candle in the window
Fight me, break me apart. Take my dreams, but never take my heart.
When you walk with me and take my hand, my heart will be at your command.
Chapter 17
"Lykouleon." Light yellow eyes met green. The dragon lord had pushed himself away. He was breathing heavily and blushing deeply.
Kai-Stern's heart sank. I heard him calling me. Before I knew it he was in my arms...I couldn't help myself. The albino closed his eyes tight and bit his lip. I forced myself on him! The arrogance, the impudence! Kai-Stern punished himself for what he had done. But to show this to his lord would be even more arrogant and impudent, to decide your own punishment.
"Forgive me..." The blue dragon officer lowered his head before his lord. "My lord Lykouleon."
"Kai-Stern..." The green eyed lord looked on with concern and confusion. Light yellow eyes looked up from his lowered head. "Please don't worry about that." The blond lord waved a dismissive hand. "Are you alright?"
"Did I...I didn't hurt you?" The blue dragon officer looked away, ashamed.
"I'm fine." The dragon lord assured his friend.
"Forgive me." Light yellow eyes met green. "But I...how did we end up on the floor?" Memory loss, again.
"I told you not to worry about that, didn't I?" Lykouleon stood and extended his hand.
"Maybe," the blue dragon officer placed his palm in his lord's.
Rising to meet eye to eye, a stillness passed between them before they both looked away. What should I say? Lykouleon isn't angry with me but...It's been so different since I kissed him that first time. What if he's trying to play it cool even though he's suffering? Maybe it's better if I just leave and get out of his and Raseleane's way.
("Kai-Stern I...") *simultaneous speaking* ("Lord Lykouleon I...") They blinked at each other.
("You go ahead...") pause.
("I insist...") They looked away from each other again.
"Um..." Kai-Stern blushed, trying to think of something Lykouleon might not say, when he heard his lord giggling. The albino turned, surprised from the sudden mirth. His delicate fist hoovered just before his mouth as he tried to contain it. The albino looked back and allowed himself a small smile. He was always amazed by his lord.
"Go ahead." Lykouleon smiled after his good laugh.
"My lord." Now for the serious part. "I confess, I have a favor to ask." The albino couldn't seem to make eye contact with the blond. "Please allow me to return to Luwa." Kai-Stern's became aware of a dull ache in his head.
"But why?" The blond's jaw seem to drop open, taken a back by his request.
"I think I would be better if I'm not here." Kai-Stern looked into green pools, realizing his vison was beginning to blur. Light yellow eyes blinked a few times in order to dispel it with little success. "Tetheus told me that I may be a threat to you, to the kingdom. I shouldn't be here." The dragon lord's jaw tightened.
"Tetheus also told you to stay here, did he not?" Lykouleon folded his arms across his chest.
"He did but..." The albino was starting to feel dizzy. Maybe I should sit down.
"I consider myself a reasonable lord and master." The blond's tone was scolding and his eyes were stern.
"You are...I just..." The blue dragon officer tried to explain, leaning against a nearby chair. He didn't want his lord to misunderstand his intentions.
"And so I expect my subordinates to respect my judgement and the judgement of those I entrust with that responsibility." The dragon lord was being reasonable, defending his status and that of Tetheus but...
The security officer told him, he said it flat out with no if's and's or but's that the blue dragon officer was a threat as long as his memory was a mystery. The more his head throbbed the more Lykouleon seemed to make Kai-Stern angry. Why couldn't he understand? He had to go to Luwa and right now!
"Hear me out!" The albino had raised his voice, he hadn't meant to do that. But what's done, is done. Perhaps his urgency would convince his lord to give him leave. "Please." He corrected his tone.
"I'm listening, but perhaps you are not." The dragon lord unfolded his arms and took a step toward his officer. "You haven't answered my question, Kai-Stern."
"What?" Okay, that's not right. The albino answered every question his lord ever asked. He would do anything Lykouleon asked of him.
"Why do you want to go back to Luwa?" Green eyes looked down at him.
"Huh?" the secretary of foreign affairs was breathing heavier now. His body ached and his brain felt really slow. Still, what an odd question to ask. "I..."
