Chapter 18
His body rattled with pain as he rolled onto his side coughing out blood. It was all hazy, like a bad water colour. He twitched his fingers, curling them over the shards of rock under his hand. He gradually managed to prop himself up with his arm, although it sent more pain dancing through his body.
All around him lay rubble and debris from what used to be the Celestial Ruins. Not a single stone or brick lay intact. The stairway had fallen, the walls had mostly crumbled, everything was in pandemonium. His mind quickly went onto the subject of his comrades and Agreian. He frantically looked around but spotted nothing. He had to find them.
He got unsteadily to his feet. Why am I still alive…? He looked up to where the stairway had not so long ago been. Falling from that height would surely have killed him…yet, here he was. Could it have just been luck, or something else? He picked his way through the wreckage and debris. His hair had come undone and fell around his face, entangled with dirt and blood. Through the veil of white he saw a figure sitting upon a fallen column. He brushed it out of his face, immediately identifying the tall, slim build and aristocratic features.
"Hugo!" he called, stumbling towards him. The General of the Alliance sat slouched with his head in his hands, his silvery hair obscuring his face.
"You're alright…" Calintz said, collapsing to the ground beside him. Agreian sat motionless, making no attempt to look at him nor say anything.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Calintz shook him, pulling his hands from his face. His best friend's expression was motionless, defeated.
"They took it…"
"Huh? Took what?"
Agreian shook his head frantically.
"The Celestial Shard, Mano. It's gone…" The Celestial Shard? It's not a legend, it really is buried here? And you went after it…
"The Celestial Shard…but no ones ever found it. No one knows if it's even here!"
"Well it is, it was, because I found it!"
"Hugo?"
"I wasn't going to tell you, you know…I thought I could do it by myself…I guess I failed…"
"Do what?"
"Re-unite the shards and bring to life the Light of Salvation. I thought I could end this war, the Yason would be no more!"
"And you never told me any of this! You fool!"
Agreian looked at him with desperation in his grey eyes.
"The idea came to me after you were tortured. I couldn't bare anymore suffering of the ones I love. Before…I never saw things the way I do now. Seeing you like that did something to me, Calintz, it sparked something within me. And I thought, others will be going through the same. People dying all the time, every second due to war! I thought, "what if I could end it?"…"
Calintz didn't know what to say. Agreian was telling him something deeper than he could have ever expected from the man. He knew the General was clever in more ways than one, but, he was a man of war, a commander of the largest army in Efferia. However, he was human, he had a heart and now it showed more than ever. Calintz at once both admired and hated him, it was a union of opposites. He was his best friend, yet, he hadn't even told him of any of it. Why should he have been left in the dark? But yet, he desired to do it himself, he sought to end the suffering and agony of war, and that was beyond admirable. Calintz touched his hand, squeezing it lightly. The General looked into his eyes, his expression woven from concern, sadness and shattered hope.
"Agreian…There will always be pain, there will always be suffering. People will disappoint you and nothing will go as you wish it to. Hoping only brings you despair…But…I…" Calintz trailed off, his words muddling in his mind and refusing to be deciphered. He cleared his throat and began again. "Why didn't you tell me Hugo? As much as I feel you're walking on a myth, I would have helped you…"
"It's not a myth, Calitnz. Someone placed a diary on my desk. I did some tests on it and it dates back to the time of the Eight Heroes. It is their diary, the real thing…I already found the Lightening Shard,"
"Are you serious?"
Agreian nodded solemnly.
"….Are you sure the Light of Salvation could destroy the Yason?"
"It is in all the books ever written about Efferia, it is journals, stories, facts. If the shards are united then the Light of Salvation can be summoned. But…now, one of the shards is lost, it will not work…"
Calintz pondered Agreian's words. Could it really be true? Could the war be ended? If there is a chance…then shouldn't we take it? This was is going nowhere, no one is winning, no one is loosing. What else do we have? What do we have to loose…
"It's not all lost…Hugo, we could get it back,"
"How?"
"You're the bloody commander of the Alliance, you should know!"
Hugo shook his head again, rubbing at his temples with his thumb and forefinger.
"We'll have to infiltrate Yason Roven," Calintz said finally. The general looked into his blue, silvery eyes.
"Yes…Yes…it could be done. You are right, Calintz. What was I thinking?" Agreian got to his feet, flexing his shoulders.
"This war has to end," he said, pulling Calintz to his feet.
"That woman, who was she?" Agreian's eye's darkened.
"That was Carian, one of the Four Warriors,"
"The Four Warriors? So they do exist…"
"Yes, we are not alone in out pursuit of the Shards. We do not have much time,"
"They want to use the Light of Salvation against us I take it?"
