The World Cried Out

Woot I’m back! *cricket cricket* Yep I feel the love! *Tumble weed goes by* ….riiiiight, well, I guess we shall move along. It’s Friday and I have a brand spanken new chapter for you all, er, well, the all that actually reads this. *Looks around the empty void* Le sigh, rather depressing isn’t it? Well, nothing left to do but let you read, so read on!

***************

The iron carriage drove smoothly along the stone street, the horses hooves clip clopping as they went. The soldier that wasn’t driving took off his helmet and wiped his sweat soaked blonde hair from his forehead.

“Why does Lastar have to be so far away from Westaria?” he complained.

“It’s only five hours so stop whining, Tolen. It could be a lot worse, you know,” the soldier next to him said. He then looked up at the sky with his brown eyes to see where the sun was. “We should be there soon. It must be pass three by now,” he guessed. “How’s the boy doing?” he then asked. His friend turned and peered though the small barred window behind them. Near the back he saw Avian’s huddled form, curled up into a ball. The young man didn’t stir or make a sound when the soldier called out to him.

“He seems to be sleeping. I think he cried himself out,” Tolen told his friend, turning back around.

“Poor guy. He looks so young and he’s being carted off to prison,” the soldier muttered with a sad shake of his head.

“It’s his own fault, Braxon,” the blonde soldier said as he reclined back and put his hands behind his head. “What did he think would happen when he started using magic illegally? That hocus pocus stuff is nothing but trouble,” he grumbled.

“We don’t know for sure he can actually use magic. His mother could have been right and this could all be some kind of misunderstanding,” Braxon said, defending Avian since no one else could.

“All I know is that Lord Westaria wouldn’t send us to that backwater town without a damn good reason. I wonder how he found out about the kid anyways,” Tolen then said in puzzlement. The brown eyed soldier glanced at him then looked around; making sure the area around them was completely deserted.

“I heard he was tipped off,” he whispered. The blonde soldier blinked at the secrecy in Braxon’s voice and leaned in closer.

“Really? By who?” he asked in a low voice.

“I can’t be certain, but I think it was by that Salarian Lord fellow,” Braxon told him. His friend’s eyes widened at that information.

“You mean Lord Lyserius? Why do you think that?” Tolen inquired.

“You know as well as I do that Lord Lyserius has been in Westaria for the past couple of weeks now. He’s always having those secret meetings with Lord Westaria then the next thing you know we were sent out to Lastar. If the boy isn’t the reason why that Salarian is here then I’ll eat my armor,” Braxon swore. Tolen looked up at the sky in thought.

“I suppose that does make sense. But then how did Lord Lyserius know about the boy using magic?” he asked. Braxon shrugged as he pulled on the reigns to turn down a different road.

“Hell if I know. I wouldn’t doubt he’d have some way of finding out. Those Salarian’s are a strange bunch, I wouldn’t put anything past them,” Braxon replied quietly. Tolen stared at him before looking forward again.

“Well, whatever the reason we’re just soldiers,” he grunted. “It doesn’t concern us one bit.”

“Right.” They fell silent and didn’t discuss the boy or the Salarian’s again.

***************

Avian jumped awake when the carriage suddenly gave a mighty jolt from hitting a pot hole. He quickly sat up and looked around frantically, not recognizing where he was. The young man then calmed down when the memory of what happened replayed itself in his head.

“I was hoping that was all a dream,” he mumbled miserably. Avian scooted over to the barred door and gripped the cold metal in his hands. He looked out to see that they had arrived in Westaria. Many people flooded the streets, going about their lives. Some of them looked at the iron carriage curiously and stared at Avian.

The young man felt like a caged animal, displayed for other people’s entertainment. He moved further into his prison and curled up in the corner, away from prying eyes.

“I want to go home,” he whined into his knees. He tried to build up confidence that everything was going to be okay, but doubts were whispering dreadful things into his ears.

Avian didn’t deserve this, it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t asked for his powers, they came on their own. He only hoped he could convince Lord Westaria of that.

The carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt, making Avian fall over. As he pushed himself up he heard the soldiers’ footsteps going around the carriage. One appeared on the other side of the door and he unlocked it then opened it.

“Come on now, boy. Nice and easy,” the man directed and held out his hand. Avian awkwardly stood up and walked over to him. He took hold of the soldiers hand in both of his then jumped down. The barred door was shut again then the soldiers moved to either side of Avian and grabbed his arms. Avian was led around the carriage and his eyes widened as he looked up at the place that was the home of Lord Westaria.

It was a gigantic mansion and Avian could hardly comprehend the size of it. He was sure that his whole village would have fit snugly inside. There were many different floors and its height soared up to touch the sky. Avian had seen the building from afar before, when he visited Westaria with his family, but this was the first time he stood right in front of it.

He was brought out of his awe by tugging on his arms. He was escorted inside through large magnificent doors. The inside of the mansion was even more glorious. There were lush rugs stretched out over glossy marble floors. Gigantic painting of deceased ancestors hung on the walls and grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling. It was all a bit overwhelming. As Avian was led through many hallways and up many stairs the soldiers were prepping him.

“Now, Lord Westaria doesn’t want this to get out of hand so he’ll be speaking with you in his private study,” Braxon told him.

“Yeah, now you are to show your up most respect to him and don’t speak unless you’re spoken to,” Tolen instructed with a meaningful squeeze to Avian’s arm. The young man silently nodded, starting to feel physically ill at actually having to meet with the Lord of Westaria.

