Chapter 6. Your Altar of Strengths
Earth. A biosphere.
A complex,
Subtly balanced life support system.
Et turtur nidum,ubi reponat pullos suos
altaria tua Domine virtutum,
Rex meus, et Deus meus
And the turtledove a nest
Where it might place its young
Your altar of strengths, Lord,
My king and my God,
We are floating over the line
Let us follow our mind
All of our life we'll wait for the answer
And the question is why
If we're following our mind
We can glide into light
No one knows if there'll be an answer
While we're morphing thru time
We are floating over the line
Let us follow our mind
All of our life we'll wait for the answer
And the question is why
We're just travellers
In endless space
If we're following our mind
We can glide into light
No one knows if there'll be an answer
While we're morphing thru time
~Morphing Through Time, Engima
"Look Alexander," Aileen's voice smoothed across the Spring air, and her graceful hand would motion to the sidewalk artists with their paintings of pastels smoothed over the canvas in glorious display—it took his breath away. Her body tall walking with enough grace to make up for the way a three-year-old Alec toddled after her, clinging to the grand skirts of his beloved grandmother as she showed him 'the world'.
"Look at how you can travel the world and still have your feet flat on the ground." She smiled letting her hand comb through his hair, as he looked up in amazement. A painting stuck to Alec that reminded him of her, and she looked amused as he tried to explain. The colors so vivid on the paintings even at the age of three Alec could compare them to the rose color on her face, and the coral of her dress.
"The blue! Like eyes!" Alec's chubby little hand pointed out the color reaching to indicate it on the canvas, but Aileen was quick to take his hand in fear he would smear the coal.
"Yes darling, like blue of the eyes, and here..look. Red, the sunset is red." She smiled looking down to him wanting him to relate the color.
"Blood. Red like blood." He was satisfied with his answer, though Aileen's face became expressionless as she gave a look over her shoulder to gage their escort's reaction. The man just gave a shrug, but it was clear it bothered him too. Alec was far too young to make that connection.
"Yes, Alexander…like blood."
Blood that painted the sky now as the sun set in scarlet stages fused with glorious gold to carefully caress the impending purple of the dawning night. The vacant skyline stole his breath as the destruction made Alec pull off his helmet to better see with eyes not filtered through the glass. His black strands curled now at the ends, matted in places to his neck, and would only correct when he ran long slender fingers through the mop of ebony black.
"My god.." He whispered taking it all in, amazed from both protector and an artist's point of view. He didn't know if he would be angry or passionately relate to what just happened here.
The fire of the West Side had long been burnt out, but the imprint still remained on the scarred streets beneath his feet—charred black from the flicks of the flames, and the broken glass had melted against the stone in many places. The sound of the compacted glass caused his teeth to clench as it broke beneath his booted feet, reminding him of that one time he had hit Daniel Stratton in grade school. The destruction could have horrified any, but an artist always Alec found beauty in the world around him-even in death the colors were so brightly contrasted that he felt inspired. He needed this. Amazed by how morbid it all seemed, but he wasn't afraid.
All around him the buildings were burned to their bones, the raw exposed blackened skeletons eerily reached for the heavens like fingers clawing from the ground, and the ash fell like snow as it was disturbed by the breeze sticking to his ebony black hair. The larger bits of debris floated about as if they were lost, mourning of what once was, but wanting to settle again—it needing the comfort of home, and the bits of paper reminded him of how the blossoms fell from the trees in the Spring. Only an artist would be reminded of the trees of his grandmother's garden in such a mess as this.
When the city officials gained control of the fire, and officially condemned the area; they had deserted it, leaving it then until morning—something to brush under the rug as if it never happened. The lives lost here could be replaced, and the search for survivors was postponed until further notice leaving the streets abandoned—bare. It made him feel eerily alone.
Enter our dark knight…
A shadow passed over the sun, blocking the light if only for a moment causing Alec's attention to turn quickly at the darkened shadow that slid its way into the alleyway blending with the black stone, and lack of light. Alec thought he heard the rise and fall of a sigh.
"Hello?" He called out to the black empty space before him, his heart starting to pound in his chest as he realized he wasn't alone.
The silence chilled him; this street alone used to be full of vendors, and small little markets where faces of all different colors called out in hope you would desire anything from their stand. His Grandmother had loved this part of town. How dare someone take his solitude from him without making themselves known! This hit too close to home, and suddenly he felt himself come to life like a phoenix from the ash with the anger to see the culprits in chains. Somehow he knew whatever it was that was beyond the darkness would have the answers. It burned in his chest as his electric blue eyes flared to life with the rage. Oh, how he could feel the firebird inside him clawing at his ribs ready to burn its way out.
"Whoever you are, come out, or are you too much of a coward." Alec's arm dropped the helmet at his side, but his knuckles turned white as he gripped full ready to use it as a weapon-ready to knock whatever it was out that came at him. The leather of his coat stretched tightly over his expanding chest as he breathed slowly to steady his nerves, and felt the sleeves tighten over his biceps as he tensed.