The albino was about to answer, 'because I'm a threat you fool can't you see the danger right before your eyes,' but, a small voice inside seemed to be asking the same question. Luwa...why do I want to go back? I want to find answers that's true but...Is there another reason?
"Kai-Stern, do you even know what's happening to you?" The blond's gentle hands reached out and felt his warm cheeks. "What this is doing to you?"
"I...All the more reason to go back." this was a half hearted attempt at best. Maybe it was the aches and pains in his head and body or the closeness of Lykouleon but, the albino dragon felt helpless all of a sudden. "To find answers." Light yellow eyes closed, enjoying the cool dry fingers touching his cheeks. 'But most of all,' Kai-Stern admitted to himself, 'I don't want to hurt you.'
The albino winced the at sudden contact on his forehead and opened his eyes to see, the blond dragon had leaned forward and touched his forehead to Kai-Stern's. 'Lykouleon,' Kai-Stern's heart began to beat faster, 'I don't ever...ever want to hurt you.' His eyes closed again, unwilling to accept the responsibility for what he suspected would happen next. The dragon lord brushed a hand over those short, frosty locks and he pulled away.
"You have a fever." The dragon lord concluded, touching his officer's hand. "Come with me, I'll take you to Dr. Arvis." A fever? The albino couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. Oh well. Light yellow eyes barely opened as he allowed Lykouleon to take his hand and lead him away.
****
Later that evening.
****
"Why do you do this to yourself? There has to be an easier way." Ruwalk held the ladder that Alfeegi stood on. He was opening some document boxes on the top of one of hundreds of stacks about fifteen feet high, each.
"Storing older documents is necessary for proper record keeping." the crystalline copper eyed dragon scolded. "If I let amateurs look through these, they might over look something important," the chief secretary paused. "Or worse," the strawberry blond couldn't bare to think of the horrible possibility. "they might misfile something."
"Is that why Devlin isn't helping? Rrrr." Ruwalk nearly bit his lip, as he braced the latter when Alfeegi shifted.
"Devlin is a dragon fighter and since Tetheus increased the security force in and around the castle grounds, he has his own duty to perform." The strawberry blond told the secretary of state.
"Maybe I could find Rune."
"Didn't you hear? Rune was assigned to go to Luwa."
"Luwa?" shocker. "What's in Luwa?"
"Apparently, when Kai-Stern stayed at an inn there, he had left some personal items. Rune will retrieve them and hopefully find some answers while he's there." Ruwalk shrugged. The sea storms had stopped so most of the danger had passed. It seemed like such a menial assignment for a dragon knight even if he isn't very experienced in the field.
"We aren't going to look in all of these are we?" Ruwalk complained. He was feeling overwhelmed by so much paper work not only here, but piling up in his office.
"If we have to." he answered simply, scanning over several sheets of paper that the white dragon officer had pulled from the box.
"Maybe we could take a break." The brown and red haired officer felt he deserved it. They had been working on this for a few hours already, but his complaints fell on deaf ears.
"Some tea maybe..." The secretary of state mumbled to himself. "A snack..." On cue Ruwalk's stomach growled. "Haa." he let out a sigh. Alfeegi's eye brow twitched. "Maybe there are some of those spinach wraps left." The chief secretary's shoulders started twitching as his fellow officer continued. "Maybe Ms. Fay could whip something up for us. Hey, wouldn't it be great if..."
"Alright!" The strawberry blond announced. "You win, we'll take a break."
"Yeah! Alright." Ruwalk smiled.
"I'll never get anything done if you keep complaining like that." Alfeegi carefully came down the latter.
"I'm not that bad." the browned eyed dragon frowned.
"Of course not." the chief secretary pursed his lips, there was sarcasm in his eyes. "You do realize it's getting late. Ms. Fay might be in bed and asleep by now." They left the vault that constituted the document storage room and started down the hall, toward the kitchen.
"Sometimes she stays up late, if she's making a special breakfast." the brown eyed dragon beamed. "I wonder if she's baked some of her honey wheat bread." Ruwalk practically drooled at the thought. "A little bit of butter when it's right out of the oven and I'm in heaven."
"Deriving such pleasure from food is a bit primal don't you think?"
