《The White Rabbit: Book 2》


 Chapter 1

    The monster dug its way out of the plantation as the twin moons, full and bright, shone down overhead. It ran in leaps and bounds, into the forest that stretched on in either direction, away from the fearful shouts, away from the crowd, the noise, and toward the illusion of safety. It was not safe, of course. It was the lesser of two evils.


    The monster was not exactly a rabbit, but it was not exactly a person. It was much too big to hide in the underbrush, like a rabbit would be able to, standing nearly seven feet tall if it stood on its hind legs, which it did now, sniffing the air with both ears standing tall and twitching, trying to pick up any sounds of danger.


    It was dusk; the moons had just risen, and that was the most active time for rabbits. But this rabbit was being hunted, and it knew it.


    ¡°I¡¯m offering a two hundred gold reward!¡± Agalon, Duke of the Agricultural District proclaimed as he swung himself onto his horse, ¡°For whoever brings him back alive!¡±


    ¡°Hey dad,¡± Lorsan said from his position, on his mount beside his father, ¡°Remember how I told you this would happen? Remember how I said I wanted it documented that I said this would end horribly?¡±


    ¡°Alive!¡± Agalon reiterated as the other earth elves gathered around him, on horses, with weapons. His humans slaves had scattered and were no longer gathered around the enclosure where he kept his fighters corralled, but he wasn¡¯t concerned with them. He had to find the rabbit. He had to find Xaxac.


    He took off at a gallop, followed by the soldiers who had arrived to aid in his search, but Lorry held the reigns taunt, stayed behind, and scanned the vast open fields of his father¡¯s plantation. After a few seconds, he took off at a trot, moving not off the grounds and into the forest, as the others had done, but toward the wooden shacks where his father¡¯s slaves dwelt.


    Something was wrong.


    There shouldn¡¯t be any earth elves near the slave quarters. They had all either gone back to the house, or had gone to look for the monster.


    So there was no reason he should feel that someone was trying to cast earth magic. Humans could not cast magic.


    He dismounted as quietly as he could, gave the horse a knowing look, and walked silently in the direction he sensed the magic was coming from. He moved swiftly and threw open the flimsy wooden door with much more force than he had meant to; he was not used to doors being so light.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he said.


    The kitchen maid, Alice knelt on her earthen floor, staring at it and clutching a single gold earring, inset with an earth crystal. A small crowd had gathered around her, including her husband Jimmy, Lorsan¡¯s valet, her mother Abigail, the cook, and her father Abraham, the field hand Lorry had been looking for.


    ¡°Aw shit,¡± Alice agreed.


    Lorsan looked around the empty plantation, stepped inside the shanty, quickly slammed the door, and leaned against it.


    ¡°Are you tryin to cast?¡± He asked.


    ¡°...no?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Humans can¡¯t¡­ you¡¯ll tear yourself apart,¡± Lorsan warned, and it seemed to come from a place of genuine concern, ¡°You can¡¯t control it. And you can¡¯t scry like that. You gotta know what his soul looks like and he¡¯s gotta be able to answer. You can¡¯t just spy on him like that. I mean¡­ maybe you could but you¡­ it¡¯s forbidden. And even I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    The humans all stared at him, and the stillness was so overpowering Lorsan had difficulty drawing breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad,¡± he promised, ¡°but you¡¯ll get hurt.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother!¡± Alice said, as if she was close to flying into a rage, and Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder, but it did nothing to deter her, ¡°He¡¯s my baby brother! And your daddy has ruined him! I¡¯m gonna-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an elf,¡± Jimmy hissed, and put both hands on her shoulders to shove her back down as she tried to rise, ¡°He¡¯s an elf! Have you lost your mind!?¡± He held her tightly and jerked his eyes to Lorsan, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master, she¡¯s pregnant, she¡¯s got that crazy folks get when they¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Is that a thing?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know nothin about that. Look, I was¡­ Abe, I was lookin for you. Last time you was the only one able to calm him down. Reckon you can find him? I mean, we can find him?¡±


    ¡°I need to be out lookin for him,¡± Abe said, ¡°I was gettin ready to go. Soon as we knew where to look.¡±


    ¡°It don¡¯t work that way,¡± Lorsan said again, approached Alice and held out his hand, ¡°Gimme that. Please? It¡¯ll kill you. It¡¯ll drive you crazy an¡¯ kill you. Humans can¡¯t channel magic, it¡¯ll tear you apart. It¡¯s too much.¡±


    Alice clutched the earring to her chest and glared at him, ¡°You can pry it outta my cold, dead hands.¡±


    ¡°Alley, fuck¡¯s sakes!¡± Jimmy grabbed her hands and tried to pry them open, ¡°Just give it to him! What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Give it to him, baby,¡± Abigale begged, ¡°Just give it to him. Don¡¯t be startin trouble, not tonight!¡±


    Alice jerked, violently, from her husband¡¯s grasp and sprinted, full force toward the door. Lorsan tried to grab her, but she had the door open in the time it took him to turn.


    ¡°Goddamn that whole fuckin family is fast!¡± He snarled and bolted outside after her, just in time to see her climbing onto his horse.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Alley no!¡± Abigale shrieked as she ran after her daughter, but the horse turned, and carried Alley off in the direction the elves had gone, towards the open gate and into the woods.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± Jimmy shrieked, like a man who had lost his mind.


    ¡°Great,¡± Lorry huffed, ¡°Fuckin great. Great night.¡±


    Abigail had given way to hysterics, while the men folk stared in awe, trying to process what they had just seen.


    ¡°Find her!¡± Abigale shrieked, though no one could judge to whom she was speaking, ¡°Find her before the master does! She¡­ ain¡¯t nothin wrong with her, I swear! She don¡¯t mean nothin by it! That¡¯s just hormones is all that is!¡±


    Jimmy rushed back into the house, and as that was the only movement, Lorsan turned to follow him, and that seemed to cause him to stop whatever he had been attempting to do and freeze in place, hovering awkwardly in the middle of the room, but Lorsan followed his eyeline, traced it to a mattress stuffed with hay.


    ¡°What are y¡¯all doin?¡± Lorsan asked with as much kindness as he could muster as he stepped toward the mattress, and Jimmy cursed, ¡°What am I gonna find?¡±


    ¡°We need to leave, master,¡± Jimmy said with great practicality, ¡°We gotta go find Alley and Xac.¡± He took a deep breath, and begged, begged like a man pleading for his life, ¡°Lorsan¡­ Lorry¡­ please. Please. You said¡­ you¡¯ve always been¡­ you ain¡¯t like the rest of um¡­ I thought¡­ I thought you was one of the good ones.¡±


    Lorsan threw back the knitted blanket and saw nothing but the mattress. He grabbed the edge, rolled it forward, and saw a piece of paper, stark against the rich brown of the earthen floor. It was a piece of watercolor parchment, and when he picked it up, he knew instantly what it was.


    Someone who was apparently skilled in watercolor had drawn a map. It would take whoever followed it through the agricultural district and into the town of Basilglen, then farther still, to the port town of Seaweed beach, to the ocean.


    Lorsan¡¯s hands shook as he stared down at the map. Nothing was labeled. There was no writing. But it would be simple enough to follow. It would probably be simple enough to memorize.


    ¡°Shit, Jimmy,¡± Lorry said, ¡°Y¡¯all¡­ y¡¯all can¡¯t have this. Daddy would lose his goddamn mind.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Jimmy said, refusing to meet his eye.


    ¡°Where the hell did you think you was goin?¡± Lorry asked.


    ¡°Nowhere,¡± Jimmy said, like a man resigned to his fate, ¡°we ain¡¯t¡­ we ain¡¯t goin nowhere.¡±


    ¡°If you made it,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°You¡¯d have to find somebody to take you off, have to find somewhere to go. Jimmy there¡­ there ain¡¯t nowhere to go. You know that, right? There ain¡¯t nowhere to go. Xandra¡¯s got her claws in the whole world. There ain¡¯t nowhere where it¡¯s gonna be no better than it is here. Not for you.¡±


    ¡°Can I please find my wife?¡± Jimmy begged, ¡°If your daddy catches her he¡¯ll kill her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorry said as he folded the map and stuck it into his pocket, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the stables.¡±


    The monster crouched low to the ground and tried to make sense of its surroundings. It was away from all the noise now, possibly away from the danger, but it still did not feel particularly safe, and had no idea where it should go to find safety.


    It was starving, so hopped further into the underbrush and began to nibble on the grass.


    Alice had to tread carefully. The elves in the woods were soldiers or hunters, and they were all around her. She suspected she may have made a mistake, but she needed to be solution oriented. She had to find Xaxac before they did. If she could just find her brother, they could easily outrun the elves. He ran like a rabbit, and she suspected that if they traveled together, tonight, they would never be able to find them again. They could move so fast and so far that they would never be found.


    She loved her husband, loved her parents, but she had to think about the baby. They had to make it to Seaweed. If they could get that far, they could figure something out. They could get lucky. Xaxac had always been lucky.


    The monster stood on its hind legs again and sniffed the air. The ground was vibrating. Something was coming towards it.


    But it wasn¡¯t afraid, because it knew that smell.


    Roses. Tobacco. Whiskey. That perfume he sprayed in his hair to overpower the scent of the hair color.


    It was the smell of love, of safety.


    The monster turned and took short, tentative hops toward the smell.


    Agalon stilled the horse and held up a hand; the soldiers surrounding him followed his lead.


    When the monster hopped out of the underbrush, none of them dared to breath. Its claws were easily half a foot long, and its sharp teeth glistened in the moonlight, but it was those eyes, those big, brown eyes that seemed to have an intelligence behind them that were the most unsettling.


    ¡°Nobody move,¡± Agalon warned, then, in his kindest voice he said, ¡°There you are, Honey Bunny. You scared me to death. I¡¯m so glad I¡¯ve found you.¡±


    The monster moved toward him again, and Agalon felt the horse tensing under him. He was afraid the creature would bolt, despite his best efforts, so he slowly, and with great care, climbed off the animal, keeping his eyes locked to the monster.


    ¡°You done went and caused me a whole heap of trouble, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said in his most soothing voice, but the monster seemed to believe this was praise as it took another small hop towards him, ¡°That¡¯s it, darlin, that¡¯s my good boy.¡±


    Agalon held out a hand, and the monster crept forward towards him, towards the love, towards the safety he provided, until it snuggled its head into his outstretched hand.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Agalon praised, ¡°That¡¯s perfect darlin, what a good boy.¡±


    The crystals in his earrings began to glow with a soft, green light, and the monster let out a blood curdling shriek that pierced the stillness of the night air, so loud it must have been heard through the entire agricultural district.


    ¡°Now!¡± Agalon shouted as the monster¡¯s muscles seized and it fell to the forest floor in a heap. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    The soldiers dismounted and moved quickly with their ropes and chains.


    Alice sat, hidden by the treeline, and watched the elves capture her brother as she considered her options.


    She had to think about the baby.


    She would move faster on the horse, but she would move quietly on foot.


    So slowly, silently, she dismounted, moved a few feet away to a more secluded spot, and bid her time until she watched the group climb back onto their horses and ride back towards the plantation, dragging her brother behind them as he seemed to awaken from his stupor, gasping for air.


    Then she turned and walked in the opposite direction, wishing she had the foresight to bring supplies on what would, undoubtedly, be a long journey.

 Chapter 2

    Everything was blue.


    The air was not exactly stagnant but it was so humid he was shocked that he could breathe in the sparkling blue cave, surrounded on all sides by sea water.  He didn¡¯t understand where the air came from in the cave, because it had to be underwater. The soft blue light seemed to have no source.


    There were so many tables and shelves, and the cups were everywhere, crowding every available surface; he had to kick them out of the way to move at all.  They were all different, some more beautiful, more adorned than others, but they were all cups. Many of them were made of metal, many of them were covered in jewels.


    The one he was looking for was buried, behind many others, on one of the many shelves lining the walls.  He had to reach past them to pick it up, to grasp it. It was cool to the touch, like everything else in the grotto, and Xaxac stared down at it.  The metal was made bluer by the blue lights, and the crystals sparkled along the rim.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here anymore,¡± the beautiful man with the blue skin said, ¡°I was for a long time, but not anymore.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°The number of stalactites changed,¡± Lapus said, and pointed to the ceiling.


    Xaxac opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling of the bedroom.  There were sixty tiles there, each with a six-petaled flower.


    The sunlight streaming in through the windows told him that it was afternoon, and he was starving.  He was still exhausted, and briefly considered trying to get more sleep, but he was afraid he would have to eat or die, so instead he pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked to the bedside table to see his breakfast fruit tray had been laid out, along with his normal glass of wine.


    The wine didn¡¯t seem to do much anymore, but he devoured the food and his hunger was not sated, so he shoved himself to his feet and wondered what he was supposed to do.  The outfit he had worn the day before was laid out on the chair by the dressing table, but the packages full of clothes were still stacked neatly in the place the wardrobe had once been.


    It was likely safer to wear what had been laid out for him.


    He was so hungry his body shook and his stubble was even worse than usual.  He needed the razor before he could do much of anything else and he doubted he could shave himself.  He would have to go out into the hall to ring for Lee.


    It did not take him long to get dressed, because there was so little to the outfit.


    He made his way to the door and laid his hand upon the knob.


    It would not turn.


    He tried again, in incomprehension.


    It would not turn.


    It was locked.


    No.


    No, they were past this!


    He was a good boy!


    He could be trusted!


    But the door was locked.


    What had happened last night?


    Xaxac could feel his chest seizing, so he closed his eyes and leaned upon the locked door.  It was alright. Everything was fine. It was already after noon. Agalon would be home soon.


    ¡°Lee?¡± Xaxac begged the empty sitting room, ¡°Lee, Aggie¡¯s gonna be home soon and I need to shave!  I gotta do my face!¡±


    There was no sound, save the steady tick tick ticking of the clock.


    Xaxac released the door and wrapped his arms around himself; he tried to breath in time with the clock.


    If he had a wardrobe, he could put the clothes away.


    If he had the supplies, he could shave.


    But he had nothing.


    So he held himself, trying to will himself back to sanity.  It didn¡¯t seem to be working, so he went back to the bed, to set it to rights.  He smoothed out the sheet, then the quilt, then set up the pillows. He washed and refilled the pitcher and the basin.  He carefully combed out his hair, then went about what little cleaning he could do with his few scant supplies.


    He was so hungry.


    He collapsed onto the bed and doubled over into himself with the pain of it.


    He wondered how poisonous certain things were, the parts of food that you were supposed to throw away, as he stared at the tray that still sat by the bedside.


    He did not hold out very long before he picked up the core of an apple and began to eat.


    He rolled over and carefully chewed the hard, rough texture of the core as he stared up at the ceiling.


    Sixty flowers


    Three hundred and sixty pedals.


    He loves me.


    He loves me not.


    Xaxac did not move.  He stared at the ceiling, concentrating as hard as he could on his counting.


    He tried as hard as he could not to think about the windows.  He tried not to think about what had happened last night. He tried not to think about how much he knew about fabric, about the clothes in the packages or the twine that tied them together.


    Xaxac did not like being in the room.


    Not like this.


    Not again.


    He tried as hard as he could to count the petals on the ceiling instead of the length of the fabric in the packages or the length of space from the bedpost to the window and the window to the ground.


    Why would Aggie lock him in again?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He had been such a good boy.  He had done everything he was supposed to, learned everything he was supposed to.


    He loves me.


    But he was a monster.  He was cursed. He couldn¡¯t control it!  He had tried to warn Agalon! He knew something terrible would happen!


    He loves me not.


    But Aggie didn¡¯t think he was a monster.  Aggie thought Xaxac could be an example, because he wasn¡¯t dangerous, and he could show the elves that shifters weren¡¯t dangerous.


    He loves me.


    But he must have been wrong.  Xaxac wondered what had happened last night.


    He loves me not.


    The afternoon sunlight turned to twilight, and the room sat, silent and still, save for the tick tick ticking of the clock, and Xaxac tried as hard as he could not to think of anything.


    He wanted to shave.


    He wanted to be cute.


    He wanted to live.


    He ate the green stems he had picked off the strawberries.


    ¡°Rabbit whatcha sittin in the corner for?


    Ain¡¯t gonna rain no more no more


    Rained last night and the night before


    Ain¡¯t gonna rain no more.¡±  He sang, softly to himself, and he was startled when he was answered, both because there had been no indication that anyone was in any position to answer him, and because the song that came in reply made no sense.  It had a completely different melody, meaning, and intention, so the overall effect was unsettling.


    ¡°Little baby bunting


    Daddy¡¯s gone a¡¯hunting


    Gone to get a rabbit skin


    To wrap a baby bunting in.¡±


    ¡°Lorry?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Be real quiet,¡± Lorsan warned, and Xaxac heard clicking, not like a key in a lock, but as if someone were scratching at the metal of the door, scratching on the inside of the doorknob.  He didn¡¯t know how such a thing was possible. What was he doing?


    Xaxac sat on the edge of the bed and watched the doorknob rattle as if someone was trying a key that didn¡¯t fit.  It was some time before it turned.


    Lorsan sat on his knees, on the floor of the sitting room, with a pouch rolled out to his side, into which he was sliding long, metal tubes.  Once he had them arranged how he wanted them, he rolled the whole thing back up and stuck it into his pocket before he stood.


    ¡°He locked us both in that time,¡± Lorry said, ¡°And I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m starvin.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s goin on?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Lorry shrugged, ¡°Hell of night last night, little rabbit.  Hell of a night.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Aggie?¡± Xaxac asked, and drew himself as far against the headboard as he could.


    ¡°I¡¯m lookin at the same empty room you are,¡± Lorsan waved his arm to indicate the empty bedroom.  ¡°Everybody¡¯s gone as far as I can tell. Don¡¯t do nobody a damn bit a good to listen at keyholes ¡®cause the whole damn house is empty.¡±


    ¡°Lorry?¡± Xaxac asked, quietly, as Lorsan walked up to his bedside table and picked up the picture of a demon that his friend Alex had painted for him, and seemed to be quite impressed with it, given how hard he studied it.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°Did I hurt anybody?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lorry shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon.  I wouldn¡¯t there when they found you. And nobody told me they found you so I was out half the damn night on a wild rabbit chase.  I just got up a few minutes ago and everybody was gone. You run, is what scared um. You dug outta the enclosure and run off. Daddy found you, though.  You was here by the time I got home. Xac, where¡¯d you get this picture?¡±


    ¡°Alex made it for me,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°he paints.¡±  He curled his knees up to his chest and laid his face in them.


    ¡°You got a lotta stubble goin on,¡± Lorsan told him, ¡°fuzzy little bunny.¡±


    ¡°I need Lee to help me shave,¡± Xac lamented, ¡°my hands are shakin real bad.  I¡¯m hungry. I get real hungry after I shift.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t tried to ring nobody,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°want me to try and get him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Aggie wants me to talk to nobody,¡± Xac said to his knees, ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Fuck him,¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired to argue with you,¡± Xaxac said matter-of-factly and rolled away from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m leavin soon,¡± Lorsan said after the silence had gotten so heavy he felt a compulsion to lift it, ¡°I gotta go back to school.  Xac¡­ once I get there they got a lot more information than we got here. I¡¯m gonna find a way to help you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even like me,¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡­  why are you doin this? Why do you keep gettin all flip-floppidy?  Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not flip-floppidy,¡± Lorsan said, sounding insulted, ¡°I¡¯ve been pretty upfront since I met you.  I do like you. And even if I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t want you here. I don¡¯t like¡­ the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡± Xac asked.  ¡°The shifter thing?¡±


    ¡°That scares the hell outta me, not gonna lie,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°But I mean the¡­  pleasure slave thing. I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re all actin like this is ok? Look at you!  Look how you¡¯re dressed! Do you even know what that is? That¡¯s a mockery of the outfit the priests wore at the fire temple!  There are records of ¡®um, paintings of the high priestess of the Fire Temple, Orenda Firefist, being defeated by our ¡®great army¡¯.  They took something that was sacred to them and tried to make it all slutty and- they went over there, wiped them out, then took the pretty part of their culture and made it into a costume for the animals they wanna fuck!¡±


    ¡°Did water elves wear robes?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°Alex had a slutty robe,¡± Xaxac turned a little to look at him, ¡°I liked it.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s the fuckin monster,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°not you.¡±


    ¡°Lorry, can you please just¡­  quit? Quit doin that? To me?  Can you save that shit for your friends?  You got friends?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°On account of I love him and it drives me fuckin crazy!¡± Xac yelled with all the enthusiasm he could muster in his fatigued state, ¡°And it¡¯s already real, real hard for me not to be crazy!¡±


    ¡°You gonna cry again?¡± Lorsan asked, as if he was interested, not as if he was judging.


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°Why the hell not?  Everything¡¯s so fucked at this point what¡¯s it gonna matter?  I know I done went and did somethin last night. I know it. That¡¯s why he locked me up!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god you- I¡¯m gonna punch you in your pretty little face,¡± Lorsan snarled, ¡°You can¡¯t be that fuckin stupid!  Even for an ape, sweet glowin Thesis, you can¡¯t be that stupid!¡±


    ¡°I can be as stupid as I want!¡± Xac countered.


    ¡°He don¡¯t lock you up because you¡¯re dangerous, dumbass!¡± Lorsan yelled, ¡°It ain¡¯t a punishment!  He does it for the same goddamn reason he locks me up! Because we¡¯re just things to him! You¡¯re a slave; I¡¯m an heir, and we¡¯re just pretty little things he owns!  He locks up all his shit when he leaves! It ain¡¯t got a goddamn thing to do with you as a person; it ain¡¯t nothin you did, it¡¯s just what he does!¡±


    ¡°He don¡¯t own you,¡± Xac snapped, ¡°You¡¯re an elf!¡±


    ¡°He sure as hell thinks he does!¡± Lorsan yelled, ¡°That¡¯s why mommy left him, because he thought he owned us!  Thought he owned me! Thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted with me, ¡®cause he owned me!¡±


    He was full of the kind of anger Xaxac had gotten used to, the energy he envied, as tired as he was, but he watched him try to control it, watched his body shake with the force of it as he tried to contain it.  Lorsan was wearing the earrings he had stolen, and they glowed as he closed his eyes, balled his hands into fists, and tried to quiet the rage within him.


    When he spoke again it was softer, as if he was telling a secret.


    ¡°You saved me,¡± he said, ¡°mommy wouldn¡¯t here no more.  After Kenny died I thought sure he¡¯d¡­ he¡¯d come after me again¡­  like he did before. If it wouldn¡¯t you, it¡¯a been me.¡±


    ¡°That ain¡¯t how that works,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how nothin works,¡± Lorry said, ¡°That¡¯s why he likes you.  He thinks you¡¯ll stay little and stupid forever if he can control who you talk to.  But that ain¡¯t gonna work like he thinks it will. You ain¡¯t like the rest of um. You¡¯re too smart for that.  You ain¡¯t as stupid as you act.¡±


    ¡°I been thinkin too much,¡± Xaxac said.  ¡°Fuck me¡­ I been thinkin too much¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get some food,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°You do what you want.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Xaxac sat on the sofa in the sitting room while his hands moved of their own accord turning string into a baby blanket for his sister.  The clock on the mantelpiece told him that it was after nine pm, and still, Agalon had not returned.


    No one had.


    The house was too quiet.


    Lorsan had left the door to the hall open, but Xaxac had shut it.


    He wondered if anyone was going to bring him any food.


    He wondered if he had been forgotten about.


    He had been starving since he awoke, but Agalon had never come back.  He wouldn¡¯t¡­ wouldn¡¯t just go away and leave him to die, would he?


    Because he was going to die.  His vision was beginning to swim, and he had difficulty getting his hands to move the way they always had before, the way they had been trained to.  They moved on their own, without input from his brain, and shook so badly he was afraid he was going to drop his stitches. So he stopped, took a deep breath, and made a decision.


    He pushed all his stitches to the back of his needles then stabbed them into the yarn in his bag.  He shoved himself unsteadily to his feet and the movement made him so disoriented that he spread out his arms to avoid falling right back onto the sofa.  The gold belt he wore jingled as he swayed, unsteady on his feet, but he made it to the doorway, turned the knob, and pulled it open.


    He put one hand on the wall to steady himself and used it as a guide to get to the chain he would have to pull.  It would ring a bell, and Lee would hear it and come to him.


    He was so tired.


    He was so hungry.


    Shifting really did a number on him.  Why would Agalon leave him? Leave him alone the day after he had shifted?  He had to have done something awful. He may never come back.


    He pulled the string, heard the ringing of the bell, and leaned heavily against the wall.  There were strange black and white spots in his vision, so he held a hand in front of his eyes to see if it would do anything about them.


    It didn¡¯t.


    He thought he was hallucinating for a moment when he saw the person who had come marching down the hall as if the sound had been a great disturbance to her.  She looked angry, a strange expression for a houseslave, but it did not shock Xaxac.


    Mrs OfAgalon hated him.  He had gotten her sent away to town for punishment, because she had tried to hit him.  If she tried again now he didn¡¯t think he could avoid it as he had then.


    ¡°Oh lord,¡± she said when she saw him, ¡°What on Xren are you doing out here?  You know you aren¡¯t supposed to be out of your room.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Xac begged, and he could not stop the tears that spilled from his eyes, ¡°Please I¡­  I get real hungry after I shift and I¡¯m starvin. Please can I have somethin to eat? Where¡¯s Lee?  Where¡¯s Jimmy? Where¡¯s everybody at?¡±


    ¡°You ask a lot of questions,¡± she huffed, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, time and again, that you need to stop asking nonsense questions and do as you¡¯re told.¡±


    ¡°Can I please get somethin to eat?¡± Xac begged, trying to blink vision back into his eyes, ¡°Please?  I just¡­¡±


    ¡°No, the cook isn¡¯t here,¡± Mrs OfAgalon said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Mama ain¡¯t here?¡± Xac asked, and did not understand.  His brain wasn¡¯t functioning as well as it usually did, and he could think of nowhere else she could be.  It made more sense that Mrs OfAgalon would be lying to him. ¡°Please! I¡¯m starvin. I¡¯m gonna¡­ gonna pass out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic,¡± Mrs OfAgalon said, ¡°Go back to your room.¡±


    ¡°We seriously starvin folks now?¡± Lorry asked as he stomped into the hallway, ¡°That what we¡¯re doin, Nancy?¡±


    ¡°Lorry, don¡¯t fight,¡± Xac begged as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor, ¡°I can¡¯t take it.  I¡¯m gettin sick.¡±


    ¡°Go downstairs,¡± Lorsan said with the kind of ice in his voice Xaxac had only ever heard from his father, ¡°And make him dinner.  Don¡¯t make me tell you twice. Daddy ain¡¯t here. I am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯m just gonna lay down a minute.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowin eyes,¡± Lorsan huffed, ¡°Xac?¡±


    He snarled, and the last thing Xaxac heard before he slipped away was Aggie, the way he sounded when he was angry, the way he had sounded when he talked to Billy.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Xac, you gotta get somethin in your stomach,¡± Lorsan said as he propped Xac up against the arm of the sofa, and Xac blinked, trying to get his vision to focus.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Something smelled delicious, sweet and savory at once, with hints of honey and onions.


    His mother?  It smelled like his mother when she had been baking cornbread.


    He tried to push himself up, because though he was tired, he was even more hungry.  He took the piece of cornbread Lorry offered and shoved the entire thing in his mouth.


    His mother wasn¡¯t there.  This wasn¡¯t¡­ this wasn¡¯t her, exactly.  Whoever had made this had put too much onion powder in it.  Alley, maybe? And it was too light, not dense enough. But it was food, and he was starving, so he chewed it down, swallowed, and shoved himself into a proper sitting position.


    ¡°You alright there, buddy?¡± Lorsan asked.


    Xaxac shook his head.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Lorsan agreed and ladled hot beans into two bowls from a pot he had somehow acquired and laid out on the coffee table along with two pones of cornbread, glasses, and a bottle of wine.  Xaxac watched as he cut another piece of cornbread, crumbled it up over one of the bowels, then handed it to him.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac said, took the spoon, and stirred it until the bread absorbed the broth, then began to eat.


    ¡°You needed somethin heartier than a fuckin salad,¡± Lorsan huffed as he prepared his own bowl.  ¡°This is weird. Like, we agree this is weird, right? You¡¯re expensive. Daddy wouldn¡¯t have left you to die.  Wouldn¡¯t have left me. Where the hell¡¯s he at?¡±


    Xac shrugged.


    ¡°I gotta leave here in a few days,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I gotta go back to school.¡±


    Xaxac took a huge bite of his beans and let the flavors dance over his tongue.  He was starving, but he was afraid to eat too quickly, because he had become nauseated, and he feared if he put much in his stomach he would throw it right back up.


    ¡°Lots of folks are gone, I think,¡± he said after he had swallowed, ¡°Mrs OfAgalon said mama was gone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorry agreed, staring at the fireplace, ¡°Lots of folks is gone.  Lee bein gone makes sense; daddy don¡¯t go nowhere without him, but my valet is gone too.  And the cook. I don¡¯t like that. You don¡¯t take your cook with you unless you¡¯re gonna be gone a while.  I can¡¯t leave and him gone. I¡¯m the only other elf on the plantation. I can¡¯t abandon it. I mean¡­ I could, I could leave Nancy in charge, but¡­  I don¡¯t wanna¡­ might lose half the staff.¡±


    Xaxac nodded.


    It felt so good to eat.


    ¡°He woulda took you,¡± Lorsan continued, ¡°that¡¯s what I can¡¯t figure out.  You¡¯re a shifter. You¡¯re rare, prized¡­ he wouldn¡¯t have left you to starve.¡±


    Xac nodded again and realized he had finished his food before Lorsan had even started eating.  The moons were waning, but still so bright that they shone in through the windows and lit the room.  It struck Xaxac, not for the first time, how much Lorsan looked like his father; he had that same long, straight, blond hair, those same glass green eyes, the same slim build and angular face, though there was a bit more baby fat on it; Xaxac thought they would look even more similar once Lorsan was completely grown.


    He didn¡¯t think Lorsan would want to hear that, that he would likely not consider it a compliment, so he kept the thought to himself and wondered, instead, where his mother was.  Why would Aggie take his cook with him? Where did they go? Who else was missing?


    ¡°You want some more?¡± Lorsan asked and Xac nodded.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°It makes you hungry?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°Makes you tired?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, ¡°Wears me out, like a long day at work¡­  back when I used to work. Seems like it¡¯s been so much longer than it has¡­  Seems like it¡¯s been years.¡±


    ¡°Any time I¡¯m here it seems longer than it is,¡± Lorsan said as he refilled Xac¡¯s bowl and handed it back to him, ¡°This place stretches time¡­  everything¡¯s wrong here.¡±


    ¡°I dunno what other places are like,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Fall¡¯s fell,¡± Lorsan said as he got up and went to stand by the window, looking out over the fields, ¡°It¡¯s gonna get cold¡­  move into winter¡­ I hate bein here in the winter. I wish, all the time, that I lived farther away. Not everybody goes home for the solstice.  If I lived¡­ up in the mountains, or down in Seaweed¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have to come here. Sometimes the snows get too heavy¡­ I get trapped.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯d be so much snow we couldn¡¯t get the door open,¡± Xac said, ¡°Folks would tie string to the barn and the greenhouses so we could get in there to work.  If you gotta go out and do repair work sometimes folk get lost and by the time they find um their fingers and toes quit workin. My daddy used to warn me about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, the field hands work outside in the snow?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°Yeah, fixin fences and stuff,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°there¡¯s work to be done around here, all the time.¡±


    Lorsan looked as if this information annoyed him, and turned his attention back to the window.


    ¡°Sometimes daddy goes to the capital for the solstice, instead of me comin home,¡± he said, ¡°on account of Xandra throws a solstice party, and he¡¯s the Duke.  I don¡¯t like that castle. I never did. I don¡¯t like nothin around here¡­ I wish¡­¡± he took a deep breath, and asked the moons, ¡°You reckon he¡¯s dead? Reckon that¡¯s why he ain¡¯t come back?  You know, Xac, daddy dies that makes me the Duke of the Agricultural District. And I¡¯d do things a helluva lot different around here.¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t dead, Lorry,¡± Xac said, ¡°An¡­  you ought not say stuff like that.¡±


    Lorsan made a sort of humming noise, indicating that he had heard him, but not that he agreed.


    ¡°I bet,¡± he said at length, ¡°That if we put you in some kinda enclosure, like the cage at Satra, we could show you off without you bein able to get out.  People¡¯d pay money to see that. Daddy¡¯s gonna figure that out.¡±


    Xaxac had no response to this, and thus said nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s it feel like?¡± Lorsan asked, turning to look at him, ¡°When you shift?  What¡¯s it feel like?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember,¡± Xac said, ¡°I get real scared, my whole body kinda¡­  hurts a little bit, and then¡­ I wake up. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out how that works,¡± Lorsan admitted, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  it don¡¯t make no sense. There ain¡¯t no kinda spell what can do somethin like that.  Not no earth spell, noways. But somethin¡¯s happenin to you. I seen it with my own eyes.  This is real. You¡¯re real. It don¡¯t make no sense, but that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°There some kinda law sayin I gotta make sense?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Cause I don¡¯t, most of the time.  It¡¯s too hard to keep track of.¡±


    Lorsan stared at him, as if studying his face, for a long time, before he broke the silence with a question.


    ¡°I learned divination at school.  Want me to go get a pack a cards and tell your future?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xac said, ¡°I know my future.  It ain¡¯t¡­ that hard to predict. Seems a pretty set path, don¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lorsan shrugged.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m just gonna go to bed,¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯m tired and it¡¯s late.  He ain¡¯t gonna get back tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Lorry said, straightening himself back up, ¡°You get lonesome tomorrow come and wake me up.  My door¡¯s open.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xaxac said, set his bowl on the table and stood, eyeing the wine neither of them had touched, ¡°I¡¯m¡­  gonna go on to bed.¡±


    ¡°Sweet dreams,¡± Lorsan said.

 Chapter 4

    Xaxac was dying, and his primary concern was how Agalon was going to react to that fact.  Xac really did not want him to come home and find a corpse, but as he doubled over the toilet, vomiting into it, he didn¡¯t know how to avoid it.


    His entire digestive system had stopped working properly, and it was thirst, more than anything, that was going to do him in.  He couldn¡¯t stand long enough to pump the water into the pitcher that he had successfully gotten to the sink, but he did manage to pull himself up on shaky legs to sit on the toilet before the next bout of diarrhea hit him.


    He had discarded his pretty clothes, not only because he knew that with them on he would shit himself, but because he didn¡¯t deserve pretty adornments.  He had lost any beauty he may have once had; he was drenched in sweat, he had gone from stubble to what could be called an actual beard, and he knew his face was sallow and sunken.  His body shook so he leaned forward to brace himself and keep from falling.


    He grabbed the bucket that he used for cleaning and felt his torso convulse, heaving as he vomited into it.


    ¡°Daddy,¡± he begged, weakly, involuntarily, because his father was somewhere out in the fields.  He couldn¡¯t have heard him if he shrieked. There was no one there to help him. He was on his own.  He was going to die alone, which was fitting, because he had been born alone. Agalon had reminded him, often, of the fact that he had been bought in, not born on the plantation.  Bought from some slave merchant who claimed he was a shifter, probably expensive. Agalon had said that Abe and Abby were not his real parents, but they felt like real parents, and Xaxac missed them like real parents.


    If he survived, which he did not think was a possibility, this was going to be hell to clean up.


    ¡°Help,¡± he begged the empty bedroom, but he was alone, naked, covered in sweat and full of pain.


    All his friends were gone.  No one had brought him breakfast.


    He was going to die here.


    He was so thirsty.


    He tried to catch his breath as the convulsions rolled through him, tried to time it so that he would not pass out into the bucket of vomit, tried to ignore the smell and blink the dark spots out of his vision.


    He was not going to die today.


    He was going to stand up.


    He was going to pump water into that pitcher.


    And he was going to drink it.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    Up!


    He heaved himself onto his feet and grabbed the pump with both hands to throw his entire body weight into it.  He had to get the water up three floors, and it was an ordeal, but he rocked with his entire body, because there was no strength in his arms, and he pumped, back and forth, up and down, until the water began to flow.


    Be solution oriented.


    He was not going to die today.


    He had been this sick before, and he had not died then.  He needed that tea that Hattie May brewed, the kind that settled your stomach and made you sleep.  But he wasn¡¯t a witch, and he had no way to get to her.


    But Lorsan was magic.


    And he was a healer.


    Xaxac fell back onto the toilet and drank the water straight from the pitcher, forcing himself to sip slowly, even though he knew it was the thirst that would kill him, and his instinct was to get as much water into himself as possible.  He knew if he put too much of anything into his stomach he would throw it right back up.


    Mrs OfAgalon had tried to poison him.  She had put some kind of meat in his food.  He had been this kind of sick before, but he barely remembered it.  He had only had to go through it once to learn his lesson, and his conviction strengthened with this realization.  There was poison in his body, and he just had to get it out so he could heal. He realized that he probably shouldn¡¯t have swallowed the bile that lingered in his mouth, but he was too thirsty to think of such practicalities until the burning subsided.  He slid his tongue around his filthy teeth and felt that they were all present, all whole; shifters could heal from anything. He was a survivor. He was not going to die today.


    His fear was turning to anger.


    He just had to get through this, however long it took to flush the poison from his system, then he would go downstairs and take a bath.  He was not going to die today, and he was not going to sit idly by and let someone attack him. There was no reason for it! Life was difficult enough!


    ¡°Xac, are you decent?¡± Lorsan¡¯s voice asked from the bedroom.


    ¡°No,¡± Xac had meant to shout his answer, but he did not have the strength, ¡°I¡¯m dyin!  I¡¯m a vegetarian!¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Lorry said, and Xac could hear that he was leaning against the door.  He said nothing else for a few long seconds, then added, ¡°Well, the wardrobes are here.  So¡­ that¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°Lorry,¡± Xac begged, ¡°Help me!¡±


    ¡°Just sit there and try not to die while we get the wardrobes in here,¡± Lorsan instructed, ¡°uh¡­  stay hydrated. I got this. I got you. I¡¯m gonna make a potion, settle your stomach.¡±


    ¡°I need tea,¡± Xac begged.


    ¡°Fuck tea,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I¡¯ll make you a healin potion.¡±


    Xac took a deep breath, wiped the tears from his eyes, and tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°Thanks, Lorry.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Thesis, Xac, the smell¡¯ll knock you down.  You rottin away like a corpse?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Don¡¯t open the door.  Just sit there and try not to die.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Xac agreed, because he had no intention of letting anyone see him in his current state.  He was hoping that no one would notice he was in there; if he was very very quiet he thought that perhaps he could fake nonexistence.


    Lorsan had been right about the smell though, and being trapped in the small space with it was doing nothing to settle his stomach.  He was the kind of sick where his insides were making noises all by themselves, without his permission, and had he had the authority, he would not have granted such permission.


    Mrs OfAgalon had no right to poison him.  Most of the people who disliked him had no right to do so.  He had never injured Mrs OfAgalon, and he hadn¡¯t really done enough to Billy to deserve being punched in the face.  He was getting sick and tired of people hurting him when he hadn¡¯t done anything to them! He didn¡¯t mind punishment, would take what he deserved, but he didn¡¯t deserve this!  What the hell was wrong with them? Were some people just perpetually looking for someone to be angry at? Was there a type of disposition that people could have that just made them disagreeable to everyone?  Did he have a particularly punchable face?


    He heard sounds in the bedroom and tried his best to pretend he didn¡¯t exist, even as he heard the first real sounds of people he had heard since he had woken up the day before.


    ¡°Hold on a sec,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Lemme get these boxes outta the way.¡±


    Xaxac thought that more of his clothes must have been made of jewelry, because he heard it jingling and assumed Lorsan was just tossing them backwards.  He didn¡¯t seem as if he was particularly concerned with their potential destruction; he was focused on speed.


    ¡°Just set um down,¡± He said, and Xac felt his eyes watering and his mouth filling with liquid.


    He leaned forward in time to vomit into the bucket, and knew that anyone in the bedroom would hear the sound of his retching, and of the sobs that followed.  He couldn¡¯t even drink water? This was ridiculous! He took another drink from the pitcher, but this time he swished the liquid in his mouth and spit the bile into the bucket.


    ¡°Go bring the other one up!¡± Lorsan snapped, ¡°Just get um in here out of the cart so they can leave.  I don¡¯t care how it looks. Daddy can deal with that when he gets back.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Xaxac recognized the voices of the men who answered him; they were the same people who had moved the first wardrobes out.


    He moaned when he heard the knocking on the door.


    ¡°How you holdin up?¡± Lorry asked.


    ¡°Bad,¡± Xac cried.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you tell me you was a vegetarian?¡± Lorry asked, ¡°You think somebody put meat in the beans?¡±


    ¡°Mrs OfAgalon hates me!¡± Xaxac lamented.


    ¡°She¡¯s made herself a little mistake is what she¡¯s done,¡± Lorsan said and stomped off, leaving Xac, once again, alone.


    Xac heaved himself onto his feet to pump more water into the pitcher, and thought that it was a little easier this time.  He thought he had been right; he just had to work the poison out of his system, and he healed so quickly that he thought he may be making progress.  His head didn¡¯t swim when he stood that time, and he could almost stand without leaning on the counter for support. He plopped back onto the toilet and took another drink of water, listening to the sounds of the men bringing the second wardrobe into the sitting room.


    The process went much faster the second time with nothing in the way.


    ¡°Alright, great,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Thanks.  Daddy¡¯ll love it.¡±


    Xaxac heard him disappear into the sitting room and start rifling through drawers.  Then he was gone again, and the men followed quickly, likely, Xaxac guessed, to escape the smell.


    He was beginning to have an idea that he may not be alone.  Lorsan was difficult to predict, but he did seem to keep his word, whatever it was, so he took solace in the fact that his cramps were not rolling so quickly, his pain was not so severe, and Lorsan probably would actually come back for him.


    It eventually subsided enough that he was able to sit up straight, and he was fairly certain he wasn¡¯t going to die.


    He listened attentively and heard Lorsan enter the sitting room, then the bedroom, before knocking on the door again.


    ¡°Xac?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°I reckon I¡¯m gonna live,¡± Xac said as he tried to catch his breath, ¡°But I ain¡¯t happy about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna make you a potion anyhow,¡± Lorsan told him, ¡°I gotta go to the kitchen, but I want you to wash off, ok?  You¡¯re nasty.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Xac begged, ¡°Please let me do that!¡±


    ¡°Can you get downstairs?¡± Lorry asked.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no way in hell,¡± Xac admitted.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lorry said as if he was deep in thought, ¡°Alright I¡¯ll¡­  make Nancy bring up a washtub, like they use on the laundry, and some water, and then we¡¯ll open all the windows and light a fire, try to get rid of that godawful smell.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Sorry you¡¯re hurtin,¡± Lorry said, ¡°But honestly, Xac, it¡¯s kinda good to see that you¡¯re¡­  human. You freak me out, actin like... a toy or somethin.¡±


    Xaxac leaned back in the washtub and scrubbed.  He wanted to get out as quickly as possible. The water was as nasty as he had once been, and he wasn¡¯t even trying to take a proper bath; he just wanted the shit off.  He wasn¡¯t aiming to smell like roses; he just wanted to get away from the feces and sweat combination long enough to make it to a proper bath.


    The worst part was that he still felt sick.  He wasn¡¯t sure washing off was actually going to accomplish anything.


    Lorsan sat by the roaring fire dumping dried leaves into a cauldron he had on the hearth, close enough that it had began to boil.  He had said that he wasn¡¯t making tea, but it certainly smelled like tea, and it was a welcome change from the awful scent of Xac¡¯s bathwater.  Xac shoved himself out of the washtub and picked up the towel Lorsan had provided him with. He didn¡¯t really have the energy to dry off, so he rolled the towel onto the floor and sat on it.


    ¡°Nancy!¡± Lorsan shrieked, and when she didn¡¯t appear, his voice rose in both pitch and volume, ¡°NANCY!¡±


    Mrs OfAgalon appeared in the doorway, smiling at Lorsan with that unsettling way she had.


    ¡°Yes, young master?¡± She asked pleasantly.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s pleasure slave is sick,¡± Lorsan said, and Xaxac could have mistaken him for his father, ¡°Which is right weird to me, on account of he¡¯s a shifter.  They don¡¯t really get sick. I reckon somebody put somethin in his food. Y¡¯all know he¡¯s a vegetarian.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± She said, though Xaxac saw the confusion flash over her eyes before she hid it away.


    ¡°It means he can¡¯t eat no meat,¡± Lorsan explained, ¡°And probably ought not have no eggs, no milk, nothin what come from an animal.  Who made the soup beans we ate last night?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Mrs OfAgaon said, ¡°We¡¯re very short staffed.  The cook and the head kitchen maid are gone. It¡¯s really just me, the servers, and the scullery maid.¡±


    ¡°The kitchen maid¡¯s gone?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Well, here¡¯s what I need from you.  Because the pleasure slave¡¯s sick the watercloset is nasty. And that washtub.  So drag the washtub into the watercloset and get them both cleaned up. We don¡¯t know when daddy¡¯s gonna be back, and I¡¯d sure hate for him to see it how it is right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send up the maid,¡± Mrs OfAgalon said, and turned to leave.


