Khadgar's eyes locked onto him almost hungrily, and the demon-mage moved closer. Lothar edged back, only to be stopped by the press of the cold steel bars of the cage.

"Khadgar," he asked, desperate for any sign of recognition from him. "Do you remember me?"

He didn't answer. Some part of Lothar's mind told him Khadgar probably couldn't speak yet. A creature of instinct this early in his transformation, Gul'dan had said, and Lothar found himself agreeing. The normal intelligence and curiosity in the young man's eyes had been replaced by a predatory cunning. He took another step closer to Lothar.

"Khadgar," he said again, holding up a hand as if this could stop the demon's advance. "You don't want to do this. I know there's still some part of you in there, and that you would never want to hurt me."

The demon did stop then, but continued to regard Lothar silently. A moment later Lothar was flat on his back on the floor, Khadgar again moving with that preternatural speed he'd exhibited earlier. Lothar couldn't budge. The mage was far stronger than he'd been previously, holding him down as if he'd been no more than a child. Pinned like this, Lothar could do nothing as Khadgar quickly divested him of his armor.

/Where did he learn to do that?/ Lothar thought hazily. He knew he'd gotten into and out of his armor in front of Khadgar in the past, and he realized now the mage must have been watching, to have learned where all the hidden buckles and fasteners were.

That he could do it with two inch talons on his hands would have made it even more impressive, if the circumstances hadn't been so horrifying.

Lothar soon found himself stripped completely naked with Khadgar straddling him, demon wings folded tightly against his back. The mage himself had only been wearing a pair of loose-fitting leather pants, but these were rapidly removed as well. Lothar felt horribly exposed, with Khadgar staring down at him with those eerie green eyes, seemingly transfixed.

The mage rested his hands on Lothar's chest and leaned down to sniff at his neck, then drew his tongue across the exposed skin there.

A bolt of desire shot through Lothar, not quite eclipsed by his fear, but he remained completely still. As a demon, Khadgar was considerably stronger than he was, and Lothar knew any sudden moves on his own part could lead to serious injury. Gul'dan had commanded Khadgar not to kill him, but had imposed no other limitations.

As of yet, however, the mage seemed uninterested in violence. Khadgar was nibbling at his throat, and Lothar was unable to remain still any longer, his hips rolling up fractionally before he caught himself. Even through his fear, he couldn't fight his arousal. The being hovering over him was still Khadgar, and he couldn't help but respond to his touch...no matter what he might look like. But Lothar was surprised. He'd expected the demon to simply flip him onto his stomach and take him. Was there enough of Khadgar left inside that he would actually take some sort of care in doing this? Or was he just so unfamiliar with the act that he didn't know what to do?

Lothar swallowed hard as Khadgar's tongue trailed down to his chest, and the mage shifted further back, his wings unfurling slightly. Lothar was intrigued in spite of himself. The wing's bony struts were a dark reddish-brown, unlike the spikes and horns, with the membrane a paler version of the same color. Very slowly and very carefully, Lothar reached up to run his fingers along the edge of one of them.

Khadgar's breath hitched in his throat, and he produced a pleased rumbling sound in his chest. Lothar did it again and was rewarded with Khadgar moving even lower, nuzzling his groin.

"Khadgar," he groaned, feeling himself harden further. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time, and Lothar wished with all his heart they could be anywhere other than here. He didn't want their first and possibly only time to be like this, on a pile of discarded furs in an orc's prison cell. He'd wanted to take the younger man to his bed and give him pleasure like he'd never felt before. He wanted to make Khadgar cry out his name when he climaxed, and then lavish love and attention on him for the rest of his life. And most of all, he wanted Khadgar back in his right mind, and human…and not potentially about to transmit the Fel to him. He would rather be dead than help Gul'dan in any way.

Lothar's train of thought was rapidly derailed, however, when the mage's tongue began lapping at his cock, taking in the drops of precum at the slit. His hips bucked up, and Khadgar's hands settled there, keeping him in that position. Everywhere the mage had licked seemed to tingle, and Lothar had to wonder if there was something in his saliva that was doing it. He didn't think it was the Fel. Garona had described that as feeling like fire and ash, and this was nothing but pleasant.