"That is correct. We cannot let it fall into their hands…"
The two made their way among the rubble, searching for Calintz's comrades.
"They have to be here…" he mumbled. They picked their way through fallen boulders and squeezed through tight gaps until they were at last out in the fresh air.
"Calintz!" It was Eonis. He squinted through the dust and made out the two figures of his comrades sitting around a small fire.
"Are you alright?" the captain said, walking up to them. They didn't look too seriously hurt. Azel's hair and face was smudged with dirt and a thin cut ran down his cheek. Eonis seemed a bit cleaner, however, blood stained her top.
"It's not as bad as it looks, Captain!" Azel said optimistically.
"Let me see…" Agreian knelt down and uttered a few words, his hands glowing lightly as he brushed them over the wounds.
"Ah…that's better…Thank you General," Azel said. Agreian then went on to heal Eonis.
"It is amazing we are not dead," she mused. Calintz sat himself down, warming his hands on the fire.
"It's too lucky for me," he said.
"Too lucky, Captain?"
"Luck isn't my strong point…"
"Calintz, stop being such a defeatist," Eonis retorted.
"There, that is the best I can manage," Agreian lent back on his elbows beside Calintz.
"Thank you," Eonis said, offering a warm smile.
They sat in silence, listening to the crackling of the fire as darkness spread over the land. The stars twinkled like a thousand eyes staring down on them, blinking and forever watchful. The moon rose clear in the sky, casting a pale white veil over the darkness, only enough to see the faint shadows of the trees as they moved in the still breeze. It was Eonis who was brave enough to venture the question of what their general was doing here in the first place.
"Well…" Agreian began, trailing off. He paused, thinking, then continued, "If I am to tell you, then I must have your promise that you tell no other soul," he said. Azel nodded excitedly.
"I promise, General!"
"I too," Eonis said. He offered them a sly smirk.
"Alright, listen closely…"
Agreian told Azel and Eonis all about his plan to re-unite the shards and summon the Light of Salvation. They listened intently, not once questioning his motives. Eonis was able to add a few pieces of information from what she had read or studied, but mostly everyone kept silent as the general told his story.
"But…are you sure it will work, General?" Azel asked once he had finished.
"We cannot know for sure until we do it. But, I have a good feeling that it will,"
"Feeling?" Eonis inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"An intuition, shall we say. From what I have read, I trust that I am right,"
"Perhaps, we have nothing to lose as it is," Calintz said, stretching himself out on the ground.
"So, are you all up for it?" Agreian asked, eyeing everyone.
"Yes!" Azel beamed.
"I see no reason to object," Eonis said.
"So it is settled…"
It was decided that Caltintz and his team would search for the Celestial shard while Agreian located the others. The captain found it a rather drastic change of events from the usual useless killing of Yason, however, he welcomed it. As he had said, there was nothing to lose. But, a nagging thought plagued his mind that night as he lay by the dying fire trying to sleep. His whole life had been about fighting. What would happen when the war ended and the fighting ceased? What would he do? What would become of the Tears Of Blood? Could he ever live a normal life, he thought. His life up until now had been far from idyllic. What would happen to the Alliance once the war ended – if it ended? And Agreian…Agreian…what will you do? He turned onto his side, noticing the place where the general had been lying was now bare. He sat up. Eonis and Azel were both asleep, huddled beside a fallen log. But where was Agreian?
Calintz rubbed his eyes. He was tired but trying to sleep was a pointless endeavour. He got to his feet and sauntered off into the comforting darkness of the mountain woods.
The moonlight lit his path like a ghostly trail, weaving itself through the thick branches and undergrowth. Twigs and seeds snapped beneath his feet; the only sound in the stillness of the night. Dew had settled onto the leaves, brushing against his clothes as he pushed past them. Where was he going? He didn't have a clue. Somewhere; anywhere to take his mind of things.
It was then he stumbled across a small, sheltered clearing with a waterfall and pool. The sound was like a burst of static in the silence. He walked up to the bank and looked down at the swirling, fresh water below. For a moment, he felt like Reith, amazed at everything, no matter how normal and ordinary.
"Calintz…" He jumped at the sudden sound of a human voice, almost falling into the water.
"Do you always have to scare me like that!" he hissed at the tall, silver haired man. Agreian sighed irritantly.
"And I thought you'd come to find me," Calintz raised a slender eyebrow.
"And why would I do that?"
"So…I see you're still angry at me. Nothing changes, huh?" Agreian looked down into the swirling waters as he spoke, as if some wish he made would be answered.
"You're right, I am. Why didn't you tell me about the Light of Salvation? We could have prevented all this from happening!"