The figure's steps stilled, and Alec narrowed his eyes trying to make out an image of the shadow. However, in the black nothing could be seen until the man opened his eyes, and they burned like yellow-green embers of a fire that would never die.
Magnus had only opened his eyes, and the reveal caused the man before him to take a step back. He knew them—startlingly stunning, with the sharp slits adjusting to the light as they closed in on the boy.
"Coward?" His voice purred questioning the boy with a smirk that pulled over his lips revealing his white teeth, and then let himself pull from the black shadow as if it were dark water that ran off his skin. "Ha." Magnus snorted, lifting his chin in defiance, but keeping his eyes low on the boy, "Look who is talking, Lightwood."
"You.." Alec narrowed his eyes and regained the step he had started backward, but stood his ground—standing in it proudly with his shoulders back and jaw tight. "What are you doing here, Bane?" Alec's voice commanded the answer like a true King, and Magnus couldn't help it as he only grinned further.
"Why..the same as you, of course." He started in with his smirk, "Picking apart the carcass of this side of town like a vulture. Isn't that what It looks like to you?" Magnus opened his hands, the half gloved fingers long and decorated revealed the olive skin of his bare wrists that were exposed from sleeves of his trench coat, but they were empty….?
The first thing that swept into Alec's mind was the memory of the day in the hall, where Magnus was dressed in their school uniform with a little pin stuck to the lapel of his jacket, the clear gloss on his lips. He thought of how he had spiked his hair, and now looked upon it in fond memory. It was nice to see some things never changed. The spikes were longer though; seeming as sharp as the slits in his eyes that had always set him apart. He looked good, despite the rumors that flooded in his memory of him. Alec thought of how he had stopped Dan from breaking his own face in, and how he had been the only one to help him pick up his drawings; how kind his voice was, and how rare it had been. Looking back, Alec had felt guilty for how he acted, and how he let his emotions over run his manners; how he had never properly thanked him. For years he had tried to find Magnus, countless searches over the Internet, and through old yearbooks, but only found out he was no longer living at home; nor did his family claim to have ever known him.
When the distance was closed between them Alec had to tilt his head back to keep the man's eyes as he had always been so tall, but dared not allow himself to relax—not yet.
"Doesn't look like you found anything." Alec's voice was bitterly cold and dry of any emotion as his brave jaw set sternly, "Nothing is left." He was surprised when Magnus laughed lightly—almost sinister, and started to circle the youth as if he were hunting him.
"No? Nothing at all?" I found everything I have been looking for; for a very long time, and from that look in your eyes Alec, you have been looking for me too.
Magnus touched Alec's shoulder lightly in the same place that Hodge had assaulted that morning, and clasped the other firmly in his hand to turn him to face the destruction; where the sun still touched, and before Alec could pull away he continued, "Look, Lightwood. Look out on that. Tell me what you see..tell me now, that you have found nothing." The last word was a hiss.
Alec looked over at the street that was behind him now, where he had walked from. Everything looked so different now. It all seemed more vivid in the amber light, but he couldn't make words form. Magnus's hand still touched his shoulder, and strangely he didn't feel the need to pull away. In fact, his eyes were caught by the long stretched shadows of their bodies standing together, but he quickly diverted his eyes back to where Magnus had pointed. Finally, Alec gave in as sadness touched his face again for what was lost. Even now he missed her.
"I see the corner where my grandmother's favorite artist painted just for us, gone. Nothing more. Death..destruction..terrorism, and I see a lot of work to restore it to the way it was." His voice was so distant that it broke Magnus's heart, it made his knees feel weak, and made his cat like eyes fall to study his face in the shadow of Alec's black hair. Such sadness almost made him forget the words that would come next, but when Magnus slowly turned his body to face him he was met with much different eyes—angry again. That phoenix was burning, behind blue eyes.
"Do you wish to restore it the way it was, Alexander, or do want to rebuild it all again on new ground? Those buildings were old, falling apart; they wouldn't have stood too much longer, because the foundation in which they were built on had started to crack. The very freedom and pride that went into those buildings were stolen by communism. Shouldn't you start with that?"
Alec looked out over the broken part of the city, and realized how right Magnus was. All these years the rebels had always been right, but not even he was brave enough to stand up against the rest. This country was falling apart in the way the ground gave out. Everything in which they stood for was a lie, and innocent people were dying for no reason at all other then they were different. They were not perfect.
Finally, the weight of Magnus's words were as heavy as his hand upon his shoulder and caused Alec to roll back his arm to escape the man's touch. How could he admit how scared he was of it all? To seat himself among a den of lions was like admitting to himself he wasn't interested in women like he was men. How was he supposed to just walk into Parliament, and demand that everything change? His was the only voice that would cry out in defense of it all, but this was what Magnus had known caused such sadness in his eyes all these years.
Pictures were brutally honest.
