"there is you and you.
this is a relationship.
this is the most important relationship."
Nayyirah Waheed
UrGoh woke to the deep distant bellows of a wild Crystal Skimmer reverberating through the stone. He groaned and rolled onto his side, wincing at the distinct ache in his back and skull. Ah, SkekGra had gotten thrown. He had to remind himself that yesterday was quite the adventure...in more ways than just the one.
At least SkekGra wasn't up and busying himself at first light this morning. Instead, the Skeksis was tangled around him, snoring softly with his beak resting on UrGoh's arm. Reaching out, UrGoh gently touched over the ridge of SkekGra's eyebone, tracing the shape with his fingers until he reached the edge of the nail in his skull.
Last night had been both an unexpected surprise and entirely inevitable; like a river finally meeting the sea, but he still wasn't entirely sure how he felt given how fast they slid down into this pit. They had danced around anything related to sex for two of Thra's solar cycles and now they fell into bed together as naturally as if they had always been lovers.
Not that he hadn't enjoyed it. Last night was good.
-really good.
But they couldn't just ignore the facts. They weren't just two separate beings finding sanctuary in one another's bodies, they were two broken halves of the same person. Was it wrong of them to have engaged in such acts with themselves if those same acts were completely acceptable when they were apart? Part of him wanted to ask UrSu for guidance, though the Master would probably be just as perplexed as he was by the entire situation if not downright judgmental. As far as they were concerned...this was the first time in the history of Thra that the same being had made love to itself.
At least one thing was certain, he wasn't looking forward to SkekGra waking up. The Skeksis might have been the one to initiate the encounter, but UrGoh had a feeling that talking it would be another matter entirely. Now they had no adrenaline left to blame for their actions. They would be of clear minds and would have to discuss the consequences...whatever they may be.
And as unpleasant as the idea of talking about last night was, it was better than the alternative of ignoring everything and going back to business as usual. No matter what, UrGoh was not going to let this slide behind a façade, never to be broached between them. Their relationship was permanently changed and he couldn't going to go back to them tiptoeing around the subject like neither of them were affected.
As he mulled it over, he felt SkekGra shift and pull himself closer, spooning up into UrGoh's side as his tail twitched back and forth in his sleep. UrGoh lifted his hand and gently wrapped it around SkekGra's shoulder, brushing a jagged scar that ran across the socket. Skeksis and Mystics didn't dream (or if they did, they never remembered anything when they woke), but UrGoh always wondered if they used to be able to remember dreams as UrSkeks?
Or maybe their time as UrSkeks was little more than a dream he couldn't remember? It certainly felt like that somedays...
But every now and again, he felt vague sentiments tied to the time before the Division, emotions that tugged on his heart rather than his mind. When he meditated long enough, he could remember being very sad...very homesick, like he missed someone, but he couldn't remember who or why.
He'd often pondered if that was the very reason he was so prone to wandering Thra.
Maybe inside, he was still searching for that person or place and hoping against all odds to one day stumble across them by pure happenstance?
Next to him, SkekGra began to yawn and stretch, the talons on his feet catching the stone beneath them and scraping across it hard enough to make UrGoh wince. "Well...now...look how the...tables...have...turned..." he said, combing through the Skeksis' mane as SkekGra lazily blinked his eyes open, looking almost adorably confused by their surroundings as he tipped his beak and up and back to take in the enclosed plateau.
"Mmmm, I fought off a giant rock yesterday. If anything, I deserve some extra rest," SkekGra muttered, laying his chin on the soft muscle of UrGoh's shoulder and flopping out over the sheets. He stared over UrGoh's collarbone silently for a beat before he cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Speaking of yesterday..."
At the very least he hadn't needed to drag SkekGra into this conversation, as difficult as it would be.
UrGoh pursed his mouth and sat up, forcing SkekGra to move off of him as he reached for his clothes. "Do you...regret it...?" he asked as he began to slip on his pants, knotting the rope belt around his thick waist as he watched the Skeksis sit up and cross his legs on the bed. SkekGra sighed and rubbed the side of his head with his claws, careful of the nail sticking out of his skull.
"I don't regret it," he admitted. "But it was strange, right?" He looked up at UrGoh expectantly and the Mystic just shrugged as he put on his tail cover, making sure the tufts of hair at the end didn't get caught between the fabric panels. SkekGra frowned, waiting another minute before repeating, "Right?"
"It was...what it...was," UrGoh said simply, taking his shirt and pulling it on, slipping all four arms into the sleeves and buttoning up the front clasps. "Whether or not...it was...strange...hardly matters...to me..." He straightened up as much as he could to look SkekGra in the eye as he prepared himself for what was to come. He needed an honest answer and he wasn't going to ignore any potential body language that might give SkekGra's true feelings away. Not that the Skeksis was prone to lying, but this was too serious to not take every precaution.
"What I...want...to know...is..." He took a breath, his gaze softening the longer he watched the storm of emotions flicker across other half's face. Last night he'd seen parts of himself he'd forgotten even existed. They had been ripped from him and given a new form, stolen away in another person who he had no control over.
Who could hurt him so much.
UrGoh clenched his fists, resisting the urge to lash out in frustration. He just had to ask a simple question, but if he didn't find the right words, he might tear this all down before it had even taken root.
When did this new form, this beautiful, ugly mess that they were become so precious to him?
"UrGoh-"
"Do...you want to...continue like...before...or...not!?"
