Black Feathers

 

Kaien awoke in his own bed for the first time in over a moon and luxuriated in the sensation of soft blankets, and the familiar lumps of his mattress. The angle of light streaming in from the cracks in the wooden shutters over his window informed him that it was well past noon, as the scent of freshly baked bread and other enticing aromas invaded his nostrils.

His stomach chose that particular moment to make its self known with an embarrassingly loud growl and gurgle, causing Kaien to laugh ruefully and pull himself out of bed, reaching for trousers and tunic before going to inspect the delectable smells emanating from the tray on his desk.

A cloth to ward off insects covered the tray, which Kaien removed and set to the side for the time being. There, in resplendent culinary glory, was a portion of roasted chicken stuffed with herbs, a tankard of cider, a half-cut roll oozing butter out one side, and a smaller plate stacked with Kaien’s personal favorite – sugared pastries filled with fruit preserves. He smiled softly, touched at the thoughtfulness of the spread.

The noise that emanated from Kaien upon that first bite of his meal was nearly orgasmic in nature. Even living on palace grounds, he did not normally eat such fare – either he was reaping the benefits of a feast at the palace proper, or the cooks were inordinately happy that he’d returned alive.

If it was the latter, Kaien mused that he should “die” more frequently.

When he had just about demolished everything on the tray, he noticed the corner of a bit of parchment sticking out from under one of the plates. Curiously, he unfolded the paper, the handwriting unfamiliar.

Kaien,

          There is a grove outside the western wintering pastures. If you still wish to be my mate, meet me there and we will speak. Ensure that you have eaten and are rested before you come. Bring a sword.

                   ~Raikuro

A thrill of excitement laced with confusion shot through Kaien. His sword? Perhaps Raikuro wanted to spar with him. Regardless, and as much as he wanted to run out and meet with Raikuro that very second, he was also reminded of the fact that he was filthy and unshaven. If he didn’t want to disgrace himself and his Queen, he would at least have to take the time to attend to his grooming before running off to meet his Tengu, even if the sole purpose of their meeting was to just get sweaty and dirty once more.

With a silly grin on his face, Kaien trotted off to the baths.

___

Clean, freshly shaven, a bounce in his step, and sword hanging heavy and comforting against his thigh, Kaien made his way out to the grove he thought Raikuro meant. It was a rather strange place for a meeting, but the Tengu wouldn’t know that. Rumors of strange happenings and whispers of mysteries past practically saturated any mention of the grove.

It was said that a minor Goddess had taken up residence there, and read the hearts of those who entered. Those of good heart without deceit could pass through peacefully, but those who harbored any ill will or darkness was judged and transformed into a horrific beast.

The oldest documents made brief mention of an occurrence in that grove centuries before, the author making cryptic statements about the “murderous fiend” and “that poor girl”. There was some technical-sounding babble regarding “heart vapors” and pervasive references to the weight of said heart vapors against the feathers of a bird long since vanished from the region called an “austrek”, but nothing that made sense without a more descriptive history at hand.

Kaien had been there once, on the eve of his induction into the ranks of the Four Captains, taking Zarion’s place after his teacher had taken up the mantle of Weaponsmaster. It was something of a trial for all potential Captain candidates to spend the night in the grove, meditating on their service to the Kingdom.

Kaien’s night in the grove had been uneventful, though the wind had grown particularly chill just around midnight. At the time, he recalled feeling a surge of nerves, and then laughing it off shortly thereafter. It did not take much to remind him that sometimes stories were just that. Stories. Tales to scare the littles so they didn’t go exploring dangerous places.

Regardless, the rumors were enough to make the general populace wary of the spot, though Kaien had no such hang-ups about the place.

___

As he approached the trees, he saw Raikuro sitting hunched on the ground, a faint breeze tugging at his hair and feathers. There was something strange about the Tengu though, and Kaien slowed his pace, half-dismissed tales of changed beasts charging out of the woods floating to the forefront of his mind.

A dry twig snapped underfoot, causing the Tengu’s eyes to open swiftly, pinning Kaien in a ferocious, half-mad gaze. Kaien froze, recognizing some shadow of the beast he’d seen on the battlefield contained therein – not rampaging and in complete control like before, but prowling barely restrained beneath the surface.

Gods! What if something had happened to Raikuro while he was in his meeting?!

With that terrifying thought in mind, Kaien spoke gently, as one might to a wild beast in an attempt to convince it of one’s harmlessness. “Rai?” he asked softly “You look fevered. Are you well?” Please, please be okay… Kaien prayed silently. “I got your note to meet you here” he said hoping to evoke some form of sanity from the… the man he was swiftly, irrevocably falling in love with.

