A Cause De Riem

ACDR-3 (Fantasy- B/M)

This story contains sexual content that occurs between an underaged teen and an adult man. In other words it is GAY. If you are offended by this or if you are under 18 please go somewhere else to get your kicks.

This is a work of fiction, nothing in it is based on real life or real events if anything is like similar it's purely coincidence. Please do not copy or distribute this without written permission from myself. All comments and questions are welcome at nonkimono69@hotmail.com or visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/satans_lil_minion/acdr/warning.html

Enjoy! ^_^

Prologue

"Master, master! The Sovereign's army has defeated another fleet of Revolt soldiers!" A large ashen white griffin exclaimed as she ran hurriedly into the dark room that was the wizard, Asnee's, chambers.

"Calm down my child," he said tranquilly as he stroked the feathery fur of the young griffin's head. His wrinkled hand stood out vilely against the soft down.

"I am sorry master, but I fear that the Revolt shall loose! I just know it! How can anyone support that dammed idiot, Sovereign?!" The large bird growled.

"Patience, the Revolt troops will win. You'll see," He replied, his peaceful tone never wavering.

"Forgive me oh yea of all-too-much faith but I don't understand how we can beat him! What reason can you possibly give me that shows proof of the Revolt's soon to come victory?" The griffin hissed sarcastically.

The elderly wizard turned to her. His watery blue eyes meeting her own intense icy ones. "Sefhira, you need to calm down... There is one particular reason why the Revolt shall defeat the Sovereign, an unfair advantage you might say. This reason is foretold in the scriptures, although what it is I am unaware. "

"What do you plan to do about it?" She questioned curiously.

"First I intend to discover where our reason is located. After that it must be brought here. Over all of Uyigs or through many worlds if necessary!"

"But how?..."

The wizard Asnee smiled crookedly beneath his concealing hood, "I have my ways."

Day One

There was a loud smack as the large man's fist came in contact with the boy's face, sending him reeling to the floor. The boy struggled to get up after the hailing of many punches, slaps, kicks, and other beatings that his body had undergone in the few minutes that had lurched by ever so slowly since he had told his father of his plans.

"Get up boy! I ain't hitchew dat `ard. Now! Off the damned floor!" The man's voice boomed as he grabbed the boy's slender arm and yanked him up. "Jest look atchew, yer pu'thetic. Ya lil pussy. Runnin' off to the Union army! Why?... Answer me!"

The boy finally said, assertively although he shook in fear, "What you're doing is wrong. The Confederates are wrong. People shouldn't be slaves pere."

"Practice what'cher preachin' boy. Without slaves you ain't woulda had none o' this! This home, this life... Boy you're damn lucky."

"That's fine," he said. "Because I don't want it anymore." He swiftly turned away and began to walk away. "Adieu pere."

"Boy the minute you walk through that door you is gone for'eva! You hear me? You ain't never comin' back the moment you walk through that there door!"

The beautifully carved French door closed silently behind him.

~~~~~*~

"Caaaade! Wait!"

The boy looked back down the long grubby road, which he had been walking for the last half an hour, headed North to join the Union troops.

A girl of about fourteen, with green eyes and curly auburn hair ran up to him seemingly unaware of the dust that was becoming caked upon her fine green dress. "Cade wait," she repeated as she moved to him.

"Bonjour Savannah," He said softly looking down at the younger girl.

"I heard yer pa is angrier that a rabid coon in a cage because you were leavin'... is it true?" Her eyes looked desperately up at him, he was forced to avert his own chocolate gaze.

"Oui. I'm headin' up North," He said looking up on the road ahead. Anything but at her... The love she had for him was undoubtedly apparent. An unreciprocated love...

"But Cade you're a Confederate soldier! You're gonna fight for those damned Union bastards?!?!

"To thine own heart be true... I'm sorry Savannah, I hope you understand." He said delicately placing a hand on her shoulder.

"But you'll come back when the war is ova, right?" She asked with tears welled in her sparkling eyes.

"We'll just have to wait and see," he said wiping away a stray tear from her rosy cheek. "Adieu Savannah."

"Farewell Cade..."

~~~~~*~

Cade sighed as he sat down in the packed luggage cart of the train. He had to hitch a ride to get up North in time for the enlistments. His body ached and the ability to finally rest was nice.

I just couldn't stand it anymore! Cade thought to himself. The screaming the beating... My older sisters.... Everything was just so wrong. Mon pere treated me like one of the slaves; I practically was his slave. So by joining the Union it's kinda like it's my own freedom I'm fighting for.... I hope that they don't suspect me too much... I am Creole, I don't think that there is any Creole folks up North....

He adjusted his position to a lying down one. Poor Savannah, she'll be fine though. I know she wanted to marry me but I'm sure she'll find someone else... I never really was attracted to her anyway. She was beautiful, so beau but... I don't know. I've never really been attracted to anyone. Pere always told me that attraction was insignificant, that it was about prospering and carrying on the Marcellos bloodline but I just don't understand. I guess that he's right to call me stupid.

I am stupid and worthless. But hey if I'm those things why not add selfish to the list? Run away. Away from the beating the cursing. I just don't give a damn any more. Not a damn at all. I never want to go back!... I don't know if I'll go back or not honestly. Hell I'll just be sure to die in this war, then I won't have to worry about goin' back. Yeah, dying for my cause sounds pretty good. Honorable...

Cade somehow managed to fall asleep in the dusty heat of the rickety luggage car that afternoon, consoled only by his death wishes.

~~~~~*~

God I'm hornier than hell! General Zyllexis thought as he approached the small, cheap brothel. But this time he had money he could afford the physical pleasures that he needed to appease his sexual nature. Ever since this goddamned war had started up he hadn't had much action in the bedroom department.

God I just want this to be over! NOW! He said to himself as he approached the seedy little inn. This might be his last chance to do anything of this nature before the war was over. "The war was over" ah, those were the words he longed to hear. It was all just idiocy! The damned Sovereign, a strong mage mixed of water, lightning, AND fire (making him VERY powerful), had waaay too much influence over people with his charms and had gotten a little too big for his britches. Trying to take over the entire planet of Uyigs! It was lunacy.

On Uyigs there was one appointed leader for each species and they made the decisions as a whole, there was no one leader. This was a democracy NOT a hierarchy! God, and the worst thing was that people actually followed the dumb bastard. But despite his anger towards the mixed elve he was also confident that the Revolt, his army, would win.

He swiftly dismounted from Katanna, a cross between an Ari and a Poisonous dragon, his pet. Taking the tether into his hands he tied it tightly to a hitch outside designated for that sort of thing. "Good boy," he said petting the scaled face softly. "Don't eat too many children while I'm gone." And with that he ran into the brothel with the clear intention of spending all of his money. Hey man if this was gonna be the last time better go out with a bang right?

~~~~~*~

"You've gotta be eighteen to be in the army boy! How old are you... Fifteen?" A commanding officer asked him as he looked over the boys papers suspiciously.

"I'm eighteen sir," He answered timidly.

"Fine get'cher uniform on and get ready. You almost missed the registration. We'll be heading out in the morning. Expecting to meet up with the damned Southerners on the battlefield. But with all this training..." the man said looking over his papers. Cade had... Um, embellished quite a bit on his experience. "You should do fine."

"Thank you monsieur... Sir," He corrected himself heading off with his uniform in hand.

~~~~~*~

In another world...

"Ah ha! I have found it! I have found the reason!... But it is not of this world... Earth, ay? Well then I shall have to bring it here..."

~~~~~*~

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Cade thought as through the smoke and gunfire, the loud booming of cannons, the Confederate army descended upon them. "So this is how it goes? We walk at one another shooting and in the end we count bodies to see who won?" Cade asked a soldier squatting low to the ground next to him.

The man shot his gun, but missed. "Hush and shoot dammit!" He loutishly yelled at the Creole imposter as he loaded his weapon once again. Powder, bullet, paper... Bang!

Cade fumbled with the little copper-coated balls and powder as he struggled to fire his rifle as well.

~~~~~*~

Back in the other world...

"Tiw I summon my strength from you. Bring to our world our reason. Gods of the elements and species I summon your strength, give us the power to win this war..." In another tongue the wizard Asnee continued along with his magical spell. A large portal opened before him...

~~~~~*~

Cade stood to fire once again, having gotten a hang of using his gun he had proudly taken out a few of his old comrades. BANG! Dead on he hit another one! "Yes!" He said to him self... But alas in a moment of arrogance a bullet took him. In one side and out the other of his left thigh. With a scream he fell to the ground in agony.

"Oh my God... No!" He whispered to himself. A shot this high up meant they'd probably cut off his entire leg! No...

Suddenly, the wind began to increase and a small glint of light appeared. But quickly enough the tiny light had augmented into a large glowing sphere. It's wind pulling the boy into it. Cade resisted in fear but the attempt proved to be in vain as he redundantly fought against the light which soon engulfed him and drew him from his home. As he spiraled through the blinding whiteness he began to feel lightheaded and drowsy... the last thing he saw before he passed out was a pair of inhuman eyes starring coldly into his own.

~~~~~*~

The general came stomping out of his room, pulling his pants up his hips with one hand and with the other a shirt over his head. "There had better be a damned good reason for this!" His face red with rage. He looked upon the small cloaked figure before him. "What do you want now?!?!" The sepentine-tirgren Cross spat out indignantly.

"I have your reason," Asnee's calm never wavering despite the shouts of the intimidating man before him.

"Really?!?! Why didn't you say so?" The young general was now lighthearted as if he had never been angry in the first place. "Well come on, where is it?"

"Follow me," the ancient man waved with his gaunt hand, leading the man from the brothel towards his lair. After a great deal of walking they arrived at the small cottage that rested within the woods along the outskirts of the village.

"Inside," The wizard spoke as with a gesture of his hand the rickety wooden door opened.

"Inside?" The general asked. He had no notion in hell as to what this reason might be but he had assumed it would be slightly larger that anything that could fit in the wizard's home.

"Yes follow me..." Asnee led the general into his study, which was piled high with ancient books and artifacts. Magical devices strewn in a slapdash fashion about the floor. At one end of the study sat the wizard's griffin, Sefhira.

"Still asleep?" Asnee asked walking to the beast's side.

"Like a baby... You know it's kind of cute." The large animal cooed nuzzling the boy's sleeping body.

"What the hell is that?" The general asked looking over the wizard's head at the sleeping boy.

"A human, Zyllexis. Same as you other than no tail and small ears... Not to mention a considerable size difference."

"You can say that again! It's puny!"

"IT is a male, and HE is the reason," Asnee glanced back to see the expression on the general's face.

"Hahaha, I didn't know you had it in ya old timer. What a joker..." the general brought his hand to his forehead as he forcedly laughed. God he hoped that it was not true...

"I am serious Zyllexis; the magic does not lie. He will somehow be the cause of our victory. I know not how, but he shall be."

"...What do you want me to say, oh ye ancient one? Congrats on finding dinner for my dragon? With a little marinating I'm sure that he will make a perfect meal for Katanna!" The general shouted loudly. This could not be! This human in no way whatsoever even hope to be of help...

The human suddenly began to stir at the sepentine-tirgren Cross' loud shouts. "Mmm," he groaned in agony as he sat up. But the dull pain in his leg was soon over ridded but horror at seeing the three odd figures about him. He began to fumble words in some language unknown to the three Uygians.

"Grrreat, it can't even communicate! Boy Asnee, I hope you're happy. Do you know just HOW long it's been since I've had sex? Well do you?!?!?" He clutched clawed hands on to the wizard's bony shoulders.

"Patience, Zyllexis, patience, he just needs a little magic," with little to no effort the Wizard broke free from the general's strong grasp and walked to the boy. He reached out to touch the trembling human's forehead. His white fingertips, as well as the boy's creamy skin, shone a brilliant blue tone.

Suddenly the human's words became coherent, "Who are you, what do you want from me?!" It demanded in a shaking voice, slightly deeper than what they had expected to hear from such a small creature but it had a soft melodic tone.

"Please, let us start upon the right foot," the wizard said in a calming tone. "We mean you no harm. I am the wizard Asnee, this is my apprentice Sefhira," and he gestured towards the griffin that winked an icy blue eye at the boy. "And this in the general of the Revolt army, Zyllexis."

"Bonjour. How do you do?" The boy spoke again. The three now noticed a strange accent in the boy's voice, a mix between a Southern drawl and French.

"What is your name, young man?"

"Young man? More like a kid Asnee," the general sarcastically spat.

"I am not a kid! I am seventeen!... Je suis Cade Marcellos," he answered. He made an attempt to stand but fell back to due the bullet wound within his left leg. "God dammit!" He winced. "What happened?" He looked down upon his bandaged leg.

"Let me start from the beginning. You are on the planet Uyigs, in a dimension different than that of your own. We are in the peak of a war, as you were I am speculating by the wound to your leg. And in this war we are of the Revolt, and we are trying to defeat the Sovereign. But alas, the Sovereign is a very deceptive man and has much back up; we are in need of assurance that out side shall prove to be the victor."

"And this involves me how?" The boy inquired.

"Yeah, Asnee, how does this involve shrimpy?" The general asked, still in a state of angry consternation at the fact that the wizard's tremendously anticipated reason was a little boy!

"I... Am unsure," the wizard confessed.

"That's just grrreat," the general half-yelled sarcastically, "Instead of this reason being some spectacular thing to ensure our victory we have a little human, an injured one at that. And just to thicken the plot we are expected to be at the front in seven days! We have ONE week! ONE!" By the end of his little speech the Cross was yelling.

"Look at it this way, Cross, where would you be without me? --"

"In bed: fucking."

"Let me finish, you'd be the same off with or without my help. We still do not know what the boy's abilities are; there is some reason for him to be here. I am sure of it." The wizard said, his tone approaching exasperation.

"You can always leave him here with me," The young griffin interjected nuzzling the human lightly with her beak.

"Enough of that now, Sefhira," Asnee scolded as the white creature backed away with a pout on her face. "Zyllexis just PLEASE take him with you?"

"Fine, he can tag along."

"What makes you think that I want to!" The human spoke up.

"What choice do you have?" Zll said as he extended a dagger to the boy's throat, putting just the right amount of pressure to the milky white skin to get his point across.

"Oui, comprirent.... Very well then," the boy conceded, not daring to move.

Now that's more like it.

~~*

Before the troops were to set out in the morning Lex had to get Cade prepared. As they walked, well one limped and one walked, through the village they were given many an odd stare. This world was just as foreign to the boy as he was to it.

"Could you try to keep up?" Zyllexis called over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's not like you just got shot in war and woke up on some strange world! Forgive me for taking awhile to adjust," the boy snapped as he tried to walk. The sharp, initial pain had died into a dull burning.

"Yeah... Sorry `bout this. I don't exactly want you to be here either. That bumbling old wizard made a pretty fuckin' dumb mistake if you ask me... Sorry for taking it out on ya." Zyllexis said grinding his teeth in agitation; he was not very articulate when it came to apologies.

"Don't mention it, wouldn't be this first time I've been an outlet..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, so what did you say your name was again?" Cade asked looking up at the general.

"General Zyllexis."

"Zill.... Zy..." Cade stuttered in trying to pronounce the complicated name.

"Zil-lee-ex-is.... Just call me Zll... Just call me Lex." The general said. He didn't particularly care for his entire name anyway. "What was your's again?"

"Cade," the boy replied.

"Do all humans have that simple of names?"

"No. And it's not THAT simple. Cade Lee Marcellos..."

"You're right."

"So where are we headed first?"

"I need to get Katanna, my dragon. I left him back at the other end of town."

"Dragon?"