SkekGra's mouth was still half open, mid-way through a thought when UrGoh cut him off. He slowly closed his beak, looking to the blankets below him as if they might hold the answers he needed. UrGoh swallowed, his throat dry as he waited, his heart pounding a tattoo in his head to fill the dead air. Outside the wind picked up, whistling through the gaps in the rocks that towered over them like a cage, kicking up small clouds of dust as it went.
UrGoh gave a sniff and picked his discarded hat off the floor, pulling it onto his head and slipping his braid through the hole in the top. "So...be it...We continue...our...mission...as...planned..."
He moved to grab the packs so they could make their way back through the tunnel, but SkekGra stumbled to his feet, stepping on UrGoh's tail in his haste. "Wait!" he called out, catching himself before he fell into the Mystic's back.
Slowly, UrGoh turned to look at the still naked Skeksis. "Was there...something else...you wished...to...discuss?" he asked, yanking his tail out from under SkekGra's foot. The Skeksis wobbled and righted himself again, looking so lost and sad that UrGoh almost felt bad about his curt tone.
Finally, SkekGra gave a frustrated hiss, grabbing the sides of his own head with both hands. "Gah! UrGoh, I don't think there's a way to even go back!" He dragged his claws down, scraping his beak and making UrGoh wince at the slight irritation. "Not after that."
Blinking, UrGoh watched as SkekGra dropped his arms and closed the distance, placing his hands on UrGoh's cheeks and tilting their heads to press his brow to the Mystic's. "In all these trine-" He huffed, running his tongue along the edges of his fangs. "I've never experienced anything like what we did last night."
He thumbed a talon over UrGoh's jawline, tracing the wrinkles until they dipped too low on the Mystic's throat. "It's not something I think I'm ever going to be able to forget." He pulled back to look at UrGoh, still clasping the Mystic's face in his palms. "Even when we reform." He smiled toothily and UrGoh swallowed, his throat and chest tight with an emotion he wasn't sure he could name.
When they reformed. Would GraGoh remember any of this? Would he be happy to know that even in his most fragmented state, he still had a few slivers of hope beating in his heart?
Taking a few breaths, UrGoh gently reached up, touching SkekGra's wrist. "There are...no guarantees...in anything...The universe...can only offer...us...possibilities."
SkekGra's smile widened and the Skeksis leaned in, embracing UrGoh close. "Chance is better than nothing. I'll take what I can get," he said as UrGoh's other arms came up, wrapping around the Skeksis in turn.
"Sometimes...that's all...we can do..." UrGoh said, nuzzling his face into SkekGra's warm skin.
There was still a lot left to talk about and this would not be the only conversation they'd need to have, but it was a good start. UrGoh was at least content to table the discussion for now and let them be at peace in this new stage of their relationship. It had gone much better than he ever could have imagined.
Besides, they couldn't spend all day talking. They had to get back to their campsite and see how their supplies and tools had fared without them present to guard them. No doubt any food stocks had been picked clean by Thra's crafty scavengers.
Slipping on his packs, UrGoh picked up his staff and headed to the tunnel entrance, glancing back over his shoulder as he watched his other half get dressed and step out onto the outer-ledge of the plateau. "SkekGra?"
The Skeksis said nothing and just stared out over the desert, one hand raised to shield his eyes from the bright morning light. Then he turned back to UrGoh and said, "This place is like an island. I can see the ridge, but it's far enough away that nothing's going to sneak up on us." He gestured to the tunnel, adding, "There's a direct passage to the forest and some of these tunnels might lead to other sources of food and water."
"What...are you...saying?" UrGoh asked with a raised brow as the Skeksis began to pace on the ledge, tapping a claw against his beak in thought.
Wandering back into the shade, SkekGra gestured to the walls and ceiling. "We could make this work, UrGoh."
UrGoh glanced around the barren den. "You want...to live...here?" he asked, giving the Skeksis a skeptical look. "What if...more of those...creatures...come?"
"We can just barricade the tunnel when we're not using it," SkekGra said with a grin as he began ticking off talons, pacing in a circle around the Mystic "Oh! We'll need to get more fabric, but we can put up proper shades to keep out the dust and wind." He snapped his fingers, pointing one at UrGoh. "Water will be the biggest problem, but that's the desert for you!" He gave an excited cackle, continuing to mutter off random plans to himself as UrGoh just watched in slightly stunned silence. "What do you think?"
Humming, UrGoh rubbed his chin and took the Skeksis' evaluation to heart. It was certainly large enough for the two of them to have proper living quarters and it was very well-isolated. SkekGra wasn't wrong about any of the tactical advantages of being on this strange little mountain of stone. "I think...we can...give...it...a...try..." SkekGra beamed and practically bounced on his toes with excitement. UrGoh returned the infectious smile as he removed his travel bags and set them to the side. No sense in taking any of this back with them if they were only going to have to carry more things. He did take the water canisters and the lantern as they began their trek back through the caves to the distant forest.
It took the entire day to move all of their supplies from the abandoned campsite into the stone den and both of them were completely exhausted by the end of it. They still managed to make a proper fire pit and boil water, picking at the gathered nuts and seeds from their supplies. As they settled in to eat, SkekGra was much more tactile, resting his head on UrGoh's shoulder all the while chattering on about plans for their new home. UrGoh just nodded and pet over his back, enjoying the warmth they shared between them. They'd been plenty touchy before, but he hadn't realized just how much he had actually been holding back until now. Sitting next to one another and holding hands felt so chaste by comparison.
"UrGoh, are you listening to me?"
"Hmmmm?" UrGoh lifted his head, tilting it slightly to look at SkekGra whose eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "Come...again?"