Soon they were standing outside a doorway and Braxon lifted up his hand and knocked loudly on the wood door.

“Yes?” Came a mans voice from the other side.

“It is us, Lord Westaria, and we have the boy,” Braxon called.

“Enter.” With that permission Tolen opened the door and they all walked inside. Avian could feel his heart pounding against his chest harder and harder with each step he took. The soldiers brought him to a stop in middle of the room. Avian was surprised that it wasn’t that big. It looked like a normal study with shelves full of books, a fireplace on one side and a desk right in front of them. Beyond the desk a man stood with his back to them, staring out the window.

The man had hair that was gray with age that fell over his broad shoulders. He was wearing a red vest over a crisp white shirt and dark brown pants clothed his legs. Braxon cleared his throat to get the mans attention.

“Here is the boy, Lord Westaria,” he said.

“Good, good, please go shut the door and wait by it until I give my next instructions,” the man ordered. The soldiers released Avian’s arms and saluted before they did as they were told. Avian wished they were still holding him since his legs felt on the brink of collapsing.

Lord Westaria finally turned around to face Avian. The man looked him up and down, studying him. Then he walked around his desk and stood in front of it. Avian was surprised, for a middle-aged man Lord Westaria looked very fit and slightly younger than he actually was.

“All right, I suppose we should get started on the questioning,” Lord Westaria said. “Please tell me your name.” Avian gulped and opened his mouth, trying to make words come out.

“A-Avian Dyz-zeck,” he stuttered. The young man suddenly fell to his knees and bowed until his head touched the floor. “Please have mercy on me, Lord Westaria! I haven’t done anything wrong!” he cried out and tears immediately sprung up in his eyes.

The two soldiers were about to move forward to pull the boy to his feet, but Lord Westaria held up his hand to stop them. He then walked to Avian and kneeled down next to him. He placed his hand on Avian’s back and the boy flinched.

“It’s all right, Avian. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on. There’s no reason to be scared,” Lord Westaria reassured him. His voice was so kind that Avian was taken back by it. He slowly lifted his head and looked up at the Lord, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“You poor boy. You’re absolutely terrified, aren’t you?” Lord Westaria asked with a gentle smile. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped Avian’s face with it. To say Avian was surprised by the kind actions and words would be an understatement. He had been expecting the Lord of Westaria to be a cold, stern leader. Not this friendly man trying to sooth him.

“Okay, up we go,” Lord Westaria said, gripping Avian’s arm and helping him up. “That a boy, feeling just a tad better?” he asked. Avian gave a small nod and Lord Westaria smiled as returned his cloth to its original place. “That’s good, now let’s get back to-” He stopped when he looked at the shackles around Avian’s wrists.

“Well, that won’t do.” He looked over at his waiting soldiers’. “Which of you has the keys to his restraints?” he questioned. Tolen quickly took them from his waist and strode over to his Lord and handed them to him.

“Thank you.” Lord Westaria lifted Avian’s hands and unlocked the shackles from his wrists. As soon as they were free Avian rubbed his abused flesh that had turned a pale red. He hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable the shackles had been. Lord Westaria handed them to Tolen and the soldier took them and went back to his spot by the door.

“All right, Avian. As much as I don’t want to upset you anymore than you are, we must press on. Do you think you’re ready?” he asked. Avian looked up into the mans gentle grey eyes. He slowly nodded and Lord Westaria smiled. “Good.” He walked back over to his desk and sat on the edge of it.

“Now, if we want to get through this as easily as possible I’m going to need you to answer my questions truthfully, understood?” he asked with imploring eyes. Avian gulped and nodded again. “All right, now, Avian, have you or have you not been using magic?” Lord Westaria asked.

The young man bit his bottom lip, as much as he wanted to say no he was scared of what could happen if they found out he was lying. Plus he didn’t really consider his power magic, so he didn’t know what to do.

“I-In a way, I suppose,” he finally said, eyes staring at the floor. He heard Lord Westaria give a sad sigh to that answer.

“You do realize the consequences for using magic when you don’t have the necessary licenses, don’t you?” he questioned.

“Yes, sir,” Avian replied and shuddered. It was known that anyone found practicing magic illegally was either locked away for the rest of their lives in specially designed prison’s or were put to death.

“Do you know why there are laws against unqualified people using magic?” Lord Westaria asked.

“Because in the wrong hands magic could be used to hurt people,” Avian answered, remembering what his mother had told him since childhood.

“That’s right. Now how long have you been practicing magic for, Avian?” Lord Westaria inquired.

“Little over a month now, sir…” Avian mumbled. Lord Westaria’s eyebrows furrowed, not like the responses one bit.

“How did you learn to use your magic?” he asked next. Avian opened his mouth to reply then closed it again. He did this a few times, not really knowing what to say. “Avian, your answer,” the Lord pressed.

“Uh, well, you see, Lord Westaria, that’s sort of the problem,” Avian said, looking up at him timidly.

“What is?” the man asked curiously. Avian rubbed the back of his arm and looked down at the floor once more.

“I-I didn’t learn it. I-It just kind of happened one day,” he explained. There was a long silence as Avian’s words hung in the air.

“Can you explain, Avian?” Lord Westaria encouraged curiosuly, wanting more information.

“I don’t know how to explain it. One day I was normal and the next I had these weird abilities.” Avian looked up at the Lord with a pleading look. “You have to believe me, Lord Westaria; I didn’t try to learn magic! I’ve never even thought of learning it before. These things just suddenly started happening to me,” he told him, hoping beyond anything the man would believe him.

