Take Me Away

Chapter summary: Fluff turns into nightmare.

Author’s Notes: Wrote this while playing Diablo 2 and listening to Nobuo Uematsu’s “Water” (on the FFAC soundtrack). Weird mix when it comes to fluff, but I can’t help it…. ^^;. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to review ^_~)

Edit: Sorry for the chapter nopt showing up a short while ago, an unclosed HTML tag was the problem ^^;; *feels stupid*

Take Me Away
Chapter 17 – Testing Grounds

Magdos; another part of the world Shandaar Kandi had never been. In fact, he only had traveled within Kadessa, and only in a few special occasions. His mother did most of the travelling and while she was gone, he was the one responsible for the kingdom. He became much like a king, without the title. But he didn’t usually mind it. He had free time to spend with Kieran and Raya, but mostly with Kieran.

After four days and a half of horse and carriage travelling, they had reached the border. Since they weren’t in Kadessan territory, even the prince himself had been able to go through the border easily. The weather in central areas was very similar to the one in Kadessa; very warm and humid in summer, while the winters were chilling cold. And it wasn’t summer anymore. The group eventually had to stop in a less crowded town to get winter clothes. They didn’t have much of a selection, however; coats made from deer and bear pelts were the most common. They were warm, so in the end, it barely mattered.

Dressed in their brand new outfits, the team entered Rabaden, a little town in what they referred as “the middle of nowhere”. The few houses were made of wooden logs, a different method than in Kadessa or Nael. This new type of architecture, however, seemed to have little effect for Shandaar. It was rather simple from it, being used to such majestic décors, marble, gold and silver everywhere. Plus it felt like everyone worshipped and praised the ground he walked on, literally. Why was he a prince and not someone else? Maybe this way he would have had that trip a long time ago, as selfish as it was.

In this country, no one seemed to know him. The people were obviously having their own King, Queen, Prince or Princess, so there was no need to talk a lot about others. Walking through those streets, having girls and women – sometimes men – eyeing him without even knowing his name was rather fun to the young silver-haired man. Just like a chameleon, he was incognito. And he liked it this way.

After talking to the few people around the small village, they had come to learn there was an empty lodge near the hills. The group had then settled in it, now able to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace. Shandaar didn’t go as far as saying this was better than his life at Kadessa’s marble castle, but he really appreciated it. It was so calm compared to his birthplace, which was always hectic. Something was always happening. At this cabin in the middle of nowhere, he could simply relax. Soon though, he’d be back there, back to his previous life, to being in the closet, only seeing his boyfriend a few times before he’d leave again, possibly for months…

Gazing at the window, looking at the snowflakes fall, the youth sighed. He didn’t want to go back to Kadessa. He wanted to continue living this life amongst the ones whom he considered to be his true friends, travelling around the world. ‘Better make the most of it’ he thought, pushing himself up and walking to the clothes rack to pick up his winter gear. “Kieran, let’s go outside. It’s not everyday I have a chance of playing around with you in the snow...”

Lifting his head from the fire dancing in front of his brown eyes, the adventurer smiled and nodded. How couldn’t he refuse that to his lover? It was simply impossible. He got up from the floor, dusting himself off, and grabbed his coat. He felt guilty for all those winters where he would simply leave central Kadessa and would go into the lower areas, in a more comfortable weather. Maybe this would make up for when he would leave, sometimes without notice – before their friendship started to develop into a romantic relationship anyways – but he doubted it. But whatever happened, it surely wouldn’t hurt to hear Shandaar laughing.

The sky was grey and the weather heavy, but it barely mattered to the young couple. The two men had gone into the woods and were casually walking around, without a worry in their hearts. The light snow falling from the skies was simply accentuating the beauty of the area. Tall evergreens and pines were scattered, leaving them more place than enough to roll in the snow.

“Let’s make snow angels!”

Kieran turned his head toward the smaller male, who smiled sweetly with an added touch of innocence; just the way he loved it. For a moment he wished the sky was as blue as those big eyes that were looking at him, but the sky itself could never hold as much passion and emotions as those eyes would. If eyes were the window to someone’s soul, anybody could guess that the prince of Kadessa was an extremely pure being, but the black-haired man knew something else about him… the raw sex, the way he could become perverted when he wanted to make love… nothing pure.

