Partner

Writing this was difficult because as Mik couldn’t breath, neither could I. Unconscious suggestion. Geh.

Everyone's getting all hyped up for the magical product and what it does seems to depend on who you're talking to. Rel said it was likely a way to fix plastics. Una here states it's a way to hack any electrical system. The commercial seemed to imply it would actually solve health problems and some how make you safe from others -even other users of the product-

I wonder what it could do...

With someone who has proven to be capable to use power and electricity as if they were one and the same.

I'm highly excited about the next possible update for Partners. Old time tree! *squees*

Read, Review and Enjoy.




He took it easy for several days. Little walks, bathing instead of showering. Eating small amounts of food at a time and sleeping alongside Paw. Any movement and he was huffing. He could have short conversations with Taln or Koln but was tired easily.

On the third day, Una returned, an odd look on his face as he stepped into the room, cane in hand, hat on his head. The immortal shuffled to the seat where Koln and Taln sat usually. He eased himself into the chair as if he felt his years.

“So.” he sighed out like an old man.

“So,” Mik responded, sighing out his breath only to struggle to pull in a proper gulp of air.

“Mari is pregnant, Rel is the father and I’ve spoken with the both of them and made it very clear that Mari needs to be away from electronic signals.”

“Electronic signals? Electrickity?” Paw murmured, “but.”

“We’d need a key,” Mik huffed out, easing himself against Paw, accepting his limits so that he could heal faster instead of hurting himself worse.

“Well, I have spoken to Rel and Mari about it,” Una said, adjusting himself in his seat, “I have spoken with your mother and she plays the part of grieving mother quite well. She has purchased the land I asked her to purchase and thence. There is an old time tree for you to move to. You and Paw will both go.”

“But how.” Mik had to stop to breath. He had spent a good deal of time talking to Taln that morning, it had sapped is energy, “Do. We. Ex. Plain?”

“Leave that up to me,” Una smiled a queer sort of smile, “I am very adept at hiding the truth in lies. I can explain to the partners and to Rel what has happened without telling them you are alive.”

“Very well.”

“So. You and Paw will go now. Taking Lillow and the mesa with you. People hardly notice Lillow coming and going as it is. Taln will go along with Koln, as leader and leader’s lover. Several minor members will be going with the two of you. Lillow can act as healer to keep you alive. Until Essuan comes to you along with the rest of the tribe. Shouldn’t be long before they do.”

“Mari?”

“Will be travelling with me,” Una made a small motion towards himself, “she will be under my care and she will be fine. Rel and Muan will like as not be coming with me. Which means. Like as not, Rel will be very upset when he finally sees you,” Una paused and then cocked his head to the side and looked at Mik, “you slept with him?”

“Yes.”

“And yet he doesn’t want to sleep with me. Odd.”

“Sparkling personality.”

“He’s not a piece, he doesn’t give dominance to the key. He slept with you because he found you attractive. A fact that doesn’t seem to have rattled Paw the in the least.”

“It was one of those attractions that you just have to get out of your system,” Paw murmured in response, “my man’s safe now.”

Mik almost laughed, but the small act of trying not to caused pain to lance through his chest, made him double over in pain. Una called for help even as Paw laid Mik down onto the bed and rubbed his back gently. Something was pushed into his mouth, a leaf that made his mouth dry out then explode in wet.

“Hold it there, swallow the juices but not the leaf, there. Swallow. Swallow. Now spit it out,” Una said, holding a hand out for Mik to spit into. Mik spat it out immediately and swallowed what was left in a quick bid to be done with the medicine. The ache in his chest began to subside slowly, “That, at least, is something that grows around old time trees. Sidhe graze on it like cows do grass or hay or whatever they eat now a days. Good for circulation, slows the heart and settles the stomach. Eases the inflammation of infection and the such.”

“Good drug.”

“For the Sidhe it does that. For you. Pain medication and mild hallucinogenic.”

“Covering the pain doesn’t solve the problem,” Mik huffed out.

“No, and I am glad you believe that. In order to get you there, we are going to fly you. Hulla-copper?”

“Hel,” a gasp, “a?”

“Helicopter.” Una said, chuckling to himself, “they promise it is as undercover as your can get. No one will know it is you being transported. Flying will get you there in an hour or so and your mother is there, well, will be there later tonight. Via a few men from the army base who seem absolutely enamoured with your mother-”

“They have no mommy figure and Mommy is very intimidating when she wants elevator thing made,” Paw muttered, “said she wanted to visit Sidhe without getting on Sidhe’s back.”

“But the. Elevator, is being put in to get you up and down the old time tree. As well as a few others who cannot climb it. Now it is a young tree. So we need to be gentle about a few things. No fires in the tree, the center place is still dry and as wood, it won’t convert to the rock… type thing that the other old time trees has, not for at least another ten years.”

Mik looked at Paw, confused. Paw blinked at Mik.

“Some people trees. Ehm.”

“An old time tree grows from the inside out, like any other tree, but in order to survive longer, to grow bigger, the old time tree actually fossilizes it’s heartwood and grows new heartwood around it. So what was once heartwood turns to something like stone. Sidhe hearth fire is in that place, in the center wood, one communal fire for all the tribe. Several trees that people look at grow in such a manner. New wood growing around dead wood thus technically what you see is a dead lump covered with wood of. Of. The same but not.”

“Clone. Same. Blood,” Paw muttered, trying to alter the language he used to something that Una would understand, but Mik would also understand, “but new flesh.”

“Right. Well. The tree will bear fruit this year, Paw, I would like three,” Una held up three fingers and pointed at each of them, “look at me Paw. When I speak to you. I want three of them. Seeded fruit. Not seedless. Seeded.”

“Paw can-”

“Auhi,” Mik said in a warning tone, giving Paw a look. The Sidhe wilted beside Mik, one hand on his thigh.

“Fine. But why three. The tree won’t bloom for another twenty years and there might be three seeded fruit.”

“I need to plant them for the other Sidhe, Paw. If I find any other old time tree that is coming to fruit, I will demand the same thing.”

“How. Do you. Know,” Mik paused after almost every word for a breath, “about. The tree?”

“When I went to sleep it was a seedling.”

“Four-”

“Hundred years before a tree has a center wood that can be burned upon, yes. A tree, upon reaching it’s fiftieth year will bloom every twenty years and produce fruit. The fruit tastes marvellous, by the way, but the seeded ones taste even better. Only a few out of hundreds will have seeds in them and these are coveted amongst Sidhe tribes.”

“Souse had ten seeds when-”

“Now they are ash, so that doesn’t matter.”

“Take from Souse, not me!”

“Souse and you are one and the same!”

“He burned my tree.” Paw huffed. Paw dropped beside Mik and laid down, curling around the man.

“He. Burned down your tree,” Una looked to Mik for confirmation. The man nodded and the immortal sighed, “Well. That explains one fracture in the tribe. The helicopter to pick you up will be here in an hour or so. And then the two of you will be off and safe and we can stop worrying about you.”

“Why worry?”

“Nothing. Really. Just a. Product that promises to unlock all things to everyone. Supposedly this means that even if you are here in this room away from pretty much everything, people will still know you are alive because you are in a city. Off in the tree you will be safe.”

“From a product.”

“From a product.”


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