Archie pushed open the door to the apartment. He was shifted to look like the building owner to avoid suspicion. A tall and stocky man with graying hair and a sad beard. Not a form he'd choose regularly.
He cringed as the noxious smell of bleach hit his nose. He looked around, heart saddening at the cleaned out space. When he'd been here last, there had been so much life and personality to the apartment. But now, with Lily Howard dead, and her son presumed dead, all their personal items had been cleaned out.
Archie peeked into the halls, seeing that one of the rooms had been used to store everything temporarily. He marched toward it, pushing the bedroom door open the rest of the way. He looked at the list in his hand, scoping out the cluttered room for the things Carter had requested.
He saw the first thing almost immediately. A framed photo of a younger Carter and Lily Howard. Carter looked to be about six or seven in the picture, and was grinning, showing off his missing teeth. Lily herself was quite beautiful in her younger years. A fuller face and brighter eyes, freckles prominent and blonde hair long and healthy. Archie wondered how she could have gone from that to how sickly she'd been when he'd known her.
The dragon sighed to himself, picking up the photo and putting it in his bag. He turned, seeing the next item laying on top of a desk that had been shoved into the corner. It was small, and rather unremarkable upon first glance, but Carter had been very adamant about getting it back. It was a small, round bronze ball strung on a brown leather cord. Upon closer inspection, it had several runes etched into the bronze. It was definitely magic.
"Does he even know what this is?" Archie muttered to himself, but pocketed it anyway.
The last thing was a little harder to find. He had to dig through several boxes to find it. But when he did, he knew exactly why Carter had needed it back. It was a thick, worn, leather bound notebook with frayed pages. Upon opening it up, he smiled to himself. It was pages upon pages of engineering designs. Scribbled in the margins were notes that Archie could only barely make out, but they all seemed to be tweaks to the designs.
"Seems we have quite the clever demigod on our hands." He laughed softly and carefully put the notebook in his bag. "He's going to be a handful."
He stopped when he saw a page that had fallen out of the book. He bent down to pick it up, freezing in his spot when he saw what was on it.
A messy sketch of a wolf, bound in place by thick chains. Even from the drawing Archie could practically feel the animal's icy gaze boring into his soul. In the corner of the page, was Carter's messy handwriting. A single sentence that made Archie's skin crawl.
What do the dreams mean?
Archie flew into the open window, setting the bag down on the kitchen table. "Douxie? Carter?"
Carter came into the kitchen, followed closely by Douxie. They were both covered in dirt and sweat, and Douxie had a grass stain on his shirt.
Archie stared at them. "Do I even want to know?"
Carter grinned. "I kicked his ass."
Douxie rolled his eyes. "You cheated."
"I did not."
"You two bicker like five year olds." Archie griped. He pushed the bag towards Carter. "Here."
"Thank you." Carter said, rummaging through the bag. A small smile passed over his lips when he saw the photo.
Douxie smiled at his familiar. "You're awesome, Arch." He said through their telepathy link.
"I'm aware." Archie said, a grin in his voice.
"Seriously, thank you." Carter said, smiling at the dragon. "This means a lot to me."
Archie nodded. "You're welcome, Carter. I was happy to do it."
"Alright," Douxie said, wrapping his arms around Carter's waist, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "I'm going to go take a shower."
Carter turned slightly to press a kiss to his temple. "Have fun, then."
Douxie grinned, tightening his grip on his soulmate, burying his face against his neck. "You can join me if you want to."
Archie gagged and Carter blushed.
"I think I'm okay." Carter said with an awkward laugh. He tugged out of his grip, grabbing the bag from the table. "Let me know when you're done, okay?"
With that, he was walking out of the kitchen and down the hall.
Archie gave his familiar a side eye. "You're a horrible person."
Douxie snickered. "He's cute when he's flustered."
The dragon rolled his eyes. "All you ever do is flirt with him. It's exasperating."