Lothar moaned, his hands coming to rest on the demon's shoulders, careful to avoid the spikes. Khadgar's tongue moved lower, teasing the entrance to his body for a few seconds, then diving in. It was clear to Lothar what was going to happen next, and both his fear and his arousal intensified as his hips were lifted higher. He tried to force himself to relax. This was going to hurt, and hurt badly, and the tenser he was the worse it would be. Everywhere Khadgar's tongue had touched was still tingling sensuously, but he knew the most it could do was take the edge off.

/It won't be enough./

He screwed his eyes shut as he felt Khadgar position himself, pushing inward slowly. He bit back a cry of pain as his body was breached, and he thrashed in Khadgar's grip. But then a warm hand came up to rest at Lothar's cheek, and he opened his eyes again to see the mage gazing at him intently, almost solemnly. Fully sheathed inside him, Khadgar traced his tongue over his neck and jawline.

"Khadgar," he choked out.

Then the mage began to move, his hips rocking into Lothar's, his body trapping Lothar's cock between them. And then Khadgar hit something deep inside the other man that sent waves of delight through him, overriding the pain and turning it to ecstasy.

Between the twin sensations of the friction against his cock and Khadgar filling him, all rational thought was lost: fear of the demon his friend had become, his hatred of Gul'dan, and the dread that when all this was over he would be just as corrupted by the Fel as Khadgar was. Right now there was only the bliss of the moment. Lothar took a deep breath, his thoughts crystal clear – if this was to be the end of his life as a human being, better to spend it with the man he loved, no matter the circumstances; and, with a look of determination, he began to meet Khadgar's thrusts with equal fervor. Moments later he was clutching at the mage almost desperately, spilling himself over their conjoined bodies as he was finally pushed over the edge.

Khadgar threw his head back and moaned, the first real sound Lothar had heard come out of his mouth since he'd gotten there. His eyes were closed and he was breathing rapidly, his hips moving faster and more erratically, and Lothar knew he was getting close. /This is it. If the Fel can be spread, this will be what does it,/ he thought, still dazed from his climax but steeling himself for whatever was about to occur. /And if it does…Khadgar, I forgive you./

With a loud cry, Khadgar's back arched, his eyes shooting open once more. And even as Lothar felt the mage empty himself into his body – shivering at the sensation and waiting for the Fel to overtake him – he saw Khadgar's eyes glowing not with the Fel, but with the blue of arcane energy.

"Khadgar? Khadgar!" Throwing all caution to the wind, he grabbed the mage's shoulders, shaking him, heedless of any danger from the demon. "Please, say something—"

Still panting, the mage's eyes slowly faded from blue to their natural brown. They widened with a sudden flash of recognition, and he stared down at Lothar in a mixture of shock and horror.

"Anduin?" he asked in a small, broken voice.

Lothar nodded, pulling his mage closer. "Khadgar…oh, Khadgar, I thought I'd lost you—"

"Anduin," he said again, blinking away tears. "I'm so sorry. I—" He winced painfully. "Anduin, it's coming back," he said, panic in his voice. He shook his head violently, but flickers of green had already started to reassert themselves in his eyes.

"Fight it. You hear me, Khadgar, fight it!" he commanded, forcing the mage to look at him. "Listen to me, Khadgar," he said, his hands at either side of the younger man's head. "I love you." His voice caught. "Please don't leave me."

Khadgar clutched at his skull and let out a keening wail. Lothar thought he had never heard anything as terrible as that sound – it was loss, despair, and agony all at once. He blinked away his own tears as he held the mage even closer, offering any help he could to get Khadgar through this.

Less than two minutes later, it was over. And when Lothar looked up again, Khadgar's face was calm, even tranquil. He regarded Lothar blandly, his eyes glowing green once again. There was no hint of recognition there at all. /Damn you, Gul'dan,/ Lothar swore silently. /I will kill you for what you've done./ But Lothar wasn't about to give up hope. Far from it. Because this brief display from the mage had only confirmed what Lothar had prayed for since he'd arrived – that Khadgar, his Khadgar, was still in there.

And it only made him more determined to get him out again.