But he only knew one side of Shandaar. There was no apparent sign, except the lack of scars on the younger man’s body, that he faced an extraordinary being. That those sky blue eyes could turn as yellow as a snake’s. And those eyes were only a fraction of the man’s hidden traits.

After musing some more on the body that once stood in from him, he quickly shook his head, getting back in the real world. Shandaar was already lying on the white ground, moving his legs and arms around. It was like watching a child who would see the first snowfall of the year and would run outside to play in it. “You’re so damn cute” the older man said out loud before plumping beside the snow angel his boyfriend made.

A few seconds after, the so-said boyfriend rolled over and simply laid beside Kieran, eyes fixed on the grey sky. “You remember our first kiss, right?”

“Of course, \"It\'s not something I could forget.\". It’s going to be almost 4 years in February. Time flies by, no?”

Shandaar nodded, then came closer to Kieran. “You bet. It’s already two or three months we’re travelling. I’d have never expected going that far, to tell the truth. I was thinking that as soon as I’d set foot outside of the castle, that the whole army would be sent after me, that they’d check every single house of the country just to find me and bring me back safely to Mother. Maybe they stopped the searches.”

“Bah, I think they’re still at it, but can’t find you. We made sure we weren’t easy to follow and since we’re already followed… they’re probably making extra-sure that the army isn’t sticking close to their asses.” The adventurer sighed, putting his arm around the other’s shoulder and drawing him even closer, until he could easily run his finger through the silver hair. “Aren’t you cold like that?”

“No.” He marked a pause, snuggling further on Kieran’s chest, like he would have done with a pillow. “I remember everything. You were coming back from another one of your trips, and I had spent the evening with nobles for my birthday party… you ended up being my best gift ever.”

-

3 years ago; February 1674

Midnight had soon come. Shandaar Kandi lied in his bed, looking at the ceiling, covered in deep red satin draperies. He had just turned 16 years old; 16 being a major event in a young person’s life. It was the beginning of adulthood. Even though he was legally an adult, by being the prince, he had to stay under his mother’s authority until his wedding. It had been a long, very long ceremony for the prince, who more or less understood what all the fuss was about. He had been prepared for it months before, and every line he had said during the ceremony had been repeated over and over again. For the average young man or woman, it meant they were free. For him, it simply meant that he was a year older, since he would continue to spend his days within the castle.

All evening long, the upper class females had made comments on how he was looking good and strong, and how he would surely make a wonderful husband. Shandaar, however, didn’t seem to want a wife. His eyes wandered around the room, but never really stopped on women’s bodies. They were pretty, but he wasn’t physically attracted to them, and most of them were being superficial, only wanting to marry him because of his good looks and the fact he was a prince. Most probably the latter. To be even more honest, he preferred men. It seemed as he was able to forge friendships with them faster, they were less superficial, could put up a good fight, and would look better. Never would he admit to be attracted to men, especially not to the queen herself… it would be such a shame for the kingdom. So he felt as he should play along, replying to women, keeping the talk to military matters, swordsmanship, economy and history with the men.

Another thing he had hated from the reception was that his best friend hadn’t been on the guest list. Kieran Surkhang was only the son of the blacksmith that worked for the castle, “nobody worth inviting” as the counsellors had said. That was his only wish, the only thing he really wanted for his birthday, and as much as he was rich and powerful, it couldn’t have been granted. Young Shandaar was beginning to understand what it meant to be in such a high position. Before, it hadn’t been that bad. He would see Kieran outside the castle, but today, he had to spend his whole day with the nobles, aristocrats and other people he had never met in his life.

A sound coming from his window made him turn around. He swore he could have heard something. The silver-haired prince got up, wrapping a bathrobe around his frame. For a 16-year-old, he was proud of his body. He was fairly tall, was sure he would gain a few inches more, and his abs were well-defined. He opened the curtains that gave him privacy – the bay window and balcony doors were large – and smiled widely at the sight.

In front of him, separated by a thick layer of glass, was his childhood friend, Kieran. The youth was 18, close to 19, and had stopped growing, just enough to get to 6’1”. His short black hair was spiked, as usual, and the brown eyes were flickering with an energetic light. Happy too see the man, Shandaar opened the glass doors to let the adventurer in, and closed them right after. Cold night. “Your hair is full of snow…” Fingers moved through the raven hair in order to remove the white snowflakes, then went back to rest beside the smaller body.

