It started with a drink.
The pub was dark, dim and grimy. Whores were plying their trade as thieves, murderers and fortune hunters got their drinks from the bar. Even in this dark a place, everyone avoided the shrouded figure in the corner table. The bones hanging from his clothing gave away his profession, although he was only a fresh faced youth. But no one wanted to get too close to a necromancer.
Except for one man. He had his own table, as well, and was as notable in his own way as the necromancer. His robes were also black, but instead of bones they were inscribed with golden symbols. That would have been sufficient to mark him as a mage, but he also wore heavy gold jewelry at his neck and bracers that seemed to have been fashioned of gold and silver. Everyone could see their worth, yet no one even considered stealing from him. The charred corpses of three thieves had made the point earlier in the week.
The mage eyed the necromancer, sipping a glass of the best wine the tavern had to offer. Coming to a decision, he stood up and ambled over. There was an air of carefree confidence about him, and the necromancer looked up from his table with a frown as the man took a seat across from him.
"Mind if I buy you a drink?" He offered easily, gesturing at one of the barmaids. They'd been ignoring the necromancer, clearly hoping he would go away. She glanced at the barman, who gestured for her to go. They might make the young necromancer unwelcome, but they weren't going to get rid of a mage who bought the most expensive wine and beer in the house. "Two glasses of this lovely red. Actually, no, bring out the whole bottle." He decided. It would be a big urn… this wasn't the best wine in the world… but that was fine. The necromancer was looking at him as if he were insane.
"Who are you and why are you buying me a drink?" The mage smiled at the necromancer, sitting back and silently appreciating his good looks. Most people were blinded by the bones, but his golden hair and bright blue eyes were lovely. So were his boyish good looks, although there was a faint scar that ran across his chin to the end of his lip.
"I'm Axel Delamore, mage for hire and general nuisance." He reached up and pushed back his hood, giving the boy a warm smile. The necromancer swallowed, and Axel knew why. He had a powerful physical presence, thanks in part to the bracers he was wearing. "You looked a little depressed so I thought you could use some company."
"Aren't necromancers always depressed?" The boy sounded a touch bitter. Axel almost snorted his drink in his amusement at the thought.
"Not hardly!" He couldn't help but smile as he remembered another necromancer he'd known. "Oh, you can be a bit dour, but I've known plenty of necro's who liven up when they have some drinks in 'em. Not to mention my last, ah, personal friend. We had to best time in a graveyard once." Axel reminisced for a moment then noticed his new friend was staring at him like he had two heads. "Ah, nevermind. It was a long time ago. What's your name?"
"Roxas." The barmaid arrived with the wine and a glass. Axel poured the blonde a drink, which he sipped cautiously. "This is good." He sounded surprised, which was only logical. This kind of dive wasn't noted for the quality of liquor.
"Best they've got. It's not a patch on a really good vintage, but it'll certainly do." Axel quaffed his wine, then considered the table. "Have you eaten? I have a few pastries, some beef jerky, cheese and a whole package of boiled sweets."
"How on earth could you be carrying so much food around? And why?" Roxas sounded suspicious, as though the mage was pulling his leg. Axel laughed lightly, opening a bag. It was suspiciously empty looking.
"Bag of holding, and I have a fast metabolism." He explained, putting the pastries on the table. They were in a waxed paper box, and a little crushed, but quite edible. The jam inside them oozed out temptingly and Roxas examined them before selecting one. The cheese was a nice thick round, unopened, but the jerky had clearly been jerked some time ago. Axel examined it with a slight frown. "The sand probably doesn't add to the flavor. I should find a dog to feed that to." Shrugging, he put it back into the bag and opened the bag of boiled sweets. Popping a candy into his mouth, he rolled it around his mouth before crunching it.
"It doesn't look that bad. I've eaten worse." Roxas reached into his robe and pulled out a knife, cutting the cheese. Axel smiled as the necromancer offered him a slice, and ate it with the wine. They went very well together.
"So have I, but right now I can afford better. Might as well enjoy the moment, eh?" Axel said jokingly and Roxas shook his head slightly. He didn't agree with that. "So where are you from?" There was wariness in Roxas' eyes that didn't surprise him. A lot of necromancers came from humble backgrounds.
"I came from Aperjin. You've probably never heard of it." He said dismissively and Axel grinned.
"I have, actually. It's on the coast of the Ice Fields Lake." Roxas gaped as Axel added cheerfully. "They make great soapstone carvings there. Last time I made a trip, I took a load back and got good prices down in Maltoon." That was the capital of a country hundreds of miles away.
"You've been around." Roxas didn't sound very approving and Axel tilted his head to one side, curious. Although he had an idea why…
"I come from Takatar." He said gently. "It's on the far side of the Spider river, down near the coast of Atracus." Roxas looked a bit surprised. That was very far away. "My family ran the sawmill there. I'm the first person to have magical talent in generations." He flicked his hand and conjured a ball of fire the bounced lightly in the air. "I nearly burned down the sawmill before they realized what was going on and got me an apprenticeship."
