Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/7960111.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Tales_of_Zestiria
  Relationship:
      Mikleo/Sorey
  Character:
      Mikleo_(Tales_of_Zestiria), Sorey_(Tales_of_Zestiria), Lailah_(Tales_of
      Zestiria), Zaveid_(Tales_of_Zestiria), Edna_(Tales_of_Zestiria), Rose_
      (Tales_of_Zestiria), Various_Seraphim
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Canon_Divergence, Time_Skips, Game_Spoilers, Alpha/
      Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Alpha!Sorey, Omega!Mikleo, first_heat, They_have_no
      clue_what_they're_doing, Zenrus_fails_to_give_them_a_proper_sex_talk,
      Scenting, Other_Additional_Tags_to_Be_Added, Consensual_Underage_Sex,
      Knotting, Bonding, Marking
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-09-06 Updated: 2017-02-06 Chapters: 5/? Words: 14616
****** Pillar of Avalon ******
by senpai_fidelis
Summary
     When the Shepherd and his cohorts take respite before their
     confrontation with Heldalf, a night in Lastonbell changes their
     relationship forever, as they both try to come to terms with their
     conflicting inner struggles.
***** Words and Deeds *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Mikleo glanced out the window of their second floor room. The end of their
journey was nearing, the memories shown by the Earthen Historia fresh in their
minds.They'd agreed to spend the night in Lastonbell for a last bit of rest and
relaxation before they tracked down the Lord of Calamity. Earlier that day,
Sorey, Rose, and the seraphs met with Alisha, and Sergei, hopefully things
would be getting on the right track. The pieces falling into place. But
something wasn't sitting well with the water seraph, a feeling in the pit of
his stomach he couldn’t place. He'd avoided eating lunch with the group
earlier, afraid he might have to revisit it later. He considered the high
volumes of malevolence they'd encountered lately.  Shaking his head, he
dismissed the idea. Having Sorey as a vessel should protect him from leeching
too much into his system, and every day it seemed the dark clouds were receding
from Glenwood.
He was alone in the inn room, the others had scattered about the town, making
their own preparations. With a shaky sigh, he emptied a glass of water,
resolving to actually rest for the evening, he wasn't keen on the idea of being
a hinderance to the others, they’d all need to be a full strength. But first,
he needed to find Sorey. They didn't really have a full fledge plan of attack,
and he knew the Shepherd would be on edge, as his closest friend, he wanted to
be there to support him. He closed the door behind him with a click, striding
out into the evening.
What greeted Mikleo wasn't the cool weather he'd been hoping for, but instead
the stagnant air seemed to cling to him, the stones beneath his feet still
faintly radiating the residual heat of the sun. He popped the top two clasps of
his doublet, loosening the fabric from his neck as he began his search.
He grimaced at the stones steps beneath his feet, taking them slowly toward the
garden overlook at the nearby park. He'd spotted the familiar mop of brown hair
from below, so at least he'd confirmed Sorey's location. Mikleo approached the
other boy as he was taking in the night sky. They spoke of the glimmering
stars, and the sights they'd seen since leaving their little mountain village.
So much had changed in so little time. It was always so easy, being around
Sorey, the sound of his voice always a comfort.
"It turned out there were a lot of stars that we couldn't see from our home in
Elysia," Mikleo mused, ignoring the unease that had settled into his bones.
Sorey turned to face off the balcony next to him, their proximity close enough
that the seraph could smell the familiar scent of fields, home, and safety he'd
always associated with his friend. Usually it would send a wave of calmness
over him, but at the moment, only made his blood pump hotter.
Sorey nodded, "Once people notice the stars, they start to understand just how
brilliantly they shine. Just like how Alisha finally got a sense of what
seraphim were truly like the first time she heard your voices."
With a one hand on the rail and the other reaching to smooth down the front of
his tunic, in a veiled attempted to quell the ache, he halfheartedly chuckled,
"That was a trip, you should've seen your face."
The mischievous glint in Sorey's eye was enough to give him warning of the
impending tickle attempt, he flinched, weakly thrusting an arm out to fend off
the attack, but it never came. He opened his eyes to find the brunette's face
had fallen, his brows drawn together in concern.
"Mikleo?" Sorey had been lost in his own thoughts, but now, looking at the
seraph, taking in his state, he knew something was very wrong. His cheeks were
flushed, his snow like hair beginning to stick to his forehead. Without a
second thought, he placed his hand on his cheek, the radiating warmth was
apparent even through his Shepherd's glove.
Mikleo turned his face away. He was so close, he could basically taste the
scent of him, burning his lungs as the merest touch of his fingertips had set
his nerves ablaze. His breaths had become shallow, the sweat of his palms
palpable. His body followed suit, turning from his cherished companion,
attempting to put a bit of distance between them as if that would curb the fire
in his core. Maybe he shouldn't have come out here if he was this bad, he
should have stayed in the Inn. In a shaky voice he muttered, "I think I need
to..."
Sorey never heard what he needed to do, because in the next moment the seraph's
legs had given way, and he lunged forward to catch his crumpling form before he
could hit the cobblestone.
"Mikleo!? Hey!" The seraph was now doubling over on himself, in what seemed to
be excruciating pain. He couldn't sense any malevolence in the air, dismissing
it as the cause of this malady. "Mikleo, let's get you back to the inn."
Receiving a weak nod in response, Sorey scooped him up, cradling him against
his chest.
Mikleo's body was so light in his hands, seeming so frail in comparison. Dainty
fingers seemed to have a death grip on the white fabric of his Shepherd's cloak
like Mikleo was afraid Sorey might drop him.  As he ran, the seraph buried his
face in the crook of his neck, whimpering quietly. The action sent a shiver up
Sorey's spine, if his heart was already hammering due to his panic, he'd have
swore it was about to burst out of his ribcage now. The sublime scent of
hyacinths and winter's first frost mixed with something decidedly sweet filled
his lungs. He couldn't dismiss the little voice in the back of his mind that
touching Mikleo, holding him like this felt,right.
To any passerby, the scene would have seemed quite strange, a frantic caped
man, running through the streets, cradling nothing but empty air in his arms,
but he couldn't care less at this point. Mikleo's well being was his only
concern as his footfalls echoed on the stone. One man came out from a side
street, nearly bumping into the two of them. Sorey responded with a growl,
clutching Mikleo closer to his body. Mentally shaking himself, the response had
been instinctual, he knew the older man meant no harm, but the thought of
anyone else touching Mikleo bothered him. He stuttered out a "S-sorry!" as he
resumed his stride.
Mikleo groaned, the coil in his insides seeming to get worse with the heat.
He'd found some solace in the scent of his companion, inhaling lungfuls seemed
to take the edge off the painful sensation, though it did nothing to calm the
frantic pace of his heart.
Sorey burst through the inn door, brushing past the desk and several confused
stares as he made for their room. No one was in there, and he couldn't decide
if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Blinking as he was deposited on the bed, Mikleo was thankful to feel grounded
once more. He felt the circlet lifted from his brow, and a palm replace it
which seemed barely cooler than his own skin. "Do you want a drink?" Drink? A
drink sounded wonderful, nodding, a glass filled from the earlier pitcher was
in his unsteady hands. He downed the contents greedily, but he was still so
hot. The moment the glass was removed from his hands, he set to removing his
shirt with fumbling fingers.
Taking back the glass, Sorey had turned to refill it, finding only enough water
for half a glass still in the pitcher. He turned to offer it to Mikleo just as
the seraph's back met the bed, his bent arms framing his head on the pillow.
His breath caught in his throat as his verdant gaze raked down pale expanse of
flesh exposed by the open doublet. Gods, he was a horrible person. Here Mikleo
was in pain and his anatomy decided now was the most opportune time to exert
itself. He gulped, his throat scratchy like he'd hadn't had a drink in days,
even as his mouth seemed to almost salivate at the sight before him.
He'd been warned when he'd presented two years ago that it was his
responsibility as an alpha to practice restraint. Not unrelated, that was also
when Sorey had been given a home of his own. He'd never had issues before, even
when he'd first entered Ladylake and the mix of scents had threatened to knock
him over. It was a stark contrast to Elysia, which seemed almost devoid of the
signatures. "I...I'm going to see if I can find the others, they may know whats
wrong," he choked out, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to hold on any longer if
he stayed.
As he moved to stand, "No!" Mikleo sat up, painful desperation in his voice as
slender fingers gripped white knuckled into Sorey's shirt. "Please, Sorey..."
eyes closed, he pleaded, "don't go." He panted a few breaths, "I need you." He
opened his eyes, their faces mere inches apart as their gazes met.
What was left of Sorey's trepidation was immediately shattered and the glass
slipped from his fingers, clinking as it hit the floor. Their lips met
hungrily, both moaning into the kiss as their hands found anchors in both hair
and clothing. Without hesitation, their tongues met, sliding along one another
in the shared cavern of their mouths. Mikleo tasted every bit as sweet as he
smelled, he delighted in the flavor as his hand slid further down, brushing
back the open doublet, Sorey's fingertips met the searing skin of the seraph's
side. Under normal circumstances, he'd probably be squirming at the contact,
being the more ticklish of the two. But instead, Mikleo arched into the touch,
as a sound, almost like a purr escaped him.
He needed more. More contact, and there was far too much cloth preventing it.
Sorey tugged at the cerulean fabric, and the seraph disentangled his fingers
from his soft brown hair to slip the shirt from his body. Mikleo struggled with
the Sheperd's cloak, the buttons nearly beyond his cognitive abilities in his
fevered state. Sorey pulled at his gloves, cursing the belts that decorated his
forearms. They broke their kiss, panting as the cloak of his station fell to
the floor, along with his gloves. Right now, they weren't a Shepherd and his
Sublord, just Sorey and Mikleo.
"Mikleo..." he panted and their lips met once more. As he leaned back onto the
bed, Mikleo pulled at Sorey to follow, though he was slow to do so, struggling
to remove his boots while trying not to break the kiss. With his footwear
removed, he moved fully up onto the bed, as two more thunks sounded, informing
him Mikleo had hurriedly kicked off his shoes as well.
The brunette leaned over his companion, encompassing the smaller frame in his
larger one as their heated breaths punctuated the otherwise silent room. His
leg slipped in between Mikleo's, breath hitching when he realized he was just
as worked up as he was. Mikleo moaned at the contact, grinding up into Sorey's
thigh as a hand mapped out the curve of his side.
Mikleo's hands were at his chest once more, and he felt the top few buttons of
his shirt loosen. A frustrated noise echoed in his own mouth as the seraph
struggled with the next. With a grin, Sorey opted for the easier route. With
one hand, he reached in between his shoulderblades, taking a handful of the
blue fabric. He pulled it up and over his head, his black undershirt with it,
adding it to the now substantial pile of clothing on the floor. As he leaned
back in, he tilted his head, opting instead to trail kisses down Mikleo's neck,
sucking at the tender flesh.
"S-Sorey!" the seraph arched under him, the friction of their lower bodies
causing blunt fingernails to bite into his back. Sorey felt no pain, but
instead, moaned against the other's throat, as he slowly drowned in the
intoxicating scent of his partner. There, where neck met shoulder, it was the
strongest, he ran his teeth along the skin, and sucked until an angry red mark
blossomed. The pheromones addled his mind as liquid fire pumped through his
veins.
Not wanting to relinquish all control, a thought struck Mikleo through his
hormone induced haze; a weak point of Sorey's. Entangling his fingers in the
unruly tuft of brown, he pulled at Sorey's hair, angling his face away as he
mouthed at his earlobe, sucking it into his mouth. Sorey's face twisted as a
broken gasp escaped his lips. Mikleo tugged off the feathered earcuff, running
his tongue along the shell of his ear, ripping another moan from his lover's
throat as the sheets were gripped on either side of him. He shifted his hips,
feeling the viscous liquid that had begun to seep through his clothing as he
ground up into his partner once again. He could feel the entire outline of
Sorey's dick at this point, straining through the fabric of his pants, and the
thought drove him absolutely crazy. He knew what he needed, and he needed it
now.
His partner seemed to have other plans though, he managed to get ahold of
Mikleo's hands, pinning them by the wrists to the thoroughly tousled bed. He
ventured further this time, kissing his adam's apple, across the collarbone, to
where his pale chest lay bare. The thought of payback crossed his mind, their
deeply ingrained rivalry fueling his actions. His eyes flicked upward
momentarily, his ear still tingling as he took in Mikleo's flushed features.
Leaning down, he took a taut pink nipple into his mouth. The reaction was
instant. "Ah-" Mikleo gasped, his hands straining against Sorey's hold. Whether
to push him away, or pull him closer, he wasn't so sure. He'd taken the nub
into his teeth, flicking it with his tongue.
"Sorey!" Now he was being just plain unfair.
He chuckled lightly at the reaction, the ragged timbre of Sorey's voice in the
heated atmosphere causing Mikleo to twitch in response as another rivulet of
slick pooled beneath him. The needy whine almost made the brunette regret his
actions...almost. The second he released his grip on Mikleo's wrists, his
slender fingers were fumbling with the button of Sorey's pants. He'd apparently
had enough of the teasing, and with the increasing discomfort below the waist,
Sorey couldn't bring himself to disagree.
Mikleo huffed in frustration as Sorey separated from him, obviously tired of
waiting, but found himself gripping the headboard for stability as his partner
grabbed at his pants, pulling both them and his underwear off in one fluid
motion. A voice in the back of his head felt anxious, laid bare before his
childhood friend, he was quite sure he'd be blushing if his skin weren't
already flushed from the heat. He trailed a hand down his own stomach, willing
the aching emptiness to subside.
Sorey threw Mikleo's pants to floor, more difficult was the task of shifting
his weight to remove his own. They had caught on his ankle, with a frustrated
grunt, he tugged them the rest of the way off. Turning back to face Mikleo, his
breath faltered. He'd seen Mikleo naked before, but not in recent memory, not
since he'd started having thoughts about him. They'd bathed together as
children, but when they got older, Sorey had brushed off the idea nonchalantly,
saying there wasn't room, or trying to make other excuses to avoid awkward
situations. It was bad enough the guilt he'd felt on those nights he lay awake,
trying to work out his frustrations as images of Mikleo would emerge unbidden
in his mind. Mikleo had always seemed so...pristine. The thought that his human
biology wished to sully what his mind had made sacred unnerved him. Those
thoughts became distant echoes in his mind as he drank in the sight before him.
The seraph had his eyes screwed shut touching himself in impatience, one hand
tracing down his chest, the other wrapped around his rigid length.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, fingertips hesitantly circled a knee,
reverently tracing the inside of Mikleo's thigh. He hesitated, looking up at
his beloved companion. "I...Is this ok?"
Violet eyes fluttered open, half lidded as he feebly nodded his response,
slender legs parted further in invitation. This was happening, this was really
happening.
Kneeling between them, the sweet scent of slick tore at Sorey's mind, his
pupils dilated in response. He pressed a kiss to the inside of of Mikleo's knee
between ragged breaths as a finger circled the wet entrance. It seemed to
twitch in response, beckoning as he slipped a finger inside.
They moaned in unison, Mikleo for the much needed contact, Sorey at the tight
heat that welcomed him, too tight, he realized. If he just went for it, he was
fairly certain they'd end up hurting each other. Sorey bit his lip, he'd have
to bear with it a little longer, even as his instincts vehemently disagreed.
As Sorey inserted a second finger, he reached up with the other hand, running
his thumb over the swollen head of Mikleo's erection, as the seraph stroked it
from below. He keened at the contact as he clenched down on the intruding
fingers. His white bangs matted to his forehead with sweat, and weak voice
choked out, "S-Sorey...hurry."
It wasn't enough, he needed more. More of Sorey. A voice responded, deeper than
usual, but laced with concern,"I need you to relax Mikleo, I don't want to hurt
you." He glared down at his partner before frustratedly letting his head fall
back against the pillow. Relax? He's kidding right? He took a deep breath,
Sorey was always concerned for his wellbeing, and while normally it was
appreciated, his patience had long since evaporated. A third finger was added
and he was at the end of his rope. He rocked back against the invading digits,
hoping to fill the void gnawing at his insides. When Sorey finally seemed
satisfied, he spread Mikleos knees further apart, as he leaned forward.
Feeling the warmth radiating from the body above him, Mikleo opened his eyes,
meeting Sorey's emerald gaze head on as a hand brushed lovingly against his
cheek. "Ready?" Not trusting his voice any longer, he nodded draping both of
his arms over Sorey's shoulders. He turned his head, placing a kiss on Mikleo's
wrist. As he moved to line himself up, pale thighs encircled his hips, drawing
him in.
As Sorey pushed forward, the hold around his neck and waist tightened as Mikleo
went rigid, a surprised noise escaping the seraph's throat, suddenly feeling
grateful that Sorey had taken the time to stretch him.
The tip pressed past the ring of muscle, the moist heat an indescribable
feeling on his previously neglected dick. The slick facilitated a smooth slow
glide as Sorey seated himself as deep as he could within his partner. Sorey
hung his head as harsh breaths fell from his lips. Brunette hair tips brushed
along Mikleo's chest as he gave them both time to adjust to the new feeling.
Mikleo's eyes were squeezed shut, trying to relax around Sorey's length. For a
few moments, there were no sounds save their racing hearts and ragged
breathing. But as the seconds ticked by, Mikleo grew impatient, consumed by the
need to quench his aching desires, he whimpered, grasping either side of
Sorey's face as he pulled him into a desperate kiss.
Craning his neck as their tongues tangled once more, Sorey began to move his
hips. As he thrust back in, a choked sob came from Mikleo, the fingers in his
hair tightened their grip. He began at a slow pace, as their lips parted, their
lidded eyes made contact, a feeling of urgency kindled in their gaze. He was so
used to seeing Mikleo calm and collected, seeing him so undone, moisture
gathered in the corners of his lashes, he couldn't restrain himself any longer.
Mikleo felt so good pressing in around him, more so than he could have imagined
on those lonely nights, his hand a pale comparison to the searing walls
gripping him tight. "Mikleo..." he groaned, pressing their sweaty foreheads
together as he assumed a maddening pace, thrusting in time to their frantic
heartbeats. Their hands found one another in the heated atmosphere, their
fingers lacing together. As Sorey continued to thrust,  they gripped painfully
tight, their shared breaths making them lightheaded with desire.
The wet sounds filled the room as precum mixed with slick, the heady scent
permeating the air. Shifting his weight, Sorey leaned back, detangling their
fingers as his hands traveled to Mikleo's hips, lifting them off the bed giving
him full leverage.
More, deeper, harder, Mikleo's mind seemed to chant, as he attempted to move in
a counter rhythm, each time they met, sparks of pleasure shot up his spine. He
could feel it building, every thrust adding to the madness consuming him.
He was so close, he could feel his knot swelling in response to Mikleo's body.
His scent, his sounds, the broken moans adding to the crescendo. Words had
begun to form on the seraph's perfect lips punctuated by the timing of his
movements. "Sorey...I- I love...you!"  Something in him snapped, his verdant
eyes clouding over as he seemed to lose all reason. He thrust wildly, his
growing knot forced its way past Mikleo's opening even as he felt hot liquid
splatter onto his chest. The seraph cried out as the grip on his shaft
tightened. His desperate thrusts were shorter now that they were locked
together, but so...so much deeper as his lover's walls rippled around his
length as his knot grew to full size.
"Mikleo!" the word, like a prayer tumbled from his hoarse throat, as his mind
faltered. Nothing but his beloved Mikleo filled his thoughts as his release hit
him with tremendous force, exploding from within, filling his companion with
the rush of his searing seed.
Sorey's forehead came to rest on Mikleo's chest, ignoring the sticky sensation
that smeared their stomachs. Dainty fingers gently buried themselves in
chestnut strands, as they both tried desperately to fill their lungs with much
needed oxygen. As cognitive processes began to fire once again in Sorey's
brain, an uncontrollable smile tugged at his features, even as he panted. "You
love me." His voice was ragged from exertion, a low rumble that reverberated
Mikleo's chest. "You said you love me." He looked up at the seraph, emerald
eyes sparkling.
Mikleo couldn't meet the look on Sorey's face, his unabashed smile, the
overflowing joy in his eyes. The look that melted him to his very core, to
which he had no defense. Seeing Sorey happy like that was his ultimate
weakness. He turned his head to the side, cheeks burning even as the heat of
their shared passion dissipated around them. "A-And if I did. Is that a
problem?" his voice shook a bit, lacking the normal edge to his words.
Even after what had just happened, Mikleo was embarrassed to meet him eye to
eye. He was pretty sure his heart couldn't take how cute he was being at the
moment, even with their bodies still locked together. He reached up, his
calloused fingers turning the seraphs face to look at him.  He couldn't stop
grinning through his words. "Mikleo, my Luzrov Rulay, I love you too."
Mikleo grabbed at Sorey, the warmth kindled in his heart unbearably hot as his
true name reached his ears. His eyes burned slightly as teardrops threatened to
fall from them. He forcibly pulled the human into a passionate kiss, though
there was no resistance. He wanted to pour everything he had into the kiss, to
let Sorey know just how happy he was to hear his words. Even as Mikleo
attempted to deepen the kiss, his tongue darting out to taste the other, Sorey
chuckled at Mikleo's fervor as he tried to pull away. "Mikleo, Mikleo hey, if
you keep that up we're going to be stuck together for even longer."
A small shift of his hips reminded his brain what his body was still very much
aware of. Sorey's knot firmly anchoring them together. The seraph gulped,
nodding in response, "Right. Uhm..." he paused, noting the tacky mess his own
release had made between them. "How long...approximately would you say..."
It was Sorey's turn to blush, breaking eye contact. "Minimum? Ten minutes.
Maximum...uhm maybe thirty?" Being his first time with someone other than his
own hand, he wasn't really sure.
Mikleo frowned slightly, pushing at Sorey's chest. Taking the cue, Sorey leaned
back on his haunches, gripping Mikleo's hips so he wouldn't shift too much and
hurt themselves. "Let me just..." A small orb of water appeared in his hand,
Sorey flinched as the chilled water made contact with his stomach, washing away
the evidence of Mikleo's release. He did the same to his own stomach before
waving away the water as it disappeared into nothingness.
"Better?" Sorey smirked.
"Better." Mikleo nodded, reclining back onto the bed, extending his arms to
Sorey in silent invitation. Sorey shifted a bit, draping himself over Mikleo,
settling his face comfortably in the crook of his neck. Mikleo in turn, shifted
his knees a bit higher on Sorey's waist, taking some of the pressure off of his
hips.
"Hey Mikleo?"
"Hmm?" the tiredness in his voice apparent.
"Your scent has gotten stronger." He nuzzled further into the seraph's neck,
the tip of his nose brushing the skin as he took a deep breath.
"Yeah?" Mikleo responded.
He received a hum of affirmation as a kiss was placed along his neck. "I like
it." The idea of sinking his teeth into the tender flesh had crossed his mind,
but he dismissed it, instead, resting his cheek on Mikleo's shoulder.
Even as he relaxed beneath the comfortable weight of Sorey, the last thing he's
said stuck out in his mind. For some reason Mikleo's thoughts wandered to a few
years ago, right about the time Sorey had moved out. Gramps had told him not to
worry about it, it didn't concern him, and that there was a point in their
lives where humans were best off living on their own. Though he made the
correlation, he was unsure of what to do with this information at the moment.
Minutes passed in comfortable silence as his fingertips traced shapes onto
Sorey’s back, or resumed carding through his hair. His partner’s breath had
become deep and rhythmic next to his ear. He was now fairly certain Sorey had
actually fallen asleep inside of him, a thought that caused a blush to creep
across his cheeks once more. It was almost enough to make Mikleo feel bad about
waking him, but the truth was, the lack of circulation in his legs, and the
uncomfortable situation between his legs required the detanglement of their
bodies. He was certain by now Sorey’s knot had shrunk, and what had once made
him shudder in ecstasy, was making him shudder for a whole other reason, having
become a cold and sticky mess beneath him.
"Sorey." He shifted slowly, trying to rouse him gently. "Hey, Sorey."
"Mmm?" bleary green eyes blinked up at him, and there may have been drool at
the corner of his mouth.
"Sorey, can you..."
"Hmm?' His brows knit together in tired confusion, but realization hit him when
Mikleo wiggled his hips slightly. His eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry. I guess I was
pretty tired." The seraph tensed up as Sorey pulled out, the renewed sensation
of now-cooled liquid rolling down his skin made him grimace.
Part of him really wanted to take a bath about now, but the exhaustion that
settled into his body said otherwise. Instead, he repeated the earlier water
sphere trick. A thought struck him, and he reached over the side of the bed,
grabbing a few articles of clothing and flinging two of them at Sorey, who
grunted in response.
The human had already collapsed back onto the bed, pulling a blanket over his
naked form.
"Sorey, what if the others come back?"
A single green eye opened in indignation. Grabbing the underwear that had
landed on the blanket above him, he shoved his legs through, ignoring the blue
shirt that had also been thrown at him. With a swing of his arm, he pulled back
the other side of the blanket, in open invitation for Mikleo to rejoin him on
the bed. With a sigh of surrender, Mikleo pulled on his own underwear, grabbing
the shirt with all intentions of dropping it back into the pile on the floor.
But his fingers stopped, an idea hitting him. Undoing the last 3 buttons which
had been his bane earlier, he slipped his arms through the sleeves of Sorey's
shirt, flopping down next to him on the bed.
A contented sigh tickled his ear as Sorey covered him with the blanket, pulling
the seraph close from behind. Mikleo relaxed into the embrace, fingers
entwining with Sorey's as they both surrendered to sleep.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Future chapters will have time skips, and probably varying lengths,
     kinda like episodes, as opposed to a start to finish progression.
     Self-beta'd.
     Questions or comments are welcome here or at my tumblr, senpai-
     fidelis.tumblr.com
***** Ripples *****
Chapter Summary
     This is my curse. "They took a bath." turned into 2000 words.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
He was comfortable, very comfortable. A soothing warmth was pressed up against
him, and a pleasant smell filled his nose. Opening his eyes, his gaze landed on
the silver-blue of Mikleo's hair. A grin brightened his features. Last night,
he and Mikleo...
He sat up partially, looking down at the seraph in a new light. He said he
loved me.  A bare hand reached up, touching the sleeping boy's forehead. His
fever seemed to have abated, and he was resting peacefully. The hand traced its
way down to a pale cheek. He almost never got to see Mikleo sleep, since he
didn't require it, and when he did indulge, he was always up and about before
Sorey. He was so beautiful, even now, with matted bedhead. His fingertips
ventured further, tracing their way down Mikleo's neck, to the bruise he'd left
on the tender skin. He stared at it a moment almost transfixed as he swallowed,
exhaling shakily.
"Sorey?"
Eyes of orchid were blinking up at him, and it broke him from whatever trance
he seemed to be in.
"Morning." He smiled, Mikleo mirroring the gesture. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm..." Mikleo's eyes had fallen shut once more. "Good. Better." His face
twisted into a frown as he ran a hand through his hair. "But definitely in need
of a bath."
Sorey nodded, looking around there were no signs the others had returned last
night. "Yeah, let's get cleaned up and then find the others, they can't be too
far."
The seraph nodded, as Sorey shuffled out of bed, sorting through the clothing
on the floor. Several articles were flopped down on the bed next to him.
Doublet, a sock, pants. Pants. Ok, so maybe a little laundry was in order too.
"Can I umm...have my shirt back?" his voice trailed off a bit, taking in the
sight of Mikleo in the navy blue button-up that was obviously too big on him.
"I mean, unless you wanted to wear it..." He couldn't bring himself to flat out
admit that he liked seeing the smaller boy in his shirt. At the thought his
cheeks had reddened slightly as he looked away.
A moment later, he was hit in the head with the wadded up shirt.
"It's too baggy, it wouldn't be practical to fight in." Mikleo stated matter-
of-factly, but the blush seemed to be contagious, which caused Sorey to smile
as he picked it up off the floor.
"Right, right, cause two capes are much more practical."
"You have no room to talk Mr. Shepherd." Mikleo countered as he gathered up his
things.
"That was a gift, thank you very much."
"Fine fine, let's just get to the baths." Mikleo stood, his clothes in his
arms. Sorey had put his pants and black undershirt on, but carried the rest of
his clothes. He looked back at Mikleo, holding his bundle, still in just his
underwear. "You're not going to put anything else on?"
"Why would I? I'd just take it - all back off again here in a minute." The
second half of his statement echoed in his mind, as Mikleo had returned to his
vessel.
Sorey chuckled, "Cheater."
 