Lord Westaria stared at him, no emotion that could be identified on his face. Avian started becoming unnerved when he didn’t say anything. After a long silence the man finally sighed.

“So you’re saying that you didn’t learn your magic, you were just suddenly able to use it?” he asked and Avian nodded. The man held his chin in his hand in thought. “As much as I want to believe you, I’ve never heard of that happening to someone before.”

“But it’s true!” Avian cried out. “I know how outlandish it sounds, but it’s the truth!” Lord Westaria continued to stare at him then walked around his desk and picked up some papers.

“I will have to think about that, Avian, but for now let us move on. There have been reports of people saying that they’ve seen you manipulating plants. Is this the magic that you’ve acquired?” he asked. Avian’s eyes widened in alarm, not sure what to make of that news. *Reports? How many people have seen me use it? Have I really been that careless? But why didn’t anyone in the village say anything about it if they’ve seen me?* he thought.

“Uh, yes, Lord Westaria,” he then said, remembering to answer. The man was silent in thought once more.

“Why don’t you show me an example then?” he asked. Avian looked up at him in confusion.

“Excuse me?” He watched as Lord Westaria walked back over to the window. The man picked up something and brought it back to the desk. When it was set down Avian saw that it was a potted plant. But the plant that came up from the soil was dead and withered.

“You see, my wife grew this plant for me. She said that it would be a good companion since it wouldn’t disturb me while I worked and would be there for me at all times,” the Lord explained. “But as you can see, I didn’t take very good care of it,” he said, touching one of the withered leaves. “Now, my wife would be very angry if she found out I had let her gift die. If you can manipulate plants can you bring them back to life?” he asked Avian.

The young man stared at the plant and he felt very sorry for it. He then looked up at Lord Westaria and nodded.

“Yes, I’ve done it before,” Avian told him.

“Could you please demonstrate for us then?” the Lord requested.

Avian hesitated before nodding. He walked up to the desk until he was close enough to the flower pot. Avian gulped before he lifted his hands and gently touched the dead plant. Behind him Braxon and Tolen both strained their necks, trying to get a good look. *Please don’t let me screw up,* Avian prayed to anyone that would listen.

The young man closed his eyes and concentrated. Avian had done this enough to know what to do; he was just still trying to learn to control it. He reached out his senses toward the plant, trying to feel its energy. Avian scrunched his eyes even tighter when he felt a sudden wave of coldness go throughout his body. It signaled that he had channeled into the plant, feeling death. *Live,* he commanded in his head. *Please live.*

Suddenly Avian’s hands grew hot and he sensed a pulse. It was weak at first, but with his encouragement it grew stronger and stronger. When he felt the plants life flow run at a constant pace, he knew he had been successful. As he came back to reality he heard gasps of amazement.

“Holy gods, he really can use magic,” one of the soldiers whispered in awe. Avian opened his eyes and looked down at the plant. It was now green and full of life once more. Its leaves pointing upwards and little flower buds were nestled here and there.

“Well, that proves that,” Lord Westaria said, almost breathlessly. He then sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Now the question is what shall we do with you?” Avian blinked at him in confusion.

“W-What do you mean?” he asked nervously.

“Well, we now have proof you can do magic. Whether you’re a danger or not is something I’ll have to decide,” Lord Westaria told him.

“A danger!? Lord Westaria, I’d never hurt anyone with these powers, I swear!” Avian told him, his heart plummeting into his stomach.

“And I believe you, but it’s my responsibility to make sure of that. Tell me, if you can revive plants, can you also kill them the same way?” the man asked. Avian stared at him in surprise.

“I-I’ve never thought about it before, sir. But I suppose I could if I tried,” Avian replied softly.

“And there in lies the problem, Avian. You could cause devastating damage with your magic.” Avian opened his mouth to argue, but Lord Westaria held up his hand. “You must understand, Avian, my family built this great city and it is my duty to protect it and its people. I would gladly give my life to guard them from harm. You say you would never hurt anyone with your magic, but do you have complete control of it?” he questioned. Avian opened his mouth then looked away and shook his head.

“No, Lord Westaria, I don’t,” he confessed. Lord Westaria sighed heavily at this news.

“Well, it looks like I have no choice but to keep you here,” he said.

“What!? For how long?” Avian asked in shock. The man shook his head.

“I don’t know. I will hold a council with my advisors and we will decide what to do. There may be a possibility that I can send you to Aslinck, where they can train you to control your magic,” Lord Westaria told him. Avian stared at him with wide, frightful eyes.

“But-but that’s all the way on the continent of Insaigen, isn’t it?” he asked and the man nodded.

“Yes, it is.”

“Then I might not be able to see my family for a long time! You can’t do that!” Avian cried out in horror. Lord Westaria walked around the desk and placed his hand on Avian’s shoulder.

“Yes, that is probably true, but, Avian. When you can control your powers you will be allowed to come back. After all that you can go back to your family and your life without fear,” Lord Westaria explained. Avian stared at him then looked away, not knowing what to say.

Aslinck was a mysterious village where the people who wanted to do magic went to learn. Avian heard they went through many trials in order to see if a person was worthy. If they were they spent many, many years learning how to use and control different types of magic. Once they had mastered all the skills they wanted they became licensed and were free to move about the world, seeking places where their skills would be most useful.