Letting out a frustrated growl, SkekGra said, "I said, should we go to your Mystic Valley for some extra supplies? Will they at least trade with us?"
"They would...help...us..." UrGoh confirmed with a nod. "Master UrSu...knows how...difficult...our...mission is..." The other Mystics may have thought he was on a fool's errand, but they wouldn't turn away aid if requested (as long as they could spare the supplies). The two of them would eventually need to establish a relationship with the nearest Dousan outpost for trading, but a visit to the Valley would be a good start. If they were lucky, meeting SkekGra would inspire some of the other Mystics to work towards reformation too.
"Wonderful! After we get things cleaned up here, we should make the trek!" SkekGra leaned forward and opened up one of their bags, digging inside until he pulled out a map he'd stolen from a Podling merchant when he thought UrGoh wasn't looking. "Now...if we were there," he pointed to a ridge lining the Crystal Desert. "Then we must be somewhere here..." He tapped one talon to an empty spot in the desert region. "So where is this Valley, hmmm?" he asked, turning to UrGoh expectantly.
Rubbing his chin, UrGoh looked at the map and extended the finger of his opposite hand. "Here..." he murmured, pointing to a cliffside enclave, far from the Dousan village and even further from their current location.
SkekGra winced.
"That's a few days of walking," he said, taking a piece of charcoal from a box out of the same bag and marking both spots: a triangle for the Valley and a Circle for their current location. He noted the triangle with "Mystic Valley" and then paused at the circle before glancing to UrGoh "What should we call this place?"
Before UrGoh could answer, he tipped his beak up and looked around the den. "Monster Hideout makes it sound like we're the monsters..."
UrGoh chuckled and dragged the bag closer to them so he could take his pipe out of its case. "Who's to say...we...aren't?" he said as he filled the reservoir with water from his canister and lit the herbs inside.
That earned him another annoyed glare before SkekGra went back to tapping his chin, this time with the charcoal. "Rock Tower?" he suggested, glancing to UrGoh as he unknowingly smeared charcoal over his jawline. The Mystic shook his head and SkekGra nodded in agreement. "Too plain and straightforward," he muttered as he looked back at the map and the circle he'd drawn. UrGoh shrugged and took a pull on his pipe, blowing the smoke out through his nostrils. Almost immediately SkekGra started to hack, turning away and fanning the air in front of him. "Must you do that right now?"
Smiling, UrGoh turned his head to blow another plume, this time away from the Skeksis. "Yes..."
SkekGra huffed, muttering to himself about 'stupid Mystics' as UrGoh smoked, leaning further back against the boulder they were using as a makeshift bench. "What about...the...Circle?" UrGoh suggested after a few moments of watching the Skeksis mess with the map.
"Boring and unimaginative!" SkekGra declared with a wave of his talons, still pouring over the marks he had made. "This is our home, UrGoh! We can do better than The Circle."
"Hmmm," UrGoh said, pulling the end of his pipe from his lips. "Fuck Mountain?"
SkekGra nearly choked, beak ajar as he snapped the charcoal in two between his fingers. UrGoh snickered as both pieces dropped into his lap before the Skeksis could catch them "UrGoh, take this seriously!" SkekGra demanded, glaring at the laughing Mystic.
UrGoh's chuckles softened into gentle mirthful huffs as he learned over and took the map without another word. He ignored the Skeksis' weak protests as he rolled it up neatly and placed it to the side before plucking the broken charcoal out of SkekGra's robes. "I don't care...what we...call it..." he said, putting the pieces back into their box, his opposite hand wiping away the black dust from his Skeksis' face. "We're here...and it's...our home...Whatever we...make...of...it..."
He offered SkekGra a smile, continuing to stroke his face even when the last of the charcoal was brushed off.
Anxiously glancing to the map, SkekGra tried to reach for it, but UrGoh just pushed it further away. "It can...wait..." he assured as he pressed into SkekGra's space, forcing him to make room for the Mystic's wide stance. "There's always...to...morrow..."
"If we go at your pace, we'll never get anything done," SkekGra said with a snort, even as he let his own hands come up to play with UrGoh's hair, talons combing through the long strands. "But it is late..." UrGoh nodded in agreement, tugging slightly at the collar of SkekGra's robes. "And we had to move the whole campsite." UrGoh nodded again, nuzzling into the now exposed section of the Skeksis' throat. "So, I guess we can-"
UrGoh put a finger over the tip of SkekGra's beak and the Skeksis clamped it shut in reflex. Laughing, UrGoh said, "Keep...talking...just...not about...that..." He pulled at SkekGra's clothes, parting the fabric to expose more of his chest and abdomen. He waggled his eyebrows and then let his tongue trace the lines and scars that made up the Conqueror's upper body. He felt SkekGra shiver and so he pulled back, looking his other half in the eye. "Tell me...what you...want...?"
The Skeksis stared at him for a moment, his pupils wide with want but also confusion as if he didn't know what to do with the question. "I don't..." he stopped himself, closing his eyes and licking his lips. UrGoh smiled and sank back slightly, waiting patiently for SkekGra to collect himself. This was still very new between them and while he was excited to pursue it, he knew that a freshly tilled field wouldn't immediately bare flowers let alone fruit.
After a moment, SkekGra opened his eyes again, staring at UrGoh. "Do you mind if I-?" He slipped a hand down between them, rubbing UrGoh's groin through his pants. "I'd like to maybe-" He cleared his throat and UrGoh chuckled, stepping back to remove his clothes, not an ounce of shame as he bared his body.
