Tags: Orphan!Kurt

A/N: Age in Dungeons and Dragons varies between races. For example, a half-elf like Blaine matures around age 20 and often will often exceed 180 years of life. Whereas a full-blooded elf can live to be around 750, maturing around 20. Dwarves are considered young until they reach 50 and can live to be 350. Dragonborn's reach their maturity around 25 and live to be roughly 80. This story will not be tagged as an age difference fic due to the races maturing and living longer than each other.

Blaine set out for the Festival of Clane early in the morning a month after he turned 25. His parents and grandfather had come to Deswore to celebrate with him and were very interested in learning about his studies and his plans moving forward. Saria, of course, wanted him to return home.

"Momma, I can't come home just yet," Blaine had explained gently to his mother. "There is still so much to learn, and I feel in my soul that the answers to what I have been looking for are going to come to fruition at the festival in Devale. It is hard to describe, but I feel like something is pulling me there."

"I understand, my son," Saria had replied with unshed tears in her eyes. She had missed her son so much over the past few years. He had come home for one month each year in the summertime and corresponded regularly both via mail and magic. It just had not been the same as having him there all of the time, though.

Blaine took all of his possessions with him when he left Deswore, most importantly the ring he had received from Edyrin as his arcane focus. His bag of holding carried all of his books and journals that he just could not bear to part with. Each morning, Blaine would prepare the spells he thought he might need that day. He knew that there was no way he would be able to recall all of them at a moment's notice, and there were some spells he didn't need to do this with.

Rituals, as they were called, came in very handy. They were not to be used in combat necessarily but were used to help him. For example, Blaine did not need to carry a tent on his travels anymore, because he could put up a magical hut [Leomund's Tiny Hut] to rest in each night. From the outside, the hut looked like an opaque dome. Blaine often chose to camouflage it by adding a color that matched the landscape. On the inside, the temperature was comfortable and dry, no matter what the weather outside. Blaine could see out of the hut without any difficulty as it was transparent to him, and he could hear what was happening outside, though nobody outside could hear in. One of the best features of the hut was that he could dictate who or what came in the hut. Each night when Blaine conjured it, he would make sure to specify that only he was allowed to enter it. He did not want any wild creatures or other people accidentally coming in when he was sleeping, and to add another layer of protection, he cast an alarm spell [Alarm] around the inside perimeter of the hut that would alert him mentally if anything crossed the boundary.

In his backpack, Blaine carried rations (just in case he couldn't find anything to hunt that day), a bedroll, an extra set of clothes (for special occasions), 50 feet of hempen rope, and a few bars of soap. A water skin hung off of his belt on one side, and his dagger was sheathed on the other. On his back, he also carried his light crossbow, quiver, and 20 bolts. He made sure that he had enough supplies to survive until reaching the festival, which would take about three weeks by foot.

After the first few days of travel, Blaine was eternally grateful that his father taught him how to hunt for his own meals, and was enjoying the solitude that this journey allowed. As he walked, he thought about a name for his crossbow that his father gave him when he was teaching him how to hunt. He came up with several, and the one that he felt fit the best was Skyfire, Etcher of Lost Voices. Blaine loved the name because he felt like there had been too many times over the past several years that he didn't have a voice, and he wanted to use the bow, if and when he had to, to help others find theirs, as well as maintaining his own.

Blaine was becoming more and more fond of his crossbow and was getting better at handling it. He was nowhere near proficient with the crossbow yet and still struggled at times, but he was most definitely getting better. Blaine would often admire it, and when he did, he remembered the wonderful times he had spent with his dad as he taught him how to use it.

The intricate, recurve crossbow had been flawlessly constructed of excellent firewood and its string was made from decent quality cotton. The limbs had been decorated with a seemingly glowing thread and ended in rounded curves ornamented with arrowheads. The stock was wrapped in rare leather and decorated with tribal paintings. The modest quiver was made from uniquely patterned leather and the outside of it had been decorated and etched in vines. In the hands of a novice archer, this bow was capable of firing arrows up to 300 feet while still retaining lethal power.

Every so often, he would pass various wanderers, others who were on their way to Deswore to study or to Devale to the festival. Either way, Blaine preferred to travel alone. That is, until the day he came across HIM.

