Surreal

A.N. It's song time, a little ways into this chapter you'll see where I type { Cue My Hands } and that's a lovely song by Leona Lewis found here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qtteb9FBY
I think it fits this part in the storyline. The chorus is as follows.

My hands
Don't wanna start again
My hands
No they don't wanna understand
My hands
They just shake it try to break whatever peace I may find
My hands
They only agree to hold
Your hands
No they don't wanna be without
Your hands
And they will not let me go
No they will not let me go

And now -- Chapter 14--

--

Ja’el lay on the hard ground in a pool of his own blood; his eyes gazed up at the gray sky unblinking. That was strange. He could see his own reflection in the sky. Was he in another conjured world of Erik’s imagination? Not that any of that mattered. One look at the state of his body told him that he wasn’t long for this life.

His body seemed foreign and unrecognizable to him. Even his face had not escaped the torture of the whip. There was one prominent, seeping gash that ran from his right temple across the bridge of his nose to the base of his left ear. He remembered when it had struck him, and was surprised the blow had missed his eyes. He realized now that it had not been a mistake. Erik had planned for him to retain the use of his eyes so that he could see the Relic’s end result for him.

The rest of Ja’el’s body had feared far worse. The wide open raw wounds that spilled his life blood distorted the color of his flesh. Anyone seeing him for the first time would have a difficult time determining his skin tone. The bone in his broken arm continued to press grotesquely against the skin but thankfully had not broken through it. Here’s to small wonders.

Although the acrid smell of blood and death filled his nostrils, he felt no pain. This was strange; Erik’s lucid spell had not taken the pain away before. So why was it that he could now feel nothing? He supposed he should be grateful considering the state of his body. If he could feel the full extent of all the injuries that would perhaps be the final nail in his coffin. Something was keeping him in this suspended state, most likely – someone.

“Stubborn to the very end.”

Ja’el raised red-rimmed silver eyes to Erik’s tall form that moved into view. He was absent the whip or any other torture tools. Perhaps this nightmare was about to come to a close.

“Tell me … one last thing.” Ja’el was impressed that his cracked and bleeding lips could still form words.

“Now you wish a last request?” Erik chuckled at him.

“I just want to know… why do you despise me? What did I do to you?” At the beginning of his nightmare, Erik had told Ja’el just that but never went into detail.

The grin on Erik’s face faded as he stared at the dying human intensely. “You made me into a whimpering fool.” At the confused expression on Ja’el’s battered face, he continued.

“I’d been content to live my life taking only those jobs I saw fit, and then you came along. With your faux appearance and your defiant nature, doing everything you could to get under my skin. Well, you succeeded.”

The blatant anger behind Erik’s multi-colored eyes revealed the truth of his words. Ja’el felt his heart breaking as his former bodyguard continued his explanation.

“Then when the Tolatrians trapped me here, my father saw it as the opportunity to intervene. I’m forever grateful to him. If he hadn’t taken initiative, then I probably would have returned to you, a shell of my former self and no doubt, lived a life way below my full potential.” Erik pinned Ja’el with a hard stare. “But luckily, all that was thwarted and I was rescued from a life at your side.” He spat the words out as if they were something foul.

Ja’el felt the sting as the saltiness of his tears made their way into the gash across the bridge of his nose. It seems his feeling was returning, but slowly.

“You cry for what’s left of your worthless life,” Erik surmised.

“No,” Ja’el began softly. “My tears are for what you must have been through before Sokan broke you.”

Erik’s green eye flickered before returning to its hardened intensity. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ja’el’s cracked lips curved upwards in a smile. “I know you wouldn’t have willingly turned on me and now I know why.”

Suddenly, a spear formed in Erik’s right hand and he quickly stabbed the bladed tip into Ja’el’s right shoulder. Even if the Talion had been able to move, the spear would have held him firmly in place. “I’d watch what I say if I were you.”

The threat did not daze Ja’el, nor did this recent attack. He did feel the blade pierce his skin but the accompanying pain was absent. He had the truth of the situation guiding him and if possible, it had given him renewed strength.

“I wonder if you failed to realize, that when the numb spell fades – your life will expire,” Erik informed him.

Ja’el had suspected as much. This meant he didn’t have much time if he was going to salvage what was left of the Erik he knew. “You’re right, about everything you’ve said. I can not make it up to you in this state. Therefore before I die,” Ja’el raised his right hand slightly towards Erik as high as he could muster.