As they stepped into the changing area, Mikleo emerged, grabbing a towel off
the shelf and exchanging it for his underwear as Sorey began to disrobe.
"Hand me your clothes." the seraph prompted,  and Sorey complied, watching as
Mikleo filled a tub, adding a bit of soap to it. He agitated the water, making
a miniscule whirlpool  with a twist of his wrist.
"Here, let me help, I can wash and you can dry." Sorey scooted closer, reaching
to put his hands in the tub. "N-no it's fine.".  The idea of Sorey scrubbing at
his pants and underwear unnerved him greatly. He hoped they weren't stained.
"Go ahead and get cleaned up, I'll meet you in the bath."
"If you're sure."
"Really, I'll be right there," Mikleo assured him. With a nod the Shepherd made
for the bathing area proper. The seraph took his doublet from the water,
drawing the moisture from the fabric as he hung it up, funneling the water back
into the basin. It was a pretty effective way to clean, and the time they spent
in the bath would give what little moisture that remained time to dry. He had
to admit how handy it was some times to be a water seraph, though he supposed
torching the offending garments would be pretty effective. He heard a small
metallic sound as he pulled Sorey's undershirt from the water. Looking down he
found the feathered ear cuff he'd pulled off of Sorey last night. The whole
chain of events flooding back into his mind. He was there for it, he was
present, but it almost seemed hazy in his mind, like he wasn't totally in
control of his actions. It kind of frightened the usually-composed seraph. Not
that he regretted it in any way. Being that close to Sorey... He shook himself
from his thoughts as he placed the ear cuff on a nearby shelf. Within minutes
he had their clothes drying in the morning sunlight. Satisfied, he removed his
headpiece, placing it next to Sorey's errant ear cuff.
He quickly cleaned himself in the empty bathing area, Sorey was undoubtedly
already in the spring by now. He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
It was just Sorey. They'd bathed together as kids all the time, and last
night... well, there was nothing he hadn't already seen right? Yet, he still
felt anxious about stripping.
"You don't have to stare." Mikleo grumbled , as he approached the water's
surface.
"S-sorry." Sorey took a momentary interest in the wood overhang above him as he
heard the seraph enter the water.
It was pleasantly warm on his skin, though likely only a few degrees above body
temperature. Mikleo sighed he sank up to his neck, perfectly content to be in
his element.
Sorey couldn't help but smile as Mikleo took to the water, "It's a really nice
temperature."
"Mmhmm," Mikleo had his eyes closed. "It must be a fair distance from its
volcanic source."
A minute or two passed with nothing but the sound of the occasional ripple.
Mikleo was being quiet, not unusual, but his brows drawn together like he was
lost deep in thought. His eyes flicked up, catching the human. "You're staring
at me again."
"I can't help it, you're making a weird face." Sorey flicked water at the
seraph, who ruffled in indignation.
"Am not!" Mikleo protested, but he was grinning as he returned a small splash
of water back at the brunette.
"You were!" They exchanged several volleys of splashes as their laughter echoed
off the side of the building. It felt good, like nothing had changed, like they
were 8 again, splashing in the ruin pools of Mt. Mabinogio. He knew full well
Mikleo was pulling his punches, no sane person would challenge a water seraph
to a splash fight. He was humoring Sorey, as he always had.
Water dripped in streams from their hair as their laughter died down,  and a
more serious look took over Sorey's features. "You sure you're ok?" He reached
out an arm in the water, offering his hand to the seraph.
A soft smile tugged at Mikleo's lips, nodding as he entwined his fingers with
Sorey's. The human pulled him in closer, and he allowed it, coming face to face
with him.
"Is...this ok?" Sorey asked, barely audibly. Their lips were so close, Mikleo
could feel the words as they left his mouth. Mikleo's response was to press
their lips together, reassuring one another. Their relationship hadn't changed,
it was the same as it'd always been. They were just, adding another layer, and
that wasn't something they should be afraid of.
As they broke the kiss, "Yes. This is ok." They grinned stupidly at each other
as Mikleo's arms found their way to Sorey's shoulders, and Sorey's found a home
on his hips. Mikleo tensed for a moment, having Sorey's fingers so close to his
sides.
Sorey felt him tense up. "Hey, hey, truce. No tickling, promise."
Mikleo eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but allowed the contact.
Even as the smell of the spring threatened to mask his senses, Mikleo's scent
reached his nose, not nearly as overwhelmingly as last night, but the smell
comforted him as he edged closer, resting his forehead on the seraph's
shoulder. A hum of contentment rumbled in his throat as he took another deep
breath. Mikleo seemed to reciprocate, a deep sigh brushing past this damp hair.
Mikleo jolted slightly as Sorey’s lips brushed against his neck. "S-Sorey!" He
squirmed in the other's grasp, pushing at his shoulders.
Sorey placed a trail of kisses along his throat, small droplets of water like
dew on his skin. He felt that itch again, in the back of his mind, a tingle in
his teeth as he licked at the red and purple mark on Mikleo's neck. He opened
his mouth, teeth bared, as small torrent of water came crashing down on his
head.
Sorey yelped in surprise, blinking as he snapped back to reality. He let go of
Mikleo as he pawed at the curtain of brown hair that covered his eyes.
"This isn't a private spring Sorey, anyone could come waltzing in at any
second," the blush on his face was quite apparent, and he could tell there was
no real anger in his voice,"Now come on, we don't want the Shepherd to be
permanently pruned."
Sorey licked at his lips, "Right. Sorry." Mikleo might not like dogs, but the
kicked puppy look on Sorey's face right now was intolerable. With a roll of his
eyes, the seraph leaned in and pecked him on the lips.
"C'mon," he murmured, taking Sorey's hand as he headed to the edge of the
spring.
 