About a week into his journey, Blaine was bathing in the river just as the sun rose above the horizon. He did not have to wash up every day due to a convenient little spell he had learned at school that could have him clean in a matter of seconds, but there was nothing like a refreshing dip in the water and the chance to really clean his clothes. He was enjoying the warm water when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He discreetly looked around and could not see anything, but he certainly felt like he was being watched, and he knew better than to ignore his instincts. Luckily, Blaine had prepared for a scenario similar to this one while studying with Wesley at school. He conjured an invisible servant [Unseen Servant] and commanded it to go to the shore, gather his clothes, and bring them to him in the water. After he had his clothes back on and felt much less vulnerable, Blaine dispelled the servant and went back to shore to dry himself with his magic [Prestidigitation]. He very cautiously picked up his backpack and continued to look around.

"I know you're there, and even though I can't see you, I feel you watching me," Blaine stated a little more confidently than he felt. "Please, come out so that the playing fields are even." One of the valuable lessons Blaine had learned growing up as a half-elf in a full-blooded elven village was how to be diplomatic in various situations.

As Blaine finished his sentence, the most beautiful being he had ever seen in his life jumped out of the trees. He was a wood elf; tall, lithe, and absolutely breathtaking. Blaine was mesmerized by his smooth, alabaster skin and his piercing blue eyes. In gazing at him, he noticed a large tattoo on the right side of the elf's face. It looked like some kind of tribal marking, but Blaine could not place if or where he might have seen it before. He decided not to ask about it.

"Wow," Blaine whispered. "I-I mean, my name is Blaine of Wellume. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Blaine was absolutely in awe of the man standing in front of him and shyly offered his hand to shake.

"I'm Kurt," the elf stated sharply, not offering where he was from. "What are you doing out here? No offense, but you don't look like the type to be traipsing around the woods by yourself."

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you," Blaine replied indignantly, suddenly not liking this handsome man anymore.

"I could have harmed you multiple times in the moments since you noticed my presence," Kurt rebutted.

"You didn't, though, and it makes me curious. Why?"

"I have learned in my 200 years on Ichion that nothing is coincidental and everything has a purpose," Kurt explained. "My happening upon you this morning is no different. We were meant to meet. Where are you heading? Maybe that will give us a clue as to why the Fates crossed our paths?"

"I'm on my way to the Festival of Clane," Blaine said, suddenly realizing that the festival name sounded like their two names put together. "Surely this IS Fate," he thought.

"I am, too," Kurt stated, knowing this was not a chance meeting but still not understanding why they were meant to meet. "What are you planning to do while you're there?"

"A magic master is supposed to be there, and I was hoping I could study under him for a while. How about you?"

"I didn't really have a set plan when I started this direction," Kurt began. "I heard another group of travelers talking about the festival, and something was pulling me toward it. So, here I am."

"Would you like to travel together?" Blaine asked, hopeful. He really wanted to spend some more time with this stunning man, no matter how short tempered it seemed he could be.

"I don't travel with other people," Kurt stated firmly, offering no further explanation.

"I understand," Blaine replied dejectedly. "I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for."

As Blaine walked away, Kurt's entire being was screaming at him to follow, but his head was reminding him of what other people were capable of. He'd loved once, and while he couldn't be sure that this pull, whatever it was, was leading him to love, he knew that he had to guard himself. He'd been burned before and the scars still hurt from time to time. With that in mind, he disappeared into the forest.

Blaine traveled for another two days without encountering another being. In his downtime, he would read one of his many books or write in his journal. Most of the books he had read before, though there were a couple that his grandfather, mother, or father must have slipped in without his knowledge. There was also a letter from each of them telling him how proud they were of him and wishing him luck on his journey. Blaine spent a lot of time, both while traveling and resting, thinking about Kurt, not able to get him out of his head. He recalled every feature of the breathtaking elf and replayed the things Kurt had told him. Blaine got the sense that not everything in Kurt's life had been sunshine and rainbows, and he wanted to know more about the mysterious, aloof elf.

Each night, Blaine set up his camp near a water source if he could find one. The forest was peaceful, and the small waterfall that lay at the dip of the river was comforting to Blaine, the sounds reminding him of home. As he bathed the next morning, he again had the sense that he was being watched. He looked through the trees and caught a glimpse of a very familiar pair of eyes.

"Hello, Kurt," Blaine said confidently.

Kurt jumped down gracefully from the trees and replied, "Hello, Blaine."

Blaine conjured his invisible magical servant and commanded him to retrieve his clothes and bring them to him. "Why is he always catching me bathing?" Blaine thought as he dressed and waded to the shore to dry himself.

"Are you following me?" he asked bluntly.

"I wasn't at first," Kurt started. "That nagging sense that we were meant to cross paths, though, made me come looking for you," Kurt said, annoyed he couldn't quite figure out what the sensation was he was feeling was. He did not want to tell Blaine that he had been following him from a distance since they parted. "I still feel drawn to you, and it scares me. But, that is a story for another day."

