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Author's Note: Comments and feedback are appreciated. I would like to thank Mark for helping me by editing these chapters. My apologies for the delay between chapter 19 and this chapter. I currently have 20 through 22 finished and the draft of 23 completed. They shall be released to nifty over the next few weeks. - Robert robertx5sf@yahoo.com
This is a work of fiction. All characters portrayed in this story are fictional and not representative of anyone living or dead.
(c) 2013
by robertx5sf@yahoo.com, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced in any form without the author's consent, with exception of the license granted to Nifty.org per Nifty's terms of use.
The Squires of Telisan Keep - 20
AYMIL
Marsella pulled on the reins, bringing the small wagon to a halt. Aymil and Wilrik were following behind and walked up to see what had caused the priestess to stop. "This is the place. Now we wait," she said.
Aymil looked around the forest. There was nothing to distinguish this spot from any other spot he had seen in the two weeks they had been traveling in the Great Forest. "Wait for what?" he asked.
"An old acquaintance to find us. His home is hidden somewhere near here. We could search forever and never find it, but he will soon realize he has company, and if he is willing to help us, he will let us know," explained Marcella.
A melodic male voice spoke out from behind them, "And how long would you wait if I chose not to help you?"
Aymil and Wilrik spun around and searched the forest trying to locate the speaker. Marsella did not bother to look for her hidden friend, "We would stay here until you got tired of wondering how long we would wait and your curiosity finally got the better of you."
"The patience of an Elder is infinite, even you would grow old and pass into the next realm before you out waited one," came the reply from the forest. The speaker then switched to a strange almost musical language that Wilrik nor Aymil had ever heard before. Marsella replied in the same tongue and the two spoke for several minutes. Aymil could not understand the words, but he could pick up what the two were feeling. The general worry, that was her constant companion since they had fled her cabin, still consumed the priestess. The stranger attempted to shield his emotions, but Aymil's powers had strengthened with the constant use. Aymil could tell that he felt protective towards Marcella, but was feeling a mix of contempt and fear directed towards Wilrik. Aymil also realized that while he could not see the stranger, he could sense his general location by where he sensed his feelings.
Aymil knew the stranger was about twenty yards behind them near the base if a tall pine, but he still could not actually see him. "Cease your unwanted invasion of my mind godborn," said the stranger, appearing it seemed, to Aymil, that he stepped out of the trunk of the tree. The speaker was tall and slender, over six feet tall but weighing less then the shorter human boys. His features appeared unmarked by age; however, from his words he was older than Marsella. If he had been human, Aymil would have guessed that he was only in his mid twenties, but the sharp angular features, long pointed ears, violet eyes and silver hair clearly marked him as an elf.
"Yes, umm," responded Aymil, unsure of how to address the elf. He did ease back on his power so that he was no longer sensing the elf's feelings through the creature's mental defenses.
"You may address me as Elthandelen. That is as close to my true name as one such as yourself with a tongue untrained in a real language is capable of achieving," said the elf. Aymil was not sure if he was teasing or being contemptuous.
Marsella pleaded with the elf, "Elthandelen, I know this is asking a lot of you, but we need your protection. Durren believes that Wilrik will be able to help us finally defeat Nazrepon. We just need some time and a place to hide, both of which you have in excess."
"Very well, you can stay with me for as long as you need. You will follow me, and I will take you to safety. You must leave the wagon and the beast of burden. I will return later and see to their accommodations. Follow my path closely or the magic of the woods will confuse you and you will find yourself lost," said Elthandelen as he turned and headed off the trail and into the forest.
Wilrik and Aymil followed Elthandelen through the forest with Marsella close behind them, making sure they followed the elf's path. Aymil's view of the forest around him seemed to blur whenever he looked off the path; he could sense the presence of magic around him, but it felt different from the divine magic Marsella had used or the arcane magic used by Durren. "What is this place?" he asked.
"This is the outer edge of an ancient refuge created by my people to hide from the Forsaken," answered Elthandelen.
"The Forsaken?" asked Aymil.
"I thought the Elder were all gone, that they rebelled against the Gods and were stripped of their magic," said Wilrik.
The elf stopped and turned to glare at Wilrik. Aymil could feel the creature's anger as it escaped through the mental shield the elf was trying to maintain. "Elthandelen, do not blame the boy because our people are taught a different version of history," said Marsella as she tried to calm him.
"Such a falsehood is not just a different version of history, but you are right, that he has been misinformed about the origin of your Gods is one thing that was not of his choosing," said Elthandelen before turning back around and continuing to head along the path.
Aymil instantly felt guilt and self-hatred well up inside of Wilrik as the comment from the elf triggered memories of choosing to don the demon hood. Aymil scowled at the elf as he worked to calm and reassure Wilrik.