Alec couldn't breathe anymore, and he felt himself starting to panic on the inside. He wanted to run as the darkness was everywhere creeping in on him. He couldn't listen to this, not now—his Grandmother would have been so disappointed.
"I need to get back." He breathed, and turned quickly where his motorcycle was parked. However, Magnus caught his wrist gently—without thinking, but he wasn't ready to let him go. Alec first looked at where the other's fingers touched the tender flesh of his wrist before his eyes rose again to meet those yellow-greens.
"You had it there for a minute, just now." Magnus spoke looking between Alec's blue eyes searching them for any falsehood, but knowing they only held truth. It was hard for him not to reach out and touch his face, or brush back the little wisps of black that had fallen in his eyes.
"Had what?" Alec questioned him harshly, though more out of surprise Magnus still held onto his wrist. Alec didn't have anything, besides it all.
"The leader you were born to be. In your eyes just then, I saw it. I felt it." Those words fell all at once as he pleaded with the youth, who couldn't escape himself then. When Alec gasped a small breath, Magnus could feel his own heart breaking. Alec's eyes watered, but no tears would fall. It was clear he wanted to please too many around him, but knew nothing of what he really was.
I'm afraid..I'm so very afraid. How did he admit that? Everything in him was so ready to fight for it, but his feet just needed to touch the ground first. Alec let his hand fall back to his side, but wouldn't let his gaze fall from the strange yet alluring eyes of the only other person to have ever stood up for him. Even now Magnus didn't judge him, he could tell the way his expression was pleading as if to say..
I know, Alec, I am too.
For once, Magnus didn't have the answer, nor did he know the truth of it all, but all he knew was this boy needed to be let out of his cage. That firebird needed to rise from the ash, and burn this entire city to the ground. How could he go home now? For one night he needed to be free from the world they made for him, the life others lived through this boy wasn't his own. Alec didn't know who he was, and what little parts he was discovering would have him stripped of his title. The Prince was never allowed to be who he was despite in the art he created, but even that had been taken from him.
"Come out with me." Magnus broke the silence between them, and Alec's face flushed as his heart stopped How did he know? How could anyone know! He had only admitted it to himself this past year, and was so damn careful. Alec never let his gaze linger on the models in his drawing class for too long, though was thankful for the excuse to finally be able to stare a little.
"W-What? What did you just say?" He asked shakily looking down to the ground to shuffle his feet, and somewhere inside Magnus's chest his heart fluttered with the realization of how darn cute that was. He didn't' mean it that way, and suffered back a laugh—afraid Alec would run.
"I mean come out to the night with me. We could hit downtown. Walk in the evening lights. " When Magnus suggested that, Alec felt himself breathe again,
"Oh." My god..He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, looking to his bike that could fit two if Magnus didn't mind being that close to him, and now felt obligated because he just embarrassed himself. Rolling his shoulders back he tilted his chin up a bit in defiance, "Alright. Fine." What harm could it do? Bowing he canted his head with his jaw set tight, and he would motion his arm to the bike, "After you."
"M'lord.." He acted surprised, a false shock of flattery as he pressed a perfectly manicured hand to his chest, "A chariot ride?" God. He was going to Hell. A great deal of the Underground King wanted to shiver with the anticipation of getting on that thing, but an even greater part of him wanted to get on it with—him. Tonight, he would show Alec there was a world outside those golden gates of his, beyond that silver spoon, and no body would stop them.
"Alexander, you are a rebel child." He purred darkly, and watched as Alec worried there wasn't another helmet. However, when he started to hand it off to Magnus, the rebel leader would refuse.
"Babysteps, Alec. Your head is far more precious then mine..besides. It would mess up my hair." There was enough gel there, that it would no doubt protect him should they wreck. Alec rolled his eyes when Magnus wasn't looking and let his head fall back so that he could shake his hair from his eyes to put the helmet on.
When Alec would climb on the bike to get it started, Magnus moved in behind the young Lord, and pulled out a pair of dark shades from the breast pocket of his trench coat. Despite the night he still put them on, and smirked like Satan himself as the engine roared to life. When he put his arms around the young prince he felt the tight muscles of Alec's abs tighten when he sucked in air.
Alec bent forward to rev the throttle, and Magnus was thankful the sounds would drown out his low quiet moan. However, he still bent forward enough so that Alec could hear his low voice.
"Go easy on me Alexander..its my first time."
Alec smirked himself, as if Magnus had just signed his death wish, and looked down to set the gears, and to kick up the stand. With one pump of clutch, and a rev of the throttle, Alec took off into the night like a bat from hell.
A/N: So everyone that reviews to this chapter will get the first two paragraphs of the next in a private message. Trust me you want it- its sexy as hell.
I hope you all are understanding it better, and shout out to CW18 for answering my hundred questions.
P.s. If you haven't read the V-Day fluff that Incomparable-Insanity wrote for V-Day (its on the Malec community) you really should. Sooooo cute.
P.p.s. Reviews get updates faster.