As much as Avian wanted to control his powers he didn’t want to go to another continent. If he did he might not see his family for years and years. Lord Westaria saw his distress and squeezed Avian’s shoulder in reassurance.

“I know this is a hard decision for you. We will discuss this more later, but for now, I’m sure you want to rest,” Lord Westaria said and Avian nodded, feeling extremely drained and worn out. “It pains me to do it, but I’ll have to keep you in the spell sealing dungeon’s we have under this mansion,” he told him. Avian looked up at him in alarm.

“But why?” he asked.

“For security reasons, Avian, I’m sorry. I will try my best to make that place as hospitable as I can for you. I hope you understand,” he said and Avian looked away.

“I suppose I do,” he said softly. Lord Westaria turned Avian to him and made him look up.

“I’d like to thank you for being honest, Avian. You’re a very brave young man,” he praised and Avian managed a faint smile.

“Thank you for being so kind, Lord Westaria,” he said. The man smiled then turned him to the soldiers.

“Please escort Avian down to the dungeons and don’t speak to anyone of what you saw here,” he ordered. Braxon and Tolen saluted him.

“Yes, sir!” they responded. Lord Westaria nudged Avian forward and the young man walked over to them.

Again the soldiers went on either side of Avian and guided him out of the room. Before he went through the door Avian turned and waved goodbye to Lord Westaria, who returned it. Then the three were gone and the door closed.

The smile on Lord Westaria’s face faded away. He let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against his desk and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

“I have done as you asked, Lyserius,” he announced to the room. One of the bookcases suddenly swung out to reveal a secret doorway. From inside the beautiful figure of Lyserius appeared.

“And I thank you ever so kindly, Trenzil,” Lyserius said, using Lord Westaria’s first name. The Lord watched him as the Salarian seemed to glide towards him.

“I still don’t understand why you wanted me to lie to him. If you wanted to take him in to help him with his magic why have me feed him that story about sending him to Aslinck? Why not just explain it to him yourself in the first place?” he questioned. Lyserius stood very close to him and placed his fingers on Lord Westaria’s lips.

“I have my reasons, Trenzil. I was sure if I approached him first he’d be petrified of me. You have a way with people and I was sure you could soothe him, which you did splendidly,” Lyserius explained, moving his fingers into the mans hair. Lord Westaria stared into those enthralling silver eyes that he never got tired of gazing at.

“But why the lie about Aslinck?” he asked again. Lyserius chuckled softly and brought his face close to Trenzil’s neck.

“That way he could get used to the idea of traveling a great distance away from his home,” Lyserius replied, his breath tickling the Lords neck as the Salarian traveled upward. His lips ghosted over the mans skin teasingly. Trenzil swallowed hard, his body reacting to the light touches.

“You have been ever so helpful, Trenzil. I knew you were the right one to come to for help in this situation,” Lyserius whispered. Lord Westaria suddenly felt a hot sensation on his earlobe as Lyserius caressed it with the tip of his tongue.

“Lyserius…” Trenzil whispered weakly, the mans name coming out like a moan. Lyserius pulled away enough to look up at him, their faces very close.

“Now you can just rest easy and leave the boy to me. I’ll make sure that he is taken care of,” he said softly before pressing their lips together lightly.

Lord Westaria’s body trembled and a moan rose from his throat. Lyserius’ lips were pure ecstasy. The taste, the feel, everything made Trenzil hunger for more. He parted his lips and shocks of pleasure coursed through him when Lyserius’ tongue entered. As his mouth was ravished, Trenzil placed his hands on Lyserius’ waist, feeling the firm, taunt body hidden underneath the thin fabric of his clothes. Trenzil was enveloped in pure, blinding bliss and then it was gone in an instant.

Lord Westaria collapsed against his desk, holding onto it for dear life. His chest heaved for breath and he weakly looked up at Lyserius. The man smiled down at him, acting like nothing had happened.

“I think I shall go down and talk to the boy now. Avian was his name, wasn’t it?” he asked and Trenzil nodded feebly. “Well, once I’m done speaking with him I’ll come back to your company. Till then goodbye, Lord Westaria,” Lyserius bid him farewell before exiting the room.

When he was gone Trenzil sank all the way to the floor. He closed his eyes and covered his mouth with his hand. After all the years he had known Lyserius he still couldn’t believe the way the Salarian could make him feel, make his body react to every action.

“That man…how can that man be so sinfully alluring?” he wondered aloud. “He’ll be the ruin of me.” But somehow, Trenzil didn’t mind as long as he could be near that gorgeous man Lyserius.

***************

“Here we go,” Tolen said and lightly pushed Avian into his cell.

“We’ll bring some food down to you soon,” Braxon then told him. Before Avian could turn to say anything to them the large, iron door was closed and locked.

Avian gulped as he looked around his new surroundings. It was a fairly large cell made completely out of stone. Two torches hanging on either side of the walls served as his only source of light, no windows to speak of at all. It didn’t look like it had been used in awhile since it was fairly dirty. Many spider webs decorated the ceiling and a few small holes in the walls led to the homes of mice.

“Very cozy,” Avian mumbled as he rubbed his arms. He guessed they had just lit the torches since the room was very cold. Even though it looked like a normal cell Avian felt there was something odd about it. A strange aura from the room made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably. Avian guessed that was the spell sealing part of the room coming into effect.

Avian had heard of these types of cells before. Underneath the stone there were many talismans placed around the room, sealing any magic a person had. *Lord Westaria must have an official Magic Wielder around to install and activate them,* Avian thought. He walked to the wall opposite the door and leaned against the stone as he sat down. He drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees.