"It is time you learned the truth of the origins of the world, its people and those beings you call Gods. Perhaps it will give you a better understanding of your place within this conflict," said Elthandelen. He addressed them in a tone that one would use with small children. "In the beginning, there was Geodus. Geodus was everything and everything was Geodus. At some point, for reasons known only to Geodus, it decided it wanted company. Therefore, it created a magnificent palace and populated it with his chosen, the first of the Elder. His creations, unlike Geodus, were mortal and needed to eat, so Geodus created a bountiful garden to feed them. Geodus found it enjoyed creating new wonders and new creatures, so the world grew. Geodus created lesser races to serve his chosen: humans were made to work the fields, dwarves to mine the mountains, orcs to tend the swamps. The first Elder prospered and had children as did the lesser races. Geodus though cared
for all the children as if they were his own.
"For eons the world prospered, but eventually the first of the Elder, those few created by Geodus, grew envious of Geodus' power. They turned on their creator, conspired to trap Geodus and steal its power. These few that forsake their creator and betrayed all of creation declared themselves Gods. The rest of the Elder sought to stop their ancestors and free Geodus. The Elder did not rise up against your Gods, it is the Gods that rose up against their creator. The lesser races joined these self-proclaimed Gods and the Elder were defeated. What remained of the Elder were scattered and they went into hiding. The Gods sought to erase any memory of Geodus and the Elder in order to erase their betrayal. So, now you humans are taught that it was the Elder that betrayed the Gods and were cast down among the lesser races as elves," said Elthandelen.
"But it was the Elder that did in fact turn on the first God, Geodus. So the story is not a complete lie," said Marsella.
"They ceased being Elder when they betrayed Geodus; they became Forsaken," said Elthandelen.
"That is a distinction without a difference," responded Marsella. "I did not come here to rehash old historical differences."
"Yes, enough of this topic for now, we can discuss it more, later. We have reached the entrance," said Elthandelen stopping in between two large trees. "Come and I will help you through the barrier. You two should hold hands as you pass through the trees." Aymil grabbed Wilrik's hand then walked forward and passed through the trees. As he passed the elf, Elthandelen put his hand on Aymil's shoulder. As the boys stepped forward, the forest in front of them disappeared and they were standing at the side of a very large glade. There were several wooden cabins and other structures in the clearing and around its edges. A moment later Marsella and the elf stepped out of nowhere and were standing next to them.
Elthandelen showed them around the camp. There were a dozen cabins, all uninhabited, wherever Elthandelen made his home it was not here. There was a communal building that served as a kitchen, dining room, and gathering place. The place had an abandoned feel, yet everything was spotlessly clean. The elf showed the boys to one cabin and Marsella to the cabin next door. "If you need food, you will find plenty of provisions in the kitchen in the main hall. You may rest, I will go and take care of hiding the wagon and retrieving your beast. Feel free to explore the area, the camp is safe and extends from where you entered to approximately a mile in each of the other directions," said Elthandelen.
As soon as the elf had left, Wilrik grabbed Aymil's hand. Aymil could feel Wilrik's need and desire. Aymil followed Wilrik into the cabin and pushed the muscular boy down onto the bed. Whenever Wilrik was feeling overwhelmed by his emotions and memories, he would be overcome by the need to be fucked. Aymil was not sure if was healthy to continue to accommodate Wilrik in this manner, but it seemed to be one of the only things that brought any pleasure or happiness to the boy. But, deep down, Aymil did have to admit that one of the reasons he continued to give into Wilrik's need to be dominated and fucked was that he enjoyed it as well.
WILRIK
Wilrik took refuge in the darkness of the cave. They had discovered it while exploring around the camp a couple days after arriving. It was about a half mile away from the cabins in the side of hill. Wilrik needed a break from Aymil. The last couple of weeks since arriving at the elven refuge had been rough for Wilrik. The elf still did not seem to care for Wilrik or Aymil, although he was polite the few times he interacted with them. He never spoke ill about them, but several times Wilrik had overheard Marsella and Elthandelen arguing, at least Wilrik assumed they were arguing. He could not understand what they said since they were speaking in Elven, but their tone was heated. When Wilrik had entered the room they stopped and Elthandelen had glared at Wilrik then made some excuse to leave.
Wilrik was sure that the elf knew of all the horrible atrocities that Wilrik had committed while possessed by the demon, even if Wilrik did not remember them all yet. But, over the last couple of weeks, in the safety of the magically concealed forest camp, Aymil had been working with Wilrik to slowly but steadily recall what had happened after he had donned the hood.
Aymil kept trying to tell him that he was not responsible for the things the demon had done while it possessed him, but Wilrik still felt responsible. He had chosen to submit; he willing put on the hood rather than suffer more in the box. If he had the choice to make again, he would choose to go back into the box. The pain and torment he had suffered there was nothing compared to what happened after the demon took over. Rape, murder, and eating human flesh were the demon's favorite activities. It particularly enjoyed the horror that Wilrik felt as the pleasure the demon was experiencing penetrated Wilrik's consciousness.
Wilrik sat and tried working through the latest memories that had been returned to him. It was easier to do this when Aymil was around, but sometimes Wilrik liked to get away from Aymil's protection. He could feel that Aymil was blocking all of his negative emotions and knew he was likely to go insane if confronted with all of it at once. But here in the cave with Aymil asleep back at the camp, just a little bit of those feelings would seep through. Every now and then he needed to feel bad about everything that he had done and that had been done to him.