They exchanged dopey grins with one another intermittently as they redressed,
like two kids who were up to no good. It was a good feeling, a familiar
feeling.
"I'm starving," Sorey spoke up as he pulled his cloak on, stepping over to the
door to wait for Mikleo to be ready.
The seraph just had a few clasps on his shirt to go when he looked up, spotting
the earring next to his circlet. "Oh! Here." He padded over to Sorey, handing
him the cuff.
"Thanks." He slipped it back on his ear as Mikleo placed his circlet back on
his brow. Sorey pushed open the door, allowing the seraph through as he was
fixing his hair back into place. He followed right behind.
As they came around the corner into the common area, they were ambushed.
"My my," Zaveid leaned close to Mikleo, tugging at his open collar. "No teeth
marks, a nice looking hickey though." Mikleo practically squawked as he batted
Zaveid away, his personal space feeling quite violated at the moment as he had
slapped his hand back over his shirt, covering the bruise indignantly.
"Just lookin' out for ya Mickey boy, gotta make sure Sorey's playing nice."
Zaveid lifted his hands in a show of surrender as he backed away towards the
others.
"Oh. My god. Can we not talk about this? I'm pretty sure I'm mentally scarred
from the voices." Rose was sitting at one of the tables, looking anywhere but
at them.
"Sorey you cad." Edna practically purred. "Deflowering our little Meebo.
Whatever shall we do without a Shepherd now that you've been corrupted by
carnal desires?"
"What!//What?" Sorey and Mikleo shrieked in unison.
"Edna! That's not something to joke about," Lailah chimed in.
"Lailah, I'm not really going to lose the pact am I?" Sorey questioned in a
panic.
"Settle down, kid. Edna's just messing with you." The wind seraph spoke up as
Edna turned away with a smirk on her face.
"Zaveid is right Sorey." Lailah took hold of each of their hands. "Besides, an
act of love should never be seen as something to be ashamed of."
The boys blushed furiously looking away, Mikleo pulled his hand back out of
Lailah's grasp.
Brushing non-existent dirt off her dress. "Besides, if that creep Pawant can
sleep around and still end up as a seraph in the end, you two swapping apple
gel shouldn't be an issue."
"EDNA!" Everyone seemed to shout in unison.
Chapter End Notes
     I happen to be very proud of "swapping apple gel."
     Its not beta'd so feel free to point out my idiocy.
     One of the things I love about A/B/O is that everyone writes it
     differently. Hell, it can vary by fic, let alone author. Fear not,
     the ways of this fic will be laid out in short order.
     Unfortunately I don't have a set update schedule, and I have a busy
     week starting tomorrow, so we'll see.
***** Return to Glaivend *****
Chapter Notes
     Did a little bit of tweaking/upkeep (named the chapters, added a few
     tags, etc.)
     I'm not the most consistent writer, like I said, updates are
     sporadic. Apologies.
     Why must my inspiration be so fragile? *weeps*
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sorey and Mikleo endured a barrage of teasing all throughout breakfast. Their
cheeks dusted pink with embarrassment as they ate. Rose insisted she be
compensated for the extra gald she had spent on a second room. Sorey obliged,
he had gald to spare with all the hellions they'd been purifying, and even
bought breakfast for everyone for the inconvenience.
"I suppose we should say goodbye to Sergei and Alisha since we're still in
town," Sorey spoke up, as he placed his fork on the empty plate. The knights
tower was only a few minutes walk, but he wasn't sure where Alisha had been
escorted to, Sergei would know.
 