Agreian sighed again, placing a casual hand on his hip.
"I didn't think you would want to know, actually,"
"What do you think I am? Some sort of callous, cold hearted, bastard?"
"Yes," Agreian said sadistically. "Sometimes I even doubt you have feelings. You never share them, you never consider anyone else. To put it correctly, you're a callous, cold hearted, selfish bastard,"
Rage boiled over. Won't he ever learn! Calintz's hand shot out to strike Agreian in the face. He let out a small, shocked yelp, a streak of blood appearing on his lower lip. His eye's burned into Calintz's skull, his normally placid face contorted with emotion. With teeth bared, he sent his fist forward to connect with Calintz's stomach. The captain gagged, falling to one knee.
"You think all I do is sit at my desk and order others to fight, well I trust I've proven you wrong!" Agreian snarled. Calintz sucked in air, making one precise foot swipe at the general's legs. He was down in an instant.
They tumbled over on the ground, kicking, punching and trying to pin each other down. Dirt stuck to their skin and leaves and twigs became entwined in their hair. However, Calintz wasn't going to give in that easily, he clawed at Agreian's head making him yell.
"You bastard!" the general roared, sending a powerful strike to his shoulder. Calintz rolled over in pain. A second later Agreian was on him, grabbing his wrists and pinning them to the cold ground. Calintz struggled, kicking his legs at Agreian's torso and crotch. The General winced in agony but still would not be forced in capitulation.
It was then that he leant down and roughly kissed the snow haired captain. For a second Calintz stopped resisting as he felt Agreian's tongue pry into his mouth, like a burning, hot serpent. He let it linger there for a moment, remembering how it used to feel, before viciously throwing his captor off him. He wouldn't let this happen, no matter how much is body ached for it.
"And you think all I ever do is kill? All I ever think about is myself? You're stupider than you led me to believe!" Calintz spat, trying to hold Agreian to the ground. He stared into his deep, grey eyes, trying to decipher the meaning there, but he found none. None…What are you thinking, Hugo?
He didn't mean to do it, it just somehow happened. He leant down on the general, nipping and biting at the tender flesh of his neck. Agreian gasped, digging his long nails into Calintz's back and writhing on the ground. He wrapped one leg around the captain, pulling him over so he lay underneath him. The general savagely took his lips, letting Calintz's tongue explore the hot cavern of his mouth. Their tongues danced as Agreian's hands drifted towards the exposed flesh of Calintz's thighs. Finally, the captain pulled away from the oral embrace, lying defeated on the ground.
"I think you do have a heart, Mano, in fact, I know you do. I can hear it beating right now," Agreian smirked.
"….You don't know anything…"
"I know you better than you think. I want you to open up to me,"
Calintz turned his head to the side, avoiding Agreian's stare but the other man grabbed him, pulling him back to face him. He lent down again, gently kissing him this time. It was like a flurry of feathers to his lips and he couldn't prevent himself from wanting more, no matter how much he tried to convince himself he did not love Agreian. He remembered how much he longed for him that night after he left Amabat to return to HQ. It felt like he had been in the desert, starved of water, and now he was faced with an entire lake. From Agreian's eagerness, he could tell he felt the same way, perhaps even to a greater extent. But, was it the right thing to do? If…if I give in then I'll just end up hurt in the end…You'll leave, you'll die…And what will happen then?
"Why are you so scared of love, Mano?" Agreian whispered.
"Love? Love is a load of bullshit to stop the weak from feeling alone,"
"So you've never loved anyone?" Agreian pouted.
Calintz didn't know how to answer. He looked at Agreian, taking his face in fully; the normally flawless hair was slightly dishevelled, there was some drying blood smeared across his chin from where he'd struck him, his eyes were dilated and pleading. Calintz struggled to remove himself from under Agreian but the general held him steadily to the ground.
"Get you're hands off me!"
"You never change, do you? Always so vicious…" he smirked, leaning for another kiss. This time Calintz bit his lip, making Agreian pull away suddenly. A bolt of anger creased his face.
"Well, I didn't want to disappoint you, seeing that I'm so vicious," Calintz mocked.
"You think you can beat me? Don't make me laugh," At that he dived for Calintz neck, biting hard, making the captain cry out. He could feel Agreian's teeth piercing the tender flesh and although it was painful, it was also incredibly elating.
The general pressed himself closer to Calintz, grinding his hips. Caltinz could feel his best friend's pulsing arousal pushing against his own, the friction making him moan.
He began to undo the general's black suit, carefully unpicking the latches so they clicked satisfyingly as they released. Agreian tilted his shoulders back, letting the material slide off, exposing his pale body to the night's air. He undid the zips on Calintz's top, letting it slip of him and fall to the ground, then plucked at the ties on the captain's trousers, pulling them off in one swift movement, leaving him quite exposed.
