p class="MsoNormal"Opeli found them./p
p class="MsoNormal"Aaravos had succeeded in freeing Viren, and he had sent his illusion with him to the woods to regroup. Aaravos had been desperate and panicked, focusing on keeping Viren alive, and hadn't had time to plan very far; thankfully for the both of them, he had made sure to pay attention to his failsafe plan in case the escape went sour, which it quickly did./p
p class="MsoNormal"Viren slept on the illusion's chest as it lay sat against a tree, Aaravos focusing on his side of the mirror, span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spantrying to formulate a plan. He ran his fingers absentmindedly through the mage's hair, trying to visualize the best way to procee—/p
p class="MsoNormal""There he is! And there's an elf with him! Capture them!" Opeli's voice rang out, echoing through the trees and sending a flock of birds flying./p
p class="MsoNormal""Viren. Viren, get up." The illusion shook him awake, Aaravos trying to keep his voice calm despite his sense of urgency. "Viren, we need to move."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The mage sprang up, eyes wide, panicking. Aaravos dispelled the illusion, focusing his energy on firing bolts of magic through Viren as the mage ran, trying to slow Opeli's forces. The sound of horse hooves was growing uncomfortably close./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, Viren reached a cliff, catching himself just in time. A few pebbles fell to the rocks below./p
p class="MsoNormal""End of the line, Viren." Opeli walked towards him slowly, menacingly. Out of the trees, at least thirty guards came up behind her, arrows ready. Damn. This woman clearly had a grudge against Viren. His heart was pounding in fear. Even if he took out a few, he would be shot down within seconds. He froze. What now? What now?!/p
p class="MsoNormal""Viren." He heard Aaravos speak through the worm. "Please don't risk losing your life. I know being here in my prison isn't ideal, but—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's the best option I have." Viren murmured. He reached to his side and uncorked a waterskin./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't try anything!" Opeli snapped at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm pouring a drink out for myself." Viren lied, pouring the liquid at his feet. "Seems fitting for a fallen advisor." Viren had been tense as he had spent a good five minutes enchanting the water before escaping the castle, but Aaravos had insisted they have a back up plan. The elf had accounted for the time spent so that it wouldn't interfere with the main escape plan, and Viren was now thanking heaven above that Aaravos had formulated a way to save him should things go south./p
p class="MsoNormal""Seems like an odd time to follow tradition, what with your history with rules and customs." Opeli spat out bitterly./p
p class="MsoNormal""What better time than at death's door?" Viren said, trying to keep his voice calm. In his prison, Aaravos was quickly chanting, hurriedly channeling energy. A connecting circle was on the floor in front of him, placed down half an hour ago while he had been instructing Viren on how to enchant the water. This was dangerous. He hadn't used this method before for fear of it backfiring. It would take all of his magical energy to work, leaving him weak and magicless for a good eight months. The cost hadn't been worth it before. Now, it was their only chance. He muttered the final word./p
p class="MsoNormal""confn."/p
p class="MsoNormal"With that, he pressed his hands to the circle, channeling every bit of his energy into it./p
p class="MsoNormal"The puddle at Viren's feet began to glow./p
p class="MsoNormal""What—" Before Opeli could finish her sentence, and before she could give the order for her forces to fire, two starry, elven hands, Aaravos's hands, reached up through the puddle and grabbed Viren's legs, yanking him through the puddle. Once Viren was safely on the other side, Aaravos quickly took his hands away from the circle and splashed it with acid, causing the intricate pattern to dissolve, leaving only plain floor. He breathed heavily, panting as the weakness hit him like a ton of bricks. His body ached as if every muscle, ever cell, every tendon and bone in his body were cramping. But it was okay. He turned his head to see Viren sprawled out on the floor where he had thrown him in a panic. He was looking up at him with those adorable, awe-filled eyes. He was safe and, what was more, he was here with Aaravos. Aaravos could finally touch him himself. No illusions. No magic. Just his own hands and body. He smiled. Failure wasn't supposed to feel this good!/p
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p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Aaravos's prison was surprisingly well-accommodated. There were three main rooms: the study, the washroom, and the bedroom. Currently, they were in the bed room. Viren had carried Aaravos to the bed, as his body was in a great deal of pain. Viren felt a pang of guilt, knowing full-well it was his fault. He wanted to do something to make up for it./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry if I'm a little rusty." He said sheepishly. Aaravos was laying on the bed, shirt off, on his stomach. Viren placed shaky hands onto the starry skin, kneading with slow, firm motions. He rubbed his way down to Aaravos's lower back, earning him a contented hum. Feeling empowered, he kissed the back of Aaravos's neck and watched as he smiled, eyes closed, relaxed. he straddled him, taking a seat on the elf's clothed ass. He positioned himself in such a way that his body's weight would act as a welcome pressure, and he watched as the elf licked his lips, presumably in approval. Viren brought his hands down to Aaravos's sides, stroking them with his fingers in small circles, running his hands over the stars./p
p class="MsoNormal""Mmmm~" Was the noise this got him, and Viren smiled, happy he was doing a good job./p