"I'm sorry that it scares you to be around me," Blaine replied, trying his best to suppress a smile. "I'll do my very best to earn your trust since it seems like we are on the same path for the time being."

"It's not you, per se, Blaine," Kurt replied. "I just prefer to be alone. Or, with animals, specifically wolves."

"Can I ask why? Or is that story for another day, too? I don't want to pressure you into anything you aren't comfortable with," Blaine explained.

"Not yet," Kurt stated. "I'm sure I'll tell you someday, just not right now." Kurt stood in front of Blaine, thinking, "I feel oddly at ease with this half-elf, and it's kind of freaking me out. I need to make sure I don't let my guard down. Gods know what happened the last time. I need to be sure Blaine isn't like he was."

"No problem, Kurt. Have you eaten breakfast?"

"I have. You?" Kurt asked, knowing that Blaine had, indeed, eaten breakfast.

"I have," Blaine replied. "Would you like to start walking toward Devale?"

"Yes, I would."

After a few somewhat awkward minutes of silence, Blaine started talking about his family and how he grew up. He didn't leave anything out, feeling very comfortable talking to Kurt and telling him things that he might not tell others.

"Did you have any bullying issues at college like you did growing up?" Kurt asked later that evening as they were sitting down to eat the food that Kurt had caught for them.

Blaine was seasoning the food with his magic as he spoke. "Only once, with one student who was only there for a short time. He was a jerk and thought he knew everything. In reality, he couldn't do anything magical at all. He was all talk."

"Sounds like someone I used to know," Kurt said quietly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Blaine asked. "I know it can be hard, but I've found that talking about the unpleasant parts of our lives gets easier the more we actually do it. Right after it happened, I didn't think I'd ever be able to talk so casually or confidently about my interaction with Sebastian, because…" Blaine stopped at Kurt's gasp.

"Did you say 'Sebastian'?" When Blaine nodded an affirmative, Kurt continued, "What did he look like?"

"He was taller than me, which isn't much of an achievement I guess, and human," Blaine recalled. "Brownish hair and green eyes. He was good looking, but so freaking ugly on the inside that his outside appearance didn't really matter. Why do you ask?"

Kurt took a deep breath and turned away from Blaine. "He was my partner for several years and wasn't always the cold man you seem to have met."

"I'm a good listener if you feel like sharing your story," Blaine offered.

"It's not very pleasant," Kurt began, deciding to continue talking at the open and nonjudgmental look on Blaine's face. "I met him near Cretopia several years-" Kurt cut off when he saw Blaine flinch. "What? What's wrong?"

"That's where my biological father's kingdom is," Blaine explained. "From what I know about him, he's an asshole!"

"Well, Sebastian worshiped King Fenfir, so that really doesn't surprise me," Kurt spat. "Anyway, I was traveling near Cretopia about 10 years ago and met Sebastian. We started talking and I instantly was intrigued by him. He was ambitious and had plans to leave the area. He asked if he could come with me. I hadn't had a companion in a while, so I agreed. He was nice and attentive, and I had been alone for so many years that I guess I was just craving affection of any kind. I didn't realize the little changes in him until he started becoming obsessed with finding power and magic, anything he could get his hands on to hurt others for his own selfish gain. It didn't really matter who he hurt, he just needed to make sure he could if it came down to it. About five years ago, he just left in the middle of the night. He wrote a note for me while I was out hunting saying that he had a lead on a person who could teach him powerful magic, not understanding at all what kind of magic it was. He said he was going to some school on the western coast, hoping they were powerful enough to be able to teach him how to hone in on any magical ability he might have. I think I finally found the school, but when I asked for him, they said he had left almost as soon as he got there. Then, I bumped into you."

"Wow! What a douchebag!" Blaine exclaimed, and Kurt laughed out loud.

"That's an understatement, Blaine," Kurt said through the laugh. "He's a piece of shit who I hope never crosses my path again."

"If he does, though, I'll be by your side, if you'll let me," Blaine explained sincerely. "I feel more comfortable with you than anybody else I've ever been around. I don't necessarily want us to part ways when we get to the festival."

"Maybe our destinies are intertwined, and the festival is just the catalyst to bring us together?" Kurt pondered.

"Maybe…" Blaine responded dreamily. "Well, now that we've eaten, what would you like to do? I usually read for a couple of hours before I put up my hut and sleep for the night."

"Hut?" Kurt questioned.