"It's hard not to flirt with him." Douxie said, smile fond as he looked in the direction Carter had gone. "I'm so… in love with him that it's impossible to do anything else."
Archie looked at him for a while. He knew better than to tell Douxie he was worried that Carter might become a distraction for him. Love was tricky. It was the best and worst thing in the world. And he loved Douxie, he had since he first met him as a young boy lost in the woods. He knew what love did to someone. It made everything else obsolete in the face of danger. It made you stupid and irrational.
It was love that had gotten Carter killed in the first place. And Archie knew that they'd need some pushing if they were going to make it. Douxie needed to get back on track with Merlin's mission, and Carter needed a proper teacher.
Archie needed to protect his boy… he needed to protect both of his boys. Carter was a part of their family now, for better or for worse, and Archie was going to make sure all three of them survived.
He looked Douxie in the eye. "I have a thought." He said carefully. "You can only teach Carter so much. The problem is that he's a warrior and you're not. He's going to need a teacher. Especially if he's going to survive."
Douxie nodded slowly. "Who did you have in mind?"
Archie smiled slyly. "Galahad."
Douxie stared at him. "You're not serious."
"I am." Archie said. "Galahad is a good teacher. You can send him a message and ask for his assistance. I'm sure he'd love to train Carter."
Douxie sighed, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "I hate that you're right. Problem is he'd be a bit too enthusiastic about training Carter."
Archie frowned at him. "Douxie, you can't coddle him."
"I'm not-"
"You are. Carter needs this. He can't become who he needs to be if you're hovering." He sighed. "I understand you want to keep him safe, but realistically you can't ensure he never gets hurt again unless you lock him in the basement or something."
"I've considered it."
"Douxie."
"Joking, I'm joking." Douxie sighed. "Alright. I'll send word to Galahad tomorrow morning."
Archie nodded. "Good. Now go take a shower. You smell like you got into a fight with a swamp and lost."
"Hey!"
Carter flipped through his old notebook, eyes scanning the pages quickly. He wasn't even really taking in the information. He'd gone through this cover to cover so many times, he knew it like the back of his hand. No, what he was looking for was hidden in the detailed diagrams. He saw the symbol every few pages. Most of the time it was so ingrained into the designs that he almost missed it.
However it seemed to almost glow against the worn pages.
An image of a dragon curled into a ball, faded against the brown pages but there nonetheless.
Carter trailed a finger against the drawing, trying to remember why he'd drawn it and why he'd done so multiple times. He flexed his jaw, sighing to himself. This was important. He knew it was. But why couldn't he remember? It was frustrating.
"What does it mean?" He whispered.
"What does what mean, Sunshine?"
Carter jumped at the sound of Douxie's voice. He looked towards the door, freezing when he saw his partner. He felt his face growing red as he stared at Douxie's bare chest.
"Uh…" he said dumbly, trying to remember how to speak properly.
Douxie, ever oblivious to his gay panic, came to sit next to him, still rubbing a towel through his damp hair. "What's this?"
Carter watched helplessly as Douxie took the notebook from him. He swallowed thickly, trying to tear his gaze away from Douxie's very distracting body. "It's- a um- sketchbook. From when I was younger."
"You draw?" Douxie asked, sounding a bit impressed as he flipped through the pages. "Wow, darling. These are incredible."
Carter blushed at the compliment. "They're just sketches. I was really into engineering and architecture when I was a teenager."
Douxie looked up at him and smiled. "You're very talented. Did you ever end up making these?"
Carter shrugged. "Tried to. Most of them ended in failure and the fire department coming to our apartment." He laughed softly at the memories. "I got chastised most of the time, but Mom always told me I had a gift."
"She was quite right." Douxie leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Maybe you should try your hand at it again. Something tells me you'll figure it out this time around."
Carter snorted. "Are you encouraging me to set fire to the cabin?"
"I'm encouraging you to do something you're obviously passionate about."
Carter smiled, taking the notebook back. "You're very sweet."