~~~~~*~

Cade starred in horror at the eight-foot tall dragon the stood before him.

"Be careful kid, he doesn't get along very well with anyone but me..." The General was soon cut off though by Cade's laughter as the Dragon began to nuzzle him and lick at him like a large overgrown puppy.

"I thought dragons were supposed to be ferocious?" The human asked as he pet the beast's forehead between twin horns.

"So did I. Stop that dammit!" The man commanded as the slapped the dragon's flank. Not that he'd ever admit it but he was slightly jealous that the dragon never paid that kind of attention to him and he had owned that dragon for six years!

Katanna growled at his master but did not continue his display of affection for the new boy.

"He was probably just seeing if you we're good to eat. Don't worry about it though, you're too small to make a decent meal for a big guy like him." The general assured. "Hop up and this will go a hell of a lot faster."

"You mean ride on him?" Cade asked looking up. This dragon was much larger than any horse he'd ever been on.

"What the hell else would I mean? Get on."

Cade looked at the dragon's wings, unique only to Ari species, trying to figure out HOW to get on. "Um... How exactly?"

"Put your hand here on his shoulder blade and pull yourself up in front of the wings."

Cade tried but it was difficult for one so short. 5'6 might be good for human's back in the 1800s on Earth but here he was a midget. With a sigh the Cross grabbed onto the boy's small ass and hoisted him up on top on the animal. Cade blushed noticeably, as he tried to remind himself that he was just getting boost.

"There," The General said once the young human was situated. "Now let's get going." Hmm, he may be a shrimp but he is actually quite beautiful... Nice little ass. >=D

Both simultaneously sighed and thought, this is going to be a long odd journey.

~~~~~*~

Before they embarked upon the long trek to the encampment the two men stopped back by Asnee's cottage where they were provided with rations and other things of importance.

"Aww I'm gonna miss you!" The white griffin said rubbing up against Cade's shoulder. "Master may I go with them? CanIcanIcanI? Pleasepleasepleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

The wizard rolled his eyes good naturedly with a sigh, "Fledglings..."

"I could be of use," she said turning to the General, looking for someone to back her up.

"It's fine with me," Asnee spoke softly, "Zyllexis?..."

"Aurgh!" The Cross said angrily as he ripped out about a third of his fiery locks. "Fine! FINE!" He confirmed. His teeth were gritted so hard that his elongated fangs cut into his bottom lip but at this point he really did not care. "We've already got the human kiddo, my dragon who is now possessed by some sort of demon spirit, why not throw a love sick bird into the mix as well!"

"It's settled then," the ancient man confirmed with a nod.

Somewhat cooled down Zyllexis turned to the small human and said with a frustrated (and slightly insane) laugh, "I hope you like bestiality 'cause all these animals are fuckin' in love with you!"

"Quoi?"

~~~~~*~

"You can ride on me!" Sefhira said looking at the small human.

"No he can't. Our reason ain't riding on a little fledgling like you!" The General intervened quickly.

Mock tears welled in the griffin's eye, "It's because I'm a girl, isn't it? Well fine! Let him get diseases from your fleabag dragon."

"Dragons can get fleas! They have no fur! Besides you've probably got worms!"

"We all know what you probably do to that dragon when cathouses are few and far between..."

"Like Asnee hasn't shoved his liver warty dick..."

Cade looked on as the two argued. This world was very confusing.

~~~~~*~

Well in the end the boy had ridden Katanna.

The walk to the encampment was uneventful. Listening the boy was silent a great majority of the time whilst Zyllexis informed him about their planet and its ways. Sefhira was talkative, always inquiring about Cade and his world, always getting a polite but short reply.

Lazily the day passed...

It was late in the evening when they had arrived and Cade had fallen asleep peacefully atop the dragon by the time that they had reached the encampment.

"Yo kiddo, wake up!" Zyllexis gently slapped the slumbering boy's unhurt thigh to awaken him.

"Quoi?... Oh." Cade spoke sleepily.

With help from the general the human was able to dismount and walk side by side with the Cross as they approached the troops who were messing at the moment. Sefhira continued behind them, whereas Katanna stayed behind, a very well trained dragon indeed.

Much to Cade's surprise the soldiers and any other persons at the military camp greeted the General in a friendly, informal manner. Something that was considered rude and was a punishable act. But General Zyllexis just smiled and greeted back.

"Lex," Cade asked the General quietly.

"Yeah kid?"

"Isn't there any... military discipline here? You are the General after all, aren't you?" He inquired nervously, he did not wish to offend him if the circumstances were cultural.

"Oh of course! No these soldiers are all the cream of the crop, I know them all personally." The older man said with a little laugh. He then led the boy to one of the benches that surrounded the open fire. "Suppi!" He said to a pair of people that we're sitting to the left.

One was a woman, of about thirty-five. She had some similar looks to the General seeing as she was a Serpentine elve. Her raspberry hair contrasted well with her caramel skin and icy blue eyes. She was very beautiful. Her name, as Cade would later learn, was Kirea.

The other was a man who looked to be middle aged but still handsome. He had the incomparable look of a Pyralis with his fiery red hair and yellow eyes. He had a crook in his nose from the many times that it had been broken during years of war, and a few golden streaks running through his hair (each species has a different color that they "gray" to) that showed his mature age.

"Hello Zyllexis, feather duster. Who's your new pifugzia?" The man asked with a laugh. Cade was not quite sure what he meant.

"No Aidan he's not my pifu. ypsiets O zug soh poggpu yhh oh ljugga gotsg..." ((Note: although I bet his little ass is pretty tight...)) Zyllexis said angling his head slightly to look behind the puzzled human. Both of the male elves had a good laugh at this.

"Aww leave the kid alone," the woman said in a soft voice that was a unique cross between maternal and seductive. "What's your name hetyj?"

"My name is Cade, mademoiselle," He said slightly in awe of her. She was really very... Captivating.

"What's that M word mean?" She asked with a little giggle.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what they were saying."

She laughed, "fair enough... I'm Kirea."

"And I'm Aidan, sorry for givin' ya a hard time."

"They are my second and third in command," Zyllexis informed them before returning to converse with them solely. As he informed his comrades about Cade's unique situation and purpose in the war. Kirea merely looked sympathetically at the boy whereas Aidan laughed.

"I bet that the reason he's here is to be your little ziahpeg! Hahaa..."

"No, but he can be mine," the adolescent griffin interrupted eyeing the boy with stars in her gaze.

For that remark Aidan swiftly got an elbow in the ribs. "You already know that's the only reason I keep you around Aidan. Besides, I think that the animals wouldn't let me near him," he gestured towards the griffin and his nearby dragon.

"Well that makes sense... but then why the hell is Kirea here?" Aidan Chuckled.

"To keep the world from being too suspicious..."

"But she's you're sister!"

Cade was unaware as to what they were laughing at exactly but it was apparent that all three of the comrades were close in one way or another. That was nice. He had never seen such unity between people on earth. Especially mixed races. The two half-siblings looking almost as dark as the slaves on his father's plantation and the Pyralis with his white skin like an albino... It was a very inspiring sight to him.

Sometime during the middle of this conversation another soldier or mess hall hand, Cade did not know, brought them some food. The human stared at the lumpy orange substance in his bowl, the scent making nausea overcome him. "Please tell me that this is not a delicacy in your world?.."

"No it's not, thank God!" The Pyralis man chuckled. "Only cooking I know of worse than it is Kirea's."

"I like it!" Sefhira said performing a less-than-graceful nosedive into her bowl, slashing over half of the contents onto the General. The griffin, however did not seem to notice, and if she had she did not care. The man swiftly pulled one of her feathers out. "Heeey!"

The meal continued long into the night with by now the sun had well set in the sky and the stars were twinkling brightly above. "Well we should all turn in," Kirea informed, always the voice of reason and motherliness. She stood up and walked off towards her small pitched tent. When on the move there was little time for making the sleeping quarters all nice seeing as they were put up and put down every day.

"So Aidan, did you set me up a tent or do I have to sleep outside?"

"I set you one up, but not for your little pifugzia..."

"Fine he can stay in mine. C'mon Cade."

"What?" He had grown tired and was slightly out of it. Besides most people would be that way if they had experienced all that he had just gone through over the course of ONE day!

"Bed."

"Oh, bon.

"What about me!" Sefhira shrieked sadly.

"Sleep with the rest of the animals..."

"Oooh!" The bird ruffled the feathers around her neck, emphasizing just exactly how pissed she was.

"Goodnight feather duster..."

~~~~~*~

The tent was small, barely enough room for one person let alone both of them. It was tall enough to stand in (surprisingly) but very narrow. "Sorry for the cramped quarters kid. I'll see what I can do about it tomorrow. In the meantime get some rest.

"All right, thanks." With that the human sat down and began to unlace his boots. Zyllexis couldn't help but stare at the human's feet. All of the elves have more animalistic, paw like feet that could never fit into shoes. And they didn't have little toes... It was really very fascinating. He wondered if anything else looked terribly different...

"What?" Cade asked; he had looked upwards upon feeling the other man's eyes upon him.

"Nothin', sorry. I was just thinking how different we are."

"Oh... Right," Cade said with a nervous smile and went back about removing the complicated old-fashioned boots.

The General then began to disrobe as well. Both his pants and shirt until all that he was wearing was a pair of under shorts. Now it was Cade's turn to be transfixed. The cross's dark bronzed skin looked smooth over hard muscles... Cade didn't have those kinds of muscles. He was naturally gaunt, on windy days he dared not go outside.

Captivated; he continued to stare. The way the Cross' arm muscles moved gracefully as he pulled his shirt over his head. The fluid movement of removing his trousers, as though he had practiced taking them off many times before...

The General smiled to himself when he saw the boy looking up at him. Cade broke his eyes away from their transfixion and blushed. Both the human and the elve lay down, Cade made sure to be as far away as possible, even though that was only about a foot. "Remercie," he softy gratified as Lex threw part of his blanket over him.

"Are you just gonna sleep in your clothes? That's the only pair you have you know," The older man inquired.

"Um... Yeah I'm kinda cold," Cade replied dishonestly.

"All right then, good night."

"Good night."

Day Two

"Rise and shine!" Was the greeting Cade awoke to the next morning. He opened his eyes to see the young griffin hovering over him.

"Ahh!" He yelped with a startled surprise.

"ICK!" The bird returned with a look of repulsion on her face. "How could one so beautiful omit a smell so foul?! For the pifu iv Tiw BRUSH YOUR TEETH!" With that she was gone, leaving Cade alone in the tent.