They entered the barracks, a knight standing guard moved to fetch the Knight-
Captain upon their arrival. The seraphim emerged, standing in a loose
formation. Mikleo, as always, directly over Sorey's left shoulder, a strange
look on his face. Sorey opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong when Sergei
entered the hall.
"Shepherd Sorey, Rose, did you rest well?" his voice boomed, sounding much more
optimistic then when they'd first met.
"Yeah," They nodded in unison the Shepherd speaking up, "We were just about to
head out and thought we'd make sure you and Alisha got the meeting sorted out."
"I'll be escorting her to the castle today myself, on my honor I assure you no
harm will come to her, and if we are at all able, peace will be made on
Glenwood."
The door flung open behind them, a rush of air rushing past them. Sergei lifted
his face, scenting the air, a flicker of confusion crossed his features as the
knight entered behind them. Sorey sidestepped, interposing himself between
Mikleo and the other alpha as the messenger stepped past with a letter.
"Sir! we have a report from Glaivend Basin. The recovery camp was attacked,
there seems to be another dragon, its not nearly as large as the last, but the
whole camp caught fire in the night, they were forced to retreat." The group
exchanged worried glances.
"We'll take care of it," Sorey immediately offered, "We can't just leave the
dragon to roam, doing as it pleases." He looked over his companions, Zaveid and
Lailah nodded, he felt bad bringing up the subject of wayward dragons, seeing
Edna turned away, tucked under her umbrella. That was another task left
unfinished. He bit his lip, he'd made a promise to help her find a way to save
her brother. He understood now, some things cannot be undone. How many more
seraphs had to become dragons? How many more lives would he have to take before
the end?
He looked up to meet Sergei's gaze. "Could you say goodbye to Alisha for us? We
better head out immediately."
"I shall," he responded,  "I'm sorry I'm not able to accompany you."
"Don't be. We're all working toward the same end, the end of the Age of Chaos."
"Well said, Sorey," he paused a moment, glancing at Rose, "Forgive me for
asking, but, you are a beta, are you not?" It wasn't uncommon for an alpha to
pair with a beta since omegas were generally more rare.
"Thankfully," was her cryptic answer. She was fairly certain if she could smell
them, the amount of alpha pheromones in a place like the knight's tower would
be near intolerable.
He shook his head, dismissing what he thought he'd smelled earlier, perhaps
someone outside. "Best of luck," he offered a brotherly handshake to Sorey whom
accepted, though he maintained eye contact a bit longer than necessary, and
seemed to grip the knights' gauntlet a little too firm. A confused Sergei waved
as they left. Was...the Shepherd trying to intimidate him? Perhaps the question
he'd posed to his wife had offended him.
 