“Well it’s not an extremely good weather outside. The snow’s pretty thick. I’m surprised I’m not covered in it.” The man chuckled lightly, cocking his head to have a better look at his friend. His good-looking friend. It had been a year or two he felt a strange attraction to the prince, yet he never thought that those feelings would have been returned. He had been with men before, during his previous travels, but they never could make him forget about the royal youth. He didn’t want to forget about him anyway.

“Then you should stay here overnight. I do not want anything bad to happen to you” Shandaar stated, concerned for the raven-haired man’s safety.

“Don’t worry. I should be fine, but seeing as it’s your birthday and that I do want to spend time with you, I’ll stay.” This got a smile from the teenager, who flopped back on his bed with a content sigh. “So, how was your –little- reception?”

“It was nice, nothing more. All the women who were not accompanied seemed to have flocked over me, and Master Akryll apparently wanted to choose my future wife already.” The way these words had been pronounced, the adventurer could tell that the other male wasn’t too fond of this idea. “I do not want them. I am in love already, but I do not know if this person holds the same feelings towards me.” That person he was speaking about was Kieran. He had never talked openly about how he felt for the older man, for fear of rejection and losing a dear friend. Not even hints had been given prior to this. He had to keep it for himself if he wanted to live in a stable environment.

To Kieran, it was taken as more or less good news, but just like the younger man, he didn’t say anything about it. It was better that they remained friends than to see their relationship broken by an unrequited love. And he said the exact opposite of his attitude. “Why don’t you talk to that girl? Maybe she likes you back, you never know.”

“If only everything was as easy as this…” he trailed off with a sigh. “I’d have talked about it a long time ago. I am afraid it is going to change everything we already have. If I have to lose this friend, nothing will be the same.”

As far as he knew, Shandaar didn’t have many friends. He knew a lot of people, but friendships? For sure he had him, but going as far as saying that he had a lot of close friends amongst them, no. Did that mean… that this guy was in love with him? “I think I know how you feel. Because I have this hot friend, you see, and I can never tell him how much I love him. I’ve known him for a long time, he’s the sweetest thing out there… but I don’t know how he’d react. Judging by what I’ve heard though, he’d be okay with it. He’s in love too, you see.”

“He is?” he asked, smiling sadly, looking at the raven-haired man from the corner of his eyes. So there went his chances with the one he loved…

Seeing that he had received such a sad look, Kieran turned his head and smiled. “Since you’re my best friend ever, I’m gonna tell you about him. He’s really hot. He’s tall, going to be quite muscular in a few years, shoulder-length silver hair, the brightest blue eyes I ever saw, and I believe it was his birthday today.” Automatically, Shandaar was the none who turned his head in the older man’s direction. There was little time wasted before their lips were locked into an innocent kiss, the smaller guy pinned to the bed. His first kiss. With another man. The one he loved. Feeling the soft lips pressed against his, the broader body hovering over him… he wanted more already.

Just like in the books he sometimes read at night, where the princess would eventually find the love of her life, whether it was a beggar, the prince on his white horse or another princess. In this case, it was a prince and a commoner.

No words were exchanged, simply caresses as they undressed each other, only interrupting their kiss when Kieran’s shirt had to be removed. Right away, their lips met again, their hands moving in order to remove pants and underwear, letting passion run their minds for a little while. It was like both knew what was coming for them and none wanted it to stop.

Once naked, Kieran had his new lover lie on his back, since it would be more comfortable for a first time – if the silver-haired man wasn’t a virgin he’d have known – and gently kissed him again, letting his fingers roam around the pale skin. He took a moment to look him over, letting his eyes rest upon that marvellous body. It was a queer feeling to witness such innocence right there, in front of him, and just waiting to defile him.

He bent down for another kiss, parting the pink lips with his tongue and inserting the muscle into the opening, tasting the young prince once again. The taste was intoxicating and he was already addicted, just like a drug. His hands roamed on the sides, enjoying the soft feeling and the moans of the man under him.

After having mapped about every inch of skin possible, Kieran drew his fingers toward the silver-haired teen’s mouth, gently teasing the lips before they were engulfed. He wished Shandaar’s lips and tongue would eventually wind up on his hard cock. He thought about pleading for him to go faster, but didn’t want to pressure him and chose to remain silent instead.