Stretching and yawning the boy sat up, many bones and joints snapping in protest, last night had NOT been what one would exactly call comfy... As he sat up he brought his hand up and covered it over his mouth, exhaling heavily. Whew! Sefhira was right!.. Maybe that's the reason the General had arisen so early.

~~~~~*~

Out side the camp was all hustle and bustle, quickly repacking the tents and other things set up and about. Some of the soldiers were still eating. "Sleeping beauty finally woke up!" Zyllexis said walking past the sleepy boy to the tent, collapsing it quickly, rolling it up and folding it along with the blanketing.

"Oh my, there must be a record for that..." Cade stated softly with awe. "Sir--"

"Lex."

"Lex why didn't you just wake me up if it was a problem?" The boy asked; he hated to be a burden to these people.

"Aww, because you looked so cute," the man said roughly pinching the boy's cheek. "Hey bird brain!" The Cross called out.

Frustration filled the griffin's as she protested "my name is Sefhira!"

"Whatever, if you're gonna stay you're working. You've been promoted from someone to harass to pack mule. Congratulations, I'm sure your parents are terribly proud," Zyllexis said as he strapped the bundles onto the Griffin's back.

"Heeey!"

~~~~~*~

As they rode through the countryside Cade was in absolute awe of the splendor that this world held. It was more beautiful than anything he had seen before on Earth. The plants so exotic, the sky so vividly blue... And the people that they saw when they traveled through towns. They were exotic too! In every color of the rainbow and then some! All coexisting...

Uyigs was a fantasy world if there ever was one. It seemed so perfect... And yet, it was so like his own world in ways. The wars, the fighting, the way the people acted... So many parallels...

It was about four or so in the afternoon when the fleet made the choice to settle down for the evening. This time the camp was in the center of a beautiful meadow.

Cade tried to help set the encampment up but the young human got in the way more than anything else. Oh well, at least he had made an effort...

Soon supper was baking for the many men, and woman, of the troops. Tonight the meal was green slosh, a rare delicacy as opposed to the usual orange slosh, or so Cade had been told. Tonight instead of clinging to the General's side like a frightened two-year-old he sat off next to Sefhira who was gnawing on the Uygian-equivalent of a ham bone.

"Suppi Cade!" She said, her bird heart beating heavily with excitement.

"Bonjour Sey-heera," he did his best to pronounce her name correctly but it was difficult. As he had already learned this planet had a different alphabetical system and pronunciations of words. The main difference was that vowels were extremely over pronounced and often words that had no vowels were pronounced as if they did.... It was all quite complex.

"So how do you like the food?" The griffin asked, trying to break the ice.

"I've had both worse and better."

"You mean there's better?!" The griffin asked with all honesty. ((Note: Asnee can do many great and awe inspiring things with his magic and yet he can't even make those Pillsbury easy bake biscuits...))

"Yeah Savannah used to make me cakes, sweets, breads... just all kinds of food! It was so delicious..." The boy's mouth began to water at the reminiscent thoughts of the Southern belle's delectable home cooking.

"Savannah... Was she your pifu?"

"Quoi?"

"Your love... Was she your mate?" The griffin asked with a morose expression upon her face.

The boy laughed, "Oh no, she was not my mate. She was just a friend of mine... She was in love with me but I didn't really care for her in that manner... I suppose that it wasn't very nice on my part to let her make me all that food."

They both had a good laugh at that. Cade, despite the fact that the griffin was obviously smitten with him, felt very comfortable around the adolescent bird.

~~~~~*~

A pair of green eyes traveled over the two young odd-species eating across the encampment. The boy looked so angelic with a smile upon his soft, unmarred features. That was the first time the General had seen the boy smile like that... He never smiled because of me... What's this? Jealously... Oh Tiw, I don't need to get myself into this now. I have been blessed with both a brain and a cock but only enough blood to keep one working at a time!... And right now I need my brain!

There was a thunder of laughter coming from the circle of soldiers that the General sat among as Aidan finished his story: "And then I said, Why do you need a goat if you already have three beers?"

This brought the General out of his trance. "Huh?..."

"Well we'd all better head down to the nearby stream to wash-up," the Pyralis said as he sniffed at his own underarm and scratched his ass simultaneously, a very disgusting, very male thing to do.

"Yeah, unless you intend to kill the Sovereign with your stench... How effective!" Kirea teased the Pyralis. "It seems to have already worked on the nearby flowers and small children, give it a day and you could wipe out the whole damn planet!" ((Note: Kirea is really nice, she's just mean to people she knows well and it's just a joking thang)).

"Is that a fact sweetheart?" The man said completely holding in his composure, "well here's another little fact for you sugar. Your brother's a better fuck than you'd ever even HOPE to be! Sucks better than you too...."

"EEEW!" She said covering her elongated ears as she grimaced. "I did NOT need nor did I want to hear that!"

"It's just the truth darlin'. Hey Zlly, you wanna get your little human and bring him with us. I'm kinda curious about the anatomy..."

~~~~~*~

"Hey Cade!"

Both human and griffin turned to see the general approaching.

"Oui? Do you need something?" He asked standing up.

"Naw, it's just that all the guys are going down to the stream to bathe and I thought you might like to come too. You're lookin' pretty scruffy..." The man invited in a friendly manner. For he too was curious about the boy's anatomy. What would it be like to see his cute little ass with no tail to obstruct the view?...

"Everyone? All at once?..." This was no massive army nor was it an exclusive tea party. He had never been naked in front of anyone before really...

"Yeah, you know if you didn't bathe together who'd wash your back?"

"Umm... Maybe later, you know let the people who are actually working go first," Cade managed out trying to sound as casual as possible.

The Cross, however, picked up on his discomfort. "Hey Sef is that Skandronan over there?!" The General said pointing over to some far off brush.

"Skan? Where, where, WHERE?!?! He's so sex-eeeeeeeee!" She said running off. ((Note, Skandronnan and the black Gryphon belong to Mercedes Lackey, I'm just a dork.))

"There she's gone," The General muttered before speaking directly to the young human. "Cade you don't have to be embarrassed. If you have a tiny cock just say that it's large for your species!"

"Thanks," Cade said with a small smile. "But I think that I'll wait."

"Okay, me too then."

"Huh?!" The boy asked in surprise.

"I'm not gonna let you go down there by yourself unless you wanna go with Sef and I can't really assure you that she won't rape you or something... So anyway I'll just go with you."

"All right..."

~~~~~*~

It was late when all of the men had already bathed and the General and his reason wandered down to the stream together. The water was clear and the current was slight, but enough to keep the water fresh. The deepest spot was about five feet.

The moon reflected with a silver shine upon the cool waters. The atmosphere was quite beautiful...

"Okay, now there's no big crowd. Happy?" The General asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it nonchalantly onto a log that lined the shore.

"Yeah," Cade asked removing his own shirt and folding it carefully.

By the time Cade had gotten both of his boots off the General was completely nude and in the stream. "Hurry up," the General playfully urged with a laugh. His eyes, however, never strayed from the boy's form as he pulled down his pants.

Cade blushed feeling the man's eyes boring holes into his body. He was glad that night gave him some, but little protection from the man's gaze. Resolved he quickly removed his under shorts and swiftly jumped into the chest-high water.

"Prude," the Cross taunted with a laugh.

"No... I've just never really been naked around anyone before.

"Not even skinny-dipping with your friends? You're the right age to have done that numerous times by now," Zyllexis speculated.

"N-no I never have.

"No jack off buddies?"

"NO!" The boy's voice registered shock.

"Okay, okay, no need for that now... Man is everyone on Earth as closed off as you?"

"N-no," Cade's gaze went downward. "I think it's just me."

"Oh... Here," the General changed the direction of the conversation by tossing the boy a bar of tallow soap. "Will you get my back for me, and I'll do yours."

"Okay," the boy said stepping up behind him. He gently used a rag that the General had brought along to wet his muscular back, all the way from his shoulders to the top of his tail. Cade then began to lather the soap up he then washed it away.

"Thanks, turn around," the General instructed and the boy obeyed. Zyllexis somehow seemed to have more finesse about this. He smoothly lathered the boy's milky skin, massaging in the process. Cade never knew that washing your back could be a pleasurable thing. He was beginning to become aroused.

"Thanks;" Cade said pulling away before the man was completely done.

"All right," the General laughed. The two then carried on with their cleaning quietly for a while.

"So have you got a girl back home?" The General asked, trying his best to be casual about it.

"No... Well kinda... Not really."

"Elaborate please," the General urged on.

"Well there's this Mademoiselle Savannah and she loves me... But I don't think I like her that way. She is beautiful, so beau, but I'm not really attracted to her.... Does that make any sense?" Cade shook his head in confusion of his own logic.

"Sure it does." I've felt that way about many a girl.

"How about you?" The human boy reciprocated the question.

"Not really... I take lovers a lot. Plenty of one night stands nothing significant."

"Have you ever been in love?" Cade asked looking over at the man who suddenly seemed quite sullen. "Did I say something wrong?" Cade asked when the man did not answer.

"Wha? Oh, oh no it's not you I was just thinkin'. Yeah once or twice. How about you?"

"Nope," Cade said with a sigh.

"Don't rush it kid, it ain't worth it half the time."

"Oui... You're probably right..." Cade then began to shiver. " I think that I'm ready. Are you done?" He inquired.

"Yeah sure," The General conceded although he was not in any hurry to leave. He could see that his smaller companion was not as strong to cold and water as he was.

Cade reached for his clothes and pulled them on quickly, both for warmth and modestly. The Cross exited the water as well, slipping on his pants but not bothering with the shirt seeing as it would come off once they got back to the encampment anyway.

~~~~~*~

Back in the tent Cade decided to sleep without his shirt tonight, his wet hair and body had made it quite damp so he lay it out to dry. Once that was done the boy quickly scrambled under the covers with a shiver. Zyllexis soon came under as well.

"Good night."

"Night." They both said to one another. After a minute or so Cade felt a warm hand upon his flat stomach draw his body nearer to the one behind him. "You're freezing," the General stated matter-o-factly. "Body warmth..." The general yawned. "Sleep tight."

Day Three

They all awoke early the next morning. Cade, much to his embarrassment woke up cuddled against the General. He pulled himself up swiftly and began to put his boots on, followed by his shirt. With drowsiness he rubbed his eyes. As if waking up in some odd world for the second day in a row wasn't enough waking up cuddled against a half naked man was!

"Morning," The Cross mumbled gruffly as he stood up stretching.

"Bonjour, " Cade said lacing up his other boot.

"Sleep well?" The man yawned pulling his pants up.

"Well as can be expected, merci." Cade replied curtly.

"Aww, not much of the cuddly type?" The older man asked with a laugh as he tucked in his shirt.

"What?"

"Nothing. Damn I'm hungry. Let's just hope they made something half-decent for breakfast..." With that he exited the small tent. "C'mon today's gonna be a big day, we have to head out early... Monsoon season in Cascata land, whoopee."

The boy shook his head in bemusement. He just did not understand these people...

~~~~~*~

It was late in the day when the sky began to grow overcast. Clouds billowed and thunder could be heard every so often.

"Come on let's get moving!" Zyllexis called out to the troops behind him loudly.

"I hate storms..." Cade mumbled looking at the General who sat behind him on Katanna's back. Sefhira, whom was still quite angry that Skandronnan had refused to give her an autograph ((Note: Wow, Zyllexis wasn't lying!)) was brining up the rear with Kirea.

"Well this ain't just any old storm kid. We're in Cascata territory... It's monsoon season. It'll set us back a day, we know that but that around route would set us back three. The problem is we need to get to the high stilted huts before the rain starts...

"Monsoon? Like a flood?" The boy tried to keep the nervousness from his voice.

"Yup, and we'll be caught in the middle of it if we don't hurry up. MOVE IT!" He called out to the troops again.

Within fifteen or so minutes Cade could see the little huts that were high off the ground in the distance, just as the rain began to fall.

"Hold on tight Cade," the Cross warned just before he brought his dragon into a run swifter than even the fastest quarter horse could manage. One of the huts was large and stable like, high off the ground his a ramp going into it. He pulled himself along with Cade off of the dragon mutt's back as soon as they got the beast pointed in the right direction. They then ran, for Cade it was quite painful, to one of the huts and began to quickly climb the latter, the water close at their heels. The rest of the soldiers followed suit.

Drenched! Within FIVE minutes they were both completely soaked, that's how hard it was coming down. Dripping with water and out of breath the two men entered the little hut. Zyllexis proceeded to light some candles that he had pulled from a bag that hung off his belt along with his sword and sheath.

Cade looked nervously through the cracks in the reedy floor at the rising water. He hated storms... They brought back memories that he'd sooner forget...

~~~~~*~

~Flashback~ Paris in the Eighteen Hundreds

"Maman! Do we have to move to The United States to live with pere and my sisters?" The little boy asked looking up at his mother with large, chocolate brown eyes.

"Oui mon petit aimez," she confirmed sadly. "But it is a beautiful country and we'll have a large house.

"But mere I like living here with just you. I love you!"

"I know honey but it's for your own good. I'll be there with you. In fact I promise that I'll buy you your own special horse. You may even pick it out yourself."

"Really maman, may I?!" He threw himself into his mother's arms, embracing her. "But why."