"You alright there, Sorey?" Rose asked as the headed for the town gate.
"Huh?" Sorey lifted his eyebrows, "Yeah, I'm fine. Its just...How can there be
another dragon? We stopped the war, could there really be that much residual
Malevolence to spawn one so quickly?"
Lailah spoke up from within, "Much of it was purified when the dragon was
defeated through the joint effort of the armies. There must be another cause
for this."
"I guess we'll find out when we get there," Zaveid chimed in as the Shepherd's
mouth drew into a thin line, he nodded.
 
Once away from the city, the seraphim emerged, joining Rose and Sorey.
"That face doesn't suit you. You look like you've just tasted some of your own
cooking," Mikleo spoke up from beside him, at the sound of his voice, the
Shepherd looked over his shoulder, a smile tugging his lips at the playful
banter.
"Well not all of us can be artisans, Chef Mikleo," he fell into step beside the
seraph.
The others watched as Sorey nudged Mikleo, the seraph returning the gesture,
dopey grins on both their faces as they continued to walk and talk with one
another.
"Unbelievable," Edna spoke up out of earshot of the two boys. "I think they've
actually gotten worse."
"As long as they've still got their eye on the prize, I don't think its a
problem," Zaveid spoke up, he extended his thumbs and forefingers, creating a
rectangle with his fingers, he looked at Mikleo through the frame of his
digits. "Though I do kinda gotta question Shep's tastes. No curves whatsoever.
GAH!" He rubbed at his side.
Edna retracted her umbrella, having taken offense to the wind seraph's comment.
"You'll grow into 'em," he grunted. She glared at Zaveid, popped open her
umbrella, leaving the shirtless man to rub at his newly forming bruise. He
looked back at Lailah and Rose, who offered no sympathy. "Then again, maybe
he's got the right idea, you womenfolk are cruel."
"Turning over a new leaf are we?" Lailah prodded.
"Pft, I can't deny the ladies my companionship, that would be a terrible crime
on my part," Zaveid puffed up, winking at Rose and the fire seraph as he
followed after Edna.
Rose and Lailah exchanged uncomfortable glances with one another as they kept
pace. The lady of the lake returned her gaze toward the two figures leading
their party. They could always count on the water seraph to pull Sorey from his
darker thoughts, his presence alone could soothe the human's troubled spirit.
Looking at the two of them, Lailah really could have hope that humans and
seraphs could live together in peace once more.
A familiar sense of remorse and loneliness gripped her heart, but she tamped it
down. Sorey was not Michael, and his decisions were his own. If she could do
nothing else, she would be sure Sorey found his answer.
 
It did not take them long to find the dragon once they entered the basin. A
column of smoke rose on the hill, an aftereffect of its raid on the camp hours
ago.  A bipedal dragon stood before them, with its golden armor and a shield
the size of Sorey, it roared to the heavens in what almost seemed like sorrow.
"That's a Dragon Warlock! Its formed when a seraph holds great resentment. It
may be smaller than the other dragon we fought, but do not let your guard
down," Lailah's voice spoke up.
"Understood," Sorey replied, drawing his blade as they moved to subdue the
beast.
 
Lailah hadn't been kidding,  the thing was relentless, and they didn't have an
army with them to distract the thing this time. He and Edna dearmitized,
wincing at the strength of its blows. As she retreated to her vessel, Mikleo
took the earth seraph's place on the battlefield.
Ice shot from Mikleo's staff, finding weak points in the dragon's armor as it
roared in defiance, though it too was showing signs of weakening. Rose and
Zaveid in their combined form danced around it, gusts of slicing winds sweeping
out from their blessed daggers.
Another arc of its sword left Sorey reeling, with an earsplitting roar sending
pain through their bodies a moment later.
"Resilient Aid!" Mikleo cried out, focusing his mana to heal Sorey. The
draconic beast whirled, narrowing its pupils to slivers as it changed targets.
"Oi! Over here, Lizard!" Sorey attempted to regain its attention as he stood,
slicing his sword along its flank. It shrugged off the attack, taking large
strides towards the water seraph.
Sorey grit his teeth, Edna and Lailah were still recovering, and he wasn't sure
he had the strength to armatize again so soon, but he wanted to protect Mikleo.
Needed to protect Mikleo. He took off at a sprint towards the creature.
It raised its sword high into the air, Mikleo braced for the impact, staff at
the ready.
But the blow never came. Sorey was atop the beast, his sword sunk into the back
of its scaly hide. A large clang echoed off the canyon walls as the great
lizard dropped its shield, reaching behind it, the dragon ripped the Shepherd
from its back, throwing him to the ground.
"Sorey!" Mikleo cried out, his voice threatening to crack. He dashed to the
fallen Shepherd.
With its shield gone, the monster had little reprieve from the rain of daggers
Sylphistia called forth, a shrill cry piercing the air as its body faded to
nothingness before it could hit the ground.
Mikleo was at his side immediately, tending to the wounds with his healing
artes. "Idiot, you could have really gotten yourself hurt, you know that?" he
reprimanded as the Shepherd looked apologetic.
"I'm alright, plus I've got a cute nurse looking out for me," he reached a hand
out to run his fingers through the hair at the seraph's nape.
A flush crept across Mikleo's cheeks as he broke eye contact, "Th-That doesn't
give you a free pass to be reckless." he huffed, annoyed.
"I know, sorry for worrying you," he traced his thumb along Mikleo's cheek,
appreciating the warmth of his blush.
Mikleo enjoyed the contact, but was unwilling to forgive Sorey's carelessness
so easily. He looked back at him to see the gentle curve of his lips. Sometimes
he hated how much he loved Sorey's smile. Mikleo sighed, defeated. "Come on,"
standing, he offered a hand to the human, as they joined the others.
Lailah had immerged, she was currently distributing aid to Edna.
"I don't get it, you said it was a seraph that had succumb to resentment?" Rose
pondered aloud.
"Did the Dragon Warlock's clothes look at all familiar?" Lailah spoke up.
Sorey's face twisted in thought for a moment, before his eyebrows shot up in
realization. "The seraph from the hunting grounds, she said her partner was
kidnapped," he paused a moment,  "Wait. You don't think that the dragon before
was..," Sorey trailed off, Mikleo taking up the train of thought.
"So you're saying, Heldalf and Symonne captured the seraph, imprisoning him on
the battlefield until he soaked up enough malevolence to become a dragon. And
being so distraught that she lost him, she became a form of dragon as well?"
Mikleo looked displeased with the series of events.
"Not just that," Lailah continued. "The two of them were likely spirit bound, a
beautiful and sacred union between seraphim. To become spirit bound is to share
your life and essence with another. It is the strongest pact that a seraph can
make, and not one to be taken lightly. Heldalf knew exactly what he was doing,
by turning one into a dragon, their connection guaranteed the fall of the
other."
"So, a lot like humans marking each other?" Rose questioned. The confused looks
on Mikleo and Sorey's faces prompted her to continue. She kept forgetting the
two had grown up tucked away from humanity. "When humans find a mate, they'll
mark em, a bite to the neck, right where the scent glands are." She clamped a
hand over her collar, mimicking a bite. "When it's two betas they won't
necessarily do it, but pairings that have an alpha or omega do. It's supposed
to strengthen their relationship, scenting one another and all that, kinda like
an informal marriage."
Sorey blanched, gulping as he looked at Mikleo through the corner of his eye.
He'd almost marked him...twice. That's why Zaveid had checked him for bite
marks back at the inn. And it was only by chance that he hadn't done it the
second time. His gut clenched to think he almost did something like that
without Mikleo's consent.
"They are very similar in sentiment, even if the process differs," Lailah
confirmed.
"So their bond provided the malevolence, and the resentment it harbored chose
the shape of the hellion," Rose thought aloud, "so did it resent Heldalf...or
us, for killing her mate?"
"Most likely both, to be completely honest," Lailah lowered her eyes.
If someone had done something like that to Mikleo, would he fall to
malevolence? The knot in his stomach tightened, they weren't even bonded, but
he felt so close to Mikleo, even more so since their last night in Lastonbell.
To protect him, comfort him, hold him. He glanced at the seraph, worry in his
features, and their eyes locked.
Chapter End Notes
     Betas make up probably 65% of the population, Alphas, 20% and the
     remaining 15% Omega. So its not like they're super rare or anything,
     just more uncommon.
     And yeah, the seraph pair is in game if you missed it, a male wind
     seraph and a female earth seraph, they're unnamed so I didn't include
     names. Its a lowkey subplot called The Lovers.
***** Dissonance *****
Chapter Summary
     Sorry and Tsunleo mentally struggle with their alignments.
Chapter Notes
     Originally this was only gonna have like, 2-3 chapters before the
     timeskip, but the boys had other plans.
     Oh hey, this is officially the longest fic I've written. Both in
     words and chapters. Huzzah.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Well, that was fun." Edna remarked, glaring at the puddles of ooze around her
feet. "Naturally the ruin we stumble upon happened to be filled with goo
monsters."
"It's not all bad, they're certainly having the slime of their lives." Lailah
chimed in, with that familiar sparkle in her eye. Sorey and Mikleo seemed to be
continuing their discussion of the remains of Merchior beside them.
Edna huffed slightly, shaking the slime from her umbrella onto an unsuspecting
Mikleo, who seemed to be spotless, gaining a Hey! in response.
"I'm going to agree with Edna on this one, that Maneater was a tough customer,
and we were supposed to be taking a break," Rose spoke up, the second half of
her sentence directed at the two boys.
After taking out the dragon warlock, they'd all agreed a rest was in order. To
Mikleo and Sorey's delight, and everyone else's dismay, the first place they'd
found was a ruin. The shade was a nice contrast to the barren landscape
outside, and they sat around, tending to their wounds and having some of
Lailah's cookies while the two boys talked about the architecture. It was nice
while it lasted, on a hunch, Mikleo had found a lever, opening up the crumbling
labyrinth. While he and Sorey exchanged excited glances, the others were less
enthused as they resigned themselves to an afternoon of exploration. And that's
what had led them to their current sticky situation.
"Sorry," Sorey spoke up, "I mean, it seemed like such a waste not to explore it
since we were already here and all..."
Rose waved her hand in dismissal. "Yeah, yeah, we know. Might as well be asking
a bird not to fly. We're kind of used to it at this point. That being said, if
you explorer itch has been scratched, I'd rather not spend the night in this
creeptacular place." She eyed one of the nearby stone caskets.
"Right," he nodded, the seraphim agreed, forming into light as they retreated
back into Sorey. Retracing their steps out of the ruin was easy enough, judging
by the sun, they had an hour, maybe two, before nightfall. They'd made it to
Falkwin Hillside as the sun was threatening to set. At everyone's behest, they
set up camp right near the Griflet River. Lailah started up a small campfire
before the girls headed down to the river to clean themselves properly after
their less than pleasant afternoon. It wasn't strictly necessary for Edna and
Lailah, but they argued it was more of a mental cleansing. It was Mikleo and
Sorey's job to make sure Zaveid left them alone while they did so.
 