    ¡°No,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°This is daddy¡¯s rooms.  He don¡¯t trust nobody but you and Lee in here.  There¡¯s some expensive stuff up here.¡± He looked away from his cauldron to turn to her and continued, ¡°So you¡¯re gonna have to do it.¡±


    Xaxac remembered, the first day he had arrived in the big house, Mrs OfAgalon had told him how to clean the room he had been locked in.  She had taken some sort of strange pleasure in telling him that he would have to clean the watercloset.


    ¡°I threw up in the scrub bucket,¡± he told her, ¡°I can¡¯t eat meat.  I feel like I¡¯m gonna die.¡±


    Mrs OfAgalon had apparently lost all the blood in her face when she replied, demurely, ¡°Yes, Master Lorsan.¡±


    She came to the sitting area and began to drag the tub toward the bedroom as Lorsan turned back to his cauldron and began to hum as the rings in his ears began to glow.  Xaxac recognized the melody.


    Little bunny Foo Foo


    Hopping through the forest¡­


    Lorsan pulled over a teacup he had set out, with a strainer over it, and slowly poured the liquid from the cauldron through it.  It had turned from the clear color of the water to a light green, and Xaxac recognized it. Despite what Lorsan had said, it was the tea Hattie May had brewed for him.


    Lorsan took out the strainer and banged it against the side of the cauldron to deposit the plant matter back into the concoction, then handed the cup to Xac.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, ¡°Drink that.  I¡¯ll be right back. I gotta run downstairs and get some stuff.  I don¡¯t trust nobody round here¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lorry,¡± Xac smiled and scooted until his back was against the armchair, then leaned back to drink.


    With Lorsan gone, he could hear the sounds Mrs OfAgalon was making in the next room, and thought to himself that she may find herself falling ill.  Then he thought about what she had said about the kitchen maid; Alice was gone. Why was Alice gone? Where would Aggie go that he would take two butlers, a cook, and a kitchen maid?  In town the place where you were staying made food for you. Why did he take all those people?


    Lorsan came and went several times, carrying crates that he slammed down by the fireplace with a huff before departing again as Xaxac watched.  The final time he returned he was not carrying a crate, but the contraption he had seen Agalon use for magic, which he had, at the time, called a ¡®scrying tablet¡¯.


    ¡°Feelin better?¡± Lorsan asked, and Xaxac nodded.


    He was feeling better, but he had been wrong about the substance he had been given to drink.  It wasn¡¯t the same tea Hattie May had made for him all those years ago; it tasted a little different, more earthy, and it wasn¡¯t making him sleepy.  But it did seem as if it had quieted his intestines; his guts weren¡¯t fighting him anymore and had quieted both their rage and their volume.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lorry said, and sat on his knees next to Xac on the hearth to set the tray on the coffee table he had pushed against the couch to accommodate the washtub that had since been removed.  Xac could see the tray more closely now; it was just a wooden box containing dirt. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything particularly special about the box or the dirt within, but Lorsan grabbed two of the wooden sides, turned to Xac, and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna project it,¡± he said, ¡°Which, because you don¡¯t know anything about magic, I¡¯m gonna let you know means I¡¯m pretty damn good at it.  It¡¯s hard to cast next to a roarin fire, I mean, not for me, but when you first start out.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Xac said, because he didn¡¯t know anything about magic and didn¡¯t really understand what he was talking about, but it seemed important and Lorsan seemed proud of himself.


    The rings in Lorsan¡¯s ears began to glow, and Xaxac nearly spit out his tea when he heard a voice fill the room.


    ¡°Lorry?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Where the hell you at, old man?¡± Lorsan snapped, ¡°Half the damn house is gone!¡±


    Xaxac weakly climbed to his knees to hover beside Lorsan and look into the box.  The dirt inside had arranged itself into the shape of Agalon¡¯s face. Xaxac thought he could feel something, moving through the air, that pressure, that currant he had felt the first time he had held Agalon¡¯s earring.


    ¡°Xaxac?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Lorry, can he hear me?  Are you projecting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we both wanna know where the hell you¡¯re at!¡± Lorsan snapped.


    ¡°Why is he naked?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s sick as a dog.  Whoever¡¯s cookin, since you took the cook with you, musta made the beans with porkfat.¡±


    ¡°He needs to eat fresh vegetables, Lorsan,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Honey Bunny, can you hear me?  You feelin bad, darlin?¡±


    ¡°Lorry¡¯s takin care of me,¡± Xac said, ¡°I miss you.  Are you comin back? Did something bad happen? When I shifted?  Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°No darlin, course not,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Just¡­  had some business come up at the capital. I¡¯ll be back here in a day or two.  Be back in time to see Lorry off.¡±


    ¡°What business?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when I get back,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°What business, daddy?¡± Lorsan asked, lifted his hands, and Xaxac saw the rings in his ears became brighter.  The scene behind Agalon expanded for a moment while his figure shrank, and Xaxac caught glimpses of a large, opulent sitting room filled with furniture even more beautiful than he had seen at the hotel in Basilglen.  He only caught a glimpse of it, but he noticed that the room had a large embroidery hoop by a giant open window. He had seen those at Sakala¡¯s shop in Basilglen, and thought he would like to learn how to embroider.


    But then the figure of Agalon clutched his hand, and the image in the dirt shrank back to just his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get nosey, little boy,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a couple days.  Stay safe, alright? Try to keep outta trouble? I love you, both of you.¡±


    ¡°I love you Aggie!¡± Xaxac said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.


    Lorsan had spoken at the same time, but all he had said was, ¡°Right.¡±

 Chapter 5

    The crates that Lorsan had brought with him were apparently full of root vegetables stored in dirt, because he pulled them out, looked at them, and stuck those that were not potatoes back into the dirt.  When he had as many potatoes as he apparently wanted, he set them on the hearth, stood, and disappeared into his father¡¯s bedroom. Xaxac suspected he was going to steal something else, but after everything Lorsan had done for him, he wasn¡¯t willing to fight him.  Instead, he sat, still on the towel on the floor, with the blanket from the couch covering him for the sake of modesty, knitting away at the baby blanket he was making for his sister.


    Lorsan returned holding a full basin and chuckled.


    ¡°Watercloset¡¯s clean as a whistle,¡± he said as he began to scrub the potatoes, ¡°But I still don¡¯t trust her not to poison you again.  I bet she done that on purpose; she¡¯s always been mean.¡±


    ¡°Always?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Far as I can remember,¡± Lorsan shrugged and set the potatoes out along the edge of the fireplace, ¡°She¡¯s older than I am, so¡­  maybe not always. You feelin better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, ¡°Thanks¡­  you¡¯re¡­ bein real nice to me.  You been real nice to me, I think, since the beginnin.  I wish we hadn¡¯t fought so much.¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t your fault,¡± Lorsan said as he looked into the fire, ¡°It¡¯s daddy¡¯s fault.  You humans are¡­ it ain¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Aggie¡¯s always been real nice to me, Lorry,¡± Xac said defensively.


    ¡°It hurts my soul,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Cause¡­  you sound like you really think that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°He got me this stuff.  And he¡¯s gonna let me give it to my sister. I kinda¡­  didn¡¯t think¡­¡± he stared at his hands as they went through the practiced motions, ¡°Part of me didn¡¯t think he would¡­  want me to give it to her, on account of it¡¯s so expensive and she¡¯s¡­ human. But I said I wanted to do that right in front of him and he told me, told Alex¡¯s master too, that I could.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°A baby blanket,¡± Xac explained, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.  They¡¯re real easy; whole things in garter on account of it¡¯s thicker so it¡¯s just one stitch, over and over.  It¡¯s a square. You can do it while you¡¯re drunk; I mean, not when you¡¯re shitfaced, but regular drunk.¡±


    Lorsan looked as if he was in deep thought, in concentration, so Xaxac said, ¡°I can show you, it you want me to.  You need a pair of sticks. You can use a couple of my double-pointed if you want to. I guess you could make a scarf or something, might fit on um.  Just don¡¯t drop the stitches off the back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda weird that you can do that,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I know a lotta folks in the navy knit and they use pattern books.  I didn¡¯t know folks could do it in their head.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get a whole lotta use outta books,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°I liked the magazines they had at the clocktower place.  They had a lotta pictures.¡±


    ¡°Daddy gathered up all the fur you shed when you shifted,¡± Lorsan said, looking into the fire, ¡°I reckon he¡¯s gonna sell it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gonna sell it?¡± Xac asked, ¡°It can¡¯t be worth nothin.¡±


    ¡°Xac,¡± Lorsan huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid.  You¡¯re a shifter. It¡¯s angora- which is expensive anyway- from a shifter!  Shifters are so rare half the folks round here don¡¯t believe in um. He¡¯s gonna make a fortune off that.  And there¡¯s a lot of it. You¡¯re over six foot tall shifted. Pushin seven.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could shave,¡± Xaxac lamented, because the concept of his body hair reminded him of the hair on his face, ¡°I don¡¯t want Aggie to see me like this.  He didn¡¯t say nothin about it¡­¡±


    ¡°I like the beard,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°When I¡¯m runnin the place all y¡¯all¡¯ll have beards.  Makes ya look human.¡±


    ¡°Makes me look old,¡± Xac argued, ¡°It ain¡¯t cute.  I don¡¯t want Aggie to see me like this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell ya,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin about it.¡±


    ¡°You reckon I could go downstairs here in a little bit?¡± Xac asked hopefully, ¡°I wanna take a real bath.¡±


    ¡°You can go wherever you want, for my part,¡± Lorsan shrugged, ¡°You ain¡¯t gotta ask me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one here,¡± Xaxac argued.


    ¡°Only what?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°Elf?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and the only one in charge, ¡®cept for Mrs OfAgalon, and I know she won¡¯t let me do nothin.¡± Xaxac explained as he turned the row and began to knit again.


    ¡°Well,¡± Lorry said as he leaned forward and poked one of the potatoes, ¡°You can go wherever you want, for my part.¡±


    Xaxac stood in front of the dressing mirror and ran the towel over his wet body and through his hair, before he set about the task of combing through the puffy mess.  His beard had gone beyond stubble, it was really growing in, and Xac suspected that by the time Lee got back and he was allowed to shave again it would be as fluffy as his head.  He couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Once he had his hair sorted, he turned to the pile of packages Lorsan had thrown out of the way to make room for the new wardrobes.  If Agalon was going to be gone for days, he would have time to go through them all slowly, to really absorb each piece. He didn¡¯t even really need to unpack any of them right now; with Agalon gone it was likely that no one else would come into the room.  Even Lorsan tended to knock.


    But Lorsan may come in to check on him.


    Xaxac was beginning to think that Lorsan liked humans, even if he hadn¡¯t when he was younger, as Agalon had said.  People could change, and often did. Xaxac had certainly changed himself. And Lorsan would probably appreciate it if he wore clothes.


    And Agalon would probably prefer it if they were all hanging up instead of still in packages when he came home.


    Xac went to his new wardrobe and pressed his hands to the wood.  It was the same size as the old one had been, but it was obvious that it was new.  It was completely smooth and shining with the new varnish, and smelled like it too, a scent Xac wasn¡¯t sure he liked.  It was darker than the old one had been and the hinges were black instead brassy. He pulled the door open and peered inside at the back wall, as smooth and unbroken as the door had been.


    Xaxac closed the wardrobe, stood up straight, walked to the bedroom door, and opened it.  The sitting room beyond was quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the ticking of the clock.  Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be another clock? Agalon had ordered a clock for the bedroom, hadn¡¯t he? Xaxac wasn¡¯t sure.  Sometimes he dreamed things and got them all mixed up with reality. It was difficult to know which memories really happened and which he had dreamed up.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He closed the door, in case Lorsan came in before he was dressed, and walked to the packages.  It was already evening, and Agalon had said he wouldn¡¯t be back that day, so Xaxac thought that if he moved slowly he could have enough to entertain himself for the entire time Agalon was gone with those packages.  He had always been interested in clothes anyway. Part of him wished he had been able to actually talk to Mrs Sambres. He suspected they would like each other. But he wished he could talk to her¡­ in a way that he couldn¡¯t, that he knew instinctively he couldn¡¯t, but could not really articulate why.


    He wanted to learn from her.  But he never would. That¡¯s not how those kinds of things were done.


    He wanted to know what she had written in her little notebook, how she made all the beautiful things she did, like those outfits in her store window.  But Xaxac was fairly certain that¡­ humans probably couldn¡¯t do that. It was probably beyond his capabilities. She had done things that he would never be able to do.


    He untied the first box and frowned.  It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like it, it was that it was full of bland, banal practicality.  He had unfortunately come upon what was likely the worst of the packages on his first try, full of folded up undershorts, which he dumped upside down onto the bed.  They were a bit softer than he expected, but otherwise standard fare. But, he supposed, practical things had even more value than things that only existed for beauty.  He selected a pair at random and slid them on, humming as he tied them to fit.


    Then he opened a drawer of his new wardrobe and began to fold the rest neatly.  He was engaged in this activity when he heard the door to the sitting room open and Lorsan stepped inside.


    ¡°Xac?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the bedroom!¡± Xaxac called.


    ¡°You decent?¡± Lorry asked.


    ¡°No, darlin,¡± Xac laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon.  Never again. After what I been through today decency¡¯s kinda out the window, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You care if I come in there?¡± Lorsan asked, as if he had either not understood that Xaxac had spoken in jest, or maybe just didn¡¯t find it particularly funny.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± Xac said as he stood to open another package.


    ¡°Smells a helluva lot better,¡± Lorsan said as he opened the door and stepped inside.  Xaxac noticed that he elected to leave the door to the sitting room open.


    ¡°Right?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I killed myself.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re feelin better?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°Feelin a hellvua lot better,¡± Xac agreed, ¡°And I didn¡¯t pass out, which shocks the shit outta me.¡±


    He carefully untied the next package, opened the box, and found it to be full of undershirts, which he dumped onto the bed.  Was the outfit inspired by the fire continent the only good one he got? Still, they were impeccably made and in a variety of styles and he had to admire Sakala¡¯s handiwork.  He began to fold them, but stopped in his tracks as he took in something he should have noticed with the undershorts.


    There were just so many of them.


    When he worked in the fields the family was only given ten yards of fabric to make underthings for the entire family.  He did well to get two pairs of underthings a year, the lightweight for the warm months, and the flannels for the cold months.  He was looking at a good five years worth of clothes. That Agalon had seemingly ordered on a whim.


    He didn¡¯t need these.  They could have been split up, would be better used by people who didn¡¯t spend most of their working hours without clothes.  This didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°You¡¯re movin real slow.  It ain¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡± Xac said as he went back to folding the shirts, ¡°Thinkin too much.  I get to thinkin too much sometimes.¡±


    Lorsan looked behind him to see that both of the windows in the room were open, despite the chill of the early autumn twilight, so he walked over and closed them as Xaxac placed the folded undershirts in the drawer with his shorts.


    ¡°I been downstairs in the library,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Lookin through daddy¡¯s records.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Xac said, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Bunch of old ledgers and stuff,¡± Lorsan explained, ¡°Tryin to figure out where you come from.  He bought you up in the Sage Lake province, ¡®bought fourteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where that is,¡± Xac shrugged.  The information wasn¡¯t particularly useful to him, but Lorsan didn¡¯t seem happy to see his apathy.  Xaxac wasn¡¯t sure what kind of reaction he had wanted or expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s up by the Sage Lake,¡± Lorsan said as if this would mean anything to Xaxac, ¡°There¡¯s cities there, big tourism place.  They do a lotta fishin, little bit of farmin, but not commercially like we do. Bought a week¡¯s ride out from Satra, another couple days out from the Sacred Woods, the Sacred Woods are right up on um.  The treeline hits the lake.¡±


    ¡°Sacred Woods,¡± Xac said as he untied another package, trying to remember where he had heard that name before.  Then his eyes grew wide and he said, ¡°The Emerald Knight!¡±


    ¡°The legend is,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°That about three hundred years ago, the Emerald Knight went into those woods.  Before that, there was a town in there, there was a path in there, folks could go in there. But then there was an earthquake, completely changed the landscape.  The woods grew back, grew over the path, and ain¡¯t nobody goes there no more. Anybody that goes in them woods never does come out again.¡±


    He leaned against the dressing table and continued, ¡°Folks see monsters in them woods.  They say you can¡¯t even go around the treeline at night. Say you can¡¯t never go up there on the full moons.  Folks hear voices. Folks¡­ see all kinds ¡®a things up there.¡±


    Xaxac had never given much thought to his birth parents.  Families were split up and sold to different people all the time from those slave merchants.  It was common for a child to be ¡®bought in¡¯ without parents, so he had always assumed that was what had happened to him.  His birth parents had probably gone somewhere else to work, without him. He had never harbored them any ill will for that, because it wouldn¡¯t have been their fault.  He never really thought about them at all.


    But the vet had said that shifting was hereditary.


    At least one of his parents would have had to have been a shifter.


    Was he a monster from those woods that had been cursed when the Emerald Knight killed a god?  Had he wandered away somehow and been found by a slave merchant?


    ¡°Did them records tell how much he paid for me?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°And it¡¯s crazy.  Five hundred gold.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much that is,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Ok so¡­¡± Lorsan scrunched up his face in thought, ¡°Most folks never see a gold piece, Xac.  Most tradin¡¯s done in silver. A skilled laborer, like, say, a blacksmith, makes about one gold a year.  If we wouldn¡¯t kin to Xandra¡­ we could never afford you. That merchant¡¯ll never have to work another day in his life.  Daddy believed him. He thought you was a shifter.¡±


    ¡°He was right,¡± Xac shrugged.


    ¡°He¡¯s never been good with money,¡± Lorsan huffed, ¡°This place is hemmoragin money, and he¡¯s out here goin on trips and shit.¡±  He motioned to all the packages on the bed and the wardrobes, and possibly Xaxac himself, ¡°Buyin stupid shit. Man spends money like it¡¯s goin outta style.  I¡¯m gonna inherit a clusterfuck.¡± He crossed his arms and huffed, ¡°But it¡¯s fine, ¡®cause we¡¯re nobility. We¡¯ll just take it in levies from everybody else in the district, I guess.  Ain¡¯t like we¡¯ll ever actually go broke. Daddy spends all our money? Fuck everybody else livin here, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin about it,¡± Xaxac said as he opened the package and pulled out a beautiful, thick, soft, green traveling cloak.  He liked the texture so much he brought it to his face to rub it against his skin and realized he could smell some sort of fragrance he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°I¡¯d say he drinks up most of it,¡± Lorsan lamented as Xaxac hung the cloak carefully in his new wardrobe.


    ¡°I like to drink,¡± Xac said, ¡°I love bein drunk.  I¡¯d lay drunk if I could.¡±


    ¡°This oughta be the most profitable district in the mainland,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°We¡¯re literally feedin the nation.  They¡¯d die without us. We oughta have Xandra by the short hairs. We oughta wield way more power than we do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, on account¡¯a we grow the food?¡± Xaxac asked, not really understanding what Lorsan was talking about, ¡°That don¡¯t make no sense.  It ain¡¯t who grows the food, it¡¯s who¡¯s on top. By that logic, the slaves in the fields oughta have the most power.¡±


    Lorsan¡¯s eyes shot open with an emotion that looked like he had just had some sort of epiphany, but Xaxac wasn¡¯t paying much attention to him, he had moved on to the next package.

 Chapter 6

    Agalon did not return the next day, or the day after.


    Sometimes Lorsan would try to talk to him, in the tray of dirt, but their conversations never amounted to much.


    But Xaxac was shocked by how much time Lorsan seemed to want to spend with him.  Maybe he didn¡¯t have much else to do. But it was odd. During the day he would be gone for long stretches of time, while Xaxac cleaned, or tried on his new clothes, or sat in the sitting room, knitting away at the baby blanket that he had nearly finished, but every evening he returned.


    If Agalon hadn¡¯t taken everyone with him, Xaxac thought that he would have, perhaps, ventured out of the sitting room, would have gone downstairs, to the kitchen, to see his family.  That much time alone was¡­ not good for his tendency to overthink things.


    Xaxac wondered what would happen if he left the house entirely.


    He wondered what would happen if he went out, after sundown, wearing the clothes that looked like the uniform of a houseslave, and went back to the little wooden house, nestled amongst all the other little wooden houses, the one that his parents had built before he had arrived.  He wondered if his father would be there. He wondered if his father would be happy to see him.


    He wondered this so much and so often that he actually put on the outfit, though it was so cool now that he didn¡¯t see a reason to roll up the sleeves.


    There was no one there to catch him.


    There was no reason not to go.


    Xaxac walked to the door, leading into the sitting room, and turned the knob.


    It opened.


    He walked quickly through the sitting room, to the door that would open into the hallway, and turned the knob.


    It opened.


    He stepped out into the hallway and paused.


    If he went down the servant¡¯s staircase, Mrs OfAgalon might catch him.  It eventually terminated in a room beside the storeroom, between the kitchen and the dining room.  She had said she was acting as the cook in his mother¡¯s absence.


    But if he went down the main staircase, there were two men who guarded the front door.  He didn¡¯t know them, and didn¡¯t know what sort of reaction they would have.


    He lingered there, in that hall, and began to feel that he was making a mistake.


    Agalon trusted him.  Agalon did things for him, got things for him, maybe even loved him, and he trusted him.


    Agalon wanted him to stay in his room.


    Xaxac did not realize he had taken the step backwards until his back hit the door.


    Was he crying?  Why was he crying?


    He took a deep breath, shoved himself forward, and took off at a sprint in the direction of the main staircase.  He bolted down the hall, then down the stairs, moving so quickly he skipped steps, though he could not have said how often or how many.


    At the second landing he turned on a whim as a thought struck him- Mrs OfAgalon was old, she may not be able to catch him, and she may not even see him to tell on him.  It was possible she wasn¡¯t even in the kitchen. She had other things to do. So he moved down a hall on the second story, a place in the house where he had never been, but he thought he knew the layout of the house well enough that he knew what it would look like, and he was right.  Doorways, paintings, and little tables full of plants flew by in a blur as he raced down the hall that looked almost identical to the one upstairs until he reached the door at the end of it, threw it open, and came into the second landing of the servant¡¯s staircase, just as he had predicted.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He raced down the narrow steps, twisting and turning, until he came to the small room at the bottom.  Then he stopped, pressed his ear to the door, and listened.


    There was no one in the storeroom, but there were people beyond.  He heard the sounds of a kitchen staff at work, likely cleaning up the dinner they would have served the house staff.  The kitchen was probably full.


    He wasn¡¯t going to sneak out that way.


    He had to make a decision, and the most intelligent thing to do would be to turn around, go back upstairs, and head back to his room.


    But that isn¡¯t what he did.


    He opened the door, stepped into the storeroom, saw that the door to the kitchen was open, and beyond it, the door leading outside.


    And he ran, as fast as he could.  He moved past everyone in the kitchen without looking at them, without seeing them, without taking the time to dawdle long enough to see them, and though he did not know it, they did not really see him.  He moved so quickly that the staff knew something had passed, but could not say, with any certainty, what it was.


    Xaxac burst into the cool autumn night and did not slow down.


    The wind whipped at his face as he sped past the fields under the light of the waning moons and watched the world fly past him.  He saw the houses come into view, but he did not feel fear until he saw the bonfire. It was then that a terrifying realization hit him.


    He didn¡¯t know who he could trust.


    He was breaking rules by being out here, and now everyone knew he was a monster.  It was no longer just a rumor. They had seen him shift. He had no idea what sort of reaction he could expect.


    So he changed direction and darted behind the line of houses instead.  He crept as silently as he could, until he came to the little house with the patched walls that his father had repaired after he had tried to chew through them, when he had shifted, so long ago, as a child.  He peeled back the curtain his mother had made and peered inside.


    The house was empty.


    But it was not the normal sort of empty.


    Something heavy fell over Xaxac as he pulled himself off his feet and through the window.


    Something was wrong.


    Xaxac did not think that Abe was outside, eating and playing cards around the bonfire with his friends.


    The house was the kind of empty he could feel in his soul.


    The little wooden stools had been pulled away from the table and not scooted back in.  The cauldron hung over ashes that were not only cold, but had not been scraped away to be replaced with a new fire.  The bed lay half folded on itself, with the blanket all askew.


    Xaxac walked to the bed and rolled it out properly, then picked up the knitted blanket, fluffed it out, and replaced it properly.


    Had this house always smelled this bad?  As if the bedding needed washing and the straw needed replacing?  Had it always smelled like this?


    His father wasn¡¯t here, and Xaxac began to pace as he weighed the idea that he wasn¡¯t outside, either.  The idea was overpowering. It made no sense. No matter where Agalon went, there was no reason for him to take a field hand.  No reason. It wouldn¡¯t happen.


    Unless he meant to sell him.


    But surely not.  Abe wasn¡¯t a shifter.  He was a hard worker, but he was old.  There was no reason to sell him. There was no reason to do anything with him.  He had to be here. He had to be outside, playing cards around the bonfire after supper.  He had, after all, no reason to come home with half his family gone.


    And why was the bonfire so quiet?  Why wasn¡¯t the place alive with the sounds of voices?  Why was everything so strange?


    Xaxac walked to the front door and pressed himself against it to listen.


    The only voices he heard were hushed, and they came from children.


    What was going on?


    He peered out through a slit in the curtain of the front window, and saw that there were adults, as there should be, but they had fallen silent.  Why? Maybe it was just a momentary lull in conversation. That happened sometimes. Sometimes entire groups of people fell silent all at once, it was just a strange quirk of conversation.  Maybe it would all start up again, and everything would be fine.


    But it didn¡¯t.


    Because Xaxac heard why they had all fallen silent.


    He heard the whinney of a horse.


    He dropped to the ground and crawled to the other side of the window.


    Lorsan sat on horseback, looking as tall and intimidating as his father had, the first time Xaxac had seen him, on the fields.  The flickering firelight did something to him, changed him. He looked less like the boy from the house who had taken care of him when he had fallen ill, and more like an elf.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put yourselves out on my account,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I¡¯m just checkin up on everybody.  Had me a scare a couple days back. Y¡¯all know anybody by the name¡¯a Hattie May?¡±

 Chapter 7

    Xaxac held his breath.


    What should he do?


    Should he go home?


    Should he stay where he was?


    Then something strange happened.  Lorsan narrowed his eyes, tilted his head, as if he was trying to hear something, or perhaps as if he had felt something.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Lorsan asked.


    Then he turned, and Xaxac dove for the floor as silently as he could.


    He covered his head with his hands, held his breath, and listened.


    He heard Lorsan dismount.


    He took one step toward the door, then another, and time seemed to slow down.


    Xaxac jumped to his feet, bolted for the back window, and dove out in one motion, so fast and with so much gusto he hit the ground rolling.  He crouched and backed up until he was positioned just under the window.


    Lorsan was inside the house now, walking around.  Xaxac heard him moving, back and forth as if he was looking for something, and he paused, on the side of the room where the bed was, and let out a humming noise.


    He had noticed someone had set the bed to rights.  He was distracted. His attention had been taken, and Xaxac had no idea how long that would last.


    So he took the opportunity he had been given- and he bolted.


    Night had fully fallen, and he prayed he was hidden in the shadows, prayed the moons, which had always hated him, would not illuminate him as he ran with everything in him, so far and so fast he forgot to breath and his lungs began to ache.  His mind was only able to form one thought: he had to beat Lorsan back to the house. He bolted through the open kitchen door and sped for the storeroom.


    The kitchen was full.  He knew he had been seen.  But there was nothing for it.  He had to be fast, and he had to pray that he could depend on the kindness of relative strangers.  Maybe, just maybe, Mrs OfAgalon hadn¡¯t been in the kitchen. Maybe the people who were in the kitchen had a fondness for his mother.


    Maybe he could get lucky.


    Xaxac burst up three flights of stairs more climbing than running, and emerged in his most familiar hallway.


    He closed the door softly, darted to the door of the sitting room, threw it open and slammed it behind him as he ran for the bedroom.


    He glanced in the mirror, saw the dirt on his uniform, and tugged it off as quickly as he could, turning each item inside out and wadding them up.  He kicked off his shoes, wadded the shirt into the pants, then, in a moment of panic, stuffed the bundle under the bed. He went to the basin, splashed water on his face, then dried his entire body with the towel there to remove the sweat.


    He threw open the wardrobe and grabbed a new outfit, the tight one that looked very much like the one Alex had traveled in, except it was green rather than blue, and stepped into the water closet.


    Lorsan did not appear.


    It occurred to Xaxac as he stood, fully dressed in the water closet, listening to the seconds tick by, that he may have gotten away with it.


    He slowly emerged from the water closet, knelt, and pulled the bundle of dirty clothes out of the hiding spot he had put them in.


    What could he do with them, realistically?


    Hide them in plain sight.


    He kept them inside out, but folded them neatly and put them into a corner of the wardrobe, closed it, and strode confidently into the sitting room.


    He dug through the box of root vegetables until he found a carrot, then took it to the water closet to pump some water and wash off the dirt.


    He plopped down on the couch, bit into his carrot, and stared at the clock on the mantle.


    He wondered who was working in the kitchen.


    He wondered where everyone was.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He wondered what Lorsan wanted with Hattie May.


    He wondered what would happen to him if Lorsan found out he had left the house.


    He ate all of the carrot, even the greens, before he knelt before the fireplace and laid out the wood in a conical shape.  Then he took the flint, steel, and charcloth, and stuck it until he got a spark. He held the charcloth, blowing to keep the flame alive, while he picked up a clutch of kindling and stuffed it inside.  He blew on it until this, too, caught, and once the flames were going he stuck it into the middle of the cone, and watched the fire blaze to life.


    He had washed some sweet potatoes and laid them out by the fire to roast, and was on the last row of his knitting, casting off, when he heard Lorsan in the hallway.


    Xaxac looked up when he walked inside and smiled.


    ¡°Hey, Lorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey, Xac,¡± Lorsan said, and he did not smile back, ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always up for that,¡± Xaxac said chipperly.


    ¡°Whatcha makin?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°Sweet taters?  I¡¯ll get some brown sugar while I¡¯m down there.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Xac said.


    And he was gone.


    Xaxac began to hum as he moved each new stitch from the needles.  He picked up the skein he was working with and shoved the whole thing through the last stitch, then again in the new loop he had created, and pulled tight.  He held the yarn tight, brought it to his mouth, and bit through it where it met the knot, then tossed the skien into the bag with the needles.


    He fluffed the blanket out and held it in front of him.


    It was beautiful, soft, and big enough to swaddle with.


    Alice was going to love it, as much as she could love anything with those mood swings.


    The door opened and Lorsan walked back in carrying a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a small canister of sugar, all of which he sat on the coffee table before he plopped down next to Xaxac.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Xac agreed, ¡°It is.  It¡¯s real nice. She¡¯s gonna love it!  I still¡­ kinda can¡¯t believe Aggie¡¯s gonna let me give it to her.  This yarn was expensive¡­ I think he¡¯s only lettin me give it to Alley because he knows it¡¯ll make me happy.  He loves me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorsan said in a tone that made Xaxac nervous because he could not judge the sincerity of it.


    Lorsan pulled the cork from the bottle and poured them both a glass.


    ¡°I shoulda got more than this,¡± He said, ¡°I wonder if Nancy¡¯d even do it, if I rung for her.¡±


    ¡°She has to,¡± Xaxac said as he fluffed out the blanket and began to fold it, ¡°You¡¯re an elf.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lorsan said, in that same tone.  He seemed as if he was deep in thought, and once again Xaxac wondered why he had wanted to talk to Hattie May.


    Xaxac stuck the blanket into the bag with his knitting supplies and leaned forward to pick up his glass.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know nothin about magic, do you?¡± Lorsan asked.  Xac shook his head, so he continued, ¡°Ok so¡­ everything that lives has a¡­  a heart? No, I guess they don¡¯t, not all of um¡­ but magic is¡­ there¡¯s this sayin, ¡®Magic travels through the blood¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Xac said, leaned back, and sipped his wine.


    ¡°So every living thing has magic,¡± Lorsan explained, ¡°That¡¯s what makes it alive.  That¡¯s what makes it different from like¡­ stuff you make.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Xaxac said, because he wasn¡¯t particularly shocked that nothing Lorsan said made sense to him, but it seemed important to him, so he was willing to let him talk.


    ¡°In people and most animals,¡± Lorsan continued, ¡°That¡¯s true.  It¡¯s in the blood. And you can see it, in the heart. Everybody has a¡­  like a soul. And mages are trained to look for it. We can see it.¡±


    ¡°You can see my soul?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we call um ¡®magic signatures¡¯ but yeah, I can,¡± Lorsan explained.  ¡°That¡¯s how scryin works. When you cast a spell, you don¡¯t cast it in the pattern of your soul, you cast it in the pattern of their soul, and they¡¯ll feel it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I like that.¡±


    ¡°The world of magic is kinda¡­  on top of this one, the physical world,¡± Lorsan continued, ¡°So you can see through it, around it, kinda.  I mean, it depends on how strong you are. Some folks can see through solid stone, some can¡¯t, you get me?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Xaxac said and took another drink, ¡°can we get more¡¯a this?  You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll run out.¡±


    ¡°I can see magic through flimsy walls made¡¯a scrap wood, Xac,¡± Lorsan said, and Xaxac, in that moment, felt very stupid.  He felt as if he should have been able to trace the conversation.


    ¡°Your daddy told me that a skilled mage could cast for miles,¡± Xaxac said conversationally, ¡°Can uh¡­  can they see folks for miles, too?¡±


    ¡°Not¡­  I mean you see magic signatures with your eyes but¡­  I mean technically you could, but we ain¡¯t supposed to and ain¡¯t nobody who¡¯ll teach you how to do that, but let¡¯s not bullshit, alright?  I want you to know that I know you was outside.¡±


    Xaxac took another drink of his wine watching Lorsan over the edge of his glass.  He looked nervous, which was not the emotion Xaxac had expected. He didn¡¯t look angry, at all.


    ¡°What, um,¡± Xac asked, ¡°Whatcha¡­  gonna do to me, Lorry?¡±


    He did not think he could control Lorsan, wouldn¡¯t have been able to influence his actions in any meaningful way, so he didn¡¯t try.


    ¡°Nothin,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna tell nobody.  I ain¡¯t gonna do nothin. But¡­ I¡¯m curious. Why was you out there, Xac?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see my daddy,¡± Xaxac shrugged.  He had no reason to lie. ¡°Half my family¡¯s gone, Aggie¡¯s gone.  I¡¯m lonesome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d think you stay lonesome,¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­  I¡­ I try not to think too much,¡± Xaxac finished his glass, picked up the bottle and refilled it, ¡°I try not to think at all, if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°Did you see him?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°No, wouldn¡¯t nobody in the house and I didn¡¯t wanna go outside.  Not just on account of I might get caught but ¡®cause¡­ you know,¡± he shrugged again, ¡°I¡¯m a monster.  I ain¡¯t been around nobody since they found that out.¡±


    ¡°Humans are social animals,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°So are rabbits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about rabbits,¡± Xaxac admitted, ¡°I ain¡¯t never raised um or nothin.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Um¡­  ok, let me go ring Nacy and see if she¡¯ll bring us another bottle and then uh¡­  how about I read to you? We got books about rabbits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯d like that.  I¡¯d¡­ really appreciate it. Lorry um¡­  why¡­ I mean, I appreciate it, but why have you been so nice to me?¡±


    ¡°I like you,¡± Lorsan said as he stood, ¡°I like humans.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Xaxac did not try to leave the next day.


    He sewed up the hems of the hat he had made and cast on another one, after he had finished his cleaning for the day.  He was subsisting mostly on the carrots Lorsan had brought him, which he could eat raw without getting sick, but when the sun set, he made another fire and set out potatoes to roast, in anticipation of Lorsan¡¯s visit.


    They fell into a new routine so quickly.


    But Xaxac missed everyone.  He missed his mother, his sister, his father, Jimmy, and Lee, but more than anything, he missed Agalon.  He didn¡¯t know when Agalon had become more important to him than anyone else, and he wasn¡¯t sure he liked it.  But it was the truth, and there was no use denying it. He didn¡¯t want Agalon to see him in his sorry state; his beard was an actual beard now, not stubble, not the scraggly beginnings of a beard, but an itchy, ugly mess of soft, fluffy hair that moved outward, just like the hair on his head.  He hated it. He couldn¡¯t put his makeup on, and it made him look ten years older. And it was uncomfortable- he didn¡¯t know how other men stood it. Yes, the shaving was time consuming and difficult, but it was not a constant, underlying sense of discomfort, on the edges of perception, always there, always tickling, on the edges of his nerves- it was enough to drive him mad!  And Agalon would hate it as much as he did. He would hate how it looked, he would hate how it aged him, and he would hate how it made Xaxac feel.


    Xac wondered if Lee kept the shaving supplies somewhere he could get to them.  He also wondered, not for the first time, where Lee slept. He had never seen him before, before he came to the big house, and he seemed to hear the bell ring whenever Agalon rang it, even in the middle of the night.  Did he live in the house somewhere? Some slaves did. Xac did.


    ¡°Hey Xac,¡± Lorsan said as he entered the room, ¡°Exciting day?¡±


    ¡°I actually got a lot done,¡± Xac said because he had picked up on the sarcasm and was insulted by it, ¡°Both these rooms are pretty damn spotless, I finished the hat I had made for Alex, and I¡¯m makin a new one for Aggie.¡±


    ¡°He don¡¯t never wear red,¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all I got,¡± Xac deflated, because that was true and he had considered it, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to all my fur.  It was gone when I woke up.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Lorsan shrugged, ¡°He¡¯ll probably like it.  I just ain¡¯t never seen him in red. I don¡¯t think he buys it, you know, for himself.  I bet he¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Xac said and listened to the soothing sound of his needles click click clicking together.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Lorsan said and picked up the hat Xac had set on top of the folded baby blanket on the coffee table, ¡°This the finished one?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, and watched Lorsan stuff it onto his head.  His face seemed like one who was shocked about something, so Xac asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d go over my ears,¡± Lorsan admitted, ¡°You made it for a human.¡±


    ¡°The band¡¯s a knit two purl two rib,¡± Xaxac explained, ¡°It stretches pretty good, but not enough to where it won¡¯t be warm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°But uh¡­  that¡¯s neat, Xac.¡±


    ¡°A purl stitch is a reverse knit stitch,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Lorsan took off the hat and set it back on the baby blanket, ¡°Super informative.  I¡¯m gonna go ring Nancy to bring us some wine.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever eat, Lorry?¡± Xaxac asked, because he hadn¡¯t seen him eat anything except the vegetables he had packed upstairs for Xac the entire time his father had been gone.


    ¡°Not nothin made by somebody who poisons my friends,¡± Lorsan said, lingering in the doorway, ¡°No.  I ain¡¯t stupid. Put a little hemlock in my tea or somethin. I ain¡¯t drank nothin that didn¡¯t come straight out the pipe or from a sealed bottle, neither.¡±


    Then he was gone, tugging the bell in the hallway.


    When he returned, Xac did not look up to speak.


    ¡°Hey Lorry,¡± he asked, ¡°Do y¡¯all have a copy of the holy texts?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we got a million different ones,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Got complete collections, partial collections, that big family one, little ones to take to the temple¡­  we¡¯re set.¡±


    ¡°You reckon you could read it to me tonight?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I was just¡­  wonderin what happened, with the curse and all, ya know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story, Xac,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a lot to it.  All the legends are kinda intertwined, you can¡¯t just read one part, you gotta have context.  I been tryin to explain that to some priests who seem like they need to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­  can we do that, then?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t finish it before I leave for school,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°It¡¯s thick as hell.  But yeah, if you want.¡±


    He stood and made his way to the bookshelf as MrsOfAgalon entered with their wine; she had brought up three bottles this time, likely to save herself some trouble, and Xaxac slipped until he was lying on the sofa so that he would not have to look at her over the back of it.


    ¡°Thanks, Nancy,¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± she said, ¡°Will that be all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Feels about like a vacation here without daddy, don¡¯t it?¡± Apparently this quazi joke did not land because he sighed and in a more somber tone said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± she said, and Xaxac listened to her walk away.  He would not move until he heard the door close.


    Then he put away his knitting to attend to their wine.  Lorsan selected an older book with a cover that looked as though some sort of green fabric had been stretched over wood, emblazoned with the symbol of an unbroken circle in gold.  Within the circle were three other symbols, but Xaxac did not know what they meant. One looked a bit like the flickering flames of the fire he was using to roast the potatoes, but he could not guess to the others.  They seemed to have no inherit meaning, like the squiggles the elves used to write. The book was much older and much more worn out than Xaxac expected anything in Agalon¡¯s house to be, but it was the one that Lorsan carried to the sofa and plopped down with, so it had to be the Holy Texts.


    Xac popped the cork and poured their wine as Lorsan began to read.


    ¡°In the beginning, there was chaos.


    The sunlight that burned down upon the world would have brought death, had there been any living thing to die.


    The rains fell with stones from the unforgiving heavens, the fire below the earth broiled so that the land flowed as the angry sea, and the sea itself boiled away, then fell, then boiled again.  The world was formless, without law, and without life.


    The great god Thesis looked upon the world, and he said to them, ¡®Let us create order¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Said to who?¡± Xaxac interrupted.


    ¡°Now see, that right there is a damn good question,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Folks have been askin that for centuries.  Best guess is he¡¯s talkin to the lesser spirits, but the thing about that is, this book ain¡¯t just one book. It was wrote by a lot of different authors, all claimin they was divinely inspired, channelin the word of Thesis through their pen, not their brains.  But yeah, that¡¯s a good question. Because it seems like maybe this ain¡¯t the beginnin, don¡¯t it? Like maybe somethin happened before this? There¡¯s other texts, but they didn¡¯t get put in here on account of they was apparently not divinely inspired that talks about Thesis creating the lesser spirits, like the forest spirit, to act as his voice on Xren, and then there¡¯s other passages that talk about that, but that part was cut so,¡± he took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna level with you, Xac, the reason that this book has scholars dedicated to goin over it is because it¡¯s a straight up clusterfuck.  I know blasphemy¡¯s a sin, but the more you look at it the less sense it makes. Don¡¯t think too hard on it, alright? Just let it wash over you and absorb the gist of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xac frowned, ¡°Well when does it get to humans?¡±


    ¡°I told you, you gotta read it in context.¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°But you just said it don¡¯t make sense in context.¡± Xac pouted and sipped his wine.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­  readin what¡¯s in front of me,¡± Lorsan sighed, ¡°Hush and listen.  I can¡¯t debate it or teach it, my faith ain¡¯t strong enough. You¡¯d have to ask a priest that kinda shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xac said, ¡°Ok.  I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d¡­  you look mad¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s just I¡¯m readin the same thing you¡¯re hearin,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°How the hell would I know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac said again.


    ¡°So Thesis set into the sky the firmament, to catch the rain of stones and any other dangers from the world beyond.  This tempered the sun, and cooled the world.


    He calmed the roaring lava below the ground, and the lands rose up, steady and calm were they.  The sea fell flat, but did not stop, for still it collected into the heavens, but because the firmament, having been laid by the great god Thesis, had been laid, the rain collected into clouds, and fell gently upon Xren.


    Thesis set into law all that which is natural, and decreed the logic behind the seasons, the rains, the snows, the heat and the cold, the night and the day-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a greenhouse!¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Yeah, actually,¡± Lorsan said, as if he was proud Xac had drawn that connection, ¡°It is like a greenhouse.¡±


    ¡°And he said to them, ¡®The world is good.  The laws of the land have brought order to the chaos.  But the land is dead. Let us create life upon that which is good, and let it live by the laws that we have written.¡¯


    And the great god Thesis set upon the sea, and sprinkled into it the seeds of life, and they blossomed in his creation.  Upon the land grew all the greenery, the plants that live and grow, good and green, and bore fruit that was good to eat, and flowers, and seeds, and roots that grasped the living earth of Xren.  And Thesis looked upon it and saw that it was good.


    And from the seeds he had sprinkled into the sea came the living, moving things, that swam in the sea, or crawled upon Xren, or flew in the skies, or dwelt in the flames, and he looked upon it and saw that it was good, each creature to their niche and each to their kind.  And each followed the law of the land as it had been written, and life flourished in the new world according to his law.


    And the land grew wild, and complexity sprang forth from the creatures on the land, and Thesis began to grow worried, and he said to them, ¡°These things have not the intelligence to understand our design.  They can fall to danger. Even now they dig in the earth and hunt in the fields, even now they tip the scales. We must create for them guardians, to watch over them and care for them¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Xac said in confusion, ¡°Did he say that to the animals?  That sounds like he said that to the animals but then he calls them ¡®them¡¯ instead of ¡®you¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Best I can figure,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Is he was still talkin to the spirits?  See this was originally written in ancient elven and their pronouns are all kinds of fucked up.  It¡¯s a protolanguage so they really only had like two pronouns, but they didn¡¯t use um consistently.  They¡¯d kinda translate to ¡®it¡¯ and ¡®they¡¯, they didn¡¯t have gendered pronouns, and you¡¯d think that¡¯d be easy, like ¡®it¡¯ would be singular and ¡®they¡¯ would be plural, but we don¡¯t see it like that.  It actually kinda works like¡­ well, again it ain¡¯t ever very consistent, but the one we¡¯d call ¡®it¡¯ seems like it¡¯s maybe you¡¯re talkin to somebody of a lesser social rank, and ¡®they¡¯ is somebody of a higher social rank, but not all the time¡­  Languages are weird. My point is, people smarter than us argue about this shit, so once again, an¡¯ probably any time you ask me this kinda shit, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just don¡¯t make a lotta sense,¡± Xaxac said and refilled his glass, then took Lorsan¡¯s and refilled it as well, ¡°I get confused.¡±


    ¡°No, it don¡¯t make a lotta sense,¡± Lorsan agreed, ¡°There¡¯s temples full¡¯a priests who spent their whole lives studyin it. It ain¡¯t meant to be flipped through like a magazine.  I told ya, don¡¯t think on details, just try an¡¯ take in the whole story.¡±


    ¡°I just like stuff what makes sense,¡± Xac pouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  I know I keep interruptin. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m trying to quit, but I¡¯m gettin tipsy and it ain¡¯t helpin.¡±


    ¡°You want me to stop?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°No!¡± Xac begged, ¡°Please!  I wanna hear it! I¡¯ll be good!¡±


    ¡°¡®Let us make them in our image, and teach them our ways.  And we will make for them a land like unto which is our land, beyond the world, beyond the firmament and the twinkling stars in the sky, and let them dwell there and learn our ways, and be happy all their days.  And let us teach them the ways of the world we have created, so that when the time comes, they may rule it as we have ruled it. And let us make them in our image, so that the creatures of the world may know them, and they shall know them by their image, which is like unto that of a god.  Let us give unto them their ears so that they may hear the voice of a god, and their eyes, so that they may see the workings of a god, which the other creatures cannot-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you can see souls!¡± Xac interjected, ¡°He¡¯s talking about you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and why our ears are so long,¡± Lorsan said and took a sip of his wine.