"A' cause de rien."

"A cuz de riem?" He asked. He did not know French all that well. And he had never heard that phrase.

"Rien."

"Riem?"

"Fine that can be our phrase: A' cause de riem." She laughed at her son's innocent inability to pronounce the word.

"What does that mean maman?" He asked.

"It means for no reason. Puisque je`taime." She kissed him lightly on the forehead... "But when we say that it will mean I love you. And no one else will know.

~End Flashback~

"Hey kid are you all right?"

"Huh?" Cade asked being drawn from his trance.

"You're shaking, are you all right?

"Yeah I'm okay." He now noticed his own trembling. "I just hate storms. That's all.... Are you sure that this thing is high enough off the ground?"

"Don't worry it's plenty safe. I grew up with Cascata I had to deal with it every year," The General assured him. He was now curious about the boy... He really did not know much about him although he'd like to. "Any particular reason why? I actually kinda like them ((note: anyone who has read the prequels knows that he has his own "special" flashbacks... *_~))."

"Well I... It's nothing...."

"C'mon you can tell me," the other man assured him. "Who'm I gonna tell?"

"You'll think I'm a coward," Cade said looking at his feet.

"No I won't! I peed my pants when I first bought Katanna."

"Really?"

"No, I just wanted you to feel better... Seriously though I won't think less of you..." The man was now quite curious. He wanted, no needed to know.

"Well..."

~Flashback~

"Maman!" Cade screamed at seeing his mother being beaten to the floor. He had no clue why his pere would strike his mother so. "No Pere, NOOO!" He screamed running in-between his parents. No matter what, he must always protect his mother!

"Outta the way ya piece of shit." His father bellowed, picking the slight boy up and throwing him against the wall. "Don't'chew know yer mama's a whore?!?!"

"No she isn't! No!" The little boy ran in rage at his father.

"No Caaaaaade!" His mother shouted but it was too late, his father had stricken him to the floor once again. "Don't you dare hurt him! You bastard!"

Cade, being young, confused and frightened ran out into the night. It was a stormy night and the rain crashed down. The lightning was flashing and the thunder boomed. It was completely dark and terribly frightening.

He tripped several times, slashing through the puddles until his entire body became encrusted with mud.

"CAAAAAAAAAADE!" He heard his mother call behind him. "Plaire Cade! Plaire renquiller!" She called desperately. Her long dirty blonde hair whipping about her face in the wind.

"MAMAN!" He called out. He couldn't see her in the dark. Suddenly though he tripped and became tangled in the wire fence. The rough barbs tearing at his young flesh. "MERE!" He called out in pain.

He saw her then, she was right behind him. Her long flowing dress was covered in mud as well. Her face was tear streaked. "Oh mon fils, mon précieux bebe!" She said.

"Maman..." He said softly looking up at her. All of a sudden the sky was illuminated by a bright white. The lightning bolt striking the tallest object in the open field. "Maman... MAMAN!"

~End Flashback~

((Note he related BOTH flashbacks to him... I'm a horrible writer if you hadn't taken notice and am too lazy to find out some literary-friendly way of letting the reader know this.))

"Oh Cade... I'm sorry to hear that," the Serpentine Tigren cross whispered sincerely.

"Not your fault," he said with a shiver. He was freezing. "I just still kinda get scared. I miss her." Silent tears mingled with the water that drizzled from his chin length blonde hair.

"Well don't worry I'm here to protect you, that is my job after all. You being my reason... Not to be changing the subject but we should both get out of these dripping clothes? Zyllexis said standing up once again. He began to unbutton his sopping shirt.

"All right," Cade agreed nervously beginning to remove his own clothing. He was very self-conscious about his boyish figure. His father had made him wear larger clothes and change only by himself so that no one else you know that he had a "pussy boy' for a son. It was bad enough when they had done it to bathe outside in the dark... But with the flickering light of a candle to illuminate the small hut.

Finally stripped down to his under shorts he turned to face the General. He was quite shocked to find the man completely nude setting out some blankets that he had found in a chest that was in the small hut. The young human blushed profusely.

"Hey man those are wet too," the Cross said noticing that the human was still partially clothed. "I've already seen it so it's no big deal."

"All right," Cade said pulling them off and then swiftly hiding beneath one of the covers. He ducked beneath the covers not only to hide his body but also to hide the affect the General's body had on his own. Damnez! He thought. I should not be thinking this way.

The General laughed as he got beneath the covers, the same covers as Cade, for the same REASON as Cade, and said, "goodnight you odd little human.

"Goodnight Lex."

~~~~~*~

Lex sighed, That was the first time he's called me that really. I think that he's beginning to open up. I hope so. He looked over at the boy, who was slumbering soundly. His deep, even breaths the only noise he made. He looked so tranquil and calm. I wonder if it's just a fascination with the species or with him... He is really quite beautiful... Yes very beautiful. Maybe Aidan was right.... He laughed out loud. Brining him here was probably a fuck up but at least he's a pretty fuck up.

Emboldened by the sound of soft snores Zyllexis leaned over and gently placed his lips to the boy's for a lingering moment. Such soft lips. The moisture of the boy's rosy mouth staying upon his own.

"Okay, I'm really beginning to think that I'm an actual nympho..." The Serpentine Tigren cross mumbled to himself with a laugh before settling back down and finally letting sleep over come him.

Day Four

Cade woke up quite cold... He opened his eyes, his lids fluttering a few times drowsily. It was still early morning, the sky partially dark. He reached down to pull the blanket more over him when he realized that he'd completely kicked it off. He sat up quickly and jerked the blanket over himself modestly.

Certain that he was completely covered he looked over at the general. Soft snores and male grunts assured Cade that he was still sound asleep. The boy stood up quickly and began to dress himself.

"What're you doin'? Go back to sleep," the General mumbled, his voice lethargic sounding.

"I can't sleep any more," Cade lied. He hadn't really tried to fall back asleep.

"Suit yourself, but be quiet," the response was almost inaudible, as the man was quickly taken over by sleep once again.

Once he was completely dressed he just sat there and looked over the sleeping figure once again. A puddle of drool coming from the General's mouth. Cade then ran his hands through his own damp hair, trying to comb it out, subconsciously hoping that it was damp from the rain and not the Cross' bad habit of salivating in his sleep...

"Hey CAAAAAAADE!" Sefhira called loudly through the open window, waking nearly the entire camp. "Oops.... Hey Cade," She whispered.

"Hi," He replied quietly.

"Wanna help me and Kirea get breakfast started?"

"All right," he said walking over to the door. He opened it and looked out upon the sunny morning. It was actually quite a beautiful day. Calm after the storm... He looked down, the water level had lowered significantly just as Zyllexis has said it would but they would have to remain here a day until all that was left were deep mud puddles.

"Here, get on my back," she said. It was somewhat difficult seeing as there was no where for her to perch but they managed. Although he was only upon her back for a minute or so while the griffin swiftly flew him back over to her and Kirea's hut it was one of the most exciting minutes of his life! ((Note: Well at least until you get to the Repercussions chapter ~_*))

Soaring through the air, weightlessness... Perhaps he could convince Zyllexis to let him fly on Katanna later....

"Woah," was all Cade could manage.

"I know, I'm impressive," Sefhira said with a giggle as she landed upon the edge of the door to a hut similar to the one Cade had spent the night with Zyllexis the previous evening.

"Come in!" Kirea called from inside. The inside however was much different. This one was designed like a kitchen and was stocked with rations. "I'm just getting all the stuff ready."

"You guys spent the night in here?" Cade asked looking over the surroundings.

"Oh, no, Sef flew me over. We're gonna make breakfast this morning. Here I made some muffins already, what do you think?" She said holding one up to him, the appeared to have some sort of fruit in them.

Cade skeptically took a bite. Aside from the occasional crunch of an eggshell, a raspberry colored hair on the bottom of it, and an over all burnt ness the taste was tolerable. "Hey that's not bad," Cade said encouragingly.

"Thank you!... I don't see what's wrong with my little brother and Aidan, they just don't appreciate home cooking... Men just don't understands, do they Cade?"

"Um, Kirea I am a man," Cade said, if he were an anime character he would have sweat-dropped, fallen over, or one of those other comical things.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forget sometimes," she said with an embarrassed smile. "Aaaaaanyways, let's get baking."

~~~~~*~

20 minutes later...

"FUCKING... GOD DAMMINT... SHIIIIIIIIT!" Kirea screamed out in a very unfeminine manner. "I CANNOT COOK!"

"I can't either!" Sefhira cried.

"And I'm just scared of women!" All three huddled together crying over the mess of flower, yeast, sugar, and random animal bits...

Suddenly Aidan and Zyllexis came in; both had flown over on Katanna's back. At seeing the site of the three baking-ingredient-covered people they burst out laughing.

Their laughter and mocking was soon heavily punished by the chucking of baking utensils, ingredients, and any other objects in range at the two men. The two leaders were forced to evacuate.

"We won!" Kirea called holding a spatula up like a victorious sword!"

"Yay!" Sefhira said between licks to Cade's face.

"Eew, stop that!" Cade said hitting the bird with whisk.

"What? I was just trying to clean you off?" She whimpered with feigned innocence.

"God.... "

~~~~~*~

The majority of the day was done doing splendid nothingness. Zyllexis, Aidan, and Kirea (once she was cleaned up) worked on laying out a battle plan. Sefhira and Katanna battled for Cade's affections and Cade jacked off all day thinking about woodchucks.... ((Note: Okay the last thing never happened but I can't think of anything to make him be doing! Okay?!?!)

~~~~~*~

"Hey Cade," Zyllexis said coming into their hut late that night. The boy was perched by a candle trying to decipher some of the Uygian writings. He was quite surprised to find that not only did he now speak their language he could read it as well.

"Lex, I can read this. But it's in a different language that your regular one... Or am I just stupid?"

"No, you're not stupid Cade, you're right. It's in the old language. Only used by mages and old timers like me. This is an old Tiwmage's prayer book," he said as he took the book from the boy and tossed it into the trunk that he had found it.

"Let's go to bed, tomorrow we have to haul ass to make up for lost time."

"All right," Cade said sitting up and crawled over to the blankets. His boots were already removed so all he had to do was crawl under the covers.

"You know Cade that's the only outfit you have, if you wear it 24-7 it's gonna get pretty disgusting... Here," Lex said as he tossed Cade an extra shirt from his bag. You can sleep in that if you're uncomfortable.

"Bon, merci... Thanks."

Day Five

The troops were underway quite quickly the next morning. They had lost a day; they needed to be there. The fate of the world could count on it ((Note: hahaha, how cliche)) actually only the government depended on it but the first line sounds more dramatic.

~~~~~*~

"Hey Kirea," Aidan said, brining his dragon into a trot to catch up with the Serpentine femme.

"What?" She asked with feigned exasperation.

"Wanna place some bets?"

"What kind of bet?" She inquired skeptically.

"I bet that your bro up there fucks the little human before the end of this story..."

"What story?"

"Story? Did I say story? Hehehee, sweat drop Never mind that. By the end of the war is what I mean." Aidan said nervously, the Pyralis who knew too much...

"But that won't work because I'd bet the same way you would. I'd bet my last Phens that he's gonna fuck him. I'd die of shock if he didn't!"

"Such a way to talk about your brother!" Aidan gasped playfully. "But so very, very true."

"Wanna place bets on whether or not the feather duster will get in the way?"

"I think that Zyllexis will probably order Katanna to kill her!" Kirea exclaimed.

"Sad thing is, you're probably right."

Day Six

Marching on and on the Revolt troops continued on their way as they had done the previous day, trying very hard to make up for lost time... Tirelessly going on and on. Never stopping or giving in. They still had no sign of the Sovereign troops but they knew that it would come soon enough.

Cade and Zyllexis had found themselves growing closer for some reason. It was as though some invisible barrier had been broken but they knew not when or how... But friendship was pushed back by the grim reminder of the battle that was still to come. Cade was now walking alongside the dragon at times, his leg doing quite well thanks to some powder that Asnee had provided him with before their initial departure.

"Hey listen." Zyllexis said hushing the troops. Cade listened closely but could not detect anything unusual. But then again his human ears were about a quarter of the size of the elve's ears.

"I hear it," Kirea confirmed preparing a crossbow by casting a poison spell over the sharp tips of the arrows. "The jangling noise, only the Sovereign's troops make that noise." The aforementioned sound was a distinct clanking made by the armor that the Sovereigns troops shielded their dragons with. Any disciplined elve could hear it a mile away.

"Be ready, they're not far off. Probably over the next few hills," Aidan put in.

"Men," Zyllexis said, and then looking at his sister continued, "and lady. We will head up to the next hilltop and wait for them there. They know that we are here as well."

~~~~~*~

Cade sat ducked behind the troops, Sefhira was just right beside him. He knew no magic or swordsmanship so he would be useless to the Revolt troops when the battle began. All that could be done was to wait for the enemy to approach.

"There!" Kirea informed pointing to the hilltop opposite the one they were mounted on. The Sovereign troops, a trimix of Pyralis, Cascata, and Barak soldiers unlike the revolt, which hosted troops of all species and clans.