“I wonder how long I have to stay down here,” he muttered softly. He wouldn’t be able to tell the length of time since there was no way for him to look outside. He could be down there for days and not even know it.

“I hope Lord Westaria doesn’t send me to Aslinck. I just want to go home.” Avian fell silent after that.

As time went by the fire from the torches warmed the room up a bit so it was comfortable. Avian was starting to doze off when a loud knock came from the door. Avian jerked his head up in surprise. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes and looked at the door. From the small barred window near the top of it he could see Tolen looking in.

“Um, yes?” Avian asked.

“You have a visitor here to see you. A rather important one at that so be on your best behavior,” the soldier told him. Avian furrowed his eyebrows as he stood up. *A visitor? I’ve only been in here for a half hour tops and I already have a visitor?* he wondered. He heard the lock turn then the iron door was opened.

Avian watched as a man walked into the cell. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as the man was revealed by the fire light. Avian thought he knew what beautiful was, but this man put that to shame. Every feature of his body and face seemed to be chiseled to perfection. His long, black hair could rival that of the night sky and the silver of his eyes were breathtaking.

Avian stared at the man in absolute awe, not able to look away. His eyes then widened even more when he noticed the mans long, pointed ears and what looked like black, glossy antlers coming out of his head. *He’s a Salarian,* Avian realized and a cold chill ran up his spine.

The man smiled at him and bowed his head in greeting.

“Hello, Avian. I am Lord Lyserius,” the man told him. Avian shuddered as his voice seemed to caress him.

“U-Um, hello, Lord Lyserius,” Avian greeted with a bow of his own. *The first Salarian I actually meet and he’s a Lord!?* Avian thought in disbelief. Lyserius smiled and took a few more steps towards him.

“But we don’t need to be so formal, you may just call me Lyserius,” he told him and Avian gave a nod in understanding. Lyserius then looked around the cell and shook his head.

“Tsk tsk, what a dreadful room. I thought Lord Westaria had more manners than this, but I guess it can’t be helped,” he glanced at Avian out of the corner of his eye, “given the circumstances.” Avian wasn’t able to hold his gaze and looked away.

“So you…know about me?” he asked timidly.

“Yes, Lord Westaria has told me all about your predicament so I thought I would come meet you myself. If you feel like chatting that is. I can come back later after you’ve rested,” he told him. Avian looked up at him and shook his head.

“N-No, you can stay,” he reassured him, trying to be polite. Avian rubbed the toe of his shoe into the ground nervously, not sure what to do. Lyserius tilted his head to the side at his anxious actions.

“You poor boy, you must be so miserable in here,” he said then held his arms open. Avian stared at him in confusion when suddenly a warm haze clouded his mind. As if his body were moving on its own he ran to the Salarian’s arms and into his embrace. Lyserius held him gently and began stroking his hair.

“Everything will be okay, Avian,” Lyserius murmured soothingly.

Avian came back to his senses hearing Lyserius’ voice and blinked when he realized where he was. *Oooookay how did I end up in his arms?* he wondered, feeling rather awkward. *That’s really weird, borderline creepy…but it feels nice. He’s really warm,* he thought. Avian couldn’t resist burying his face in Lyserius’ chest to get closer to that warmth and was glad that the Lord didn’t seem to mind, he actually encouraged it by holding him tighter.

“This must all be so hard for you. Such a dramatic event to happen so suddenly,” Lyserius said in a low voice. Avian nodded against his chest and tried to snuggle even closer. For some reason being near the man was very soothing and relaxing.

“I wish I knew why all of this was happening to me,” he mumbled against the Salarian. Lyserius tilted Avian’s head up to look at him and caressed his cheek tenderly.

“Fate can be cruel that way, but really, you must see this new ability of yours as a blessing,” the man told him. Avian raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“A blessing?” he asked and Lyserius nodded.

“Just think, with your ability to control plants and make them grow you could cover this whole world in green. You could make sure no one would ever go hungry by growing endless fields of fruits and vegetables. You can make this world a better place for all,” Lyserius told him. Avian’s eyes were wide as images of all the good he could do ran across his mind.

“I-I never thought of that before,” he whispered, in awe of all those possibilities. Lyserius gave a sultry chuckle and weaved his fingers into Avian’s bangs. The young man blushed at the contact, but enjoyed it at the same time.

“But, before that can happen, you need to learn control. To be able to have plants of all shapes and sizes obey you’re every command,” Lyserius said. Avian’s face fell and he looked away.

“I know, that’s why Lord Westaria wants to send me to Aslinck,” he muttered. Lyserius nodded and started stroking Avian’s hair again.

“Yes, he’s told me about that, but somehow I don’t think that’s the best place for you,” the man told him. Avian looked up at him in surprise.

“You don’t?”

“No, you see, Aslinck is a place of magic that has to be learned, but you acquired your powers mysteriously, did you not?” Lyserius asked. Avian nodded.

“Yes, I did.”

“Then I don’t believe what you have is magic. Don’t get me wrong, it could very well be a form of magic, but not the kind the people of Aslinck teach and use,” Lyserius explained. “What you can do is a part of you. It’s probably been inside you all this time, lying dormant, but now it has been awakened. I’m very sure that the people of Aslinck could never teach you how to control magic like that.”