The three of them engaged in conversation around the glowing embers, the girls
had been gone for a while when they heard a muffled noise from beyond the
bushes. Sorey sprung to his feet as Zaveid read the wind. "A boar?"
"Maybe it wandered over here from Volgran Forest?," Sorey scanned the darkness
for its outline.
"Perhaps it came here before the battle broke out, and with so much troop
movement, it's been stranded..," Mikleo pondered aloud.
"I got this," Sorey unsheathed his ritual sword, heading out into the night.
"Sorey!" Mikleo shouted after him, but the white cloak had disappeared beyond
the ring of light the fire produced.
At that moment, the girls returned, cleaner, but more than willing to let the
heat of the fire warm them back up.
"Huh? Where'd he run off to?" Rose spoke up.
"Chasing down a boar, I guess," Zaveid shrugged as the girls took their seats,
running fingers through their drying hair.
A squeal echoed through the air, and after a few minutes, Sorey dragged the
beast over, flopping it down into the grass next to the water seraph.
"I thought we could have some boar for dinner, like back in Elysia. That way we
don't have to just eat snacks," he opened his eyes wide like he'd said
something horrible. "Not that I don't like the snacks you make!" Sorey
practically pleaded at Mikleo, who took in the sight before him. The human was
disheveled to say the least, dirt on his face and his hair even messier than
usual. The seraph couldn't help but chuckle.
"Think you can help with this thing Lailah? I'm probably as likely to burn it
as Sorey is," the seraph jibed.
"Woah hey, I'm an expert at cooking boar, I've done it a million times," the
human countered.
"You are going to go bathe," Sorey opened his mouth to protest, but the grit he
felt on his skin was palpable.
"I'm going to go bathe," he echoed, chuckling, a bit embarrassed. By the time
the Shepherd returned, the scent of roasting meat was hanging in the air,
making his mouth water.
 
"That. Hit the spot. Thanks you guys for cooking it," Sorey grinned.
Mikleo looked away, his response mumbled as Lailah spoke up, "Thank you for
catching it. There will be plenty left over to take with us. Edna and I should
be able to smoke and salt it before morning."
"You guys are amazing," he grinned, as he finished off the last morsel he had,
brushing his fingers off on his pant leg.
Thoroughly satiated, he scooted right up next to Mikleo on the log, their
thighs and shoulders touching. Enjoying the closeness, Sorey moved his arm to
wrap around the seraph's waist. Mikleo jolted, scooting away slightly. Sorey's
eyebrows knit in confusion.
Someone cleared their throat, drawing his attention, "Sorey, can I talk to you
for a second?" She chucked a small bone into the fire.
"Uh, sure, Rose," he separated from Mikleo, giving a quick glance at him over
the shoulder as he stepped over to the other human.
The seraph watched them go before turning back to observe Lailah' culinary
mastery of fire, the redness of his cheeks camoflaged by the red-orange light
of the flames.
 
When they returned a few minutes later, Sorey looked sheepish and was avoiding
everyone's eye contact.
They settled down for the night, Rose curled up near the fire, Zaveid reclining
under a tree, the familiar top hat pulled down, obscuring his face. Sorey was
on his back, arms crossed behind his head as he looked up through the leaves
above, some of Rose's words echoing in his head.
Oh please, I've been around enough alphas to know when they're trying to
impress someone. But he's a seraph, Sorey, We don't even know what would happen
if you marked him, if you're even compatible...
His eyes wandered over to Mikleo, who was staring into the firelight.
I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, its not like I have a lot of
experience in relationships or anything, but I could tell he was uncomfortable
back there. I'm just telling you to think with your brain, not your hormones.
He started a bit when Mikleo stood up.
"I'm going to do a quick perimeter, make sure nothing's creeping around the
area," the silver haired boy addressed the other two seraphs. Lailah nodded as
he materialized his staff, and headed out into the night air.
 

Mikleo was lost in his own thoughts, so when he started to hear footsteps
behind him, he reflexively brandished his staff at the presence. With a sigh
and a half smile, he lowered his weapon.
"Sorry if I startled you," Sorey apologized, his hands up in a motion of
surrender.
"You should be asleep," Mikleo admonished.
"I know, I just...I wanted to talk to you," he broke eye contact, his bright
green eyes barely catching the moonlight as he looked at the ground.
"You've been acting strange," Mikleo's expression dropped slightly, "You barely
let me do any fighting today, and when you did, you were paying more attention
to me than you were the battle."
Sorey was certain the tips of his ears had turned red from his blush. "I...I
know. I really want you by my side, but...at the same time, the thought of you
getting hurt just..."
Mikleo's eyebrows furrowed, arms crossing over his chest, "Sorey, I thought we
were over this? I thought this got settled back when I became your Sublord?"
"I know! I know, I just can't help it, and I'm really sorry if I made you mad
at me," he paused, making himself continue even as his face burned with
embarrassment. "Rose...she said everything I've been doing lately is normal for
alphas...courting someone. Its a strong instinct for me to want to protect my
uhm..." his voice trailed off.
The blush seemed contagious, Mikleo's voice was much quieter than before, he
had an idea of what he was going to say, but prompted him to continue, "Your?"
"My mate," Sorey forced himself to finish. He rushed his next words, attempting
to put the moment behind him, "I know humans and seraphs are different, and I
know you can handle yourself and I can't be that  selfish."
He'd be lying to himself if he didn't recognize that at least part of him had
been impressed by Sorey's protectiveness, even as it wounded his pride. It was
a strange dissonance that he was having trouble reconciling in his mind.
"And I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable earlier," Sorey added, pulling
Mikleo from his thoughts.
"Uncomfortable?" Mikleo asked.
"After dinner, when I..."
Frowning slighlty, Mikleo stepped forward. He laced the human's fingers with
his own, "Sorey, no its not like that."
Sorey blinked, but tightened his grip on Mikleo's hand.
"I meant what I said, Sorey. I love you, and I-I love when you're affectionate.
Just in front of  the others I..." he frowned, looking away. "They already look
down on me because I'm so much younger  than them, I don't want..," he sighed,
trying to find the right words, but failing. "I must look like such a fool to
them."
Sorey face softened, reaching forward  as he brought him into a hug, he placed
a kiss in  Mikleo's hair. "They don't. Mikleo, you're amazing. You're keeping
up with Seraphs who are probably a hundred  times older than you!"
Mikleo chuckled into Sorey's chest, "Don't let the girls hear you say that."
"I'm serious, Mikleo. Do you think they were off on an adventure exploring
ruins and taking on hellions at our age? Look at what we've accomplished,
together. Even back in Ladylake I wanted to protect you from all this, but now,
I can't imagine going on this journey without you." By this point, he'd pulled
away just enough to look the seraph in the eye. " And when we armatize?" his
smile was stretching ear to ear, "It feels soright, like there's nothing we
can't do together."
Mikleo couldn't stop the grin tugging at his face, he loved armatizing with
Sorey. He'd always wondered if the Shepherd felt the same when he joined with
each of the seraphs, but the confession soothed the prickly thought in the back
of his mind which he recognized now as jealousy.
"There's no way I'd have made it this far without you, I know that, so I'll try
to be more mindful of my actions from now on," he entwined their fingers once
more, bringing their foreheads together to touch.
Mikleo shook his head, as his eyes closed, "You're impossible to argue with,
you know that?" He smirked, breathing in the comforting scent of his alpha. The
seraph leaned up on his toes to place a chaste kiss on Sorey's lips, "Except
when you're theories are wrong."
Sorey chuckled, pulling Mikleo back into a deeper kiss which the other happily
returned. As their lips parted, they settled into a comfortable embrace.
"Thanks for dinner, by the way it, it was nice," Mikleo spoke softly, his head
resting on Sorey's shoulder.
"My pleasure." A few quiet moments were shared, Sorey nuzzling into Mikleo's
soft locks. The other hummed in response, and a deep yawn shook the Shepherd.
"C'mon, lets get you back, you need to rest." Sorey made no argument, merely
nodding his head as Mikleo lead him back to camp, pulling him along by their
laced fingers.
 