A slow smile spread over Raikuro’s lips, and he rose, approaching Kaien with predatory intent, sending a frisson of fear up Kaien’s spine.

 “I am quite well, dear Captain.” Raikuro purred, and Kaien had to hold himself still as one of Raikuro’s hands reached up behind his head and tangled fingers in his hair, gripping the blonde strands harshly before pulling his head to the side, leaving his neck exposed in a blatant posture of submission.

Kaien’s pulse jumped when Raikuro’s lips descended on the column of muscle, nibbling a path upward, lips and teeth tantalizingly light, each touch teasing and inviting. It felt strangely good to be there, trapped in Raikuro’s arms, letting the Tengu do as he pleased. Kaien relaxed into the touch, loving this new, domineering facet of Rai’s personality.

And then, in a moment of shining clarity, it all made perfect sense.

The note, the location, the sheer wildness of his love – it all clicked. “Oh…Ancients…” he breathed, the sensation of sharp canines scraping over his throat causing latent terror and immediate lust to mingle in the spot just above his navel, creating an emotion he would be hard-pressed to describe if asked.

“This is..you’re…” Kaien mumbled, unable to finish his sentence as flesh pebbled in response to a need which set his blood to thrumming. Seemingly playful, Raikuro licked his throat before moving to his lips, humming with pleasure as tongues tangled and their kiss grew insistent and needy.

They pulled apart panting, Kaien scrambling for coherency as Raikuro growled out an explanation for his behavior. “I’ve decided” he husked. Raikuro’s tongue darted back out to trace the seam of Kaien’s lips, pulling away before Kaien could take it as an invitation to do more. “Let me fly for you.” Raikuro demanded, a sexy, playful grin on his face.

He paused and tangled his fingers in the laces of Kaien’s tunic, pulling them closer together. “Let me prove to you that I am worthy to be your mate,” Raikuro said earnestly, suddenly quite serious. Kaien let out an unsteady breath as time slowed and the entirety of the universe focused on him and his answer to the beautiful creature before him.

He wanted to say a million things as his heart swelled; how honored he was and how he would do right by Raikuro.  How the flight wasn’t necessary; that Raikuro was more than worthy, that it was Kaien who should be begging for a chance to prove himself.

That Raikuro deserved a mate who could Bond with him in truth, so that the Tengu never need fear a slow death from an unfulfilled Bond.

Words seemed to pale however in comparison to the heartfelt desire he read in Raikuro’s eyes, and hungering need he felt in the body pressed against him, so he said the only words that he could – the only ones that felt right when faced with such a plea:

“Show me.” Kaien breathed, putting all his emotion and intent in those two words. It was enough for Raikuro, and the smile he got from the Tengu was brilliant, indelibly etched into his memories.

Raikuro took a few measured steps backwards, his gaze never wavering from Kaien’s. Black wings unfurled with a soft susurration of pinion crossing rachis, and stilled. He seemed a statue carved of marble and onyx, only the faint tugging of feathers in the wind putting lie to the impression.

So swiftly, Kaien might’ve blinked and missed it, Raikuro crouched slightly and shot up into the sky, wings pumping powerfully to give the Tengu swift altitude, a few stray tufts of down lingering in the air.

Higher and higher Raikuro flew, until he was but a speck of black against the red-streaked sky, the sunset painting a breathtaking backdrop for Raikuro’s flight. When Kaien wasn’t sure he could even see Raikuro, the speck of black swiftly grew bigger in a maneuver that Kaien now knew meant that Raikuro was diving towards the ground for a swift landing.

Or so Kaien thought, but as Raikuro drew near, he didn’t open his wings to slow his descent. Kaien’s heart leapt into his throat as the Tengu plummeted towards the ground, wings pinned tightly to his back. Just when Kaien thought his lover would splatter himself against the ground, his pointed wings snapped open, and Raikuro veered off at a sharp right angle, skimming the ground with stiff feathers before flapping hard and increasing altitude once more.

Kaien gasped in astonishment at the maneuver, pulse pounding loudly in his ears. He wanted to call Raikuro down to chastise him for taking such risks, but he was too helplessly enraptured with the aerial display to do anything but watch his Tengu with obsessive desire.

Raikuro’s ascent stilled and the Tengu hung for just a moment in midair before falling a short distance and flipping into a spiraling dive, this one leveling out just over the treetops followed by another short hike for altitude. Raikuro dipped and soared through the skies executing flashy wingovers in an erotic display of speed and strength.