p class="MsoNormal"He hadn't given a massage to anyone since his wife, and they were long divorced. Harrow had never wanted them, even on his most stressful days. Viren scowled, feeling bitter at his former friend's memory. Harrow had never appreciated him, never seen his ideas as anything more than obstacles or bad suggestions. Viren shook his head. He didn't have to think about that now. Harrow was gone. Everyone important to him was on the other side of the mirror./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone except Aaravos./p
p class="MsoNormal"The elf moaned beneath his touch, savoring the feeling of his tight muscles being soothed. The situation finally dawned on Viren—Aaravos was all he had left. Opeli would probably shatter the mirror as soon as she found it. No one would ever look into this place again. He was trapped here forever with no one but his new…friend? Lover? He wasn't sure exactly what Aaravos meant to him, nor what he meant to Aaravos. Well, whatever he was, he was the only good left in Viren's life, and that realization sent a wave of clinginess right to his heart./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, what are you—" Aaravos spoke as Viren quickly grabbed onto him, Viren's body slowly becoming more and more frantic. What if he messed this up? What if he said something wrong and Aaravos grew to hate him? What if he pushed him away, just like he had pushed everyone else in his life away? What if—/p
p class="MsoNormal""Shhh." He heard the elf whisper. Viren was crying. He hadn't even noticed as he clung to Aaravos's body, as if holding him tight could keep him from leaving. Aaravos shifted in his grasp, rolling onto his back so that he faced Viren and Viren's face fell onto his chest. The mage's entire body was shaking, Viren's muffled sobs falling against the toned body of the elf. Shit. He was already messing this up! Here Aaravos was, his entire body in pain, and Viren was acting like a needy animal. He needed to earn his keep. He brought shaky hands onto the elf's shoulders, massaging them as best he could. He felt a warm hand on his head and lips against his ear./p
p class="MsoNormal""Shhh. Shhh." Aaravos repeated, his low, velvety voice rumbling against Viren's ear, making his heart pound. The elf couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man. While Aaravos was in physical pain, Viren was in tremendous emotional agony. Aaravos recalled from their conversations in the cell that Viren had two children. He had told him stories about them while Aaravos had searched his books for a way to free Viren, gushing at his daughter's accomplishments and his son's…tenacity. Though it was obvious which of the two he favored, it was clear the man loved them both very much, and now, thanks to Aaravos's failure, he might never see them again. He buried his lips in the mage's hair, kissing the top of his head softly and running his hands down his trembling back. They both needed time to heal./p
p class="MsoNormal"They would help each other heal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Aaravos had succeeded in freeing Viren, and he had sent his illusion with him to the woods to regroup. Aaravos had been desperate and panicked, focusing on keeping Viren alive, and hadn't had time to plan very far; thankfully for the both of them, he had made sure to pay attention to his failsafe plan in case the escape went sour, which it quickly did./p
p class="MsoNormal"Viren slept on the illusion's chest as it lay sat against a tree, Aaravos focusing on his side of the mirror, span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spantrying to formulate a plan. He ran his fingers absentmindedly through the mage's hair, trying to visualize the best way to procee—/p
p class="MsoNormal""There he is! And there's an elf with him! Capture them!" Opeli's voice rang out, echoing through the trees and sending a flock of birds flying./p
p class="MsoNormal""Viren. Viren, get up." The illusion shook him awake, Aaravos trying to keep his voice calm despite his sense of urgency. "Viren, we need to move."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The mage sprang up, eyes wide, panicking. Aaravos dispelled the illusion, focusing his energy on firing bolts of magic through Viren as the mage ran, trying to slow Opeli's forces. The sound of horse hooves was growing uncomfortably close./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, Viren reached a cliff, catching himself just in time. A few pebbles fell to the rocks below./p
p class="MsoNormal""End of the line, Viren." Opeli walked towards him slowly, menacingly. Out of the trees, at least thirty guards came up behind her, arrows ready. Damn. This woman clearly had a grudge against Viren. His heart was pounding in fear. Even if he took out a few, he would be shot down within seconds. He froze. What now? What now?!/p
p class="MsoNormal""Viren." He heard Aaravos speak through the worm. "Please don't risk losing your life. I know being here in my prison isn't ideal, but—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's the best option I have." Viren murmured. He reached to his side and uncorked a waterskin./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't try anything!" Opeli snapped at him./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm pouring a drink out for myself." Viren lied, pouring the liquid at his feet. "Seems fitting for a fallen advisor." Viren had been tense as he had spent a good five minutes enchanting the water before escaping the castle, but Aaravos had insisted they have a back up plan. The elf had accounted for the time spent so that it wouldn't interfere with the main escape plan, and Viren was now thanking heaven above that Aaravos had formulated a way to save him should things go south./p
p class="MsoNormal""Seems like an odd time to follow tradition, what with your history with rules and customs." Opeli spat out bitterly./p