"And very right." He grinned. "Your father is the god of battle and strategy, but also mechanics and engineering. War weapons, mostly." He waved his hand dismissively. "But you could find a way to help yourself fight better. I noticed that you lost your sword in the explosion."
Carter nodded. "Yeah… sorry about that."
"Eh," Douxie shrugged. "It's fine. Besides, I can always help you make a new one."
"You can?" Carter stared at him.
"I can enchant any weapon you make and imbue it with magic." Douxie gave him a lopsided grin. "But the great thing is, the weapon you make will be specific to you. A swordsman is only as great as his sword."
Carter rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Gods, you sound so cheesy when you talk like that."
"I might sound cheesy but I'm right." He wound an arm around Carter's waist, tugging him closer. "You know I am."
"I don't agree with that statement." Carter shot back. He tried not to think about how close they were. He tried not to think about Douxie's arm pressed against his lower back, or how his warm breath fluttered over his lips, or how Douxie had brought them chest-to-chest. It was hard not to think about any of that. "Besides, wouldn't it be easier to just find a sword that's already made?"
"No. First of all, where are we going to find a good quality sword anywhere besides a dragon's den? Which, trust me, you don't want to wander into. And secondly," he lifted a hand, gently cupping Carter's jaw. "It's better and safer to have a sword you have a personal connection to. At least for magical folk. That includes you now, darling."
Carter's gaze flickered to his lips for a second. "Why are you so sure I'll even know what I'm doing?"
Douxie smiled. "Because I know how smart you are. How clever you can be. And obviously you know how to do this. You're kind of a natural at this sort of thing. And," he said, voice suddenly at a whisper as he leaned in closer. "I find that thing about you rather attractive."
Carter closed his eyes as soon as Douxie's lips brushed over his. Their breaths mingled and Douxie pulled him closer by the waist before slotting their lips together. Carter melted into it, stomach fluttering at the softness of the kiss. He tentatively rested his hands against Douxie's bare chest, leaning into the hand that cupped his face.
Douxie pulled Carter onto his lap, wrapping both arms around his waist, running a hand up his back. Carter groaned into the kiss, burying his hands into Douxie's hair. Their lips moved together slowly, both happy to keep to the current pace.
They parted after a minute or so, foreheads leaning together. They were both smiling. Carter felt his stomach flutter again when Douxie's hand lightly wandered down his back, trailing over his hip, then his leg.
"So," Douxie said, voice soft, gentle. "Can I ask what you were thinking about earlier before I walked in."
Carter pulled away enough to look at the notebook that was laying discarded on the bed. "Uh… sure." He reached for it, flipping to a page where the symbol could be seen more easily. "I don't know why I drew these, but they're incorporated into nearly all of these designs."
Douxie craned his neck to look at the drawing, eyes widening when he saw the dragon symbol. "Oh shit."
Carter stared at him. "Do you know what it means?"
Douxie nodded slowly. "It's a runic symbol meaning, "The Gated Guardian"." He pursed his lips. "It's this… ancient beast that's said to guard a powerful enemy of the gods."
"So… why did I draw it?"
Douxie looked worried. "I don't know, Sunshine. I don't know."
"The Gated Guardian?" Archie asked, eyes wide. "Why?"
"That's exactly what we're trying to find out." Douxie said, flipping through the notebook. "Sometimes, demigods have connections to things without even knowing it. The Guardian is said to guard an equally terrifying beast who's meant to bring about the end of the world."
"Ragnarok, specifically." Archie said, curling up beside Carter. His eyes widened with realization. "Oh. Carter," he looked at the demigod. "I found a drawing inside the notebook. It fell out and I picked it up. It was… a drawing of a giant wolf."
"Fenris." Carter said as if in a trance. He shook himself off. "Okay, how did I know that?"
"Like I said," Douxie looked at him. "Weird connections." He thought for a moment. "In the mythos, Fenris bit off the Norse god of war, Tyr's, arm. Maybe you have some sort of link to Fenris because your dad is also a god of war."