Kaien did not hear the low whine that issued forth from his throat, nor could he fathom the impossibly insistent erection seemingly caused by Raikuro’s flight. That this dark, beautiful, powerful warrior wanted him to be his mate…

It made him feel flushed, his skin tingling with electric need as his heart tripped over itself. With an irritated roll of shoulders, Kaien realized that his tunic felt far, far too confining. With an impatient tug at the laces, Kaien did his best to watch the increasingly detailed aerobatics of his beloved while tugging the tunic over his head. Numbed fingers dropped the fabric at his feet, so distracting was the vision of a toned form and black wings over a fire-streaked sunset, that he never got so far as to remove his trousers or sword-belt.

Watching Raikuro flit through the skies in an attempt to convince Kaien of his worthiness caused a welling of strange emotion in Kaien’s gut. He wished – for perhaps the first time in his life – for wings. He yearned for them with an ache that was almost palpable. He wanted, no – needed – some way to respond to Raikuro’s display.

With increasing desperation, Kaien cast about for some way…some method to tell the Tengu that his efforts weren’t wasted, that Kaien wanted him right back, That Kaien wanted to be worthy of HIM. His hand fell on the pommel of his sword, the feel of cold metal and tightly-wrapped leather penetrating the haze of primal need that clouded Kaien’s mind.

Why had Raikuro asked him to bring a sword again?

He couldn’t remember if Raikuro had mentioned anything about the sword aside from the request to bring it. A percussive heartbeat resonated in his chest, and in that moment it didn’t matter if Raikuro had written anything about why he had brought his sword. Kaien knew why.

A sable-haired, garnet-eyed youth laughed at him from the recesses of memory, and Kaien shoved him away. Fuck you. Kaien snarled mentally at the vision. I don’t fear love any longer, and your shadow over me is vanished when exposed to his brightness. The insane chuckle stopped, replaced with a shout of dismay, and Kaien’s memories laughed no more. He had no time for the darkness associated with that part of his past – he had a way to show Raikuro his own version of a courtship flight.

A sword dance.

He’d no idea if it would work, but his options were narrow. What could he, a simple human, do to catch the eye of a Tengu? The blade was the only skill he had that could possibly come close; the only method he could think of to show Raikuro how he felt in a way the Tengu would understand and respect.

With such thoughts in mind, Kaien flashed the steel at Raikuro when he knew the Tengu could see him. Raikuro’s reaction was immediate, and he swooped in, landing with a sort of back-flip and flourish of wings that nearly made Kaien drop his sword in the dirt and just ravish the Tengu where he landed.

The look of avarice and wild pleasure on Raikuro’s flushed face though helped Kaien to stick to his plan, and he took the blade in a two-handed grip before setting his feet and losing himself in the feel of a hilt in his hands, and the winking of steel in sunlight.

It began very similarly to the predetermined dances of his youth; dances which taught form and motion, technique and balance.  It was simple, elegant, and only faintly menacing. Slowly it changed, showing increased ability, more complicated maneuvers and the awakening of killer intent.

Kaien felt as one with his blade, the steel an extension of his arm. Gradually, the speed of his dance increased, fluidity uncompromised by the introduction of acrobatic dodges and strikes meant to cripple or kill an opponent with vicious ease.

Blood singing in his veins, Kaien breathed violence and beauty. In the wake of nonstop motion, every strike was executed with deadly intent, each block finished with purpose as if it were actually in the process of preserving the fighter’s life.  Every step, slide and lunge showed a graceful economy of motion honed with years of practice and tempered in the fires of actual combat.

Kaien’s final movement was a one-handed snap of the sword to one side – a flinging off of imaginary blood before the weapon was sheathed with the dull report of steel scraping against hardened leather, and the faint, yet percussive click of metal as hilt met guard.

That sound seemed to be all Raikuro was waiting for, and as Kaien’s mind made the leap from battle to lover, the Tengu was pressed flush against him, lips devouring his, and fingers frantically working the buckle to Kaien’s sword-belt, dropping belt, scabbard, and sheathed blade to the ground with a metallic clunk which neither really heard amidst the ravenous need for touch and taste.

___

Raikuro groaned into the wet cavern of his lover’s mouth, hands doing their best to relieve Kaien of his trousers, while the human performed the same task on him. That sword dance had been…beyond amazing, lighting up his blood with desire. It had brought to mind the first time he’d seen Kaien – then just an armor-clad human with a red plumed helmet, covered in gore and fighting like an enraged demon. The beast inside him had purred covetously at the reminder, and deemed the human worthy to become their mate.

