Puppeteer

Waking up to Illusions

I kept drifting from a semi-wake state into
complete darkness and back again. Sometimes I heard voices that sounded like
they were coming from far away, sinking in my cotton-wrapped mind. It was a
little like the time in the prison tower but there was less pain and it continuously
faded. From time to time some cold liquid was poured in my mouth and I
swallowed on reflex. Then I fell into a long deep slumber.

I slowly woke up and groaned and could hear
a surprised, feminine yelp. “Master Niven, are you awake?” It was Elise’s voice.
I opened my eyes but closed them immediately. Too bright! I shifted a little
and groaned again. “I will get Lord Korondar!” Elise said and I could hear the
sound of a door opening and closing.

I fell into a light nap when I thought I
could hear someone move. I carefully opened my eyes and tried to blink my
vision clear. There was a face hovering over me, the contours blurred but with
each blink getting sharper. I gasped when I realized who it was. Sorr’an!
“Sorr…” I coughed, the name too difficult for me at the moment. A bright smile
appeared on the catboy’s face. ‘But he’s dead…’ I thought and then it clicked. ‘A
hallucination!’ But a real good one I had to admit. I studied the smiling
visage, the green eyes shining and the lips lush and inviting. And this face
burned to ashes, I realized. ‘Because I ran away!’ a cold voice sounded in my
mind. I shut my eyes and opened them again, but the Sorr’an-illusion was still
there. Well, I could at least kiss him good bye. I shakily lifted my hand
behind the back of his head and pulled him down; a surprised expression flitted
over his face. Then his lips met mine and they felt great. Boyishly chapped but
still soft, fitting against mine like they were made for this. After a short
moment of holding still I moved my lips gently over the Katze’s taking in the
feel and then darted out my tongue to flick over them a little teasing before
releasing my hold on his head.

“Wow… Didn’t know… hallucinations… can feel
so good…” I rasped out.

Fake-Sorr’an blinked. “Halluci…” Then an
impish smile appeared on his face and while leaning down again he whispered:
“Yeah, a hallucination. Kiss me again before I vanish.”

I did that. Entangling my hand in his soft
hair I held him close while our lips rubbed over each other. I started to
teasing lick his lower lip when my tongue met his and it sent jolts of pleasure
down my spine. His tongue was wet and silky, I absentminded recognized, not dry
and sandpaper-like as I would have guessed. The tip of his wet muscle teased
mine before vanishing in his mouth, luring me after it and my own tongue was
about to follow when I suddenly heard a cough.

“Keep it calm, you two!” It was Arias’
voice. “I just healed some heavy injuries from you Niven, so at least replenish
before you exhaust yourself!” He added with a chuckle.

I could imagine his grinning face and was
proved right when he entered my field of vision. I was taken aback. “You can
see Sorr’an, too?”

“Sure, he’s not that tall, but not easy to
overlook.” Sorr’an growled a little with Arias words, but the Dhuran mage
seemed unfazed by it. “You seem to think so also basing your actions – or
should I say interactions? I’m sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt…” The smirk
hearable.

I couldn’t follow the happenings. “You’re
not a hallucination?” I asked Sorr’an.

He pinched my arm – it hurt! “No, I’m all
real.” he answered.

“Oh… OH!” My eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry…
For the kissing I mean.”

“Oh? I’m not.” He simply stated and while I
blinked at him Arias broke out in loud laughter.

“You’re not…?” I mumbled, dumbfounded.

“Okay Sorr’an, would you go to the kitchen
and ask Gerald for a light meal and some juice for our patient? He should be
able to eat and we need to feed him up soon. I will let you do the
spoon-feeding, promise.”

Sorr’an grinned and nodded and then
vanished out of the room. “How… Why… What…” I stammered.