Avian was amazed and delighted at the same time. Those were his thoughts about the subject exactly! He had never seen his powers as magic, they were just abilities he had. He was so relieved that someone else thought so too and he felt maybe things really were going to be okay.

“That makes me so happy to hear you say that Lor-uh Lyserius,” he said, quickly correcting himself. “I thought that about my abilities too, but I didn’t know how to explain that to Lord Westaria.” Lyserius smiled and nodded.

“Yes, but don’t worry, I understand completely and I want to help you,” the man told him. Avian stared at him curiously.

“How?” he asked.

“You see, while I don’t think human Magic Wielders can help you, I believe my people can,” he explained. Avian furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head.

“You mean the Salarian’s?” he asked.

“Precisely. I’m sure you know that some of us Salarian’s have our own abilities to deal with and learn how to use.” Avian nodded, he had heard stories of that before. “When I heard about your sudden ability to control plants I immediately thought of my own people and what our adolescents have to go through,” Lyserius told him.

“Are-Are you saying I’m a Salarian?” he asked, finding the thought rather unnerving. Lyserius chuckled and patted his head.

“Oh, you’re fully human, I can assure you of that, but your powers do sound closely like our own. I’m sure if you came with me I could help you more than anyone,” he said. Avian’s stomach dropped at that last comment.

“What do you mean come with you?” he asked cautiously. Lyserius’ expression changed from friendly to sympathetic and he put his hands on Avian’s shoulders.

“I know you probably won’t like the idea, but I believe it will be best if you come with me back to Salaria,” he told him gently.

Avian stared at him in shock and his mouth fell open. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from underneath him. He had thought that the idea of being sent to another continent was bad enough, but going to another planet entirely!? That was out of the question!

The young man stepped back away from the Salarian. He was shaking horribly and he shook his head.

“G-Go to Salaria? But-But I can’t. I didn’t want to go to Aslinck because I’d be leaving my home and family behind, but you’re asking me to leave my planet! I can’t do that!” he cried out, fear and panic at the very thought evident in his voice.

Suddenly he found himself surrounded by warmth once more as Lyserius wrapped his arms around him. The Salarian rubbed his back and whispered soothingly in his ear.

“It’s all right, shhh, don’t be scared. You poor little thing, the idea petrifies you, doesn’t it? You’ve probably never really been out of your small village, have you?” he asked. Avian cuddled against Lyserius as close as he could and shook his head.

“I-I’ve been to other town’s and cities before, but I was always with my family. I’m scared to be alone,” he admitted, his voice muffled against the mans chest. Lyserius held him tight as he tried to comfort him.

“Yes, I know what you mean. There’s such security in the familiar and comfort being around those you know and love, but, Avian.” Lyserius pulled away from the young man a little to cup his face in his hands and make Avian look up at him.

“You have to understand that you aren’t the same person you were. You’re changing and you need to learn to control these changes before they get out of hand. You might think you have a good grasp of your powers now, but what if something happened and they hurt someone you care for? Could you live with yourself if that happened?” he questioned, piercing Avian with his gaze. The boy held that gaze until his eyes filled up with tears and he buried his face in Lyserius’ chest again, shaking his head.

“No, no I would never-never forgive myself, ever,” he sobbed, the very thought of hurting his family or friends made him sick to his stomach. Lyserius held the shaking boy to him and Avian didn’t see the wicked grin that appeared on the Salarian’s face for the briefest of moments.

“That’s why I want to help you, Avian,” Lyserius cooed as his fingers played with Avian’s hair once more. The man was very partial to it, the softness and texture pleasing him greatly. “I don’t want you going through something like that. It would pain me to no end to see you suffer so.”

Avian sniffled as his crying subsided and he thought over Lyserius’ words and offer. He really didn’t want to hurt his family in anyway, but he didn’t want to go to another planet to learn control of his powers either. It was all so much to consider, especially since he felt extremely exhausted from the days events. He wiped at his eyes before looking up at the Salarian.

“Can I-Can I think it over, Lyserius, please?” he pleaded. Lyserius smiled softly and nodded.

“Of course, Avian, of course. I’ll let you think it over and get used to the idea. I suppose that means I should leave and let you get your sleep.” Lyserius then looked around with a worried look. “But it really makes me shudder to think of you all alone down here. This place gives even me the creeps,” he said. Avian found himself chuckling softly for the first time since this all began and it made him feel really good to do so.

“You don’t have to worry about me, but thank you for it.” He then looked up at him with a smile. “You must be a great leader to your people,” he told the Salarian. Lyserius smiled back and placed his hand on Avian’s face and rubbed the soft skin with his thumb. He chuckled when Avian flushed from the touch.

“Thank you, but I’m not that wonderful,” Lyserius said, though he thought much differently in his head.

“Um what city of Salaria do you rule anyway?” Avian suddenly asked curiously, wanting to know exactly where he’d be going if he went. Not that he knew of any of the places on Salaria anyways. Lyserius was surprised by the question, then chuckled.

“I don’t rule a city, silly boy, I rule all of Salaria,” he replied. Avian’s eyes widened in shock, he wasn’t expecting that at all.

“You-You’re the leader of an entire planet…?” he asked in utter astonishment and Lyserius nodded.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” he asked, amused by Avian’s reaction. *I can’t believe it. He must be really powerful in order to rule a whole world,* Avian thought. *And he wants to take me in and train me! Maybe he really is the best one to get help from.*

“I suppose my proper title would be King Lyserius,” the man continued, drawing Avian out of his thoughts. “But after I came here and became familiar with you humans and your ways I wanted to change it. I mean, Lord sounds so much better to me. King Lyserius, Lord Lyserius. The latter just rolls off the tongue better, don't you think?” he inquired and gave Avian a wink. Boasting was a bad habit of his that he was trying to break, but he just couldn’t help himself sometimes.