    ¡°When I shift, ain¡¯t my ears longer¡¯n yourn?¡± Xac teased.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorsan giggled, ¡°Your ears are like two foot long.  You ever hear the voice of a god?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember nothin when I shift,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Well I ain¡¯t never heard no god,¡± Lorsan shrugged.


    ¡°And let us teach them how to use those workings, so that they may treasure, guard, protect, and rule the land, and all the creatures upon it, so that they may work the will of a god.¡¯


    And so the great god Thesis created in the world a beautiful city,¡±


    Lorsan looked up and said, ¡°This here actually bothers me, because the word just means ¡®place¡¯, so some folks have translated it ¡®city¡¯, some folks have translated it ¡®kingdom¡¯ and some folks just go with ¡®place¡¯.  So there ain¡¯t really no way to tell what it actually was.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Xac mused, ¡°Weird.¡±


    ¡°Built of sparkling crystal that reflected the sun, inset with stones and precious metals, at the top of the world, and he filled it with all the tools and beautiful things, and he set into it his most glorious creation, which he had made one by one, of his own hands, in his own image, the high elves.¡±


    ¡°I swear to god,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°This should be ¡®whole elves¡¯.  It don¡¯t mean ¡®high¡¯, it means ¡®whole¡¯. I know this is a big debate but I don¡¯t know why.  Any other time you see that word it means ¡®whole¡¯. Like all of somethin. Like ¡®I ate a whole pie¡¯.  It¡¯s weird to me that the whole damn empire has decided to call these folks ¡®high elves¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I dunno what to tell ya,¡± Xac shrugged.


    ¡°And they were perfect and beautiful.  They need not eat, nor sleep, nor drink, for they felt neither hunger nor fatigue nor thirst.  As they had been made perfect and whole, they need not fear death, for they could not die. They were neither male nor female, as they could not die, but both, perfect and whole.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Xac asked, ¡°How does that¡­  follow? How does not bein a man or woman make you not die?¡±


    ¡°This¡¯in I actually know,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Folks think they got this¡¯in figured out.  On account of it goes into it later. See, originally elves didn¡¯t have babies, like at all.  So we didn¡¯t have male and female like the animals, because the point of that is to reproduce. Later, after the curse, they get split, and when they lose their immortality, they gain the ability to have kids, so the race don¡¯t die off.  That¡¯s what this means. It explains it later. High elves don¡¯t have kids, they just¡­ are what they are. There wouldn¡¯t never supposed to be a bunch of us.¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t really understand this answer, but he suspected it was more because he kept drinking than it was that it didn¡¯t make sense, and he wanted to hear the rest of the story, so he didn¡¯t push the point.


    ¡°And Thesis said unto them, ¡®I have created you, whole and perfect, and I have given you this land, which is like unto our land, beyond the world, beyond the firmament and the twinkling stars in the sky, and I have set you here to live in peace and prosperity.  Beyond this place lies the world, which I have created, and all the creatures that dwell within it. You, whom I have created in my image, must rule this land, and guard over the creatures within, each to their needs. I have given you access to the workings of a god, and you will stay here and learn of them, so that you may fulfill your purpose.  As long as you fulfill your purpose, you shall feel neither hunger nor thirst, nor shall you fear death, for you shall not die, neither shall you feel pain, nor anguish, nor any painful emotion, for I have created you whole and perfect, and I have given you this land, which is like unto our land, beyond the world, beyond the firmament and the twinkling stars in the sky.¡¯


    And he looked upon his creation and saw that they loved and obeyed him, and they flourished in their paradise, each according to their purpose.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s a list a¡¯ names that goes on for like two pages,¡± Lorsan huffed, ¡°That I¡¯m gonna skip. I mean, there¡¯s a couple that matter, but most of um don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Whichin¡¯s matter?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a couple what still got festivals named after um and whatnot,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Like Nicoli¡¯s in here, Eishtar¡¯s in here, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Come on. Xac, you know who Nicoli is,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Divine apparition who brings good kids presents on the winter solstice?¡±


    Xaxac stared at him trying to figure out what he was talking about.


    ¡°You hang a stockin on your fireplace an¡¯ he puts toys and candy in it,¡± Lorsan said, as if this was common knowledge, and it was worrying him that Xaxac didn¡¯t know what he was talking about.  Xaxac didn¡¯t like the look on his face, didn¡¯t like the pity he saw there, so he averted his eyes to refill his glass.


    ¡°I reckon maybe only elves get divine apparitions,¡± Xac said, ¡°The only time we ever got candy mama brought it from the big house,¡± he paused, in his drunken state, and looked around as if just realizing where he was, ¡°From here, I mean.  From your house. An¡¯ the only time we got toys was if our parents made um. They did always try to get us somethin on the solstice, though. It was just hard cause mama had to work so much, you know, in the big house? She said there was a party all solstice season.  We wouldn¡¯t see her most a¡¯ the time. She¡¯d leave at four and wouldn¡¯t get back till after midnight. Solstice like ta¡¯ killed her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Was this¡­  was this when you was a youngun?¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°My whole life.  That¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    Lorsan was silent for some time before he spoke, and when he did his mood was difficult to gauge.


    ¡°When I was a youngun,¡± he said, ¡°back when my mama was alive and before she left daddy¡­  we¡¯d have parties the whole week of the solstice. We¡¯re nobility, we¡¯re supposed to throw parties for the district.  My mama would play that piano, and they¡¯d throw open the doors downstairs and make room for people to dance. Sometimes, they¡¯d have the humans play music an¡¯ dance together- I mean, my parents would dance together.  They¡­ quit doin that after a while. But we¡¯d have a big feast, ever¡¯ night, with cakes and cookies and candy, and on the day before the solstice all the youngun¡¯s would hang up stockin¡¯s, and the next day they¡¯d be full a¡¯ toys and candy.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Your mama¡­  made them feasts,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°She was up at four in the mornin cookin¡­  didn¡¯t get out till midnight¡­ on the solstice¡­¡±


    He turned his eyes back to the book and read something, which made Xaxac think he had also gotten drunk, because it was a passage he had already read.


    ¡°And let us teach them how to use those workings, so that they may treasure, guard, protect, and rule the land, and all the creatures upon it, so that they may work the will of a god.¡±

 Chapter 9

    ¡°When you really look at it real close,¡± Lorsan slurred, ¡°Not just the book, but¡­  all¡¯uv it¡­ it just starts soundin like bullshit, don¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinkin too much,¡± Xaxac said.


    He was lying with his head in Lorsan¡¯s lap as Lorsan squinted in an attempt to make the three books in front of him condense into one, but he gave up quickly, closed the one in the middle and watched the after images follow suite, then attempted to throw it all together onto the coffee table in the middle, but missed so spectacularly he hit one of the unopened wine bottles and sent them crashing to the floor, which was terribly funny, so Xac began to laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lorry assured him and ran a hand through his hair, ¡°You¡¯re so soft.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, I am,¡± Xac agreed and turned to stare into the fire burning in the fireplace, ¡°without the beard I¡¯m cute, too.¡±


    ¡°I like your beard,¡± Lorsan argued and ran his hand over his face to feel the texture, ¡°It ain¡¯t as soft though.  You look more human, more like a primate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the best ones,¡± Xac said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s what everybody says.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Lorsan agreed, ¡°Hey Xac?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°For a¡­  bunch of reasons. You saved me. And you¡­ make it not boring, I mean, not as boring as it could be.  I hate it here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get that,¡± Xac said in genuine confusion, ¡°You¡¯re an elf.  It¡¯s weird that y¡¯all can even get mad. You got everythin. An¡¯ all the time in the world¡­  one day Ima be dead, and everybody I know¡¯ll be dead, and it¡¯ll be like none¡¯a it ever happened.  I¡¯ll be dead by forty¡­ did you say I was fifteen? That¡¯s¡­ twenty five years.¡±


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t be,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Where¡¯d you get that?  Humans can live to be sixty or seventy if you take care of um.¡±


    ¡°Not on account¡¯a I¡¯m human,¡± Xaxac clarified, feeling so comfortable he thought he may fall asleep where he lay with Lorsan playing with his hair, ¡°cause I¡¯m a pleasure slave.  We don¡¯t live that long. Not once we quit bein young an¡¯ cute.¡± He reached up and ran a hand over his face, in thought, ¡°I gotta get ridda this beard a¡¯fore Aggie gets back.¡±


    ¡°I told ya¡¯,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Come an¡¯ work fer me.  You ain¡¯t gotta¡­ I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna work no more,¡± Xac said, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go back.  Workin¡¯s awful. I wanna just lay drunk all the time. I like it.  I don¡¯t wanna think about nothin.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna work either,¡± Lorsan agreed, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be in the stupid military¡­  I don¡¯t wanna do nothin¡­ let¡¯s run away.¡±


    ¡°That ain¡¯t a thing,¡± Xaxac giggled.


    ¡°Yeah it is,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°Like the adventure stories, the¡­  we can run away and be pirates.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a pirate?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Thieves, on the water,¡± Lorsan said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a thief,¡± Xac snuggled further into his lap, ¡°I¡¯m good right here.¡±


    ¡°Xac?¡± Lorsan asked.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Did it hurt when they branded ya?  When they put that symbol on your neck?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember,¡± Xac slurred, ¡°I was real little.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t heal,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°It had to be deep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I reckon.¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯m a shifter.  I heal from most stuff. Grew my teeth back. You reckon they¡¯ll grow into my eyes?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡±


    Xaxac had a strong desire to sit up, because he heard someone moving in the hallway, but it did not overpower his desire to stay exactly where he was in perfect comfort, not even once the door opened.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead!¡± Agalon announced as he drug himself into the room, and Xaxac looked up at the clock in an attempt to determine the current time, but it wouldn¡¯t stay still long enough.


    ¡°Aggie!¡± he begged as Agalon took off his traveling cloak and threw it over the chair of the writing desk.


    ¡°Hey, daddy,¡± Lorsan said, leaned forward to pick up the open wine bottle, then leaned back to take a long drink.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯re still here,¡± Agalon said, as if he really was shocked.


    ¡°Aggie!¡± Xac demanded again and used the back of the couch to haul himself into a sitting position, ¡°I missed you so much!  I wanna¡­ I wanna¡­¡±


    Agalon chuckled and held him by the face to steady him.


    ¡°You¡¯re shitfaced, Honey Bunny,¡± he giggled, ¡°And we gotta get this mess off your face.  You look like a damn sasquatch.¡±


    ¡°Aggie I missed you!¡± Xaxac threw his arms around him and snuggled into his chest, ¡°E¡¯rbody¡¯s gone!  We been all alone! I don¡¯t wanna be like this! I wanna go with you! Let¡¯s go to bed!¡±


    ¡°Why are there crates in the sitting room?¡± Agalon asked without much energy.


    ¡°Cause I got sick,¡± Xac said to his chest, because he did not know Agalon had directed this question to Lorsan.


    ¡°You got sick?¡± Agalon asked in that cold, practical way he sometimes had.


    ¡°I told you that,¡± Lorsan huffed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that,¡± Agalon argued, ¡°You been taking care of him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I do,¡± Lorsan spread his arms as if he was attempting to bask in the admiration of a crowd.


    ¡°He eat somethin he wouldn¡¯t supposed to?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon the housekeeper likes him,¡± Lorsan said, leaned forward in an attempt to pick the holy book up off the floor, and partially succeeded, but then fell off the couch himself and lost his grip.  Xaxac did not think this was a particularly noteworthy thing to do, but apparently Agalon did, because he screamed.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Lorry!¡± he shrieked, as if he had been overcome by a rage and ripped free from Xaxac¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Aw shit,¡± Lorsan slurred


    ¡°Lorry!¡± Agalon screamed again as Xaxac turned to follow his movements and watched him reach into the fire.


    ¡°Aggie!¡± Xac yelled , grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back.


    ¡°He threw the Holy Texts into the fire!¡± Agalon explained, ¡°Goddamn it, Lorry, what the hell is wrong with you?  Why can¡¯t I be in my own goddamn house for five minutes before I gotta deal with constant bullshittery? Why is it one thing after another with you!?  What the hell is actually wrong with you?¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t feel much of anything when he was drunk, so as Agalon went on this tirade, he did not feel his flesh sizzle and pop as he reached into the fire and pulled out the book.  He did smell it, and the scent turned his stomach.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Lee shouted as he entered the room carrying luggage with Jimmy quick on his heels, ¡°What are you doing?  That¡¯s on fire! Throw it down!¡±


    ¡°Oh god,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°Not you too.  Xac I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡±


    He burst into tears and ran from the room in what Xaxac would have called an overreaction, had he not been prone to bouts of unprompted crying himself, so instead he found himself simply wondering what was wrong with him.


    ¡°Drop it!¡± Agalon commanded, so Xaxac dropped the book onto the hearth, and Agalon continued in the same stern tone, ¡°Go put your hand in cool water!  Now!¡±


    Xac attempted to do that, but as it often did when he was very drunk, the ground decided to tilt, warble, and attack.


    ¡°Lee, get him!¡± Agalon commanded, and Xac turned to see that he was stomping the book on the hearth, in his good traveling boots, probably in an attempt to put it out.  Xaxac thought of all this in a detached sort of way, and simply allowed Lee to help him to his feet, and lead him to the basin.


    ¡°That was a good idea, Xac,¡± Lee said when they were out of earshot, ¡°Sorry I hollered at you.  It¡¯s been a long trip. I didn¡¯t see what you was doin. I¡¯m wore out.¡±


    ¡°I heal,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Lee said, ¡°It was a good idea.  Keep your hand in the water, though, for me, ok?  I gotta go find Jimmy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been thinkin too much,¡± Xac said helpfully.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lee agreed, and left the room.


    Xaxac left his hand in the cool water and watched the flesh on it change.  He hadn¡¯t burned any of it off, he hadn¡¯t been in the fire very long. But some of it had changed texture a little, and it took it no time to set itself to rights.  He didn¡¯t think he would get up, though, because he was afraid he would be sick, and Agalon was still angry about whatever it was he had been angry about before.


    This wasn¡¯t what Xac wanted.  He was so tired of anger, of yelling, of negativity.


    ¡°Aggie!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°You alright, darlin?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Xaxac begged, ¡°Can we go to bed?  I wanna¡­¡± his voice caught and he realized he was crying when he continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad!  I asked him to read it to me! It¡¯s my fault! He¡¯s drunk too!¡± He tried to catch his breath before he went on, ¡°I missed you so much!  Please don¡¯t fight! I was so worried¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­ want you to see me like this¡­ I gotta¡­ gotta shave¡­ can Lee shave me?¡±


    ¡°You are drunk,¡± Agalon said, but Xaxac could tell by the way he spoke this comment was directed at Lorsan, not him, ¡°Lorry, you gotta be more careful.  That¡­ that runs in our family. You¡¯re too little to be this drunk.¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck you,¡± Lorsan snarled, hauling himself to his feet and pointing in his father¡¯s face, ¡°You don¡¯t know shit about shit, and that bitch over there,¡± he pointed at Xaxac, ¡°Don¡¯t didn¡¯t start shit!  You just don¡¯t know! You don¡¯t even know, and you can go to fuck yourself!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± Agalon suggested as he set the charred book on the coffee table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you touch me!¡± Lorsan said, and declared as if it made perfect sense, ¡°I¡¯m gonna room myself!¡± before turning on his heel far more quickly than he likely anticipated, and falling forward, onto the armrest of the sofa, so it seemed, for an instant, as if he may catch himself, but he was not so well coordinated and went spiraling to the floor instead.


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowing eyes,¡± Agalon huffed, bent down, and picked up his son as if was still a child, holding him on his hip, ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed.  I¡¯m wore out, Lorry. Daddy don¡¯t need this right now.¡±


    ¡°You pu¡¯ me down!¡± Lorsan demanded, and attempted to struggle, but he wasn¡¯t coordinated enough to do much.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you this drunk?¡± Agalon asked, eyeing the two empty bottles on the table, ¡°Did I raise a lightweight¡­  You can¡¯t get this shitfaced, Lorry,¡± he explained as he left the room, ¡°This¡¯ll turn into a problem.¡±


    Xaxac pulled his hand out of the water, looked at it, and saw that it had completely healed.  He thought that he was no longer as drunk as he would like to be, but that worked in his favor, because he thought that while Agalon was putting his son to bed, he might be able to find Jimmy and ask him why he had been crying.  Xaxac was still drunk enough for this to be a fine, commendable idea, a perfectly good idea, but not so drunk that he was completely unable to walk, so he stood and walked out of the sitting room as if he had every right in the world to do so, and put his dry hand on the wall of the hall to steady himself.


    He heard Agalon fussing with Lorsan, who was apparently still trying to fight him, coming from behind one closed door, but that wasn¡¯t the voice he was looking for, so he ignored it.


    Then he heard the particularly loud noise of a slap and followed it to the guest rooms where Alex had once stayed.  He picked up on the conversation long before he reached the door, and not for the first time, he wondered if perhaps rabbits had exceptionally good hearing.


    ¡°-need to calm down, or you¡¯ll wind up in the same boat,¡± Lee was saying.


    ¡°I wanna be with them,¡± Jimmy explained as if it was the most logical thing in the world, ¡°I wanna¡­  it¡¯s my wife! My youngun!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk that kind of foolishness,¡± Lee warned.


    ¡°She got past Basilglen!¡± Jimmy argued, ¡°She almost made it!  She was halfway to Seaweed! She almost made it! She was so close!  She was pregnant! She was fucking pregnant! It¡¯s my baby! The baby didn¡¯t do nothin!  How could they-¡±


    There was the sound of another slap and Xaxac paused with his hand on the doorknob, trying to process what he was hearing.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Lee demanded, ¡°Stop it now!  You can¡¯t keep doing this! You pull yourself together!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pull myself together!¡± Jimmy snapped, ¡°I wanna fall apart!  I got a right to fall apart! I ain¡¯t together! I¡­ I want to be together! I¡¯m gonna go after her!  Gonna go after them!¡±


    Another slap.


    ¡°Hit me again old man!¡± Jimmy laughed, and Xaxac didn¡¯t understand his sudden change in mood, ¡°Hit me again and I¡¯ll hit you back!  Xac had the right idea! End it with fire! I¡¯ll go up in a blaze and I¡¯ll take this whole fuckin house down with me!¡± His laughter grew louder, and it was a strange laugh, the kind Xac had never heard before, and it scared him, so he finally spoke.


    ¡°Jimmy?¡± he asked, ¡°You ok?¡±


    The door flew open and Jimmy tackled him, and there was no reason for it, and it happened so quickly he had no time to process the difference between standing and being on the ground, and he didn¡¯t understand why he couldn¡¯t breath, didn¡¯t connect it to Jimmy¡¯s hands around his throat.


    ¡°Come on, Xac!¡± Jimmy snarled, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.  We both love¡­ loved¡­ love her! Let¡¯s do it tonight!  Let¡¯s take them with us!¡±


    By the end of this exchange, Xaxac managed to connect his lack of air to the hands around his neck, and he didn¡¯t appreciate it at all, so he batted Jimmy¡¯s hands away and thew his legs around his waist like he did when Agalon was on top of him, then rolled them both over until he managed to pin Jimmy under him.  He grabbed both his wrists and held him there, which was apparently the funniest thing Jimmy had ever encountered, because he began to laugh so hard and with so much gusto that he could not draw breath.


    Xac didn¡¯t like it.  He didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes.  He had never seen it before, but it scared him.


    ¡°Get him in here before Agalon sees him!¡± Lee demanded, but Xaxac didn¡¯t know how to do that, so he simply stood and let Lee drag Jimmy, still convulsing with laughter, back into the room.


    Lee slammed the door hard, and when Xaxac tried to turn the knob, he found it locked.


    The ridiculousness of the situation hit him hard enough to knock a little sobriety into him, so backed away until he hit the opposite wall, then made his way quickly back to the sitting room to await Agalon¡¯s return.

 Chapter 10

    The huts had withstood the rain, but not the snow, so they had gone back to the caves.  It had not been so long, really, since they had lived in caves, and Quizlivan could remember hearing stories from his grandmother about what life had been like before people had figured out how to build huts.


    It was much warmer, with the stone walls surrounding them on three sides, especially if one went deep enough, and the natural defenses held up much better under the weight of the snow, which had eventually crushed the huts.  The cold hadn¡¯t destroyed all the trees yet, so they did have a fire, though not much else, and it was here that the strange man with the eyes like the void between the stars sat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen,¡± the man said as he stared into the fire, ¡°None of this¡­  should have happened. I did this. I did all of this.¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Tototl asked as she piled more wood onto the fire.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Kifat lamented, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left.  The plants are dead and the animals are gone. We¡¯re going to starve.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to starve!¡± Ahnah growled, ¡°They had to go somewhere!  If we could find one dragon we could make it through the winter!¡±


    ¡°This winter will never end!¡± Kifat shook, ¡°Don¡¯t you see that?  There¡¯s nothing left! Our stores are gone! We¡¯re going to starve!  There¡¯s nothing left to forage! We¡¯re dead! We¡¯re all dead and you won¡¯t accept it!¡±


    ¡°Quizlivan?¡± Tototl asked Xaxac, ¡°You¡¯re the best tracker.  Is there really nothing left?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t find anything,¡± Xaxac told her, because it was true, ¡°But¡­  there¡¯s got to be something. The whole world can¡¯t be dead.¡±


    He looked around the cave, at the stone walls flickering in the firelight and the people gathered there.  They were huddled, against the cold, against the world, and he was not used to seeing people so thin, so haggard, was not used to seeing so many sleeping because they did not have the energy to remain awake.


    He was hungry himself, and he felt spots coming into his eyes, but he caught himself before he swayed, held out his arms to steady himself, then rubbed away the spots.


    ¡°We all came back this time,¡± he said, ¡°Nobody died this time.  That has to mean something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the strange man in the black cape said again, ¡°God I¡­  I wanted to save us¡­ that¡¯s all I¡­¡± He turned, and his black eyes stared at Xaxac, as if trying to see into his soul, ¡°You¡¯re hungry?  You¡¯re¡­ primates, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re human,¡± Xaxac said, because he did not know what a primate was.


    ¡°Fruits¡­  grains¡­ nuts¡­¡± The man said as if speaking to himself, and threw back his cape to open a small bag he kept on his hip; it looked as if it was made of some sort of skin, but skins that had been worked in a way that Quizlivan was unfamiliar with.  He dug around in it for a few minutes, then pulled out a strange fruit Xaxac had never seen before, but it had been so long since he had eaten he could smell the sugary sweetness of it.


    ¡°Here,¡± the man said and held it out, offering it to him.


    Xaxac was starving.  He had never felt the kind of hunger he felt right now, could barely process it.  His world narrowed to the thing the man held and he reached out to take it. It was rounded as if it had a core, similar to an apple, so he grabbed it on either side of the dip, where the stem was, and broke it in half, then held out one half to whoever would take it.  Ahnah took it, and together, they bit into the first thing they had tasted in days.


    The man smiled at them, as if this was the first thing that had ever made him happy in his life, then reached back into the bag and began to pull things from it, more fruits of all different kinds, more than could possibly fit inside the bag.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Xac turned to the mouth of the cave, to see who was speaking to him, but he was no longer in a cave, he was standing outside again, as the waves lapped at the frozen shore, and the elf with the blue skin and hair the color of seafoam stood before him, with the cup at his feet.


    Xaxac wasn¡¯t hungry anymore.


    ¡°He was right,¡± Lapus said.


    ¡°Who?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Morgani,¡± Lapus explained, ¡°Morgani Magnus was right.  We were wrong.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Rise and shine, Xaxac,¡± Lee said as he shook Xac, blinking, into the real world.  He had spoken quietly, and Xaxac stared past him, at the sixty tiles on the ceiling, then turned slowly to look at the picture Alex had painted for him, of the demon Morgani Magnus, which he kept on his nightstand.  He thought, not for the first time, that he should put it in a drawer or something, out of sight, unless Alex was visiting. He sat up and was shocked to see that Agalon was still sleeping peacefully on his side of the bed.


    Lee must have taken in the confusion on his face because he said, ¡°I want to get you shaved and presentable before I get him up.  He had a rough trip. We all did. It¡¯d do us all a world a good if you¡¯d work your magic on him.¡±


    ¡°Did somethin happen last night?¡± Xac whispered as he stood, straightened out the clothes he had fallen asleep in, and moved to the watercloset to go through his morning routine.


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s just wore out,¡± Lee explained, ¡°Goin to the Capital takes it outta everybody.¡±


    ¡°Was Jimmy mad at me?¡± Xac asked.  He had a vague recollection that they may have gotten into a fight, and he remembered that he had started a fight with Lee as well, once when he had been drunk.  Maybe that¡¯s why people didn¡¯t lay drunk all the time. It did seem to create isolation, did seem to piss people off. Xac couldn¡¯t afford to do that. He was already so alone.


    ¡°He¡¯s just mad in general,¡± Lee assured him as Xaxac cleaned his teeth, and followed behind him as he went to the basin to refill it and wash his face, but it seemed Lee had already refilled it so he just scrubbed down and sat at the dressing table amongst the various tools of the trade Lee would use to shave him.


    ¡°Is everybody back?¡± Xac asked, ¡°It was real lonesome here with everybody gone¡­  I mean, I know I never see mama or Alley noways but I like to know they¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Lee said as he spread the cream he had whipped over his face, ¡°Hold real still or you¡¯ll get cut.  This is a doozy¡­ that comes in fast on you, don¡¯t it boy?¡±


    Xac stared at him instead of answering and Lee chucked.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± he said.


    Xaxac stayed quiet and looked into the mirror as Lee tilted his face, scraping the hair from it in smooth, even strokes.  He thought it odd that Lee was doing the shaving instead of forcing Xac to do it himself, because he could, he normally did.  But he appreciated it, because the hangover was pounding behind his eyeballs and making his hands shake, and it would have made the process more difficult, almost impossible.  But Lee was an expert; he moved quickly and efficiently, as he did with everything, and in less than a quarter of an hour he was drying the razor and Xaxac was wiping down, then moisturizing his face.


    Xac collected all the various bowls and instruments and took them to the water closet to wash and dry them as Lee gently shook Agalon awake.


    ¡°Good morning, master,¡± he proclaimed, ¡°I reckon you had you a good sleep?¡±


    ¡°Can you run and bring me my calendar?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  don¡¯t even know what day it is¡­ I gotta¡­ Lord Thesis above he was in a bad way, wouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Who, master?¡± Lee asked, and Xac heard his voice shake as he set the bowls upside down on the counter on a towel.


    ¡°Lorry,¡± Agalon said as if it was obvious, ¡°I didn¡¯t know the boy was that bad.¡±


    ¡°A lotta young folks go a little hogwild when their parents are outta town,¡± Lee said, ¡°He¡¯s probably alright.  Might be his last big hurrah before he has to leave.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, master!¡± Xac declared as he ran for the bed and threw his arms around Agalon.


    ¡°There¡¯s my little Honey Bunny!¡± Agalon decreed and pulled him into his lap, ¡°Don¡¯t you look cute!  This outfit¡¯s adorable!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stretchy!¡± Xac said and tugged the shirt away from his body, ¡°And it¡¯s so comfy!  It moves when I do! I love it! Alex had one like it and he was so cute!¡±


    ¡°Your calendar, sir,¡± Lee said, and handed Agalon a book he had retrieved from the sitting room.


    ¡°God almighty,¡± Agalon said after he had opened it and stared at the squiggles in one particular square that seemed to interest him, ¡°My team ain¡¯t gonna be worth havin.  I ain¡¯t¡­ I ain¡¯t been trainin like I should, but all this¡­ god lord I can¡¯t miss another day out there but I can¡¯t ignore my son and him leavin tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Lorry¡¯s leavin tomorrow?¡± Xac asked.  He had always thought he would be overjoyed to have Lorsan out of the house, but he had been so kind to him while Agalon was away that now he thought he would miss him.


    ¡°Yeah, fall semester is startin up,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯m hopin he¡¯ll come home for the mask festival but¡­  he didn¡¯t last year. I really wish he would. I¡¯m havin a ball. Maybe I won¡¯t even have it¡­¡±


    He sighed, ¡°They got that carnival in the capital.  It ain¡¯t that far. I mean, it ain¡¯t that far from here.  I guess it would be pretty far for some folks to travel¡­ I can¡¯t let the whole district down, can I?  I guess we have to do it. Maybe he¡¯ll come back home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good ways off, sir,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Alright much as I hate it, I¡¯ve got to at least go check in with the fighters.  The season starts this week and my bunch ain¡¯t gonna be worth havin. Get off my lap, Honey Bunny, I gotta get ready.  Go get your face on.¡± His actions betrayed his words, because he did not stop playing with Xac¡¯s hair and instead continued, ¡°This is gettin so long¡­  I didn¡¯t realize it was gonna grow out instead¡¯a down. Lee, once you get done with me see if you can¡¯t pull it back. It¡¯s so cute. So soft¡­ lord, Xac, thank god I got somethin like you to come home to.¡±


    Xaxac giggled and snuggled into his chest.


    ¡°You do gotta get up, though,¡± Agalon said as if the concept broke his heart, ¡°We got a lot to do today.¡±


    ¡°Yes master,¡± Xaxac sighed, stood, and walked to his nightstand to pick up the glass of wine Lee had brought up with his breakfast, and thought of how nice it was to have his mama back in the kitchen.  He liked being able to trust his food.

 Chapter 11

    Xaxac realized how intensely fall had fallen as he rode across the fields and looked out at the orange sky and the wheat that had been partially harvested. Without the sun high in the sky he was shivering as Agalon helped him off the horse; the thin material of his form fitting outfit did nothing to guard against the cold that was creeping into the weather.


    Agalon walked with purpose; he was preoccupied, and Xaxac suspected that they would not stay with the fighters all day, as they normally did. He didn¡¯t think they had brought anything for lunch. He prayed he was right as he watched Agalon open the gate and followed in behind him.


    The fighters seemed to be doing perfectly fine without anyone watching them. They actually seemed as if they had started their exercises earlier than they did with Agalon, because they were already up and running as Xaxac entered. He was happy, for reasons that he could not identify or articulate, to see Billy leading the group. The last time Xaxac had seen Billy the Bull he had been so severely injured by Agalon that he couldn¡¯t stand without quivering; he would have never been able to run.


    So Xaxac huddled into himself and curled into a ball when he went to sit at the table in the training grounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Agalon called, and the group stopped to face him, ¡°And I¡¯m disappointed. We¡¯re leavin for the first match and I¡¯m thinkin we might be fucked.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s on the roster for Basilglen?¡± Billy asked, then seemed to realize he had forgotten something important in his eagerness and hastily added, ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°You and Wyatt,¡± Agalon answered, ¡°So you need to go through your poses. You¡¯re lookin slow. You sparred at all? Even a little bit? I mighta fucked myself¡­¡± He ran one gloved hand over his face and Xaxac, wishing he had gloves, looked to the sky to see where the sun was. Summer had barely ended. He shouldn¡¯t be this cold. Life in the house had softened him in a way he was unprepared for.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Agalon asked, sounding as if he was genuinely concerned, ¡°I can get a vet out here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Billy said, sounding insulted, ¡°I meant, who am I up against?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Agalon said dismissively, ¡°OfLoraxia.¡±


    ¡°Terry?¡± Billy asked.


    ¡°I reckon,¡± Agalon said, reached into the bag at his side and pulled out the folded up stack of paper he had gotten at the courthouse. He read over them quickly and continued, ¡°Wait, no the other one, Barry. Wyatt¡¯s got Terry. Either way ought not make much of a difference. If you don¡¯t qualify in the first round I¡¯m gonna be madder than hell. Hold on, I got the brackets. That¡¯s your first one, though. If you can¡¯t even get out of the district there ain¡¯t really a reason to keep you around.¡±


    He laughed, though Xaxac didn¡¯t think the proclamation was particularly funny. At least it was heating up a little. With the sun in the sky it would probably be a beautiful day.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t worried about it,¡± Billy said.


    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°I¡¯m real nervous about this year. Nobody looks ready. And I been gone.¡±


    ¡°I wondered what the cops thought about the monster,¡± Billy said, and Xaxac darted his head up from his small cocoon of warmth to look at him.


    He didn¡¯t like what he saw.


    Agalon followed Billy¡¯s eyeline and laughed.


    ¡°Hey Honey Bunny, come here,¡± Agalon commanded, so Xaxac hopped up, still with his arms crossed, and ran to him, then cuddled into his side and burrowed himself under Agalon¡¯s cape.


    ¡°You cold?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Just kinda chilly,¡± Xac said, ¡°It ain¡¯t really cold yet.¡±


    ¡°My fighters are half naked,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I thought humans could handle the chill.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re movin around,¡± Xaxac explained, ¡°we warm up when we move. But I¡¯m fine! I promise!¡±


    ¡°Wanna move around a little bit?¡± Agalon asked as he wrapped one arm around Xac and used the other to tuck the schedule back into his bag, ¡°Warm up a little?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Xac said eagerly, ¡°Do I get to run around again?¡±


    ¡°You heal, darlin,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac popped his head out from under the cloak to look up at him, ¡°I wanna see somethin. Would you indulge me?¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes, but it wasn¡¯t as if he had the option to deny Agalon anything. He didn¡¯t like the question about how quickly he healed. He was a bit afraid that someone was going to hurt him. But there was nothing he could do. So he smiled.


    ¡°Of course, master!¡±


    Agalon grabbed Xaxac by the shoulders and positioned him in front of him.


    ¡°Alright, darlin, do me a favor. Don¡¯t get hit.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ ok?¡± Xac shuffled uneasily, ¡°I uh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Aggie I don¡¯t wanna¡­ I¡¯m scared!¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be alright,¡± Agalon promised him and kissed him on the cheek, and Xaxac shivered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can even hit an out-of-shape pleasure slave,¡± Agalon told Billy, ¡°Let alone a trained fighter. I think I fucked myself with that spell, got ahead of myself, let my temper get the better of me. I think I might oughta withdraw you and just eat the losses instead of makin a fool of myself in the cage.¡±


    Why was he doing this? Why was this happening? Xaxac had to have done something terrible when he shifted, something he deserved to get hit for. He darted his eyes around the enclosure and saw that the walls had been scratched, rattled, and in one spot the ground looked as if it had been disturbed and recently filled in.


    Oh.


    Oh god.


    His eyes widened as he came to the heartbreaking realization, as the pieces slotted into place.


    Rabbits burrowed. Rabbits dug.


    Maybe he really hadn¡¯t hurt anyone.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    But he had run.


    Lorsan had said that they had ¡®found him¡¯.


    To find someone, they had to be missing.


    He had tried to run away.


    He was a runaway slave.


    ¡°Aggie, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Xac turned and grabbed his shirt with both hands, staring up at him with pleading eyes, ¡°I would never run! I swear! I can¡¯t control it! I can¡¯t control it! I¡¯m cursed! I swear! It ain¡¯t my fault! I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    Agalon put a hand on either of his shoulders, and Xaxac did not like the look he saw in his eyes.


    ¡°If you had got much farther, I would never have been able to catch you, do you understand that? You could have gone off into them woods, the sun would have risen, and you would have been out there alone, without even the clothes on your back. What would you have done then? Alone, lost, with no one, with nothing?¡±


    ¡°Aggie I¡¯m sorry!¡± Xac begged, and felt the tears running down his cheeks.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Agalon demanded, because Xaxac had buried his face in his chest, ¡°Just don¡¯t get hit.¡±


    Agalon spun him and shoved him toward Billy.


    Xac screamed, upset, disoriented, and fell forward onto his hands and knees before he was able to steady himself.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Billy asked in confusion. The last time he had hit Xaxac he had been so severely punished it left him unable to function, but he had been there, the night the moons were full, had seen the monster escape.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can hit him,¡± Agalon said, ¡°But I want to see you try.¡±


    Billy shrugged and Xac screamed again.


    He got up and darted away in a crouch, only stood upright and looked behind him once he reached the fence, but Billy was right on his heels, and Xaxac realized, in that instant, how he got his name. He charged like a bull, and Xac understood instantly that knocking his tooth out had been nothing. If Billy charged, full force into him now, it would shatter bone. So he screamed again and ran toward the eating area, glancing behind him every so often. Billy hit the wall hard enough to rattle it, turned direction, and followed after him. Xac shrieked again, put one hand on the tabletop and leaped over it.


    ¡°Stop making that goddamn noise!¡± Billy demanded.


    ¡°Yeah, Honey Bunny, that is real loud,¡± Agalon agreed, but Xaxac didn¡¯t heed either of them, because he watched Billy place a hand on the table, and barely had time to form the thought: Sure to god he ain¡¯t gonna throw that at me, no he totally is- before it happened, so he took off at a sprint in the opposite direction, through the training grounds.


    This wasn¡¯t going to end unless he figured out some way out of it. He deserved what he got. He was the reason Agalon had had to go to the capital, he had probably had to pull a lot of strings to keep him. Agalon undeniably had a monster at his house, a monster that could get loose and wreak havoc on the surrounding plantations, on the people. He had a right to be angry.


    But Xaxac was operating on the undeniable fact of the matter, which was that pain was bad, and he had been given a chance to avoid it, through the goodness of Agalon¡¯s heart. But they were in an enclosed space, the wooden walls of the enclosure were easily ten feet tall, and there was only so far he could run. He wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid Billy forever, the place was too small, and he watched Billy compensate every time he turned, every place he darted. It was only a matter of time before he caught him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he yelled again as he bounced off the wall and changed direction, ¡°Please, master, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t hit you!¡± Agalon called again, took a thin book out of his bag, and began to read it, as if Xaxac was not running for his life, as if it wasn¡¯t important.


    Xaxac screamed again as he felt the air beside his head move, as the punch Billy threw almost connected.


    ¡°Run, rabbit, run,¡± Billy taunted, and Xac screamed-


    And then realized he was right.


    Billy was stronger than him, but Xaxac was a bunny.


    So he hopped.


    He sacrificed a bit of speed to crouch, then jumped as high as he could, and to his amazement he felt his fingers graze then grasp the top of the fence. He thanked his lucky stars as he used the momentum to pull himself up until he was sitting, then standing on the top of the fence.


    Agalon thought this was hilarious.


    ¡°Really?¡± Billy asked, ¡°I can get up there, little rabbit. I¡¯m taller than you are. If you can reach, I can reach.¡±


    ¡°Well can you not?¡± Xac begged, then screamed as Billy slammed into the post he was standing on and he almost lost his balance, ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡±


    Billy did stop, and elected instead to jump, and Xaxac realized that maybe his bunny hop had not been so impressive after all, because had he not danced away when he did, Billy would have grabbed his leg and jerked him down.


    ¡°How can you jump so high?¡± Xac shrieked.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a tough spot, Honey Bunny!¡± Agalon called, ¡°You might have to fight back.¡±


    ¡°I can fight back?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°You can try it,¡± Billy snarled and kicked the post Xaxac was standing on.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Xac yelled and looked out over the training grounds, trying to get his bearings. The row of little wooden houses were set up against one wall, and he thought he could hop from the fence onto the roofs, so he ran in that direction, hopping from post to post with his arms outstretched, hoping desperately not to fall. His lungs burned as he made the leap-


    And landed heavily on the roof of the slave quarters.


    ¡°What exactly is it you think you¡¯re doin, little rabbit?¡± Billy asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xac admitted, speaking slowly, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± he darted his eyes around, trying to think of any way out of the situation, ¡°Gonna¡­ figure¡­ it¡­ out¡­¡± at least he had time, he thought in an uncharacteristic bought of optimism, ¡°by¡­ the¡­ end¡­¡± his eyes locked on Agalon, who had put the book away and was now watching him with the fighters. Agalon! ¡°Of this sentence.¡±


    The first time Agalon had allowed Xaxac free reign to run around the grounds, he had leaped at him, expecting him to catch him, but he hadn¡¯t, and Xaxac had knocked him down. Billy was much, much bigger, much bulkier than he was, but Xaxac remembered quite a few things from his childhood, one of which was that it was much more painful to get hit with the small side of something, like a rock or shovel, than the broad side.


    ¡°You¡¯re cornered, little rabbit!¡± Billy said from where he paced, back and forth, in front of the houses, ¡°Rabbit, whatcha sittin in the corner for? Ain¡¯t gonna rain no more no more.¡±


    Xac back up, ran, and jumped.


    He thought, surely, he could, at the very least, knock him to the ground so he could figure out where to go from there.


    But that didn¡¯t happen.


    Agalon had fallen.


    But Billy caught him.


    And he screamed as Billy used that momentum to slam him into the ground even harder than he would have hit on his own. He hit hard on his side, connected first with his shoulder, and felt a sickening pop there and a pain so severe he could not describe it in the arm that hit first.


    His shriek of pain echoed through the entire plantation.


    ¡°I hit him,¡± Billy declared, ¡°want me to keep going?¡±


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon yelled, and the emotion in that scream made Xac think that for some reason, some reason he would never understand, Agalon had truly believed he could win. Agalon thought too much of him, and believed too hard in him. But that made no sense; he had never had a chance. And now the pain rocketed from the arm through his entire body; something had torn, something had broken, and he couldn¡¯t move anything from his shoulder down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac begged through his tears, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it, I swear. I¡¯m sorry, Aggie, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m cursed. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Agalon was saying something to him, but Xac was in the kind of pain that made interpreting the sounds coming out of his mouth in any meaningful way impossible.


    It would heal. He healed.


    He wondered when he would be able to knit again.


    Agalon put one hand between his shoulder blades and grabbed his upper arm with the other, and it hurt more than it had before; Xac hadn¡¯t known it could hurt more than it had before, and screamed out a question he knew the answer to.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Because he had run.


    Because he was a monster.


    ¡°Because I gotta set it, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said, ¡°And I gotta get it back in the socket.¡±


    But Xaxac didn¡¯t understand, and it was more pain than his body was capable of processing, so his mind shut down. He was no longer with them.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°Alright, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said when Xaxac was able to register speech in any meaningful way again, ¡°You stay right here and don¡¯t move this arm.¡±


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowin eyes, dad,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°we need a real healer.  We need a vet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a vet out tomorrow,¡± Agalon said, stood, and squeezed Lorsan¡¯s shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ll scry him right now.  But I want to spend the day with you. You¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Lorsan shrugged him off, walked past him, and pulled out Xaxac¡¯s injured arm.


    Xac stared down at it and saw that it had been bandaged in a strange way that he thought may be part of his punishment.  It had been attached to two long pieces of wood that held it stretched out; he wasn¡¯t able to bend at the elbow, which was fine because he still couldn¡¯t get that arm to work at all.  He also couldn¡¯t feel it. It wasn¡¯t just that he felt no pain, or that he felt a numbness, he felt nothing, as if someone had cut the arm from his body at the shoulder and neglected to tell him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aggie,¡± he said.


    ¡°Can you feel anything?¡± Lorsan asked as he pulled the arm up.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t there¡­¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Daddy paralyzed ya,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°So don¡¯t be tryin to move.  That¡¯s the worst thing you can do.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Xac said, and again, because he had never gotten a response, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aggie!¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Lorsan said, and when he continued, it was obviously meant for his father, ¡°Go back to your fighters. I got this.¡±


    ¡°I thought maybe you¡¯d want to do somethin together,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I didn¡¯t reckon you¡¯d get up before noon or I¡¯d¡¯a-¡±


    ¡°Daddy, I got this,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°You got the preliminaries comin up in Basilglen.  I got this. Just go.¡±


    Xaxac felt a little bit as if he was floating on a cloud, rather than sitting on the bed, and he may have been lost in a fog.  Words weren¡¯t settling too well in his brain, and he didn¡¯t understand the look on Agalon¡¯s face, the look that broke his heart.  Agalon didn¡¯t look mad, he looked disappointed, disconsolate.


    ¡°Fine, Lorry,¡± he said, ¡°But I¡¯ll be back for lunch.  I want us to spend some time together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet,¡± Lorsan rolled his eyes, but his back was to Agalon, so he couldn¡¯t see him and Xac was glad for it.