p class="MsoNormal""What better time than at death's door?" Viren said, trying to keep his voice calm. In his prison, Aaravos was quickly chanting, hurriedly channeling energy. A connecting circle was on the floor in front of him, placed down half an hour ago while he had been instructing Viren on how to enchant the water. This was dangerous. He hadn't used this method before for fear of it backfiring. It would take all of his magical energy to work, leaving him weak and magicless for a good eight months. The cost hadn't been worth it before. Now, it was their only chance. He muttered the final word./p
p class="MsoNormal""confn."/p
p class="MsoNormal"With that, he pressed his hands to the circle, channeling every bit of his energy into it./p
p class="MsoNormal"The puddle at Viren's feet began to glow./p
p class="MsoNormal""What—" Before Opeli could finish her sentence, and before she could give the order for her forces to fire, two starry, elven hands, Aaravos's hands, reached up through the puddle and grabbed Viren's legs, yanking him through the puddle. Once Viren was safely on the other side, Aaravos quickly took his hands away from the circle and splashed it with acid, causing the intricate pattern to dissolve, leaving only plain floor. He breathed heavily, panting as the weakness hit him like a ton of bricks. His body ached as if every muscle, ever cell, every tendon and bone in his body were cramping. But it was okay. He turned his head to see Viren sprawled out on the floor where he had thrown him in a panic. He was looking up at him with those adorable, awe-filled eyes. He was safe and, what was more, he was here with Aaravos. Aaravos could finally touch him himself. No illusions. No magic. Just his own hands and body. He smiled. Failure wasn't supposed to feel this good!/p
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p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Aaravos's prison was surprisingly well-accommodated. There were three main rooms: the study, the washroom, and the bedroom. Currently, they were in the bed room. Viren had carried Aaravos to the bed, as his body was in a great deal of pain. Viren felt a pang of guilt, knowing full-well it was his fault. He wanted to do something to make up for it./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry if I'm a little rusty." He said sheepishly. Aaravos was laying on the bed, shirt off, on his stomach. Viren placed shaky hands onto the starry skin, kneading with slow, firm motions. He rubbed his way down to Aaravos's lower back, earning him a contented hum. Feeling empowered, he kissed the back of Aaravos's neck and watched as he smiled, eyes closed, relaxed. he straddled him, taking a seat on the elf's clothed ass. He positioned himself in such a way that his body's weight would act as a welcome pressure, and he watched as the elf licked his lips, presumably in approval. Viren brought his hands down to Aaravos's sides, stroking them with his fingers in small circles, running his hands over the stars./p
p class="MsoNormal""Mmmm~" Was the noise this got him, and Viren smiled, happy he was doing a good job./p
p class="MsoNormal"He hadn't given a massage to anyone since his wife, and they were long divorced. Harrow had never wanted them, even on his most stressful days. Viren scowled, feeling bitter at his former friend's memory. Harrow had never appreciated him, never seen his ideas as anything more than obstacles or bad suggestions. Viren shook his head. He didn't have to think about that now. Harrow was gone. Everyone important to him was on the other side of the mirror./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone except Aaravos./p
p class="MsoNormal"The elf moaned beneath his touch, savoring the feeling of his tight muscles being soothed. The situation finally dawned on Viren—Aaravos was all he had left. Opeli would probably shatter the mirror as soon as she found it. No one would ever look into this place again. He was trapped here forever with no one but his new…friend? Lover? He wasn't sure exactly what Aaravos meant to him, nor what he meant to Aaravos. Well, whatever he was, he was the only good left in Viren's life, and that realization sent a wave of clinginess right to his heart./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, what are you—" Aaravos spoke as Viren quickly grabbed onto him, Viren's body slowly becoming more and more frantic. What if he messed this up? What if he said something wrong and Aaravos grew to hate him? What if he pushed him away, just like he had pushed everyone else in his life away? What if—/p
p class="MsoNormal""Shhh." He heard the elf whisper. Viren was crying. He hadn't even noticed as he clung to Aaravos's body, as if holding him tight could keep him from leaving. Aaravos shifted in his grasp, rolling onto his back so that he faced Viren and Viren's face fell onto his chest. The mage's entire body was shaking, Viren's muffled sobs falling against the toned body of the elf. Shit. He was already messing this up! Here Aaravos was, his entire body in pain, and Viren was acting like a needy animal. He needed to earn his keep. He brought shaky hands onto the elf's shoulders, massaging them as best he could. He felt a warm hand on his head and lips against his ear./p
p class="MsoNormal""Shhh. Shhh." Aaravos repeated, his low, velvety voice rumbling against Viren's ear, making his heart pound. The elf couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man. While Aaravos was in physical pain, Viren was in tremendous emotional agony. Aaravos recalled from their conversations in the cell that Viren had two children. He had told him stories about them while Aaravos had searched his books for a way to free Viren, gushing at his daughter's accomplishments and his son's…tenacity. Though it was obvious which of the two he favored, it was clear the man loved them both very much, and now, thanks to Aaravos's failure, he might never see them again. He buried his lips in the mage's hair, kissing the top of his head softly and running his hands down his trembling back. They both needed time to heal./p
p class="MsoNormal"They would help each other heal./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p