Last night they had pawed at each other in near total darkness, but now the light of the fire showed every roll of fat, every scar, every wrinkle in stark clarity. UrGoh wasn't bashful as neither of them were particularly beautiful things in their own right, but he was curious to see if anything would change once all their physical flaws were put into full focus.
Rather than appear repulsed or concerned, SkekGra's hungry gaze only darkened with want the more flesh was bared to him.
UrGoh finished by pulling off his tail cover, laying it atop the pile of clothes he'd stacked next to him. He then got down to his hands and knees, lifting his tail as he glanced back at the Skeksis over one shoulder with an eyebrow raised in open invitation.
Growling in the back of his throat, SkekGra stood, yanking off his robes without any preamble as he came up behind UrGoh, letting his claws trace the width of his hips and stroke down his tail. The exploratory touches didn't stay innocent for long and UrGoh sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned forward, letting his front arms pillow his head as his back arms supported his weight. SkekGra's fingers teased along the swollen slit until he was leaking and hiking his tail as far up as he could manage.
Leaning forward over the Mystic's back, SkekGra clasped one shoulder in his claws, massaging over the bone. "UrGoh, can I-?"
"Yeah..." he murmured back, nodding. He didn't need an explanation and SkekGra seemed happy to not have to give one. Instead the Skeksis pressed an affectionate kiss to his shoulder and nipped the same spot, making them both sigh before he pulled back, one hand gripping UrGoh's thigh and the other holding his massive tail up. UrGoh groaned at the first touch of that long Skeksis tongue, glad he was already on his knees for this. It had been many trine since he'd last had a partner and it had been even longer since he'd last been eaten out.
SkekGra of course, couldn't stay quiet, letting out little whines and huffs as he slowly worked his tongue inside, no doubt feeling the ghost of his own talent between his legs. "Feels...good..." UrGoh murmured, one of his back arms reaching back to gently pet SkekGra's head, careful not to brush the nail. "Go...deep...er..."
Moaning, SkekGra pressed in further and they both shuddered as that wet appendage snaked around, pressing along the sensitive walls. UrGoh panted into his forearm, gently rocking his hips into the motion as SkekGra began to focus on licking up into his slit. This must have been easier than full-penetration for SkekGra, something small and already thin and wet to tease, but not too overwhelming. He hoped that the Skeksis would be able to learn how to relax so they could go further. There were so many ways to enjoy their bodies and it was clear that the Skeksis had disregarded most of them for their entire existence.
A shame, but at least now they could rectify it.
UrGoh jolted as the tongue inside of him brushed up against his cocks. He felt more than heard SkekGra let out a desperate whine as pulled his tongue back, exhaling hotly over the Mystic's gaping slit. "UrGoh, how do we last like this?" he rasped as he draped himself over the Mystic's body, all three of his own shafts fully emerged and pressing into the dip of UrGoh's spine. "Every touch feels like it's going to set me off," SkekGra said, hooking his chin over UrGoh's shoulder, both arms wrapping tightly around the Mystic's chest. "It's too much."
Sighing, UrGoh lifted his head and opened his eyes. "We don't...need to last..." He tilted his head to the side and nuzzled into SkekGra's chin. "We can go...for as much...or as little...as...we...want..."
The Skeksis nodded and took a few calming breaths, kissing UrGoh's throat before pulling back and kneeling behind the Mystic. He pulled UrGoh's members out before he replaced them with one claw, sliding deep into the wet slit. SkekGra grunted and UrGoh glanced back, watching as the Skeksis worked through his own tightness. "Re...lax..." he urged, "-and go...slow..."
"I know! I'm trying!" SkekGra hissed through his teeth as he fingered the Mystic, holding the thick tail out of the way with his opposite hand. UrGoh rolled his eyes and lifted one of his arms, reaching down and stroking over the dripping sensitive heads of his members. SkekGra instantly grunted, his finger twitching inside of UrGoh's slit. "Keep doing that," SkekGra huffed, sliding his finger in and out slowly, occasionally curling it to part the tight warm passage.
UrGoh was all too happy to provide a distraction, closing his eyes as he gave himself over to the light fingering, tugging on his cocks in time with SkekGra's thrusts. As he worked himself, he felt SkekGra's grip on his tail loosen a bit and he gave a contented hum. "Add...another..."
There was a slight pause and then the Skeksis removed his finger entirely. UrGoh gave a short whine, rocking his hips insistently before two fingers began to push in, giving him sweet relief. SkekGra hissed, but kept going until both fingers were engulfed by UrGoh's body.
"Breathe...SkekGra..." UrGoh urged, still jerking his cocks. Surprisingly this time, SkekGra didn't retort and just followed directions, taking shallow gulps of air. "We go...at...your...pace..."
Even after a minute of breathing, SkekGra still wasn't moving. UrGoh exhaled and lifted his head off his arms, glancing back to the Skeksis. "Are you...ok?"
SkekGra nodded slowly, his eyes glassy as he rubbed his members up against the back of UrGoh's thighs. "It burns a little, but I'm fine." He began to move the two fingers, thrusting them in and out shallowly, his tail twitching for a moment before he let out a breath and relaxed the straight line of his shoulders. "It's intense."
UrGoh nodded sympathetically and twisted his hips slightly, trying to get a better angle that he knew SkekGra would like. "Mmm...a little...deeper..."
"Here?"
SkekGra pressed both fingers into the fleshy walls and they gasped in unison, SkekGra nearly falling over the Mystic in shock as they bodily shivered. UrGoh was the first to recover and his weak huffs of air quickly grew into uncontrollable giggles that had him vibrating underneath SkekGra. "Yeah...there..."
