That does not make you a whore, no matter what they made you do. You should be angry for what they did.”
Who was he to complain about being raped? After all, he had done so to Life, stealing the energies and essence of all the nature on Shard’s Point in his battle with Gavedon. The once beautiful island now laid waste because of what he did. He shrugged and turned his gaze to the fire. “It matters not what they did to me. It is all I deserve.”
Caled’s rage bubbled forth. “All you deserve? Don’t be ridiculous. You forget who you are, Hades.” Caled stated angrily, failing to mask the look of disgust and hatred that briefly flitted in his eyes.
But before he could continue with his scolding, Hadrian barked out a laugh so bitter and harsh that it stunned the mercenary into silence. “Of course I haven’t forgotten who I am, Caled.” Storm gray eyes flashed as a sneer rose unbidden on the sorcerer’s face. “I am a means to an end for anyone who encounters me. For my father, I was a disappointment; the son he could manipulate into murdering, the one he could never be proud of, a waste of his genes. For the council of Elders, I am a pawn to be used to capture a madman and then discarded like some game piece.” Hadrian tossed his head and snorted before turning back to look at the man he had loved so completely. “To Manix, I am a weapon of hope to bring about the downfall of the order and its leader. To Syellen, I am a threat, taking away the complete attention of her master.” Hadrian’s voice began to break and the volume lowered. “To Lio, I am a fantasy; built up to impossible standards and completely unattainable. To Gam, I am a rival; stealing the affections of his lover. To the people of Juxtan, I am the Scourge of Rhiad; a monster that needs to be destroyed.” Hadrian choked on a sob as the tears he had been fighting to hold back finally broke free, tracking down his pale cheek in a steady stream. “To the ones that paid Corin, I was a wanton whore ready to spread my legs and satiate their needs.”
“And what of me, Hades?” Caled quietly interrupted, his tone one of anguish at the unexpected words that poured from the sorcerer’s mouth. So dedicated in his promise of justice and revenge, he had never realized until now all the truth in the other man’s words, and the revelation left him cold and hollow.
Hadrian turned from the mercenary then, his shoulders falling in weary resignation and his voice barely a whisper, making Caled strain to hear. “Ah, yes. What am I to you? To the mercenary who mourns a perceived lost love though that love stands raw and naked before him? To the man who has pledged an oath of vengeance and sworn to take my life? To the handsome warrior that taunts me endlessly with hate, even into my dreams; the one bound to me by magicks?” Hadrian turned back now to look at the mercenary, all light once again gone from cold, dead orbs that made the blonde shiver involuntarily. “To you, Caledon ni Agthon, I am nothing.” And with that, the sorcerer turned to the flame, face shuttered, leaving Caled staring after him in disbelief.
Caled put his sword down and moved slowly, sensually, over to Hadrian and sat behind him. He lifted hair as dark as midnight away from a pale, slender neck and began to kiss and suckle. Hadrian briefly closed his eyes and trembled at the feel of lips worshipping his tender flesh. Caled’s ministrations continued until he began to feel the sorcerer slowly respond. He reached out to lift and turn the smaller male, maneuvering Hadrian to straddle him. Caled brought his hands up and cupped the younger man’s face, their eyes locked. Hadrian closed his eyes again as Caled brought their mouths together for a deep, soulful kiss. Their tongues tangled and explored, teeth scraping lips. Hadrian brought his arms around Caled’s neck, and Caled moved both his hands down the other’s back to firmly grab hold of a plump ass, kneading the mounds presented. Lifting the boy up, he turned them both and gently lay them down with Hadrian under him, never once breaking the kiss. Slowly, Caled’s hand loosened the sorcerer’s breeches, after which he maneuvered both hands under Hadrian’s tunic raising it to expose soft skin underneath.
The kiss broke as each took in much needed oxygen and both divested themselves of shirts. Hadrian tangled one hand in Caled’s hair, while the other moved to loosen the ties of his lover’s pants. He started pushing the breeches over Caled’s hips, causing them to break again as Caled rose up to remove both his and Hadrian’s. Hadrian raised his hips obligingly as the material slid bit by bit down his legs, the gradual exposure of skin being savored and cherished by Caled. They moved in slow motion, Caled settling between Hadrian’s thighs as they continued kissing and touching.
One of Caled’s hands ran smoothly down Hadrian’s side, down to his thigh, lifting the leg to wrap around him. His calloused fingers appreciated the texture of the skin, not as soft as a woman, but smooth nonetheless. Hadrian’s breathing was ragged, the soft sounds he moaned was music to the mercenary’s ears. Both men were panting. The heavy petting and foreplay continued a while until finally Caled whispered in the sorcerer’s ear, sending shudders through his body. “Turn over.” Caled lifted up to give him room to move. After Hadrian moved to his stomach, one of Caled’s hands skimmed softly over his back causing goose bumps to form on sensitive skin, while the other hand prepared them both with a gentleness belied by his outward hardened appearance. He moved his hands around Hadrian’s waist and lifted the boy into his lap, Hadrian’s knees spreading to either side of Caled’s thighs.