When Rose awoke the next morning, she found them both asleep, Sorey's head
resting in Mikleo's lap.
Chapter End Notes
     Sorey's Inner Alpha Guide to Impressing a Mate:
     Show Off
     Protect
     Provide
     ???
     Profit
      
     Was this chapter weird to you? It felt a little weird. I'm actually
     looking for a beta reader/sounding board for this fic if anyone's
     interested. An "I'm thinking of doing this, what do you think/ does
     this seem too out of character to you" kind of deal. (probably using
     skype)
     If that sounds like a thing you want to do, or if you have Questions
     or Comments hit me up on my tumblr, senpai-fidelis.tumblr.com
     Thanks for reading!
***** Bonds of Blood *****
Chapter Notes
     Hoo boy. This was a long time coming. Holidays happened, writers
     block happened. I was having some issues with this chapter, and
     actually rewrote the first half three times before I felt like it was
     acceptable. There's some game dialogue in here as well. Action
     sequences, who even?
Emerald eyes shot open. A low rumble had crescendoed into a roar that echoed
down the hillside. Sorey sat up, taking in the looks of his companions, who all
seemed to be awake now; surprise on Rose and Mikleo's faces, a solemn
expression on the others' features.

"He's been grumbling all morning," Zaveid spoke up, breaking a small twig and
tossing it into what was left of their fire. "Surprised he didn't wake you
sooner to be honest."

Sorey turned a concerned gaze toward the mountains, a dense fog seemed to swirl
among the peaks of Rayfalke. He looked over to Edna, her gaze locked onto the
glowing embers before her, deep in thought.

"Is it really okay to leave a dragon on its own like that?" Rose spoke up, the
earth seraph turned to glare at the human.

"We have bacon for breakfast! Eat up everyone!" Lailah interjected, trying to
cut the tension.

"I'm not hungry," Edna's tone was cold as ice. The next moment she had
disappeared in a flash of light, retiring into Sorey. Everyone shot a glance at
Rose.

"Right. Sorry, sore subject."

"Sounds like he's gettin' to be even more restless," Zaveid spoke up, "he's
just feeding on all the malevolence. I doubt even Edna could keep him in check
at this point."

Sorey made eye contact with the wind seraph, acknowledging the truth in
Zaveid's words. Some people couldn't be, or didn't want to be saved. Cardinal
Forton, the dragons of Glaivend...Heldalf. It wasn't something he was happy
about, but sometimes there were no other options. He grit his teeth as his
hands curled into fists seeming of their own accord. The world wasn't fair,
sometimes bad things happened to good people. A hard lesson he'd come to know
since leaving his quiet little village.

A pale hand was placed over his own, he blinked, releasing the tension in his
body. Turning to Mikleo, the gentle amethyst gaze reassured and calmed him. The
seraph nodded without saying a word, he didn't need to, Sorey knew Mikleo would
stand beside him no matter what path he chose.

Mikleo used his artes to douse what was left of the fire before they left. What
little everyone had eaten of breakfast was eaten in silence, save for the
rumbling from the mountain. He couldn't ignore this. If he didn't do it, who
would, Zaveid alone? How long could Edna last, would she fall eventually too?
With his mind made up, they started up the mountain.
Edna emerged from Sorey, the others followed suit.

"You're really going through with this? After you promised me?," her voice was
small, barely audible, as though she didn't trust her own voice.

"Edna..," Sorey started.

"I made a promise too, to your brother. 'When I become a dragon, kill me, I
don't want Edna to suffer for it.'" Zaveid was looking into sky.

"Huh? What does that even mean?" She sniffled, trying to hold back the tears.
"That's so selfish of him. Leaving on a journey without me! becoming a dragon
without telling me! Didn't he even think about how lonely I'd be without him?!
Eizen..I ...I want to see you again...Ei...zen." She had broken down into
tears, crumpling to the ground, even as Zaveid turned and headed for the peak.

Their heavy footfalls carried them up the mountain trails, no one knowing what
to say, no one in a hurry to perform the task at hand. The sight of the summit
made Sorey's insides twist.
 
"Wait," Edna had rejoined them.
"Are you sure you're okay with this Edna?," Sorey questioned, worry lacing his
voice.

Not lifting her eyes from the ground, she responded. "He's only getting worse.
In the end... I think Zaveid is right. We can't let him do as he pleases, and I
can't keep making excuses." She paused, willing herself not to cry again.
"If... If there really is no way of changing him back, letting him linger is
just selfish of me. He never wanted to be a dragon, if he could see himself
now..," Edna trailed off.

Sorey nodded at her, and her resolve seemed to strengthen.

"He's coming," Zaveid spoke up as the wind blew past them, they all took up
their fighting stances. "Let's do this."

The former seraph landed, the sheer weight of the beast causing the earth to
quake beneath him. Edna and Zaveid provided ranged support as Sorey and Rose
engaged the dragon, weaving between its deadly claws. A whip of his powerful
tail sent a cascade of rocks down the side of the mountain, clacking their
descent.

It certainly wasn't easy, the thick hide of dragon-scales made damaging Eizen
difficult, and the speed was something Sorey wouldn't think possible of a
creature of this size, his roars leaving a ringing sensation in their ears.

"Over here buddy," Zaveid called out, making a show of his next arte, "Horizon
Storm!" A large green sigil appeared behind the wind seraph, and a beam of
energy blasted the dragon, staggering it. Sorey was able to take advantage of
the distraction, landing a sword slash along its chest. The dragon recoiled
with the solid hit, tensing its muscles as it leapt into the sky.

Eizen took to the air, Sorey quickly summoned forth Mikleo, "Luzrov Rulay!" the
serenity of water washed over him as he drew the bow. We have to bring him
down. "Arrow Squall!"

The dragon roared as its damaged wings crumpled from the rain of blows. As its
claws touched earth, it swung around, his great tail sending the earth seraph
flying.

"EDNA!" Sorey and Mikleo shouted in unison as the small girl tumbled over the
side of the cliff.

She opened her umbrella to help her descent, but the fall was short enough that
it offered little resistance. She slid down the rock face, landing on her knee,
as cracks emanated from the impact she winced. Her brother roared once again,
his voice shaking the very mountain. Edna turned, rocketing herself into the
air, she landed back on the platform where the others still fought, much more
mindful of the tail now.

"Edna, are you okay?!" Sorey shouted between pants as she reappeared, razor
wings now fanned behind him.

"I'm fine,"she continued to run forward, she then armatized with Rose who was
looking a bit worse for the wear. "Hephsin Yulind!"

Sorey sounded quite worn out himself despite the gel he'd just used. His
relieved sigh turned into a yelp of surprise, as he and Zaveid dodged a swipe
of Eizen's massive claw. Luckily at this point, he was slowing as well, a
myriad of slices had crippled its movements, the onslaught of daggers from Rose
and Sorey taking their toll.

"Crystal Tower!" A shard of quartz erupted from the earth, knocking the dragon
off balance. "Sorey! Now!" Rose and Edna's voice called in unison.

"Come, divine wings! Swarm the skies!" -"As strong as the Earth! Behold,
Radiant Ruin!"

" Sylphystia!" -"Earth Revolution!"

The dragon gave a final powerful roar as heaven and earth colluded against him,
until the last of his breath.

"Goodbye, Brother."

A solemn silence followed, paying respects to the fallen seraph.

The oppressive air that had clung to the Spiritcrest seemed to lift, allowing
them to breathe again. Still reeling from the fight, the Shepherd nearly
tripped over the debris scattered over the battlefield, but an arm was around
his waist instantly, the water seraph steadying him.

"Careful Sorey," Mikleo said.

"Right," Sorey smiled in return, a worn, tired smile, receiving a worried scowl
in response.

"Purity Heal," he spoke aloud, his hands glowing with mana as he healed Sorey.
The brunette pulled him close with one arm, kissing the pale hair of his love
receiving a light squeeze in return. The Shepherd stepped forward, reaching to
pick up a large stone, he and Zaveid piled them up, creating a small monument
to Eizen.

They backed away, allowing Edna to grieve in her own way. Zaveid tried to
reassure Sorey that he'd done the right thing, and that it was what Eizen
wanted. It spoke to his reason, but it had still been hard to do. Almost as if
he sensed his distress, Mikleo's hand found his own, their entwined fingers
relieving some of the pressure in his chest. They made their way back down the
mountain trails, already noting how few hellions were skulking about now that
Rohan's domain was expanding over the area.

Halfway down the peak, the earth seraph rejoined them, halting the party to
offer her thanks. "I suppose its my turn to hold up my part of this agreement.
Let's take care of old Kittybeard." Sorey nodded, and the group continued
onward in mostly silence.
 
"Ugh, are you kidding me?" Edna balked.

"What? What is it?" Sorey blinked as they neared the shrine at the base of the
mountain trail, spotting two humans up around the corner.