    ¡°Honey Bunny, you sit right here and don¡¯t move that arm,¡± Agalon said, ¡°that potion oughta heal it up, and you got that shifter healin anyway, but don¡¯t move while it¡¯s healin.  If you move a broke bone it can heal wrong and you¡¯ll end up like Jimmy.¡±


    Jimmy.


    He should find Jimmy and give him the baby blanket.  He had finished it.


    Wait- he was doing something.  He was in a conversation. He could not remember what he had been asked, but Agalon looked as if he wanted some sort of response, so Xaxac said, ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my good boy,¡± Agalon leaned over Lorsan to lift Xac¡¯s face for a goodbye kiss.  ¡°I¡¯ll be back for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Take your time,¡± Lorsan said as Agalon left the room.


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s glowin¡¯ eyes, Xac,¡± He said once Agalon was gone, ¡°What happened out there?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cause¡­  I didn¡¯t connect¡­ to think¡­¡± Xac said, narrowed his eyes and felt the frustration building, ¡°I¡¯m stupid.  I can¡¯t be this stupid. Why am I this stupid? I¡¯m not drunk!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the paralysis spell,¡± Lorry explained, ¡°It does that.  I mean it can. That kind. It ought not, it¡¯s on your arm, but I think dad¡¯s not¡­  great. He¡¯s like¡­ It works like a plant. It¡¯s hard to localize. But the potion will actually fight it- it¡¯s like¡­  magic flows through the blood, right? So it¡¯s hard to just hit one limb like that. And he ain¡¯t exactly a top shelf mage anyway, he¡¯s got one foot in the grave.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t stupid, Xac, you¡¯re under a spell.¡± Lorsan said, and this was much more simple to understand, ¡°How¡¯d you break your humerus?  And rip your arm outta socket hard enough to tear the muscle? You know that joint¡¯s real fucked up in humans right? There¡¯s not even that many primates what have a whole rotating shoulder joint like that.  It¡¯s hard to fix. Sometimes that just stays messed up, forever. It¡¯s an injury that it¡¯s hard to unfuck on y¡¯all, and sasquaches, couple other great apes, but not monkeys. It¡¯s weird.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked again.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get hurt?¡± Lorsan asked, sounding a little frustrated but speaking slowly and enunciating clearly.


    ¡°I reckon when Billy smashed me in the dirt,¡± Xac said, and thought that Lorsan should have been able to put that together himself, ¡°Aggie made me fight him, on account of I tried to run away.¡±


    ¡°Daddy made you fight Billy the Bull?¡± Lorsan asked skeptically, ¡°The guy who knocked your tooth out?¡±


    ¡°Only bad people run away,¡± Xac said with great sincerity, ¡°And¡­  I didn¡¯t mean to but¡­ I woulda been out there all alone and¡­ the Emerald Knight comes after folk who run away¡­  I wouldn¡¯t¡­ there woulda been nothin I could¡­ he wants to keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°Is that somethin daddy told ya?¡± Lorsan huffed as he stood.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight was there at the bad place,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°The place he went in the military.¡±


    ¡°No, Xac, he wouldn¡¯t,¡± Lorsan said, ¡°The Emerald Knight ain¡¯t real.  They say that shit to scare you. Xandra says that shit to scare everybody.  That ain¡¯t a real thing. It¡¯s just¡­ a boogieman. There¡¯s too many stories for all of um to make sense.  Ten different people¡¯ll tell ya ten different things.¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t feel like arguing over nonsense as Lorsan seemed to constantly want to do, so he changed the subject back to one that was worth arguing about.


    ¡°I think Aggie thought I could beat him,¡± he said, ¡°But I dunno why.¡±


    ¡°He probably did,¡± Lorsan shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s stupid.  He probably thought more about you bein a shifter than your intense trainin regime of sittin on your ass and drinkin.¡±


    ¡°I need to exercise,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of being so weak all the time.  I don¡¯t like gettin hit and thrown around.¡±


    ¡°Ok but like¡­  you got abs,¡± Lorsan said in confusion, ¡°I can see um through that ridiculous outfit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I use my core a lot,¡± Xac explained, without really registering, in his foggy brain, who he was talking to, ¡°that¡¯s how you ride.  It¡¯s a lotta core strength. And like, for blowjobs too, on your knees, you gotta really use your whole body or your neck hurts, so it¡¯s like-¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Lorsan held up a hand.  ¡°Like I get it, you¡¯re under a spell.  But stop. That¡¯s so¡­ infuriatingly disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Just hush,¡± Lorry said, ¡°I gotta go pack.  I¡¯m gettin out of this hellhole tomorrow. Daddy¡¯s right, amazingly, don¡¯t move your arm.  Stopped clock, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Even a stopped clock is right twice a day,¡± Lorsan said as he walked through the doorway.


    Xaxac watched him leave, then stood and remembered that he was supposed to be doing something, so he walked into the sitting room and picked up the baby blanket from where he had it folded on the table.  He walked to the door and opened it, careful to do everything one handed, then stepped across the hall to Lorsan¡¯s rooms, where he thought Jimmy probably was now that he worked for him. He knocked softly on the door, and sure enough, Jimmy opened it.


    He looked terrible, and Xaxac thought the trip must have been difficult for him.  His face was sallow, sunken, and his bloodshot eyes were set much deeper in his thin face than they should have been, ringed so darkly he might have been a racoon who was attempting to disguise himself as a human using some sort of magic he didn¡¯t understand well enough to work correctly.


    ¡°Xac?¡± He asked, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  imagine you¡¯re supposed to be out here.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t,¡± Xac said.  He motioned to his arm and said, ¡°But in for a silver in for a gold, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°I¡­  I didn¡¯t do that, did I? Shit Xac, I¡¯m sorry about last night I¡­  I¡­¡± He began to tear up and he said, ¡°I been thinkin too much.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy!¡± Lorsan called from the bedroom, ¡°Whatcha doin?¡±


    ¡°Coming, master!¡± Jimmy said, but Lorsan came out of the bedroom, saw what was happening, and the blood seemed to drain from his face.


    ¡°Xac, go back to your rooms,¡± he demanded, ¡°Jimmy, close the door.¡±


    ¡°Just a second!¡± Xac begged as Jimmy moved to slam the door in his face, ¡°I just wanna give you this!  Aggie said I could give it to Alley, but I¡¯m¡­ loopy. I don¡¯t think I can make it downstairs. Just¡­ tell her congratulations, and that I love her, ok?  Y¡¯all gonna be great parents!¡±


    He held the blanket out, and Jimmy slowly, cautiously, reached for it.  He stared at it as if he didn¡¯t comprehend what he was looking at, so Xaxac felt the need to clarify.


    ¡°For the baby,¡± he explained, ¡°to wrap it up.  So it¡¯ll feel safe.¡±


    Tears fell, slowly, down Jimmy¡¯s face, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice, didn¡¯t seem to understand that he was crying or that he wasn¡¯t supposed to.  He just stared at the blanket, as if he still didn¡¯t understand what he was looking at.


    ¡°It¡¯s a blanket,¡± Xac tried, and wondered if Jimmy wasn¡¯t perhaps also under sort of spell.


    ¡°Jimmy!¡± Lorsan demanded, and Jimmy took a breath, which made Xaxac realize he had been holding it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jimmy said, ¡°Sorry master.  Sorry¡­ Xac, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.  I¡¯m sorry about everything, I¡­¡±


    Lorsan walked to the door, leaned over Jimmy, and slammed it in Xac¡¯s face.

 Chapter 13

    Xaxac¡¯s arm had stopped hurting at all by the next day when he followed behind Lee shortly after he had woken him up for breakfast.  Lee wasn¡¯t in a particularly good mood, hadn¡¯t been in a good mood since he had returned from wherever he had gone on his trip, and it scared Xac a little.  He was normally quippy and quick-witted in the exact manner one means when they use the phrase ¡®smart ass¡¯, but today he spoke mostly in monosyllabic responses to Xac¡¯s questions, and half the time he didn¡¯t seem to hear him at all.  He didn¡¯t seem as if he had even noticed Xac¡¯s broken arm, and when Xac showed it to him, he responded with, ¡°Yeah, sure is, ain¡¯t it?¡± as if he wasn¡¯t particularly interested.


    Xaxac wondered what was wrong with him.


    Xaxac wondered what was wrong with Agalon.


    If he had come to bed at all he would have had to have gone to sleep after Xac and woken up before him.  Though to be fair, Xac had fallen asleep pretty readily, before he had even eaten dinner, so that was possible.  But it wasn¡¯t a good feeling. Agalon was mad at him, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to do about it, he only knew that his life depended on keeping Agalon happy, so he needed to correct it instantly.


    Lee led him to the foyer where most of the housestaff were already waiting, arranged neatly in a line.


    The sight made Xaxac uneasy.


    Because there were people missing.


    Neither his mother nor his sister were standing with the rest of the staff.


    ¡°Lee?¡± He asked as Lee grabbed him by the upper part of his good arm and the hip on the side of his bad arm and positioned him in the line beside the boy who lit the fires and would not speak to him.


    ¡°Be quiet, Xac,¡± Lee said in the same manner he had said everything else, as if he was thinking of something else, something far away and incredibly important, and didn¡¯t have the time or attention for anything else- but this was important.


    ¡°Lee, where¡¯s mama?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Be quiet, Xaxac,¡± Lee said, more sternly, ¡°Put your arm behind your back.  Don¡¯t bend the broke one, but put your good one behind your back.¡±


    Then he stood, facing the door, clicked his heels together, fisted one hand over his heart and the other in the small of his back and seemed to go into a state of suspended animation, staring straight ahead, like everyone else in line.


    It was so quiet.


    This silence in a room full of people stretched on for so long that Xaxac became jittery.  He could feel his heart beating in his chest, hear his blood pumping through his veins, but he fought it and stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead at those giant, closed doors.


    They weren¡¯t much to look at, but Xac took in every detail, from the dark wood to the metal fixtures, which he was pretty sure were not, as he had once suspected, real gold.  Now that he had seen a lot of gold, mostly in Agalon¡¯s jewelry, he could tell a difference. Whatever was on the door wanted very badly to be gold, but it was not.


    He was so happy to hear the sounds of footfalls on the stairs that he broke into a real smile, but it faded when the group rounded the corner past the last staircase and came into view, to stop before the door.


    Agalon and Lorsan were followed closely by Jimmy, who carried a suitcase in one hand, a canvas bag in the other, and wore a backpack.


    Was Jimmy going somewhere?


    He was dressed as if he was going somewhere.  He wore a traveling cloak almost as nice as the one Lorsan wore, and even the sight of Lorsan, in his military uniform once again, put Xac off.  Lorry looked much better as a boy, even a noble one, than he did as a soldier.


    Xaxac longed to speak to Jimmy, to ask him what he was doing, why he was dressed as if he was going somewhere.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    He couldn¡¯t even lock eyes with him, couldn¡¯t give him any sort of knowing look, because Jimmy stood behind and slightly to the left of Lorsan, and kept his eyes glued to his own boots.


    ¡°You got everything you need?¡± Agalon asked.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Lorsan said as if the question annoyed him.  ¡°You need me, I¡¯ll be gone for the next four and a half months.¡±


    ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Agalon reminded him, ¡°You¡¯ll be back in a little bit for the Mask Festival on the equinox.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lorsan said, and Xaxac thought that he had no intention of returning for the party.


    Agalon reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, which he held out to Lorsan, ¡°When you get there, you give this to Sergeant Thefir.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Lorsan said again as he took it and tucked it into the bag on his belt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± Agalon said warmly, placed his hands on both of Lorsan¡¯s shoulders and pulled him into a fierce hug, which didn¡¯t seem to be to Lorsan¡¯s taste at all.  He pulled away as soon as he could, but his father would not release him, and kissed him on his forehead in a way that reminded Xac of the way he would kiss him on his forehead, normally as a parting kiss.  It was a goodbye kiss, and watching him do it to someone else made something inside of him grow heavy in a way he didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Scry me as soon as you get there,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Lorsan said, but apparently Agalon didn¡¯t believe him, because he reached for his face, held his chin in two fingers and forced him to look up, into his eyes.


    ¡°Lorsan,¡± he said seriously, ¡°Scry me when you get there.  The world is a dangerous place for pretty little noblemen. Something could happen.  I¡¯ll be worried.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Lorsan said, with far more disgust in his voice than Xaxac thought the situation warranted, ¡°I gotta go.  It¡¯s a long trip.¡±


    He jerked away and put some distance between them, which seemed to be the signal for the doormen, who stepped forward to open the doors and let in the light of the beautiful morning full of crisp autumn air.


    ¡°I love you, Lorry,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lorsan paused on the porch, but Jimmy went on to the carriage Xaxac saw beyond, waiting on them, and began to load the luggage into the box on the back, ¡°You too, dad.¡±


    Jimmy moved to the door to open it, and Lorsan stepped inside without looking back.


    Xaxac thought that Jimmy would turn around, would come back into the house, but he didn¡¯t.  Instead, he took the reigns from Jimmy Ray and climbed onto the seat at the front of the carriage, behind the dashboard, where Lee had sat when he, Xaxac, and Agalon had traveled.  Jimmy didn¡¯t look back either as he tugged the reins, maneuvered the horses, and the entire carriage set off towards the gate and the road beyond.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all,¡± Agalon said once he saw the carriage move through the gate, ¡°Y¡¯all are dismissed.¡±


    The line broke, and Xaxac scanned the crowd of people, just to make sure he had been correct.  But neither his mother nor his sister were among them. He had planned to wait on Agalon, but Lee grabbed him by his good arm and led him away, back through the hall to the servants¡¯ staircase by the kitchen.


    ¡°Lee?¡± Xac asked as they walked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jimmy goin?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Master Lorsan¡¯s valet,¡± Lee explained, ¡°trained him myself.  Good skills. He¡¯s goin to the Military Academy in the capital. Good job, real good job to have.  I reckon it¡¯s on the castle grounds. He might see royalty.¡±


    ¡°To drop Lorry off?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Then he¡¯ll be back?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Master Lorsan¡¯s valet,¡± Lee said again, still sounding very tired, ¡°He¡¯ll be back when Master Lorsan¡¯s back.  He¡¯s an attendant. He¡¯ll be attendin to him.¡±


    ¡°For months?¡± Xac asked, ¡°But¡­  it¡¯s been almost three months. If he¡¯s gone four and a half months he won¡¯t be here when Alley births the baby.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Lee said, moving more quickly up the stairs, ¡°That tracks.  Good counting.¡±


    ¡°But he won¡¯t be here!¡± Xac insisted, ¡°For the baby!¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t stay long then,¡± Lee continued, ¡°Winter break don¡¯t last that long, thank Thesis.  Lorry don¡¯t stay long in the winter unless the snow catches him.¡±


    ¡°But he ain¡¯t gonna be here for the baby!¡± Xac insisted; he was growing frustrated, didn¡¯t understand why Lee didn¡¯t see the simple and obvious problem.


    ¡°Right,¡± Lee said, ¡°that tracks.¡±


    He opened the door at the top of the staircase and held it for Xaxac, but Xac stared at him and tried to figure out what the problem was, what the miscommunication was.


    ¡°Aggie knew she was pregnant!¡± Xaxac said, ¡°Knew Jimmy¡¯s her man.  He wouldn¡¯t send him away.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lee asked, and Xaxac wished he would pay attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Xac asked, feeling the whine seep into his voice despite how hard he tried to fight it, ¡°Where you at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m old,¡± Lee explained, ¡°And tired.  That trip to the Capital took a lot outta me and I ain¡¯t lookin forward to this season startin.  Lord, boy, you don¡¯t know how bad I don¡¯t wanna do this.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Xac asked with all the seriousness he felt, ¡°Where¡¯s mama?  Where¡¯s Alley?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin about that,¡± Lee said, ¡°That¡¯s Nancy¡¯s domain.  Come on, Xac, get where you¡¯re supposed to be. I got a lot of prep to do for tomorrow.  I ain¡¯t got time for this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happenin tomorrow?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°We gotta head out to Basilglen,¡± Lee said, ¡°First round is in Basilglen.  I gotta pack for Master Agalon, and for you. He brings his pleasure slave with him.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Lee disappeared shortly after dropping Xaxac off, so Xac was left with nothing but his thoughts.  With his arm strapped to the wood he couldn¡¯t even knit, though he was almost certain he didn¡¯t need the thing anymore.  He could move his hand perfectly now; he could feel the arm again, and it felt fine. There was nothing wrong with him.


    But there was something wrong with the house, maybe even the whole plantation.  Where was everyone? And why did Jimmy leave? Was Jimmy always going to leave? Why didn¡¯t Lee care that Jimmy had left?


    He needed to talk to Alley.  Alley really didn¡¯t need this right now, didn¡¯t need to be alone, didn¡¯t need to lose someone else.  She was already having a hard time, already hormonal, already having mood swings.


    He missed her.


    It had been so long since he had seen her, and she had been such a huge part of his life for so long.


    How had his life become so different so quickly?  What had happened to him?


    Time ticked by slowly, and Xaxac thought very seriously about taking off the wood still attached to his arm.  It was pointless. There was no more pain, no more numbness.


    He walked to the window and looked out over the vast fields stretching toward the back of the plantation.  Much of it had already been harvested. He could see the greenhouses from the sitting room, and thought of what he had learned from the book Lorsan had read; the entire planet was a greenhouse, and there were, apparently, worlds beyond the glass, the firmament, worlds beyond the stars where gods dwelt.


    According  to that book, Thesis had created him, too, had created all life on Xren.  The elves were made in Thesis¡¯s image, but he had created everyone. It was strange¡­  it was odd to him that a loving god would create people, create beings like the elves to watch over them, and still allow the things Xac saw in the world.  Jimmy shouldn¡¯t have left. He should be here, for the baby.


    And elves were supposed to take care of them.


    Xac looked down at his arm and thought of Agalon, reading that book while he ran from Billy for his life.


    Agalon wanted him to know not to run.  He was taking care of him. This was a punishment, like being spanked.  Agalon had known he would heal from anything Billy could do to him.


    He was taking care of him


    He loved him.


    It didn¡¯t even hurt anymore.


    ¡°Let me get a look at him,¡± the vet said, and Xaxac jerked toward the sound of the door opening.  How long had he been staring out the window? It wasn¡¯t morning anymore. Had he zoned out? Was he getting that good at not thinking?


    ¡°It was broken,¡± Agalon said, ¡°ripped it out of the socket so hard the muscle tore.  I healed him and give him a potion, so now I¡¯m just prayin I set it right.¡±


    ¡°How you feelin little bunny?¡± The vet asked, and Xaxac smiled up at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± he chirped, ¡°It don¡¯t hurt at all no more!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, darlin,¡± the vet said, and lifted the arm by the hand as he spoke to Agalon, ¡°The humerus?¡±


    ¡°I reckon,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Darlin, make a fist for me,¡± the vet said, and Xaxac obeyed him, ¡°Your arm don¡¯t hurt no more?¡± Xac shook his head, so the vet continued, ¡°Let¡¯s take the splint off and see what the hell happens.¡±


    He untied the bandages that held the wood to Xac¡¯s arm, winding them as he did so, took the wooden planks and set them on the writing desk, then moved the arm at the elbow.


    ¡°That hurt?¡± He asked, and Xac shook his head, ¡°Alright, darlin, move it in circles at the shoulder, arm above your head, alright?  Full circle.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Xaxac obeyed him and the vet stepped back to give him room.


    ¡°He¡¯s got full range, Kai,¡± he said, and to Xac asked, ¡°that don¡¯t hurt?¡±


    ¡°It did when I hit the ground,¡± Xac said, ¡°But not no more.¡±


    The vet grabbed his arm and twisted in the place that had once hurt so badly that even a touch had sent waves of hot pain radiating through his body, but this time he felt only the twisting and squeezing.


    ¡°That don¡¯t hurt?¡± The vet asked, and Xac shook his head.


    ¡°Touch each finger to you thumb,¡± the vet said as he demonstrated, so Xac did.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, Kai,¡± the vet said, ¡°good circulation, no nerve damage, you set it right.  The skeletal structure of the limbs is about like elves; it¡¯s hard to mess up.¡±


    ¡°That shifter healin¡¯s somethin else¡­¡± Agalon said, ¡°Even with the potions it¡¯d take days to heal¡­  this is¡­ good to have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the vet agreed, ¡°You give us a scare, little bunny.  You gotta quit doin that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac said and pouted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been over um and over um,¡± Agalon said, ¡°there ain¡¯t nothin in the rules that says you can¡¯t enter a shifter.  Nothin. I don¡¯t reckon anybody¡¯s ever tried before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± the vet said, ¡°and honestly, Kai, he¡¯s not in the best shape.  He¡¯s cute as hell but I don¡¯t reckon he can knock anybody down.¡±


    ¡°He wants to exercise,¡± Agalon said, ¡°He¡¯s said over and over he wants to exercise.  And he¡¯s so fast¡­¡±


    ¡°I like to run around!¡± Xac said enthusiastically, ¡°But um¡­  I was thinkin¡­ I kinda¡­ I wanna do somethin again, Aggie? If I can?¡±


    ¡°Whatcha mean, Honey Bunny?¡± Agalon asked as he walked over and put an arm around him, and Xaxac instinctively snuggled into his side as he spoke again, to the vet, ¡°Nelly, you gotta stay for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Aggie?¡± Xaxac asked, trying to sound as meek as he could, ¡°Is mama back?  I¡¯m scared to eat without her. The last time I eat without her, I got sick.¡±


    ¡°She ain¡¯t your mama, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said, ¡°But rest assured that ain¡¯t gonna happen again.  I took care of it.¡±


    This didn¡¯t really answer his question, and the lack of an answer made him nervous, but he looked up at Agalon, smiled, then snuggled further into his side.


    There was a new boy serving them in the dining room at lunch, which made sense with Jimmy gone, but Xaxac didn¡¯t know him, and didn¡¯t like the way he kept staring at him.  He was much younger than Jimmy had been, probably lacked a good two or three years, and wasn¡¯t nearly as good at being invisible.


    He had no interest in communicating.  His eyes said nothing, and his posture gave nothing away.  He simply stood with his hands folded behind his back unless he was needed, and sometimes not even then.  Xac¡¯s glass often got below half empty before he noticed.


    But that was fine.


    It didn¡¯t really matter.  It wasn¡¯t like any of it really mattered.


    Xac hoped Jimmy had had a chance to give the blanket to Alley.  Surely he had, last night. Surely they had spent one last night together, knowing he had to leave.


    ¡°What I would do if it was me,¡± the vet continued when Xac tuned back into the conversation, ¡°Is carboload him, then supplement with vitamins.  That actually probably wouldn¡¯t hurt you none either, Kai, everybody¡¯s usin vitamins nowadays. They come in little capsules.¡±


    ¡°I saw the ads,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I just don¡¯t know about none of that¡­  fad health stuff. It¡¯s a ¡®buyer beware¡¯ kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°These work, I swear it on my practice,¡± the vet said, ¡°All kinds of stuff out there, it¡¯s good for you.  You get him some calcium, some D, some B, put it to exercisin? He¡¯d be unstoppable.¡±


    The cornbread was too heavy.  Whoever had made it hadn¡¯t used enough baking powder.  It tasted like a Johnny cake. His mommy hadn¡¯t made it; she knew how to make cornbread.


    Salads tasted the same no matter who made them.


    ¡°How much would all that mess cost?¡± Agalon asked as Xaxac chewed in judgement.


    ¡°Not that much, not from me,¡± The vet said, and Xaxac thought that salads tasted the same no matter who made them.


    He thought the conversation might be more lively if Lorsan was still in the house.  He found himself missing him. He missed a lot of people. At least he knew that Lorsan and Jimmy were at the military academy; Jimmy might get to see royalty.


    But where was everyone else?


    Salads tasted the same.  No matter who made them.


    ¡°You wanna run out to the fighters before you run off on me?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Give them a look over?¡±


    ¡°I can if you want me to,¡± the vet agreed, ¡°I reckon they¡¯re fine.  Might wanna pull back on the magic next time.¡±


    They both laughed, but Xaxac didn¡¯t get the joke.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Morgani said to Xaxac as they huddled around the fire in the cave, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­ I didn¡¯t know it would fall.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I mean¡­  you did fuck that up about as bad as anybody could fuck up a thing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay here,¡± Morgani said, ¡°He¡¯s still out there.  He¡¯s looking for me. He¡¯ll find you, and¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen then.¡±


    He stared into the fire, and Xaxac thought his eyes were less offputting once you got used to them.


    ¡°I got the rest of them,¡± Morgani said, ¡°Thesis is the only one left.  It¡¯s too much¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I need to find the draken. They¡¯re the only ones who can help me now.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xaxac asked, and looked around the room at the others, finally fed and asleep.  He was alone now, but Quizlivan had always been good with people, and he trusted the strange man they had found stumbling in the snow.  He was lost; he was cold; and he had shared everything he had.


    ¡°But she¡¯s gone,¡± Morgani said, ¡°She¡­  I¡­ I¡¯ve never¡­ never felt like that before¡­  I just¡­ I wanted¡­¡±


    He began to cry, and Quizlivan wrapped an arm around him and pulled him towards him, pulled him to his chest.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s ok.  Everything¡¯s ok. I mean, not ok, but like¡­  listen. We¡¯re alive. And as long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s hope, right?  We¡­ we gotta believe that. Because it¡¯s gettin rough out there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be alive,¡± Morgani said, ¡°Nothing ever¡­  I don¡¯t¡­ Quizzy I¡¯m sorry. I swear I was trying to save you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anybody could predict the moon would fall,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°I just¡­  we¡­ we aren¡¯t supposed to be here,¡± Morgani explained, ¡°This isn¡¯t our world.  It¡¯s yours. They put us here. But¡­ I¡¯ll leave. In the morning I¡¯ll leave. I have to go somewhere he won¡¯t find me, but¡­  he can see me. He can always see me. We aren¡¯t supposed to be here.¡±


    ¡°If he kept you locked up,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°I can see why you left.  You can¡¯t keep people locked up like that. Especially for no reason. Look¡­  it¡¯s cold, and everything is dying. But winter will pass. And you¡¯re free. Hey, look at me,¡± he pulled Morgani away, just a little, to stare into those colorless orbs that seemed to absorb the world around him, ¡°You¡¯re among friends here.  We look out for each other.¡±


    ¡°As long as Thesis goes free,¡± Morgani explained, ¡°he can activate the demmigorge.  And¡­ I have to stop him. If he does that, more will come. A legion will descend upon us.  He may have already¡­¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s showed up,¡± Quizlivan reasoned, pulled Morgan back to his side and continued, ¡°He¡¯s looking for you?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t rest until he finds me, not now,¡± Morgani said, ¡°I tried to find him, after the crash.  But I couldn¡¯t. So now I know I¡¯m being hunted.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you do with the rest of them?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    ¡°I trapped them,¡± Morgani explained, pulled away a little and dug around in his bag.  Then he began to pull out objects, which he set on the ground before the fire.


    A shimmering green ceremonial sword.


    A long red mage staff.


    A white medallion on a gold chain.


    And a blue cup.


    They were all made of the same material, like the moon that had fallen.


    Xaxac took the cup, inset with beautiful sparkling crystals, and studied it.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lapus said, and Xac looked up from the cup to see the beach stretching before him, and turned to look at the ocean stretching infinitely into the horizon.  The sky was on fire, so he looked up and saw the moon, frozen as it had been when it had hit the firmament.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Nothing in the world moved.


    ¡°Please,¡± Lapus begged, ¡°Help me!  I can give you anything! You just have to find it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t think you can,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± Lapus implored.


    ¡°I want my family,¡± Xaxac said, looked at the cup with its beautifully polished surface and its sparkling jewels.  He could see himself reflected there, and he was himself again.


    So he held out his hand and dropped the cup into the still water.


    Xaxac opened his eyes and stared up at the sixty flowers on the ceiling.


    It was still dark outside, but he could hear Lee moving around in the next room, and knew that dawn would come soon, and then they would be leaving.


    They were going back to Basilglen.


    He was getting out of the house.


    He was going to think about that, not about all the people who were still missing.


    He crawled under the blanket completely and cuddled into Agalon¡¯s side before he had what he thought was an ingenious idea and slid down even further to position himself between his legs.


    Agalon was going to wake up in a good mood, and maybe it would carry them through the day.


    The morning went fairly well, and Xaxac had been right.  Agalon had been in a great mood, and he was fairly sure he was the cause of it.  He was beginning to acquire the skills Alex had said he would, was beginning to judge Agalon¡¯s moods and plan accordingly.  Agalon loved his son, and he had the potential to be upset until he received news that he had arrived safely at school, so for everyone¡¯s sake, Xaxac had to work extra hard.  It was the primary job of a pleasure slave to keep the master happy.


    Xac kept the smile on his face even as his mood fell.  When they went downstairs to address the house staff before their departure, there were still people missing.


    But there wouldn¡¯t be any answers, at least not until they could get back, maybe not until he could talk to Jimmy again.  Maybe not ever.


    Maybe his mother had been reassigned.  That happened sometimes, people who got too old to do a particular job were moved to a new one.  There were older women, like Hattie May, who watched the babies too young to work. Maybe his mother had been reassigned.


    Maybe Alley had gotten too sick to work and had to take off until it passed.  That was rare, and it had to be hidden, but he had heard of it, heard tell of people who had spent as long as a week on bedrest, getting other people to cover for them, but he had never seen it done in the house.  Didn¡¯t pregnancy make people prone to illness? He seemed to remember hearing that. If that was what had happened, it would explain why Jimmy had been so upset. If his wife was sick and he couldn¡¯t go to her he had a right to cry.


    Agalon turned as the doormen opened the door for him, and Xaxac hastily grabbed his arm to snuggled into his side.


    He didn¡¯t expect the sight that greeted him.


    There was a soldier standing by the carriage, not the one that had been in the house before, but he wore the same uniform and Xaxac expected he did the same job, keeping the law.  The vet stood with him, looking ecstatic, but Xaxac wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the elves. His attention was on the humans.


    The fighters were lined up in two rows behind the carriage, each wearing a heavy metal shackle around their neck, through which was woven a metal chain, attaching them to each other and to the carriage.  They looked up at Agalon as he approached, but none of them said anything.


    Xaxac released Agalon¡¯s arm with one hand, without thinking about it, and ran his palm against the brand on the back of his neck.


    ¡°Welcome, Aymar!¡± Agalon said to the soldier, who fisted one hand over his heart and the other in the small of his back, bowed, then stood to his full height.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to work for you, Your Grace,¡± the man said, ¡°Are we still picking up Omylia at the Leohorn estate?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Agalon said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s an easy gig.  We don¡¯t normally have no trouble. Thieves tend to stay out the way.  But¡­ you can¡¯t never be too careful.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely right, sir,¡± Lee said.


    Xaxac stared at the dark metal chain and wondered how strong it was.  It took so long to get to Basilglen. Surely they weren¡¯t going to be walking the entire time?  Their bodies were Agalon¡¯s bet, the thing he needed to win the contest they were going to. Wouldn¡¯t he want them to be well rested?  The chain and the collars looked heavy.


    ¡°Well, we might as well get on the road,¡± Agalon said chipperly.


    Lee held open the door and Agalon motioned for the vet to enter, then followed after him.  Xaxac watched the soldier climb onto the box at the back of the carriage.


    He watched Billy watching him as he took Agalon¡¯s outstretched hand and stepped into the carriage with the elves.

 Chapter 16

    Xaxac had thought that perhaps the men would be unshackled when they stopped to eat their picnic lunch, but he had been wrong.


    He also thought that he would get more delicious pastries, as he had the last time, but he was proven wrong again.  He and Lee sat on the blanket with the elves and took their food communally again, but Lee was late because he was busy helping the soldier give out food and water to the fighters, and a strange darkness hung over Xac that he hated and could not dispel, despite the generally friendly and upbeat atmosphere of the day.


    Agalon¡¯s good mood had continued, and he and the vet had spent the trip speaking animatedly and excitedly, but Xac had tuned in and out of the conversation.  He had learned that the vet wasn¡¯t going all the way to Basilglen with them, though he would show up for the matches.


    Xac just couldn¡¯t listen very well.  He felt as if he had too much energy in his brain and not enough in his body and he was afraid Agalon would notice.


    He wished so badly that he was drunk, but even after he had drank the wine meant to go along with lunch, he didn¡¯t feel anything, not even a slight tingling, not even a bit of cloudiness in his brain.  It seemed as if it had stopped working, and he wanted to avoid eating so that he could have more alcohol. He thought that, perhaps, if that was all he had, it would start to take effect.


    The fighters were so quiet when they ate that Xac wondered why they didn¡¯t talk to each other.


    ¡°All accounted for, sir,¡± the soldier said to Agalon, ¡°and everything seems clear.¡±


    ¡°I told you it was an easy gig,¡± Agalon said chipperly.


    Lee had taken his seat and opened the basket to distribute the food, and Xac wondered if he was supposed to do this, or if he was so accustomed to serving he did it without thinking.  He hadn¡¯t done it last time.


    They didn¡¯t have any delicious pastries this time, prefilled with apples, spices, and sugar.  This time they just had biscuits that Xac thought were, like the cornbread, much too heavy. It seemed like maybe that was also all the fighters had, but he couldn¡¯t really tell because they were sitting all facing inward, and their silence unnerved him.


    ¡°Here, darlin,¡± Agalon said, took the biscuit Xaxac had been preparing to eat and broke it open in the middle.  He unscrewed a small jar from the basket and spread a layer of jam over it, then closed it and handed it back.


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± Xaxac said as pleasantly as he could and smiled up at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got good prospects this year,¡± the vet said as he prepared his own food.


    ¡°Master?¡± Xaxac asked, ¡°What¡¯s gonna happen when we get to Basilglen?  I¡¯ve never seen a rodeo before, but Alex says it¡¯s real fun! He said it¡¯s not just the fighters, it¡¯s a bunch of stuff!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Agalon said, ¡°Ain¡¯t that cute?  He ain¡¯t never done nothin. Everythin is so excitin for him.¡±


    The soldier said nothing but he was staring at Xaxac as if he was trying to figure something out and Xaxac suspected he knew he was a shifter though he had never seen him before.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be down there a little bit, for the first rounds,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You gotta win in the district to go on to regionals.  Then we¡¯ll head out to the capital for the regionals, cause that¡¯s where it¡¯s held for us. And if we win there, we¡¯ll go up to Satra for the finals.¡±


    ¡°Neat!¡± Xac said with real enthusiasm, ¡°I ain¡¯t never traveled before!¡±


    ¡°There is a bit more there,¡± Lee said, ¡°Some of it¡¯s worth watchin.  Then they got the dancin and whatnot. I ain¡¯t a big fan, but it seems like somethin you might be into.¡±


    ¡°Is he cold?¡± the vet asked, and to Xaxac repeated, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Xaxac had not realized he had been shivering, but after it had been pointed out to him he couldn¡¯t stop feeling it.  It was true that the brisk autumn wind blew right through his useless, thin outfit, but he wasn¡¯t particularly cold. But still, his teeth were chattering and his hands were shaking.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  think so?¡± Xac said, ¡°Maybe?  It¡¯s fall.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Agalon reached into his traveling pouch and pulled out something small and round wrapped in a handkerchief, ¡°His metabolism is so fast¡­  here, Honey Bunny, might be your nerves.¡±


    He unwrapped the bundle and Xaxac saw the snowball that Agalon often used in the morning to flavor their coffee.  He peeled off his gloves and scratched at it with a fingernail until small flakes came off, then licked his finger, stuck it into the powder, and began to rub it inside his mouth along his gums.  Once he seemed satisfied he repeated the motion and spoke.


    ¡°Open up, Honey Bunny.¡±


    Xaxac opened his mouth and stared up at Agalon, then leaned forward for good measure until he was on his hands and knees.


    ¡°Stick your tongue up,¡± Agalon said, so Xaxac did, and he rubbed the powder all along the underside, which tickled, so Xac giggled as he pulled away.


    ¡°Anybody else?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s noon,¡± the soldier said, as if this information made Agalon¡¯s offer ridiculous.


    Xac¡¯s tongue had gone numb and it felt heavy and strange in his mouth.  He wasn¡¯t used to being unable to feel a part of himself, and it wasn¡¯t exactly like his arm, in the sense that he was still aware of the fact that he had a tongue, perhaps even overly aware.  It seemed much larger than it did when he could feel it, so large it was taking up most of his mouth and he was finding it difficult to breath.


    But he certainly had as much energy in his body as he had had in his brain.  Was that what it did? Was that why they put it in coffee? Because it was good at helping you wake up?


    ¡°Aggie, I can¡¯t feel my tongue,¡± he attempted to say, but it turned out that the tongue was extremely important in speech, so he was amazed Agalon understood him.


    ¡°Oh, right, I usually put it in his coffee,¡± Agalon said as if he had forgotten this, ¡°Oh, darlin, that¡¯ll hit ya like a ton a bricks.¡±


    What did that mean?


    ¡°Glad I¡¯m not in the carriage,¡± the soldier said.


    ¡°I wish I had ¡®put it in my coffee¡¯ money,¡± the vet lamented, ¡°You lose so much that way.  The bioavailability dwindles¡­¡±


    He peeled off his glove as well, to take Agalon up on his offer.


    Xac was still standing on his knees and found it difficult to sit down again.  He bounced a little as he stuck out his tongue and ran his fingers over it to see if he could feel anything.  It was so odd. He hadn¡¯t lost all sensation, still felt pressure, but in a very generalized sense. His tongue had not, as he had suspected, grown, it just felt heavier when he couldn¡¯t feel it.  At least that meant he likely wouldn¡¯t choke on it, which had been a concern.


    ¡°Eat, darlin,¡± Agalon kissed Xaxac on the cheek, ¡°And put your tongue back in your mouth.  You¡¯re givin folks ideas.¡±


    He laughed as if this had been a joke, and Xaxac understood it instantly and began to laugh with him, because Agalon was often as funny as he was beautiful.


    ¡°Everybody but him,¡± Xac gestured toward the soldier, ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me.¡±


    He tried to pout, but didn¡¯t have the spirit for it and giggled instead.


    ¡°Everybody likes you,¡± Agalon said and bit into his biscuit.


    Xaxac thought Agalon was probably so good at understanding him even when his tongue wasn¡¯t working properly because he understood him on a deep, fundamental level.  Because he loved him.


    The soldier stared at Xaxac, then turned to Agalon and spoke, quietly.


    ¡°That thing was eight foot tall with the ears, standin on its hind legs,¡± he said, ¡°You¡¯re a brave man, your grace.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon,¡± Xac giggled, ¡°I ain¡¯t never been eight foot tall in my life!  I¡¯m a cute little bunny,¡± he couldn¡¯t keep a straight face and laughed again as he continued, in jest, ¡°And I won¡¯t have you sullyin my reputation like that!¡±


    ¡°You sure are,¡± Agalon said, and began to play with Xaxac¡¯s hair as he often did, so Xac leaned into the affection so hard he wound up falling a little, so he sat down properly and scooted into Agalon¡¯s side to eat.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be scared of a little bunny rabbit,¡± Agalon scoffed at the soldier.


    ¡°I hunt with some of the folks in my unit,¡± The soldier said, after a stretch of silence, ¡°I¡¯ve seen rabbits get cornered.  The wild ones, not the ones folks keep in hutches. Seen a dog catch up to one, one time, tried to snap its neck. That thing flipped over on its back and let out the most godawful sound you ever did hear.  Kicked up with them back claws and ripped that dog clean open. Guts spillin out. Rabbit got up and run off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound like much of a huntin dog,¡± the vet huffed and took a drink from the bottle of wine, then passed it to Xaxac.


    ¡°Folks underestimate prey,¡± the soldier said, ¡°on account of they don¡¯t look like much.  But nine times out of ten the prey wins. Because the predator¡¯s fighting for their lunch, but the prey¡¯s fightin for their life.¡±


    He shoved the rest of the biscuit into his mouth, pulled the water skien from his belt and took a long drink.


    Xaxac didn¡¯t think he liked him very much.

 Chapter 17

    Xaxac had a difficult time sitting still on the rest of the trip.  He tried to stand up on his knees and peer out the back window to see the fighters, but the soldier was sitting on the box behind them, so all Xac could really see was his shoulders.  So he gave up with a huff and turned his attention back to the windows on the side of the carriage, where he saw the stone fences stretching out, covering a plantation that belonged to someone he did not know.


    Agalon had pulled out the same book he had been reading when Xaxac had taken his punishment for running away, and the sight of it brought back memories, so Xac tried very hard not to look at it, but it was of immense interest to Agalon and the vet, and they discussed it animatedly, so it could not exactly be ignored.


    Xaxac was just happy to be out of the house again.  There were a lot of things at the house worth thinking about, and being away from it numbed those thoughts a little, but it was much easier not to think on things when he had something to do.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± the vet said, looking over the book, ¡°Not a damn thing.¡±


    ¡°Not a goddamn thing,¡± Agalon agreed, ¡°I dunno if it¡¯s a loophole, but I¡¯ll get at least a year in until they close it- ow, Xac, god love, darlin, you¡¯re twitchin.  Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xac said and forced himself to sit upright instead of on his knees, ¡°I got a lotta energy.  That sugary stuff is really good!¡±


    ¡°Frost, darlin, it¡¯s called frost,¡± Agalon said and bent to reach under the seat.  He came out with the shopping bag Xac kept his knitting in and handed it to him.  ¡°Here, make somethin like you like to do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aggie!¡± Xac hugged him, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you brought it!  Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Thought you might get bored,¡± Agalon said.  ¡°And it¡¯s cute to watch.  You look all domestic.¡±


    Xac picked up his needles and began to work on the new hat he was making.  He had one finished already, which he would probably give to his mother.  He needed another for his father, another for his sister, then one for Agalon, Alex, Lee, and Lorsan.  He wasn¡¯t going to have nearly enough yarn for that.  He only had two skiens left.  But they were going to Basilglen, so Agalon might get him some more, in green this time, Agalon¡¯s favorite color, so that he would actually wear it.


    Xac went to work and the sound of his needles clack clack clacking filled the small car.


    He hadn¡¯t realized he could work so quickly, but his hands moved so fast he had to stop and stretch the fabric, because he was afraid he had messed up his tension.  But the band looked exactly as it should, so he switched to stockinette.  The world around him seemed to fall away, almost as if he had gone into a trance, and he was shocked when he moved his needle and felt a bit of nothing skittering between his feeding fingers.


    The skien had ended and he hadn¡¯t tied it off.


    Which made no sense.


    Because he hadn¡¯t done his decreases yet so-


    Xac looked down and saw that the fabric was touching his lap.


    It was a straight rectangle.


    Shit.


    He picked up the yarn from the new skien to join them and considered his options.  He folded the fabric he had made in half and thought that if a person tried to wear it like that they would have two triangles sticking up on either side of their head, like cat ears.


    He really didn¡¯t want to unravel the entire thing¡­  it was so much work.


    He wondered whether or not Alex would mind being a cat, and thought that he probably wouldn¡¯t.  He loved cute things.  Xaxac could envision him saying something like, ¡°I¡¯m a kitty!¡± and actually enjoy it.  Xac could play it off as if that was what he intended to do all along.


    So he shrugged and began to work on the edge ribbing.


    The carriage jostled to a stop and a few seconds later the door swung open and the vet stood.


    ¡°Always a pleasure, Kai,¡± he said cheerfully, hopped down, and the door closed before Xac saw where he went.


    ¡°Bye!¡± Xac called, then asked Agalon, ¡°Where¡¯s he goin?¡±


    ¡°Home, darlin,¡± Agalon said and stretched out his legs as the carriage jostled forward again, ¡°He don¡¯t live half a day away, quicker if you gallop.  That¡¯s how he gets to the house so quick.  Tiny little place¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s all plantations,¡± Xaxac said in confusion.


    ¡°Eh,¡± Agalon made a noncomittal noise, ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d even call some a¡¯ these places ¡®plantations¡¯.  More of a farm, really¡­  Hey, Honey Bunny, do me a favor.  I been preoccupied lately, had a lotta¡­  stress.¡±


    Xaxac climbed into his lap and draped his arms loosely around his neck.


    ¡°I know,¡± he pouted, ¡°Lorry ain¡¯t magiced ya yet.¡±


    ¡°Called a ¡®scry¡¯ darlin,¡± Agalon corrected.


    ¡°Can he though?  You ain¡¯t got your dirt tray.¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll show up on anything an earth mage can control,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°And even if I ain¡¯t got a medium I can tell that he tried.  He ain¡¯t tried.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine,¡± Xac said earnestly, ¡°He seems like somebody what can take care of themselves.  He took care a¡¯ me.  I think you don¡¯t realize how big he is, ¡®cause he¡¯ll always be your baby.¡±


    Agalon sighed, and the hands on his waist loosened a little, and Xaxac suspected he was right.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you scry him?¡± Xac asked, ¡°When we get to Alex¡¯s master¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Yeah I¡­  oughta do that.  He ain¡¯t never gonna get in touch with me.  He¡¯ll say he forgot but he just don¡¯t wanna talk to me.¡±


    ¡°He loves you,¡± Xaxac promised, ¡°He¡¯s just bad at it.  Everybody loves their daddy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Xac,¡± Agalon said, and the way he said it scared Xaxac.  His voice had dropped, the green in his eyes grew dull, and the grip on Xac¡¯s waist tightened.  Xaxac didn¡¯t like it when Agalon called him by his name.


    So he changed tactics.


    ¡°Well¡­  can¡¯t do nothin on the road noways,¡± Xac said with great practicality, ¡°So¡­¡±  He squirmed until Agalon loosened his grip and slid slowly, gracefully, to the floor between Agalon¡¯s knees, ¡°How about you relax and get your mind off it?¡±


    Agalon snickered and ran a hand through Xaxac¡¯s hair.