“I’d like to invite you into my subconscious once more.” At his hesitation, Ja’el continued. “This is your last chance to fulfill your reasoning for bringing me here.”

Erik removed the spear from Ja’el’s shoulder with one swift tug. He smiled when he saw blood spurt from the young blonde’s lips. He didn’t see he had anything to lose. Ja’el had not performed as expected during his torture sessions. He now appeared ready to die with his pride still intact. Perhaps there was one last thing he could glean from the Talion’s mind that would be the ultimate blow which would leave his soul open for the taking.

“Please – take my hand…so that I may have a physical reminder of you in this world.” Ja’el was finding it increasingly difficult to speak. Time was running out.

“You will regret making that request when I break every bone in that hand,” Erik stated.

Ja’el grinned, showing blood stained teeth. “It’s alright… I won’t feel a thing.”`

Erik almost chuckled but quickly stopped himself. “I think I shall miss torturing you.” He quickly grabbed Ja’el’s hand and squeezed, perhaps indeed breaking two fingers. It didn’t take long until the image of them faded into darkness.

{ Cue “My Hands” }

Erik had barely entered Ja’el’s subconscious before he was assaulted by a barrage of memories and images. He saw parts of Ja’el’s childhood, his family members, the tragedy of the Tolatrians, his escape from the Atlinium mines and finally when they first met. But it didn’t stop there as their relationship progressed and they were once again separated. Erik could see Ja’el’s despair brought on by that separation even after being reunited with his cousin.

Ja’el wanted to be with him, and only him, their bond together had grown that strong, and Erik knew this but seemingly had forgotten. Why had he forgotten, how could he forget what they meant to each other? And as if to answer his own question, an image of Sokan shrouded in darkness while seated on his throne dais appeared.

Erik quickly opened his eyes to find the real Ja’el staring up at him, unwavering intensity in those silver eyes. The Talion was holding his hand fiercely despite broken fingers. It was impossible, was this the real world? He stared at their connected hands for several moments before quickly pulling away. As soon as the link was severed, Ja’el eyes rolled back in his head as he lost consciousness.

Erik didn’t realize he was gasping for air until he heard his breathy pants. He quickly calmed himself as he realized what Ja’el had attempted to do. He’d fed off Erik’s energy and even risked his soul in order to turn Erik back to the man he knew. Well, it appears he hadn’t been strong enough.

The Relic stared at Ja’el’s unconscious form his eyes unblinking. “You failed. Did you hear me?” Erik grasped Ja’el’s bare shoulders and shook him roughly. “You failed!”

//My son, is it finished.// Sokan’s voice filtered into Erik’s thought process.

Erik released the Talion and stood up. //Almost,// He calmly replied.

//Bring him to me.//

Moments later, Sokan regarded the naked human that was deposited at the foot of his dais. //He still clings to life.//

//His will to live proved to be greater than I anticipated.// Erik stated.
Sokan regarded his son intensely for several moments before speaking again. //We are out of time, a battle looms before us.//

Erik glanced at Ja’el’s unconscious body. //His allies have found us?//

//Not yet, but we must attack them before they can attack us.//

//If I may, I have an idea; something that will add to the element of surprise, shall we?// At his father’s slight nod, Erik quickly explained his plan for the upcoming battle.

//This idea has merit, I will consider it. We attack in one hour, all must be ready by then.// Sokan spared one last glance at the unconscious human before leaving to prepare for battle.

~*~

Gillian stood with her mate on the open balcony located just off their private quarters. The moon was still high in the sky and all was quiet around them.

D’ken squeezed Gillian’s shoulders and caressed them gently. He could feel the tension radiating off her body in waves. It was the eve of an important battle; he couldn’t blame her for being anxious. “What do you fear most?”

Gillian sighed as she closed her eyes and relished the feel of her mate’s caress, “The unknown.”

D’ken understood her meaning. It was never a matter of whether or not they could win this battle, Gillian rarely entered a fight if she didn’t know she could win. But the winning, could cost her not only the lives of many Suvian soldiers, but the life of her son-in-law’s cousin as well. As skilled as she was, she couldn’t be everywhere at once and she did trust her soldiers to be there when she couldn’t. However, this forced period of waiting where Ja’el was most likely meeting his end and there was nothing she could do about it was no doubt tearing her apart.