Raikuro agreed, and it had taken all his will to wait until Kaien had finished his dance and sheathed his blade before rushing in and getting his hands all over the human and his battle-hardened muscles and golden skin. The kiss was wet and frantic, driven by mutual desire, as tongues lashed and teeth clacked.

When they came up for air, Raikuro’s brain zeroed in on the curve of Kaien’s collarbone, teeth itching to bury themselves into the supple skin and place a mating mark on his human. He gave into the desire without thought, earning a moan from Kaien of heated approval. Digging teeth into skin, tasting salt-sweat on his tongue, Raikuro sucked and laved at the spot, blood pounding in his groin.

Kaien stretched arms over Rai’s shoulders, hands smoothing over the fluff of wing-feathers, as the human bit down gently on the pointed tip of his ear, the sensation of lips and teeth pulling a growl from Raikuro.

Loosening his jaw, and pushing Kaien further into the grove, Raikuro aimed the two of them towards a rather lush, grass-cushioned bit of ground nestled between two huge trees, which he’d noticed earlier in the day. His pack still sat at the base of a nearby tree, reminding the Tengu of its contents. Kaien sank down onto the soft grass, pulling Raikuro down after him, a soft smile of invitation sitting on his lips. Sitting back on his heels, Raikuro gave Kaien a smoldering glance that raked over the human’s nude form before he stood to retrieve his pack, setting it near to hand.

Kaien spared a glance for the satchel, but his gaze moved back to Raikuro when the Tengu descended on him, wings mantled over his lover possessively, Raikuro’s knee and hand moving to spread Kaien’s thighs so he could settle between them. Kaien opened willingly, ankles hooking behind Raikuro’s rear and pulling the Tengu close. Raikuro thrust his erection up against Kaien’s shaft and balls and they both groaned at the sensation, the scent of maleness spiking in the air immediately surrounding them.

Instinct still driving his actions, Raikuro leaned in and bit down over that tempting spot on Kaien’s collarbone once more, before sealing his lips and sucking harshly. Kaien grunted at the love bite, hands roving and nails raking up faint lines on Raikuro’s pale skin. Pulling away Raikuro examined the purpling mark with satisfaction, desire flaring at the physical manifestation of his claiming.

Kaien thrust his hips up, erection colliding with Raikuro’s. Raikuro emitted a gasp of pleasure and he rolled into the sensation of slick hardness against hypersensitive skin. Winds! He was immediately reminded of the blindingly good orgasm Kaien had given him last time they were together like this and he nearly whined at the thought.

This time however, he could take his lover’s body, then ride him, and then do anything else his heat-crazed mind could fathom. Anything he wanted, because Kaien was his.

But right now, all he could think about was the vial of oil hidden in his pack, and the way Kaien’s thighs were wrapped around his hips, heels digging into the swells of his ass. He growled lowly, the sound reverberating over Kaien’s chest, and he reached for the human’s thighs, pushing his knees into a wide spread, even as Raikuro slid down, tonguing the hard planes of muscle, and stopping briefly to nip at a sharp hip bone.

Finally, Raikuro descended on his prize, tongue lapping at the stiff flesh of Kaien’s manhood, lips playing over every ridge and curve as he sought out the sticky trails of precum. The bitter-salt taste on his palate set Raikuro’s need into overdrive, the beast within clamoring for a hard, swift claiming of the warrior beneath them.

Raikuro wanted to take his time though, and the groans and gasps of pleasure emanating from his lover were a heady reward for his efforts thus far.

“Gods…Rai, please…” Kaien gasped, as the Tengu’s clever tongue played over his length. Raikuro chuckled throatily before taking Kaien fully into his mouth, sucking softly to draw out more of Kaien’s essence. The human’s hips jerked involuntarily, and hands clawed into Raikuro’s hair, fingers tangling in the dark strands of his Mohawk.

Raikuro adjusted slightly between Kaien’s legs, one hand moving until…

“Oh hells…” Kaien moaned, fingers going slack in Raikuro’s hair as the Tengu’s fingers sought out the entrance hidden below Kaien’s balls. Fingertips pressed lightly against the wrinkled skin, rubbing firmly before pressing in slightly and retreating. Raikuro was glad then that he’d thought to bring the oil…without some slickness to ease the way, he thought he might die of the heat and tightness that his finger had briefly sampled.