"I've heard that's expensive." Roxas said neutrally and Axel knew he was right. The blonde was one of the many necromancers who'd wanted to be a mage, but couldn't afford it. Working with the dead was powerful but still second best, thanks to the social stigma. It could even be hard to make money. Many people wouldn't employ necromancers.
"It certainly is. It was a hardship for the rest of my family, but I've paid them back." Axel said with a smile. For a long time he'd been guilty about that… his family had needed to sell off part of the ownership of the mill, and his brothers and sisters had lived more simply than they would have otherwise. But he'd managed to give his family enough money to get control of the mill again, and dower his sisters. "I've heard it's tough to pass the entrance exams to be a necromancer." It might be second choice, but the necromancers were still picky about their acolytes.
"It is." The blonde said, suddenly uncommunicative. Axel wasn't very surprised. His last black robed friend had shut down the same way, which made him wonder what the trials involved. Rats? Blood? Zombies? Stealing a corpse for the masters? Although they swore they didn't rob graves, no one really believed it.
"Well, let me tell you about the time I visited Aperjin." Axel decided to trust in his charm. It was always a good bet, and soon he had the blonde laughing at his descriptions of the people and events. It helped that the blonde actually knew a few of the people he was talking about.
"I'd say you're lying, but I remember you now. You caught that huge sturgeon out of the lake, the one that weighed more than I did." Roxas chuckled as he remembered, and Axel grinned. That fish had nearly taken him off the boat, a potentially lethal disaster in the icy water. What a way for a wizard to die! But two burley fishermen had grabbed him and they'd finally managed to reel the thing in.
"Three hundred pounds." Axel said proudly. "It was delicious too." The whole town had had a feast. The truth of his stories established, Axel started to venture into more exotic realms. The story of how he'd been chased through the streets of Burmei by a strangely elated mob was also true, alas. "Really, how was I supposed to know that tatty pillow was a holy object? And that healing someone while I was holding it was fulfilling a prophecy?"
"That doesn't sound too dangerous." Roxas said and Axel looked at him pityingly.
"Are you joking? They all wanted relics! They'd have stripped me naked and then shaved off all my hair." Roxas choked and Axel grinned. "And the latecomers would have had to settle for my pubes."
"That's disgusting!" Roxas laughed before taking a deep draught of his wine. Axel noticed that his ears and nose were turning a little red. The blonde took a boiled sweet, crunching it with a crackling sound. "Well, no one's ever likely to do that to me. I think I'm glad."
"There's all kinds of prophecies, though. You might get caught up in one someday." Axel commented before taking another slice of cheese. "And speaking of things that have been foretold, I was wondering. Would you like to join me tonight?" Blunt was his style, and combined with his charm it often worked. The blonde's lips quirked.
"That's been foretold now?" Roxas considered it a moment, then nodded. "Why not?" There really was no reason why not. Mages knew all the spells to deal with venereal diseases, so the likelihood he would catch something was almost nill. And he liked Axel. He was charming and had an amazing physical presence.
"No reason why not at all." Axel smiled and stood, his eyes warm with desire. "I have a private room." It was the best room in the inn, actually a small suite of rooms. Usually a family or a small gang would inhabit it, but now it was all his. Roxas nodded and pushed back his chair, scraping it against the hard wooden floor. He noticed several of the barmaids and a few of the thieves shooting him envious glances. The mage must be well known around here.
All thoughts of that went out of his mind as he entered the man's room. Roxas gaped for a moment at the display of wealth. The floor was covered in woven silk rugs and there were ornate tapestries on the walls, depicting fantastically beautiful scenes in intricate detail. There was a low table of wood and inlaid ivory before a plush sofa covered in red velvet. There was a pillar with a crystal on it…
The crystal aroused Roxas' suspicions. It looked like a diamond. Quartz didn't sparkle like that and flawless crystals were too difficult to make at that size. It could be done, but it was hideously expensive. Lifting a hand to his cheek, he tapped the side of his head and muttered the words to the Spell of True Sight. Then he shook his head as the illusions were stripped away and he saw nothing but a barren room with a rather tatty couch. The only thing on the walls was a dagger that someone had stuck into the wood and left in place. Roxas rather doubted Axel had done it, the blade looked to be cheap copper.
"Why the illusions? Trying to make yourself a better target for thieves?" Roxas asked drily. Axel looked delighted.
"I wondered if you would see through that!" The redhead glanced around his room approvingly. "The illusion is lovely, isn't it? It's a composition of several things I saw in Kash. I got an invite to the Sultan's tents during the invasion of Madica." Roxas frowned. He was starting to wonder how old Axel was. He'd certainly travelled enough. "That's a real diamond by the way, and yes, he brought it on campaign. I have no idea why." Axel undid his belt, dropping it casually onto the couch, and shrugged off his robe. Roxas was interested to see he was wearing very practical cotton pants and a light undershirt. It was almost identical to what he was wearing, in fact.