“Uh, I-I suppose so. It must be hard to keep everything in order if you’re the only ruler, isn’t it?” Avian asked, wanting to know exactly how it worked.

“Oh, it is, but I manage. I have a few close people who I have stationed in certain parts of Salaria to keep order,” Lyserius explained. “But I’m intrigued by the system you humans use. You have no kings and no one person controls more than one city, just that place and the land around that. It amazes me how you people keep peace and order in that way,” he said. Avian thought about it, but didn’t find anything wrong with the way they did things.

“Well, it’s simple. The highest rank we have is Lord and that’s only for cities. Towns usually have Mayor’s and we keep peace because…well, why wouldn’t we keep peace with each other?” Avian asked with a tilt of his head, confused. Lyserius smiled and patted his head.

“Just for certain reasons. Suppose a Lord or Mayor wants land that another person has? Wouldn’t they fight over it?” Lyserius questioned. Avian looked away as he pondered it.

“Yes, I suppose, but they usually negotiate over things like that. I have heard of fights breaking out, but it’s highly frowned upon to do so. Plus, there’s plenty of land to go around so it’s silly to fight over just one area,” Avian told him with a grin.

Lyserius chuckled and nodded in agreement. *Humans are such peculiar creatures. I never understood why they’re so peaceful with one another. They’re practically childlike in the way they work together and believe in harmony….its enough to make me sick,* Lyserius thought in disgust.

“So what about your town? It’s called Lastar, isn’t it? Do you have a Mayor?” Lyserius asked, trying to keep up the boy’s good mood. Avian shook his head.

“Nah, not really. My town is really small so there’s no point in that. We just basically all work together to try and keep order. There are a few people I guess you could call our leaders since they take more charge on certain things, but otherwise we don’t have just one person,” Avian explained. Lyserius stared at him, not really able to grasp that, but smiled and nodded.

“Well, I guess there are still many things to learn about your race and many things for you to learn about ours. But there will be plenty of time for that later. I must really be going now to talk a few things over with Lord Westaria. So, as much as it pains me to leave you in here, I shall be on my way,” Lyserius told him. Avian’s face fell at the news, rather enjoying the Salarian’s company.

“Okay, thank you for coming to talk to me and for being concerned about me. You’ve made me feel a lot better,” Avian said, smiling softly. Lyserius gave him a warm smile of his own and stroked Avian’s face once more.

“I’m glad I could. I promise I’ll come back in the morning to see how you’re doing,” he vowed then bent a little to place a kiss on the young mans forehead. Avian’s face turned a deep red and a shiver ran through his whole body. Lyserius’ lips felt so warm and Avian’s skin tingled at the Salarian’s touch. Avian felt embarrassed when he wished those lips would go lower to press against his own.

“Goodbye, Avian, until tomorrow,” Lyserius said with a little smile when he pulled away. Avian nodded in a sort of daze.

“B-Bye, Lyserius,” he stuttered awkwardly. He watched as the Salarian walked out of the cell and exchange a few words with someone, Avian guessed was Tolen, before the iron door was closed.

Once Avian was alone once more he gave into the urge for his knees to give out. He fell to them as he continued to stare at the door.

“Wow…that had to of been the most interesting man I’ve ever met,” he muttered weakly, feeling a little lightheaded. He then smiled widely and patted his face, still feeling Lyserius’ lingering touch. “Maybe the Salarain’s aren’t so bad after all,” he mused.

Away from Avian’s cell, Lyserius was walking up the dusty, worn steps that led out of the dungeon. He was relieved when he was on level ground once more and back in the halls of the mansion.

“Honestly, what a wretched place,” he grumbled as he batted the dust off his clothes.

“I see you’re back, Lyserius,” a voice suddenly said at his side. The man glanced out of the corner of his eye and smiled when he saw the owner of the voice.

“Yes, Elgin, and glad of it. I know dungeons aren’t supposed to be the nicest of places, but really, there are limits,” he said as he finished fixing his appearance. Elgin chuckled, amused by his complaints. He then glanced around before leaning in close to Lyserius.

“So, will the boy be easy to manipulate?” he asked in a hushed voice. The man glanced at Elgin before scanning the area himself. He then grabbed Elgin’s elbow and began walking down the hall with him by his side. The masked man looked at his friend and saw a devilish smirk spread across his face.

“He’s as good as putty in my hands,” Lyserius told him quietly. Elgin shared an equally big smirk at the news.

“How nice indeed. I was able to get a look at him before the soldiers took him down to the dungeons and he’s very delicious looking if I do say so myself,” he said with a lick of his lips. Lyserius gave a low chuckle and placed his hand on Elgin’s shoulder.

“Yes, I thought so too.” He brought both of them to a stop and turned Elgin’s head to look at him. “Once we get back to Salaria we can break him in together,” he told him in a suggestive tone. Elgin grinned and brought his lips close to Lyserius’.

“Promise?” he asked huskily.