All of the Revolt troops stood up behind their leader. "All right men, the time is now!" Zyllexis cut off what could have been a long speech by descending upon the opposition; the remainder of the troops followed suit.

Cade stayed atop the hill and watched in fascination. This was a great deal more thrilling than ANYTHING he'd seen back in his own war. The men lunged at one another, exchanging blows and cuts with their swords fiercely. Magic being used all about, illuminating the chaotic battlefield in all sorts of beautiful colors.

"How boring!" Sefhira had commented before falling asleep with her head propped on Cade's thigh.

The boy's main focus, however, was upon General Zyllexis. Already he had taken out a good number of the opposing warriors and, from what the young human's eyes could see had not a single scratch or for it. The man fought beautifully, simply beautifully... So graceful so fluid... He was ruthless yet honorable... Cade had never seen anything like it. His heart was pounding in his rib cage, his stomach cramped with excitement. What Zyllexis was doing was not fighting, it was an ART!

Much to his own embarrassments Cade found himself becoming quite worked up over the battle. Yes he had quite an admiration for the General. But that was as far as his feelings went... But he couldn't help but admit to himself that he felt more compelled towards this man in the fleeting days that he had known him than he had felt towards Savannah in the entire time that he knew her...

The battle was over within two hours, all of the remaining soldiers from both factions exhausted but the outcome was that the Revolt had won. They had broken through the Sovereign's main defense. Meaning, the troop guarding the Sovereign's head quarters beneath the city of Lauchtin would be weaker and fewer. Victory was so close within their grasp.

~~~~~*~

To celebrate their approaching victory many of the soldiers were going to bars and many other seedy scenes within Lauchtin, the biggest gambling city in all of Uyigs. Cade had tagged along with Aidan and Lex to a bar known for betting. He watched in fascination as the General and Aidan played a game called ZUG ZUG ZUG with two other men as partners. It seemed to be, well to Cade at least, a rather complicated game.

"I raise you fifty Phens ((note: Currency)) and a Pei Key," one of the other men, a Mutt, proposed.

"No, no, no. I'm not taking that bet," the Cross said pushing the key back towards the Mutt. "I don't do keys."

"Oh you don't swing that vine? The CR ((classification ring)) says otherwise."

"No," Zyllexis corrected; "I just prefer it to be consensual. I don't like whores who don't get paid for what they're doing."

"I do!" Aidan chipped in. "Zyllexis, I'll take the Key and you take the Phens."

"Fine." Their preference of prize turned out to be insignificant anyway, they lost... Quite poorly.

The other man, whom they had been playing against, a rather effeminate fox elve said. "If you want I'll be the zug next time. It'd be very consensual;" he playfully ran his hand along the General's face.

"Thanks but no thanks honey," the Cross said. With that the two men left.

"Ah... I haven't played that in a while," The general said walking over to the bar.

"Good thing too or you'd be a helluva lot poorer." Both elves had a good laugh. Cade was merely confused. He hadn't the slightest what that was all about.

"Hey Cade, c'mon get a drink with us!" The general signaled him over to the bar.

The boy walked over through the smoky room. "What do you want?" The Cross asked him.

"Oh I don't have any money..." Cade informed him, knowing that booze was universally an expensive item.

"Don't worry about it, my treat."

"Umm... Whatever you're having."

Those three words were possibly the biggest mistake of his life. Who knew that it was possible to get flat on your ass DRUNK within three sips! The young human was sauntering around the bar clumsily, crashing into things (and people) as he went along his way to the table where Aidan and Zyllexis, seemingly unaffected by the intoxicants, were once again commencing in a game of ZUG.

"Lex..." He said between hiccups.

The Cross, seeing the state that his young companion was in, laughed. "Yeah kid?"

"Oi finks dat I needs ta get some.... air..." Cade slurred out, at the end forgetting the synonym for oxygen.

"Okay then. Don't wander too far away," both of the elven men laughed as Cade stumbled out of the bar.

As he bumped into a coat rack by the door he said, "Pardonner moi! I didn't mean to step on your goat mademoiselle, I'm very sorry."

~~~~~*~

That was entertaining!" Aidan said as he watched the human fumble for the doorway.

"Yeah, I guess humans don't take to booze very well," he laughed. "I hope he's okay."

"Ooooh."

"Don't even go there with me Aidan," the General warned.

"You're smitten with our little extraterrestrial human reason? Ey? Come on kid you can tell me..." The older Pyralis man managed.

"Ah I don't know. There's just somethin' about him... So pure." Zyllexis said looking at the door through which the small human had just exited. "It's refreshing to see that... I don't know..." the general put his head in his hands with frustration. "Do I make any sense to you at all Aid?"

"Perfect sense." The Pyralis leaned over and kissed his young once-lover gently. "That's how I saw you."

"But I didn't love you like that," the General replied morosely.

"And he's not you and you're not me..." The two elve's conversation was cut short by a strangled scream.

"CADE?!?!"

~~~~~*~

The two men had rushed out the door just in time to see a Sovereign soldier taking the young human away. In the loud pandemonium and hectic noise of the bar they had not heard the warning jangle.

"God dammit!" Aidan cursed. "How the hell could they have known about Cade?... I guess word travels fast... Well that's just great. There goes our reason."

"Our reason?" Zyllexis returned, "There goes Cade!... We have to get him back. Find the troops, we're going now."

"Kid we don't have a snowball's chance in hell! All the men are tired and drunk! It's the wee hours of the night! Keep your senses man, we can go after him in the morning...."

"Aidan, I said we're going now. We are going NOW."

Day Seven

It was three AM before all of the Revolt soldiers were assembled and headed towards the Sovereign's HQ. They knew where he was, it was no secret. The man made no attempt to hide his location, but he had it well away from the city that it was so close to. The entire city of Lauchtin was built over solid rock that was full of natural caves, which with some magic expanded and became the Sovereign's quarters.

"Listen men I know that you're all tired but this could be the last battle. His men are tired too, it will be fine. Just be strong and be proud," Zyllexis looked over his troops. How he had ever come into a position of leadership he still did not understand but he hoped that he was doing a half decent job... At the moment their was not time to ponder his qualifications though, they needed to get in there are save Cade... Err, protect their means of wining.

~~~~~*~

With a splitting headache that came from a mix of being knocked unconscious and having a hangover Cade awoke. He was in a dark room chained up against a wall. He tried to speak but he found that his mouth was gagged. With panic he began to make useless attempts to break free by thrashing against the wall.

"That will really do you no good young human," a voice came from a person that he had neglected to see enter the room. "You are securely bound and tied... So my brother brought you to our world."

Brother, Cade though. But Asnee was so old.. and Didn't look a thing like this guys.

"Magicians can take many forms young one," the Sovereign replied to his thoughts. "Hardly ever do we use our real ones.... But that is beside the point. If Asnee saw that there is something within you powerful enough to challenge me then I think that you must be significant in some way. But what could possibly be so powerful in you that you could defeat me?...." The Mutt pondered allowed.

Both the Elve and the boy were taken off guard as they heard loud crashing noises, unquestionably battle sounds, coming from above. The Sovereign, realization dawning on him like a thousand suns, smiled cruelly and the restrained human. "Or... Are you just bait?"

~~~~~*~

"CAAADE?!?! Lex called out as he ran swiftly through the winding underground corridors. The battle that raged on above him so loudly made it next to impossible to hear. His troops battled on, creating enough of a diversion for him to slip by unnoticed. "Tiw help me," he whispered softy. I must find him. I must! I... I think that I love him. "CAAAAAAAAAAAADE!" Oh God why can't we ever see what we need until it's gone...

~~~~~*~

"Wwwweeeexxxx!" Cade muffled out upon hearing his own name.

Much to the boy's surprise the Sovereign approached him and untied the gag. "Let him hear you."

Cade, not particularly caring about the man's actions called out, "LEX!"

Soon the Tigren Serpentine cross came charging into the room, sword drawn, elongated fangs bared spitefully. No body but me fucks with my pifu!

"Dupxinu General Zyllexis. At last we meet."

"Do you wish to fight me aie vexqomt zyhgyvw!" ((Note: you fucking bastard)) The General said, still maintaining his battle stance.

"sigh I have little time for games but very well then." The tricross elve then drew a long, elegant looking rapier from within his cloak, which he threw aside. "To the death my enemy."

And thus the final battle commenced. Zyllexis lunged at the Sovereign, but he blocked swiftly and made a cut at him. And for the rest of the fight it was commenced like that. One move followed by another, and another, and another only to repeated once again like some deadly dance. Strike block blow, strike, block, block, blow, strike, strike, block...

Cade became the most nervous he felt that he had ever been in his entire life! The Sovereign would often use magic against the half-breed but the Cross never once used it in return... Actually Cade had never seen the man use magic. He found this quite odd but was too transfixed with the battle to really care.

Zyllexis screamed in pain as a blow hit him flat on the shoulder, but he just grit his teeth and carried on. "I know your weakness," The mage said softly as he cast pokeow-voju an elemental attack that consisted of both fire and water. "You are afraid of magic..."

The General's entire body surged with tremors of pain that waved over his entire body. "Tiw supl nu..." ((Note: God help me)) He grunted out in agony as he shook the spell off of himself and lunged once again at the sovereign, one of the most powerful mages in the universe, next to his brother.

Their swordplay resumed, Zyllexis snake like reflexes never giving the man a change to start another spell...

After an eternity of this grueling, savage fighting it was obvious that both men were tired, especially the General. I have trained too hard and come too damn far to be thrown over by the likes of you!

Zyllexis suddenly had the wind completely knocked out of him. His teeth clenched in agony as he looked down upon the sword that had entered through his belly and presumable exited through his back. His own sword clattered to the floor and he sunk down on one knee. "Vexq aie!" He managed to spit out, along with some blood.

"I guess that my brother was wrong, my little faggot. You're reason isn't good enough," Sovereign said smugly looking over at the tied up boy.

Zyllexis, summoning all of the strength within his body arose. He clenched the handle of the sword going through his stomach and drew it out. "He is more than good enough..... Die and rot in hell YOU FUCKING BASTAAAARD!" He yelled as he swung at the Tricross Elve. Sovereign never saw it coming... The man's head fell to the ground, soon followed by the thud of his decapitated body. "You dumb fuck, you can fight but you're really an idiot... Killed by your own sword. Hehehehe...."

The victory was short lived as the General Collapsed to his knees and then gradually lay down.

"LEX!" Cade screamed thrashing more violently. "AIDAN! KIREA! ANYBODY!" He called out. He needed help and soon. "AIIIIIDER! HELP!"

After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, although it was only a minute or so, Aidan, Kirea, and a few other soldiers came rushing into the room. "Kirea, Aidan help him!" Cade cried.

The soldiers were all over it while Kirea came over and swiftly undid his shackles. "Lex!" He yelled running over to the man. The man who risked, and may have given, his life for him. The young human sat aside the fallen form of his comrade. "Lex... No." Cade said, taking a soldier's place at holding a rag to the wound.

"Kicked ass didn't I?" Lex asked softly before blacking out.

"Lex... LEEEX!" Cade shouted, tears streaming down his face... "No, dammit, NO!" You can't leave me now! No... Je avoir besoin vous...

~~~~~*~

Cade paced the outside of the medical tent nervously. The grass worn from the area. Sefhira sat silently beside him, making sure to be there in the event that he were to need her. What if Lex wasn't all right? What if he wasn't okay? Suddenly the flap of the tent opened and Asnee, who had mystically appeared during the night sometime ((Note: wizards often do that when it fits the plot purposes ~_*)).

"Asnee is he?..." Cade asked clutching desperately at the man's robe.

"Relax son, he's just fine. It is illegal here to perform healing spells... But only if you get caught," the elderly man said with a mischievous smile. "You may go in and see him, he is awake."

Without any further encouragement Cade ran into the tent to see Zyllexis lying on a cot, looking quite calm. "Lex!" He called running over to his companion. Without thinking he threw his arms about the man in a tight embrace. "When I thought that you might be dead it scared me so much," Cade whispered against the Cross' bear chest. "I don't know why...."

"Well don't worry about it any more kiddo, I'm just fine. You're fine and this whole damned war is over," he assured him as he soothingly rubbed the boy's back. The heat of the boy's body warm against his. He could feel the human's anxious heart beat rapidly. He wanted this moment to go on for eternity...

"That's right! Oh I'm so glad you're ok..." Aidan interjected coming into the tent. He was soon followed by the rest of the troops all wanting to see their beloved leader. Cade was nonchalantly pushed off to the side. He would just have to continue this conversation later.

~~~~~*~

Later didn't come for hours! It was late that night and all of the Revolt army had gathered just outside of Lauchtin to celebrate their perilous victory against the heinous Sovereign. It would be in history books for years to come... And the Sovereign followers we're taking it quite well actually. For once things seemed to be going right ((Note: Sappy! Gag me with a fork!)). At the moment the biggest concern was finding enough beer to get an army drunk and lemme tell you most soldiers in the Revolt army need a LOT of booze to get drunk.