“Short version from me, he will tell you
the longer one himself. He stood seven days after you started your journey in
front of my door, looking all ragged and dirty. When he told me about the fire
and that people in uniforms took you away after knocking you down I put two and
two together. I hired Kip to free you and gladly he was able to do so. That’s
it.” He moved closer and looked at me intently. “They look for you intensely
and the word came that you were sentenced to death. What did you do?” I averted
my gaze and Arias shook his head, poured me a goblet of water and held it to my
lips, letting me drink. “Anyway, you have to flee soon. I can hide you here and
I think they won’t search with higher magic for you but it still is dangerous
here. The rumors say you angered a noble.”

“Lady Warlando.”

“Fisania Warlando?” Arias groaned and I
nodded. “You should choose your enemies better, Niven. Well, at least they
don’t have mages in their bloodline. But what did you do that she…” My mentor
stopped talking when the door opened and Sorr’an came in with a tablet that had
a steaming bowl of stew and bread rolls that were sliced and dunked in milk.
The Katze man put it down and took the cup in his hand and started
spoon-feeding me!

I glared at him. “I can eat by myself.”

He grinned. “What a pity.” Both men helped
me into a sitting position and I started eating.

“We can talk about this later, if you
want.” Arias offered.

I ate half of the bowl in silence then
shook my head. “No, it’s fine.” I put the bowl away – remembering the
happenings didn’t help my hunger. I looked down. “I killed her cousin’s
servant. And a boy and an expecting maid.” The silence was tangible and after
some moments I gazed up into shocked faces. “I took a late walk, leaving
Sorr’an behind at the Steel Keg. It was a confusing day and night and yeah… I
had some booze and when I returned the inn stood in flames. People were just
gawking and gaping, no-one tried to extinguish the fire or rescue the persons
in the inn. ‘Too late!’ was their excuse. I knew Sorr’an was still in there and
then I just did it.” I looked into Arias’ face. “I could suddenly see it. From
all those peoples – hundreds of connection points. It was scary but alluring
and fascinating at the same time. I could build up a connection so easily but
it was difficult to control them separately, so difficult…” Again I averted my
gaze. “There was a power close by but I couldn’t touch it though I felt its
presence. And then people died but I couldn’t stop. The power, Sorr’an in the
flames, the control…” I pushed the bowl away and slipped back under the covers,
shivering. “I’m cold…”

Arias sighed and murmured: “Too early… And
he’s not here…” A little louder he said: “Okay, you rest today and tomorrow,
but then you have to go.” Looking at Sorr’an he added: “He will need help.” I
wanted to protest but was silenced with a finger on my lips. “Even though he
won’t admit it. It will get dangerous, even more than before but I can’t
accompany him, so would you…”

“Sure!” Sorr’an replied… eagerly? It seemed
so. Then I could feel his stare on me. “But only if he promises to not waste
money on women anymore.”

Arias looked amused and puzzled at the same
time I huffed. “You know, I am here and conscious. You can talk to me – you
don’t have to talk about me!”

“Okay, I will leave you love birds alone
now. But Niven, your body needs rest and you had heavy injuries in your nether
regions so keep it above the waist line.” With this he left the room.

I looked the catboy who stood beside my
bed. “Sorr’an… How have you survived?”

“Well, after you left,” Was there a hint of
reproval in his voice? “I laid down and thought a little. Then I could smell
fire. First it was a faint scent but it wasn’t the kind you use to make food or
to keep warm. So I took your vest and climbed out of the window over the
rooftop to the stable and climbed down on the street. Then the house already
was on fire and I tried to find you on the huge square when suddenly lots of
people close to the burning house started to move weirdly.” Sorr’an lifted an
eye brow. “Was this you?” I nodded. “Weird power… But yeah, they moved strangely
and their arms and legs jerked. Then I could see people in uniform approaching
a guy that wagged his arms and they knocked him down and the other humans just
fell to the ground, groaning and moaning. I got closer to get a better look and
it was you. I ran away…” The Katze man looked away. “They were too many…” He seemed…
ashamed!

“Hey Sorr’an.” The catboy looked at me.
“You couldn’t have achieved anything with fighting. But I’m here thanks to you,
so you did the right thing!”

He nodded and sighed. “I got out of town,
climbed over the wall that surrounded the city because everyone was in uproar.
I tried to remember the way back and it was easy till I found the city. I got
lost here, couldn’t remember how to get to old man Arias’ house. I met this boy
you had a crush on.”