    Xaxac was confused when the wagon did not pull up to the house, but took a sharp turn and moved to the side and behind it.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The Leohorn plantation was laid out so similarly to Agalon¡¯s that Xaxac did figure out fairly quickly where they were headed, though.  They were moving toward the stables.  He thought this was likely where Lee always went, but it was odd that he and Agalon hadn¡¯t gotten out in front of the house where they normally did.


    It was even more odd that Kyrtarr and Alex were standing with another earth elf in the stables, almost as if they had been waiting on them.  Xaxac stood on his knees again, to look behind them and see if the fighters were still following along behind them, but once again his view was blocked by the soldier, so he huffed, turned around, plopped down on the seat, and waited for Lee to settle the horses and open the door.  Then he grabbed his knitting and hopped out into the stable, following Agalon.


    ¡°Kai!¡± Kyrtarr called and grabbed him by the arm to shake his hand.


    Xac waved at Alex, and Alex smiled, looked around to make sure there were no elven eyes watching him, then rolled his eyes and used both hands to motion to their environment, as if to say, Can you believe I¡¯m out here in a stable?  Which was so funny Xaxac covered his mouth with his hand, because he could not suppress a snicker.


    Xac turned to see what was going on with the fighters and saw Lee talking to Bobby, blocking most of his view, but the fighters he could see were waiting patiently.  Xaxac still didn¡¯t understand why they were walking.  They had to be worn out.


    ¡°I am dead,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Gettin too old for this.  Travelin wears me plumb out anymore.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all must be starved,¡± Kyrtarr agreed, ¡°This here is Omylia.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, your grace,¡± the earth elf said, stepped forward, put one hand in the small of her back and the other over her heart, and bowed.  When she did, Xaxac saw the bow that had been strapped to her back with a full quiver of arrows, and he thought of how she was wearing the same uniform as Aymar.  He wondered if she would also dislike him, or if Aymar just had some kind of chip on his shoulder.


    ¡°God they¡¯re all so young anymore,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Good to meet you.  These are my fighters.  That¡¯s who you¡¯re protectin.  I don¡¯t need it.  Had some confusion about that before.  Go talk to Aymar, he¡¯ll get you all set up.  I gotta get in the house and get somethin to eat.  Come on, Honey Bunny.¡±


    Xaxac darted forward and wrapped his body around Agalon¡¯s arm, as he often did, with his knitting strung over one wrist.


    ¡°Oh my god, please,¡± Alex openly lamented and threw his arms around Kyrtarr¡¯s torso, ¡°Master, I¡¯m an indoor pet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get whiney, darlin,¡± Kyrtarr told him, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like to travel.  But lord I can¡¯t put up with that sound.¡±


    ¡°Can I just have somethin to knock me out tomorrow?¡± Alex begged, ¡°I do better passed out.¡±


    ¡°Are you goin with us!?¡± Xac asked excitedly.


    They walked from the stables around the house, though Xac clearly saw that the plantation had a back door, past the laundry area and the cold storage, opening into a kitchen, just like they did back home.  It seemed odd to take the long way round.


    ¡°Yes, darlin,¡± Agalon said as if he should have known this already, ¡°Coulda swore I told you that¡­  Might not have.  I can¡¯t remember a damn thing anymore.¡±


    They passed through the porch and into the foyer, where Kyrtarr turned to Alex.


    ¡°Darlin, run Xac up to Kai¡¯s room, he¡¯s gotta be starved to death and wore out, too.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Alex giggled, leaned in to kiss his master on the cheek, then turned quickly and grabbed Xac by the hand.  ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Um, ok,¡± Xac said as he was tugged toward the stairs, ¡°Bye, Aggie!  I¡¯ll miss you!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Alex said as soon as they turned the second floor corner and entered the hallway, ¡°There was literally no reason, at all, for me to be in that godawful barn.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t do good bein outside,¡± Xaxac observed.


    ¡°Honey, it literally smells like horeshit,¡± Alex said as he opened the door to the guest suite, ¡°I¡¯m fine outside.  I just don¡¯t need that in my life.¡±  He ushered Xac inside and closed it, then continued, ¡°Look at you!  You¡¯re adorable!  And human!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xac said, ¡°...right.  I¡­  you saw¡­¡±


    ¡°Ok, darlin, I¡¯m gonna be real upfront,¡± Alex said as he sasheyed toward the table that had been laid out for them and pulled the cork from the bottle of wine to pour it, ¡°I know I said I wouldn¡¯t scared a no rabbit but Thesis¡¯s glowin eyes, a good ten foot tall-¡±


    ¡°I get taller every time somebody tells this story,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°There ain¡¯t¡­  I didn¡¯t believe it when they said eight.  I think y¡¯all are just seein stuff on account of you¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®hyperbole¡¯ and everybody does it,¡± Alex said as if Xaxac was stupid for not knowing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s called what?¡± Xac asked as he took his seat, ¡°Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Hyperbole,¡± Alex annunciated, ¡°Means that folks¡­  might exaggerate a little bit.  Big fish kinda thing.¡±


    He sat himself and pulled the covers from their dishes to reveal chilli, and seemed delighted at what he found.


    ¡°Oh thank the good lord Thesis above, I was scared it¡¯d be another salad.  Which, I guess ain¡¯t nothin wrong with but it¡¯s gettin plum cold of a night anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is there meat in this?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I get real sick when I eat meat.¡±


    ¡°No, I know there ain¡¯t,¡± Alex said, ¡°You musta got sick or somethin on account of your master scried and-¡±


    The door opened and Lee and Bobby entered, carrying luggage.  They were apparently in the middle of a conversation.


    ¡°Everloving shit out of him,¡± Bobby was saying, ¡°Wish to god I coulda seen it.¡±


    ¡°It was worth seein,¡± Lee said, sighed and drug the suitcase into the bedroom, ¡°Is that what we¡¯re havin too?  Smells so good¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey Lee?¡± Xac asked earnestly.


    ¡°What, Xac?¡± He asked as if any sort of question would annoy him.


    ¡°How come the fighters are walkin?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Ain¡¯t that gonna make um real tired?  And don¡¯t they gotta fight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, son,¡± Lee answered, shouting from the bedroom, ¡°But Lorry took the other carriage.  We didn¡¯t have nowhere else to put um.  I reckon we¡¯ll put um in Mr Leohorn¡¯s carriage.  Don¡¯t ask so many questions.  Folks get real tired and then they get snappy.  I like you, boy, I¡¯m tryin real hard not to lose my patience.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t got no patience,¡± Alex accused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Lee warned.


    ¡°Yeah, please don¡¯t fight,¡± Xac begged and broke his cornbread into chunks to put into the chillie, ¡°everythin is kinda¡­  weird?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°I dunno¡­¡±  Xac said and watched Bobby walk into the bedroom out of the corner of his eye, ¡°Stuff¡¯s just¡­  weird.  Folks have¡­  been actin weird¡­  goin missin¡­¡±


    ¡°You been thinkin too much,¡± Alex said, then clasped his hands together as a thought struck him, ¡°Oh my lord, it¡¯s your first rodeo.  Let¡¯s talk about that.  There¡¯s all kinds¡¯a stuff to see, to buy.  Folks compete on all kinda stuff, not just fightin.  Folks are cookin, dancin, singin, there¡¯s an art contest.¡±


    ¡°You gonna enter?¡± Xac interjected.


    ¡°For elves, honey,¡± Alex said as if Xac¡¯s question had been stupid, because it had.


    ¡°Right,¡± Xac said, ¡°So¡­  how much a¡¯ that can we¡­  do?¡±


    ¡°I mean we can see it all,¡± Alex said, ¡°An¡¯ the food¡¯s good, and the hotel¡¯s nice, and the bathhouse, and we¡¯ll probably get to doubleteam some a¡¯ your hot fighters if they win.¡±


    Xaxac contemplated this because he still didn¡¯t understand why that sounded so appealing.


    ¡°And there¡¯s all kinda animal contests,¡± Alex said, ¡°Not just humans, there¡¯s like, ¡®best animal¡¯ contests that folks have raised.  If they win they can go on to Satra and then at nationals they slaughter all the ones that win and it¡¯s part of a feast and the Empress comes and you can see her!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Xac asked, ¡°If you win the prettiest animal contest you get killed and fed to royalty?  That¡¯s your prize?¡±


    ¡°Honestly Xac,¡± Lee said as he came out of the bedroom, ¡°Thank god you¡¯re pretty cause you¡¯d never make it on your smarts.  I gotta head downstairs, get a bite to eat.  I love him to death but I can see why folks keep punchin him.¡±


    ¡°You love me!¡± Xac said in a tease, and almost hated himself for the tone of his voice.  He never really got the hang of being annoying on purpose, even as a child, but he was getting better at all sorts of interactions the more he practiced, and he saw Lee crack a smile before he caught himself.


    ¡°You eat your food,¡± he said.


    ¡°They ain¡¯t judgin the critters,¡± Alex explained as if he was talking to a child, ¡°I mean, they kinda are, but they¡¯re judgin um as food.  They¡¯re really more judgin the elf who grew um, their skill at gettin a livestock animal that good.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never knowed an elf to grow critters,¡± Xac said in genuine confusion, ¡°humans do that.¡±


    ¡°God, you know what I mean,¡± Alex said as if he was also getting annoyed with him.


    But Xac didn¡¯t.


    But he also didn¡¯t want to fight, so he nodded and ate his chilli.

 Chapter 18

    Xac got so sleepy so fast.


    He didn¡¯t understand.  He had been perfectly fine, wide awake one moment, and then he felt as if his entire body had become made of stone, too heavy to hold up in any meaningful way.  He felt particularly bad about that, because Alex had been in the middle of a sentence, and he wasn¡¯t exactly finished eating, but he was so tired his eyes were heavy, and he was afraid he would pass out, so he tried to stand and wobbled with the effort of it.


    ¡°Xac?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°I gotta¡­  gotta lay down a minute,¡± Xac said, stumbled to the couch, and threw himself onto it.


    ¡°Oh, un-uh, no,¡± Alex said, ¡°Darlin, you can¡¯t do that.  They might need us.¡±


    ¡°Just a second,¡± Xac begged and curled to bury his face in the fabric of the back of the couch.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Alex said, as if he was exasperated, and walked out of the room.


    Xaxac did not know that he had only slept a few minutes by the time Alex shook him awake and thrust a cigarette into his mouth.  He heard the match strike, and heard Alex speak.


    ¡°Breath,¡± he demanded, ¡°Breath and wake your ass up.  You can¡¯t sleep till your master does.  You¡¯re lookin all lazy and shit.  You can¡¯t do that, darlin.¡±


    Xaxac inhaled, let the tobacco dance down his throat and into his lungs, and spoke as he exhaled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a cigarette,¡± he said, ¡°I need some more frost.¡±


    ¡°Well I ain¡¯t got none, darlin, so you take what you can get,¡± Alex huffed, ¡°Wish I had ¡®I¡¯m gettin a little bit sleepy, let¡¯s just do some frost¡¯ money.  That shit comes from the water continent.  They ain¡¯t givin it away.  God, last time you was up here you was scared to death, now you¡¯re right spoilt.  You hit the jackpot¡­  Duke of the Agricultural District¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what nothin costs,¡± Xac defended as he leaned forward to ash, ¡°And thanks.  It¡¯s workin.  I didn¡¯t know smokes kept a body awake.  I¡¯ve smoked and fell right to sleep before.¡±


    ¡°It don¡¯t work great but any port in a storm,¡± Alex admitted, ¡°we¡¯ll keep goin till they get up here.  I know it¡¯s a long drive.  I know you¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°The fighters had to walk,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Yeah they do that,¡± Alex said, ¡°They¡¯re in real good shape though.  They can do just about anything.¡±


    ¡°What was you tellin me before?¡± Xac asked, ¡°About Billy and Kenny?¡±


    ¡°God love, honey, you just¡­  you ask a lotta questions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just weird to me,¡± Xac said, ¡°He hates pleasure slaves.  It don¡¯t make no sense.¡±


    ¡°Kenny didn¡¯t make no sense, there at the end,¡± Alex said as he stared into the fire Xaxac did not remember having been lit, ¡°I didn¡¯t really trust nothin he said but I tried to let on like I did, you know, for him.  He was¡­  wouldn¡¯t cut out for it, I don¡¯t think.  You can tell, pretty easy, once you know what you¡¯re lookin for, who¡¯s gonna make it and who ain¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m gonna make it?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex said with great seriousness, ¡°I do.  I reckon you¡¯re alright, now.  You was pretty rough a while back, but I reckon you¡¯re alright now.  If you can¡­  you got problems I ain¡¯t got no business speakin on.  I don¡¯t know about that whole shifter mess, but you got a good head on your shoulders.  You figured out that none¡¯a this matters.  Kenny never could figure that out, really¡­  and if you think it matters you start thinkin too much, and if you start thinkin too much you start believing shit and that¡¯s what happened to him.  He thought too much.  He got attached.¡±


    ¡°Attached to what?¡± Xac asked as he blew out a cloud of smoke.


    ¡°Attached to anybody what would have him, I think,¡± Alex said, ¡°he got¡­  too lonesome.  Too in his own head.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to get lonesome,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll wean out the weak, for damn sure,¡± Alex said as if this statement was an agreement to what Xac had said, but Xaxac was fairly certain it was not, because he didn¡¯t think it was a matter of strength or weakness at all.  But he thought he understood what Alex was talking about.  As a pleasure slave you had to be able to hold different and sometimes contradictory thoughts in your head at the same time, you had to play a part and become a person, without forgetting who you really were, and it was difficult to do.  It was easy to believe things, all sorts of things, and Xaxac had to admit that he wasn¡¯t particularly sure what was real anymore.  That¡¯s why it couldn¡¯t matter.  Alex was absolutely right, it didn¡¯t matter; it couldn¡¯t.


    And Lorsan was right too, humans were weird.  It was weird to be an animal and be smart enough to have thoughts of your own.  It would make more sense, and be much easier, if he knew what to think instead of how to think.  But¡­  Xac suspected that maybe no animals were actually like that.  He wondered if humans were actually smarter than most animals, just because they could talk.  Maybe other animals had thoughts too, they just couldn¡¯t tell anyone.


    ¡°Did he think Billy loved him?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Is that what he thought?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Yeah, and I can¡¯t imagine he did,¡± Alex said as if he thought Kenny was an absolute idiot, and maybe he was, but Xac didn¡¯t like to speak ill of the dead.  ¡°He convinced Agalon not to enter Billy at the nationals, at Satra, and Billy never forgave him.  I reckon they got in a big huge fight about it.¡±


    Xac nodded.  That made sense.  That made a lot of sense.


    It was so easy for things that weren¡¯t important at all to seem important, things like a person missing a few days of work.


    ¡°My sister¡¯s pregnant,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°Honey you ain¡¯t got a sister,¡± Alex said as if he was imparting some kind of great knowledge.


    ¡°What was your brother¡¯s name?¡± Xac asked, ¡°The one Ky lost in a bet?¡±


    Alex leaned back and took the last, long drag off his cigarette, and Xaxac thought for sure that he would say something like, I ain¡¯t got a brother.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Frankie,¡± Alex said as he leaned forward to snuff out his cigarette, ¡°his name was Frankie.¡±


    Xaxac jumped when a sound filled the room.


    ¡°What?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Alex asked, tilted his head, and his eyes widened.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell that is.  I know it ain¡¯t my business.¡±


    The door to the hall burst open and Agalon came racing past them and into the bedroom.


    ¡°Aggie?¡± Xac called, stood, and followed him.


    Agalon knelt by the bed and seemed to be digging around for something, then stood, holding the tray of dirt, and sat on the bed.


    ¡°There you are!¡± He said happily, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been there over a day, Lorry, why didn¡¯t you scry me?¡±


    Xaxac stood in the doorway and smiled.


    ¡°No,¡± Agalon said as if in response to a question, ¡°I been travelin.  I think I¡¯m just gonna crash real hard here in a minute.  You settled in alright?¡±


    Xaxac turned and walked back into the sitting room, stood behind the couch and stretched his arms as far as he could above his head, pulling from his core, in an attempt to wake himself up.


    ¡°Master Lorsan went back to school,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Thank god,¡± Alex smiled.


    ¡°Aggie¡¯s been waitin on him to scry,¡± Xac continued, ¡°So I guess he finally did.  I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°He aggravates me,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°He¡¯s nice once you get to know him,¡± Xaxac defended as he stretched to the side.


    ¡°All that means is, ¡®He¡¯s a bitch but you get used to it¡¯,¡± Alex huffed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac giggled, ¡°Exactly.  Kinda like you.¡±


    ¡°Bitch please,¡± Alex said in a tone that implied he was mocking insult, and probably had some sort of smartass quip to deliver in response, but Xac cut him off by bending over the couch to kiss him.


    He remembered a time when he hadn¡¯t been a very good kisser, but in the interim he had become something of an expert, and it did what he had meant for it to do, which was knock the smartassery out of Alex, and let him know how glad Xac was to see him.  When he had to pull away to breath Alex laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, Xac you¡¯re gonna make it.¡±


    The next day Xac hopped into the carriage with Alex while Agalon and Kyrtarr stayed outside to talk to the soldiers, but Xac pulled back the curtain to watch the events take place.  Kyrtarr had another carriage, about the same size as the one Agalon did, and all six fighters somehow managed to cram inside it.  Xac thought that it would be cramped, but it had to be better than walking. They had traveled for hours the day before, and would travel for hours more.


    Xac suddenly thought of the horses and wondered if horses liked pulling carriages full of people and equipment.


    But it didn¡¯t really matter.  He did feel a kinship, though.  He understood that most animals, it seemed, had to do things whether they liked it or not.


    Bobby was driving the other carriage, and Aymar had taken his position on the back box again, but Omylia had climbed up and sat on top of the carriage, which was not something Xaxac had known someone could do, and something that didn¡¯t look particularly safe.


    ¡°I absolutely detest travelin,¡± Alex huffed and spread out the cloak he was wearing, the same one he had worn last time.  Xaxac wished he had his and hoped Lee had packed it- it looked comfortable and warm, and he was still in the thin, stretchy outfit he had been wearing, but it was nowhere near laundry day and there was no reason to get a new outfit dirty.  If he got cold he would just snuggle up under Agalon¡¯s cloak.  Besides, it tended to warm up pretty fast in the carriage once it was full.


    Agalon apparently finished saying whatever it was he felt needed saying, and he and Kyrtarr climbed into the carriage and took their place.  Kyrtarr had no sooner sat down then Alex turned to him, grabbed his shirt in both hands, and buried his face in his chest.  He crawled into his lap, and Kyrtarr wrapped him in his arms.


    Xac thought it was a little much so early in the morning.


    ¡°He hates carriages,¡± Ky explained, apparently to Xac.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like travelin,¡± Alex said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine once we get there.¡±


    ¡°Just try an¡¯ rest, darlin,¡± Ky said sympathetically, and ran a hand over his head, but he couldn¡¯t permeate the hair that had been neatly arranged in a braid winding around Alex¡¯s head.  The carriage jostled, and Xaxac noticed that Alex tensed when it did.


    What was wrong with him?  Why was he like that?


    Kyrtarr rummaged around in his bag and eventually pulled out a small vile.


    ¡°Here, darlin,¡± he soothed, and Alex poked his head up just enough to see what he was offered and take it.  He uncorked the vile and drank the entire thing in one gulp, then handed it back, empty, and snuggled more contentedly into Kyrtarr¡¯s lap.


    Xaxac watched as his eyelids drooped, and he fell into a sleep so deep he seemed dead to the world.


    ¡°So,¡± Agalon said pleasantly, ¡°I¡¯ve been reading over the rules and I think I¡¯ve found a loophole.¡±


    Krytarr held Alex close to his chest, as if he wanted to keep him safe while he slept, as if he loved him, treasured him.


    Alex looked adorable.

 Chapter 19

    Basilglen looked so different!


    It was nighttime, once again, when they arrived, but this time the entire city was lit and alive, not just with the dregs of society, but with the kind of elves Xac expected, wealthy elves in beautiful clothes, but also with things he had never seen before.


    The roads were so packed the carriage stalled, and there were soldiers on the bridge who seemed to be looking for something.  But as they passed beyond them Xac saw hastily constructed booths and tents that had not been there before, and he didn¡¯t know what they were or what they were meant for, but he smelled hot oil, dough, and so much sugar it permeated the air and he could taste it.  Music came from all around him, and it was not all the same song, but it blended together not in a caucapony, but in a symphony, as if everyone understood the spirit, if not the tune.


    He was sitting on his knees trying his best not to press his face to the glass as they moved slowly through the streets, watching the kind of things he had never seen before.  There were people standing beside the booths and tents, shouting for anyone who cared to listen-


    ¡°Step right up!  Try your luck!  Two for a copper-¡±


    ¡°Right this way ladies and gentlemen, see creatures you have never before set eyes upon in the traveling menagerie-¡±


    ¡°Only the most brave may enter here, for beyond lies a true danger, a mermaid, alive and well, from the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean-¡±


    ¡°You bring me anything, I¡¯ll fry it right up-¡±


    ¡°THIS SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, AT THE BASILGLEN MATCHGROUNDS, TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT CAGE FIGHTING PRELIMINARIES.  IT¡¯S GONNA BE A BLOODBATH!¡±


    ¡°The finest livestock this side of the Sacred Woods!  Horses, oxen, cattle, humans, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so loud,¡± Alex whined, and it was the first time he had stirred on the trip.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, darlin,¡± Kyrtarr assured him, ¡°We just gotta fight past the crowd.¡±


    ¡°I like it!¡± Xac defended, ¡°Wake up!  Look at this!¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Agalon asked as if this information shocked him, ¡°You¡¯re usually so skittish.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s excitin though!¡± Xaxac said, ¡°An¡¯ you¡¯re with me!  An¡¯ we got the soldiers, right?  You said nothing bad would happen as long as you were with me!¡±


    He scooted to sit in Agalon¡¯s lap and cuddle up with him.


    ¡°And you¡¯re finally startin to believe me,¡± Agalon smiled, ¡°I knew we¡¯d get you outta that shell, Honey Bunny.¡±


    ¡°Are we gonna drop them off at the hotel?¡± Kyrtarr asked, ¡°Alex gets grumpy when he wakes up from his sleeping potion.  I don¡¯t reckon he wants to fool with gettin the fighters settled.¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± Agalon shrugged, ¡°Will you be alright to do that, darlin?¡±


    ¡°I like the hotel!¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I¡­  I think I can, if Alex is with me.  Can I just eat the fruit flowers, though?  Do we have to go back to the food place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®restaurant¡¯, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon explained.


    ¡°Well¡­  do we have to go there?¡± Xac asked, making his eyes as big as he could, ¡°I don¡¯t like it.  I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll get sick.  They give me chicken last time.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Alex lamented, ¡°Xac, honey, you know I love ya but I can¡¯t have you makin that noise.  Your voice just¡­  it¡¯s got this whine in it, when you do that that just makes me angry¡­  like instantly.  Stop it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just grumpy on account of the sleepin potion wearin off,¡± Kyrtarr told him, ¡°be nice.¡±


    ¡°I just wanna get settled,¡± Alex explained.  ¡°Yeah, Xac, we¡¯ll just go to our rooms.  Your rooms, preferably.  Can I hang out with Xac, KyKy?  Please?¡±


    ¡°Sure, darlin, whatever you want,¡± Kyrtarr said as if he wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about it, then to Agalon he continued, ¡°Well, we did make good time, for a caravan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be glad to crawl into bed,¡± Agalon said, cuddling Xac to his chest, ¡°Travelin just wears me out anymore.¡±


    The carriage came to a stop and Lee came around to open the door.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Agalon said as he gently scooted Xac out of his lap and kissed him on the forehead, ¡°Be good, darlin.¡±


    He climbed heavily out of the carriage and spoke to Lee, ¡°Have my things taken to my rooms, and Ky¡¯s to his, and then come find me, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Lee said, and Xaxac watched Agalon walk away and wondered where he was going.  He was shocked to see him walk to the other carriage and climb onto the front of it.  Bobby handed him the reins and hopped down.


    ¡°You just eat you a bite and try to relax darlin, alright?¡± Kyrtarr said to Alex, and Alex threw his arms around him.  Kyrtarr hugged him much tighter than Xac had ever seen them embrace before, then smoothed down his hair and kissed him on the forehead.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alex said weakly, ¡°I love you.  I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    Xaxac realized he should have said this to Agalon, but it was too late to worry about it now.  Kyrtarr was already gone, Lee had closed the door, and without his master Alex looked genuinely scared.  He had pulled his knees up to his chest under his traveling cloak and wrapped his arms around them.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Xac didn¡¯t understand this. He thought his reluctance to travel had been an act, for the benefit of the elves, to make him seem fragile and cute.  But now they were gone, so there was no reason to keep up such an act.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Xac asked as he hopped up, moved to sit beside Alex, and threw his arm over his shoulder, but Alex did not have time to answer before the carriage stopped again and the door opened.


    ¡°Hey Alex,¡± Bobby said, ¡°You remember where the royal suite is?  Can you head on up there?¡±


    ¡°You want me to help y¡¯all pack stuff?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°I can help too!¡± Xac proclaimed, ¡°I really oughta always been doin that.  Lee¡¯s all old¡­  I ought not be lettin him do stuff I can do.¡±


    ¡°I can hear you,¡± Lee huffed, sounding as if he had been gravely insulted, ¡°I¡¯m just unhitchin the horses, I didn¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you did,¡± Xac said as Alex shoved past him to jump out, a little wobbly on his feet, and Xac realized that they were in a sort of barn, but it was full of carriages and humans that he assumed were grooms.  One of them was standing with Lee, presumably to take the horses, and Xac caught him snickering at their exchange.


    ¡°OfAgalon,¡± Lee said to him, ¡°and OfLeohorn.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the man said and pulled from the bag on his hip a series of three wooden cards.  He clipped two to the horses¡¯ bridals and handed the third to Lee, ¡°Give that to the girl at the desk and she¡¯ll send some kids to help you with the luggage.  That boy¡¯s right, you ought not be doin that.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all know I ain¡¯t dead, right?¡±  Lee huffed, ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t hurt my feelin¡¯s none. They wanna let the youngun¡¯s get it, let the youngun¡¯s get it.  Let¡¯s just go check in.  Get us a bite to eat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna eat,¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯ll get sick.  Aggie said I could just go up to the rooms and eat the flowers.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you wanna do,¡± Lee shrugged and led them through the barn and into the human section of the restaurant, which confirmed Xaxac¡¯s suspicions.  The last time he had been in there, he had thought the human entrance came in through the barn, but had no way to confirm it.  He had a small sense of satisfaction about his correct guess, even though it couldn¡¯t matter very much, in the grand scheme of things.


    The restaurant was even more crowded than it had been the first time; there were more people than there were seats at the benches, to the point that some folks were trying to eat standing up, with more success than Xaxac thought he would have had in their situation.


    He saw the girl, Helen, the other pleasure slave, but she didn¡¯t see him, and he was glad for it.  He hoped she wouldn¡¯t, and that she wouldn¡¯t see Alex, or any of them.  She had been there the night he had shifted, the night he had tried to run away, and he didn¡¯t particularly feel like seeing anyone he only kind of knew.


    They did, eventually, emerge into the elven sitting area, which was considerably less crowded, and walked briskly through it, following Lee.


    He spoke to the lady at the desk, but Xaxac wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the conversation.  He had heard it before, the last time he had been here with Agalon.  He was just going to get a key and someone to go get their luggage.  He was more interested in Alex.  He thought there was a secret about him that he didn¡¯t understand, but Alex wasn¡¯t acting odd anymore, apart from still being a little sleepy from the potion; he really was fine once he got where he was going, just as he had said.


    Was he afraid of carriages?


    ¡°Xac,¡± Lee said and Xac snapped back to attention to take the key he had been given, ¡°Go on up there, me and Bobby gotta go watch these kids make sure they don¡¯t steal nothin.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want no help?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°God love, I swear the job makes y¡¯all stupid,¡± Lee said as if it was a great tragedy, ¡°I just said I had help.  These boys gonna help.  Pay attention to the world around you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always a sparklin ray a¡¯ sunshine, Lee, you know that?¡± Alex smirked at him, ¡°Is this one of those things where you¡¯re always mean to me ¡®cause you¡¯re secretly in love with me, but you know it can never be, so you try to push me away?¡±


    ¡°Go upstairs,¡± Lee said like a man who was in no mood for games.


    ¡°Maybe if I suck you off you¡¯ll feel better,¡± Alex giggled as Lee and Bobby walked away, leading two younger humans with them.


    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t keep startin fights with him,¡± Xac said as they walked up the staircase and he thought he was probably not supposed to.  There had to be a staircase somewhere for humans, but he didn¡¯t know where it was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t start fights,¡± Alex said as if the concept was ridiculous.


    ¡°Are you¡­  scared¡¯a carriages?¡± Xac asked, more gently.


    ¡°Nah, I think I just got kinda put off on um,¡± Alex explained, ¡°When I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡± Xac asked as he turned down a hall on the top floor and tried to remember where their suite was.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t from here,¡± Alex said, ¡°I was born up north, up by that shitty mountain range they call the ¡®Mountains of Death¡¯.  Ain¡¯t nothin up there but like¡­  shitty land where nothin grows and goats.  So it don¡¯t do nobody no good to have no humans, really.  You keep a couple but not a lot, not like we got here.  So when I was a kid, my master up there decided he didn¡¯t want me or my little brother, so he sold us to this travelin slave merchant, but Frankie wouldn¡¯t but like¡­  he was a baby, real little, barely could talk.  And he tore his ass real bad, so our new master got mad at him, on account of he wouldn¡¯t quit screamin and whatnot- we was supposed to be with everybody else, there was a lot of us, and they chained us up by the neck, you know, like they done with the fighters.¡±


    ¡°But Frankie absolutely would not shut the hell up, and also he quit walkin and like to have choked himself to death, so I tried to pick him up, but I wouldn¡¯t really big enough, you know?  I was still pretty little myself.  And when we quit movin it messed up the whole line, and we was bein drug along like that and made a godawful noise and I knew he was gonna get us in trouble, and truth be told I was kinda pissed about it too, I missed our parents too, you know?  But I was the big boy, the big brother, and I was, god love, probably five or six, but who really knows?  Point is I was too big to be cryin about my mommy, but not big enough to stop the clusterfuck of folks trippin over themselves, and when that merchant got out and seen what he had done he was fit to be tied.¡±


    ¡°He grabbed us both up and I knew he was gonna whoop us good before he done it.  And I was right.  I¡¯m ¡®bought always right.  But I was kinda worried about Frankie, you know?  It¡¯s hard for somebody that little to take a whoopin like that.  And it didn¡¯t shut him up, which it what it was meant to do, so he took us both and- them seats, in the carriage, they fold up, where folks store stuff.  That¡¯s what the boxes are that stick out either end.  He dragged us inside, opened one of um up and threw us in there, with all his boxes and luggage and whatnot.  There wouldn¡¯t really room to do nothin, you just kinda had to lay where you was throwed.¡±


    Xac paused at the door.  He had nothing to add to the story, so he just nodded.


    ¡°I reckon he forgot about us,¡± Alex said, ¡°There¡¯s only so much cryin somebody can do, so we just had to stay there, till we come to the next town.  I don¡¯t know how long it was¡­  I know it¡­  was longer than anybody can keep from¡­  well, we wouldn¡¯t clean time he remembered we existed.  But I ain¡¯t never been more thankful for anything than I was the first drink a water I got.  It¡¯s the thirst, when you¡¯re locked up like that, that gets ya.  That¡¯s what¡­  that¡¯s how they get ya.¡±


    Xac nodded again and opened the door.


    ¡°I could use a drink right now,¡± Alex said and walked into the sitting room.

 Chapter 20

    Xaxac sat at the vanity, taking off his makeup as Alex lounged on the bed, marveling at the room¡¯s many wonders, and his attitude made Xaxac thankful.  Alex had said he had ¡®hit the jackpot¡¯ to be the personal pleasure slave of the Duke of the Agricultural district, and Xac believed that.  Agalon had a lot of money, which he spent on Xac; he had bought him nice clothes and all his knitting stuff, and he got the nicest rooms when they traveled.  Xac wondered what Alex¡¯s rooms were like and suspected they might not be covered in grand tapestries and knick-knacks.


    Lee and Bobby had gone back downstairs to eat, but Xaxac was tired, and didn¡¯t want to face the crowd.  He wanted to crawl into bed and suspected he was crashing again.  The frost made him feel really good, but it wore off after a few hours and the absence made him desperately tired.  But Alex probably wasn¡¯t tired at all, given how much he had slept on the trip.


    ¡°They say the empress sleeps here, when she travels,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°I heard that, the last time I was here,¡± Xac agreed and moved to the basin to wash his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her,¡± Alex bragged, ¡°Not much, but I been to court before, with your master, for the solstice ball.  He took Ky with him for some military thing.  They do that kinda thing ever so often.¡±


    ¡°Neat!¡± Xac said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, draped his washcloth over the corner of the basin to dry, and crawled into bed to cuddle up with Alex.


    ¡°She ain¡¯t into humans,¡± Alex explained, ¡°She¡¯s got a bunch of courtesans, all of um gorgeous, young, blond, fair skinned.  You see um with her sometimes.  What a gig to get¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Xac asked.  The concept of a courtesan was still strange to him; it seemed too much like a pleasure slave to be a job fit for an elf.


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s into somethin,¡± Alex said, ¡°all the elves are lookin for somethin.  Everybody¡¯s lonesome, I think.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said as he cuddled closer into Alex¡¯s side.  ¡°They are, I think.  They¡¯re just¡­  so old.  They live so long.  They get bored easy, get lonely easy.  There¡¯s¡­  a lot to um.  I bet the world looks different when you look at it for centuries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have to,¡± Alex agreed, ¡°I¡¯m not lookin forward to¡­  livin real long.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Xac agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± Alex said, ¡°I mean¡­  you¡¯re weird.  It¡¯s weird that you ain¡¯t more weird than you are.  Seein that¡­  monster¡­  watchin you run, how quick you move¡­  you jumped over us and I just about shit myself.  Scared the hell outta me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon I¡¯d hurt you,¡± Xac pouted, because he would have given anything to be sure, to know that he wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  I don¡¯t wanna hurt anybody.  I wanna go to the rodeo.¡±


    ¡°We probably will, tomorrow,¡± Alex sighed, ¡°It¡¯s fun.  And it¡¯s beautiful here.  You can get you a funnel cake, I don¡¯t reckon there¡¯s no meat in that, if they¡¯re fryin it in corn oil.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Fried dough what comes out a funnel, with sugar on it.  They¡¯re real good.  Rot your teeth, though.¡±


    ¡°I can rot my teeth and it won¡¯t matter,¡± Xac bragged, ¡°they grow back!¡±


    ¡°They only do that once,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°No, mine keep growin, on account of I¡¯m a shifter,¡± Xac giggled, grabbed Alex, and spun him until Xac was lying on his back and Alex was straddling him.


    ¡°Ok guess you can just do that,¡± Alex said, and Xaxac thought he was talking about his teeth until he continued, ¡°Guess you can just¡­  throw me around.  Can you pick me up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re so tiny and cute!  God, Alex, you¡¯re so cute.  I wish I was as cute as you are.¡±


    ¡°Stand up,¡± Alex slid from the bed.


    ¡°Nooooo,¡± Xac whined, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep in the carriage and I did frost this mornin, I¡¯m dead tired.¡±


    ¡°Come on, please?¡± Alex asked, ¡°I wanna see if you can pick me up.¡±


    ¡°I know I can,¡± Xac pushed himself onto his elbows, ¡°You¡¯re real light.  There ain¡¯t nothin to you.  Come back to bed.¡±


    Alex grabbed his hand and pulled him reluctantly to his feet, then jumped.


    Xac had to catch him or fall, so he caught him.


    Alex wrapped his arms around his neck and giggled.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned,¡± he said, ¡°didn¡¯t even stumble.¡±


    Xac fell backwards onto the bed and held him close.


    ¡°We can totally fool around if you want, but I¡¯m scared to death I¡¯ll fall asleep on ya.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alex rolled off of him, grabbed a pillow, and smacked him across the face with it, ¡°The hell you would.  What¡¯s that say about me?¡±


    Xac giggled and threw an arm across his face to block the next blow.


    ¡°The best way to win a pillow fight,¡± Alex said as if he was imparting some great wisdom, ¡°Is just hold it down real tight over his face till he quits movin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Xac promised and scooted until he was facing the right direction on the bed and fought to keep his eyes open.


    ¡°Good lord,¡± Alex huffed, ¡°Fine, sleep, little bunny.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never slept alone,¡± Xac said, ¡°Come here and cuddle with me.¡±


    Quizlivan laid in the snowbank and looked through the ocular Morgani had given him.  It made all the difference.  Something in it fought past the blinding glare of the snow and lessened the impact of the flakes still drifting in the sky by tinting the world golden, and with his newly improved sight he saw something big and bulky lumbering in the distance.


    A herd of dragons were trying to find the last green things left in the snow.  And they were having a hard time.


    He reached into the bag at his hip and pulled out a stick they had painted a bright red, against the white snow, then plunged it into the ground on the slope facing away from the dragons.  It stood out well against the snow, so he crouched beside it and looked through the ocular in the other direction until he spotted the group of people, the hunting party waiting on his return.


    They would all go back home alive this time, and they wouldn¡¯t be empty handed.


    He moved at a sprint; he had always been the fastest among them, but the snow had never gotten this high before, to his waist if he actually fell into it, but it was so cold and had snowed for so long that most of it was so well packed he could run on top of it.  The flakes whipped past him as he moved, and he reached the group to see three people at the campsite, and assumed the other two had gone to collect firewood.


    ¡°Find anything?¡± Ahnah</a> asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a whole herd,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°These ones, the big lumbering ones.  They look pretty hungry, but they¡¯re so big there¡¯d still be enough to eat for a month, and the meat will keep in the snow.  This¡¯ll get us through the winter.  We might actually need help getting them back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you guys could eat meat,¡± Morgani said.


    ¡°Do you ever eat?¡± Kifat asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get used to it,¡± Morgani said and scrunched up his dark eyes as if he was trying to figure something out, ¡°I think I can.  I really think I can.  I mean¡­  it¡¯s based¡­  I¡¯m based on mortal creatures.  The transfusion system is just so much more efficient.  I¡¯m taking nutrients already in the blood.  But I¡­  I¡¯m not as efficient as they are.  I was the first one.  I¡¯m¡­  closer to an animal.  I¡¯m very nearly human.¡±


    ¡°Nothing you say makes sense,¡± Kifat accused.


    ¡°The other elves only take the blood,¡± Morgan said, ¡°I¡¯ve only ever eaten blood.  But I looked at the charts and I¡­  I think my digestive system works. I''ve just never used it.  I think I can eat food.  I think¡­  I¡¯m not sure.  I tried and I got sick.  But I think I have to stick with it.¡±


    ¡°You can drink the blood,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°There should be plenty of it.  I mean, they¡¯re so big¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the blood, it¡¯s the nutrients in the blood,¡± Morgani explained, but he could tell that no one understood a word he was saying, ¡°With nutrient rich blood I can just¡­  it¡¯s more of an infusion than a digestion it¡¯s not¡­  I¡­  I can¡¯t explain things well.  It¡¯s more efficient.  We got more efficient as we went along.  They were trying to recreate themselves, I think.  They¡¯re¡­  not very physical at all.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°The ones who created us,¡± Morgani explained, ¡°The ones who trapped us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that,¡± Kifat said as he stood, ¡°But if Quizzy actually saw something we need to move out.  We have to follow them.  We can¡¯t camp here.¡±


    ¡°Wait until everyone gets back,¡± Ahnah instructed, and he sat right back down.


    Xaxac plopped down next to Morgan and studied him.  He had seemed scary, that first night they had found him, but he wasn¡¯t, not once you got to know him.  He was just really tall and his eyes were weird, and he looked like no one they had ever seen, and he was perfectly fine with being far too cold, as if he hadn¡¯t known clothing was an option, and had really appreciated the furs they gave him.  But he had given them things too, like the food and the ocular.  And he was so scared all the time.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Xac said and put his hand over Morgani¡¯s, ¡°It¡¯s ok.  Everything¡¯s ok.  I don¡¯t think any omnipotent anything is coming for you.  If it was, it would have been here by now.¡±


    Morgani cracked a smile and turned to look at him, but said nothing.


    ¡°And even if it is,¡± Xac continued, ¡°You can¡¯t spend your whole life running from something.  You can¡¯t go running scared like that.  You have to fight back, like you did before.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s stronger than the others,¡± Morgani said.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Xaxac shrugged, ¡°Anything that lives can be killed.  Maybe not by one person, though.  Where¡¯s the rest of your tribe?  Why won¡¯t you talk about them?  You don¡¯t deserve to be all alone out in this storm.¡±


    Morgani¡¯s smirk turned to a frown and he turned his gaze back to the storm, ¡°I told you, Quizzy, I¡­  don¡¯t want to talk about it.  I¡­  made a mistake with the moon, but¡­  I didn¡¯t make a mistake when I left.  I was right to escape.¡±


    ¡°Of course you were,¡± Xac agreed, ¡°Nobody wants to be trapped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be here,¡± Morgani said, then fell silent for a long while, staring off into the drifting snow, ¡°But¡­  but you¡¯re right.  Anything that lives¡­  any mortal thing¡­  can be killed.¡±


    He buried his face in his hands, and his body wracked because he was trying not to cry, and Quizlivan didn¡¯t understand why.  He didn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t just cry.  That sort of thing was always easier if you just cried, just allowed yourself to mourn.

 Chapter 21

    Xaxac clung to Agalon¡¯s arm as they walked briskly through the chill autumn morning and was a little shocked to see that the town of Basilglen was still alive and moving.  It was a different crowd than it had been the night before, and Xaxac saw something he had never seen before.


    Elven children.


    Not children like Lorsan, not teenagers, real children, the kind that only came up to his waist, with pigtails and playclothes.  There were very few of them, and each was accompanied by at least one human whom Xac suspected was a nanny, but they existed.  He had always known they had to, but elves had seemed like adults to him, as if they were born with power and grace; he couldn¡¯t imagine Agalon as a boy, certainly not as a baby.


    The booths they passed now had barkers, as they had last night, but the attractions were different.  These weren¡¯t a ¡®come and see this¡¯ or ¡®come and buy that¡¯ type situation, they were all ¡®come and do this¡¯.


    Agalon was walking with purpose and did not slow; he had said they were going to see the fighters and Xaxac knew they had a job to do, but something caught his eye and he stopped walking.


    Dozens of tiny cages held small, white, fluffy, twitching rabbits.


    The man at the booth shouted, and they paid him no mind.  They all looked sleepy.


    ¡°Come, test your skill!¡± The man, an earth elf who, like the earth elves that had once shocked Xac, did not seem particularly rich or impressive yelled, holding three metal rings in his hand, ¡°Five copper!  Test your accuracy!  Win one of these adorable creatures!  Test your skill!¡±


    Agalon snarled, and Xaxac realized that he could not move with Xac clinging to him, immobile.  Every time he was forced to remember he was stronger than Agalon the information shocked him, though he had been warned over and over that he did not know his strength, and to be careful.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked as if he were as annoyed as he had every right to be, followed Xac¡¯s eyeline and laughed, ¡°Oh!  Do you want a bunny, Honey Bunny?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never looked at um real close,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°Those things are rigged,¡± Kyrtarr said, ¡°Nobody ever wins them.  The bottles are too big to hook the rings on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± Agalon agreed, shrugged, and said, ¡°but fuck it, let¡¯s support the local economy.  Besides, it¡¯ll be cute to watch um throw.¡±


    Xac turned to Alex and grinned at him as Agalon changed direction and moved toward the booth.  He reached into the bag on his hip and pulled out a smaller bag, and as he did so, the man seemed to recognize him.


    ¡°Oh!¡± He cooed, ¡°Nobility!  Good eye, sir!  I hate to even let you in, you¡¯ll clean me right out.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Agalon rolled his eyes, counted out five small coins, and went to hand them to the man, but when he did the man grabbed his hand, bowed slightly, shook it vigorously, then bent to kiss it.


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s eyes,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Just give me the rings.¡±


    ¡°You want to play, darlin?¡± Kyrtarr asked Alex.


    ¡°I mean¡­  I guess?¡± Alex said, ¡°If Xac¡¯s goin.  You said you couldn¡¯t win, though.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can win!¡± the man announced, ¡°I had four winners yesterday!¡± he bent and picked up one of the cages, then stood and put it on the counter, ¡°Get yourself one of these adorable little pets!  Look how cute they are!¡±


    ¡°They look kinda sick,¡± Alex observed, and Xaxac thought he might be right.  Xaxac had never really seen a rabbit up close, and they did look adorable from far away, but he noticed with alarm that the rabbit the man was gesturing to had teeth that had grown so long they were beginning to curl, and the sight made him angry.


    ¡°They need to chew on stuff!¡± he said, ¡°If they don¡¯t their teeth mess up and they can grow into their eyes!¡±


    ¡°If you win it you can let it chew on anything you want,¡± the man said.


    ¡°How do you play?¡± Xac took the rings from Agalon and stared out over the collection of bottles.


    The man opened his mouth to speak and Agalon silenced him with a look.