But Calintz didn't mind. He was beyond minding now. He watched Agreian attentively, curious as to what he would do next. His hands were exploring his body, flittering over his most sensitive areas. Trying as he might to control himself, he couldn't help but shudder as the spidery fingers scrapped over his inner thigh and around his buttocks.
"Not so resistant now are we?" Agreian sneered.
"Heh, do you ever drop the arrogance act?"
"If I did, I would have to do without you're sadistic comments…and you know how much I love them…" He brushed his lips over the captain's ear, making him shiver.
Calintz gave him a look that could cut steel, pushing him roughly to the ground and running his hands over the smooth skin which prickled pleasingly with his touch. He leant down and took a nipple, feeling it harden as he playfully nipped at it. Agreian groaned as Calintz went further down, smothering his belly button with his tongue. He glanced up at the general, a thin smile tainting his pale lips.
"Who's winning now, then?" he whispered. Agreian didn't get a chance to retaliate before Calintz took him in his mouth. He watched his best friend arch his back, fingers clutching at the grass.
"Mano…" he murmured through gasps.
"I didn't quite catch that…?" Calintz said, still with Agreian in his mouth, the vibrations of his voice causing him to tremble even more. He sucked harder, swirling his tongue around the head before nipping around his inner thighs. He heard the general moan, his hands clutching at Calintz's hair. He waited until Agreian had nearly hit the edge, before abruptly pulling away. The general attempted to push him back but Calintz swiped his hands away.
"Impatient, hmm?" he mocked, moving up so he was staring down at Agreian's exasperated face.
"You're quite the tease, aren't you?"
"Always…" Calintz smirked, leaning down to lick the blood off Agreian's lips. The general complied, letting their tongues meet for a brief embrace before pushing Calintz to the ground.
"Enough," he said, grabbing one of the captain's legs and placing it over his shoulder.
"Enough? Are you not even grateful?"
"Of course I am! But you've made me wait an unparallel amount of time already, Mano. Do you have any idea what it's been like without…you?" he swung the other leg over.
"I can see it's been tough…But not something a man like you can't handle, hmm?"
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you're expectation of me,"
Calintz gasped as he felt Agreian enter him. He was pleased that he remembered the best angle, instantly hitting the spot that sent waves of euphoria through him. He scratched at Agreian making him thrust faster and harder. He felt the familiar burning pain surge through him like a flaming burst of adrenaline.
"Did you miss me at all, Mano…?" Agreian breathed, cupping his hand around Calintz's length and pumping it in rhythm with his thrusts.
Miss…you…? It was like living without air…painting without a brush…singing without a voice…
"Well? Answer me!" Agreian drove himself in harder, sinking his nails into Calintz's thighs. The captain screamed out, clutching at the grass around him. He felt a throb of elation growing within his stomach with each powerful thrust. All his worries and concerns were momentarily forgotten in those few seconds as he felt Agreian's fingers tighten around him. The general groaned, his head coming down briefly to passionately take Caltinz's lips into a wild embrace. He felt warmth spread inside him as Agreian shuddered, the slender muscles of his arms tensing. Calintz gasped, the friction finally taking him over the edge. Wetness spread over his stomach, mixing with the sweat and dirt that clung to them. For those few seconds he was free, free of all the restrains of the harsh world. But, seconds are brief and freedom is even briefer; he found himself plummeting back down, lying panting on the ground.
They both feel into a dreamless sleep, Calintz curled within his lover's arms like a defenceless child. When he awoke he looked up at the placid face of his best friend, stroking it tenderly like a loving mother. Why couldn't they be together like this forever? He sighed, getting to his feet and retrieving his scattered clothes. Dawn was only just breaking through the shield of night and the air was fresh and still. He decided to take a bath in the river before dressing as he was covered in residues of the forest and previous night. When he got out, Agreian was already gone. He smirked to himself. Not even a good morning? And you said I was always the cynical and unfriendly one. He made his way back towards the camp, hoping that Eonis and Azel had not yet awakened as they would be concerned to his and the general's whereabouts. There was something different about today, something had been lifted, something made clear. A burden beyond anything he could have ever comprehended now lay heavy upon his shoulders: could he save Efferia? He felt small in the scheme of things, but yet powerful and motivated simultaneously. This was beginning of something, the beginning of something that may change him forever. And he welcomed it.
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Well that was a long chapter, for me anyway. Hope it wasn't too explicit...At least now the tensions out and Calintz can finally relax, or can he? Hmm...Who knows? I guess anything can happen. I'll shut up now :)