"Of course." Ruwalk admitted to his fellow officer. Alfeegi felt a sweat drop. "But despite all of the order and detail we put into civilization and the rest, every person has fundamental needs that are directly linked with nature."
"I need to stop by my office." The strawberry blond pointed at the door they almost passed by. "I wanted to file something before I forget."
"Filing," The brown and red headed dragon followed the other. "The nature of a chief secretary."
"Don't make fun." Crystalline copper eyes looked over the documents on his large desk. "But I think I see your point." Alfeegi slipped the paper in a specific place that Ruwalk didn't see as very different from where it had been. "Food, water, air..." the white dragon officer gave examples.
"Don't forget love." The yellow dragon officer embraced his companion from behind.
"Ruwalk." the strawberry blond gasped. "What are you...?"
"I can't help it." The brown eyed dragon whispered into the other's ear. "You make me forget how civilized I am." The yellow dragon officer kissed the other's neck, tasting the salt on his silky skin. Alfeegi felt a blush rise to his cheeks as his heart started to beat faster.
"Wait," the chief secretary pulled away and backed up to his desk. Not that the strawberry blond didn't like the other's affections, he just hated getting distracted. "We still have so much to go through."
"It's late, we can should be in bed." The brunet was quick to close the distance between them. Alfeegi extended a preventing hand.
"But..." The strawberry blond really wanted to find that map, although he was right, it was becoming a difficult and time consuming task. All the more reason to find it as soon as possible! "I thought you were hungry." That's right! Have him go to the kitchen while you finish up here, brilliant, or so he thought.
"I am." Ruwalk met no real resistance from his companion's hand as he let it touch his chest. "Aren't you?" The brunet leaned closer whispering over the other's lips. He gently pressed his body against the white dragon officer's, placing his hands on the desk behind his companion. "Hungry, I mean." Brown eyes studied the strawberry blond's reaction.
"I," The chief secretary felt his will to resist somewhat lacking. Crystalline copper eyes closed as he allowed his mouth to remain slightly open. "Yes." Alfeegi breathed. Brown eyes closed claiming his lover's mouth in a passionate kiss.
Fight me, break me apart. Take my dreams, but never take my heart.
When you walk with me and take my hand, my heart will be at your command.
Chapter 17
"Lykouleon." Light yellow eyes met green. The dragon lord had pushed himself away. He was breathing heavily and blushing deeply.
Kai-Stern's heart sank. I heard him calling me. Before I knew it he was in my arms...I couldn't help myself. The albino closed his eyes tight and bit his lip. I forced myself on him! The arrogance, the impudence! Kai-Stern punished himself for what he had done. But to show this to his lord would be even more arrogant and impudent, to decide your own punishment.
"Forgive me..." The blue dragon officer lowered his head before his lord. "My lord Lykouleon."
"Kai-Stern..." The green eyed lord looked on with concern and confusion. Light yellow eyes looked up from his lowered head. "Please don't worry about that." The blond lord waved a dismissive hand. "Are you alright?"
"Did I...I didn't hurt you?" The blue dragon officer looked away, ashamed.
"I'm fine." The dragon lord assured his friend.
"Forgive me." Light yellow eyes met green. "But I...how did we end up on the floor?" Memory loss, again.
"I told you not to worry about that, didn't I?" Lykouleon stood and extended his hand.
"Maybe," the blue dragon officer placed his palm in his lord's.
Rising to meet eye to eye, a stillness passed between them before they both looked away. What should I say? Lykouleon isn't angry with me but...It's been so different since I kissed him that first time. What if he's trying to play it cool even though he's suffering? Maybe it's better if I just leave and get out of his and Raseleane's way.
("Kai-Stern I...") *simultaneous speaking* ("Lord Lykouleon I...") They blinked at each other.
("You go ahead...") pause.
("I insist...") They looked away from each other again.
"Um..." Kai-Stern blushed, trying to think of something Lykouleon might not say, when he heard his lord giggling. The albino turned, surprised from the sudden mirth. His delicate fist hoovered just before his mouth as he tried to contain it. The albino looked back and allowed himself a small smile. He was always amazed by his lord.
"Go ahead." Lykouleon smiled after his good laugh.