Practically wheezing, SkekGra managed to straighten up, staring down at UrGoh with dark eyes. "What did you do to me?" he rasped incredulously as he looked down at the fingers still inside UrGoh. Slowly he pressed that spot again and nearly doubled over from the jolt of pleasure it sent through his entire body.
"I didn't...do any...thing..." UrGoh said with a grin, shifting his hips so that he could spread his legs further. "That's...all...you..."
That earned him a snort that devolved into an open cackle as SkekGra's playfulness reemerged. UrGoh's heart stuttered at the sound and he began to push back on those fingers with increasing need, silently letting SkekGra know he was ready for more. It took another few minutes of patient fingering though before SkekGra removed his two claws and replaced them with three to start the process started all over again. At least now the Skeksis knew the spot he needed to hit to make it feel absolutely wonderful.
This time, it wasn't long before SkekGra was picking up the pace. UrGoh moaned into his arm as he finally took his hand off his dicks and just let himself feel the pleasure that SkekGra was giving them both with his fingers. It really had been too long since he'd had someone to tend to and be tended by in turn.
With SkekGra, it felt as natural as breathing.
After what seemed like an age, SkekGra slowed his fingers and pulled them from UrGoh's dripping slit, wiping them off on the Mystic's leg. UrGoh lifted his head and met the Skeksis' nervous gaze with a small smile. They didn't say anything this time, just shared a look that said everything they needed to: go slow, be gentle-
it'll be ok...
SkekGra exhaled and then lined himself up as UrGoh raised his arm again, ready to provide a distraction from what would be the most painful stretch the Skeksis had dealt with all evening. A few moments passed with just their breathing and the gentle crackle of the fire to fill the air and then SkekGra was pushing in. UrGoh grunted, digging his fingers into the ground to brace himself as the three members pressed against one another and squeezed their way inside.
He heard SkekGra mumbling unintelligible curses behind him and he began to stroke his dripping cocks underneath, another hand reaching back to take SkekGra's, letting him redirect the pain. The Skeksis slid in at a snail's pace, but once he was finally hilted, they both let out a heady sigh of relief. UrGoh exhaled and purred gently as SkekGra's shafts literally throbbed against his tight walls. "Move when...you're...ready..." he murmured, feeling lighter than air despite being acutely aware of every inch of sweaty skin that was pressed to his own.
They were still separate, but somehow like this, it was almost like they were one and the same. They couldn't be bonded through flesh so they were left with what they felt: the double sided coin of pleasure and pain.
"Hah...easy enough for you to say," SkekGra said with a weak laugh, his breath hot over UrGoh's tail. "You're used to this." He lifted his hips up and swallowed, adjusting himself inside UrGoh which made the Mystic tighten into a vice. "Ooooooh! Do that again!"
UrGoh clenched down and nearly swooned at how tightly his own members were squeezed in turn. By Thra that felt good. He could just keep squeezing around SkekGra's cocks and probably get himself off from that alone, but he wanted SkekGra to get used to the feeling of penetration so he simply thumbed over the dripping slits and said, "Aim for...the spot..."
"I know that!" SkekGra said, pulling his other hand out of UrGoh's grasp so he could grip the Mystic's hips firmly with both sets of talons. UrGoh just snorted and rolled his eyes, moving back to brace himself as SkekGra began to slowly thrust, shallow at first but then deeper as his grunts grew into aroused growls. Each pass of those members through him had UrGoh throbbing with need as the Skeksis quickly picked up the pace, rocking his body back and forth.
Panting, UrGoh began to push back to meet SkekGra's thrusts, whining loudly as their hips smacked hard and sent tiny shudders cascading down the sloped line of his body. SkekGra dug his claws into the meat of his thighs, hunkering down so his chest was pressed to UrGoh's lower back and his chin was in line with the Mystic's spinal column. "You feel-" SkekGra groaned and closed his eyes, humping into UrGoh urgently as he gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to-"
UrGoh just nodded. He didn't care if the Skeksis babbled his way through to the end.
He just needed SkekGra to not stop.
"UrGoh!" SkekGra gasped, slamming as deep as he could go, clawing down the Mystic's sides and leaving reddened marks in his wake. UrGoh winced, but the pain was second to the fire that burned deep in his loins. Distantly he felt his knees rubbing up painfully against the stone underneath and the soreness creeping into his shoulders and elbows as he was rammed hard enough to ache. None of it mattered because his entire body was vibrating.
He felt like he was going to shatter into a million pieces and melt into a puddle at the same time. His heart pounded deep and heavy in his chest, but all he could think of was that this was what he'd been searching for all these trine.
This connection that he couldn't explain or share with anyone other than-
Himself.
"I fear for you, Wanderer..."
"Why...is...that?" UrGoh asked as he helped stir the massive pot of broth over the cooking fire. UrAmaj glanced up from chopping roots and cleaned off his knife on his hand towel.
"I fear you're making a grave mistake-" the Cook began quietly, taking his chopping board and tipping the stacks of colorful vegetables into the broth. "-and are opening yourself to something destructive."
UrGoh shook his head, continuing to stir the large paddle spoon as the vegetables tumbled in. "I know...what...I'm...doing..." He wasn't afraid of returning to the being he once was, flaws and all. GraGoh was not perfect, but it was who UrGoh was at his core and who he needed to be once again. That wasn't to say there weren't any uncertainties along the path (Thra's vision for him hadn't exactly been a clean and concise list of tasks to be performed), but he knew that if he followed this path, eventually he would be enveloped and made into something that was everything he was and more.