Kaien was breathing harshly now, fine tremors running over his skin, and one arm thrown up across his eyes as he lost himself in the teasing touches Raikuro had been inflicting on him. A harsh suck and the barest scrape of teeth to his length caused a garbled response in the human, making Raikuro wickedly proud of himself for bringing his golden warrior to such a state.

A throaty purr over the organ evoked more curses and pleas from his lover, and with a final lick to the glans, Raikuro withdrew, one hand digging into his pack as the fingers of his other played a rub-press-retreat game with Kaien’s twitching entrance – low curses and groans spilling forth from Kaien in profusion, much to the Tengu’s delight.

His seeking hand met glass and gripped the vial in victory, withdrawing it from the pack with a low hum of coiled anticipation. Thumbing the cork, he drizzled the slick liquid onto his erection before re-corking it and setting it well out of range of flailing limbs.

A swift caress of palm and fingers spread the oil smoothly, and the heat was back, growling in the back of his mind and pulsing in time with his heartbeat in the depths of his balls. Without the conscious thought to do so, Raikuro was pressing Kaien’s knees towards his chest. Thumbs dug into the swells of his freshly-exposed ass, bits of grass and dirt clinging to sweat-dampened flesh.

Spreading the human wide, Raikuro had no eyes for anything but a spittle-wet erection straining for relief, heavy balls pulled taut, and the puckered entrance where the beast within wanted so badly to be buried.  The swipe of an oily finger around the ring of flesh was scant preparation but Raikuro couldn’t stay himself any longer.

 Mine.

An echo of the word rumbled past his lips, and Raikuro realized he’d growled it when Kaien nodded feverishly in response.  And that acceptance – however addled it had been - spurred Raikuro to greater heights of want, pushed aside any doubts that might have lingered in the furthest recesses of his mind, served as last-stand definite confirmation that the human wanted him. Wanted him! Winds, and he’d never thought that would be possible, but it was and this was him moments away from the final step in his claiming.

And then he was there, hands gripping flesh firmly, blunted talons raking white lines into caramel skin, the head of his cock pressing, shoving past the initial resistance and sliding sure and deep into silken heat.  A toned cry fell from his mate at the penetration, muscles clenching down on him in automatic protest. Raikuro grunted at the pressure, breathing shallowly as Kaien’s body slowly opened up to him.

 Kaien groaned softly, his body easing around Raikuro’s length. Raikuro gasped slightly when Kaien shifted, his heels hooking just beneath Rai’s wings to pull him in as deep as possible, holding him there as muscles twitched and gripped at his erection with a slick tightness that threatened to cause him to embarrass himself.

His hips jerked involuntarily, his body knowing what to do even when it had moved beyond his mind’s ken. Kaien grunted beneath him, a furrow between his brow, mouth open and panting. Grabbing a thigh, Raikuro pulled the limb up to his shoulder, peppering a quivering knee with kisses until Kaien shuddered, and the look of discomfort passed. Soon, Kaien’s eyes were once again hazy with lust, such a dark green that they seemed nearly black, and he twitched his hips seeking to better impale himself on Raikuro’s length, a needy groan rumbling from his throat.

Raikuro growled with heat – the tightness around him had begun to ease, and he complied with Kaien’s wordless demand, withdrawing almost completely before thrusting back in – a demanding, relentless push that seemed to press the very breath from Kaien’s lungs, as he human exhaled hard, the faintest hint of a moan coloring the tail end of the exhalation.

It was such a delicious response, Raikuro did it again, just to see if Kaien would respond similarly. He did, and damn if that wasn’t the most erotic sound the Tengu had ever heard! Kaien growled, digging his fingers into Raikuro’s biceps. “C’mon Rai…” he pleaded roughly, hips rolling into the penetration. Friction and sparks crawled up Raikuro’s length where the human gripped him, and a sort of madness overcame him – all that was important was thrusting deep and hard into his mate, taking what was his.

He growled then, bending over the blonde Captain, burying teeth in the column of his neck, and fulfilled his need, heedless of the cries of ecstasy emanating from beneath him. The pace was harsh and demanding, and more than once he felt his mate shift along the ground from the force of his rutting.  The demands of: “Gods! Don’t stop!” from Kaien spurred him on, tension coiling tighter and tighter in his belly.

Raikuro teetered on the precipice of ecstasy, hips moving almost automatically, one hand absently moving to stroke Kaien’s neglected length, as the human cursed at him incomprehensibly before stretching taut, muscles quavering for a breath before Kaien spilled himself with a roar, seed spurting onto his belly and chest. The sight…and Winds, but what a sight!... set Raikuro to clawing at hips and thighs as he shoved himself deep, coming with a husked groan, body jerking in abortive spasms as if he could shove himself any deeper into his mate. 