"While I was studying at Deswore, I learned a lot about magic. History, spells, purposes, and so on. One of the spells I learned allows me to put up a transparent, magical hut. I can see out, but no one can see in. It's always a comfortable temperature inside, and it stays up all night while I sleep so I don't have to worry about my safety at all," Blaine explained.

"That sounds really nice," Kurt replied. "I have a tent I carry around. It's protected me just fine, but I can still get cold, hot, or wet depending on what the weather is doing."

"Would you feel comfortable joining me in my hut tonight? There's plenty of room," Blaine asked, hopeful.

"Can I look inside after it's up and see how I feel?" Kurt asked.

"Of course," Blaine replied. "I know you don't need as much rest as I do. That's another thing the kids used to tease me about. Because my biological father was human, I require twice the sleep of my full-blooded elven kin. It actually just hit me that I'm getting a little tired, so I will get to work on conjuring it and we can rest. I'll only be about 10 minutes."

"Is there anything you need me to do or not do?"

"Nope," Blaine answered. "Just make sure nothing attacks me, and we should be good to go," he added cheekily.

For the next 11 minutes, Blaine conjured the hut using gestures and phrases. He did not necessarily have to take this time; he could just cast the spell. However, he learned at Deswore that each wizard only has a limited number of spells they could perform each day. To use up one of these spots when it wasn't necessary would be a waste, and one should never be wasteful when it comes to using magic. At least that is how Blaine rationalized it.

"Would you like to see inside?" Blaine asked after he finished and gathered his belongings to take inside.

"After you," Kurt answered.

Blaine entered through the doorway, and he felt like he was coming home. It was spacious, big enough to sleep nine or ten people.

"It's nice," Kurt stated. "If the offer is still valid, I think I'd like to sleep in here tonight. It's very comfortable, and I won't have to fight the bugs." Kurt might have lived in the wilderness for the majority of his life, but that did not mean that he liked bugs crawling on him and biting him while he slept.

"Before I go to sleep, I usually put an alarm spell around the hut. Really, it's not necessary, because I can choose who comes in and out. I just like to be extra safe in case someone finds us and dispels the hut. This will take me another 11 minutes to do. If you want to, you can go ahead and settle in. It doesn't matter to me where I sleep," Blaine explained and began to set the alarm.

Kurt was fascinated by Blaine's magic and watched him after he set out his bedroll for sleeping. "How will you know if someone dispels the hut and crosses the barrier?"

"This spell works one of two ways. I can either have it set to alert me in my head or so anyone could hear," Blaine explained as he continued to set the alarm. "Tonight, and any other night that you are in the hut with me, I will also make sure that you can hear the alarm. Is there a way you would prefer?"

"I think making it so anyone could hear it might alert the person who dispelled the hut, so maybe inside our heads?" Kurt reasoned.

"Good plan, Kurt." Blaine finished up the alarm and got out his bedroll as well. "Would you like to talk about anything? I feel like I've talked most of the day, but I would love to learn about you, too…" Blaine said as he yawned.

"How about tomorrow?" Kurt asked. "You look like you're about ready to pass out."

"Sounds goooood," Blaine said, stretching as he drifted off to sleep as soon as his head hit the ground.

Kurt lay there watching Blaine sleep for a couple of hours, thinking about how much he wanted and was willing to tell Blaine about his past. When he decided what he was going to say to him, Kurt finally fell asleep.

Blaine woke the next morning to Kurt re-entering the hut. He was carrying berries in one hand and what appeared to be eggs in the other hand. "I found our breakfast," Kurt explained at Blaine's somewhat bewildered look. He was not used to having meals brought to him anymore.

"Thank you, Kurt," Blaine said. "Let me get out my cookware and start a little fire." Blaine cooked up the berries and eggs, and both boys enjoyed it immensely. Afterwards, they picked up camp, and the spells Blaine had cast dispelled themselves.

"So," Blaine began after walking for an hour or so in comfortable silence, "what do you know about this festival?"

"From what I've heard, it's a holiday celebrated just before the first new moon of autumn. It commemorates an escape of some sort and is associated with discovery, surrender, and mental clarity. The celebrations last 12 days from dusk till dawn. Traditions include public and private quiet contemplation, prayers, and contests of skill," Kurt explained. "Did they not tell you what to expect when they sent you?"

"No, not really," Blaine stated. "I was just informed that a powerful wizard was likely to be there. My teacher hopes he can help me with my personal journey."

"And what might that journey entail?" Kurt asked. "I think that might have been where our conversation was going yesterday when Sebastian was brought up."

"Well, I want to do what I can to stop prejudices and help others learn to accept those that are different," Blaine explained. "I know it will be a difficult journey, but it's something I feel like I have to do."