So much more.
Sighing, UrAmaj lowered the board and gestured to the open window with his knife. "How can you say that? You left the Valley and saw all that the Skeksis have done first hand. Your own half-" UrGoh raised a hand and the Cook fell silent, lowering his tool as he turned his gaze away from the moonlight drifting in and shuffled over to the supply pantry."Regardless, I worry for you, Wanderer. We all do, but Master UrSu especially." He glanced up at UrGoh expectantly as he plucked a ripe batch of Sister's Tears from a bag of fruit and began to peel away the skin, collecting the white seeds from the shallow groves.
The Wanderer smiled, leaning on the handle of the oversized spoon as he stared at UrAmaj. "I'm happy...that you all...care...so much...for...me..." and he was. He knew their concern didn't come from a place of resentment, but one of doubt and insecurity. They were ashamed of themselves, but especially of their other halfs whose crimes none of them could ever hope to make up for.
His own Skeksis was a murderer who stole the lives and lands of the creatures of Thra for the Emperor. By all logic, he was irredeemable and thus, unforgivable.
But UrGoh knew that wasn't the whole truth. He'd seen a different outcome, one that required sacrifice from them both in order to come to fruition.
Of course, any explanation he gave to his brethren regarding his vision only served to strengthen their misgivings about returning to their true form. If the Skeksis couldn't be forgiven, then the UrSkeks were just as beastly. From their perspective, the Mystics were better off not taking responsibility for things they did not have the power to change.
Despite his expressed disappointment, UrGoh wasn't particularly surprised by their answer. As nice as it would be to have additional support, he'd already committed to seeking this path with or without his fellow Mystic's help or approval.
It wasn't like he hadn't been on his own often enough in the past. Rare were the times when the Wanderer had a traveling companion, rarer still for it to be a fellow Mystic.
He knew it would be hard but he'd always managed to find his way on his own in the past. It was in his very nature to explore.
Maybe the others would follow once he'd cut them a clean trail through the unknown future that awaited them all?
He just had to be the one brave enough to take the first step.
UrGoh wheezed into the crook of his arms, legs shaking from the effort of staying upright with SkekGra's full body weight pressing down on them. The Conqueror had pumped him full with three final thrusts before collapsing into a shaking mess and was now moaning weakly against his sweaty spine. UrGoh's own members were twitching in the aftermath, a thick trail of cum dripping down the length of their shafts while the rest pooled under his heaving belly.
Swallowing, the Mystic slowly laid down on his front, ignoring the sticky sensation below him as he just breathed, feeling SkekGra's previously limp form begin to shift above him. The Skeksis' hand reached out, trailing through his hair and gently tugging on his longest braid like a leash. "UrGoh, are you alive?" SkekGra's muffled voice called from where he had buried his beak into the Mystic's skin.
"Possi...bly..." UrGoh murmured, closing his eyes as his heart beat a throbbing pulse through each of his limbs. "Check back...in...five...minutes..." He held up 4 fingers, too lazy to bother raising another hand.
That earned him an amused snort and SkekGra slowly pushing up and off him, his dicks slipping out of the Mystic with a wet squelch. UrGoh grunted as he felt fluid sluice down the back of his thighs, lowering his tail to rest on the ground.
Before he could relax too much, SkekGra gave his flank a light smack and declared, "Well, the good news is our clothes are still clean. The bad news is, we're both filthy."
"I...figured..." UrGoh said as he heard the Skeksis stand and collect their water canisters, followed by the sound of water being sloshed onto the ground. He shivered as he felt a damp cloth pressing at the apex of his thighs, cleaning in and around his swollen slit. UrGoh lazily lifted his tail when requested and rolled onto his back so that SkekGra could wipe down his groin and belly, but didn't bother opening his eyes.
Once he was cleaned, he blindly fumbled around for his pipe, waiting for SkekGra to relight it before taking a nice long pull. He exhaled a plume of white smoke straight into the air and then turned his head to the side, letting his eyes slowly drift open. SkekGra was kneeling by the fire, still naked and washing out a cloth that looked suspiciously like his own cowl. The Skeksis turned to look at him as he hung up the cloth to dry and smiled, reaching one arm out without a word. UrGoh took another pull on his pipe, but didn't hesitate to extend one of his own hands, letting his palm rest on SkekGra's.
How could he ever explain this to anyone? Who in all of Thra would understand the gnawing emptiness that had carved out pieces of his heart in the absence of SkekGra?
How could anyone expect a heart that was ripped in two to continue on beating without eventually bleeding out?
They sank into a comfortable silence for the rest of the evening. UrGoh smoked while SkekGra set up their bedrolls and blankets by the fire, putting away the map and the scraps of their dinner. The Skeksis made to put his clothes on (but stopped at UrGoh's skeptical eyebrow) before slipping into the covers, laying his head down to face the Mystic. UrGoh blew out one last stream of smoke before he doused his pipe and set it to the side, sliding into bed alongside SkekGra. The Skeksis purred softly, allowing UrGoh to embrace him with all four arms as he closed his eyes.
UrGoh nuzzled the Skeksis' jawline, giving it one last affectionate lick before letting his body's exhaustion carry him into a dreamless slumber.
The next morning came all too soon and the desert sand had no qualms about reflecting the morning sunlight right into his closed eyes.
UrGoh huffed and pressed his face into the blanket, too sore to roll over and face away from the radiant warmth that threatened to tear him back to consciousness.