Now though, Wilrik just wanted to be alone and actually feel. Between spending almost two years trapped inside his own mind, unable to control his body or his own emotions, and now having Aymil suppress his emotions, Wilrik wanted to feel bad. He wanted to suffer, it was the least he could do after all the things the demon had done to make others suffer while he had been in control. So he had crept out of the cabin he shared with Aymil after the older boy had gone to sleep and come to the cave.
Wilrik's self reflection was cut short when he felt a subtle change in the air flow around him. The demon possession had changed him in many ways, physically as well as emotionally. His senses were now sharper, he was stronger than most men and any boy he had ever known, and his body was resistant to the extremes of temperature, both hot and cold. Even though there was no light in the cave Wilrik was able to see. He looked up and could see a vague outline of a figure approaching from the entrance of the cave.
"I believe it is time we talked, just the two of us," said Elthandelen. "Your vision is better than mine. I hope a little light will not offend you," said the elf as he pulled a small clump of phosphorescent moss out of the pouch on his belt. The glowing plant provided just a tiny amount of light, but it was more than enough for the elf and Wilrik to see clearly.
"I'm sorry, I know you don't care for me or Aymil being here," said Wilrik as he rubbed his head. His hair was starting to grow back and it itched constantly.
"Yes and no. I do not hate you or the godborn, but old prejudices are hard to set aside. My people have suffered greatly at the hands of the Forsaken. It is just whenever I see you or Aymil, I am reminded of that suffering and also of the failing of my ancestors. I should not take that out on you and Aymil; you are as much victims of them as my people were. I cannot blame you for the wars they started," said the elf.
"Wars? You mentioned the war between the Gods, uh the Forsaken, and the Elder, was there another war?" asked Wilrik.
"After the Forsaken defeated my people, they set themselves up as rulers of this world. But, Geodus' power was not meant for mortals to wield. It was both a blessing and a curse for the Forsaken. They could not use it to create the way Geodus could. They only way they could create life, was the way of mortals, by mating. However, the curse of Geodus' power expressed itself in horrifying form through their new offspring. They were warped and vile creatures, filled with all the worst of their parent's qualities that had led them to turn on Geodus. Envy, greed, jealousy, rage, anger, and hate," explained Elthandelen.
"Demons," said Wilrik, "Demons are the children of the Gods."
Elthandelen nodded, "Yes, demons are the true children of your Gods. As the Forsaken grew jealous of the power of Geodus, so too did, the demons grow jealous of the power of their creators. Then, just as the Forsaken turned on their creator, their children did the same. The demons banded together and sought to overthrow their parents. The war between the Forsaken and the demons raged across the world for years beyond counting. It came very close to destroying the world. The Forsaken, in a desperate attempt to stop the demons, fractured the universe. They split it into multiple realms.
"They reside safely in their own realm, and the demons were banished to another. The realms are separate yet still connected to the physical world. The Forsaken can send a small part of their essence to our world, occasionally visiting to fulfill their desire for creation. They found that in this lesser form that they could mate successfully with mortal creatures and their children will be gifted with a small fraction of their power, but not enough to warp them as it did the demons. Just as the Forsaken can visit, so too can the demons. However, the connection to their realm is not as strong, so demons cannot cross it unaided. They need to anchor themselves to a mortal. So the war between the Forsaken and the demons has not ended, it has just taken a different, human form, as they continue to battle through their agents. You and Aymil are just pawns in this ancient war.
"I grew up hearing about the utopia where my people once lived before the Forsaken rose up against Geodus. When Marsella brought you to my hidden home, I was upset. I have hidden here for many years, letting the wars of mortals and immortals pass me by. Marsella has reminded me that remaining hidden will not save me from the consequences of the war. I apologize for my behavior towards you," said Elthandelen.
"Part of me feels like I deserve it. People should be angry at me for what I did, or what the demon I let possess me did," said Wilrik. He held up his hand as Elthandelen started to protest, "I know, I know, I am not responsible for what the demon did. Maybe someday I will be able to believe you all when you tell me that."
"I will leave you to your thoughts now child. Do not stay out here all night. Aymil worries about you when you wander off," said the elf. He then bowed and left Wilrik alone in the cave.
Wilrik spent a few more minutes feeling sorry for himself before he got up and made his way back to the camp. He stripped off his clothes and slid into bed next to Aymil, "Sorry for sneaking off again."
Aymil rolled over and wrapped him in his arms, "Don't be sorry, I'm happy that you keep deciding to come back to me. The bed gets cold when you are gone."
"It isn't the bed that gets cold, it's you that gets cold desert boy," teased Wilrik as he rolled over and pressed his back against Aymil's chest.
"Same thing," said Aymil.
Aymil could sense Wilrik's need. He kissed the boy's neck then collected some spit in his hand. He reached down and rubbed it over his cock which had started to get hard as soon as he heard Wilrik enter the room. He rolled the two of them over so that he was lying on top of Wilrik and he pressed his cock into the boy's ass. Wilrik gasped at the pain of the rough entry but pushed his ass back against Aymil's cock. A few thrusts later, Wilrik's groans of pain turned into moans of pleasure.