“Kip?” I asked baffled.

“Yes, that is his name. I told him what
happened and he helped me to old man Arias’ house. He was then sent to save
you. I wanted to go with him but he didn’t want me to and old man Arias didn’t
want me to neither.”

I smiled. “Kip works best alone most of the
time.”

Sorr’an huffed. “But I could have helped a
lot. I am good!” I smiled and nodded at him. “Hey, what fruit are you?”

“What? I am human, not some kind of fruit.”
I replied puzzled.

“I know, but Kip said: ‘In what kind of
trouble is the fruit this time?’ when old man Arias asked him if he could help.
And later, before he left the town to get you, he meant that ‘the fruity idiot
isn’t worth the trouble’. So I wondered what kind of fruit you are.”

I gaped at him for a moment, but then
laughed which I regretted because it did hurt a little. “Don’t mind him, he
talks queer… I mean quirky sometimes.”

Sorr’an didn’t look convinced but then
shrugged it off. “Well, I wouldn’t mind if you’re a fruit. I’d like to lick and
nibble at you…” He smiled and gently rubbed his knuckles over my cheek and I
shied away from the touch. He furrowed his eyes brows. “What? Are you afraid of
me? I helped saving you!”

“I know…”

“You did this magic for me! Tried to save
me from the flames!”

“I know…”

“You kissed me when you woke up!”

I felt the blush creeping on my face. “I
know…” I mumbled.

“So what?! You don’t have any interest in
me?!” The Katze almost shouted, obviously really pissed.

“It’s not that… I don’t know…” I felt
helpless, confused about myself.

Sorr’an took a long breath, calming a
little down. “You don’t seem to be a hesitant man, Niven.” He bent forward a
little, his face closer to mine, a small smile playing on his lips. “I talked
with Arias about you.” The hint of a smile developed in a wide one.

I squinted my eyes suspiciously. “What did
he tell you?”

“That’s a secret.” He winked at me. “But
Niven… You look at me with this hint of longing and hunger in your eyes, you
ogle my ass, you rescued me when I was hunted, you helped with this… problem…
when we met this Welf guy, you wanted to get me out of the flames and you
kissed me when you thought I were an illusion. But when I stand before you,
approach you and try to get close to you, you scuttle off like a little
rabbit.” I wanted to protest – I am no bunny! – but he silenced me with a short
peck. “I told you, relax and let things go their way.”

I was stunned for a moment but then I
smiled. “Are you always that straightforward and blunt?”

To my surprise (and joy, I admit) the
catboy blushed and his ears twitched nervously. “Normally… I don’t know…”

“I like it.” I winked to him. “So okay… I
will try to relax and see what’s happening.” The bright smile I got in response
quenched the uneasy feeling that started to grow in my stomach. “So, what’s
going to happen?” Sorr’an laughed and then leaned down, kissing me long but
almost innocently. When we parted I regretted it a little and murmured:
“Tease!” The Katze man chuckled but got up nonetheless and I felt tired all of
sudden. “I’m sleepy…” I whispered.

“Okay.” Sorr’an nodded, took the tray and
left the room.

Well, that was a quick and a little
loveless. I closed my eyes and started to drift into sleep when the door opened
and I saw the catboy enter the room again, a cup of milk in his hand, emptying
it that moment. He placed the empty beaker on a table, licked his
milk-moustache off and then unceremonially undressed till his gorgeous naked
body was on full view and slipped under my sheets, reminding me very effectively
that I was naked under them, too! “What… What are you doing?”

Jiggling till he lay half on top of me
Sorr’an arranged a pillow so that he could place his head beside mine, his face
almost pressing in the nook of my neck. “You said you were cold. I don’t like
cold. I’ll help you to get warm, because I am hot.”

‘Oh yes, kitten, you are!’ I thought. Well,
what could I do? I rested my arm on his upper back and strangely his warmth
seemed to reach something deep inside me. Sleep came fast this time.