A band was playing music on odd instruments that Cade had never heard of before but thought that they sounded beautiful anyway. Having already had enough bad experience with alcohol in his short lifetime he decided to abstain for the evening and just enjoy the atmosphere.

Sefhira and Katanna were both drunk ((someone thought it would be funny to booze up the animals! `-_'-)) and playing tag, it was rather cute actually.

"Hey there," Cade heard a voice behind him.

He turned around to see Kirea, looking even prettier than usual dressed in a silky blue dress that fit in all the right places... Strangely though Cade did not lust for her, no he lusted for another elve with the same Serpentine bloodlines, he just could not admit it to himself. "Bonjour," he replied with a smile.

"So how does it feel to be the reason she won?" She asked with a little smile. She smiled quite similarly to her brother, Cade noticed, they both actually had a lot in common.

"Lex did all the work. He's the reason." The human replied matter-o-factly.

"Sure whatever. Well I'll see you around sweetheart," she said pressing a kiss to his cheek." She then walked away to join some of the men within the crowd.

"I'm envious," Cade was startled to hear Zyllexis say from behind him.

"It was only on the cheek," the human returned with a smile. "Besides she's your sister." He laughed. One of the only times that Zyllexis had ever heard him laugh. Funny I never realized how sad he looked until he smiled.

I meant of her... "So how's it going?" The man asked sitting down next to the young human.

"Good," he said. "And you? Feelin' any better?"

"Yeah I feel fine actually."

There was an awkward silence that hung heavily in the air for a moment or two. "Lex I never got to thank you properly. I really appreciate what you've done for me. Really I have... What can I do to repay you?"

"Meet me at the Pymiej hotel tomorrow night at eight. Okay? I need to tell you something..."

"All right, that's fine."

"See you around."

"See ya..."

Repercussions

Cade walked hurriedly through the rain. Somehow rain seemed less terrifying than it had before. Soaked clothing clung to his body, long pieces of dusty blond hair plastered against his head. He could see General Zyllexis waiting for him outside in front of the grand hotel, his body sheltered from the rain by the overhanging roof. Cade stared up at the splendid building in awe. He had not expected such luxury from the General; in fact Cade thought that the man would be more comfortable in a box rather than in a hotel that most likely had presidential suites, that is if such things existed on a planet like this. He waved his arm up into the air to get the mutt's attention but the man didn't not take notice of him. That's odd, Cade thought, usually he's so attentive. The young solider, getting over his astonishment at the hotel, now noticed that Zyllexis was perversely out of it. He just stared off into the rain; it was obvious that he was preoccupied with something. Cade figured that it must have been the secret that Zyllexis had been planning to reveal that made his so anxious. But it was beyond the young human's comprehension as to what could be so unpleasant.

Cade continued forward until he was just behind Zyllexis, whom was still oblivious to his presence. "Bonjour," He said putting a cold hand upon Zyllexis' shoulder.

The sepentine-tirgren Cross then, startled, jumped around quickly, a little gasp emitting from his mouth as he did so. When he saw that it was Cade he didn't relax anymore than before. What's wrong with him? Cade could not understand why his friend was acting so strangely; he seemed so tense and uptight. "Suppi Cade," Zyllexis said with little emotion in his voice.

The two then stood there silently for a moment. Cade, feeling rather uncomfortable, lamely suggested, "I don't know about you but I'm freezing maybe we could go inside."

Zyllexis looked down at the human. "Oh of course you're drenched!" He exclaimed just noticing the drowned-cat look that his companion now had. He placed a hand on Cade's upper back and led him inside, past the uniformed clerk at the desk whom was obviously drunk, most likely celebrating that the war had finally come to an end, and up a few flights of stairs, all equipped with beautiful mahogany banisters. He then led him down a long hall to his room. Zyllexis fumbled with a key for a moment, cursing at it lowly before the door finally swung in.

Cade stepped into the room and Zyllexis followed, shutting the door and with a swift wrist motion locked it. The suite was not nearly as extravagant as he had first expected to see in a hotel like this, but that pleased Cade for had it been any nicer he would have been perturbed. The walls were painted pale yellow with a plain flowered trim around the doors as well as a small window. There was a double bed, which looked quite luxurious, stacked high with feathery pillows. A few other modest pieces served as space fillers. A kerosene lamp burned brightly on a table by the divan.

"Nice room," Cade said. He waited a moment for Zyllexis to reply. When he did not Cade continued. "So what was it that you wanted to tell me?" The sepentine-tirgren Cross let a grunt pass in his throat it sounded almost pained. His head hung low as if he was ashamed of something. Cade, beginning to grow weary of this game that Zyllexis was playing, blurted out, "Hey Lex, whatever it is it can't be that bad! Just tell me please... I can't stand the silence; it`s so unlike you!"

There was a moment before Zyllexis said softy. "I'm gay." He didn't turn around to look Cade in the eye.

"Well you don't look very happy to me! --"

"No!" Zyllexis turned towards Cade from a moment, his green eyes blazed with anger that Cade was unaware he possessed. He then turned away abruptly, not wanting to face him. Why does he have to make this so hard! "I take pleasure in the company of other men... You should have known by the classification ring, but I guess no one really explained that to you..."

"Oh... OH!" Cade said. It suddenly dawned on him why Zyllexis looked so upset. That was quite a secret. "I never really thought you to be the gay type..." He enunciated that word with a little spite.

"There's no such thing as a type. It's just how we are, some of us like women some of us like men. I fall in the later category." There was a moment of silence before the young general continued. "You know, how he said that you were the determining factor in the war? That you were the reason we won?"

"Yes." Cade replied apathetically. "But it wasn't true. I did nothing. I wasn't the reason..."

"Yes you were. I would have never faced the Sovereign alone. But when I heard that he had you I went in there to save you... I don't think that I would have gone in there for any one else... And in doing so I defeated him and we won the war. So you see, you were the reason... You are my reason." Zyllexis looked down in shame, his slit green pupils fixated on some invisible spot between his feet. His sexuality had never been so bothersome to him in years... Since the last time he had been truly in love. He knew that he was in it again. That old familiar sting, the pain that heaved heavily in his chest whenever the boy was near him... He was just so afraid to lose him. He almost had.

"But why?..."

"O pifu aie," Zyllexis spoke softly in his native tongue but then corrected himself, knowing that Cade didn`t understand, "Because I care for you. And I thought that maybe you cared for me too. Or could at least learn to..."

"Me? Why would you think that of me?" Cade said, trying to retain his masculine side. But he knew what Zyllexis was saying held some truth. On those nights during the past week, when it had been cold and he could sense the warmth of Zyllexis' body next to his, sleeping peacefully, he had to fight the urge to snuggle up next to him. To hold him in his arms and not let go. And when he thought that Zyllexis was going to die, he sobbed tears that were stronger than ones that you'd cry for a mere bunkmate. Also, on the numerous times during the war when he had seen Zyllexis unclothed he had to force himself to look away, his eyes were always transfixed on the larger man's muscular frame.

"You know what I'm talking about..." Zyllexis said. He hoped that he was right, so as to convince the boy that he could love him. He knew that Cade was interested in him to a certain extent, or at the very least curious.

"Lex... I don't know what you want me to say... Hell I don't even know what I want to say!" Cade said. So many things that he could do, so many things he could say, but nothing sounded right to him.

"Then don't say anything." Zyllexis pulled Cade's body up against his in an embrace. Zyllexis seemed unaware of the other soldier's soaked clothing. Cade, somewhat reluctantly, lightly wrapped his arms around the older man's waist. But once he had he didn't really regret it. It felt kind of... right. He had wanted the General, he loved him but... He thought that the temptation would be gone as soon as he went home in a few days and had done his best not the think of it.

"Cade, may I kiss you?" Zyllexis asked, he wasn't sure if Cade's answer really changed the fact that he was going to, but he wanted to make sure that the boy still felt like he was in control of the situation.

"Oui... if you really want to," Cade's voice had come out more timidly than he had intended it to.

Zyllexis took his arms from around Cade's shoulders. He used them to bring the younger man's mouth up to his own.

Zyllexis, so as not to intimidate Cade, started slowly. He kissed him gently on the lips for a few moments and then opened his mouth a little but not too intensely. Cade neither did much in the way of compliancy, nor did he resist. After a few moments Zyllexis decided to go for a real kiss. He softly inserted his tongue into the human's mouth for a passionate French kiss. The young solider began to kiss back for an instant but then pulled away abruptly. Pushing the larger man away from him, somewhat violently.

"Lex this is wrong. It's not natural... People who do this are bad people not like you and me." Cade protested. "Or is that normal here..."

"Cade, I don't know what your parents or your church or your friends told you but love is never wrong. Love is a wonderful thing, and it's an indiscriminate thing as well. It doesn't care whether you're a male loving a female or a man loving another man. It doesn't matter; you love whom you love. What is wrong and unnatural about that?!"

"...Nothing. But don't you care what people think about you? What if they think you are disgusting?" Cade said. He had seen queers beaten and slaughtered for their beliefs. He did not wish to see that cruel fate befall the young General, nor himself for that matter.

"Cade, people who speak badly of people like me are just afraid of what they don't understand and hidden feelings within themselves. Besides, it doesn't matter to me what they think only what you think... What do you feel? You don't have to be afraid to tell me Cade..." Zyllexis said hugging the young human once again.

Cade sighed. He decided that honesty would be the best policy. "I'm nervous." And scared to death! He mentally added. "I don't want to be different... I want to do this but I don't know how..." Did you even know that was my first kiss?! Cade said looking insistently into Zyllexis' soft green eyes; cat eyes that he had never seen anything like before. They reflected the colors around the room, like little mirrors. And in the dark they gave off a pale green tint. The way they drew up in the corner and the black tattoo along his left one. Zyllexis had beautiful eyes. Why had he never noticed before?

"How about I lead you along and teach you what to do. We can do as much or as little as you like." Zyllexis lowered his mouth down to Cade's once again. He resumed the French kiss, and Cade kissed back. Affectionately they massaged the insides of each other's mouths, licked and nibbled upon one another's lips, and held on to each other tightly. It was a feeling unlike anything that Cade had ever experienced before.

Cade felt Zyllexis' hands come up to his chest and began to unbutton his soaking white shirt. The boy became a little uneasy at this but did not protest. Zyllexis stopped the kissing for a moment so that he could pull his shirt from the pants. He unbuttoned the boy's trousers slowly, purposely rubbing his hands up against Cade, and pulled the garment out from being tucked in. The young solider slightly trembled at the feeling of Zyllexis' hands; no one had ever touched him there before. Zyllexis, sensing Cade's discomfort, buttoned his trousers back up. " Is that better?"

"Oui," was all Cade managed to get out as Zyllexis undid the buttons at his wrists.

Once they were undone Zyllexis pulled Cade's shirt off and discarded the wet article of clothing on the floor. He then did away with his own shirt quickly. Cade looked at the well chiseled muscles of Zyllexis' arms, chest, and stomach and then looked to his own. He frowned; a feeling on inadequacy engulfed him. His arms were thin and devoid of muscles. His chest and stomach were gaunt, his ribs jutting out. He looked like a little boy instead of a young man of seventeen. He felt ashamed.

Cade, in surprise, felt Zyllexis' hands draw his face up so that their eyes met. "What's wrong?" The sepentine-tirgren mutt said with a look of concern in his soft green eyes.

"What do you think is wrong? Just look at me! I've been fighting in a war and busting my ass and what do I have to show for it? No muscle at all! I look like a ten-year-old." Cade averted his gaze. He figured that Zyllexis must be very disappointed. The loose fitting shirts that Cade was so fond of hid his scarce frame.

"Sexiest ten-year-old I've ever seen," Zyllexis said with a laugh.

"It's not funny," Cade said with a harsh tone. "Just look at you. You're the definition of masculine. I am weak... A disgrace." His father had relentlessly pounded those ideals into his mind. They could not be chased away so easily.

"Don't be that way," Zyllexis said letting his lips brush against Cade's brow. "You're beautiful..." He held the young human's body to his. Naked chest to naked chest. "Besides, it's not the size of the waves that rock the boat; it's the motion of the ocean."

Cade couldn't help but express amusement at Zyllexis' suggestive joke. The man had this talent for always lightening the mood somehow. And thus they resumed kissing.

Cade felt the sepentine-tirgren Cross's hands rubbing his back in a gentle massage, trying to ease his tension. Next bringing his hands around to begin massaging Cade's non-existent pectorals. Waves of pleasure went through Cade's small frame as Zyllexis played with his nipples, which were already hardened from the cold air and rain. His thumb and forefinger working magic. The young human could feel his blood run down into his groin, engorging his male appendages.

Apparently Zyllexis could tell as well, feeling Cade's arousal press against his thigh. The older man looked down at him with a smile; he liked knowing that he had an affect on the boy. Zyllexis then brought his hand down inside of Cade's britches and began to lightly stroke the boy's manhood, making it harden even more so. Cade let a little grunt pass his clenched teeth. Much to his disappointment Zyllexis brought his hands away from that area and held on to his own thin fingers, only to pull them up to his own chest and release them and resume his previous activity.