For one brief moment he felt as if he were hovering amongst the clouds, skin chilled from altitude, but burnt red from the hot glare of the sun. The sensation faded and he was back on the ground, still thrusting faintly in response to the clenching of muscles around where he’d entered Kaien. Exhaustion rippled through him like a wave, and he felt himself slumping over the hard body beneath him, panted breaths nearly an afterthought in the post-coital glow.

He pressed his forehead to a sweat dampened chest and soon after felt strong fingers stroking through his hair. Kaien must be uncomfortable, with Raikuro still a veritable yard up his ass, but something made him stay…a strange sensation growing in his chest and lungs.

It was like filaments woven of need and lust shot through with light were wrapping tightly through his chest. His lungs ached, and a slight spasm clenched at his heart, the thudding abnormally loud in his ears. Satisfaction and groggy pleasure echoed along the thin strand, and Raikuro began to recognize them as the raw emotions of his mate.

His mate.

Winds, but had anything seemed more unlikely?

Raikuro smiled and nuzzled into Kaien’s skin, receiving a low chuckle and renewed petting from his mate.

His mate.

___

Frigid fingers brushed across one cheek and Kaien grumbled sleepily, pulling Raikuro closer into his chest, snuggling the warm Tengu. The cold fingers wouldn’t let him sleep though as they traced the lines of his forehead and nose, resting briefly against his lips, before his eyes fluttered open in annoyed confusion.

His gaze however met only the treetops and a faint view of the night sky beyond, stars glittering faintly in the distance. He was about to dismiss the sensation as the wind playing tricks on him in his dreams, when a faint glow backlit the trees a short distance away, startling him into sudden alertness.

He shifted slightly, trying to wake Raikuro with a covert elbow to the ribs, but the Tengu slept on stubbornly, and Kaien had the sudden, eerie sensation that Raikuro wouldn’t wake until whatever oddness going on in the grove had concluded. Something about the faint blue light compelled Kaien to rise, leaving his sated, sleeping lover in the grass as the human sought out the source of the light, heedless of his nudity.

He moved deeper into the grove after the light, and realized that he should be far more alarmed than he actually was, and even that revelation was dimmed – as if he were numb to any ramifications beyond what would happen when he caught up with the bobbing beacon.

Similarly, he mused that sane men did not traipse through the woods at night with nary a stitch of clothing on, but whatever magic had created the coruscating glow also seemed to be guiding his steps – he hadn’t stepped on a single rock, root, branch or thorn, and no errant flora had attacked his nether regions, so there was that.

Finally he came to a break in the trees, and instead of meeting the edge of the royal pastures, as he’d halfway expected, he instead stumbled into a clearing, the lambent gleam of silver moonlight illuminating an ancient ruin.

Moss and the detritus of centuries – leaves, dirt, and the stray bit of fluff decorated ancient pillars, most of which had been broken off and were scattered about the ruins like a gargantuan child’s game of sticks. Behemoth slabs of stone, fractured and silently crumbling away were almost invisible beneath a heavy blanket of crawling vines which had sprouted moon-white night blooming flowers.

Ferns and lichen spilled forth in abundance, almost completely obscuring the stone structure which must have stood for centuries, hidden within the weald. A faint trickle of water could be heard from one side, though Kaien couldn’t see the source from where he stood. Once his initial surprise had waned, he realized that the blue light had vanished the moment he stepped into the clearing.

A whippoorwill called out behind him, the sound startling him into glancing over his shoulder. When he looked back to the ruin, he could have sworn that the wavering outline of a young woman was sitting on one of the stones, kicking her feet idly. She looked…as if she’d been stuck in time, wearing a long pleated dress which had gone out of fashion centuries before, and her hair woven into hundreds of tiny braids, each end secured with a bead and what looked like downy-soft feathers.

Kaien blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again, and this time the outline was faintly more focused, and he got the distinct impression that the apparition was laughing silently at him.

:It is a rare thing for a human to return here after having left unscathed once already:

The voice was everywhere and nowhere at once, making Kaien shudder in unnamable unease. “Who are you? What do you want?” He hissed lowly – something about this place made him feel a strong welling of reverence, as if he’d stepped into the House of Ancients, with its vaulted ceiling and somber priests, and shouting would have felt…wrong.

