Praeteritum, part 1

Jasper, Yona, Ronen, and Van were on their way to the incubus's lost homeland with Pax, Eadmund, and Nefeli. The stowaway, Tepin, had since been discovered, too. She spent her nights on watch and her days sleeping in various bags or bundles for the first week. Then, she simply disappeared. Now, nearly two weeks had passed simply walking and the entire ordeal with Noctis seemed like a bad dream. Even Jasper's sacrificed arm had been replaced with help from Blythe's new powers. He didn't focus on it much. Instead he was lost to his thoughts. How was supposed to save an entire race? Just what did Pax and Eadmund expect from him?

Pax stepped closer and teasingly leaned toward Jasper. "You're pouting again", she taunted, matching his pace. Snapping to reality, he sent a sheepish smile her way. "I was just thinking...", he trailed. "Don't hold your thoughts in to fester, princeps. We are your council. Feel free to express your concerns", offered Eadmund, trying to be friendly. Pax rolled her eyes. "What he means is, we're friends now, right?", she beamed. "I like 'council'. It sounds more official", barbed Yona, breaking the tension. Jasper sighed mildly to himself with a grin. "I guess I should try to get used to the idea of being important before we get home", he uttered. Pax playfully pat his shoulder. "Home! See? You're already getting into the mood", she teased. Jasper nodded, trying to get used to the Nocte Regni being 'home'.

"So, how old were you when you left?", asked Yona, curious. Jasper shifted his gaze uncomfortably. He didn't remember anything. All he knew, he learned from Puck's library. Seeing his turmoil, Eadmund offered a kind grin. "Don't worry if you can't recall anything. You were merely an infant when you taken to safety", he explained. "Safety from what?", inquired Van. There was much he didn't know of his new friend. Eadmund stopped in his tracks, bringing the group to a halt. He gazed into the sky distantly. "I suppose it's time you were told", he sighed. Settling his eyes over Jasper, he set his bag down. "We camp here tonight", he decreed. Pax began to argue, but the look her partner gave her managed to convince her to back down.

No one spoke much as everyone settled in for the evening. They could have walked another hour's worth of daylight, but Jasper had much to absorb if he was going to be of any use when they got him back. Van and Yona took turns grilling fish from a nearby river over the fire for the group's dinner. By the time everyone was full, the sun had set. The group sat in awkward silence, listening to the fire crackle in the night. Yona sighed loudly. "Are you two going to explain anything or what?", she said, flatly staring at the fey duo. Pax grinned to herself as she quietly pet Nefeli, perched on her lap. "Your father never told you anything?", ventured Eadmund. Jasper sadly shook his head. The gargoyle crossed his arms in thought. "Some time after you were rescued from the coven, he would have been summoned. He was an emissary to Oberon and Zeus has one, as well. They would have parlayed for your sake", he began. "I can only tell you what I was taught from my superiors", he said with calm eyes. Jasper nodded, urging him to continue.

Eadmund took a deep breath and explained thus. "You are not the only Glaukos heir. You have an older sibling from a different mother, a woman interested only in power. She urged your elder to sabotage you at the start...You were nearly killed as a result...That's when someone inside your father's court was called. He trusted only the Nightmare Regiment to keep you safe until you could defend yourself. You were taken and marked by the order with plans to bring you home later on. Those plans fell apart when the king died suddenly. The circumstances are still under suspicion to this day...Now your older sibling sits on the throne, cold and ruling with fear and injustice. You, lord Zephyrus, are our only hope." Quiet crept over the group as things settled in. "Sounds bad", ventured Van, staring into the fire in thought. Ronen glanced at the faces around him before speaking up. "You never specified the older sibling", he stated. Yona perked up in interest.

"A sister", sighed Pax. "Her magic allows her to see into your soul. She looks at the things you've done, what you've ever felt bad about and judges you without mercy or explanation...Everyone's guilty", said the succubus, unusually melancholy. "What happens to the judged?", asked Jasper. Eadmund and Pax glanced at one another in concern. That was answer enough. Trying to lighten the mood, Yona interrupted the gloomy atmosphere with her insatiable curiosity. "So, who all is the Glaukos throne responsible for? I mean, obviously there's a few different tribes or something, right?" Jasper grinned slightly to himself. He'd caught her trying to read some of his books before, but it was a language she didn't know. "There's of course incubus, succubus, and gargoyles, but what else?", she pressed.