"I'm afraid the suns won't be going away for some time," SkekGra's amused voice called from across the den. UrGoh slowly lifted his head, squinting tiredly as he stared at SkekGra. The Skeksis was already fully dressed and organizing their supplies, setting up locations around the room for food, tools, UrGoh's gathered trinkets, and other knickknacks. He placed one last bag of seeds down in the 'pantry' before he walked over to UrGoh, squatting down in front of the Mystic and glancing back at the entrance where the sunlight was streaming in. "Hmmm, maybe we should cover that up. Or move the bed."
"Why...not...both?" UrGoh muttered with a yawn, slowly rolling up to sit and stretch, cracking each of his four elbows in turn. He was about to try and get up (if his aching knees allowed it), but before he could lift himself, the Skeksis caught his face in both hands and dragged him forward into a kiss.
UrGoh blinked and then smiled, pecking SkekGra's beak in turn as he leaned back on his secondary arms. "Are you...sore?" he asked, knowing how it felt sometimes in the morning after he hadn't stretched himself out properly. They were both probably going to be hurting for at least a little bit.
They really should have laid out the bedrolls first...
SkekGra stood and shrugged. "I've had far worse injuries than this," he assured, combing over UrGoh's messy hair with his claws before going back to organizing their supplies. UrGoh nodded and winced. SkekGra wasn't lying. UrGoh had felt every one of the Conqueror's injuries over the trine, waking to find countless open cuts, stabs, and broken bones alike...
Though nothing either of them had experienced had come close to being as painful or scarring as the branding.
UrGoh had been wandering along the edge of a sparse wetland when he felt the first of his back arms break. The pain had been such a shock that he dropped his staff to the mud and slumped into a nearby tree, panting as agony lanced through his body in waves. His uninjured hands shook as he reached for the broken limb, taking deep breaths as he tried to assess the damage through the throbbing ache.
Before he could even try and examine the injury, his other back arm was snapped in the same place, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and let out a low whine. But it didn't stop there. He could feel something twisting his secondary limbs in ways they simply weren't meant to bend.
More cracks,
More snaps,
More silent screams into the uncaring swamp.
UrGoh leaned into the tree, tears streaming down his face as his entire body convulsed in pain. Then he blinked and the humid swamp in front of him disappeared.
He was in a cold room and pushed to lay chest down on an even more frigid floor. His secondary arms were bent behind him in a mangled cage while his front limbs were manacled in front of him, tied to something that he couldn't see. At first he was confused as all he could see was black, but then he twisted his head and felt the brush of fabric against his cheek. The realization that he was blindfolded sent his heart into rapid palpitations and he slapped his tail desperately against the floor, writhing in his bonds.
Slowly, the sounds of the swamp were replaced by distant chanting. The final mantra cut through the throes of his torture and he shivered as the chorus screamed in his ears the only explanation for his fate: We must be punished.
UrGoh's breath caught in his throat as he felt someone step over him, placing something hard and metallic against the top of his skull and pressing into the natural indent behind his eyeline. The more he struggled, the louder the voices behind him became, their laughter echoing in his mind like a scream through an empty hall.
"No, no please!"
"Please! Please!" a shrill voice mocked. "Do you hear that? He's begging for mercy!"
"Pathetic," another muttered, sounding slightly disappointed as the others cackled all the louder for his pleas. "You should be ashamed. The mighty Conqueror reduced to nothing but a whimpering coward."
"Get on with it," a third said, blunt and callous in their dismissive tone.
UrGoh opened his mouth, but any sound that came forth was swallowed by the distinct bash of metal on bone. His vision popped and he twitched, beak ajar in a silent scream of agony as his entire head was enveloped in electric pain. His claws dug into the floor, scraping and leaving grooves as he struggled, tail smacking repeatedly against the figure standing over him.
"It's not in all the way," a voice remarked with a cruel snicker.
"I'm not done yet," the one over him said snidely, pressing sharp talons into his neck to hold his head still. UrGoh tried to shake loose from their grip, but it was too painful to do more than shift his tongue.
Stop. Please stop!
The second blow had him reeling and suddenly UrGoh was back in the swamp. He barely managed to cling to the wet tree as his vision swam in front of him, pain overwhelming all his senses. The sky above him was turning dark with a storm and he lifted his head up just as the first few drops of water fell and hit his nose. Distantly he felt a third hit but by then he'd already started to black out. "Skek...Gra..." he whimpered as he slid to the ground, the rain starting to drizzle over his limp body.
The fourth and final impact was completely lost to him.
Night had fallen by the time UrGoh came to. He was dizzy, nauseous and completely soaked to the bone. As he tried to push himself to his feet, his vision blurred and he stumbled, head spinning from the effort. Reaching up, he touched over the top of his head and winced as he felt dried blood crusting his hair. Both back arms were still broken and dangling uselessly off the sides of his body, but they were mostly numb from the cold so he didn't have to struggle through the pain.
The first week of recovery was hard, but he managed to survive off his gathered provisions in a nearby hollow. He had to rip up a few spare cloths for arm slings and head bandages, but at this point he was just happy to still be alive. His arms would heal with time, but his head worried him as that injury left him unable to speak. It was like there was something in his brain that blocked the words from reaching his throat.
Then again, being unable to speak or sing for now might have been a blessing as the smallest of sounds had him curling up in agony for nearly an entire unum.
When his arms were nearly healed and his voice had started to return, an arrow found its way to him, a small carving etched into the wood.