D’ken wished there was something he could say to reassure her. However, Gillian would have to deal with these last hours until the pending attack in her own way. He knew it would be pointless to suggest she get a few hours sleep because most likely none within the fortress slept that night.

“I’ll be here for you, if you need me.” Although that went without saying, D’ken felt the need to utter the words. Gillian was the light of his life and he would stand by her until the very end.

~*~

Soiph took a stroll through one of the many gardens located around the royal fortress. The well-lit lanterns along with the bright moonlight illuminated the area. Although daybreak was mere hours away, she hadn’t been able to sleep. She would not be part of the strike force that would be infiltrating the alter-realm plane several hours from now but she knew that Woen and Jubek would be placing their lives in danger. The thought of losing either of them had kept her from her bed that night. She’d actually wanted to go to them, but found she couldn’t bring herself to for the fear of coming off as being a bit pathetic. When she thought she couldn’t imagine life without them, she realized she was going down a dangerous path.

Soiph had intended to leave them anyway when returning to Andrenon with Rais. However, there would always be the option of returning for visits. There would be no chance of that if either of them got themselves killed tomorrow.

“Doesn’t anybody sleep around here?”

Soiph turned around to find Jubek standing there wearing only a pair of flowing white pants that rode far too low on his hips, almost indecently so. She managed to stop herself before vaulting into his arms. It wouldn’t do to appear too over-eager.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Soiph admitted the truth.

“Neither could we – so we just opted to fuck all night. You know, keep the juices flowing.” Jubek stared at her with obvious lust in those pink orbs. “Wished you were there.”

At the mention of ‘juices flowing’ that was exactly what began to happen to Soiph at the juncture between her thighs. She felt her cheeks flush at her body’s reaction to this man. Dampened panties were well hidden beneath her dark blue slacks, but the imprints of her stiffened nipples could clearly be seen through her light-weight summer blouse.

“And where is Woen?” Soiph wondered if he was lurking somewhere in the garden as well.

“Last I saw him he was lying naked in our bed,” Jubek began with a half smile.

Soiph nodded and fought for composure. The best thing she could do now was change the subject. “I wish there were something I could do to aid with the upcoming battle.”

“Well it certainly would have boosted our spirits if you’d come to our bed tonight,” The grin on Jubek’s face had yet to fade.

Soiph gave up trying to have a civil non-sexual conversation with him. “Believe me, I wanted to.”

“Then why did you deny yourself; why did you deny US the pleasure?” Jubek wanted to know.

“Because of the seriousness of the situation, first with my Captain and now with Ja’el’s disappearance.”

“Ah, would you feel guilty in taking pleasures because of the misfortunes of those around you?”

“Something like that,” Soiph realized that Jubek’s bluntness never failed to hit a chord.

Jubek closed the distance between them until he was standing mere inches from Soiph. They were of a similar height which allowed the scryer to gaze deeply within those gorgeous green eyes. “Then allow me one pleasure.”

Soiph’s gaze had been pinned on Jubek’s luscious glossy lips that when they collided with her own, she had already visualized the entire kiss before it even happened. The feel of his sweet tongue as it invaded her mouth and began to do battle with her own forced a moan from deep within her.

Soiph’s hands curled around his neck as she instinctively ran her fingers through the soft tresses of his fuchsia mane. She could feel the hardness of his cock imprinted through the loose fabric of his pants. The gods help her but she was ready to fuck him right then and there on the lawn.

Soiph was reminded of the first time she arrived on Atika; it was in gardens such as these. They had been greeted by Stafon and Mischa, and now it was obvious to Soiph that these gardens were often used for acts best left to the bedroom. When she felt Jubek’s hands slip beneath the waistband of her pants, she was ready to rip them off so that he may touch her freely. This feeling did not last long as the scryer suddenly stiffened. When he promptly broke the kiss, Soiph stared at him with confused eyes. Had she done something wrong?

“What is it?” Soiph wanted to know.

“We’re under attack,” Jubek replied softly.

Before Soiph could ask him to elaborate, an alarm began to sound within the fortress. It could only mean one thing; Sokan’s minions were incoming.

“Get inside and stay there,” Jubek ordered as he glanced to the west in the
direction of the forests where Ja’el had been captured.