Eadmund smirked faintly. "Our world is not as disconnected as Oberon's. No offense, domine", he began. "It means the fey interact more freely", ventured Ronen. His statement seemed to explain things better for his friend. "Fey from the world over are welcome in the Nocte Regni. Most populations were...relocated... However, pockets of the free still remain", explained Eadmund, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to offend his prince about his father's work. "Sure, we get tengu, lamia, all kinds of people", grinned Pax proudly. "Tengu?", repeated Van, intrigued. He knew that term from his home in the mountains. He got a brief nod to confirm it. Yona, meanwhile, bluntly asked, "What's a lamia?". Jasper sighed lightly. "They're akin to the naga. A different geographic population with separate traits", he said. "Like master Veda?", inquired Ronen. "Similar", replied Jasper. The group spoke of the different peoples they would encounter into the night. Once everyone broke away from the conversation to rest, Jasper stood alone against a thick tree, staring into the distance toward the guild.

"Sorry we took you from home so soon...We didn't realize - ...", trailed Pax, a few paces behind him. They hadn't expected his stay in stasis. Without turning, he replied, "It's all right." Seeing no one to interrupt her, she stepped closer to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she sighed happily. Blushing, he stiffened his whole body. "You don't have to comfort me", he ventured, giving a reason to her actions. "If I wanted to comfort you, I have different ways", she said, her voice thick with innuendo. Turning abruptly, he carefully peeled her arms from his body. "Please stop", he said, shyly looking away. Pax smiled softly. "Still hung up on that human girl?", she inquired. His expression was reaction enough for her answer. "You don't need her. You have me now", she said. He finally met her eyes with a dark gaze. She dropped her grin at the intensity of his stare. "You're going to be expected to include yourself in our ways when we get home. I can teach them to you if you let me", she said, trying one more time while they were alone. He knew what "ways" she was referring to.

He slowly loosened his grip on her wrists. Taking it as a cue, she stepped close and wrapped her arms around his neck, a feat she had to stand on tip toe to achieve. He stared away from her, but made no attempts to back away. "What is it you want from me?", he finally uttered, turning more crimson as she pressed herself against him. She gently turned his face in her palm. "This", she grinned, kissing him deeply. He quickly broke free from her arms and took a step backward. "Why are you doing this?", he managed, completely embarrassed. Pax sighed as her prize had escaped. "You need to know what our people are capable of", she stated. "I-is that all?", he asked, still avoiding eye contact. "No", she replied. She was being completely honest for a change as she smiled at him in earnest. He shifted his weight uneasily. What was he supposed to be doing? "Things sound pretty bad. It should be more important to teach me about the volatile political situation, shouldn't it?", he said, trying to press passed his red face.

Pax grinned at him. "I have never once seen a shy incubus before I met you", she stated, amused. "Are you avoiding the inevitable because of that girl?", she asked. He froze. "Inevitable?", he repeated, a little alarmed by her confidence. "You'll be on everyone's hit list when we get back", she teased. He turned his back to her, trying to regain his composure. "Isn't there more to our people than - ...?", he trailed, troubled. "Sex?", supplied Pax. He nodded shyly. "Yeah, but it's what we're known for", she chuckled. Jasper sighed deeply. "Then teach me everything else", he stated. He turned back to face her. Her eyes gaped widely at the sentiment. "Really?", she asked. He nodded resolutely. Pax smiled to herself. He never completely turned her down or exactly claimed to be fixated on Yona. Maybe there was hope for her goals after all.

Back in Primrose, Blythe patiently waited for Kavi to finish his paperwork for the guild. It was late, but that seemed to be normal now. Veda had officially stepped down as master to care for Durga and everyone expected the dragon slayer to take the job. Seeing as how he basically ran the guild anyway, he gladly took it on. That left little time for the clinic. Luckily, a pair of travelers turned up begging to help. Maria and Tomas had naturally tracked down their beloved Dubhan and now happily served at his side once more. Kavi trusted Blythe and Rani to keep a close eye on the trio, easing the stress on his mind. Setting his pen down, he sighed, grateful to be done. Blythe perked up as he scooted his chair from his desk. He lilted his head in confusion at the sealed envelope in his lover's hand.