Once his fingers were damp with the youth’s saliva, he removed them from the mouth and brought them to his buttocks, leaving a slight wet trace along the body. He played on sensitive flesh for a short time, testing grounds for possible teasing in the future, and finally inserted one.

Shandaar jerked at the contact; it was another one of those weird feelings, uncomfortable but not bad at the same time. Not many books described sexual intercourse between two men, and the one he had read didn’t mention this form of preparation at all. When he was stretched enough, a second digit was brought inside of him, this one being a bit more painful. Strangely, as the adventurer wiggled them around and made scissor moves, it became pleasuring. So that’s what it felt like! And the same was reproduced for the third digit to make its way inside the tight entrance.

His lover removed the fingers and bent down to passionately kiss him again, using his right hand to position his arousal and slowly pushing inside, inducing another moan from the young man under him. So tight and warm… so good.

As he was stretched, he jerked a bit again and let a short cry out, clutching to the other male. Just like for the fingering, it was a very strange feeling. This was much more intimate that he had perceived the act at first. They were so close... it was only normal, since Kieran was –inside- him. Soon, however, he began to feel much more comfortable with his mate’s cock inside of him, but didn’t move for fear of disrupting their moment.

It was the raven-haired man who pulled out, checking at the reaction Shandaar bore on his almost-perfect face and found himself pushing in again, as if he was under a spell. And in and out again… and again…

Arms wrapped the broad shoulders on top of him, enjoying the intimacy that they finally had. The prince had longed for such a thing happening to him and was glad that Kieran was the one he could share this experience with. Normally, Kieran tended to be a bit rough around the edges, but right now he was sweet, not going too fast or too slow to the younger man’s liking. He’d make a wonderful lover. He could feel the member inside him, hitting his prostate every time, which built his pleasure. No woman could ever bring that joy; it was with his best friend he felt it.

The raven-haired youth picked up a faster pace, rocking his hips and continuing to use his hands to roam around the smaller body. As he passed by the nipples, he gently tugged on them – not enough to hurt – and wasn’t surprised at the other’s reaction; a louder moan. He had picked up this trick from previous intercourses, and now was the time to use it on Shandaar, who was also bucking his hips in the same manner as his boyfriend. So he added strength to the thrusts, careful not to make his head bump on the bedpost. He kept the steady rhythm for a few minutes before going all out, literally slamming in the body.

Not that the other part minded, far from that. He simply moaned, his right arm leaving Kieran’s back in order to reach for his own erection, pumping it feverishly as he was continued to be rammed, his back arching with each thrust that landed on the right spot. Of course he had masturbated before, but this was quite different since there was someone watching and literally fucking him at the same time. He reached for another kiss, devouring the man’s mouth, his blue eyes wide open and locked on the ones right above him. Those brown pools he’d never forget hungrily stared back at him, returning the kiss right away.

They continued, their bodies intertwined as if they were only one being. If Kieran had gone through this before, he realized how it was with someone who he truly loved, while it was a brand new discovery for the prince, who couldn’t keep quiet at all. It was a good thing however, hearing those moans and screams. It made everything much more fun to hear pleas of needed strength or speed, and he obeyed gladly, ramming away in the tight opening. He didn’t even stop as he felt the climax building in his lower abdomen; if he wanted Shandaar to know the joys of sex, he’d have to keep up for a short while.

The youth felt something liquid being spilt inside him as he saw his older lover shake, his face distorted by the pleasure being released throughout his body. But the thrusts didn’t stop, in fact becoming a tad bit stronger. Fingers covered his own hand, which was already on his shaft, and helped him reach his climax as well, bringing him into a kiss at the same time. It didn’t take long before an orgasm shook his body, calling his lover’s name, his voice resonating in the room. The feeling was very hard to describe, if not the “orgasmic” word itself amplified ten times.

Shandaar cringed when he felt the weight of his childhood friend on him, knowing he was strong enough to support it for a short time. Kieran must have been really spent… and so was he, to be honest. It was strangely comforting to be in this position, his arms wrapped around the waist above him, raising and lowering each breath the other male took.

And that’s when it struck him. They had been intimate. Could this change the whole relationship they had? Of course it would… it had already. Now that he looked back on it, he had already wondered when Kieran would come back, searching to spend most of his time with him… was that a sign that he wanted to be with the older male for a while? Was that needed for their friendship to turn into something else?