Soiph bristled a little at his order. “I can take care of myself you know.”

“I know,” Jubek turned to her and smiled. He reached up to caress her soft cheek gently. “But when we’re celebrating our victory later, I don’t want you too worn out for fuck fest we’ll be engaging in with Woen.”

The idea had merit but there was one thing still nagging at her. “But what if we don’t get good news about Ja’el?”

“We’ll worry about that if it happens – see you soon.” Jubek gave her a brief kiss farewell before teleporting away.

Soiph wanted to follow him and find out what was happening but decided instead to obey his orders for now. She turned and quickly ran towards the fortress.

~*~

Gillian stood in full golden plate armor before an alter-realm portal that had opened within the Atikan forest only moments ago. Her Suvian allies were continuing to teleport in as the seconds passed. Stafon was already there and so was Boden.

The small force was gathered at the ready expecting hordes of Sokan’s armies to begin filing through the portal any second now. Gillian should have anticipated this. However, if Sokan truly wished a fight then he would be at the advantage within his own plane, not here. As it were, his powers would no doubt be diluted here by restrictions within their galaxy. So why would he choose to attack in this manner, what did he truly hope to accomplish?

Gillian was genuinely surprised when she saw a dark-haired man that appeared to be human, jump through the portal while holding a smaller heavily injured form. It didn’t take her long to realize he was carrying a badly beaten Ja’el. Before she could react, the stranger spoke.

“You must close the portal immediately! I’ve made the necessary incantations on the other side that will force it sealed for good. But you must hurry before they come through!” Erik shouted.

Gillian glanced at Jubek who had just arrived on the scene along with Kenlan and Dascos. //Do it.// She sent her thoughts to them.

//You do realize that man is the Relic, Erik. Do you trust him?// Jubek felt the need to ask.

//Let me worry about him,// Gillian began. She then glanced in Dascos’s direction. //Get Ja’el out of here.//

Erik saw when the pink-haired scryer he recognized as Jubek and another man with long silver hair began the process of sealing the portal. He was distracted by their efforts that he did not notice at first when another man with shorter silver hair grasped Ja’el from him. He was about to protest when this man vanished before his eyes and Ja’el’s unconscious form along with him.

“Where was he taken?” Erik glanced at the woman wearing the golden armor and instantly knew she was in charge. He stood up; unmindful of the ragged loin cloth he wore and turned to face her.

Gillian ignored Erik’s question as she was more concerned about the sealing of the portal and Ja’el’s status. They needed to know what had happened to the Talion as soon as possible. Therefore, with the approval of Arabel, Gillian directed Dascos to glean what information he could from Ja’el’s unconscious mind as he healed him. It was very possible those memories would give her some clue as to what was happening right now.

It didn’t take long before images of Ja’el’s injuries as well as the memories of how they were inflicted were relayed telepathically to the Suvian’s from Dascos who had taken the Talion to a healing chamber to begin his work.

“There, the portal is sealed,” Kenlan stated as he dusted his hands off. It helped tremendously to have Jubek work in conjunction with him in order to complete the task that quickly. Now that his mind was clear, he too began to receive the images of what Erik had done to Ja’el.

Devo who was on his way to Ja’el’s healing chambers along with Arabel asked Stafon to offer Erik a fitting reward for what he had done. Devo had been unable to prevent the images of Ja’el’s degradation from reaching his mate. The fact that Arabel’s cousin barely clung to life and was now taxing Dascos’s healing abilities to the limit was also very telling.

Erik glanced back at the two men who had sealed the portal. He was grateful they were that competent, he’d believed at least a few of Sokan’s denizen would make it through before they could close it. At least now it seemed that the initial danger was over, he could find out how Ja’el was faring.

“I know you all have questions and I will gladly answer them. But first I need to know how Ja’el is doing.”

“You’re in no position to make demands,” Stafon spoke up.

Erik glanced in the direction of the spiky-haired blond man that had just spoken. The intensity in those golden eyes should have warned him of what was to come.

“But first, Ja’el’s cousin has a gift for you,” Stafon said through clenched teeth.

Erik was helpless to react when the Suvian formed a fireball between his hands and quickly hurled it in his direction. The blast struck him directly in the chest and sent him flying into the thick trunk of a nearby tree. Parts of his hair and skin were singed from the attack and a stream of blood poured from his temple where his head at struck the tree. Erik winced in pain as he struggled to get to his feet but found that he couldn’t.