"This one's yours", stated Kavi with a soft smile. "From the magic council?", asked Blythe, reading the envelope. Kavi sat beside him to offer support. This had to be their ruling on Wink. He'd been turned over as part of keeping Dubhan free, something all three Sandrunner's agreed to. Blythe sighed, idly fingering the paper. He'd healed his cousin below the skin, enabling him to move freely without pain, but Wink had insisted on keeping the burn scars as 'penance for his sins'. Kavi gently kissed Blythe's ear. "Read it", he encouraged. Nodding, the blood mage opened the missive and unfolded the letter. Placing a warm hand on his arm, Kavi read over his shoulder. Both eased as their eyes scanned the words. "He's a secret now, I guess", said Blythe, slightly deflated. While deeply grateful his cousin's life had indeed been spared, he was to be known to the world as dead. The council had enlisted him in a shadow corp to hunt rogue mages. No more than that was stated in the missive. It was top secret. Still, Wink was alive and not behind bars. Blythe had to settle for that. "I guess your ties got me this much, didn't they?", sighed Blythe, tucking the paper away. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you more", replied Kavi, hugging him close from behind. Gently grasping his arms, Blythe settled into the warmth. "Thank you", he uttered. A soft kiss upon his brow was the only response.

A few days later, Eadmund assured the group they were nearly home, something the members from the guild were glad to hear. They'd literally walked for weeks. As the group spread out for an afternoon rest, the fey seemed to huddle into a quiet conversation in that weird tongue Yona couldn't understand. Annoyed, she wandered off and ended up lying in the grass, staring at the passing clouds. Ronen lied beside her, glancing at the sound of approaching footsteps. Van sat down on her other side and leaned on one knee. "Sounds like this is the last time we'll see the sun for a while", he uttered idly. "Yep", replied Yona, not really paying attention. Several minutes of silence passed. Eventually, Van, too, stretched out, bored. He yawned loudly. Draco's necklace may keep him in the physical world, but the drain was still taxing.

"If you're that tired, go to sleep, stupid", said Yona. Van smirked at her tone. "I could", he teased. "But he wants to talk", said Ronen, sitting up. "I'll check on the others", he offered, excusing himself. Van sat up, too, and watched the exceed go. He sighed lightly. "He's good", he ceded. Yona grinned to herself. "So, what do you want?", she asked. Van leaned on his knee once more, watching the grass blow in the breeze. "Just checking on you, I guess", he said a little sadly. Rolling her head, she stared at him in question. "Everything okay?..I mean, a lot happened, then Jasper broke things off...It's gotta be hard watching Pax hitting on him all the time", he ventured, filling the awkward quiet. Yona shied her gaze and said nothing. "I figured I could at least listen", offered Van. Struggling with her thoughts, she sighed loudly. "I guess you think it's like how it felt to watch me with Jasper...", she trailed. That statement made Van glance away. He still loved her and wanted her happiness, thus he set petty things like jealousy aside, even spurning her love upon his resurrection.

A slight chuckle piqued his curiosity. "I guess it should be...but it's not." Raising an eyebrow, he listened for more. Spreading her arms out to the sides, she sighed again. "I can't really explain it. It's just...not bothering me", she continued. "I thought you were in love. That's why I kept my distance this whole time", he stated. She stole a peak toward him. He seemed to be staring off in contemplation. She fidgeted, hoping he didn't notice. She'd been alone with him thousands of times, why was she nervous now? She just stared at the sky, waiting for the feeling to pass.

Minutes later, Van watched her with concern. She seemed off lately, maybe lost to her thoughts. "You look pale", he ventured. "So?", she asked stiffly, holding her distant stare. "Are you feeling all right?", he pressed. Yona shrugged. Silence ticked by as Van got a nervous look to him. "You're not...pregnant?...Are you?", he asked, afraid to hear the answer. Yona's tense gaze dropped as she gaped at the question. "God no!", she spat, turning to face him almost violently. Van let out a breath of relief and grinned to himself. Leaning back, he tried to ease his nerves. "That's good. I thought I had to kill an incubus for a moment there", he sighed. Yona smirked at his demeanor. He seemed much more relaxed with that cleared up. Stretching out once more beside him, she sighed to herself, prompting a curious glance. "If anyone knocked me up...It'd have to be you", she uttered softly. Van propped himself onto his arm and peered at her closely. "...Is that an invitation?", he grinned, a sneaky look in his eye. Playfully shoving him away by his face, she replied, "Very funny."