"Just some meddlesome humans on my mountain again," she tapped her umbrella on
the rock beside her, and a small cascade of pebbles halted them in their
tracks.

"Sometimes they come up here to beg for my help, or sometimes to see how far
they can make it before they're too scared to continue, It's all the same to
me."

"Edna..," Sorey sighed. Rose and Sorey approached the children, who couldn't
have been more than maybe ten, with raised hands as non threatening as they
could, given their obviously frayed nerves. Their eyes shifted from the pebbles
that had fallen in their path up to the Shepherd.

"I didn't think the rumors could be true, they said dragons and seraphs were
here and uhm well, Chaunacy dared us to come check it out. We're sorry, we
didn't mean to anger anyone!" the boy cowered slightly. The shaking and
rumbling Eizen had caused must have scared them half to death.

"Tell them the next time I see them on my mountain I'll launch them," she said
in a flat tone.

"Ah, well,” he paused a moment,”the seraph who lives here says the mountain is
a dangerous place, and sacred to her, so its best if you don't play up here.
Ack!" Sorey jerked as he was jabbed with an umbrella.

"We learned our lesson for sure," the other child spoke up, already tugging at
his companion's sleeve.

"That's not even close to what I said. Do it properly. There wasn't even any
groveling," Edna retorted.

"Since Sorey has gotten so much stronger maybe he can try holding his breath so
you can chew out some children," Mikleo prodded sarcastically, though they were
all a relieved to see Edna acting somewhat like her normal self.

"You heard Meebo," she poked the Shepherd again.

"I'm afraid even now our voices would not reach them,” Lailah spoke up. At this
point the children turned and made a run for it, not stopping to wave as they
made for the trade caravan they'd strayed from. Sorey turned back to the
seraphs. “Though not for lack of strength on Sorey's end.” She paused.
“Unfortunately it is beyond my power as a Prime Lord. A stronger seraph would
be required to bridge the gap to those who possess no resonance whatsoever.”

"Like Maotelus," Sorey whispered to no one but himself as Lailah continued, not
having heard him as his brows drew together in thought.

"Its much easier to unlock a door than to create one!" she stated, smiling, her
hands together before her. Edna pouted slightly, glancing over at the fleeing
kids.

Changing the subject, Rose spoke up,"So we're headed back to this Elysia place
right? Since there's supposed to be a path there to Camlann somewhere? I just
want to make sure we're all on the same page.”

"As far as we know, yes. Though Gramps would know for sure," Mikleo spoke up,
as Sorey remained silent.

"It's your call Shep," Zaveid proposed.

"Huh?" he started, pulled from his thoughts, retracing what he'd heard of the
conversation."Ah, yeah. As much as I want to see home again, navigating the
forest at night doesn't sound like the best idea. If we set up camp in
Lakehaven Heights we can make Elysia by mid morning tomorrow," he looked around
at the faces of his companions, all seeming to accept his plan. Though Mikleo
seemed to pick up on his hesitation, his brow furrowed slightly.


When they began to set up camp, the sun had set behind the treeline, the russet
hues fading into the purples and deep blues of night. Sorey was collecting
firewood along the treeline, with a good armful he returned to the others.

He stepped into the clearing they'd picked, noting the missing person."Where's
Mikleo?" he asked, seeking his companion.

"Said he was gonna head down to the water to recharge, we're right near the
waterfall," Zaveid spoke up.

If Sorey listened closely, he could hear the Great Morgan Falls, just outside
the Shrine of LeFay. "I shouldn't leave him alone out there...Thanks Zaveid."
He headed towards the sounds of water.

Lailah stepped up to where Sorey had just been, exchanging a knowing glance
with the other seraph. "Think they'll be alright?" Zaveid said, arms stretching
behind him as the branches in the fire crackled to life.

"Mikleo noticed something was off with Sorey, if anyone can get him to open up
its him," she replied, taking a seat. "Though I don't much appreciate him
keeping us in the dark about whatever it is. Such things can lead to
malevolence..."
 
The sounds of water lead Sorey down the hill, a single thought heavy in his
mind. Hopefully Mikleo would understand.

He found the seraph in the stream, barefoot in the ankle-deep water. The
moonlight filtered through the trees, shining on the silver-blue of his
beloved's hair, illuminating it like a halo. He really was breathtaking. The
sight kindled a warmth in his heart, even as his stomach twisted at the thought
of what he had to do. Mikleo turned at the sound of Sorey's boots thudding on
the ground, and a shudder went through the Shepherd as he stepped into the cool
flow.

Mikleo smiled, reaching out a hand as the human neared him. Sorey wasn't
smiling though, a serious look on his features, he pulled the shorter boy into
a hug, he held on firmly. His forehead came to rest on his love's shoulder, his
nose tucked into the curve of his delicate neck.

The seraph was a bit taken aback by the sudden gesture, but slowly entwined his
arms around the other, sensing his need for comfort. He ran his fingers through
chocolate locks, feeling the tug of Sorey's grip on his clothing. They stood
like that for a few moments, naught but the sound of the brook between them.

"Sorey, what's wrong?" he questioned, running his hands down his back in an
attempt to soothe him.

"Mikleo,” he pulled back slightly, their chests still brushing. “I've..." he
paused his voice quiet, anticipating the other's reaction. "I know what I have
to do." He entwined his fingers with his partners slender ones, refusing to
make eye contact. "In order to cleanse the land, in order for Maotelus to
regain his strength. I need to become his vessel."

The seraph stared for a moment, unsure at first, but soon his brow knit in
concern, as his mind reached the implications. "But you'd have to cut off all
your senses, for who knows how long. A task like that, it could take
years...decades..." his thought continued to centuries, but his mouth refused
to say it.

"I don't," Sorey inhaled shakily as his grip on Mikleo tightened. "I don't want
to leave you, Mikleo, I want you by my side, always, but I can't be selfish. We
can't be selfish. There's so much more at stake...The world can't go on in
darkness."

Taking in the pained look on Sorey's face as he spoke, Mikleo shook his head;
their dream, this could be the only chance. "No. You're right. It's...it's the
best option we've got."

A knot twisted in his stomach even as he tried to tamp it down. He gripped the
Shepherd's cloak, clinging to the alpha. If everything worked out, they'd be
able to see each other again one day.

Mikleo reached up, his hands on either side of Sorey's face as he forced their
eyes to meet. A profound sadness had crept into the normally radiant green eyes
he'd lost himself in innumerable times. Bringing their faces together, he
pressed his lips against Sorey's. He reciprocated, kissing his beloved seraph a
few times before bringing their foreheads together to rest. They stood like
that a few moments, savoring one another's presence.

"Sorey?" Mikleo spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

The shorter boy leaned back, a determined look in his orchid eyes. "I want you
to mark me."

Sorey's eyes widened in response, "But Mikleo, I don't know how long I'll be
asleep. What if I don't come back? What if I get dragged into malevolence by
Heldalf, or Maotelus can't be cleansed?"

His gaze didn't waver, "Sorey, for all we know, we may not even survive the
battle. If we're going to meet our end, I want be yours, wholly and truly."

"Mikleo..," his voice was small, his heartbeat seemed to falter at the other's
words, the breath stolen from his lungs. A gloved hand came up to cup the cheek
of the seraph, who leaned into the touch.

"Please Sorey, I want you to," he opened his collar, exposing the pale skin of
his neck to the evening air.

"Luzrov Rulay..," he pulled the smaller boy into a passionate kiss, hoping to
convey the overwhelming feelings in his heart. Mikleo latched onto him, meeting
him with equal fervor. It lacked the blind desperation of their night in
Lastonbell, but was no less intense as their tongues entwined, sharing unspoken
words between them. Mikleo's hands found their way to Sorey's hips, drawing
them flush with his own.

Their lips parted, shuttering breaths falling from the seraph as Sorey trailed
kisses down the column of his throat.

"Sorey." He paused a moment, heated breaths ghosting across Mikleo's neck as a
shiver of anticipation ran down his spine.
 
Violet eyes fluttered closed as teeth sank into flesh, a jolt of pain and
ecstasy shooting through him as he moaned. Mikleo's back straightened, his
knuckles turning white as he gripped at Sorey's clothes like a lifeline.
 
The taste of the seraph's blood washed over his tongue, sweeter than he'd
anticipated as he infused Mikleo's scent with his own. Enzymes from his body
forever marking the seraph. His. Mikleo was his now.He gently ran his tongue
over the new wound.

As he pulled away, he saw the tears in the corners of his mate's eyes. "Mik-"

Before he could finish the name, the seraph pulled him into another kiss.

"When you come back to me, I'll give you yours," Mikleo grinned, his fingers
playing with the soft strands of brown hair at his nape.

When. Sorey would do everything in his power to make that happen. "Promise?"

He placed another kiss on his lips, "Promise," Mikleo echoed as he rested their
foreheads together. They stayed like that for a few lingering moments, just
enjoying one another's presence. The silence was broken by a yawn. The seraph
grinned, "You should get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."

“If this plan works, I'll get plenty of time to catch up on my rest.” Sorey
lifted his emerald green eyes to look at Mikleo, a smile with a tinge of
sadness.

Unamused, the seraph grabbed him by the hand. “I mean it Sorey.”

Mikleo always had his best interest at heart. Conceding, he allowed himself to
be led from the water. "Lay with me?"

The delicate hand in his own tightened its grip, "Of course."

They made their way back to the others. Rose had already fallen asleep near the
fire Lailah tended, Edna and Zaveid nearby. Sorey took up a grassy spot nestled
between the roots of a tree, Mikleo followed suit. Sorey fit himself to the
curve of the seraph's back, one arm under Mikleo's head, while the other snaked
around to his midsection. He placed a kiss over the clothed mark, drawing a
purr from the seraph. He drifted to sleep soothed by their shared scent.
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