"Again," the regent lord commanded.
"Anduin, I'm getting tired," Khadgar said, leaning on his staff. "Give me a moment to rest, will you?"
"There may not be a moment to rest on the battlefield, spell-chucker," the warrior replied, raising his practice sword again. "We need to test your capabilities. We need to know more about what you can do *before* the next battle, and for that, we need to train. Like how we did after you came to Stormwind, remember?"
"I do remember. I remember having bruises that didn't fade for weeks," he complained, making no effort to move.
Lothar sighed. These latest training sessions were similar to those he'd encouraged Khadgar to undergo after becoming regent. He'd wanted the young man to be ready to defend himself, to attack, and to get away if needed; and the best way to do that was to practice. And in addition to making Khadgar a better combatant, he'd also wanted his troops to know how best to fight against magic users. They were bound to run into more of them with time. The initial sessions had been one on one, against Lothar himself, with Khadgar later graduating to spar with multiple opponents. Khadgar and the soldiers had all done well, and Lothar was pleased with the results. He was confident that his people would know what to do if they were going up against spellcasters, and equally confident in the younger man's mage skills on the battlefield.
The fact that Khadgar was no longer simply a mage had made things more challenging this time around.
As he was now, Khadgar was unique. Part demon but untouchable by the Fel, and able to manipulate any of that life-draining energy in his vicinity and turn it back on its users, he was currently the Alliance's best weapon against Gul'dan and the Horde.
"Look, Khadgar, I know you won't be worn out as easily if you're close to the orcs and trolls and whatever else you might be killing, but if you're hitting them with spells from a distance that's not going to help you," he pointed out. "It only works if they're nearby."
Khadgar frowned, and Lothar immediately realized he'd said the wrong thing. The younger man hated when this was brought up – the main difference (apart from his appearance, of course) between what he used to be and what he was now.
It distressed Khadgar greatly that taking a life could both heal his injuries and replenish his energy.
Lothar had seen it for himself, during the confrontation in the orc-overrun village. And no matter how vigorously Khadgar had rejected the idea at first, he had finally come to accept it. Killing the orc who'd stabbed him had healed his wing, and killing the rest of them healed his mind. He'd had absolutely no control over it, and while Khadgar couldn't pull the life force out of people like Gul'dan could, he said it still made him feel even more like a monster than he looked.
Lothar had pulled him into an embrace at that, saying that the ability could save his life one day – and not just his own life, but potentially the lives of others, because it would mean Khadgar would still be around to save them. He'd also told the mage that anything that kept him alive would keep them together, so it had to be ok.
I will accept it, Khadgar had stated, his jaw set resolutely. But I don't have to like it.
Seeing the hurt look on his mage's face now made him relent. "All right," Lothar agreed, and lowered his sword. "Rest for a bit, and then when you're ready I want you to come at me. Melee range this time. You're getting really good with that staff – I'm looking forward to seeing you crack open some orc skulls with it."
Khadgar was clearly pleased at the compliment. "Thank you. I've been practicing a lot…I've never really had to fight much before, and never close up."
"Without heavy armor, keeping your distance makes sense," he replied. "But now we can have something made for you in leather, since it doesn't seem to affect your spellcasting like it might have before. You may be faster than a cheetah now, as well as incredibly agile, but I want you to have as much protection as possible. Especially if you're fighting at close range." Lothar smiled at the other man fondly. "Plus, leather will make you look even sexier than you already do."
Khadgar just rolled his eyes at that.
"You look amazing," insisted Lothar, knowing how uncomfortable the younger man was with his appearance as well as his new self-healing abilities. As of yet, he hadn't found a way to hide the horns and claws with magic, and right now most people couldn't help but stare at him in a combination of curiosity, pity…and fear.
"At least I can cover up the claws with gloves," mused Khadgar, glancing down at his hands. "Not much I can do about the horns, though." He only had the two now, not four as he'd had when he'd been taken by Gul'dan; but to Khadgar they were a constant reminder of his ordeal and imprisonment, and the fact that he was no longer fully human.
Lothar shrugged, hoping to put the mage at ease. "I like them, because they're a part of you," he said. Then his expression turned lustful, and his eyes traveled up and down his lover's form. "And they only add to your looks…they make you look dangerous and desirable, like a mysterious beauty from some far off exotic land."
Khadgar rolled his eyes again. "Exotic? Anduin, I'm from Lordaeron. I don't even have a last name. How is that in any way 'exotic'?"
"I may have meant 'erotic', not 'exotic," the regent replied, smirking at his lover. "Maybe you should teach me the difference between those two words, bookworm."
"Oh, I think I can do that," he said slyly…and less than a second later he was right in front of Lothar, his wings out and his arms wrapped around the older man. "Come at me in melee range, you said? Because I'm good with my staff?" He pressed his body to Lothar's. "I'd like to think I'm good with your staff as well."
"Mmm, you most certainly are," he murmured. "But you know what they say – practice makes perfect." He stroked down one of the wings, then moved his hand up to the side of Khadgar's head. The mage's wings may have been responsive to his touch, but Lothar had learned that what really drove Khadgar wild was touching the sensitive area at the base of his horns.
Khadgar shuddered, pressing himself closer. "Anduin…"
"You know, I think that's enough sparring for today," Lothar purred, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "We should get back to our quarters. You deserve a reward for all the hard work you've been putting into your training, and it's the kind of reward that's best given in private."
"Oh really?" he asked, anticipation in his eyes.
"Really," Lothar replied. Khadgar smiled, and rolled his shoulders back in the gesture that Lothar had come to recognize as the prelude to his wings vanishing, but the warrior held up a hand.
"No, keep them out," he said, running his hand down one of them again, eliciting a soft moan from the mage. "There's something I've been wanting to try…"