The duo eased onto their backs and watched the sky for a while in utter quiet. "Why did you say that?", inquired Van, curious. Yona shifted uncomfortably. He tried to avoid looking at her. She was so cute when flustered. After a brief pause, she sighed and trailed, "Jasper and I never - ..." Van popped up like lightning and stared her in the eye in shock. "Seriously?! What's wrong with him?! Hell, I'm just looking at you and it's making me hot", he spouted. She rolled her eyes at his fervor. "...Are you sure he's not...you know..like his brother?" Yona couldn't help, but laugh. "No, I'm pretty sure he's straight...Stupidly shy, but straight", she snickered. Once the amusement faded, she realized how Van was looking at her. In the past, she would have simply punched him or cracked a joke, but now...It was somehow different. She blushed faintly as she turned her face to look elsewhere. Gently palming her cheek, he turned her eyes forward and kissed her softly. Instead of seizing up, she seemed to relax at his touch. "I'm so stupid", she thought. She couldn't explain her recent change of heart, but looking back, the feeling was clear as day the whole time. Then she remembered their past. She'd run because she was scared. Losing to her own fear made her furious, but none of that mattered right that moment. His weight over her was comforting.

When their lips parted, she pressed her palm to his chest. No heartbeat. "Of course not", she thought. The sadness showed in her expression. Van apologetically shifted his weight off of her, though he couldn't bring himself to actually apologize for the way he'd felt for so long. He paused as she tugged his sleeve. He stared briefly before softly sighing, "I'm not apologizing." She grinned faintly despite her pink cheeks. "I don't want you to", she uttered, barely audible. He stared at her response. Did he hear her right? As if answering those questions, she grabbed his neckerchief and pulled him into another kiss, this one much longer and deeper. If he still had a beating heart, it would have sped fast enough to explode. That's how it felt.

Hazily opening his eyes once parted, he feared was dreaming. "Yona?", he ventured, a serene smile on his face. "We need to talk, don't we?" She nodded, again shyly glancing away. Someone cleared their throat loudly nearby, prompting the two to instinctively distance themselves from one another. "Having fun?", beamed Pax. Eadmund looked indifferent, Ronen smirked at the predicament, and Jasper looked crushed. He was clearly blushing in the brief glance Yona got of his face. He quickly turned away. "Gather your things. We need to get going", he ordered. He didn't wait for them as he walked back toward the main rest area. Nefeli lilted her head, perched high on her master's shoulder. She seemed intrigued. "Come along, Nefeli. We should check on our prince", said the gargoyle, excusing himself. Pax stood there, smiling wide at the pair. "Don't mind me. Please continue", she grinned. Fighting off an eye twitch, Yona sighed and got to her feet. "We're coming", she muttered. The look Van gave the succubus was the polite way of asking for privacy. Despite her interest, Pax let them be. Besides, she was much more intrigued on comforting Jasper anyway.

Van slowly stood up and dusted himself of. Ronen watched with a guiled look. "Have something to say?", asked the spirit. Ronen just smirked as he unfolded his arms. "Work on your timing", was all he said as he, too, wandered off. Yona seemed to be staring at the ground, something she seldom did. Van reached a caring hand toward her, but she side stepped him and pretended she didn't see the gesture. "We'd better catch up", she said, moving the loose hair from her face. "Yona", he called, dead serious. She stayed glued to her spot, so he came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. "Did all that just mean what I think - what I hope - it means?", he whispered. The softened tone made her shiver and she hated that he could tell. "We can talk about this later, okay?", she ventured. "Please don't run again", he uttered, his voice strained. He pulled her close, knowing exactly why she ran when things got serious in the past. She sighed deeply. "I won't", she replied. His grip was starting to soften, but she could tell he didn't want to let go. "Promise?" She nodded, unsure what to say. Van grinned wide and gave her one last squeeze before releasing her. "All right. Then we can talk later", he agreed. He walked ahead, knowing she would follow and that she didn't want him to see her red face. Why did she have to be so damned cute?! The duo caught up to the group quickly. Jasper avoided eye contact from both of them, simply insisting they needed to cross some distance before nightfall. Eadmund helped smooth it over by assuring that they would reach the entrance to their world before dark.

To be continued...