    ¡°What¡¯cha gotta do, darlin,¡± he explained, ¡°Is throw one a¡¯ them hoops on one a¡¯ them bottles.¡±


    Xaxac nodded, but he was skeptical.  That seemed deceptively easy.  There had to be some sort of catch.  He had three, so the first would be a practice throw.  He was trying to calculate the distance in his head when Alex threw, and Xaxac learned that Alex was very, very bad at throwing things.  He apparently thought the object of the game was just to throw as hard as you possibly could, so his ring hit a bottle with a loud CLANG of metal on metal, bounced, and went ricocheting around the booth, hitting the back wall, the rabbit cages, and then bouncing off somewhere into the fairgrounds.


    ¡°Do I get to try that again if I find it?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re bad at this,¡± Xac blinked at him, ¡°you done this before.  I am in amazement at the badness.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never done this before,¡± Alex said as he threw his next ring, much more gently this time, but still it hit with a clang and bounced off, ¡°Goddamn it!  I don¡¯t even want a rabbit I just want to do the thing!¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I think the secret is to like¡­  don¡¯t toss it, throw it like you¡¯re skippin a rock,¡± Xac said, flipped his wrist, and his ring went sailing, hit first one bottle, then bounced off several more.  He had a moment of hope, but it went skittering past the bottles and fell to the ground behind them.  ¡°Yeah I think that¡¯ll work.  I got closer than you did.¡±


    Alex threw his last ring, mimicking Xac, with the same result.


    ¡°This is bullshit,¡± he said.


    ¡°Go find the one you lost,¡± Kyrtarr told him, ¡°it has to be right close.¡±


    Xaxac tossed his second ring and watched it bounce.  It seemed like Kyrtarr was right, the bottles were too big for the rings to land on.  It might be possible to win if you dropped one down directly from above, so for his last throw he tried that, tossing gently in an arc, but the ring fell between the bottles.


    ¡°Well, that was a successful waste of money,¡± Agalon said cheerfully.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Kyrtarr called.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find it!¡± Alex lamented.


    Xaxac crouched to stare at the rabbit in the cage and the more he looked at it the more he realized Alex was right.  It was sick.  It wasn¡¯t just the teeth, it was also so thin it¡¯s skeleton was visible under the fur, and its eyes had pink, puffy skin around them.  This guy didn¡¯t take care of the animals at all.  They only existed for him to make money off of.  Xaxac thought he didn¡¯t like him very much.


    ¡°The holy texts say you¡¯re supposed to take care of animals,¡± Xac said to Agalon.  ¡°This¡¯in¡¯s really sick¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not sick,¡± The man said as if he had been insulted, ¡°Every prize animal I give is guaranteed to live a long, healthy life.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be picking up and packing off at the end of the week?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Following the rodeo circuit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the man said chipperly as Alex came running back clutching the ring.


    ¡°So it¡¯s likely that if one of your animals did die, the person you lied to wouldn¡¯t be able to find you.¡± Agalon said, then to Xac he added, ¡°That¡¯s how they get you.¡±


    ¡°Goddamn it!¡± Alex yelled as his ring skittered between the bottles.


    ¡°Better luck next time,¡± the man said, ¡°play again for just five copper!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Agalon put a hand on the small of Xac¡¯s back to lead him away, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xaxac watched the bunny in the cage, still lethargic and nervous, as the man slid it back with the rest of them and began to shout again.


    ¡°You can play some more games after we check in this morning,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to run drills¡­  probably should spend the day doing that.  I¡¯ll write Lee a pass and you can come explore if you want to.  Just be real careful.¡±


    ¡°Without you?¡± Xaxac asked.  That didn¡¯t make sense.  Why was Agalon guarding the fighters, paying for extra security, for elves to work guarding them, but he was willing to let Xac wander alone by himself where he could be easily stolen?


    ...was it because Billy was right?  Because the fighters made him money somehow?  Because they were important, but Xaxac was just another pretty little thing Agalon owned?


    Don¡¯t think too much.  Look pretty and smile.


    Agalon led them to what Xaxac thought was a stable, because it had the appearance and smell of one, but the inside was actually a wide open space lined with barred doors on both sides.  Lee was already there, standing beside an open door talking with Bobby, holding another piece of wood with a number of it, which he had slipped onto a ring of rope because he seemed to have accumulated a great many of them and needed to keep track of them.


    The fighters were out in the open space, along with a great number of other tall, bulky, rippling, muscled humans, laughing, talking and wrestling.


    Xaxac hadn¡¯t realized he had tightened his grip on Agalon¡¯s arm until they stopped walking and he almost kept going, but as soon as he did he loosened it.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be here at least until after lunch,¡± Agalon told Lee, ¡°Y¡¯all take some free time, but you stay right with him.  Every second.  Don¡¯t let him outta your sight.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lee said as if he had not expected this, ¡°Well, yeah, if¡­  if¡¯in you want.¡±


    Xaxac suspected he had more to say, but he didn¡¯t.  Agalon reached into his bag and produced the purse he had used before, took out a handful of coins, and handed them to Lee.


    ¡°Get y¡¯all somethin to eat,¡± he instructed, ¡°tell um Xac¡¯s a vegetarian.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Lee said and slipped the coins into his pocket.


    ¡°Here, let go a¡¯ me a minute, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac did, which freed Agalon up to use both hands.  ¡°I gotta write you a pass.¡±


    He reached into his bag again and came away with a thin book and a pencil, and he began to write.  Xac watched him making squiggles on the page in no discernable order, then he flipped it and made almost the same exact squiggles on the next page.  He tore them both out and handed one to Lee and the other to Xac.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose that,¡± Lee told Xaxac as he folded his own up and stuck it into his pocket with the money.


    ¡°Be back after lunch,¡± Agalon said, cupped Xac¡¯s face in both hands and kissed him on his forehead.  ¡°Run and have fun.  Don¡¯t get in no trouble.¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t have any pockets, so he turned to ask Alex what to do, but Alex had just received a similar piece of paper from his master, and he folded it up and stuck it in his boot, so Xac followed his example.  Alex giggled as Krytarr kissed him on the forehead.


    ¡°Come on, Xaxac,¡± Lee grabbed Xac by the wrist and tugged him along, pulling him out of the building, ¡°before he changes his mind.  He don¡¯t never do this.¡±


    ¡°We gotta wait on Alex and Bobby,¡± Xac said, dug his heels into the dirt, and Lee huffed when it became obvious he could not move him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doin,¡± Lee said, and Xaxac liked the look on his face, one he saw often where the genuine delight was trying to break through his grumpy mask, ¡°but he¡¯s got a helluva lot nicer since you started workin.¡±


    Xaxac wanted to listen to him, because he enjoyed being praised, but something caught his eye.  From his position they could see behind the booths and tents that had been set up, and he saw the tailor, Mrs Sambrees.  The last time Xaxac had seen her, she had been in mourning, but now she was huddled behind one of the tents, as if she was perhaps trying to hide, with another woman.  The other lady looked about her age, with short, cropped hair that had been dyed a honied brown and sparkling green eyes, and she was leaning much closer than Xac would have expected.  They were speaking in hushed whispers, and both broke out into a giggle, before the new lady pulled Mrs Sambrees in for a light, quick kiss.


    Xac was happy for her.


    He had liked her when he had met her, and he wanted her to be happy.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°We got free time,¡± Lee said as he led the group through the various games that had been set up, walking much too quickly for Xaxac¡¯s liking.  Xac suspected they were supposed to share the coins Agalon had given Lee, and he wanted to play some more.  Agalon had specifically said he could.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go watch the band!¡± Alex suggested and clapped his hands together, ¡°We can follow the music.  They¡¯re in one of the bigger tents!¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen a band,¡± Xac agreed, ¡°But I wanna play somethin else, first.  Let¡¯s play another game.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking we oughta see if we can¡¯t find somebody what can read,¡± Lee said and stopped at a large piece of wood he had been leading them to, at the very beginning of the midway and leading back out onto the proper street, ¡°I¡¯d bet my soul that this tells what all¡¯s goin on.¡±


    The sign was actually a collection of several smaller signs, all arranged pleasantly so that they overlapped and none of the wood underneath could be seen.  Some had pictures, but most only had the squiggles that Xac now knew was writing, and a great many of them had numbers arranged in a particular order; two numbers, then two dots stacked on top of each other, then two more numbers.  He stared at one poster in particular, with a picture of a horse on it, and the arrangement of numbers that read 10:00.


    There were several things that had the same numerical arrangement, and the more Xaxac stared, the more clear it became that they were counting up, beginning at six.


    Time.


    The sign was telling people what time things happened.


    ¡°The horses are at ten!¡± Xaxac said and pointed to the image.


    ¡°You want to watch the race?¡± Alex huffed, ¡°God, I hate the animal stuff.  I guarantee you the track smells like horseshit.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen a racehorse,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what they was ¡®til Lee told me.¡±


    ¡°I would watch a race,¡± Bobby said, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t rightly care what we do.  I¡¯m up for anything.  We might could even sit down for that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath,¡± Lee said, still staring at the sign as if he could somehow decipher it.


    ¡°I wanna watch the band!¡± Alex said again, and Xac thought his voice was bordering on a whine, ¡°I wanna see folks dance!  It¡¯s so pretty.  I love dancin¡­¡±


    ¡°We can do that right now,¡± Bobby said.


    ¡°And I want a corndog!¡± Alex continued and pointed at a vendor who had a bucket of hot oil over a grill and was selling what appeared, to Xaxac, to be cornbread on a stick.


    ¡°Does that have meat in it?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Yeah, honey, it¡¯s a sausage,¡± Alex said as he began walking toward the booth, apparently with no regard for whether or not he split the group up.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Lee snapped.


    ¡°I¡±m gettin a corndog,¡± Alex told him.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t got corndog money,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I am supposed to get him lunch,¡± Bobby said, ¡°but it¡¯s like nine in the mornin.¡±


    ¡°What about a funnel cake?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Can we get a funnel cake?¡±


    An older earth elven woman had been walking past as if she was looking for someone, just one of many people in the crowd, and looking as if she belonged to the ¡®dregs of society¡¯ that Xaxac had seen his first night in Basilglen.  But she paused at the sound of their conversation and stared at Alex as if she was making some kind of decision.


    Then she spoke, and she sounded her age, or as if she had just finished a cigarette.


    ¡°Hey kid,¡± she said to Alex, ¡°you want a corn dog?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Alex said because he had very clearly not expected to be addressed by a stranger.


    The woman reached into a bag at her hip, and when she came up she was holding a coin.  She flipped it in the air in such a way that it spun and Alex caught it with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± he said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the woman said, turned, and continued on her way.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I do have corndog money!¡± Alex exclaimed and held up the coin.


    Xac¡¯s eyes widened, and words came spilling from his mouth before he could catch himself.


    ¡°You gotta give that back!¡± he said, ¡°Ain¡¯t no way she meant to give that to you!¡±


    Because it was not a copper or even a silver piece, it was a gold piece, and it looked strange.  It still had a likeness of the empress¡¯s face, but the squiggles above and below it were different from the squiggles on the coins Agalon used.  But Xac knew that a gold piece was a lot of money, far more money than anyone would just give away out of the kindness of their heart.


    But the woman was gone.  She had been wearing a shorter cut workdress and a traveling cloak, and so was nearly every woman in the crowd.  They didn¡¯t know her name.  They would never find her.


    ¡°Give me that,¡± Bobby demanded and snatched it from Alex¡¯s hand, ¡°don¡¯t be wavin that around.  Askin to get robbed.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Alex stuck his own hand in Bobby¡¯s pocket, and the two of them began to wrestle, ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Bobby snapped, ¡°Quit actin a fool and shit!  You¡¯ll get us caught.  Here.  Put this in your boot.  You can¡¯t spend that unless we can find somebody to make change.  You can¡¯t buy a three copper corndog at nine in the mornin with a gold piece.  They¡¯ll just take it.  They ain¡¯t gonna have change.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much about money?¡± Xaxac asked, ¡°I ain¡¯t never had no money before.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin,¡± Bobby said, and Xaxac wondered why.  ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go watch the band.¡±


    Xaxac looked at Lee, but Lee was scanning the crowd, likely also looking for the mysterious woman who tossed fortunes to slaves.  Xac also thought it was odd that she called Alex a ¡®kid¡¯, when he was obviously at least sixteen, maybe even seventeen.  He was grown.  Maybe he was just so good at makeup he had learned how to make himself look even younger.


    Alex did tuck the coin into his boot, but while they followed along behind Bobby he fell into step beside Xac and took his hand.  Xac wrapped their fingers together and swung.


    They could hear the music before they arrived at the large, striped tent that apparently housed the band, and Xaxac took an instant liking to it.  It was impossible not to move in time with the beat, and Alex apparently agreed because he was swaying too.


    Inside the tent was a small stage, upon which stood a group of humans, which confused Xac, because he had expected elves, but they were giving it their all, playing some instruments he had seen before, but many that he had not.  He recognized the fiddle, piano, and the banjo, but the rest were new to him.  They were good at it though, and he swayed to the music.


    There were also benches arranged in a circle two deep, upon which sat a few earth elves, but the largest part of the tent was taken up by a group of dancers, who moved as one, as if they had rehearsed.  The sound of their boots hitting the floor echoed the percussion, and Xaxac realized that was a huge part of what he had been hearing outside.  They were all earth elves, and the most beautiful part of the entire scene was the way the women moved, the way their skirts flew with the rhythm of their bodies.


    This all happened behind a short gate that looked as if it could be taken apart and put together easily, and because it was made of several interlocking gates, Xaxac thought of it more as a gate, rather than a fence. They were all closed, but could be easily lifted or jumped.  But no one tried to get past them.  Instead, humans gathered around the gate in a crowd, watching the band and dancers, tapping their feet.  The space between the gate and the tent was narrow, and Xac wished it wasn¡¯t, or that there weren¡¯t so many people, because there was no room in the human section to dance.


    There were just too many humans.  Everywhere he had gone they had outnumbered the elves.  Seeing how they crowded the human section strengthened Xaxac¡¯s resolution not to have children.  There were already too many humans in the world.


    Earth elves who looked as though a bath would do them a great deal of good leaned against this gate on the elven side, stationed an equal distance apart, and the way they stood made Xac think that they were there to keep anyone from going in or out anywhere except the place some elves were going in, a gate that was open beside a long table, in front of which stood an elven man guarding a small box.  There was a sign on this table with numbers, but most of it was text which Xac could not read.


    ¡°Why are there so many people here so early?¡± Alex whined, and Xaxac wished he would stop finding something to complain about everywhere they went, so he tightened his grip on his hand until Alex let out a gasp of pain.


    ¡°Ow, what the hell?¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± Xac instructed, and followed Bobby into the throng of people.


    The song changed, and Xac was glad they would get to hear a new one from the beginning as the man on the fiddle began to sing.


    ¡°Well I wonder how the old folks are at home


    I wonder if they miss me while I roam


    I wonder if they pray


    For the boy who went away


    And left his dear old parents all alone.¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t understand the lyrics for a moment.  They made no sense with the upbeat tempo, with the way the dancers moved.  The band was too far away to see the man¡¯s face very well, especially because there were people in the way; Xac and his companions were not at the front of the crowd.


    ¡°You could hear the cattle lowing in the lane


    You could see the fields of blue grass where I''ve grown


    You could almost hear them cry


    As they kissed their boy goodbye


    Well I wonder how the old folks are at home.¡±


    Xac was sure that he was smiling.  Because that¡¯s what humans did.  You smiled.  You told them ¡®alright¡¯ and ¡®ok¡¯ and ¡®yes, master¡¯ and ¡®I love you¡¯ and you did everything that they said.


    But Xaxac really, really wished he could have seen his family before he left.  He wondered where they were, why they weren¡¯t coming to work.


    ¡°Just a village and a homestead on the farm


    And a mother''s love to shield you from all harm


    A mother''s love so true,


    A sweetheart that loves you


    A village and a homestead on the farm.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Xaxac followed Lee and Bobby, who had fallen into conversation with each other on the subject of music and how Lee apparently preferred older songs which told full stories to this new music, which seemed to him like whining, like nothing more than an outpouring of emotion.  Lee believed that young people complained and cried too much, and Xaxac had nothing to say to him, because he was right.  Xac had felt like crying several times during their time listening to the band play.  Maybe young people were just too emotional.  But he was trying, and he suspected everyone else his age was too.


    They walked through the midway again, and Xaxac longed to eat something from the many booths now that he could smell everything frying, though he wasn¡¯t hungry at all, and it felt as if they were walking much farther than he had anticipated.  They walked down the entire length of the midway, then past even the stables where the fighters were kept, and walked further still, beyond the backs of the tents, until Xac was sure they had gone completely out of town.


    ¡°Where are we goin?¡± He asked and realized he had been paying so much attention to his surroundings and so little to the conversation that it had made Lee justifiably angry because he had spoken over him.


    ¡°Did the middle a¡¯ my sentence interrupt the start of yours?¡± Lee asked him and Xac hung his head.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the track,¡± Lee said, ¡°You said you wanted to watch the race.  It¡¯s about time for it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xac said again.


    ¡°The problem with these youngun¡¯s today,¡± Lee said to Bobby, ¡°Is that they don¡¯t respect nothin¡¯.  They get real self-absorbed.¡±


    ¡°The problem with old folks,¡± Alex said, ¡°Is that they think they deserve to be respected even when they ain¡¯t done nothin¡¯.¡±


    Bobby giggled at this assertion, but Xaxac slumped and begged, ¡°Don¡¯t start a fight.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t, I¡¯m just tellin him that,¡± Alex defended.


    They rounded the last tent and came out onto a large field.  Xac could see the woods beyond it, but the field itself contained many wonders- Another ¡®fence¡¯ made of gates had been set up along the perimeter, then there was another round of benches, each higher than the one before it so that the elven spectators who sat there could see over the heads of those below them.  Some humans even sat with their masters, most clinging to them or smiling in a specific way that allowed Xaxac to identify their profession because he had seen it, and felt it, often, on himself.  Another series of booths were set up on one side, though there were no barkers this time, and there were long lines at each of them.


    Humans walked among the spectators shouting, ¡°Popcorn!  Get your popcorn!  Beer!¡±


    But this didn¡¯t particularly interest Xac, because he suspected it would have nothing to do with him.  He would be relegated to the outside of the outer fence, because the only humans who got past it, at another checkpoint guarded by another earth elf who reminded him very much of the ones in the tent with the band, were clinging to or following their masters.


    There was, once again, a huge crowd of humans around the perimeter of the outer gate, and because this spectacle was outdoors, they were not concentrated so closely together.  Many had brought blankets or spread their traveling cloaks out on the grass, and were sitting there in comfort to watch the race.  But, because they had come so close to the start of the race, space was still almost nonexistent near the front, and the few people who were standing close to the gate seemed rude to Xaxac, because they were obviously blocking someone¡¯s view.


    ¡°What are the booths for?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Gambling,¡± Lee explained, ¡°You can bet on which horse you think will win.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Xac smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s do that!  I¡¯ll bet we¡¯ll win!  I always been lucky!  I got two lucky rabbit feet!¡±


    Alex giggled, but Lee rolled his eyes.


    ¡°We can¡¯t bet, Xac,¡± Lee said, ¡°that¡¯s too complicated.  You can¡¯t just guess, you gotta be able to work out odds, do your figurin and readin and whatnot.  That¡¯s for elves.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s humans in line!¡± Xac pointed.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re placeholders,¡± Lee said as if Xaxac should have already known it, ¡°Remember how I stood in line for our master at the courthouse?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xac pouted.  That made sense, and he probably should have been able to figure it out on his own.


    ¡°Shoulda come sooner,¡± Bobby said as he sat down on the grass, ¡°No good spots left.  Can¡¯t see nothin out here.¡±


    ¡°At least we ain¡¯t gotta smell it,¡± Alex said as he sat and dragged Xac with him, then made a face and added, ¡°Some folk in the crowd could sure use a bath, though.  Some ¡®a these younguns look like they don¡¯t know what a cake a¡¯ soap is.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°You gotta be so mean all the time?¡± Xac asked him.


    ¡°Look at ¡®um,¡± Alex argued, ¡°them kids is filthy!  Half of um ain¡¯t wearin shoes- it¡¯s fall.  It¡¯s all gonna be mud an¡­  if your master can afford to bring you out to town you get a shoe ration.  Wash your children.  That¡¯s all I¡¯m sayin.  You knew you was goin somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Some folks is from Basilglen,¡± Bobby said, ¡°they didn¡¯t go nowhere.  They live here.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Alex argued, and sounded as if he meant to go on, but a man¡¯s voice rang out so loudly it overpowered him.  It was much louder than it should have been, than it could have been, and it came from many places at once. The unexpectedness of it made Xaxac jump, but when he actually looked he realized what had happened.


    The man stood in the middle of the field with a strange, cylindrical contraption, which he spoke into, and he held a stick that glowed green like Agalon¡¯s earrings.  The earth elves Xaxac had thought were security glowed as well, from different places like rings, earrings, or necklaces, and the man¡¯s voice spoke from the ground in front of them the same way Agalon spoke from the box of dirt when he talked to Lorsan and Xaxac.  The overall effect, all speaking at once, was almost unbearably loud.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± he proclaimed, ¡°The district qualifiers for the Urillian Derby will begin in five minutes, so place your bets now!  Horses and jockeys are approaching the starting line!¡±


    A cloud of confetti erupted, and Xaxac saw two elves open a gate for a crowd of humans on horseback.  This shocked him as well; he had been shocked many times today.  He had expected the riders to be elven, and seeing so many humans do so many things was opening his eyes a little.  He had always had a narrow view of humanity: there were field slaves and there were house slaves, and that was it.  He had never thought a human could play music or ride horses professionally.  But they could.  Like the fighters, it seemed that humans could do a great many things, for crowds, things he had never dreamed of.


    And the crowd seemed to love them.


    The announcer introduced each horse and rider by name, and one rider, in particular, seemed to be the favorite of the humans.  She stood in her stirrups when the announcer called, ¡°Jessica OfVenris and Thunderbolt!¡±


    She waved out to the crowd, and a section began to chant:


    ¡°Jess is the best


    Jess is the best!¡±


    Their enthusiasm was so contagious that Xaxac nearly joined them.  He knew nothing about racing, but he wanted desperately for her to win!  The crowd loved her, and she seemed to love them, and the energy was palpable and nourishing; he could feel it inside him, in his bones, in his soul.


    ¡°You reckon she¡¯ll make it next year?¡± Bobby asked Lee.


    ¡°Gettin too old for it,¡± Lee said, ¡°Gonna weigh down the horse.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± The loud man declared, ¡°The race will begin in three!  Two!  One!  And they¡¯re off!¡±


    The horses moved as one, and their hooves beat at the ground in a rhythm so fierce Xac thought he could feel it, rumbling underneath him.  Many of the people who had been sitting jumped to their feet, so he hopped up with them to be able to see.  He wanted Jess to win so badly.  He wanted her to prove that she wasn¡¯t too old for it, that no human was too old for anything, that it was impossible to age out of a job one was good at.


    The track was long, but they moved too quickly to catch most of the action.  To understand anything at all, one had to focus on a single steed and rider, so Xac focused on Jess.  She didn¡¯t ride as one normally did, with her back straight and her head high, as Xac and the other children had been trained to do on the plantation, she rode so that she was almost lying down, holding the saddle with her thighs so that her behind was not even touching it, leaning over Thunderbolt¡¯s head and perhaps even talking to him.


    They moved like a lightning bolt, but so did everyone else.


    The track curved, and Jess leaned into it, and it seemed as if she tried to veer in the direction of the curve as the herd began to move back in the direction of the starting line.  Xaxac couldn¡¯t have said who was going to win- it was all one crowd, almost a single body, a single organism.


    On this second round, going back in the opposite direction, things began to get even more competitive.  For the first time, riders began to fall behind as fatigue set in on their steeds, but not Thunderbolt.  Jess still leaned in, her grip on the reins relaxed, but still, the lead was too close to call, it still looked like a group to Xac.


    Even as they sprinted past the starting line and began to slow, eventually coming to a complete stop, Xaxac could not say who had won.


    Jess was smiling, though, and the loud man was absolutely glowing.  Xaxac watched a group of earth elves who had been standing at the line talking amongst themselves, then one of them broke off from the group and ran to the loud man, then handed him a piece of paper.


    ¡°And the qualifiers are: Silas OfElmaris and Rockey!  Betsy OfPerhana and Beauty! And Jessica OfVenris and Thunderbolt!  Join us tomorrow for another exciting day of racing as we continue the district qualifiers for the Urillian Derby!¡±


    ¡°That was so fast!¡± Xac said and wondered how he had gotten out of breath.


    ¡°Predictable,¡± Lee said as he stood and dusted himself off.


    The riders had dismounted and were leading their horses off the track, and the humans gathered around the gate where they had entered, and where they would be leaving.  The energy of the crowd was intoxicating, so Xac began to beg.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and meet them!¡± he said.


    ¡°No, Xac,¡± Lee said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get a bite to eat.  Alex was beggin for a corn dog.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t actually meet nobody noways,¡± Bobby explained, ¡°Too many folks in the crowd.¡±


    ¡°I think Xac¡¯s got a crush on Jess,¡± Alex said in a teasing sing-song voice, ¡°he had his eyes glued right to her.¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± Xac said, because he didn¡¯t.  He knew what arousal was, and he knew that Alex had to know it as well as he did.  What an odd thing to say.

 Chapter 24

    Xaxac munched happily on his funnel cake and let the sugar dance over his tongue. Pure, unfiltered sugar on top of pure grease! His teeth ached, but his tongue sang, and everyone else seemed just as happy with their cheap, deep fried, junk food.


    It had been a nice morning, all things considered. It was the kind of morning that he would have never even considered a year ago. He had done absolutely no work, been free to roam around the fairgrounds, and his biggest concern was trying to avoid getting grease stains on his expensive clothes. Alex was right, he had hit the jackpot. Most humans could only dream of the life he led. He was the personal pleasure slave to the Duke of the Agricultural District, and he was thankful. He would do anything to keep his position.


    He wished his sister was with him.


    Alley would love this place. She would have loved the music, the race, the games, the food. Fatty junk food was probably good for the baby; people were supposed to get fat while they were pregnant. She would love it here.


    ¡°I look for them both to qualify,¡± Lee was saying when Xac tuned back into the conversation, ¡°But if we¡¯re talkin plain, which I guess we are, wouldn¡¯t hurt my feelin¡¯s nary bit if they was to both lose and we could pack up early. Travelin¡¯s hard on me at my age.¡±


    ¡°Real competition is comin out of the Mountains of Death province,¡± Bobby said, ¡°They ain¡¯t got nothin to do up there but train. That¡¯s what they live on. Past four champions have come outta there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to go to Satra,¡± Lee lamented, ¡°But I bet there won¡¯t be no helpin it. But it¡¯s a long time comin. We got a good while. Whole woodlands trial is next. We might get cut out there. I hope we get cut out there. I don¡¯t reckon we¡¯ll have no more than two qualify for it.¡±


    ¡°Whole thing only exists so the elves got somethin to look at in the winter,¡± Bobby said, ¡°They get bored easy. They ain¡¯t the ones driving through the snow or the ones shovelin it.¡±


    ¡°I like elves,¡± Xac said, ¡°they been real good to me.¡±


    The conversation died as his companions looked around the fairground, at the crowd around them.


    ¡°We¡­ we all like elves, Xaxac,¡± Lee said with a tinge of fear in his voice that Xac didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Eat your food.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could bring more people,¡± Xac said, ¡°I wish I coulda brought Alley.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Alley?¡± Alex asked, ¡°Your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°My sister,¡± Xac murmered, because he was afraid someone would tell him he didn¡¯t have a sister.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no reason to bring a kitchen maid,¡± Lee said sensibly.


    ¡°I wish Jimmy didn¡¯t have to leave,¡± Xac said, ¡°Wish he could be there to see the baby born.¡±


    ¡°Eat your food,¡± Lee said again, and Xaxac realized that he needed to stop talking. He was making people nervous.


    The conversation died away for much longer than could be explained by a natural lul, and Xac wished he could heed the constant advice he got to keep his mouth shut. It was so strange; elves seemed to love him, but he felt like he didn¡¯t know how to talk to humans. He wished with all his heart that he could be like Jess. That crowd of humans shouted her name, looked up to her. She knew how to make people love her, and she hadn¡¯t said a word.


    ¡°Well,¡± Lee said as he tossed the stick from his corndog behind him and onto the ground, ¡°We oughta be gettin back. Master Agalon is expecting us after lunch.¡±


    He stood and dusted himself off.


    ¡°Wish we could get some coffee,¡± Xac said as he wadded up the paper that used to contain his funnel cake, ¡°It¡¯s got right cold, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t that cold,¡± Alex said as if Xaxac had said something foolish, ¡°It¡¯s fall. It ain¡¯t the dead a¡¯ winter.¡±


    He took Xac¡¯s hand again, and Xac stared down at it for a moment before Alex began to walk, following the group, tugging him along. The crowd had gotten much thicker in the midday, and Xac was glad to have someone to hold on to. He could imagine people getting lost in the thick of it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    When they entered the stable, Xac took in the scene before him.


    There were more fighters in the room than he had imagined existed. The entire place was taken up with them as they sat on the floor eating food on handkerchiefs; all huge and glistening with sweat in a way that made Xac think they had spent the morning working out. The sheer size of them corralled as they were in such great numbers, made that strange feeling come over him that he had stopped questioning. He and Alex were undoubtedly the weakest people in the room; small and cute and completely without magic they were dwarfed both by the fighters and by the elves, who were all sitting at a table together enjoying their lunch, talking and laughing.


    Lee and Bobby went back by the particular enclosure they had been standing by when Xac had arrived that morning, and Xaxac thought he was likely supposed to join them, but Alex didn¡¯t slow down at all and tugged him along towards the group at the table.


    He didn¡¯t release Xaxac until he was upon them, and then only to throw his arms around his master from behind.


    ¡°We¡¯re back, master!¡± he announced, though Xac thought this information should have been obvious from his actions.


    ¡°Didja have fun?¡± Kyrtarr asked him, and Alex slid into his lap.


    ¡°It was great!¡± Alex proclaimed, ¡°Thank you, master!¡±


    ¡°Afternoon, darlin,¡± Agalon smiled up at Xac, so Xac smiled back and slid into his lap as well, but he was overly aware of the way the conversation had died, of all the eyes on him, and he recognized one person at the table in particular. Shyrrik Loraxia was sitting across from Agalon, and his eyes were wide with fear.


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s eyes, Ky,¡± he said, ¡°The empress let you keep that thing?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t never in no danger of losing him,¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°he didn¡¯t hurt nobody. He didn¡¯t do anything. There wouldn¡¯t no complaints that could be filed. He¡¯s perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the shifter?¡± Another man asked, put down his fork, placed both hands on the table and leaned forward to stare at Xaxac. ¡°That¡¯s the shifter?¡±


    Xaxac looked at Alex and tried to read the emotion in his eyes. There was strength there. Alex wasn¡¯t afraid of him, and didn¡¯t want Xaxac to be afraid of himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be here a while if all your fighters qualify,¡± Shyrrik said, ¡°they decided you could take him out in public?¡±


    ¡°The moons won¡¯t be full while we¡¯re here,¡± Xac said as he wrapped his arms around Agalon¡¯s throat and tried to make himself as small and nonthreatening as he could.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be full on the way back!¡± Shyrrik argued, as if he thought Agalon had gone mad, ¡°You can¡¯t have this thing out in public!¡±


    ¡°I can do whatever I want with my humans!¡± Agalon said, ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt you! Love a¡¯ god, all he did was run around and dig a hole and y¡¯all out here actin scared to death! I swear I¡¯m about to write a book; call it, ¡®What I can¡¯t believe y¡¯all are out here doin¡¯. There ain¡¯t a damn thing wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°That thing was eight foot tall, teeth a foot long, claws on it-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a rabbit!¡± Agalon said, ¡°And I won¡¯t have you sit there and insult me by insinuatin I¡¯d put anybody in danger! I¡¯m the duke! I know how to keep my people safe! Shifters ain¡¯t necessarily dangerous! They¡¯re just humans!¡±


    ¡°Should I go back to the hotel?¡± Xac asked in a whisper, trying to make his eyes as big as he could.


    ¡°He ain¡¯t gonna run you off,¡± Agalon huffed, and it seemed he was right, because what he had said had apparently shut Shyrrik right up. Xaxac suspected that for a moment he had forgotten who he was talking to.


    ¡°To answer the question,¡± Agalon said much more calmly, ¡°Yeah, this here¡¯s my shifter. And he¡¯s real well behaved, ain¡¯t you darlin?¡±


    Xaxac nodded.


    ¡°And he¡¯s real soft,¡± Agalon bragged, ¡°feels like a rabbit. Pretty sure his hair¡¯s angora. You can touch it, if you want.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t bite,¡± Xac promised, and did not let his smile falter when he felt Agalon¡¯s grip tighten, just a little, ¡°I¡¯m really good. I swear! I wouldn¡¯t never wanna hurt nobody!¡±


    The elven man who had stood reached tentatively across the table and laid a hand in Xaxac¡¯s hair.


    His awe turned to a contented smile.


    ¡°Y¡¯all feel this,¡± he said, and Xac smiled with him.


    ¡°He¡¯s got them buck teeth!¡± another of the elves said as he, too, stood and came to stand within petting distance so he could run a hand through Xac¡¯s hair, ¡°He looks like a rabbit!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how anybody could be scared of him,¡± Kyrtarr said helpfully, ¡°Honestly, Shy, you know better¡¯n that.¡±


    ¡°Much as I¡¯d like to sit around showin him off,¡± Agalon chuckled, ¡°If I don¡¯t get movin somebody¡¯s gonna come after me. I got duke business to tend to. Somebody¡¯s gotta judge the critters and pies and whatnot.¡±


    Xac slid off his lap so that he could stand and immediately clung to his arm once he did.


    ¡°I reckon I¡¯ll see you gentlemen at sundown,¡± Agalon smiled his charming smile, and Xac tried to mimic it. As Agalon turned to walk away, Xac caught the bodyguards he had hired, standing near their group of fighters. The male, Aymar, was whispering something to his companion, and they were both staring at Xaxac.

 Chapter 25

    Xaxac spent the rest of the day in a whirlwind following along behind Agalon as he moved briskly from one activity to the next. Everyone seemed to be interested in his opinion, and Xac clung to him when he could, and when he couldn¡¯t he learned to stand silently with perfect posture, mimicking Lee¡¯s movements, which normally meant just standing up straight behind Agalon and the action somewhere with one hand folded in the small of his back and the other fisted over his heart.


    He didn¡¯t understand what he saw, and he didn¡¯t really understand why Agalon was needed for most of the things he did. He didn¡¯t really say much about any of the things he was supposed to be judging, he just walked around with a stack of papers attached to a piece of wood and made noises of approval or disapproval, while a rotating arrangement of other earth elves who seemed much more interested in each subject said things that he could make those noises in response to. As a result Xac found most of it as boring as Agalon seemed to. Animals were cute, but they were all posing in small cages and couldn¡¯t do much that would be of interest to anyone. None of the baked goods were offered to Xac, and would likely have made him sick. Nobody even ate any of the canned foods, they just picked them up, looked at them, shook them sometimes, and then talked amongst themselves.


    But then they entered a tent and Xac felt his heart soar.


    Rows upon rows of quilts and blankets were draped over display racks, and when Lee moved away to stand, as they had been doing, at a respectable distance, Xaxac stayed where he was, clinging to Agalon¡¯s side, and no one tried to move him. He was careful not to bother Agalon¡¯s free movement, so he could still glance at the papers in his hand, but Agalon still looked bored, and didn¡¯t seem as if he cared whether or not Xaxac stayed with him.


    Everything they looked at was beautiful, but Xaxac¡¯s eyes were drawn to one quilt in particular, in the middle of the exhibit.


    It was perfect, in a technical sense. None of the seams were visible, it was pleasingly and perfectly shaped with edges so straight Xaxac didn¡¯t understand how it had been done.


    But it was¡­ ugly.


    Someone had used their skill, their unquestionable skill, to form a creature that would haunt the dreams of those who were prone to nightmares. A creature stood in the middle of the quilt, while a war ranged on behind her full of intricately created soldiers that should not exist. There were Urillian soldiers, earth elves in the armor Xaxac was used to in a bright, matt green- but they were fighting creatures of every imaginable type. In particular, Xac¡¯s eyes were drawn to a tower, on top of which stood a man who was unmistakably human with his short ears and beard-


    Holding a mage staff.


    There were more humans on the battlefield, alongside elves with blue skin and hair the color of sea foam, and more monsters, like the one who took up most of the quilt.


    She was hideous; her form was nearly human, or perhaps nearly elven, except that she did not have two legs, but one long tail embroidered with shimmering scales. Her blue-grey skin was covered in growths that resembled tumors or, Xac believed because he perhaps did not have the maturity level he had thought he did, nutsacks. Her long green hair seemed to be made of seaweed, and under it more growths were visible on her deformed visage. Her eyes stared out in horror, like a fish out of water, and she stood with her hands outstretched; Xac could see the webbing between them stretching to the second digit.


    The juxtaposition of the artist¡¯s skill with the image they had decided to create made Xac feel emotions that he didn¡¯t understand. If someone had the ability to create something like that, why not bring beauty into the world? Why make it worse?


    ¡°Sakala again,¡± the elven woman Agalon was walking with said after she read a tag attached to the quilt, ¡°I don¡¯t know why anybody enters against her.¡±


    ¡°Pretty accurate for somebody who wouldn¡¯t there,¡± Agalon said, and with a chuckle added, ¡°finally an artist that didn¡¯t put Xandra in it. Wonder which one I am.¡±


    ¡°We gotta finish the rounds,¡± the woman said, ¡°at least put in an effort.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Agalon shrugged, ¡°there¡¯s still a run for second place.¡±


    Xaxac stood with his hands behind his back as Agalon read over the papers in front of him and glanced around the stable. Things were much more quiet now, and Xac rolled his eyes as Lee took his right hand by the wrist and guided it over his heart.


    ¡°I know how to do it!¡± Xac hissed.


    ¡°Watch your attitude,¡± Lee said, ¡°I swear, bein around Alex makes you worse.¡±


    ¡°I like Alex,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°Billy, you got me nervous,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You¡¯re slow, been slow all day.¡±


    ¡°Master, this ain¡¯t even worth worryin about,¡± Billy huffed, ¡°I can fly through-¡±


    ¡°I know you ain¡¯t worried about it!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°I can tell. You can¡¯t half-ass the preliminaries on account of you got a big head. Give um a show. Don¡¯t let your guard down. Just cause you can take a hit don¡¯t mean you need to. Don¡¯t get sloppy. You been sloppy all day.¡±


    Lee walked away from this conversation, and Xaxac wondered if he should follow him, because most of the humans were walking towards the door, but as he glanced around he saw there were a few, like himself, holding their positions, and their dress told him that they all had the same job, whereas the butlers were walking. So he stayed where he was and watched the sky turn orange over Lee¡¯s head.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He was starting to get hungry again and wondered when they would have dinner.


    The butlers began to jostle and move, but Xac couldn¡¯t see past them to see what they were doing, but whatever it was apparently Lee was the quickest at it, because he came hurrying back carrying two more wooden tokens, which Agalon took greedily.


    ¡°Alright boys,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Let¡¯s move out. Billy, Wyatt, come on, the rest of y¡¯all can watch if you can find anywhere.¡± He started to walk, quickly, toward the door, followed by Lee, Wyatt, and Billy, so Xac took off after them. As he jogged to catch up to Agalon so he could hang off his arm, he caught something- Billy was, uncharacteristically, smiling at him.


    He liked winning fights.


    He liked being famous.


    Xaxac thought he was finally in his element, finally happy, and smiled back at him before snuggling into Agalon¡¯s side. They walked around the tents and behind them, heading for the place where the horses had raced earlier in the day, but the field had changed. The outter gate was the same, and humans were sitting around on the grass, as they had before, but the inner gate¡­ the track had been replaced by more benches, and they were all full of earth elves. And in the middle of the track, where the loud man had been standing for the race, a tall metal fence had been erected with two gates on either side.


    Xaxac clung to Agalon as the group made their way not, as most of the earth elves were going, to sit down, but past the crowd and in through a gate guarded by another of the grizzly looking elves, past the benches, until they came to a small area behind one entrance of the cage. So many benches had been added that they pushed almost up to the cage, and the space between had a few people standing, milling around. Xaxac recognized two of them, the loud man from before and vet.


    Alex was sitting with his master on the bench closest to the place where Agalon stopped, near the cage, and he waved at Xac. Xac smiled and waved back as Agalon broke free from his grip and moved off to talk to the loud man and the vet, leaving Xac alone with the fighters.


    ¡°Slow,¡± Billy grumbled to Wyatt, ¡°he wants to run his mouth? This ain¡¯t nothin.¡±


    His attention was on the crowd, and Xac thought it might be the perfect time to try to mend their broken relationship.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re real fast,¡± Xac told him, ¡°put the fear a¡¯ god in me.¡± He put a hand over his heart and continued, ¡°Thought my heart was gonna beat outta my chest. Beatin real fast right now. I¡­ I¡¯m scared to death a¡¯ you.¡±


    Billy stared at him and he felt his heart speed up even more. He could not read the expression on his face.


    ¡°I bet you are,¡± Billy said, eventually.


    ¡°You¡¯re so strong,¡± Xac said, ¡°Did uh¡­ did they tell ya¡¯ you broke my arm? And ripped the muscles up?¡±


    ¡°Looks fine,¡± Billy said.


    ¡°I heal real fast,¡± Xac tried to smile, tried to will his body to stop shaking. ¡°I can¡­ I reckon I can heal from¡­ just about anything? On account a¡¯ I¡¯m a bunny. I mean, a shifter. I mean¡­ I can just¡­ just heal real quick. That¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    Billy nodded and Xac¡¯s heart soared.


    No witty retort, no moving to hit him, just a nod.


    Maybe everything was going to be alright. They would probably never be friends, but maybe everything would be alright.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± the loud man proclaimed, and Xac did not expect it, though he had remembered the echo, remembered just how loud it was, ¡°Welcome to the Regional Qualifiers for the Agricultural District, here at the Basilglen Arena, for the Human Cage Fighting League of the Urillian Empire! It¡¯s time for the first match of the season! Are you ready?¡±


    Agalon and Mr Loraxia stood to either side of him, and Xaxac didn¡¯t know how they stood it. The holy texts said elves heard better than humans with their long ears, and the man was making his tiny human ears ring.


    He thought nothing could be louder, but he was wrong.


    The crowd erupted in a cheer that shook the arena.


    ¡°I said, ¡®Are you ready?¡¯!¡± the man repeated, and the second cheer was somehow even louder.


    ¡°On this side, we¡¯ve got our esteemed leader, Duke Kailu Agalon!¡±


    Agalon stepped forward and held up his hand, which seemed to greatly please the crowd.


    ¡°And on this side, we¡¯ve got the leader of the district¡¯s merchant¡¯s guild, Mister Shyrrik Loraxia!¡±


    Shyrrik stepped forward and gave his own little wave while Agalon smirked at him. Once the cheering died down they turned to face each other and shook hands in a strange way, grabbing each other by the wrists. They said something that Xaxac could not hear, because his ears were still ringing from all the noise, then turned and began walking back towards their slaves.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Billy,¡± Agalon said as he walked to the gate and opened it.


    ¡°In this corner,¡± the man announced, ¡°William ¡®Billy the Bull¡¯ OfAgalon!¡±


    Billy raced into the cage and threw his arms into the air, and the crowd did not just cheer this time. They were just as loud, but it was a more coordinated response. They stomped their feet and screamed, and Xaxac understood what they were trying to do instantly; they were mimicking a stampede.


    And their screaming was not, as it had been before, incoherent. Instead, they chanted: ¡°Ol¨¨ Bil-ley, Ol¨¨ Bil-ley!¡±


    The sound of their voices, along with the stomping and clapping, all in one rhythm, all in one voice froze Xaxac to the spot. He did not hear what the loud man said next, did not hear the introduction of the next fighter, because he was mesmerized. He was hypnotized, with his eyes trained on the crowd. Some of the earth elves had stood; some had signs that he could not read, but others had signs that depicted drawings of bulls.


    They loved him.


    The crowd loved Billy.


    And it was infectious.


    Xaxac did not realize he had been clapping his hands in time with the crowd, but he made a conscious decision to open his mouth and chant.


    ¡°Ol¨¨ Bil-ley, Ol¨¨ Bil-ley!¡±

 Chapter 26

    Billy and the other man, Barry, stood in the cage, and Xaxac felt what it was like to be part of a crowd. The cheering, the stomping, the energy moved through him, and despite what Lee had said, despite not knowing the rules of the game or what had to be done to win, he knew that Billy could do it, he wanted Billy to do it, and if he did, it would give Xac a sense of pride for reasons that he could not begin to understand.


    A bell rang out, and both men began to pace, watching each other intently as the crowd seemed to calm a little. But the sudden lack of energy meant something too, and Xac felt the tension climbing within him until he couldn¡¯t stand it and moved closer, beside Agalon, to grab the cage from the side and watch to see what would happen.


    ¡°Keep your hands up!¡± Agalon demanded as if he shouldn¡¯t have to say it, ¡°the hell are you doing? You¡¯re wide open!¡±


    But Billy didn¡¯t put his hands up. He didn¡¯t seem at all afraid that he might get hit, and it confused Xaxac. Agalon was right, he was very likely to get hit in the face, and Xac knew from first hand experience how badly that could hurt.