"My lord." Now for the serious part. "I confess, I have a favor to ask." The albino couldn't seem to make eye contact with the blond. "Please allow me to return to Luwa." Kai-Stern's became aware of a dull ache in his head.
"But why?" The blond's jaw seem to drop open, taken a back by his request.
"I think I would be better if I'm not here." Kai-Stern looked into green pools, realizing his vison was beginning to blur. Light yellow eyes blinked a few times in order to dispel it with little success. "Tetheus told me that I may be a threat to you, to the kingdom. I shouldn't be here." The dragon lord's jaw tightened.
"Tetheus also told you to stay here, did he not?" Lykouleon folded his arms across his chest.
"He did but..." The albino was starting to feel dizzy. Maybe I should sit down.
"I consider myself a reasonable lord and master." The blond's tone was scolding and his eyes were stern.
"You are...I just..." The blue dragon officer tried to explain, leaning against a nearby chair. He didn't want his lord to misunderstand his intentions.
"And so I expect my subordinates to respect my judgement and the judgement of those I entrust with that responsibility." The dragon lord was being reasonable, defending his status and that of Tetheus but...
The security officer told him, he said it flat out with no if's and's or but's that the blue dragon officer was a threat as long as his memory was a mystery. The more his head throbbed the more Lykouleon seemed to make Kai-Stern angry. Why couldn't he understand? He had to go to Luwa and right now!
"Hear me out!" The albino had raised his voice, he hadn't meant to do that. But what's done, is done. Perhaps his urgency would convince his lord to give him leave. "Please." He corrected his tone.
"I'm listening, but perhaps you are not." The dragon lord unfolded his arms and took a step toward his officer. "You haven't answered my question, Kai-Stern."
"What?" Okay, that's not right. The albino answered every question his lord ever asked. He would do anything Lykouleon asked of him.
"Why do you want to go back to Luwa?" Green eyes looked down at him.
"Huh?" the secretary of foreign affairs was breathing heavier now. His body ached and his brain felt really slow. Still, what an odd question to ask. "I..."
The albino was about to answer, 'because I'm a threat you fool can't you see the danger right before your eyes,' but, a small voice inside seemed to be asking the same question. Luwa...why do I want to go back? I want to find answers that's true but...Is there another reason?
"Kai-Stern, do you even know what's happening to you?" The blond's gentle hands reached out and felt his warm cheeks. "What this is doing to you?"
"I...All the more reason to go back." this was a half hearted attempt at best. Maybe it was the aches and pains in his head and body or the closeness of Lykouleon but, the albino dragon felt helpless all of a sudden. "To find answers." Light yellow eyes closed, enjoying the cool dry fingers touching his cheeks. 'But most of all,' Kai-Stern admitted to himself, 'I don't want to hurt you.'
The albino winced the at sudden contact on his forehead and opened his eyes to see, the blond dragon had leaned forward and touched his forehead to Kai-Stern's. 'Lykouleon,' Kai-Stern's heart began to beat faster, 'I don't ever...ever want to hurt you.' His eyes closed again, unwilling to accept the responsibility for what he suspected would happen next. The dragon lord brushed a hand over those short, frosty locks and he pulled away.
"You have a fever." The dragon lord concluded, touching his officer's hand. "Come with me, I'll take you to Dr. Arvis." A fever? The albino couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. Oh well. Light yellow eyes barely opened as he allowed Lykouleon to take his hand and lead him away.
****
Later that evening.
****
"Why do you do this to yourself? There has to be an easier way." Ruwalk held the ladder that Alfeegi stood on. He was opening some document boxes on the top of one of hundreds of stacks about fifteen feet high, each.
"Storing older documents is necessary for proper record keeping." the crystalline copper eyed dragon scolded. "If I let amateurs look through these, they might over look something important," the chief secretary paused. "Or worse," the strawberry blond couldn't bare to think of the horrible possibility. "they might misfile something."
"Is that why Devlin isn't helping? Rrrr." Ruwalk nearly bit his lip, as he braced the latter when Alfeegi shifted.
"Devlin is a dragon fighter and since Tetheus increased the security force in and around the castle grounds, he has his own duty to perform." The strawberry blond told the secretary of state.