:Want?:

The voice was puzzled, and Kaien could sort of see that the woman’s lips had pursed in thought.

:I only desire balance in all things. Such has always been my purpose:

Balance? That…didn’t make much sense actually. “What do you mean? What does that have to do with me?” he asked. Kaien blinked, and the woman was, shockingly, barely an arms-length away from him, the silvery-shadowed orbs of her eyes regarding him thoughtfully as her outline faded in and out like mist caught beneath the moonlight.

:You are lighter of heart than the last time I saw you. The bird-man changed you in this way. His heart is lightened too, because of you:

She frowned then, and it was a terrifying expression on her spectral features. :But the balance is disrupted now. His heart is bound to yours, but yours is not to his. I dislike…imbalance:

Kaien gulped. She was talking about the Bond. This ghost, or goddess, or spirit, or whatever she was, was pissed that Raikuro had Bonded to Kaien.

:What would you, human? I cannot allow you to leave in such a state. Should I sever the connection of the bird-man to you?:

The numbness from before had all but evaporated, and Kaien reared back in horror, aghast at the suggestion. “What? No!” he protested vehemently. Raikuro was his mate, and the sundering of the Bond might well drive his lover insane! Supernatural beings aside, Kaien would fight tooth and nail to protect his beloved.

The vaporous being cocked her head slightly, looking at Kaien as if he were a particularly fascinating insect. :It would maintain the balance.: she stated, as if it were only logical to tear apart such a new and sacred thing as a Tengu’s Bond.

Fury cooled swiftly as something occurred to Kaien then. It was crazy, but if this…goddess or whatever could break the Bond, could she do other things?

Could she make a Bond? It was on Kaien’s lips to ask when the woman’s features turned soft, a smile tugging at her lips.

:Yes:

Had she read his mind?!

Again, he felt a soft wave of mirth flutter over him, like she was laughing at him.

:Would you truly do that? Would you give up your right as a human to take anyone who catches your fancy? Would you be willing to bind your heart to a male you’ve only known for as long as it takes the moon to wax and wane? Others would consider such a choice foolishness:

Kaien did his best to not take offense, but the phrasing put his back up, and stung his pride. “I’ve already made that decision. I would not have mated Raikuro if I were not willing to promise him my lifelong devotion” he stated firmly, staring challengingly into the apparition’s eyes – or rather what passed for eyes in a spectral being.

:You are strong of heart. That is good, but the Bond of the bird-folk is not an easy one for a human to bear. It will cause you immeasurable pain to receive it:

Kaien forced down a flutter of nerves that blossomed in his belly, and nodded. “I would bear any pain if it would tie me to him as he is tied to me…” He looked at his feet, a fond, somewhat sad smile twitching the corners of his lips before he looked back up at the woman.

“My Master once told me that love is not enough to maintain a relationship – trust and respect must also be found in equal measure. Raikuro trusted me with his sanity when he mated me…the chance to trust him with all of myself is not something I will give up so easily. Please, give me the Bond.”

The woman nodded once before pulling a long, plumed feather out from the folds of her dress. Holding the shaft between thumb and forefinger, she scratched a glowing sigil into the air over Kaien’s heart.

:Very well. Prepare yourself:

Prepare? How could he prepare if he didn’t know…?

With a flick of her wrist, the feather dissipated into faint sparks, the flecks of light fading before they touched the ground. Hand still held aloft, she pressed her fingers together to form a wedge before shoving her hand through Kaien’s chest.

Kaien screamed, and his head flew backwards, eyes staring sightlessly up into the sky. Pain! Gods and Ancients, but he’d never felt such pain in his life! It was colder than ice, but it burned hotter than a brand where the spirit’s hand had shoved through him and dug what felt like talons into his lungs.

Gods! It burned!

___

Raikuro woke muzzily, an unfamiliar ache in his chest making it hard to breathe. Why did his chest hurt? He rolled to one side, wincing at the complaints of overworked muscles, and remembrance set in.

He’d mated. With Kaien.

 A purr rumbled up from his chest as he reached out to pull his mate closer, groping empty grass. His brow furrowed and eyes opened blearily, scanning the vicinity in confusion. The grass just next to him was flattened, and when he held a hand over it still bore faint residual heat.  Good. Kaien hadn’t been gone long then.

Still, he felt…strange. Unsettled.

A scream of agony rang through the forest, setting Raikuro’s feathers on end. Kaien! Without thought, Raikuro was on his feet running, the stabbing pain in his chest leading him towards his mate.