    He thought, for a moment, that they were just going to pace-


    But Agalon had gone mad if he thought Billy was slow.


    He took off at a sprint with no provocation, and Xac thought there was no way that Barry could have predicted it, but somehow he did. He planted his feet and hunkered down, and Xac suddenly understood what Billy had tried to do with the charge. If he had hit in the torso it would have knocked Barry off his feet, but Barry had predicted it, so instead they both went down and began to grapple, tossing and turning through the field until they were both covered in grass and dirt, and Xac did not understand why he was screaming.


    ¡°Get on top of him!¡± he shrieked, and that seemed to be the consensus from the crowd as well, but he knew so little about combat that he could not have said with certainty whether or not this was good advice, it just seemed practical.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Agalon snapped.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Xaxac echoed, because Agalon was probably right.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him up!¡± Shyrrik screamed from his side, and Xaxac remembered he existed. He had forgotten.


    ¡°Dumbass,¡± Agalon snarled and screamed, ¡°Get up now! Don¡¯t stay down!¡±


    Xaxac wished he knew how the fight was won, because as it was, he had a lot of energy and no idea what to do with it.


    Then suddenly Billy was on top, and Xac watched as he wrapped his hands around Barry¡¯s throat, brought his torso up, and slammed the back of his head into the ground.


    Xac was close enough to hear the crunch.


    There was something wrong with him.


    That noise should have turned his stomach; it should have sent a wave of fear through his body from his brain to his extremities; he should have known, in his soul, that this was a very bad thing.


    But the crowd screamed and began to chant, and Xac felt a spring pooling in his gut and his pants, and he was close enough to see the way Billy¡¯s eyes looked, and for the first time he truly understood what the elves meant when they called humans animals.


    ¡°Whoop his ass!¡± Xac yelled, ¡°Fuckin kill him!¡±


    Barry was dazed, but like most living things, he did not want to die. It was possible his vision swam from the head wound, and that is why none of the punches he tried to throw to his opponent¡¯s head landed as Billy slammed him into the grass again and again until there was no grass, until each slam sent up a wave of dust.


    Xac took in everything as if time had slowed, and he had to admire what he saw. Billy knew exactly what he was doing, and Xaxac tried to understand every detail. The way he had pinned him was brilliant- he wasn¡¯t sitting on his torso, as Xac had originally thought, but on his thighs- that meant Barry couldn¡¯t knee him in the back, and Billy kept moving, slamming with his torso from the waist up, not just his arms, so that he became a moving target and much more difficult to hit.


    Not that he wasn¡¯t being hit.


    He was, just not in the face, and Xac thought he understood that, too. Barry was smashing Billy¡¯s torso with both fists, so hard Xac already saw bruises forming, and he suspected that by tomorrow Billy would be swollen, sore, useless- but right now? Right now the broken blood pooling below his flesh looked strangely beautiful, earned, and the way he ignored it, as if he couldn¡¯t feel it, as if it didn¡¯t matter, made him seem like a god.


    ¡°You fuck with the bull!¡± Billy screamed, loud enough for the crowd to hear, ¡°You get the horns!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The crowd erupted at this, and Xaxac joined them.


    Billy had let go of Barry¡¯s throat to make this proclamation, which Xac thought was a tactical error, especially after Billy hopped to his feet, as if he was in no pain, as if his injuries meant nothing. But Barry didn¡¯t get up, he was too dazed from the head wound to move as quickly, and by the time he had staggered up on his elbows, Billy had turned, hopped, and jumped.


    He slammed down with his full body weight onto Barry¡¯s stomach, landing hard on both elbows, and Xac saw blood as Barry turned to vomit.


    His hair was matted with it, and there was something wrong inside of him.


    There was also something wrong with Xaxac, because he should know this was wrong. He should not be enjoying this. Billy was right, he had nothing to worry about. This was not a fight. This was a bloodbath.


    Before Barry could make it to his feet, convulsing and shaken as he was, Billy bent at the knees and grabbed him, one hand on the throat and the other on the groin, and Xac remembered when Billy had grabbed him by the leg- he had enough time to realize what was going to happen before it did. Billy lifted the man, easily four times Xac¡¯s weight, raised him above his head, and threw him hard onto the ground, right on his back.


    Xac had landed on his shoulder and broken it, shattered his arm, messed up the socket- Barry had landed on his back.


    Xac shrieked along with the crowd, and began to chant, cupping his hands around his mouth in the hopes that Billy would hear him, in particular.


    ¡°Ol¨¨ Bil-ley, Ol¨¨ Bil-ley!¡±


    ¡°Get up!¡± Shyrrik demanded, ¡°Get up, now!¡±


    ¡°Stay down.¡± Billy commanded, and Xac knew that it was not meant for the crowd. It wasn¡¯t even meant for him. It was meant for Barry, and Barry alone. ¡°Stay down or die.¡±


    The loud man began to count, but Xaxac did not process the numbers in any meaningful way. He heard but did not understand Barry¡¯s master screaming at him to get up. He only smelled the blood and sweat, the metal of the cage, and he could not take his eyes off of Billy. He exuded the kind of confidence that was intimidating and comforting all at once, the kind that Xaxac had never seen on a human. In that moment, in front of that crowd chanting his name, Billy was the most powerful person in the arena, maybe even more powerful than the elves. He didn¡¯t feel pain. He didn¡¯t feel fear. And covered in sweat, filth, and the blood of his opponent he was so beautiful Xaxac thought the desire would physically hurt him, would rip him apart from the inside out.


    ¡°The winner!¡± The loud man proclaimed, ¡°William, ¡®Billy the Bull¡¯ OfAgalon!¡±


    Xac thought he screamed louder than anyone else, because he was sure Billy saw him as he posed, looking so happy for the first time, all teeth and shining eyes with his bright smile as he threw both arms into the air. He had been looking at the crowd, but he turned for the gate, and they locked eyes, and Xac knew he saw genuine warmth, genuine joy there.


    ¡°He was slow,¡± Agalon said as he opened the gate and walked into the cage to the delight of the crowd.


    Billy walked out with him, but Barry had to be dragged out. His master didn¡¯t try to do it himself; he might have scried someone, or maybe just motioned, but two earth elves dressed like the soldiers Agalon had hired pulled Barry from the cage. Xaxac only saw them from his peripheral; his eyes were glued to Billy, and as soon as he was through the gate, Xac turned and lept into his arms, wrapped his legs around his torso and his arms around his neck, and began to beg.


    ¡°Aggie, please, please, please, please,¡± he repeated on a loop, and Billy laughed, pried him away, and threw him over his shoulder.


    ¡°Put him down,¡± Agalon ordered, ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re next, Billy, give me my pleasure slave and go back to see the vet. I¡¯m a medic and I can see broken ribs.¡±


    ¡°Please please please please,¡± Xaxac begged, ¡°please Aggie, please let me-¡±


    ¡°Xac hush,¡± Agalon said with his face scrunched up in confusion, and Xaxac didn¡¯t even care that he had used his name.


    ¡°Please!¡± Xac begged in frustration, ¡°You said I could fuck um if they win, please, Thesis above please-¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, whatever,¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°Fine, take him with you. But we¡¯re-¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s ready for our next match!?¡± The loud man asked, and the crowd erupted.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Agalon snarled, glanced to the place he was supposed to be walking to and snapped his fingers, ¡°Lee, go with them! Watch them like a hawk!¡±


    ¡°Yes master,¡± Lee sighed as if he was being asked to perform some kind of chore, but Xaxac didn¡¯t care. He cared about very little.


    ¡°Oh my god, that was amazing,¡± he said as Billy carried him with seemingly no effort, ¡°Holy shit you killed him. You killed him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the preliminaries, you pretty little thing,¡± Billy chuckled, ¡°You ain¡¯t seen nothin yet.¡±


    ¡°Are your bones broke?¡± Xac asked, aware that he was being controlled by some sort of mania he didn¡¯t understand, the same kind that had come over him the first time he had seen the fighters train, ¡°How are you walkin? How are you carryin me? Broke bones hurt so bad, oh my god, are you immortal? How do you not care? How!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re babblin,¡± Billy laughed, and it held genuine mirth, and Xaxac loved the sound of it.


    ¡°Just fuck me!¡± Xac demanded, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it!¡±


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Lee admonished, ¡°I know you¡¯re a pleasure slave, but¡­ Thesis¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with me!¡± Xac snarled at him, angry that he had tried to break through the cloud he was riding.


    ¡°Leave him alone, butler,¡± Billy said, and Xac saw fear flash ever so briefly over Lee¡¯s eyes as Billy carried him into the stable where the fighters were staying.

 Chapter 27

    The stables were mostly deserted by the time they arrived, and had Xaxac been in his right mind, he could have learned a great many things by the absence of so many people. He could probably have put together the fact that the rest of the fighters had gone to watch the match and the soldiers Agalon had hired had gone with them. He could have suspected that the fighters Agalon didn¡¯t own had matches of their own tonight, and were being kept closer to the arena. He could have figured out that the other earth elves had gone to the arena in preparation for their own event, as the owners of the fighters, or to place bets in the booths that he had seen at the horse races, which had still been up and functioning at the arena.


    But he didn¡¯t think about any of that, because he was busy giving in to madness and didn¡¯t really think about much of anything. He elected instead to live in a world of sensation, and if rational thought and logic were to be let in at all, it would be on the periphery as something to be dealt with once he had cured the madness. He had felt it enough, now, to recognize it, and he knew what it was and how to cure it, so as they entered the place they were meant to be, he began to wiggle.


    ¡°Where are we goin?¡± he asked, ¡°This place is filthy!¡±


    He giggled and wondered why that appealed to him. He didn¡¯t like filth. He should want to go back to his room, or the bathhouse. Surely that would be better, wouldn¡¯t it?


    But his skin was so sensitive it had broken out into goosebumps, and his dick was so hard it was starting to hurt.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± he demanded because he could not stop himself, ¡°Put me down and fuck me! God, damn, that was crazy- god you got- holy hell you got his blood on you- you got blood on my clothes- I gotta get these clothes off I can¡¯t fuckin breath in um.¡±


    ¡°Put the pleasure slave down, god love,¡± a voice rang out and Xac recognized it and tried to turn around to glare at the vet for interrupting him and standing between him and what he wanted, but he was still thrown over Billy¡¯s shoulder and could not accomplish that goal without breaking his spine.


    Billy lowered him to the ground, and Xac giggled in his mania, and ran his hands gently over the bruises that had formed on Billy¡¯s bare torso.


    ¡°How are you not doubled over?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Billy hissed, ¡°That hurts.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xac said and tried to will himself to stop touching him, but found that he could not.


    Wait- he really couldn¡¯t.


    He couldn¡¯t control his hands.


    He couldn¡¯t stop touching him.


    That wasn¡¯t... good.


    He should be able to control his body.


    He should be able to control his body.


    Why couldn¡¯t he control his own hands?


    Why did no one care that he couldn¡¯t control his own hands?


    No one was stopping him, no one was concerned; surely someone should care, shouldn¡¯t they?


    Was he just allowed to do whatever he wanted? Was no one ever going to stop him again? Even Agalon hadn¡¯t stopped him. That was funny. That was one of the funniest things he had ever seen. It wasn¡¯t even that funny. Why was he laughing? Why couldn¡¯t he stop moving his hands? His dick was aching in his pants and the fire in his gut was starting to burn so badly his lower body was tingling.


    And he couldn¡¯t stop laughing.


    Billy grabbed his wrist and jerked him away.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± he said, ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, sorry,¡± Xac repeated, and the word didn¡¯t mean anything, it was a chant, more spiritual than practical, and he wrapped both arms around himself and doubled over a little in an attempt to contain the madness.


    Why did no one care that he was going crazy?


    Lee was looking at him as if he was worried, but he wasn¡¯t doing anything. Had he seen this before? On someone else?


    ¡°You can¡¯t really set ribs¡­¡± The vet was saying, but Xaxac wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    ¡°Drink this potion,¡± He continued and Xac felt the fabric at his shoulders rip. When was the last time he had cut his nails? He hadn¡¯t cut his nails since he had come to stay with Agalon. Alex had long nails so Xac thought pleasure slaves were supposed to. He needed to stop digging his fingers into his shoulders. Agalon was going to be mad he had ripped his shirt, and Sakala was a genius who had designed and made it just for him. He respected Sakala. He wanted to feel bad for destroying something she had made.


    But he couldn¡¯t.


    He couldn¡¯t feel anything except the madness.


    ¡°Smoke this pipe of opium and drink plenty of water before you celebrate,¡± the vet continued, but then he dropped the pipe so that Billy had to scramble to catch it, and his eyes shot open in alarm, ¡°Thesis¡¯s shimmering soul, Shykrr! Don¡¯t move him!¡±


    Billy turned, handed Lee the pipe, and picked Xac up again to toss him back over his shoulder.


    ¡°It might be better not to throw him around like that,¡± Lee said, ¡°he can walk and you got another match tomorrow. Vet¡¯s right, sit down and let that potion kick in and smoke this. I got matches.¡±


    ¡°In a minute,¡± Billy said, and Xaxac loved how animalistic his voice was, how gravely, how much like a growl, ¡°I¡¯m takin my reward first. Before Wyatt¡¯s match is over and I gotta share.¡±


    Xac cackled as Billy threw him hard onto a pile of hay in the corner of the room. There was a small window, but night had fully fallen and the torches from the carnival only provided scant, flickering light. Lee stood in the doorway, silhouetted, blocking most of the light from the rest of the stable. Xac¡¯s world had narrowed to Billy towering above him, still coated in grass and dirt that clung to the sweat of his body, the sweat Xac could smell and should have been repulsed by. But he wasn¡¯t. It only fueled his madness.


    ¡°Fuck me!¡± Xac demanded, propped himself up on his elbows, spread his legs and clawed at the air between them. It did not occur to him that he should follow Billy¡¯s lead and get undressed, because he had apparently lost his mind completely.


    ¡°I like this one,¡± Billy laughed, knelt between Xac¡¯s open legs, grabbed his pants at the waistband with both hands and jerked in opposite directions so hard a ripping sound filled the room.


    ¡°No!¡± Lee snapped, slammed the pipe down on a shelf, and marched over to them, ¡°Don¡¯t- by Thesis you done broke them all to hell, the Master¡¯s gonna tear his ass. Xac take that travelin cloak off. Take it off NOW. Give it to me.¡±


    He knelt to untie it himself and rage flashed over his eyes when he saw what Xaxac had done to the shirt he wore under it.


    ¡°How¡¯d you even do that!?¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Get it and go!¡± Billy told him, ¡°Get outta here!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lee said, in what Xac would have considered an act of bravery if he didn¡¯t also want him to leave, ¡°I¡¯m going to watch him. You fighters are too rough with the pleasure slaves. Last one had to recover for a week after every gig.¡±


    ¡°I heal!¡± Xac argued with venom in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re a child!¡± Lee screamed, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! Your mama would-¡±


    Something came over his face, as if he had said something he wasn¡¯t supposed to and instantly regretted it.


    ¡°My mama told me to be good and do what I was told!¡± Xac snarled, ¡°Now go away!¡±


    Lee quietly stood, folding the cloak until he could hug it to his chest, and walked back to stand by the shelf where he had set the pipe.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Billy shrugged, ¡°you can watch.¡±


    Xac giggled and arched his back off the floor so Billy could slide his pants down without having to destroy them any further, but Billy did not take advantage of his actions. Instead he pulled again, and Xac felt the seam at the crotch tear completely, front to back, with the sound of the ripping. He loved the sound, and found himself laughing again.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t an expert,¡± Lee said without as much authority as he had believed himself to have a moment earlier, ¡°But don¡¯t you need some kind¡¯a oil or-¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I heal!¡± Xac shrieked, spread his legs, and smiled when Billy grabbed him so hard by the hip he knew he would bruise. They would both be bruised. They would match.


    But it hurt.


    It was the kind of pain Agalon had always warned him about; he finally understood what he had meant as Billy slammed inside of him, forging a path for himself with no regard for any resistance he was met with. Xac screamed and tried to find something to ground himself to, but there was nothing under him but hay, and he burrowed through it instead of finding any solid foundation.


    Pain was supposed to be bad.


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    He had felt something inside of him tear, and he knew he was bleeding, and he should be upset.


    But Billy was so much thicker than Agalon, and he didn¡¯t have to move to hit that spot inside of him; he filled him so completely it ached, stretched, burned, and felt so much better than he thought anything could feel, and those sensations were so incompatible that they mixed together with his madness, and he rode an edge of pleasure and pain that sent bolts of electricity shooting up and down his spine so fierce he could not contain them and began to scream.


    ¡°I thought you were a whore,¡± Billy said, ¡°how are you this tight? Kai can¡¯t have much, can he?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Thank god you¡¯re pretty,¡± Billy snarled, ¡°You¡¯re so goddamn stupid. If you couldn¡¯t do this, you couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°God, you¡¯re so big,¡± Xac said, because he couldn¡¯t follow the conversation, and that bit of information seemed the most important to get across. ¡°Wanna see me cum without touchin my dick?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do,¡± Billy pulled Xac¡¯s legs up by the thighs and pressed down, bending him in half so that he had to arch his hips off the ground of break his back, and the new angle allowed him to go even deeper, to hit even harder, and Xaxac reached up to dig his nails into his shoulders.


    ¡°Flexible,¡± Billy laughed, ¡°You heal, little rabbit?¡±


    Xac thought he understood the question, but he had forgotten how to produce language himself, and could not answer.


    ¡°What if I break your fuckin back?¡± Billy asked, ¡°You heal from that?¡±


    Normally when Xaxac was in the state he was in, floating in sensation, no one expected him to answer questions, so he was confused when Billy let go of his leg to slap him full across the face.


    ¡°Answer me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked as the pain radiated from his jaw, and once again he did not understand why he liked it. None of his teeth came loose that time.


    ¡°How bad do I have to break you?¡± Billy asked, ¡°Before you can¡¯t heal from it?¡±


    ¡°Oh god,¡± Xac said, not in response to his question, but because the bolts were getting too close together, and he knew what it meant. And Billy had no intention of slowing down; if anything, he picked up the pace.


    ¡°That boy they put against me?¡± Billy hissed, ¡°He ain¡¯t gettin back up. He ain¡¯t never gonna walk again. I destroyed him. I mighta killed him. I killed folks before, little bunny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna cum!¡± Xac said, because Billy had left a gap in the conversation, as if he wanted to hear some sort of response, and that was the only phrase Xac could remember how to say.


    The mania reached a crescendo as he tightened his grip; every muscle in his body spasmed, his ears rang, and he saw white.


    Then reality crashed into him, all at once and with great force, and he opened his eyes.


    It was dark.


    His clothes were torn.


    He was lying on itchy, dirty hay.


    Billy was still inside of him, but now he wasn¡¯t an immortal, beautiful god who could feel no pain and feared no death.


    Now he was a madman, an animal staring down at Xac with an emotion in his eyes that Xac¡¯s human brain could not place, but the bunny inside of him recognized instantly:


    That¡¯s a predator, little bunny, and he is going to eat you. Fight, flight, or freeze.


    But it was wrong. He was fine. He could heal.


    ¡°How bad do I have to break you?¡± Billy asked again, and Xac felt all the pain he had not registered before as Billy kept up his frantic pace, ¡°How bad do I have to break you to hurt you?¡±


    ¡°I,¡± Xac panted, ¡°That actually hurts pretty bad right now¡­ that ain¡¯t¡­ great¡­ Can we get some lube or¡­ some-¡±


    He had tried to push himself up onto his elbows, had lowered his legs to the floor as he spoke, but suddenly he could not speak, because he could not breathe.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Alex said chipperly, but Xac could not see him, and did not understand what he said when he spoke, ¡°Wyatt¡¯s match is over, but I done asked if I couldn¡¯t come on, on account¡¯a I thought Xac might-¡±


    His words faded away, as if Xaxac had gone underwater.


    The whole world was underwater.


    He was underwater, but it was strange. It wasn¡¯t regular water, it was green, and he was standing up, but the water only flowed inside the glass. Was he behind a window?


    Billy picked Xac up by the throat and twisted them in a calculated move.


    When he slammed Xac¡¯s head into the floor he wanted it to hit wood, not straw.


    He didn¡¯t recognize the room on the other side of the glass. It wasn¡¯t a regular room, it was too beautiful, too perfect, like the man standing in it. He had never seen a man so beautiful before, not even Morgani, though this man did look an awfully lot like Morgani.


    There was a sickening crack as Xac¡¯s head hit the wood, and Billy asked again, ¡°How bad do I have to break you, before it hurts you?¡±


    ¡°William!¡± Lee snapped.


    He should not be in this water. If he could get out of the water, he would be fine. There was something wrong with the water. He turned his head to the side and saw the others; the rest of the tribe. They were not awake, but he had always been a little manic, a little faster, always been the scout, so that made sense. It was possible the beautiful man did not know he was awake.


    The floorboards rattled, and there were splinters mingling with the blood in Xac¡¯s beautiful hair.


    He put his hands on the side of the tube and looked down. He was naked, like the rest of them, and this was going to hurt.


    He took a deep breath and wondered why he could breathe underwater.


    Then kicked as hard as he could.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurtin him!¡± Alex begged, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get the vet!¡±


    The glass cracked, then shattered, and a voice said something in a language he did not understand, but he kept kicking, and the beautiful man turned around as he spilled, like the liquid, from the tube, and stood on shaking, bloody legs.


    ¡°Where the hell is Morgani!?¡± He shouted, ¡°You think you can do whatever you want with us? Because you¡¯re bigger? Because you¡¯re stronger? My name is Quizlivan Brigaddon! And I won¡¯t let you kill my friends!¡±


    Xaxac opened his eyes and saw the blood on the floor, behind him. Why could he see behind him? Everything was much flatter than it should be, but he could see more of it. Hadn¡¯t it been dark before? It didn¡¯t seem as dark anymore.


    There was a predator on top of him, and it was trying to kill him, trying to snap his neck so it could kill him.


    So Xaxac did what any pinned rabbit would do.


    He screamed to alert the rest of the warren, then kicked up with his strong back legs, with claws that were meant to burrow through soil and stone, and he tore through the flesh of the predator easily.


    The predator could not scream himself, because he was busy staggering on his knees and trying to scoop up the intestines that spilled out of the wound and put them back inside his body.


    Xaxac rolled out of harm¡¯s way and onto his legs, then hopped to put some distance between himself and the predator. He had to tell the rest of the warren. He had to tell-


    Alex and Lee.


    Alex and Lee stood by the wall, as if they were too afraid to move. But that was ok, because Xac was brave, he could be brave enough for the whole warren if he had to, so he stood tall on his back legs and sniffed the air. There was blood, human blood, and there was more of it in the big room outside. There was urine, some of it from the warren, but much of it from outsiders. Competition? Predators?


    Most of it was human.


    All of it was male.


    There was blood on him, predator blood. The rest of the warren would be scared of it, so he had to clean it off. He hated the taste, but he had to groom or they would be afraid. So he ran his hands over it, scooping as much as he could off of his fur, and began to lick it away. He wished he had water. He would rather have water.


    It tasted so bad.


    He sniffed the air again.


    There was hay. He could eat the hay to get the taste out of his mouth.


    But there was a predator on the hay.


    But it wasn¡¯t moving.


    He crouched and took one tentative hop towards the hay.


    The predator did not move.


    So he took another, and he was upon it, so he began to eat.


    ¡°I literally pissed myself,¡± Alex whispered frantically, ¡°I¡­ I come to¡­ I thought¡­ the moon¡¯s ain¡¯t full. The moons ain¡¯t full¡­ I can¡¯t move. I can¡¯t move, Lee. Lee, help me. Help me.¡±


    ¡°Stand right there,¡± Lee demanded, ¡°Don¡¯t let nobody-¡±


    But there were already people in the doorway.


    The vet stuck his head inside, and Shyrrik huddled behind him.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± the vet said.


    ¡°I¡¯m goin after Master Agalon,¡± Lee begged the vet, ¡°Don¡¯t do nothin!¡±


    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Alex asked, and would have pointed to Billy, had he not been frozen to the spot, but he could be reasonably sure that the vet took his meaning, regardless.


    The vet made no response to his inquiry. Instead, the door to the stall slammed shut, and Alex heard a lock click into place.


    The monster must have heard it as well, because it turned its head to the door, sat back on its haunches, and sniffed the air.


    ¡°Alex,¡± it asked, and the strange eyes, too big in their sockets, held real intelligence as they focused on him, ¡°We got any water?¡±

 Chapter 28

    Alex felt himself swooning; he began to float away but clung tenaciously to his body.


    ¡°No, darlin,¡± he said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t reckon.¡±


    The monster turned towards him with its whole body, sat up and sniffed the air again, then made a face, glanced at Billy, then down at its torso. It licked its hands and ran them through its fur, and Alex backed until he hit the wall.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s ok!¡± the monster- Xaxac?- said. ¡°It¡¯s ok! No blood! We¡¯re safe! It¡¯s ok!¡±


    It covered the distance between them in one hop, smiled, and licked a stripe from the neckline of Alex¡¯s shirt to his jaw.


    ¡°Let me in!¡± Agalon demanded, ¡°Give me the goddamn key!¡±


    ¡°Aggie!¡± Xac called happily.


    The door rattled and Xaxac hunkered down between Alex and whatever may lay beyond it. Aggie was afraid, and his fear came off of him in pheromones that permeated the air. Xaxac didn¡¯t know what he was afraid of, but he was so big and strong, he was magic, and he should never be afraid. If Agalon was afraid of something the rest of the warren had no chance against it. They would have to run.


    He glanced at Alex, and he had not calmed down at all. Alex was even more scared than Agalon was; his fear was so thick Xac could have choked on it. He didn¡¯t think Alex could even run. He would have to carry him.


    The door flew open and Agalon froze.


    His heart skipped a beat as he stared at Xaxac, then he held a hand up, behind him, and Xaxac saw the others huddled there, in the safety of the doorway. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything out there worth being afraid of.


    Agalon slowly moved his eyes instead of his whole head, and Xaxac appreciated it. He didn¡¯t want to make any sudden movements, didn¡¯t want to scare Xac and Alex while they were already so afraid. He was trying to hide his own fear, because he was the alpha buck, and he was trying to take care of them.


    ¡°The moons ain¡¯t full,¡± he said, quietly and with much emphasis, so Xaxac stood on his hind legs and turned his attention to the window.


    The moons were important, had always been important to him. He was afraid of the moons. Why had he always been afraid of the moons?


    He was afraid of the moons because he was a monster.


    Xaxac turned and stared down at his body.


    A few tattered rags were still attached, but it was mostly fluffy, blood stained, brown fur.


    He was a monster.


    He should not know he was a monster.


    He never thought during this.


    He never remembered this.


    His body began to shake and he lowered himself to the ground to claw at it.


    ¡°Aggie!¡± he begged, ¡°Help! Something¡¯s wrong, help me! Help me!¡±


    Agalon gasped and held out a hand toward him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex laughed, the kind of laugh that held no mirth, that kind that preceded madness, ¡°He talks now. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s what we¡¯re doin now. I think Billy¡¯s dead. I¡¯m gonna die tonight. Even after everything, ¡®Giant Rabbit¡¯ wouldn¡¯t what I thought would do me in, but here we are.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking,¡± Agalon said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re scaring him.¡± He turned his attention back to Xaxac and continued, ¡°Everythin is alright, Honey Bunny, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here an I love you, alright?¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡± Xac begged.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna paralyze you, darlin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna hurt ya, but I gotta do somethin. You¡¯re makin¡¯ people nervous.¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡±


    His muscles seized, and everything began to fall apart as his heart stopped beating. Blood stilled in his veins, oxygen and nutrients could not get to his brain, and the world was fuzzy as he fell onto his side.


    ¡°Get my fighter the hell out of here!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°Ky, get your pleasure slave! Get Billy patched up, I want to know if he¡¯s alive or dead! Then get everyone the hell out of here! I need to be alone! Just me and him!¡±


    Xaxac knew, once again, that he was going to die.


    But this time, he deserved it. If someone was attacked by the person at the top of the grooming order, they usually deserved it.


    But he missed his heartbeat.


    And he was so tired.


    He had to close his eyes for a moment.


    The waves lapped at the shore and Xaxac stared at the cup in his hand.


    ¡°I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop,¡± Lapus sang, ¡°I saw his little ears go flop, flop, flop.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I saw his little eyes go blink, blink, blink,¡± Lapus was gone; it was Morgani sitting in the sand who reached over and took the cup from Xaxac, ¡°I saw his little nose go twink, twink, twink.¡±


    ¡°See her coat so soft and furry,¡± Morgani shimmered out of existence and was replaced by a man Xac had never seen before, but almost recognized. He had the same lean build Xac had himself, but he was wearing a set of robes that Xac did not recognize, and his skin was just a little too light. But he had Xac¡¯s big eyes, though they were amber rather than a true brown, and the sunken cheeks Xaxac was afraid to see on himself, the sunkenness that told him he was getting too skinny.


    ¡°See her hop away in a hurry!¡± the man with his eyes shrieked, turned, and lunged for Xac.


    Xac darted awake and clung to Agalon, shoved his face in his chest and tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°Aggie, help me!¡± he begged as Agalon tightened his grip, ¡°I had a bad dream! I¡¯m a monster! You gotta help me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m standin up,¡± Agalon said as he did, ¡°An¡¯ I¡¯m pickin you up.¡±


    Xaxac didn¡¯t know why he was narrating his actions, but he leaned heavily into Agalon and clung to his shirt as he felt the world around him shift, as Agalon swept him off his feet.


    ¡°Lee!¡± Agalon ordered, ¡°Throw that cloak over him!¡± Xaxac felt the comforting weight of the fabric and released Agalon with one hand to tuck it around himself.


    ¡°Get in there and gather up every hair of that angora,¡± Agalon ordered, and Xac felt them moving.


    Why was there angora? There shouldn¡¯t be angora! Had it really happened? It hadn¡¯t been a dream?


    Xaxac felt the temperature change as Agalon marched into the cool autumn night through the fairgrounds, and Xaxac tried to contain the sobs that spilled out of him, that wracked his whole body, but he could not.


    ¡°Aggie,¡± he begged, ¡°Aggie I¡­ I remember it¡­ I remember it this time¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t mean nothin¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m a monster. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t help it¡­ it¡¯s the moons-¡±


    ¡°Moons ain¡¯t full, darlin,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac could not read the emotion in his voice. ¡°Hush. Don¡¯t make a scene. Somethin I don¡¯t understand just happened, but we¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re gonna silver linin the shit outta this. It¡¯ll be alright. As long as you got me, it¡¯ll be alright. I ain¡¯t gonna let nothin happen to you. I got you. I love you. Just be real good and do everythin¡¯ I say without question and I¡¯ll make it alright. Be my good little bunny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac pulled the cloak tighter over his head.


    The temperature changed again and he thought they had gone inside another building, and this idea was confirmed as he heard a voice.


    ¡°Duke Agalon your grace,¡± said the unfamiliar voice, ¡°What a delight!¡±


    ¡°Tell the mayor I need to see her,¡± Agalon said, ¡°About some paperwork for the cage fighters.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, of course,¡± the voice said, and Xaxac heard footsteps moving away.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be alright,¡± Agalon said again, and Xaxac was beginning to believe him.


    A few long minutes passed before Xac heard someone approaching, then heard the voice again.


    ¡°Right this way, sir,¡± it said, ¡°The Master will receive you in her sitting room.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Agalon said, and they began to move again.


    ¡°Would you like a glass of tea?¡± The voice asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯d take somethin stronger, too, if you wanna offer it. Been a hell of a night.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± the voice said.


    Then whoever it belonged to went away, closing the door behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna set you down, darlin,¡± Agalon said as he did, and Xaxac swayed unsteadily on his feet. He was the kind of bone tired he often was after shifting, and he was starving, but more than any of that he was afraid, and he knew it showed in his eyes. But he trusted Agalon, knew he would protect him. Agalon was right, as long as Xac had him to protect him, he would be safe.


    Agalon took the cloak from Xac and fluffed it out, then arranged it properly around him. Xac appreciated this, because under it he was nude except for scraps of fabric and some of the fur that still clung to him, and he wrapped it tightly and huddled inside.


    ¡°Just be real good,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I outrank her. It¡¯s gonna be fine, Honey Bunny. She ain¡¯t had time to hear nothin yet. Everythin¡¯ is gonna be alright.¡±


    Xac nodded.


    ¡°Kailu!¡± a beautiful feminine voice rang out, and Agalon turned to greet the woman who had just entered the room.


    A serving boy slipped in behind her with a tray and began to lay out a tea setting on the small table, and Xac took some comfort in the room itself. It reminded him of their sitting room back home. A little familiarity went a long way when he was in such a distressed state with nerves, hunger, and fatigue.


    The woman looked familiar too, in a strange way, with her long blond hair, angular face and fancy clothes. He wondered if she and Agalon were related.


    ¡°Hey, Esta,¡± Agalon smiled, ¡°Sorry to drag you away. I know you gotta be busy with the rodeo. I just need you to sign off on a substitution for me real quick. I got a fighter what needs replacin. It¡¯s just been the one round so it ought not be nothin.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no trouble,¡± she said and moved toward the table, ¡°Sit down, eat you one a¡¯ these cakes. I reckon I finally found me a decent cook. You know I had a heap a¡¯ trouble with that.¡±


    ¡°I kinda gotta get back to my fighters,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I had an off-site injury. That¡¯s why I gotta make the substitution.¡±


    ¡°Lordy, some of y¡¯all are always worryin about them humans,¡± she said as she took one of the cakes for herself, ¡°they¡¯re resilient, honey, they¡¯ll be fine. Here, just give me the form. David!¡±


    A butler appeared in the doorway, and when he spoke, Xac realized he was the person who had been speaking to Agalon.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    ¡°Hand me that binder,¡± Esta said, ¡°The red one, on the shelf.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he said and obeyed her.


    Esta scooted her plate back a little to make room, and Dave moved to the writing desk without being asked to retrieve a quill and ink for her.


    ¡°Who are you replacin?¡± She asked Agalon.


    ¡°Billy,¡± Agalon said simply, and Esta opened the binder and stared at it for some time until she seemed to find what she was looking for, dipped the pen in the ink, and made a mark in the book.


    ¡°And who are you replacin it with?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Oh lord,¡± she sighed, ¡°Spell that darlin.¡±


    ¡°Xa-xa-ac,¡± Agalon said.


    Xaxac did not pretend to understand what was happening.

 Chapter 29

    Xaxac clung to Agalon for support as they walked back through the carnival and shivered in the full chill of the night. He was afraid if he let go or relaxed his grip he might fall to the ground; every muscle was sore and achy. He just needed to lie down for a minute.


    He had to be wrong.


    He had to have interpreted the thing he had just seen incorrectly.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly in the best state of mind, so the most obvious answer to his confusion was that he had misunderstood what he had just seen. Because it looked as if Agalon had replaced Billy on the roster with him, and there was absolutely no reason he would do that. Xac wasn¡¯t a fighter, he was a pleasure slave. He was small and weak and knew nothing about fighting other than that he enjoyed it as a spectator. If Agalon put him in the cage he would die. He wouldn¡¯t make it through one round.


    So he had to have misunderstood.


    But he had shifted without the moons, and he had hurt Billy. He remembered it. Billy had attacked him; he had thought he was going to die, thought he was a predator. It had been a bad decision, but it had made perfect sense at the time.


    He had always blamed the moons.


    He had always been a monster, but he had always blamed the moons.


    But the moons were waxing. The moons were not full.


    It had never been the moons.


    It had always just been him.


    He was a monster because he was a monster, not because of the moons. The moons had been a coincidence.


    And if that was true, it was entirely within the realm of possibility that Agalon was putting him in the cage to punish him, because he was a monster, because he had tried to run away, because he had tried to hurt Billy. He deserved to be punished, but he didn¡¯t want to die.


    But that was stupid, because he was going to die someday. Alex had taught him that, and it had always made him feel better. He was going to die one day, and everyone he had ever known was going to die, and no one was going to remember him, and it would be like none of it ever happened, so there was no reason to worry about anything. He was going to die anyway, so he might as well die in the cage. It was, all things considered, a cool way to die.


    ¡°Aggie, can I lay down?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°And hungry, I bet,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you in a minute, darlin. My blood¡¯s still all riled up and I gotta spin this. Everythin¡¯s gonna be alright.¡±


    He led Xac into the stable, and Xac saw that the group of people had gathered around what appeared, at first glance, to be a corpse. Because he thought it to be a corpse, Xaxac was a little alarmed at the sight he took in, for a number of reasons. Firstly, he hadn¡¯t known the vet had shared his interest in textile arts, but he was kneeling by Billy¡¯s corpse on the ground and even though he was silhouetted by the torchlight and the mirror he wore on his head created a gleam that made details difficult to make out, Xac was sure he was going through the unmistakable movements required to make a mattress stitch. Secondly, Xaxac didn¡¯t understand why he would be sewing a corpse at all, and in his tired mind his first thought was that the vet perhaps wanted to make some kind of clothing from Billy¡¯s skin, but he quickly dismissed that because he would have had to have been skinned for that, like a deer. You had to tan a hide before it was worth having.


    He was so tired he swayed on his feet and Agalon reached down to steady him.


    ¡°Is he alive?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°You owe me a fortune, Kai,¡± the vet snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me right now unless it¡¯s to tell me not to bother. This here¡¯s right about the worst case I¡¯ve ever seen. Everybody hush. I told his ass¡­ already had ribs cracked all to hell¡­ you want me to even try?¡±


    ¡°Is he alive?¡± Agalon asked again.


    ¡°He¡¯s holdin on,¡± the vet said, ¡°got a potion in him an¡¯ I¡¯ll give him another¡¯n but good lord¡­ insides were all jumbled. If I didn¡¯t get um seperated they¡¯d heal back all wrong¡­ still might. I¡­ I dunno, Kai. Usually a critter in this much pain I¡¯d tell ya¡¯ to put it down. It don¡¯t look good. It¡­ he¡¯s gonna have a real hard time.¡±


    ¡°Will he be able to finish the season?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Bitch, are ya blind!?¡± The vet snapped with rage in his voice, ¡°These are livin creatures! There ain¡¯t a healer in the world what could cure this right up by tomorrow! No, if I can do this- and it¡¯s a big if- it¡¯ll be a long row to hoe. I ain¡¯t a god! There was different organs all scratched up¡­ you or that boy a¡¯ yourn-¡±


    ¡°Lorry went back to school,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Well you then, you gonna have to be out there every day with a healin spell or a potion. Cause I guaran-goddamn-tee the posion¡¯s gonna get in his blood. If you seen somebody like this on the battlefield, you wouldn¡¯t waste the energy or the ingredients.¡± he snarled, ¡°You want me to keep goin?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Agalon said quietly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep that thing,¡± Shyrrik said, not unkindly, but as if he was trying to convince a madman of the obvious, ¡°You can¡¯t, Kai. Look what it did to its own. If that thing turns-¡±


    ¡°I realize,¡± Agalon said, speaking slowly with measured words, ¡°that I may have acted¡­ without all the information I needed¡­ to make an informed decision. If I put you, your wife, and¡­ especially your youngun¡­ if I put¡­ my youngun¡­ in danger¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Xaxac felt the tears leaking from his eyes, but he tried to stay quiet.


    Be good. Smile. Tell them ¡®alright¡¯. Tell them ¡®ok¡¯. Just do everything they say.


    ¡°But,¡± Agalon continued, ¡°he ain¡¯t never attacked an elf.¡±


    Xaxac knew this wasn¡¯t true. But Agalon loved him, and he was lying for him, to protect him. He wanted to melt into his side, or maybe run away, or maybe just die on the spot and then Agalon wouldn¡¯t have to keep making excuses for him, keep covering for him. He had to control his breathing; he didn¡¯t have the energy to sob openly, and his eyelids were already fluttering, it was already so hard to remain standing.


    ¡°You gonna wait till he does?¡± Shyrrik asked.


    Agalon stared down at the lump of flesh that had once been his prize fighter and was silent, contemplative, for some time.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna be solution oriented. How much is it gonna cost to¡­ just disappear this little problem? How much it is it gonna cost me for y¡¯all to keep your mouths shut, come up with a cover story, and get everythin¡¯ straight before anybody else gets here?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Shyrrik asked, and Agalon nodded without looking at him.


    When he spoke again, there was ice in his voice.


    ¡°Cremia is the Marchioness of the Agricultural District.¡±


    ¡°We can draw up the paperwork tonight,¡± Agalon said, ¡°A spring wedding, I reckon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with my wife.¡±


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    ¡°I want one,¡± the vet said without looking up from his work.


    ¡°What?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°I want one,¡± the vet said, ¡°I want a shifter. I want one to study. It¡¯s hereditary. I want one.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Agalon said, ¡°bring me a breeder, we¡¯ll get it done.¡±


    Xaxac lost his grip as the world rocked around him, and he was asleep before he hit the floor.


    ¡°Wake up and eat, darlin,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac tried to obey him.


    ¡°Aggie I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Aggie. God, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac drank the liquid that had been pressed to his lips. It was some sort of soup, a mish-mash of vegetables without any seasoning to speak of, but he was starving and he drank it greedily.


    He had somehow wound up back in the sitting room of their suite at the hotel, lying on the sofa near the fireplace, but the clock on the mantle told him that it was still only about ten o¡¯clock at night, so he suspected he had not been allowed to sleep for very long.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Are you strong enough to hold the bowl yourself?¡±


    ¡°I reckon,¡± Xac said weakly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xac said through his tears, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t rightly know.¡±


    He thought for a moment he had lost his mind, because Lee was sitting in the arm chair, with them, in the sitting area, and Xaxac was not sure why this was so alarming, but he had never seen him do that before, and the sight shocked him. Why?


    ¡°Just tell me what happened,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Everythin¡¯ you can remember.¡±


    ¡°Billy¡­ hurt me,¡± Xac said, trying to replay the events in his mind, ¡°I¡­ I had a bad dream? About water behind glass¡­ floatin in water and a beautiful man was¡­ tryin to drown me, I think¡­ but I broke it, and I got out¡­ an then I¡­ my brain it¡­ it didn¡¯t work right¡­ an¡¯ I could see behind me¡­ an¡¯ I thought Billy was like¡­ gonna eat me¡­ gonna kill me¡­ so I had to get him off¡¯a¡¯ me, so I kicked him. I kicked him real hard. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know, I don¡¯t think¡­ about the claws but¡­ maybe I did¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ think real good. Then Alex and Lee was scared, and you was scared an¡¯... I got scared, on account of everybody was scared¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Billy was tryin to kill him,¡± Lee said, ¡°In his defense, Billy was tryin to kill him. Some a¡¯ that blood is his. Tried to smash his head in.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Agalon said, staring into the fire. After a few long minutes had passed he asked, ¡°Well, are ya alright now?¡±


    ¡°I reckon,¡± Xac said, ¡°I heal.¡±


    ¡°You do,¡± Agalon agreed, ¡°You sure do.¡±


    ¡°Is Billy alive?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Far as I know,¡± Agalon said, but he seemed somewhere else, somewhere far away, and Xaxac was afraid to bring him back, so he drank his soup and kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°There ain¡¯t nothin in the rules against enterin a shifter,¡± Agalon said at length, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon anybody¡¯s ever tried before. So¡­¡± He laid a hand on Xac¡¯s thigh and moved it in firm, soothing circles, ¡°I¡¯m gonna put you in the cage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aggie,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°No, I¡­ I ain¡¯t¡­ exactly mad,¡± Agalon assured him and his grip tightened, ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t know you could do that. The moon¡¯s ain¡¯t full¡­ nobody else¡¯ll know you can do that either. We¡­ we gotta figure out how you do that.¡± His hand stopped moving as he stared into the fire and repeated, ¡°We gotta figure out how you do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac said again.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to bed,¡± Agalon said, sounding more tired than Xac thought he had ever heard him.


    ¡°Am¡­ should I¡­ Aggie?¡± Xac begged, and Agalon paused. He had made it around the couch, and he laid a hand on the back of it to turn and look down into Xac¡¯s huge, pleading eyes.


    ¡°Are you¡­ are you¡­ scared a¡¯ me?¡± Xaxac asked. He could feel his own heart breaking, and it was a kind of pain he could not contain.


    Agalon stared at him as the clock ticked away in the silence, and when he spoke, it was not an answer.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t know you could do that,¡± he said, turned, and walked into the bedroom.


    He closed the door behind him, and Xac began to sob.


    ¡°Go to bed when you get done eatin,¡± Lee said, ¡°I was gonna sleep on that couch an¡­ you needed to hear it. Go to bed when you get done. He wants you to go to bed with him. I promise he wants you to go to bed with him.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared of me?¡± Xac asked as he tried to catch his breath.


    Lee leaned forward, clutched his hands between his knees, and stared into the fire himself.


    ¡°Xac,¡± he eventually said, ¡°If I couldn¡¯t handle an ornery youngun they might as well as put me down. Go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac nodded, set his bowl on the coffee table, and pulled himself to his feet.

 Chapter 30

    Agalon didn¡¯t seem angry, but part of Xac wished he did. He seemed¡­ strange. Detached. They hadn¡¯t had sex the night before, or when they woke up, and Agalon had seemed preoccupied throughout the morning as they dressed, and left Xaxac alone when he went down for breakfast.