Taking Zyllexis' hint, Cade began to feel the older soldier's hard muscles. Zyllexis' nipples were larger than his but they were also a darker shade, for his were a soft pink and Zyllexis' were a dark brown that stood out against his tan skin. Cade tried to copy what Zyllexis had done to him, and apparently it was working for he could feel something-rigid press against his stomach. Of course the pressure against his stomach was greater than that against Zyllexis' thigh, but the larger man made it quite clear that their significant size difference was of little concern.

Zyllexis streamed kisses along the sides on Cade's mouth and worked his way down to his pointed jaw, then lower still as he ran suctioning kisses along the young soldier's neck. But this sweet torture was difficult to execute vertically. So Zyllexis, to Cade's surprise, swiftly picked up the young human and set him down on the bed in a reclined sitting position. The General then straddled the boy's hips and resumed blazing a trail of passion down Cade's rain-damp skin. The boy put his arms around Zyllexis' shoulders; his fingernails dug into the skin of the soldier's back as spasms of pure ecstasy ran through his young body.

"Just relax..." Zyllexis' hot breath tickled Cade's neck as he spoke. Cade loosened his grip, trying to comply but finding it hard not to roughly pull the sepentine-tirgren Cross down against him.

Zyllexis made his way down lower on Cade's body. He took extra time on Cade's small male nipples, which he had already figured out were a particularly sensitive part of the young human's body. To show his appreciation of this Cade emitted the most erotic moans that Zyllexis' had ever received from one of his lovers, this pleased the general very much.

After Zyllexis felt that he had spent sufficient time in pleasuring that area of Cade's body, he trailed his lips farther south down his partner's mass, licking around the boy's navel. As he did so Cade's hands were lost in his soft red hair, massaging his scalp delightfully, but the boy's hands stopped as he felt Zyllexis fumble with the buttons of his pants. The sepentine-tirgren Cross' hands trembled with a need that he had not experienced for another man in years. It had only been a month or so since his last lover, but he felt as if he'd been starved from such passion for years.

Cade sat up slightly, propping his body up with his arms. He watched wide-eyed as Zyllexis discarded his pants and boots, and then his under shorts. His now entirely nude body, despite the fact that he was now sweating, suddenly felt cold exposed to the air of the room. He blushed profusely, a bad habit for a boy, again he felt too little. He had never been aroused in front of anyone before, but he assumed that he was smaller than average, seeing as the rest of his body was. He saw Zyllexis' eyes look up at him and he quickly averted his gaze.

"Je suis peiné," ((Note: I know that word looks like penis but it means "I am sorry")) he mumbled, not knowing what else he should say. "Sorry..."

Zyllexis laughed a little, at him Cade presumed. He felt the larger man's body crawl back up over him until the sepentine-tirgren Cross' face was just above his. "For what?..." Cade still refused to look him in the eye. He was an absolute ignominy and he knew it. "Please look at me Cade." The young human finally obeyed and met the green gaze. To his surprise there wasn't an angry, disappointed, or degenerative look in Zyllexis' eyes, but one of concern. "Why?" Zyllexis said softly, still holding onto Cade's soft brown gaze.

"Why what?"

"Why are you so ashamed? Are you still uncomfortable that we are both men?" Zyllexis addressed softly, he didn't want to force the boy, despite the fact that he wanted... No needed him, now more than ever.

Cade snorted indignantly. "Men... I am not a man. I'm a man trapped in this damned body! I hate the way I look, and I know that you hate it to! It's impossible to love someone who looks like I do. A mangy starving child..." He yelled; he was angry at God for cursing him with his mother's genes.

"Look, Cade, I don't know who ever told you that you weren't good enough, or made you feel so bad about yourself, but I do know this: whoever said it was a liar. Cade I guess I haven't made it clear enough but I think that you're beautiful! I love your body just the way it is: small. And I don't want our first time together to be ruined for you because you think I'm not pleased, because I am..." He cupped Cade's face and kissed him gently, but the boy pushed against him.

Cade wanted to kiss him back, he really did. He was willing with whatever Zyllexis wanted to do to him, but he thought it unfair to take advantage of the general's sympathy. Pity, it has to be pity. He is too kind for his own good. It would not be right to do this if we aren't both pleased...

Zyllexis, now frustrated and slightly angry sat up on the edge of the bed, leaving Cade to lay there. "Tiw wynnog!" The sepentine-tirgren Cross said, rubbing his brow with his hand in irritation. "Why the hell won't you believe me Cade? Why can't I get it through your head that I love you?!"

"You... Love me? Vous sont amoureux?" Cade asked with genuine surprise. The boy sat up in a state of consternation. He hadn't expected that. Men could love other men? He knew that he loved Zyllexis, or at least admired him greatly, but he thought that gay relationships were about sex. He was beginning to become very confused. Maybe, if things were still on good terms between them later on, he would ask Zyllexis more about such things.

"God dammit Cade, of course I love you! I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't! I already told you earlier, O pifu aie..." The sepentine-tirgren Cross looked back at Cade like he was an idiot. But when he looked back at the boy he was shocked at what he saw, Cade had his face tuned away to hide the streams of tears. He was crying. "What's wrong now?..." The older solider asked gently, the concern replacing his anger once again. He usually wasn't like this, but this boy whom he had only known for a short amount of time got to him like no one ever had before. Whenever he saw him hurt or in trouble, he wanted to be there; he wanted to make all of the bad go away, to protect the little solider was what he wanted to do more than anything. And yet the fact that he turned into mush around him was a little degrading to his manliness.

Cade looked at him and showed a genuine smile. "No one, in my whole life, has ever told me that they loved me." ((Note: His mother never said it directly.. The line would be so dumb if it was "you're the only person other than my mommy who's ever loved me!"))

Zyllexis felt his heart melt for the boy as he pulled his body up to his and embraced him. "I'm sorry. I didnt know." He whispered into Cade's ear as he wiped tears from Cades soft cheeks. He knew exactly how Cade felt because ten years back he had been in the exact same position that he was currently in.

"It's not your fault;" Cade whispered as he began to kiss Zyllexis' neck. He was determined to please him now, knowing that this was more than just lust. That whatever was going to happen was more than just sex; he was determined to make this the best it could be. However, he could not execute his plan of pleasuring Zyllexis for as soon as the older solider felt Cade's lips against his heated flesh they were in the reclined position once again.

"You don't waste any time do you?" Cade laughed slightly. He stopped laughing though when he felt Zyllexis' hot breath against him down there. The young human abruptly drew his legs together and leaned up. "WHAT are you doing?!" He stuttered nervously.

"Calm down," the sepentine-tirgren Cross said nudging Zyllexis' legs apart gently and pressing him back down to lay on the bed once again. "You'll like it, I promise." He looked up at Cade with a shameless, devious, and slightly scandalous smile.

The boy was still uneasy about the idea of Zyllexis' mouth prodding around down there but he trusted him. And lucky for Cade, Zyllexis made good on his promise. He didn't just like it; he loved it! Cade moaned with ecstasy as he felt Zyllexis' tongue gently slide up and down his length, starting off slowly so as not to overwhelm him. Zyllexis stroked it as he licked, increasing the young soldier's pleasure. "Oh God... Mon dieu!" Cade said as a goofy smile of bliss crossed his face. It must have something to do with taking power from snakes, ((Note: Long tongue!)) the boy guessed. Suddenly, Zyllexis took his whole manhood into his mouth and began to suckle on it, enticing him with his tongue all the while making sure that his razor-sharp fangs never so much as grazed the sensitive flesh. "Ah..." Cade whimpered, thrusting his pelvis up involuntarily. His hips bucked underneath the heat of the sepentine-tirgren Cross' mouth.

Zyllexis massaged Cade's sac lightly for a moment and then drew his hands up to caress the contours of Cade's form. His hands stopped upon the nubs of his partner's nipples and pinched them roughly, sending even greater tremors of rapture through Cade's small body. The man laughed inwardly, feeling quite cocky at his bedroom skills. The bittersweet salt of the young soldier's precum lingered in his mouth, a precursor of what was soon to take place.

"Do you... have any idea... what you're doing to me?!" Cade uttered between breaths, grabbing Zyllexis' hair between his fingers, as he produced even more delicious noises. The boy began to pant as his heart beat quickly in his ears. He felt that build up in his body, the pressure of the explosion that was soon to take place. He was going to come in the VERY near future.

Zyllexis could sense that Cade was approaching his climax and began to work his tongue even more swiftly, bobbing his head up and down against Cade's shaft. Finally, with a deep guttural moan, which aroused the other solider beyond reason, Cade came to a release. His back arched and his hips thrust outward as, to Cade's astonishment, Zyllexis swallowed all of him.

After the convulsions stopped and Cade felt his manhood stand down from its previous salute, he relaxed back against the mattress. His chest rose and fell and he gasped for air. That was unlike any sensation he had ever experienced in his entire life. He felt the sepentine-tirgren Cross crawl up a little bit so that he could relax his head against Cade's flat stomach. They then lay there a moment, neither saying anything.

"So, did I keep my promise?" Zyllexis finally asked, knowing all too well that he had.

"Merci... Yes." Cade said softly with a sigh. "Lex..."

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't... Doesn't it taste bad?" Cade said, the thought of drinking from the same organ that produced urine repulsed him. But it had felt so good; Zyllexis wouldn't have done it if it was too bad.

Zyllexis smiled brazenly; Cade loved his smile. The way his elongated fangs glistened when the light hit them. So charming, his smile. His smile and his eyes. "Why don't you see for yourself?" Zyllexis pulled his body back up and began to kiss Cade. The young human could taste the lingering flavor of his essence within the General's mouth. It had a slight salty tang, but it wasn't a bad taste. "I think that you're delicious. The sweetness of your skin, your scent, your feel... All of it is mouth-watering."

As Zyllexis continued to kiss him Cade felt emboldened and began to tug at the strings holding on the other soldier's pants. The sepentine-tirgren Cross cut off the kiss for a moment to stand and remove the rest of his clothing. Cade was in awe of the sure strength and beauty he saw before him. He had seen Zyllexis naked before, it was inevitable due to their sharing of quarters, but never like this, aroused as he was now. He was quite long, and deliciously wide. Cade felt his self-doubt creep up once again but those thoughts were pushed away quickly by ones of desire and immense need.

"Your mouth is hanging open... Didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to stare?" Zyllexis joked cockily, straddling Cade's hips once again and kissing the boy's face. Cade could feel himself growing hard once again.

"Je suis peiné," Cade breathed against his neck. "I've just never seen anything like it... Um, you before. You're incredible." Cade said kissing the smooth skin of his chest.

The two lovers resumed stroking one another's bodies, more roughly than before. They had both gotten a taste of the thrill that was drawing closer and yearned for it desperately. Cade, feeling bold, grabbed the other man's back and pulled himself flat against him. Their bodies connected like one. He then rubbed up and down against the older man with little friction due to soft glow of their sweat. The feel of his nipples rubbing against Zyllexis' body, and vice versa, was quite stimulating. Their swelled groins enticing one another.

Zyllexis kissed him on the lips fervently. "Where'd you get a move like that?" Zyllexis breathed, immensely grateful that Cade was augmenting his audaciousness.

"I just made it up," the boy spoke almost inaudibly. He found it difficult to converse on account of the extreme passion he was experiencing.

Zyllexis pulled back a moment to look into the boy's soft brown eyes. "Cade are you ready to go all the way?"

Cade had a vague idea of what all the way between two men would be, but he trusted Zyllexis. And he knew the sepentine-tirgren Cross longed for it but would only proceed with his permission. Cade nodded slowly with an unsure smile.

"Okay," Zyllexis said pulling Cade's legs apart, this time father than before. He then bent down so that his face was once again in the near vicinity of Cade's sex. He felt the boy jerk up as he brought his tongue to the boy's entrance. He licked around the hole, inserting his tongue up and around, trying to pleasure Cade as well as lubricate sufficiently him for what was to happen next. He knew that for the first time lubrication would have probably been a better idea, but it felt so much better without it. For without it the tightness was more tense and captivating, and for the pressure adjacent to the one-being-entered's prostate was more genuine. He had learned this from experience. ((And ~I~ learned it from an educational porn site!))

Zyllexis looked upward for a moment, seeing a look of shock, disgust, and extreme pleasure simultaneously upon Cade's boyish features. He laughed looking at the grimace a while longer, "Don't hold your face like that for too long or it just might get stuck that way."

"You don't expect me to kiss you after THAT now do you?..." Cade said with dismay.

To answer his question Zyllexis pulled himself us over Cade and gave him a long, deep kiss. Much to the boy's surprise Zyllexis' mouth didn't taste any different from before. "Um, okay." Cade said, not really knowing what to reply. Zyllexis just laughed at his response and licked up his neck quickly.

The solider then adjusted himself so that his manhood was just against Cade's entrance. "Now this is going to hurt a little." Zyllexis began to push up inside of him. He did not get far at all before Cade arched his back and began to pull away from the intruder. The man placed a firm grip upon the young soldier's hips. "Just relax, if you're nervous it will be painful." Zyllexis bent forward and began to stimulate Cade's nipples, hoping that the sensation of his tongue may distract the young solider from the pain.