Carter stared at him. "That seems like a stretch."
"It's really not." Archie said. "The gods are more connected to one another than you think. Tyr and Vameus are basically the same person. The same deity, different names. The Arcanum Pantheon has been around since the beginning of time. Where do you think all the stories and mythology come from?"
Carter chewed on his bottom lip, thinking. "Like how the Greek and Roman gods are literally the exact same?"
Archie nodded. "Exactly."
"But," Douxie said. "Because of mortal belief systems, each mythology is true. The gods tend to keep to their own territories, but each god from all across different religions started with the Arcanum Pantheon, and then branched out."
"It's all very confusing and honestly, not relevant to you." Archie said. "Merlin just made him learn all of this."
Douxie cracked a smile. "It helped. Remember that Greek demigod we ran into?"
"Ugh, yes." Archie made a face. "He was annoying."
"Fatal flaws." Douxie said, nodding in agreement.
Carter blinked. "Fatal flaws?"
Douxie nodded again. "Most demigods suffer from some form of hubris. Or a "fatal flaw". Usually it's something that gets them killed." He smirked. "Pretty sure yours is impulsiveness."
Carter rolled his eyes. "Wow."
"Or maybe it's wrath." Archie suggested seriously. "Most children of war gods suffer from wrath as a fatal flaw."
Carter frowned at him. "I will throw you out the window."
"Exactly my point." Archie said snarkily.
Douxie snickered and turned his attention to the notebook again. "Oh, by the way," he said, purposefully not looking Carter in the eyes. "Archie had an interesting idea."
Carter squinted at him. "What kind of idea?"
Douxie cleared his throat. "We know someone who could… teach you some stuff."
"What stuff?"
"General sword-play. Rules of engagement. Monster Hunting 101." Archie said. "An old friend from our Camelot days."
Carter looked at Douxie, raising a brow. "Who?"
"A knight named Galahad." Douxie said. "He's been guarding what's left of Camelot for the last eight hundred or so years. But he's agreed to come and train you."
"A warning," Archie said. "He's a bit… eccentric."
"Loud, boisterous, a little bit crazy?" Douxie offered. He looked at his partner. "But he's a phenomenal swordsman and good man. He's the best person to teach you what I can't."
Carter nodded. "Okay. So why were you nervous about telling me? This is a great idea."
Douxie pursed his lips. "I don't know."
Archie harrumphed. "Because he doesn't like the idea of you doing anything remotely dangerous."
"Galahad doesn't go easy on his trainees, Arch." Douxie said pointedly. "Do you remember what happened with Matthew?"
"I do." Archie replied, giving his familiar a look. "But Carter isn't Matthew. He's a million times better in every way."
"Aw, flattered." Carter gave the cat-dragon a scratch between the ears. He looked at Douxie. "And, sweetheart, I'm not fragile. I can handle myself."
"I know." Douxie sighed. "It's just…" he looked away, taking in a shuddering breath. "Everytime I close my eyes I see your limp, mangled body in that fire and smoke and I just-" he swallowed his tears, looking at Carter. "I'm scared, Sunshine. I'm scared that I'm going to lose you again."
Carter stared at him, words dying in his throat. Silently, he moved forward, gently taking Douxie's face in his hands. "You won't lose me, Douxie. I promise you won't." He gave him a small smile. "Turns out I'm a hell of a lot harder to kill than I thought."
Douxie laughed tearfully, holding the hand that cupped his face. "You're right." He kissed his palm. "I love you."
Carter smiled, gently wiping away his tears. "I love you too. And hey, you don't have to worry about me. I'm a survivor, love. No matter what happens I'm going to get back up and keep fighting. You won't lose me."
Douxie nodded, rubbing his thumb across Carter's knuckles. "I just want you to be careful."
Carter's smile turned more teasing. "Not a chance."