Lips wound up on his cheek, moved to his mouth before going to his ear, gently flicking his tongue over the earlobe. “I love you” the voice whispered in a sensual tone.

-

Many times he heard “I love you” coming from Kieran, but that time had literally struck him. And there they were today, lying in the snow. “It sounds like a fairy tale, don’t you think?” Shandaar asked, moving to look at his boyfriend from above to have a better view of the handsome face, supporting himself with his right arm.

“Deep inside you wanted it this way from the beginning.” The adventurer stretched lazily and gave the silver-haired prince a quick kiss before pushing him back in the snow with a chuckle. Only the prince stayed on the white ground coat, laughing in disbelief. That’s how he liked the other man. “I’m gonna change boots and I’ll be right back. My feet are freezing. Want something from the cabin?”

The youth shook his head, shaking the snow off his shoulder-length hair at the same time. “No thanks. I’ll wait here. I want to make more snow angels.”

“Devils you mean. Or princes.” Another smile illuminated the smaller man’s face. Kieran blew a kiss in his direction – down – and he “caught” it, showing a row of white teeth, content.

-

Following Shandaar’s group had been so easy. Kordell and Karali followed the traces in the white snow as they made their way through the country; a horse and a caravan, usually side by side. During the winter, there weren’t many travelers as the central part of Magdos was quite cold. Only few of them dared to go in Rabaden at this time of the year. Little choice was offered to them when they reached the remote city, and they had to take a lodge, similar to the one the people they were after. The whole team had split in different directions, so not everyone was at Rabaden… quite the opposite actually. Most were still in the wilderness, spending a few days in hand-made igloos and shelters.

Their plan was simple. Radwan, since he was one of the strongest, was going to get a hold of Shandaar. About 15 others would meet up on the spot and then scatter in different directions, thus making it extremely hard to find the prince.

“Don’t go raping him again” the red-headed man warned with a frown that turned into a grin almost right after. “We’re going to take care of that after.”

The spearman nodded, taking his spear up before climbing on his horse, just like Kordell, Karali and hopefully the rest of the group were doing. Traces would be hard to follow; some came from Kadessa, some from the country itself, others from Nael. They even had left at different times. Everything was planned – nothing would fail. They would get Shandaar Kandi and use him as a way to get to the throne. If the Queen wanted to see her only son alive…

Miles after, a body lying in the snow came into view. It was a male, obviously, and he was alone. The perfect scene, since no one else was here. At the same time, men and women seemed to appear out of nowehere, quickly surrounding him. The youth lifted his head at the sound of hoofs on the ground, surprise of the unnoticed presence. Slowly, he got up to his feet and dusted his coat and pants off as his eyes scanned the area.

They were here for him and they knew it. Amongst them, he saw the blue-haired spearman who had raped him. His heartbeat accelerated as the horses got closer and closer to him. ‘Where’s my sword?’ he thought, trying to get a hold of his blade but grasping only air. He was unarmed, completely at the mercy of those people.

On top of his horse, Radwan grinned and sped over to him, followed by three other members of the faction, each following the precedent’s footsteps. Maybe it was time to freak out? No, it wouldn’t help at all. Instead, the prince prepare for a fight, balling his hands into fists. But more came to his back and he was forced to turn around. Fear and determination could be read on his face as if written on a white sheet with black ink. But it wasn’t enough.

As he was being distracted, the blue-haired fighter had came close to him and bent down to cover the man’s mouth and nose with a cotton cloth dipped in chloroform. Under the stress, his breathing had accelerated and the liquid made its job very fast. Shandaar fell on the ground like a rag doll, and Radwan had to get off his horse to pick him up, having a hard time maintaining his balance so he wouldn’t fall down the large animal. Once done, he simply sped up into the distance as other split in different directions once again.

Kieran came back a short time after. By then, everyone was gone. No footsteps proving that his lover had gone elsewhere, only horse hooves prints all over the clearing. “Shandaar!” he screamed the missing man’s name. “Shandaar!!” The worse is that as much as he shouted, there was no answer. “Where are you!!??”

He stood there, staring at the scene in total disbelief. His beloved had been taken away from him.

~ TBC ~