"I admire you, Blaine," Kurt replied. "I feel like I've been lost most of my life, just drifting from place to place with no real consistency besides the wolf pack that basically raised me." At seeing the curiosity and sincerity in Blaine's eyes, Kurt continued. "I'm an orphan. Technically, I'm the only one left of my clan. When I was seven, a pack of gnolls mauled everyone but me and burned down my village. I still have no idea to this day why they allowed me to live. They seemed sort of startled when they saw me and ran away. So, with no family and no belongings, I wandered until a wolf pack kind of took me in. I left them when I was around 100 years old and have been traveling ever since, being led by the gods, feeling like I'm just waiting for someone important to come into my life, something big to happen."

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Blaine said with tears in his eyes, silently hoping that he was the someone Kurt has been pulled toward by the gods. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you, and it makes so much more sense to me why you are distrusting of others. Especially after your relationship with Sebastian and all that he did to you. I wonder if we might be able to find some answers as to why that happened to your village when we talk to Alin."

"I'm pretty much resolved to not knowing at this point," Kurt explained. "I've made peace with it. However, I won't turn down information if it's offered."

The remainder of the trip toward Devale was spent in much lighter conversations, the boys telling stories about anything and everything and becoming closer. Each night, Blaine would study his spellbook and write in his journal. Kurt would ask about his magic sometimes, trying to remember if anyone in his village ever utilized it, but it was hard to recall since he had been so young when his clan was taken from him. They made camp outside of the city the day before the festival started and followed the same routine they had every night since they started their journey together.

Blaine learned on the first day of the festival that Alin was not due to make his appearance until the fourth day. Each of the boys took in the festival on their own, visiting different vendors and buying new equipment. On the fourth day, Kurt purchased a new bow from one of the stalls.

"This here is Tiebreaker, Pledge of the Lone Victor," the dwarf seller stated. He was a portly dwarf, with his gut hanging over his pants and his thumbs tucked in his pockets. He used his head to gesture to the items he was selling. "This here commendable recurve longbow has been superbly constructed with dwarven steel." He wiggled his eyebrows at Kurt as if that should mean something to him. "Its string is made from first-class dragon sinew, a fairly common material around my part of the world. The limbs have intricate carve work and sharp edges on the end. The stock is wrapped in ebon, and you can see it's got rune-like symbols. Don't ask me what they are, 'cuz I don't know. The quiver? It's made from gen-u-ine rare leather of some poor beast my kin killed. The outside's decorated with thread which doesn't have a particular meanin' and it just makes it purty. In the hands of a trained archer, this bow can fire arrows up to 200 feet while still retainin' lethal power. You a trained archer?"

"Yes, I am," Kurt answered. "How much?"

"This here will cost you 200 gold pieces for everythin'," the merchant answered.

"How about 150, and you've got yourself a deal?" Kurt countered.

Sensing that this was as high as the elf would go, the dwarf seller accepted. "This bow can be imbued with magic. If you can find someone who knows how to do it, that is."

Kurt nodded in thanks and went to find Blaine. He found him near the fountain in front of the cathedral in the center of Devale, talking to one of the wizards that was sitting there. "This fountain is said to be filled with rejuvenating water," the halfling wizard explained to Blaine. "If you have been wounded, drinking this water will help heal you."

"Can anybody take the water?" Blaine asked, thinking that it would be a good idea to have some. He had no idea what their future might bring, and he didn't know any healing spells.

"Of course," the halfling said. "The water is free for anyone to have."

"Thank you," Blaine said and filled up his waterskin with the rejuvenating water from the fountain. He noticed Kurt beside him and motioned for him to fill the two waterskins he carried on his belt. "May I ask, why are the six of you just sitting around the fountain?"

"Each year, my companions and I come here, hoping that this is the year the great prophecy will be proclaimed," the halfling explained. "It is said that the great Alin will announce the prophecy when the time has come for change. The change is to come at the hands of a few individuals, one of which will be the cause of that change. So, each year, we come, hoping to be part of the prophecy and bringers of change."

Just as the wizard finished explaining this to Blaine and Kurt, the ground began to rumble and panic set in around them. Blaine didn't know what was going on, but his first instinct was to protect Kurt. He put up his magical hut instantly, feeling in the pit of his stomach that something horrible was about to happen. Suddenly, the cathedral exploded, and all of the merchants and their stalls were laid to waste. Everyone at the festival was turned to dust by the power of the explosion. Blaine and Kurt could see the destruction briefly as smoke started rising around the rest of the town. Whatever caused this, it was not accidental.