Cade nodded to confirm that he understood. He gritted his teeth as Zyllexis delved further into his body with aggravating slothfulness. The pain was immense. Cade began to scream but Zyllexis covered his mouth. "I lied. It's gonna hurt a lot. But please trust me when I say that it gets better!" Zyllexis said, removing his hand from Cade's mouth. The general frowned, he really didn't want to hurt Cade. All of his other lover's were closer to his size, he wasn't accustomed to one so much smaller.

Cade just gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly. "I... Trust you... Go ahead, I want this." He managed to get out. His hands clutched fist-fulls of the blankets on the bed. His knuckles white because he was grasping so hard. It felt like his insides were ripping and there was extreme pressure against him. His back arched a good half a foot off of the bed. He just wanted it to be done with. "Stop taking your damn time and get it over with!" Cade yelled between clenched teeth.

Zyllexis complied with his angry demand for he was now all the way within the boy. He stayed there for a moment as Cade's body adjusted to his bulk. Zyllexis smiled with pleasure despite the fact that his partner was in absolute agony. The warmth of his lover's small body was breathtaking as it surrounded him; he had never been inside one so tight before. Soon he saw Cade's face lighten and the color go back into his hands as they loosened their death grip upon the blankets.

"Are you all right?" He asked Cade, running his tongue along the knotted up muscles of Cade's neck.

"Oui. It's not so bad." Cade said. "...I'm ready."

Zyllexis then began to pull out, and then back in. He repeated this in and out motion with slow thrusts at first. Cade still hurt like hell, but now it was a good kind of hurt. Zyllexis was reaching a spot within his body that he was never aware existed, which he would later learn was his prostate. It was actually quite pleasurable... Extremely pleasurable. Cade began to moan in a mix of delight and pain. Pain and delight. He reached for Zyllexis' back as the man continued to thrust into him, now faster than before.

Zyllexis began to stroke Cade's hardened length in time with his thrusts; his lips met the boy's and kissed him zealously. Cade's hips began to buck against Zyllexis. He was coming to a peak once again, most of the pain, if not all, was gone from his small body.

The young General felt his own release approaching as he thrust even harder. And finally with a deep thrust he came into Cade. Almost at the same time Cade came as well. The boy's warm seed spurted out onto his stomach and torso. As the last of the fluid expostulated from their bodies, Zyllexis pulled out of Cade. In exhaustion he collapsed his full weight atop the boy. His head leaned upon the other soldier's chest as he wrapped his strong arms about the boy's waist. They lay there together, entwined. Just listening to one another breathe and the ever decelerating pounding of their heart beats, not caring about the adhesive seed that now covered them both, or the aching in their worn bodies. Only thinking about lying there together, basking the in afterglow.

Cade's hands ran tenderly through Zyllexis' sweat soaked hair. "Remercie," he said softly. His voice barely audible between breathes. "Lex... I love you too." He stated more loudly than before.

"O pifu aie niju,' Zyllexis said with a smile. "I love you more. I'll always love you." He then stood up from Cade's body, pulling the small boy up with him.

"Hmm? What now?" Cade said cringing slightly. It hurt to stand.

Zyllexis, sensing the pain that Cade was feeling rejected his original idea of making love to the boy once again and suggested something else. "I thought that we might take a warm bath. You're all icky sticky with cum." He said in a nagging motherly tone.

Cade laughed softly at this. "I'll go get it ready," Zyllexis informed him, kissing Cade's forehead and then lying him back down on the bed. "Just relax till then."

"Okay," Cade said. He watched Zyllexis go into the bathroom; his eyes continued to fixate on the beautiful man before him. The fact that he had just made love, that he was no longer a virgin, that he was now in some sort of a relationship, that he was now the lover of the man who had saved an entire planet... Everything just began to dawn upon him and he smiled. His eyes shut as he thought about it. He was in love, and he was loved in return. He laughed unable to hold in his joy. Perhaps it was just the high of passion that had distorted his mind, but at the moment he truly felt that life was beautiful.

Soon Zyllexis emerged. "It's ready," He said. When he first saw Cade he was afraid that the boy had fallen asleep but that thought was expelled when he saw Cade's lovely brown eyes open and look at him warmly. Zyllexis took at moment to study the boy. His body glistened with sweat, his hair flat against his face that was lit up with a rare smile. The boy's brown eyes glazed over with passion. Zyllexis also took a minute to admire the form of Cade's body. He found the emaciated form very remarkable, many people thought that being too skinny was very unattractive, but not him. He loved it. He also adored the youthful look of his partner. The baby smooth skin. His sparse blonde pubic hair that was barely noticeable. Something about him was just so pure and innocent...

"What?" Cade said standing up and clenched his teeth as he stepped towards his lover.

Zyllexis, seeing his pain, picked the boy up and carried him into the bathroom. "I really don't need to be carried," Cade said glaring at Zyllexis, but there really was no force behind it.

"I know. I just want to," Zyllexis kissed his cheek. Cade was soon set down into the water, it was quite hot but the boy's body adjusted to the heat within a minute or two. Zyllexis climbed into the opposite end and sat down in the warm liquid. This time he'd wait for Cade to make the first move, he didn't want to overwhelm the him. Zyllexis remembered how he had made the mistake of over doing it when he lost his virginity; after that he couldn't walk for a whole week!

Cade, feeling a little more secure with being intrepid ((after all he just had sex; he was a manly man now ~_^)), moved to the opposite side of the tub to meet Zyllexis. He kissed the sepentine-tirgren Cross's lips gently, so as not to imply that he was ready for more. Then he turned and leaned up against Zyllexis' chest. The other solider wrapped his arms around the boy`s upper torso. They just laid like that awhile.

"Bend forward," Zyllexis said kissing Cade's neck. The boy did as he was instructed, despite how the idea of separating himself from the warmth of his lover's body did not sound much too appealing. Zyllexis reached for a soap bar on a table alongside the tub. There were many pieces of soap and such there, all complementary with the room. He wetted the soap and then began to rub it against Cade's back until there was a good lather from his shoulders to the small of his back. The older man then began to massage the stiff muscles of the boy's body. He worked up and down his back, sides, arms, around to his chest. Then wiped it away with a warm rag. Cade was in complete heaven. He felt himself become rigid once again.

Zyllexis also sensed this and began to massage him down there. Cade moaned softly and leaned into Zyllexis; perfectly content to just let the man use his hands to bring him to that peak of ecstasy that he had already reached twice that night, just as Zyllexis was content to do so. And that is what he did. Stroking it up and down, manipulating his sac, rubbing his fingers around his entrance. As his hands worked magic down there, he orally stimulated Zyllexis above the waist. He ran soft kisses along Cade's neck and shoulders. Down his back and along the crease of his spine. Finally Cade came into Zyllexis' hands beneath the water.

"Thank you," Cade said leaning back up against Zyllexis. "Lex?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to pleasure you as much as you have me... But I don't think that I'll be very good at it." Cade said turning around to face Zyllexis.

"Practice makes perfect," the sepentine-tirgren Cross said with a sly smile. He held Cade's hand beneath the water and brought it down upon himself. Cade wrapped his fingers lightly around Zyllexis' manhood. He had never touched another man before. It was a nice feeling. Beneath the water his skin felt soft and smooth. Cade brought his other hand up to also encircle the length. He then began to pump up and down, trying his best to exactly mimic what the other man had done to him.

He received gratification from a moan of pleasure that passed Zyllexis' lips. This pleased him very much, for he had taken notice that Zyllexis was not nearly as noisy as he was in bed, and to make the sepentine-tirgren Cross moan was quite a victory. He continued to work, faster now than before.

Suddenly the older solider pulled himself out of the tub and sat on the edge. "Use your mouth," He indicated to the confused youth.

"Oh yes, of course," he said letting a nervous laugh out. He brought his mouth down upon it. The salty taste against his tongue made him feel like gagging a little, but he was determined to gratify the other man. He began to lick up and around, in a cork screw action. That seemed to really affect Zyllexis a lot.

"Na Tiw..." the sepentine-tirgren Cross said with a moan. Cade was unsure what that meant but he assumed that it meant he was doing a good job. With a mix of pumping and sucking Zyllexis came to a release. Cade tried to swallow his cum, as Zyllexis had done his, but he could not. So he backed off and let Zyllexis finish discharging. The other solider then came back down into the tub and pulled Cade up against him. He kissed the boys cheek lightly. "You don't know how happy I really am." Zyllexis said continuing to place light butterfly kisses across the boy's face.

"I retaliate. I can't have made you any happier than you have made me..."

And accordingly they lay entangled in the bathtub.

~~~~~*~

Cade awoke with a start. He must have fallen asleep in the bathtub, but somehow he was in the bed. He was still naked; Zyllexis' body spooned against his from behind. He smiled and held on tightly to the arms around his waist. He was afraid that it had all been a wonderful dream...

Through the window he could see that the sky was gray, the color of night fleetingly being chased away by the brilliant morning sun. He suddenly felt warm lips tickling his neck. His stirring must have waked the other man. "Morning pifugzia," His breath was hot against Cade's neck. Cade turned over to face his lover. He wrapped his arms around Zyllexis' slender waist and just lay there with his head against Zyllexis' broad chest.

"Lex..."

"Hmm?" Zyllexis moaned drowsily.

"I need to talk to you. But if you're too tired I don't mind just snuggling until later." Cade said. He needed Zyllexis' full attention and was willing to wait.

"No... It's fine. What's on your mind?"

Cade sat there quietly for a moment. He turned back around into the spooning position. Zyllexis began to kiss his neck to prove that he was fully awake and aware. "Lex, what are we?" Cade finally said.

"Well you're an introspective human and I am a drowsy/horny elven mutt," Zyllexis laughed warmly against Cade's throat.

"No, I meant as a relationship."

"Lovers I suppose..." Zyllexis' tongue traced the outline of the boy's shoulders.

"What are we going to do now though?" Cade said, he wanted to know what was in store for the future.

"Have sex if you'll let me;" Zyllexis pressed himself against flat against Cade's back so that the boy could feel his arousal.

"NON!" Cade sat up frustrated with his lustful partner. "Lex do we have a relationship, or was this one night thing? Am I just going to return to Earth and never see you again? Or do I stay here with you? What?!"

Zyllexis now sat up as well; his horniness subsided to seriousness. "Cade, I want to love you forever and fuck you every night until eternity! Only a little more romantic than that sounded..." He sighed. "I want you to come back with me. But that isn't much of a life because I'm gone a lot because of my job. But I love you Cade, and yes we have a relationship. No, this isn't a one-night stand unless that's how you want it to be... I don't want it to be though."

Zyllexis sighed, his glow-in-the-dark cat eyes staring at Cade. He caressed his lover`s soft cheek; Cade's skin was still silky without the need to shave, some aspects of puberty coming quite late in life for him. "Whatever you want Cade, it's your choice."

Cade contemplated the offer for a moment. He really didn't have anything or anyone on Earth to return to. But here he had someone whom he loved, and who unquestioningly returned that love. Here he could have a future, a happy life. "Oui. I want to stay with you," Cade said kissing the hand on his face. "Forever."

"Good, because I lied. I wouldn't have settled for any less." Zyllexis jokingly smiled. He pulled Cade back down alongside him. The young human pulled the blankets up and over the two of them, making a warm cocoon.

After laying there for a few moments the sepentine-tirgren Cross pulled Cade up against him strongly once again. "Can we have sex now?"

Cade laughed heartily. He turned to look into Zyllexis' eyes. "If you answer a question for me."

"Anything. Just ask already!" Zyllexis asked with exaggerated desperation.

"Why? Why do you love me so much?"

Zyllexis looked distant for a moment as he contemplated, and then when he was positive he found the right answer he spoke softly with a smile, "A' cause de riem."

~~~~~*~

"So young human are you prepared to return home?" Asnee asked the boy. They had met in a tranquil meadow within the woods surrounding the city, so as not to draw attention from the magical spectacle. Sefhira by his side.

"Well actually sir I'm not," he said looking back at the General who stood off by the entrance to the clearing with Katanna, waiting for him. "I think that I'd like to stay here... If that is all right?"

"Oh really? Well that is fine. But might I ask why the change of heart?" The wizard inquired though not nearly so stunned as he feigned.

"Who cares he's here with me!" the griffin said pouncing upon him and licking across his face like an overgrown puppy. He gently pushed her off and stood up.

"Well on Earth I have no one. But here," he stole another glace back at his lover, "I have someone who loves me. And that I love in return."

"Well isn't that lovely. Welcome to Uyigs Cade. Welcome..."

~Fin~

KIREA: HEEEEY! Wait! What about our bet! AIDAN: We both win `cause we both that that they were gonna shag! KIREA: But what about that thing with Sefhira, I won because Lex drugged her and his dragon to keep there from interfering! AIDAN: But that was the day BEFORE the sex scene! KIREA: So who wins?!?! SEFHIRA: MEEEEEE! SKANDRONNA: Pet named after me, or no pet name after me I do NOT do autographs. STACEY: But she's not named after you. I named my kitty after another TBG character, not you. SKANDRONNAN: WHY THE HELL NOT ME?!?!

~FIN~