Slowly, and with shallow breaths, Hadrian lowered himself onto Caled, until he was completely impaled and adjusting. He arched himself back, his head falling on Caled’s shoulder, turning his face up and outward, exposing the length of his neck completely for his lover. Caled lowered his mouth and began suckling on the tender flesh below the jaw. His hands moved to Hadrian’s hips and he started moving, establishing a slow and deliberate rhythm. There were times when Caled fucked his partners frantically. The sex during those sessions was wild and urgent, raw and almost animalistic. But with Hadrian, he made slow, sweet love, keeping tight control on movements and taking the time to revel in the feel of each other. There was no denying the appeal of spastic, spontaneous, savage rutting. But, there was something to be said for methodical and languid as well - the feel of unhurried motions, of sending his lover beyond the edge of ecstasy, every shiver and shake.
Caled moved one arm from Hadrian’s hip to encircle the boy’s demanding sex. He stroked in time with the rhythm they had already established. His other hand continued it’s exploration of the body under it. Hadrian’s chest, flat except for the well defined pectorals of a man in the prime of youth, so different from a woman’s but no less erotic, the nipples protruding automatically at his touch. Hadrian’s arm shifted back and his hand moved to feel the ridges and valleys of toned abdominal muscles that spoke of a body worked to endurance.
Hadrian’s left arm reached up and wrapped around his lover’s neck, his hand tangled in the hair at the back of Caled’s head. His other lay on top of Caled’s arm, grasping the wrist of Caled’s hand as it worked him. Caled’s tongue swiped along Hadrian’s jaw line, down his neck to the curve where neck meets shoulder. As Hadrian tipped his head further back, Caled took advantage by licking his way to the center of the base of the throat, at the dip between collar bones. Hadrian’s hair glided like silk up and down Caled’s back with each thrust, the touch an erotic torment to over sensitive skin. The sheen of sweat soaked skin could be seen in the flames as the two moved in harmony together, making love in the middle of nowhere under a blanket of stars with only the elements and creatures of nature as witnesses. Their bodies molded perfectly to each other. Hadrian moaned at the overwhelming sensations. For so long he had dreamt of being completely in Caled’s arms again, their emotions and love flowing freely between each other, feeding from one another.
A few more strokes and Hadrian’s body froze. He gasped and came, eyes shut tight as Caled kissed the side of his open mouth. The pleasure of his orgasm traveled along every nerve, and his body tightened in his release. This was enough to send the bigger man over the edge. With one last thrust, Caled’s head flung back and he filled his lover’s body completely, moaning and squeezing his arms tight around the other to hold them both in place. They stayed that way a few minutes before Caled raised his head. Still holding the sorcerer tight against him, arms about waist, he turned his face and looked into those beautiful gray eyes, losing himself completely. He sealed Hadrian’s mouth with his own in a deep, passionate kiss and Hadrian’s arms moved on top of Caled’s, their fingers intertwining.
When they broke for air, Caled lifted him to gently decouple. He unwrapped himself from the sorcerer, and moved toward his bedroll, pulling his dark-haired lover along by the hand. Caled lay down and urged his lover to follow suit. Hadrian complied and draped himself on the mercenary, head on shoulder, one arm across Caled’s chest, and a thigh drawn up possessively over Caled’s hip and leg.
Caled’s arm curled around Hadrian’s shoulder, stroking up and down the boy’s arm as Hadrian sighed. After several minutes of silence, Caled spoke. “Hadrian?”
Not since that shared bliss in the loft had Caled spoken Hadrian’s full name, and it was enough to pull him out of his half-drowsed state of bliss to focus fully on the blonde. “Yes?”
“What you said….I can not deny that I have treated you badly. I have been confused by the many emotions you stir in me – lust, anger, joy, hatred, possessiveness, jealousy.” Caled swallowed and stared up at the stars above. “And love.”
“Perhaps I have been wrong. I do not deal with strong emotions very well. But, when you say you are nothing to me, that can not be further from the truth.” Hadrian held his breath, listening to Caled’s heartbeat as well as his words. “You are everything to me. And even if Manix had not bound our lives with magick, I know that I would not live long without you.”
The words once spoken filled Hadrian’s mind and heart with love until a long dead feeling was rekindled and soothed his soul - Hope
And Hadrian knew, beyond
any doubt, that for Caled, he would suffer no more.
The End |