The end result of Erik’s recent actions now loomed before him like a black cloud. He should have known better than to think these people would welcome him with open arms. He had almost taken Ja’el from them. It might have been too much to hope for that they would forgive him upon Ja’el’s return. These injuries they’d inflicted would pose as a reminder of what he’d lost. But alas, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“As a Relic I’m surprised you took that much damage,” Jubek commented. He’d half expected Erik to counter Stafon’s attack with a defensive ability. But that hadn’t happened. Even a direct hit from that attack should not have sent him flying or injured him to such an extent. It was almost as if Stafon had let loose that attack on – a human.

“Well what do you know,” Jubek chuckled. “You’re human aren’t you?”

It took a great deal of energy but Erik managed to get to his feet this time. He was out of breath and was forced to lean against the tree for support. “It was a built in failsafe,” Erik began between gasps. “That if I ever betrayed Sokan, this would be the end result.”

“You don’t expect us to feel sorry for you?” Woen wanted to know. “And the only reason you’re still alive right now, is because you brought Ja’el back to us. I’d start talking if I were you.”

“I understand that I’ve wronged you, and Ja’el,” Erik replied. “But allow me to explain. Sokan’s minions we’re planning to invade you before you could attack. I thwarted that plan by being the first to cross the portal and escape back here with Ja’el.”

“None of that explains what you did to Ja’el,” Woen stated.

Erik licked his dry lips as he ignored the pain of his body before continuing. “I was seduced by Sokan’s will. I was made to believe that I had become weak because of my feelings for Ja’el. With the last of his strength, Ja’el himself was able to convince me otherwise.”

Gillian had been listening to the conversations going on around her silently. Her instincts told her that a piece of this puzzle was missing. This had all been too easy; Erik’s escape with Ja’el, and the sealing of the portal. Something was not right; she was almost certain of it.

“You tell a convincing story,” Boden commented.

Erik glanced around slowly at the men and women gathered. He could sense their innate powers lying dormant like a hibernating beast. His abilities had been much the same, but now all that had changed. He was now human and had been stripped of his regenerative capabilities as well as countless other innate skills. He’d pose very little threat to those present. They had to know this, for his sake. He hoped they’d simply lock him away until Ja’el regained consciousness and could vouch for him. The Talion had proved his feelings to him, and Erik was certain he wouldn’t throw him to the wolves now. The former Relic simply needed to survive long enough until Ja’el could make it so.

“On my honor as a bodyguard, I’m telling you the truth.”

“Some bodyguard you turned out to be,” Jubek smirked at him.

Erik wiped away the blood on his brow that threatened to blur his vision. Jubek’s words cut deep, far deeper than he was certain the scryer even realized. He had let Ja’el down back on Samian, and these people had done what he couldn’t do. And then, as if to add insult to injury, Erik kidnapped the one he was to protect and then did just the opposite.

“I’ll never forgive myself for what happened.”

Gillian could sense the sincerity in Erik’s voice, and for the first time since meeting him she began to feel sympathy for him. She could see that not only his body was tortured, but his soul as well. Stafon’s attack had unknowingly matched his body to soul. Gillian was tempted for the first time to heal him. Although he was putting up a brave front, she knew he must be in terrible pain. Seeing as he was so sparsely dressed, the exposed areas of his skin had been scorched terribly. She saw him falter at one point but remained standing. She couldn’t help but admire his bravery, considering the open wound in his head that was bleeding freely must have been making it extremely difficult for him to stay upright.

Gillian was about to speak when suddenly, a dark presence swooped in from above. She glanced up and quickly held her hands aloft, forming a wide barrier shield that covered all present. A split second later, Sokan appeared shooting an energy blast directly at the gathered Suvians.

//Good work my son, your distraction proved effective.//

All present heard as Sokan spoke telepathically.

Gillian didn’t have time to react to this bit of news as it occurred to her that her that Sokan had come through the portal unknown to them and had been building power this whole time. He would be at less of a disadvantage than Gillian had originally believed and immediately proved this. Sokan had effectively caught Gillian off guard and with all the time he’d had to tune this attack it would be greater than that of a simple defensive shield. As if on cue, Gillian’s barrier began to crack and within seconds it was smashed to pieces.