“Definitely,” Lyserius replied before closing the small distant between them and capturing the taller mans mouth in a fiery kiss. They spent many moments tasting each others mouths and touching the others heated skin. When they broke apart their breathing was a bit heavier.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Elgin told him and Lyserius chuckled. “So were you able to get his “consent” on taking him back with us?” Elgin asked, using the word ‘consent’ loosely. They were going to take Avian whether he was willing or if they had to do it by force. Lyserius groaned and rolled his eyes.

“I’ve almost got him to agree. I’m that close in making this go as smoothly as possible,” he replied, holding up his index and thumb rather closely. A scowl formed on his face and he became irritated as he thought about what had happened.

“I’ve forgotten how whiny humans can be,” Lyserius growled. “That boy was sniveling and complaining so much about not wanting to be away from his home I was about ready to tear his jaw from his skull and strangle him with his own tongue!” Lyserius snarled, making the motions with his hands.

Elgin laughed at Lyserius’ angry actions and wrapped his long red tail around the mans waist.

“You’re absolutely adorable when you’re being vicious,” he said. Lyserius let out a sigh as he stroked Elgin’s furry appendage.

“It’s just very aggravating,” he mumbled with a pout. Elgin chuckled as he caught a strand of Lyserius’ hair and began twirling it around his finger.

“Although, there are some benefits about complainers,” he said. Lyserius looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“And what would that be?” he asked curiously. A lecherous grin appeared on Elgin’s face as he leaned in close to Lyserius’ ear.

“They make the most interesting noises between the sheets,” he whispered seductively. Lyserius rolled his eyes once more as Elgin pulled away.

“I suppose that’s looking on the bright side of things. Is that really all you think about?” he asked and crossed his arms.

“Well, that and slaughtering people,” Elgin replied innocently.

“Doesn’t take much to keep you happy,” Lyserius commented before unwrapping Elgin’s tail from around him. “But, as much as I would love to stay and chat with you on what kind of noises the boy would make in bed, I must be off,” he told him. Elgin tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have to go make my puppet happy in order to secure the boy being placed in our care,” Lyserius explained with a grin. Elgin stuck out his tongue, knowing what he meant.

“I can’t believe you can stand touching that old man,” he said in disgust. Lyserius frowned at that.

“Oh come now, forty-seven isn’t that old for a human and Trenzil has kept himself in excellent condition over the years,” Lyserius told him defensively.

“He’s still old,” Elgin said stubbornly. Lyserius grunted and turned his back on him, making his way towards a nearby staircase.

“Fine, think what you want, but some humans are like a fine wine.” He turned to look back at Elgin with a smirk. “They get better with age. Besides, we need to convince Trenzil to give Avian to us. Once we have the boy safely tucked away on Salaria we’ll be a step closer in containing that silly little threat Napier predicted,” Lyserius told him.

“I’m still a bit perplexed on why we’re doing this. I thought you wanted the people to fight back so it would be more fun? Why try and stop them right now?” Elgin asked in confusion.

“Ah, true, I did say that. But what could be more fun than watching the Earth try to protect itself only to get cut off short?” Lyserius questioned before turning around and starting to walk up the stairs. “Plus, the real fun comes from taking the Earth’s only defenses and turning them into weapons at my disposal.” Was the last thing Elgin heard before Lyserius disappeared up the steps.

“Hmm, he makes a good point. That’s rather funny if you think about it that way,” Elgin murmured, but then frowned when he looked the way Lyserius had left. “But I still don’t find that a good enough reason to get up on an old man,” Elgin said and shuddered at the thought.

With Lyserius gone Elgin now had to find a different way to keep himself occupied. His tail suddenly twitched and he grinned when he remembered that he had spied a delicious looking young servant boy before he went to go meet Lyserius. Remembering those round innocent eyes and slim lean body made his fingers twitch and jolts of excitement go to a certain part of his anatomy.

Elgin quickly slinked off to go find, and get his paws on, the scrumptious boy. Lyserius may have thought he was a sex crazed psychopath, which he was, but he was just trying to satisfy one hunger as much as he could before their plans went into full bloom. If he was fully content in his sexual desires then he could focus more on fulfilling his bloodlust once the take over began.

He smiled whenever he thought of it. The blood was sure to flow like rivers once things began and he wanted nothing more than to bathe in it. Then the pathetic humans would know, once and for all, where their place was and who the superior species were.

========================Ch. 3 End

Man, I must really have a thing against servant boys. First I have one get his head cut off and now another is about to get manhandled by Elgin. Poor, poor boy…Okay! So Avian has now met our lovely evil doer and is getting himself further and further into trouble without realizing it! Lyserius is so manipulative it’s delicious. You now know he has Lord Westaria under his thumb and he’s spinning Avian right into his web. During the explanation of Avian’s powers he was telling Avian exactly what he wanted to hear and he knows the poor guy has a major soft spot for his family so he made sure to play that as much as he could. Oh and just so you guys know. When Elgin was calling Trenzil old Lyserius wasn’t defending him by saying he wasn’t that old. He was more defending himself since Elgin implied he didn’t have good taste in bed partners. Just wanted to clear that up. So, what shall happen to Avian next? Check in next week to find out and please review so I can honestly know if this is good or extreme crap and if I’m just wasting my time!!!

EDIT: Whoops there was something I meant to do here. I was wondering if anyone would like to see what Lyserius looks like. I know I suck at describing so here is a pic I drew of him. http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l125/darknessthedevil/Lyserius.jpg Apparently he likes blue, I didn't know that till I started coloring. SO throughout the future chapters I will probably be giving more links to pics to show you what the characters look like in my mind. Okay that's all, run along now.