"But why do you do it?" Roxas asked again as he worked off his own belt. Axel shrugged.
"Partly to impress customers with my skill, partly to amuse myself and partly to annoy thieves. One did try to break in and make off with the diamond. He was less than amused when his hands passed through." Axel was taking off his shirt now and Roxas admired his sleek, completely hairless chest. It didn't look like he plucked or shaved, either. Could that be natural? "Now he's a mouse." Roxas shot him a sharp look but Axel's slightly malicious smile convinced him.
"Remind me not to cross you." He murmured. That was a powerful spell to just toss around, but Axel seemed to have power to spare.
"This from a necromancer? I don't have a repertoire of curses!" Axel joked and Roxas laughed. The redhead was dead right about that. "Come, the bedroom is better." Axel smiled as he showed Roxas the bedroom. It was the one part of his quarters that was nothing but reality. The bed was a four poster, with a fine duck down mattress. He'd bought the whole thing as soon as he set up shop here, and he would sell it when he was getting ready to leave. He slid onto it, displaying his body to best advantage as he pulled off his pants. A small arch of his back, a cock of his hip, and Axel smiled as a blush crept over Roxas' cheeks. The desire in the blonde's eyes was a pleasure to see.
Roxas swallowed hard and tore his gaze away long enough to get rid of his own clothes. When he looked back, Axel was gazing at him with warmth that had nothing to do with love and everything to do with lust. And it made him feel… desirable. Wanted. Crawling onto the bed beside him, he met Axel's eyes and shared warmth for warmth.
Then the redhead's hands were on him, exploring soft skin in ways that made the blonde moan. A hot, heavy body pressed him into the soft mattress and Axel's warm mouth found his, their tongues tangling in a duet of desire.
"Axel." Roxas murmured then gasped as the redhead's penis rubbed against his. He lifted his head and caught one of Axel's nipples, gently licking the sensitive skin. He could tell the redhead liked it, oh yes he could.
"Roxas." Axel's voice was rough with desire and the blonde met his eyes again, feeling a shiver down his spine. Then the redhead's hand was on both their penises, wet with oil. Roxas half-closed his eyes and thrust his hips up as the wizard stroked them both, and gasped as he was met with Axel's thrust, the gentle scrape skin against skin. The oil made it smooth as silk, and Roxas tugged on red spikes, pulling Axel down for another kiss. It was deep and burning hot, as hot as his skin and the coiling pleasure between his legs…
Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, Axel stopped. Roxas opened his eyes, almost affronted as that beautiful friction abruptly ceased and frowned as the redhead grinned at him.
"I don't want it to end that quickly." He explained, slightly breathless and Roxas understood as oil slick fingers found his entrance. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed, letting the redhead ease past the tight ring of muscle. Those fingers were so long and agile… Roxas shifted his hips, making it easier for the redhead, then gasped as Axel found his prostate. That was good, it was always good, but somehow Axel made it better.
"You're amazing." Axel murmured as he carefully eased his way into the blonde beneath him. Roxas wasn't a virgin, he could tell, but he was still tight. It had probably been a while since the blonde had sex. He had to take it slow and careful, and that had the plus side of making Roxas whimper with desire. The way he half-closed those glorious eyes, the flush on those pale cheeks, made him want to take the boy fast and hard. But not for the first time with a near-stranger. No, that would be for later. Instead he slowed as he invaded that unfamiliar territory, gasping as the blonde tightened around him.
"Please… more…" Roxas whispered and Axel slid almost all the way out before shoving back in, quicker and harder. The blonde cried out, but it was pleasure, not pain. Axel covered his mouth with his, silencing Roxas for a moment.
The pace speeded up, in-out in-out, and Axel stroked the blonde with every thrust as pale, slender hands gripped his shoulders. They dug into the mattress, making the feathers bunch, but neither of them cared. There was only the moment, the flex and push of flesh against flesh. The heat that was building between them, demanding an exit…
Axel knew when Roxas was close, as those pale fingers dug into his shoulders painfully. The blonde's eyes were wide open now, and his cock twitched in the redhead's hand before he clenched tightly. The redhead's balls tightened as he neared his own completion and he couldn't delay the moment any longer. He spent himself inside the blonde just as Roxas came, his fluids shooting over them both. For a moment they stayed that way, still locked intimately with each other, their eyes meeting. The fire of lust was gone, replaced with something warmer and gentler. Not love, not yet, but… affection.
Then Axel slowly pulled away, breaking the moment. Roxas sighed, settling back into the pillows and half-closing his eyes again. He felt so tired now, so very tired. But perhaps he should go back to his room? He'd had encounters like that before. But the redhead was leaning over him, and gentle lips found his throat for an intimate kiss.
"Goodnight Roxas." Axel murmured and Roxas sighed at the answer to his question, letting his eyes slip closed.
He was glad he'd accepted that drink.