___

 Something scorched through Kaien’s veins, like molten metal, setting every nerve alight in agony.  Fingers clenched into claws unbidden, and his toes curled into the ground, digging furrows into the soft dirt as choked sobs were forced from his throat.

The woman’s hand turned slightly, and Kaien’s screams grew wet, blood frothing at the corners of his mouth, as a string…stretched thin and quivering under the strain was plucked, resonance feeding into his chest cavity and echoing up his spine.

And then, it just…stopped. Whatever force had been holding Kaien upright released him, and the human fell to his knees limply, a horrid rasping gurgle coming from his heaving lungs, as he gasped for air, one hand clenched to his – seemingly untouched – chest. Once the barest hint of cogency had returned, he prodded at the spot where the spirit’s hand had entered, but no sign of the violent assault remained aside from the rawness in his throat and lungs, and a faint trail of blood trickling from his nose down over lips.

Residual shocks sparked through his chest, and his heart…ached. It felt heavier than before, and a twinge along the cord he’d felt earlier tugged at him with an alien sensation…something desperate and fearful, but the feelings weren’t coming from himself…if that made any sense.

___

Raikuro cursed as another branch slapped him in the face. It felt like the whole forest was against him, with roots tripping him, and his bare feet slipping on rotted leaves every few feet. He was getting close though…he could feel it.

Breath burned in his lungs, and grass whipped at his shins. He had to find his mate!

___

The apparition knelt before him, one frigid hand stroking along his brow. :Your mate comes…the balance is restored between you both, and I am satisfied. For his sake, I will leave you a mark which will help him understand what took place here: Kaien nodded weakly, only half understanding what she said.

The woman flowed around him, before ice-tipped fingers raked over his back, and the resulting burn of magic crawled over his skin, thin lines flaring white hot over his skin before easing, and fading into the dull ache of a sunburn.

Without warning, the otherness in the air dissipated. Kaien shivered in the sudden coolness, chest aching. A quick glance around him proved that the spirit was no longer present. Manifest, at any rate.

___

Raikuro stumbled into the clearing, heart dropping into his stomach. There, lit perversely by the moonlight, his mate, his love was down on his knees, gasping like a wounded beast.  His posture was pained, and a ghostly form stood in front of him, a hand touching, touching! Kaien’s face.

He wanted to cry out to Kaien, to roar in indignant rage, to charge in with claws rending, but something held him still and mute; some perturbed force outside of himself preventing him from rushing in to save Kaien from the spirit. The apparition looked straight at Raikuro, a hint of a smirk on her lips, as if to say “What will you do?”

Raikuro snarled, confused when the thing’s lips moved, but no sound came out. She was speaking to Kaien, and his lover nodded in response. Raikuro’s heart thudded harshly inside his chest.  The apparition moved, and Raikuro struggled against his invisible bonds when she laid nails to Kaien’s back.

The faint glow of white-gold magic could be seen, yet despite the fact that the spirit was slightly transparent, Raikuro couldn’t make out what she was doing. The light faded then, along with the damned apparition, and shock wove its way through Raikuro’s gut.

There, illuminated in the moonlight, the outline of an Eagle-wing was burned down one side of Kaien’s back. In Eyrie, it was a mark only given to select non-Tengu who had proved themselves worthy of being “wing-hearted” a brother to Tengu in all but shape. Not one human had been given the honor in Raikuro’s memory. 

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, doubly so when he felt… felt a resonance in the Bond. The kind of resonance he’d heard described by those newly mated. Those who were Bonded. What magic had caused this? How could it be that Kaien was now as irrevocably Bonded to Raikuro, as Rai was to him?  Whatever happened here, whatever Kaien or the spirit had done, their Bond was complete.

He must have made some sound of shock, because Kaien jerked slightly and shifted to look behind him, eyes wide with surprise. Streaks of blood edged the corners of his mouth, and a thicker trail ran from his nose down over his lips, but he was alive. He was alive, and he was truly Raikuro’s.

___

A gasped breath behind him caused Kaien turn in surprise where he met the startled gaze of his mate – disheveled and weary looking, wings pinned tightly to his back in a posture of shock.

Every muscle protesting, and his chest feeling like it had been smashed with a warhammer, Kaien struggled to his feet. He took an uneven step towards Raikuro, and suddenly the Tengu was embracing him, arms and wings wrapped around him tightly as Raikuro shook from - what seemed to Kaien - relief coming down from fear. How he could have interpreted that was baffling but Kaien didn’t care – Raikuro’s arms around him fulfilled an aching need, and for now, that was enough.