"Maybe I could find Rune."
"Didn't you hear? Rune was assigned to go to Luwa."
"Luwa?" shocker. "What's in Luwa?"
"Apparently, when Kai-Stern stayed at an inn there, he had left some personal items. Rune will retrieve them and hopefully find some answers while he's there." Ruwalk shrugged. The sea storms had stopped so most of the danger had passed. It seemed like such a menial assignment for a dragon knight even if he isn't very experienced in the field.
"We aren't going to look in all of these are we?" Ruwalk complained. He was feeling overwhelmed by so much paper work not only here, but piling up in his office.
"If we have to." he answered simply, scanning over several sheets of paper that the white dragon officer had pulled from the box.
"Maybe we could take a break." The brown and red haired officer felt he deserved it. They had been working on this for a few hours already, but his complaints fell on deaf ears.
"Some tea maybe..." The secretary of state mumbled to himself. "A snack..." On cue Ruwalk's stomach growled. "Haa." he let out a sigh. Alfeegi's eye brow twitched. "Maybe there are some of those spinach wraps left." The chief secretary's shoulders started twitching as his fellow officer continued. "Maybe Ms. Fay could whip something up for us. Hey, wouldn't it be great if..."
"Alright!" The strawberry blond announced. "You win, we'll take a break."
"Yeah! Alright." Ruwalk smiled.
"I'll never get anything done if you keep complaining like that." Alfeegi carefully came down the latter.
"I'm not that bad." the browned eyed dragon frowned.
"Of course not." the chief secretary pursed his lips, there was sarcasm in his eyes. "You do realize it's getting late. Ms. Fay might be in bed and asleep by now." They left the vault that constituted the document storage room and started down the hall, toward the kitchen.
"Sometimes she stays up late, if she's making a special breakfast." the brown eyed dragon beamed. "I wonder if she's baked some of her honey wheat bread." Ruwalk practically drooled at the thought. "A little bit of butter when it's right out of the oven and I'm in heaven."
"Deriving such pleasure from food is a bit primal don't you think?"
"Of course." Ruwalk admitted to his fellow officer. Alfeegi felt a sweat drop. "But despite all of the order and detail we put into civilization and the rest, every person has fundamental needs that are directly linked with nature."
"I need to stop by my office." The strawberry blond pointed at the door they almost passed by. "I wanted to file something before I forget."
"Filing," The brown and red headed dragon followed the other. "The nature of a chief secretary."
"Don't make fun." Crystalline copper eyes looked over the documents on his large desk. "But I think I see your point." Alfeegi slipped the paper in a specific place that Ruwalk didn't see as very different from where it had been. "Food, water, air..." the white dragon officer gave examples.
"Don't forget love." The yellow dragon officer embraced his companion from behind.
"Ruwalk." the strawberry blond gasped. "What are you...?"
"I can't help it." The brown eyed dragon whispered into the other's ear. "You make me forget how civilized I am." The yellow dragon officer kissed the other's neck, tasting the salt on his silky skin. Alfeegi felt a blush rise to his cheeks as his heart started to beat faster.
"Wait," the chief secretary pulled away and backed up to his desk. Not that the strawberry blond didn't like the other's affections, he just hated getting distracted. "We still have so much to go through."
"It's late, we can should be in bed." The brunet was quick to close the distance between them. Alfeegi extended a preventing hand.
"But..." The strawberry blond really wanted to find that map, although he was right, it was becoming a difficult and time consuming task. All the more reason to find it as soon as possible! "I thought you were hungry." That's right! Have him go to the kitchen while you finish up here, brilliant, or so he thought.
"I am." Ruwalk met no real resistance from his companion's hand as he let it touch his chest. "Aren't you?" The brunet leaned closer whispering over the other's lips. He gently pressed his body against the white dragon officer's, placing his hands on the desk behind his companion. "Hungry, I mean." Brown eyes studied the strawberry blond's reaction.
"I," The chief secretary felt his will to resist somewhat lacking. Crystalline copper eyes closed as he allowed his mouth to remain slightly open. "Yes." Alfeegi breathed. Brown eyes closed claiming his lover's mouth in a passionate kiss.