I have him
UrGoh didn't need any other context to know what the Archer meant by that vague statement and simply began his trek based on the direction the arrow had come from. It took another unum of travel due to his injuries significantly slowing his pace and forcing him to take many breaks in order to tend to his wounds. By the time he made it to UrVa's camp and saw the true extent of the damage that had been done, he had completely regained his speech, but his head often ached from the effort.
Worse than his wounds was seeing SkekGra that first time, watching as the Skeksis immediately backed away from him in fear and distrust, only for the Archer to coax him out and reassure him that it was only UrGoh...
This time the blow dealt to him strike right in the heart, sinking deep into the hole that had never stopped bleeding.
"If you're not going to help, at least eat."
UrGoh blinked and lifted his head just as SkekGra shoved a bowl into his hands. He looked down and smiled, casually picking through some of his favorite nuts and seeds. "Thank...you..." he said as he watched SkekGra root around in their supplies to prepare his own breakfast. He ate quietly as the Skeksis puttered around, unable to keep still as he categorized everything and took full inventory. Eventually UrGoh cleaned out his bowl and stood, pulling on his clothes and moving their bedrolls out of the sun's view. He almost packed them up out of habit and had to stop himself with a small chuckle. That was right, this was going to be their home at least while they hatched their plan.
Lifting his head, UrGoh glanced around the mostly barren den and furrowed his brow. They might need to invest in building some furniture or maybe even create a loft for extra storage if they really wanted to keep this little desert island as their base of operations. It was almost 400 trine until the next Conjunction and that would be a long time to go without building any infrastructure. "SkekGra...?"
"What?" the Skeksis called without looking back, his tail sweeping over the ground as he worked.
"Have you...ever...made...a bed?"
SkekGra turned, giving UrGoh an incredulous expression. "Do I look like a carpenter, UrGoh? No, I've never made a bed." His eyes flickered to the bedrolls in UrGoh's hands before he sighed, letting his shoulders drop. "Ah, well then, I suppose we might want to find someone who has."
"Or who...can show...us...how...to do it...ourselves..." UrGoh suggested as he folded the blankets and moved to wander out onto the outside ledge. The suns were bright, but the full heat of their glow hadn't taken hold of the desert just yet. UrGoh rubbed his chin as he stared up at the columns of rock that made up the den. SkekGra was right, they would definitely need more shade (especially during the hotter seasons of the year). They'd also need to collect a lot of wood, fabric, and metal to even get started on major construction, but at least they had basic shelter for now.
Perhaps on their way back from the Valley they could stop by the Wellspring and get some more materials from the Dousan? It would certainly be easier than making two separate trips, though they would need something to cart everything back. The two of them alone wouldn't be able to carry what they'd need on their backs.
As he mentally tallied up a list of supplies they would need to get when they went to the Valley, SkekGra emerged from the den, walking over to him and putting his hand on his shoulder. UrGoh glanced to the Skeksis who was now staring up at their new home as well. "Did you see this place in your vision, UrGoh?" SkekGra asked after a moment. "I only remember the land consumed by purple light, SkekSo sinking into a pile of ash in his bed, Skeksis decaying before a rotten banquet..." He trailed off and sighed, shaking his head in dismay. "Then the two of us, watching the remains of Thra perish around us..."
"My vision...differed from yours..." UrGoh murmured as his eyes followed the shifting sands on the horizon, watching as they exposed new shining crystal deposits in one moment and covered them again in the next. "Thra knew...we would not...be swayed...by the...same...images..."
He took a breath and lifted his hand to rest atop SkekGra's. "I saw...us...finding the...Crystal shard...then Master UrSu...raising a...childing...a...Gelfling to...heal...the Crystal..." He tightened his grip over SkekGra's fingers and murmured, "I saw...the light...of reformed UrSkeks...and lastly...I remember...us...singing...together..."
UrGoh turned to face SkekGra and smiled up at him warmly. "Your voice...was...wonder...ful..."
The Skeksis frowned and scratched his chin with his free hand, muttering, "I can't sing like you."
UrGoh gave a slow and deliberate wink and clicked his tongue. "It takes...prac...tice..."
He then pulled the Skeksis' hand off his shoulder and interlaced their fingers, leaning up to press the tip of his nose to SkekGra's beak.
Thra had forced SkekGra to swallow his own fear and despair, the only two things that would cut deep to the core of an arrogant warlord. Meanwhile UrGoh had been gifted with hope and renewal to motivate him to work for something greater than himself. He felt bad that SkekGra had only seen the worst of possibilities, but he understood why Thra had chosen those specific images for him, painful though they were. He only hoped that these visions were not already set in the stones of time and that they could make the changes needed to guide destiny.
Aughra used to say that destiny was nothing more than a series of tunes, all intertwining and weaving in and out to make the beautiful song that was their reality.
UrGoh had always liked that explanation because songs could change as you sang them. Music was fluid and alive in a way that allowed it to be shaped by the choices of the performers playing.
Being here right now with SkekGra was ultimate proof that they were still capable of changing the song's tune. They both could have ignored the message sent to them and kept on living. The song would have continued to play, off-key and out of melody as it had since the Division.
No one would have been the wiser for it.
But instead UrGoh had gone against the choir's wishes and here they were, together, and doing their best to rewrite the song as it was being sung. SkekGra claimed he was not a good singer, but no one said the song had to be perfect. UrGoh had yet to encounter any song that was.
That was part of the beauty of music, of the UrSkeks.
Rewriting their song would be difficult and it wouldn't be a perfect tune, but in order for it to work at all they'd have to accept it in all its flaws-
Including the ones that lived in SkekGra and himself.
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Beta assistance by DerpingLina