    Xac hadn¡¯t wanted to go to the restaurant, so he had let Lee go without him, and wound up lying in the bedroom by himself while they were gone, staring up at the ceiling. He had torn his fancy clothes so when Lee had handed him the uniform of a house slave he had taken it with gratitude, and as he stared at the ceiling he smoothed out his shirt. He didn¡¯t know where the new boots had come from. No one ever got two pairs of boots in one year. The concept was insane. Agalon loved him.


    It was strange to get new boots for someone who was going to die.


    But Agalon had put him in the cage.


    There were flowers carved into the ceiling tiles in the hotel, too. This room was bigger than their room at house, by an entire row. There were sixty-six flowers on the ceiling.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Hopping through the forest


    Scooping up the field mice,¡± Xac sang, and wondered why he didn¡¯t feel like crying. He just felt tired. He knew he was hungry, but he didn¡¯t particularly care. Nothing seemed to matter with the prospect of death looming over him; it was a freeing feeling.


    ¡°And boppin um on the head,¡± Alex said as he barreled his way into the room and slammed a plate of biscuits on the bedside table, ¡°Get your ass up. Flour an water, nothin else, tastes like shit, but I got jelly. I had to pull some strings to get these so sit your ass up and eat or Ima be real pissed off, Bunny Foo Foo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna die,¡± Xac told him as he sat up.


    ¡°Yeah, I heard about that,¡± Alex said, ¡°We all gonna die, Xacy-boy, but you gonna have a crowd. Eat or I¡¯m slappin the shit outta ya. We ain¡¯t got time for this. My master don¡¯t know where I¡¯m at and your butler¡¯s coverin for me, because I guess hell¡¯s done froze over and Magnus is shiverin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac said as he picked up a biscuit, tore it in half, and spread the jam over it. ¡°Reckon we oughta go to the table? Like civilized folks?¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Foo Foo,¡± Alex picked up the plate and walked away with it, so Xac shoved the half a biscuit he was still holding into his mouth and followed him.


    ¡°How come you¡¯re so¡­ chipper?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Ain¡¯t you scared of me?¡±


    ¡°Oh honey, I am absolutely erect with terror,¡± Alex proclaimed, sat the plate down at the table, then fell into his chair with a show of drama that included kicking one leg over his head when he crossed them and leaning forward on the table with his charming smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t funny,¡± Xac snarled as he sat down and began to eat.


    ¡°Bitch, am I laughin?¡± Alex asked, ¡°I¡¯m serious. That¡¯s the scariest goddamn thing I ever seen in my life. They locked my ass in with ya. I had to change clothes. Which you didn¡¯t say nothin about so that pisses me off a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Xac said, and he meant it. He hadn¡¯t properly looked at Alex because he hadn¡¯t been thinking or feeling very much at all, and wasn¡¯t paying particular attention to the world around him. He had changed clothes; he was wearing a set of tight pants tucked into knee-high boots and a flowing shirt that looked as if it really should button, but it didn¡¯t. Instead it tied with little bows all down his chest and at the wrists. He was cute. He was always cute.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad one of us is,¡± Alex said, ¡°¡®Cause you look like shit. You lost weight. Darlin, look at me, look at my face. What I need you to do is take some cream a shade lighter than your skin, and blend it in under your eyes and at the part of your cheeks that are supposed to be full. You¡¯re gettin too little and it ain¡¯t a good look. Blend it in and then put the settin powder on top of it.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t redoin my makeup,¡± Xac said as he shoved another biscuit in his mouth.


    ¡°Well ya look like a damn corpse,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac said, swallowed, and asked, ¡°You really ain¡¯t scared ¡®a me?¡±


    ¡°Bitch I done told you I was terrified!¡± Alex grinned, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t actin scared,¡± Xac accused.


    ¡°This is how I act when I¡¯m scared a¡¯ somebody,¡± Alex explained, ¡°On account a¡¯ I got some sense. You know I love ya, buddy, don¡¯t¡¯cha? Just cause I¡¯m scared a¡¯ ya that don¡¯t mean we ain¡¯t friends.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Listen, Foo Foo,¡± Alex said, leaning over the table, and though he was still smiling, Xac saw that he was telling the truth, there was fear in his eyes, the kind of fear that was almost madness, ¡°From where I¡¯m standin, it¡¯s better to be at the right hand a¡¯ the devil than in his path. Right?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xac said. He hadn¡¯t thought of that. But Alex was right. Monsters were only scary because they were dangerous; Xac hadn¡¯t hurt anyone he had ever cared about. He hadn¡¯t hurt Alex. He had also never hurt his father. He hadn¡¯t hurt Agalon after that first time, after he had grown to truly love him.


    ¡°Wait, am I the devil in that scenario?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely, Foo Foo,¡± Alex giggled, ¡°An¡¯ the devil¡¯s in the details. And I got me some details, this mornin. We ain¡¯t supposed to be talkin about you, but I heard that you healed a broke jaw in the time it took you to walk upstairs. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said and stood, walked to the writing desk, opened the drawers, and found the flask he was looking for almost instantly. He brought it back and took a swig as Alex spoke.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna die tonight,¡± Alex said as if it was a fact.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never been in a fight,¡± Xac said, ¡°I don¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you have,¡± Alex interrupted, ¡°You been in fights. You fought Billy the Bull. And you got up.¡± His grin widened and he leaned back in his chair. ¡°He didn¡¯t. You walked off a broke jaw, broke arm, grew back a tooth. I don¡¯t reckon anybody could beat you to death.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do nothin to do that,¡± Xac said, ¡°That¡¯s just cause I¡¯m a shifter.¡±


    ¡°And ¡®cause you¡¯re a pleasure slave,¡± Alex said, ¡°and the more I think about it, the more I think the skills transfer. You can¡¯t ride a dick without core strength. You don¡¯t get knocked down with somebody slammin, full body weight, into ya. You know how to judge folks, know how to tell what they¡¯re gonna do and what they want you to do. You got this, Foo Foo.¡±


    ¡°I like that,¡± Xac said, ¡°it¡¯s cute. That¡¯s cute¡­ the ¡®Foo Foo¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be cute if you¡¯d listen to me,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you believe in me,¡± Xac sighed, ¡°but don¡¯t hold your breath.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Alex grinned.


    The door opened and Lee stuck his head in, saw the two of them, and his stern expression melted into a soft smile.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± he said, ¡°we¡¯re headin out. The masters are waiting.¡±


    Xaxac huddled into Agalon as they strode into the stable where the fighters were kept, and he was shocked to see how few people were up and milling about. A good half of the fighters he had seen the day before weren¡¯t out in the open area finishing up their breakfast and he had no idea where they were or what had happened to them.


    The vet was sitting at the table with a few other earth elves, watching the remaining fighters and drinking a cup of coffee that smelled delicious, looking worn out, and his weiriness somehow intensified when he saw Agalon.


    Agalon motioned to him, and he stood to meet him by the door of the stall that Xaxac now knew intimately.


    ¡°How¡¯s he holdin up?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Bad, Kai, Thesis¡¯s eyes,¡± the vet said as if this should not need to be said. ¡°I done what I could but I told you I didn¡¯t have no guarantees.¡±


    Agalon nodded, opened the door, and stepped inside.


    The smell hit Xac before anything else. It smelled of urine, sweat, and rot so that he had to let go of Agalon and throw both hands over his mouth. Four of Agalon¡¯s six fighters were sitting inside, all nursing various injuries; Xaxac recognized the wooden splints that he had had to wear when he had broken his arm on many of them.


    But the real sight was tucked away in a corner.


    A mound of bloody bandages moved as if it was breathing, as if it was alive, but it was asleep, and it had Billy¡¯s face.


    ¡°I give him a potion already,¡± the vet said, ¡°they¡¯re deep wounds, but a healin spell couple times a day and a potion or two and they¡¯ll heal up, I reckon. I¡¯m good at what I do. The problem is the insides. Intestines all clumped together like that might heal back wrong. That¡¯s what you gotta watch for.¡±


    ¡°How long is it gonna take?¡± Agalon asked, and the vet shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯d give it a month before I had him do much,¡± he said, ¡°definitely wouldn¡¯t try nothin¡¯ for at least a fortnight. Gonna be a hell¡¯uva scar.¡±


    Alex was right.


    Billy had attacked Xac three times. Every time Xac had gotten up, had walked it off.


    Xac had attacked Billy once.


    He didn¡¯t get up.


    Maybe he could do this.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Agalon sighed, turned on his heel and marched out of the room, ¡°Let¡¯s get to trainin.¡± He saw that Xaxac had not moved, that he was still standing, frozen to the spot, staring at the bloody mass of bandages, so he grabbed him by the shoulder and tugged him back out into the big open space. He leaned down to whisper to him, ¡°Not you, darlin. You just stay right by my side and watch. Learn all ya¡¯ can, but don¡¯t look like you¡¯re learnin nothin. If I play my cards right¡­ you¡¯ll be a secret. You just gotta qualify. You can start trainin when we get back to the house.¡±


    Xac nodded, though he did not really understand.

 Chapter 31

    Xaxac did not have a chance to talk to any of the fighters, because it was expressly forbidden. In fact, he hadn¡¯t spoken to anyone from the time he had last talked to Alex for the rest of the day. Agalon watched him like a hawk and kept at least one hand on him at all times.


    Xaxac had felt what magic could do, and this time he remembered it.


    He remembered what it was like to have your entire body just stop working, though he didn¡¯t understand how that worked.


    And that memory made him realize that Alex was right about something else, too- it was good to be friends with scary people. Agalon was probably the best mage in the Agricultural District, and he loved Xac, and that protection made him feel safe on a day when he clung to the idea of safety.


    Xaxac watched the fighters, as Agalon had instructed, but he wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to be watching for. The only thing he really learned that might be of any use was that the people who didn¡¯t get hit seemed to be the people who paid the most attention and kept moving. But that was something he thought he could have figured out on his own. Only a fool would stand there and let someone hit them.


    So he did not feel particularly prepared as he stood on the field standing next to Wyatt and looking out over the crowd. The only person in it he drew any comfort from at all was Alex, who still sat in the front row with his master. The rest of the crowd did not seem to be expecting him at all; they were expecting Billy to fight again, which seemed strange to Xac, because even if he hadn¡¯t attacked him, Billy would still have his broken ribs. But then again, Xac didn¡¯t know how quickly magic or potions normally worked. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t. Maybe he would have been in fighting shape again already.


    But he didn¡¯t think so.


    He looked out over the sea of people holding signs with bulls drawn on them and frowned.


    ¡°Hey Wyatt?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Wyatt asked, and Xac glanced at Agalon, where he was standing with an earth elf he did not know, but whom he had seen in the stables, and was not looking at them.


    ¡°How do you win?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t exactly win,¡± Wyatt explained, ¡°You really just try not to lose. In the preliminaries, if you look like you can¡¯t get up they start countin. If they get to ten and you¡¯re still on the ground, you lost.¡±


    Xac nodded, and Wyatt studied him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he whispered, and Xac turned back to look at him, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t do no good to get scared. First round¡¯s ten minutes, every other round is five. You ain¡¯t gotta stay up all night, you just gotta stay up for ten minutes, alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xaxac said, trying to process what he had just been told, and the fact that Wyatt was being unnecessarily nice to him, ¡°Uh¡­ thanks.¡±


    ¡°We gotta look out for each other,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°you¡¯re fast as a jackrabbit. Just don¡¯t let him hit¡¯cha. Just stay on your feet. Bob and weave. Protect your head with your hands. God damn, you¡¯re so little you¡¯ll be hard to hit anyway¡­¡± he frowned and repeated, ¡°You¡¯re so little.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± the loud man echoed through the field, ¡°Welcome to the final night of the Human Cage Fighting Regional Qualifiers for the Agricultural District, here at the beautiful Basilglen Arena! On this side, Duke Kailu Agalon!¡± He paused to wait for the crowd to quiet a little, then continued, ¡°And on this side, our own Kharis Naeqirelle!¡±


    Agalon and the other man stepped forward and shook hands, much to the delight of the crowd, then Agalon turned, pulled a piece of paper from his bag, and handed it to the loud man while he leaned in to whisper something to him.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± The loud man announced, ¡°It seems we¡¯ve had a last minute substitution! Due to an unfortunate, unforeseen accident, William ¡°Billy the Bull¡± OfAgalon will not be available tonight-¡±


    He had obviously meant to say more, but he could not be heard over the crowd. They did not speak as one voice, but the overall effect was unquestionably negative.


    ¡°This is bull-shit!¡±


    ¡°I paid to see the bull!¡±


    ¡°Billy! Billy! Billy!¡±


    ¡°Boooooooooo!¡±


    Agalon winced as he walked back to his position by the door of the cage, and gave Xaxac a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the loud man shrieked, ¡°I¡¯m gonna remind y¡¯all that the Basilglen Arena and the Human Cage Fighting League of the Urillian Empire are unable to provide refunds at this time! And we¡¯re still gonna put on a great show! So put your hands together for newcomer, Xaxac ¡®The Rabbit¡¯ OfAgalon!¡±


    They did not.


    As he stepped into the cage, Xaxac remembered that he had witnessed a crowd at its height, seen the good it could do, felt the way it could lift one up. It was a magical thing, to be in front of a crowd that loved you.


    They hated him.


    Many people still screamed the things they had before, hated him only because he was not Billy.


    But some of them hated him because he was himself.


    ¡°He¡¯s tiny!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is he supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Little shit¡¯s dressed like a butler.¡±


    ¡°Did Agalon just grab a servin boy to keep from forfeitin?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a bloodbath!¡±


    But the thing that made his blood boil was the laughter.


    Those who were not booing were laughing. He could die, and apparently that was funny.


    ¡°Kick his ass, Foo Foo!¡±


    Alex¡¯s voice carried so well because Xac knew it, and he felt the tension leave his shoulders as he continued.


    ¡°Rip that fucker apart! Kill him, Xac! Whoop his ass! We got money ridin on this! Don¡¯t let him smudge your makeup!¡±


    Xac turned and saw that he had stood from his seat, had one hand cupped around his mouth, and in the other held a piece of watercolor parchment above his head.


    On it he had painted the solid shape of a rabbit.


    Xac smiled.


    ¡°And on this side,¡± the loud man continued, ¡°Keith ¡®The Viper¡¯ OfNaeqirelle!¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Xaxac interpreted the hissing from the crowd to be a form of support.


    ¡°Are we all supposed to be named after animals?¡± Xac asked Agalon, who stood on the other side of the fence by the door.


    ¡°Darlin, pay attention,¡± Agalon advised, ¡°They call him that ¡®cause he¡¯s quick. He strikes. Don¡¯t let him hit you.¡±


    A bell rang out so loudly it echoed in Xac¡¯s head, and he threw his hands over his ears, but kept his eyes on the Viper.


    ¡°Hey, quick question,¡± the Viper asked, walking back and forth as his eyes roamed up and down Xac¡¯s body, ¡°What the hell? Who¡¯s kid is this?¡± He paused, his eyes widened, and he laughed. ¡°Are you wearin makeup? You look like a pleasure slave.¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± Xac snapped.


    ¡°That there was my joke guess. You wanna come over here and suck my dick?¡± The Viper asked and laughed again. ¡°What happened? Your master have to grab somebody at random and he¡¯s willin to lose you?¡±


    ¡°Billy got hurt,¡± Xac said, trying to walk at the same pace.


    ¡°Well, hold still, little boy,¡± the viper suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick. Knock you on your back like you¡¯re used to and we can get outta here.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Xac said as it occurred to him, ¡°You¡­ you want me to think bein a pleasure slave is bad? You¡¯re¡­ tryin to get me to think stuff¡­ darlin, that ain¡¯t gonna work. You¡¯re¡­ oh my god, you¡¯re jealous! Look at me!¡± he threw his arms open to indicate his body.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°Keep your guard up! Move!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m adorable!¡± Xaxac giggled, ¡°I¡¯m a cute little bunny! You look like somebody killed you yesterday and forgot to tell ya! God, I hate beards so much, you walkin around out here lookin¡¯ like a sasquatch. Step into the cage lookin like you¡¯re late for work. What happened to your face? How¡¯d you get scars? There ain¡¯t nothin in here to get cut with.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Agalon yelled.


    ¡°See how pretty you are after this!¡± The Viper yelled, and Xaxac remembered that he was supposed to be fighting for his life. He drew back into himself and bounced as the Viper lunged for him, dancing backwards. The Viper was faster than Billy, and rounded easily, so Xac bounced backwards again and wondered why his brain wasn¡¯t taking the situation more seriously.


    It didn¡¯t seem real, the flurry of fists coming at him, it seemed¡­ funny. It seemed like a joke. And he didn¡¯t understand why, because Xaxac had never had reason to learn about denial or delirium, as concepts, so it did not seem natural to him that everything was playing out, not as if he was part of it, but as if he was back outside the cage, watching someone else, someone he didn¡¯t particularly care about, so that he did not have much personal stake in the match.


    ¡°Don¡¯t back up!¡± Agalon yelled, ¡°Get outta the corner! Don¡¯t get cornered! Move, Honey Bunny!¡±


    Xac¡¯s back hit the wall and he heard the metal links rattling together.


    He should care about this, he was sure of it.


    It was much more difficult to bob and weave with his back pressed against the wall.


    And there was nowhere else to hop to.


    The first blow hit him full in the face so hard his head bounced back and hit the post keeping the fence together. As the back of his head connected with the post his vision was barraged with a series of flashing lights and he lost sight of the Viper, did not see his hands, and therefore did not expect the next hit, which slammed into the side of his head and knocked him against the cage. He heard something crack and tasted blood.


    He only had time to form the thought ¡®If that¡¯s another tooth I swear to god¡¯ before he was hit again, this time in the chin from the bottom up, and it knocked him upwards and off his feet.


    He didn¡¯t understand why it didn¡¯t hurt, why none of it seemed real.


    It made no sense.


    He slid down the post and hit the floor, slumped forward, grabbed the grass with one hand and his face with the other.


    Why wouldn¡¯t it hurt?


    It needed to hurt.


    There was something wrong with him.


    He should care about this. He should be in pain. He was sure of it.


    He opened his mouth to say as much and watched the blood drip onto the grass.


    Focus.


    ¡°Darlin, get up!¡± Agalon screamed, ¡°Get up, you¡¯re fine! You¡¯re fine, you heal!¡±


    Xac turned to look at him and was confused by what he saw there. Agalon was trying to seem calm, confident- but there was fear in his eyes. Why was there fear in his eyes? He was the alpha buck. What was he afraid of?


    What was an alpha buck?


    Who was counting? And why?


    Xac shoved himself to his feet and grabbed his jaw in both hands.


    Hurt!


    It should hurt!


    It needed to hurt!


    ¡°Hit me!¡± he screamed, and wondered why he could scream. Shouldn¡¯t his jaw be broken? Shouldn¡¯t it hurt?


    The Viper had turned to look at the crowd, and he seemed startled to hear Xac¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hit me!¡± Xac demanded, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t feel it! I can¡¯t feel anything! Hit me! It should hurt!¡±


    The Viper shrugged.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Wyatt told Agalon, ¡°He¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Disassociating,¡± Agalon said as if he was finishing Wyatt¡¯s thought, but he was not. Wyatt didn¡¯t know what that word meant, but it apparently meant a lot to Agalon. He turned, trying to see the giant clock that took up most of the courthouse. ¡°He¡¯s almost¡­ round¡¯s about over¡­¡±


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°Right now! Obey me right now! Tell me five things you can see!¡±


    But Xaxac wasn¡¯t listening to him, he had collapsed again, not because he was in pain, but because his legs had given out, for apparently no good reason, and it was so funny it was almost like being drunk, so he hauled himself onto his hands and knees and began to laugh. It wasn¡¯t like any of it was real. It was a play, on a stage, far away, and happening to someone else. And it was hilarious, in that slapstick kind of way, and the rest of the audience was enjoying it as well. They were cheering.


    ¡°Xac!¡± Agalon begged as Xaxac fell against the side of the cage trying to contain his laughter.


    He held up a hand as the Viper lunged at him, in an attempt to catch his breath.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Xac begged, cackling.


    ¡°You done lost your mind,¡± the viper said, ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    The boy smiled up at him and the blood dripped from his mouth as he cackled with something dancing behind those big brown eyes that the viper did not understand.


    ¡°Oh, darlin,¡± Xac laughed, ¡°I¡¯m a lunatic!¡± He looked around at the corner he had backed himself into and began to sing, ¡°Rabbit whatcha sittin in the corner for? Ain¡¯t gonna rain no more no more. Rained last night and the night before. Ain¡¯t gonna rain no more.¡±


    The Viper took a step back as Xac stood and tilted his head, sticking his tongue around his mouth, checking for cracked teeth.


    ¡°Darlin,¡± Xac said, ¡°I reckon your broke my jaw. But it¡¯s ok. I heal.¡±


    ¡°Honey Bunny!¡± Agalon yelled, ¡°Five things! Tell me five things you see!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Xac touched his fingertips to his lip, ¡°Blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep goin,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°On my shirt¡­¡± Xac said, ¡°second outfit in two days.¡±


    This series of observations seemed to do something to the Viper. He had backed away and was studying Xac again.


    ¡°These fuckers,¡± Xac said, indicating the crowd, and as he spoke the ringing in his ears began to slowly fade.


    ¡°That guy,¡± Xac said, indicating the viper, ¡°the one what¡­ hit me¡­ in my face.¡±


    His jaw ached.


    His jaw ached, and it was real, and he felt it. He felt the blood in his veins, the chill in the air, the pain in his torso. He heard the roar of the crowd in the arena. He saw the viper pacing, in real time.


    He felt the pain.


    ¡°How does it feel out here tonight, darlin?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± Xac said.


    A bell rang out in the night.

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Didn¡¯t get a single hit in,¡± Wyatt said as Agalon opened the door and motioned for Xac to step through it.


    ¡°Here darlin,¡± Agalon said and handed Xac a canteen.


    Xac¡¯s eyes lit up and he snatched it greedily, but it was just water and he frowned.


    Agalon noticed his pain and explained, ¡°You can¡¯t have nothin else till after the match. Listen to me, Honey Bunny.¡± He held Xac¡¯s face gently in one hand and dabbed away the blood with the other, ¡°I need you here with me, right now, alright? What¡¯s that canteen feel like?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xac said, trying to focus on such a strange question, ¡°Cold? I guess? Metal...y?¡±


    ¡°What about my hand on your face?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Aggie, you gonna get blood on your gloves,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Agalon said, ¡°What¡¯s it feel like?¡±


    ¡°The leather¡¯s real soft,¡± Xac said, leaning into the touch, ¡°Is them kidskin?¡±


    ¡°Honey Bunny, once you win this I¡¯m takin¡¯ you down to Sakala¡¯s and gettin you some new yarn,¡± Agalon smiled. ¡°Touch my cape. What¡¯s it feel like?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know?¡± Xac said as he obeyed him, ¡°Is it a blend? It¡¯s wove, ain¡¯t it? It feels kinda felted¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s warm as hell. Wool? It¡¯s too soft to be wool¡­¡±


    The bell rang, and Agalon reached behind him to open the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him hit you again,¡± Agalon said, ¡°keep movin. Keep bouncin. And when you get a chance, hit him back!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go for the face!¡± Wyatt shouted, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to hit, you¡¯ll hurt yourself! Go for the torso or the back a¡¯ the head! Think about where he keeps his vital organs!¡±


    Xac nodded and tried to mimic the stance he had seen the fighters take when they were training. He held his hands by his face and bounced on his feet.


    ¡°Not ready to forfeit yet?¡± The viper asked as he raised his own hands.


    Xac didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he watched the way he moved. He held his body sideways, one foot in front of the other, so Xac changed his stance and realized that it made him an even smaller target. The viper was hunkering a little, leaning a little bit forward, so Xac mimicked him, though he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what that was supposed to do.


    ¡°You know what?¡± The viper snickered, ¡°I feel bad for you, kid. I¡¯ll let you get a hit in. Come on, show me what you got.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I done to make you think I was stupid,¡± Xac said, ¡°but I¡¯m real sorry you been so woefully misinformed. I know when somebody¡¯s about to scoop me up and throw my ass. Look how you stand. Nice folks don¡¯t stand like that.¡±


    The Viper narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t about to knock me down again,¡± Xac snarled, ¡°I can feel it now!¡± He paused and screamed, ¡°Would y¡¯all quit hissin!? Thesis above that is aggravatin! You picked the shittiest animal! Ain¡¯t got no arms and legs¡­ can¡¯t even fuckin blink- ah!¡± He shrieked when the Viper lunged and hopped to the side in alarm, with much more force and therefore much farther than he had meant to, slammed into the side of the cage and felt it rattle.


    He looked up at it and rattled it again.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly sturdy. It didn¡¯t seem like it would actually keep a fighter inside, if they really wanted to get out.


    The viper hit him hard in the back, and Xac slammed face first into the fence.


    ¡°Goddamn it!¡± he hissed, and clenched his hands out of instinct around the links he had been holding.


    The metal bent in his grasp.


    Shifters were strong.


    And he was still standing, even with the pain radiating through his back; the pain he felt this time, the blood pooling from the broken vessels under his shirt, the heat of the Viper behind him, stark against the cool autumn night, and Xaxac grabbed the fence again, felt the cool metal against his fingers, the intensity of the pain, and heard the sound of Agalon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Get off the fence!¡±


    This was sound advice, so Xac turned, threw up his arms to protect his face, and jumped.


    He slammed into the Viper, and the force of it carried them to the middle of the field, and the viper seemed shocked that Xac had done it.


    The crowd must have been shocked too, because the hissing stopped, and Xaxac loved the silence.


    ¡°Hit him!¡± Agalon demanded.


    Xac realized he should have thought of that himself and acted faster, because before he knew it he was rolling and found himself on his back on the grass.


    Shit.


    He had seen this before.


    The Viper was sitting on his thighs to prevent him from kicking up and kneeing him in the back, and his hands closed around Xac¡¯s throat.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Agalon demanded, ¡°Get up, now!¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯a never come in here, whore,¡± The Viper said as if he was giving essential life advice, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t made for this. You¡¯re supposed to be on your back. You was made to be a pleasure slave.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t exactly being choked, so it didn¡¯t exactly hurt. The Viper had the fingers of each hand wrapped around the vein on his neck that led to his brain, blocking it and cutting off the circulation. He was drowning.


    He was almost positive he had drowned before.


    The sounds of the world faded away, and he could hear the waves crashing, the water flowing above him as he sank.


    But Xaxac was a rabbit, and he did not want to die, and he was not underwater, because he was right here and he could feel the dirt under his back. So he reached down, and he dug.


    He grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it upward, into the face of the predator, and he began to couch, sputter, and released Xac with one hand in an attempt to get the dirt out of his eyes. Xaxac grabbed him by the beard he hated and jerked, throwing him so hard by the face that he went slamming into the ground beside him.


    Xac¡¯s head swam as the blood rushed to it, and he hopped to his feet.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re fast, motherfucker?¡± he screamed, ¡°You ain¡¯t seen nothin! I ain¡¯t goin down tonight! There is nothin you can do to me to hurt me! Do you fuckin understand that!? I¡¯m a goddamn monster!¡±


    The slam had dazed The Viper and Xac took advantage of the time he had to run back to the fence.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°He¡¯s gettin up! Keep him down!¡±


    Xaxac rattled the fence again in the place he had bent it.


    ¡°You ever get rid of them rabbits?¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no gettin rid of um. I got me one of them metal fences and I¡¯ll be goddamned if they didn¡¯t chew through it.¡±


    Xaxac pulled the fence forward, stuck his face into it, and bit.


    He had expected it to hurt, but it didn¡¯t. The secret was, apparently, several small bites in quick succession.


    ¡°He¡¯s up!¡± Agalon called, ¡°What are you doin!? Get him! Move! Get away from the fence!¡±


    Xac pulled the piece of metal away just as the Viper had moved to hit him. It was small, but it was sharp, and Xac slammed it forward into his torso.


    The Viper screamed and Xac jerked the shiv to the side.


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡± Xac screamed as the blood sprayed from the wound. ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin touch me!¡± He jerked forward in another stab. ¡°I am sick to death!¡± He screamed, ¡°Of folks thinkin they can hurt me!¡± He was moving faster now, and did not understand himself, did not really even register that he was speaking, ¡°Touchin me! Fuckin with me! Throwin me down!¡± He shrieked, accentuating each point with a new wound, ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin touch me!¡±


    The Viper seemed as if he finally understood what had happened and grabbed Xac by the wrist in an attempt to wrestle the shiv away from him.


    ¡°Crazy little whore,¡± he screamed.


    Xac screamed, not in pain, but in frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I said not to touch me!¡±


    He jerked that hand forward and the Viper went with it, likely a little light on his feet from the blood loss, and Xaxac brought his knee up to hold him, fisted both hands together, and slammed them down on the back of his head.


    Again.


    And Again.


    And Again.


    ¡°Little Bunny Foo Foo!¡± Alex began to chant to the stunned crowd, ¡°Hopping through the forest!


    Scooping up the field mice!


    And bopping them on the head!¡±


    He hopped to both feet and held up his sign, and Kyrrtar began to clap and chant with him.


    Xaxac watched the Viper fall from his knee and roll onto his back, but something had come over him that he did not understand, and he could not stop. He kicked him onto his stomach and began to stomp the back of his head. His lower body strength had always been greater than his upper body strength, and he heard the bone crack, felt it splinter, but still he kept going.


    ¡°Little Bunny Foo Foo


    Hopping through the forest


    Scooping up the field mice


    And boppin¡¯ um on the head!¡±


    The crowd chanted, so loudly it filled the arena, and those chants fueled whatever madness had taken hold of Xac, and he watched something happen that he had never seen before. He watched a living, breathing, sentient person become an inanimate object.


    ¡°Ky, call that thing off!¡± The other earth elf demanded, ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    But Agalon did nothing. He was still clinging to the fence; he hadn¡¯t even moved. A spectator could likely not say, with any degree of certainty, that he was even breathing.


    ¡°Uh,¡± The loud man said, with his eyes darting back and forth, ¡°The winner who will advance to the next level in Capital Town is- seriously Your Grace do literally anything, I know this is a bloodsport but this is hard to watch- Xaxac ¡®Bunny Foo Foo¡¯ OfAgalon!¡±


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°Stop it! He ain¡¯t gonna get no deader!¡±


    But Xaxac did not hear him over the screams of the crowd.


    They knocked him out of the flow that had taken over his body as the chant changed to a shriek.


    And he realized it was for him


    He was Bunny Foo Foo.


    He was the one they were chanting for.


    And they loved him.


    They loved him just like Agalon loved him, not in spite of his monstrocity, but because of it.


    How he wished he could have shifted in that moment.


    The entire arena was cheering for him, he was the last man standing, he had won, and he didn¡¯t feel any pain at all. He had healed.


    He would not look at the corpse.


    He didn¡¯t need it clogging up his brain for this happy memory.


    It didn¡¯t mean anything.


    They were all going to die one day, and everyone who had ever known them was going to die, and it would be like none of it ever happened.


    But right now? Right now they loved him!


    So he threw both hands into the air and bounced.

 Chapter 33

    ¡°Come on, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon shouted, trying to be heard over the crowd as he opened the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m Little Bunny Foo Foo!¡± Xac shrieked, still bouncing on his feet, ¡°I won! I won!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Honey Bunny!¡± Agalon tried again, but Xaxac still didn¡¯t hear him. He was busy waving to the crowd even as the elven soldiers came in behind him, eyeing him suspiciously to drag away what was left of the Viper.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon snapped, and Xac finally turned to look at him


    ¡°Aggie!¡± He yelled, and Agalon liked the pure joy radiating from his big brown eyes, ¡°I won! You believed in me! You knew I could win! And now everybody loves me!¡±


    ¡°You gotta get outta the cage, darlin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°There¡¯s another match startin.¡±


    ¡°Did he chew through the fence?¡± The loud man asked, not into the contraption he held, not meant for the crowd to hear, ¡°Is that¡­ did he break the fence?¡±


    ¡°Like a bunny!¡± Xac said cheerfully.


    ¡°Get outta the cage,¡± Agalon had walked inside and took him by the hand to lead him away.


    ¡°Bye!¡± Xac shouted to the crowd, smiling with his entire body as he bounced and waved, then to Agalon he said, ¡°I wanna do that again! I wanna go again! Everybody¡¯s so happy!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t go two matches one after another,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll sit you down and explain the rules. Look, darlin, right now I gotta be here for Wyatt¡¯s match, but you go with Lee, alrighty? He¡¯s gonna take you to the vet to get looked at, then you head over to the bathhouse an¡¯ he¡¯ll have a new outfit for you.¡±


    ¡°I won!¡± Xac said, and Agalon¡¯s eyebrows knit together in concern, because Xac was still staring at the crowd and didn¡¯t seem as if he had heard anything he said. Instead, he threw his arms around Agalon and squeezed, buried his face in his chest, and didn¡¯t seem to have thought at all about the fact that he was covered in the blood that had sprayed on him during his stabbing spree.


    It was not the first time someone covered in blood had clung to Agalon, but it was perhaps the happiest anyone had ever been in that situation.


    ¡°I gotta go, darlin,¡± Agalon explained as he pried him away, ¡°Go with Lee.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Xac said as if he had suddenly remembered where he was and who he was talking to, but it did not impede his chipper attitude, ¡°Yes, master! Good luck, Wyatt! You¡¯ll win too! It¡¯s so fun!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Xaxac,¡± Lee grabbed Xac by his cleanest arm and began to lead him away, but Xac turned and waved behind them.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± He said.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Lee said, ¡°the exit goes through the sidelines. Let¡¯s try to get through there without no-¡±


    ¡°Did you see me?¡± Xac asked as Lee led him past the benches, and though they were roped off he could speak to Alex, who was sitting there with his master.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Kyrtarr said, and Alex gleefully climbed under the ropes and threw his arms around Xaxac. Two of the elves who Xaxac now realized worked for the rodeo had moved forward as if to stop their embrace, but Lee held up the pass Agalon had written and spoke.


    ¡°He ain¡¯t a fan,¡± Lee explained, ¡°He¡¯s with us.¡±


    One of the elves glanced back to Agalon, who was shaking hands again at the behest of the loud man and nodded to the other, and Alex was allowed to stay in Xac¡¯s arms.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°That was amazin, Foo Foo!¡± Alex cried.


    ¡°That poor laundress,¡± Lee sighed, ¡°Y¡¯all make me tired. Come on.¡±


    ¡°Where we goin?¡± Xac asked as he followed him.


    ¡°To get you cleared on medical,¡± Lee said. ¡°Vet¡¯s gotta look at you.¡±


    ¡°I feel great!¡± Xac proclaimed, ¡°I heal!¡±


    ¡°Yeah that¡­ that ain¡¯t good, boy,¡± Lee said as he drug Xaxac through the fairgrounds, ¡°It ain¡¯t hit ya¡¯ yet, what you just done. And you¡¯re so goddamn sensitive, cryin all the time that when it does hit ya¡­ I¡¯m gonna have to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°I won!¡± Xac argued, ¡°That¡¯s what I just done.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°-don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯d expect me to do,¡± the vet was saying as they entered the stables, ¡°He ain¡¯t got a skull. It¡¯s dust. No heartbeat. I don¡¯t know why you even brought this in here and made me look at it.¡±


    The earth elf who had been standing outside was glaring down at the form the vet was covering in a sheet and seething.


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± He snarled, ¡°I know he¡¯s the goddamn duke but if that thing really is a shifter there ain¡¯t no way in hell it oughta be allowed in the cage! That ain¡¯t a human it¡¯s a fuckin monster! It broke off a chunk of the fence barehanded! Started stabbin bitches!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re allowed to use the environment,¡± the vet said, ¡°You think you was done wrong, you can go file a complaint-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let me go file a complaint with his fuckin cousin!¡± the earth elf snapped, ¡°That¡¯ll do somethin! She¡¯ll be real interested!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, Kharis,¡± the vet said, ¡°this is the second one he¡¯s tore up. I wouldn¡¯t put nothin else against him.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Lee said and the vet glanced over at him, saw that he was tugging Xac along, and his eyes shot open.


    ¡°Speak a¡¯ the devil and he¡¯ll appear,¡± The vet chuckled, ¡°How you feelin, Xac? First match hits hard sometimes.¡±


    Xaxac¡¯s enthusiasm had faded as he stared at the misshapen lump under the sheet.


    He was a good boy.


    He would never run, but he ran away.


    He would never get in a fight, but he fought Billy.


    He would never hurt nobody, but as he watched the thing under the sheet staining it not only red but also a strange grey that almost looked clear mingling with and diluting the bloodstain, he realized that the Viper was dead.


    He had been alive, but because of Xaxac, not he was not.


    But humans were mortals with short, transient lives, not unlike the other animals. Xaxac had told Agalon he liked his leather gloves, he watched people around him eat meat, wear fur and leather, work creatures, including humans, to death. It didn¡¯t mean anything, in the long run. Yes, most people would prefer to be alive, but once they were dead it was like none of it had ever happened. It didn¡¯t mean anything. Xac was going to die one day too. When you were a mortal creature, when you were an animal, you began to die from the day you were born. The Viper went out among the roar of the crowd; it was the cool death Xaxac had wanted.


    Among these justifications another thought that had been buried like a fertile seed took root and broke the surface of his mind, winding slowly around all the other thoughts like a grapevine.


    Xaxac was small.


    He was cute.


    He had always thought he was the weakest person in the room.


    But he was a shifter.


    He healed.


    He was strong.


    He was fast.


    Xaxac was cursed; he was a monster, and he had always been afraid that people would fear him. But as he stared at the corpse that had once been a person, that thought wound and wound around all those other thoughts and finally bloomed into something he was sure, as soon as he heard it in his own mind, he had known all along:


    Goddamn right, they should be scared of me.


    ¡°I feel great!¡± Xac proclaimed, ¡°I heal.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Xaxac had been proclaimed as healthy as he felt and he had a bounce in his step as he dragged Alex along behind him. Lee had thrown his traveling cloak over him and demanded he keep it on, for reasons that Xaxac did not understand, but he was still floating on the high of his victory and didn¡¯t feel like asking questions. He felt like answering them.


    ¡°That was amazin!¡± Alex said, ¡°What¡¯d you hit him with?¡±


    ¡°I chewed through the fence!¡± Xac giggled, ¡°Like a bunny! Your master said that bunnies chewed through fences, and also remember how you said my teeth was messed up? I got bunny teeth. They hurt if I don¡¯t chew on stuff. They can grow up into my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Alex asked, laughed and said, ¡°Oh my god, Foo Foo, that¡¯s crazy. That¡¯s buckwild.¡±


    ¡°Discuss it quietly,¡± Lee demanded as he led them back onto the main street, ¡°Let¡¯s not draw attention to how valuable he is in the middle of the rodeo, around all these folks! That¡¯s askin to get him snatched, askin for trouble. Hush.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Alex sighed, ¡°Why do you hate fun?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t in the mood for your nonsense,¡± Lee snapped, ¡°I¡¯m prayin Bobby didn¡¯t have no trouble gettin that room. They give humans trouble down there sometimes. Just hush and come on.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody gonna start nothin¡¯ out here on the street,¡± Alex said, ¡°right in public like this.¡±


    ¡°I swear to god,¡± Lee said.


    Xaxac could not stop smiling.


    ¡°Come on, Lee, didn¡¯t you see me?¡± Xaxac asked, ¡°Ain¡¯t you even a little bit proud of me?¡±


    ¡°Xaxac, if you¡¯ll keep your mouth shut for the rest of the walk I¡¯ll pour you a glass of wine,¡± Lee promised, ¡°I know how you like to drink. I¡¯ll pour you the whole bottle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xac agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± Lee demanded as he led them around the side of the bathhouse, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found the door to the private room Agalon used blessedly open. ¡°Get inside.¡±


    Xaxac bounced into the room tugging Alex along behind him and smiled when he saw Bobby standing by the table eating a pear he had apparently taken from the bowl of fruit laid out with their wine and the pipe. Xac was, however, confused by the situation, because there was no water in the bath.


    Alex wasted no time walking to the little bench to undress, which he could do with amazing speed, and he giggled when he looked up and saw Xaxac.


    ¡°They cleaned it, honey,¡± he said, ¡°I love comin in when they just clean it. You pull that string there and one of these little wood things comes out of the ceilin¡¯.¡± He snapped his fingers and said, ¡°Bamboo! Bamboo¡¯s the word I was lookin for. It¡¯s all the rage on the water continent.¡±


    He tossed his discarded clothes on the floor, which prompted Bobby to huff, roll his eyes and go collect them to put them in a laundry bag while Alex advanced on Xaxac.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get these clothes off,¡± he said as he tore Xac¡¯s cloak over his head and tossed it behind him, then began to unbutton his shirt, ¡°Get shitfaced, and then¡­ you wanna fuck my brains out again? Seems like once upon a time you said you needed practice.¡±


    He giggled and Xac giggled with him, then leaned in to kiss him as Alex¡¯s nimble fingers pried him out of his clothes.


    Lee frowned and directed his gaze to Bobby who picked up the bloodstained workshirt Alex had tossed to the floor and stared at it.


    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, but Xaxac did not hear him, because he had more pressing matters to attend to.


    They had not made it to the bath by the time Agalon, Kyrtarr, and Wyatt stepped into the private room at the bathhouse.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Alex was still on all fours, babbling strings of words that Xaxac realized he was actually fairly good at interpreting, despite how drunk he was. He did not slow his pace when he saw Wyatt and his smile somehow spread even wider.


    ¡°Didja win?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Hell yeah, I won,¡± Wyatt responded, held up a hand, which Xac stared at for a moment in incomprehension, then reached out, took it, and used it to pull Wyatt down to his level so he could kiss him so deeply it nearly knocked him off his feet.


    ¡°I actually meant for you to take a bath,¡± Agalon said as he moved to the bench and sat down to unbuckle his boots, ¡°But I can¡¯t fault ya, darlin.¡±


    Wyatt pulled away and Xaxac giggled because the expression on his face was so funny.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Xac asked, ¡°Wanna fuck me from behind while I absolutely destroy Alex?¡±


    ¡°Accurate,¡± Alex chuckled, ¡°Accurate appraisal of the situation. You get better every time, Foo Foo. You¡¯re about ready to go pro.¡±


    ¡°Lee, darlin, do me a favor,¡± Agalon instructed as Wyatt considered this offer, ¡°Run down to the Sparklin Sorceress and get us all a bite to eat. Let me find my purse. I need more than a bowl a fruit and I know the fighters need to carboload. Tell um¡¯- wait I¡¯ll just write it down.¡±


    He took the small book he often wrote on and a pencil out of his bag and did proceed to write something down. He paused, in contemplation and spoke to Kyrtarr, as Wyatt made up his mind about Xac¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the lube, pretty boy?¡± Wyatt asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m tryin¡¯ to get folks to call me Foo Foo,¡± Xac teased.


    ¡°Where¡¯s it at, Foo Foo?¡± Wyatt asked again, punctuating his question with a playful slap to Xac¡¯s backside, earning him another giggle.


    ¡°Right here!¡± Xac picked it up off the floor and handed it to him.


    ¡°No eggs, no meat, no milk, no butter,¡± Agalon read from the list, ¡°That¡¯s it, right?¡±


    ¡°I think so, sir,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I want,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Ky, what are you gettin¡¯?¡±


    Xaxac screamed as Wyatt knocked him forward, and Alex somehow held his ground and kept all three of them upright. Xaxac thought he was stronger than he looked, but he didn¡¯t think on it very hard or for very long, because he was in heaven. It was the best of both worlds, and he felt the tension rising within him.


    He didn¡¯t even notice that the cloud of darkness that had once enveloped him had dissipated completely, that Alex had been absolutely right when he had told him it would eventually go away on its own. He did not want to remember what it had been like, so he could not fully appreciate its absence.


    But he appreciated everything else, and he was thankful that his brain had stopped working almost entirely, and left him without thoughts, left him just a vessel to experience sensation. He wished he could live his entire life in that blank state of ecstasy.


    ¡°Do you remember what the special is today?¡± Kyrtarr asked, ¡°Is it steak? Like beef steak? I think it¡¯s beef steak. It¡¯s beef something.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s roast beef,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°Get me that,¡± Kyrtarr said, shrugged, and continued, ¡°Fuck it, get it for my slaves too, Kai, you¡¯re rubbing off on me, but I might as well spoil Alex this once. He¡¯s been real good lately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so heavy,¡± Agalon said in contemplation, ¡°Would it be weird if I got two appetizers and ate that? Like as an entre? It¡¯s just real late at night. It¡¯s a late dinner.¡±


    ¡°Get whatever you want,¡± Kyrtarr said, ¡°You¡¯re the duke; ain¡¯t nobody gonna say nothin. I¡¯m turning the water on.¡±


    Agalon went back to writing as Xaxac felt himself losing his balance.


    It was all too much, too much sensation, and he was drowning in it.


    ¡°Pull my hair!¡± He demanded, and when his command was not obeyed he glanced over his shoulder and saw Wyatt staring at him like he had lost his mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Alex whined.


    Xaxac pried one of Wyatt¡¯s hands from his hip and shoved it into his hair and demanded, ¡°Pull! It¡¯s what Aggie does!¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t about to hurt you,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°Rumor is last time somebody did that-¡±


    ¡°You wanna see me angry!?¡± Xac snarled, and did not really understand what he was doing. He knew he was overreacting, but he was annoyed, he did not want to stop, and the pain grounded him, kept him in reality, and Agalon had always understood that. Agalon had always done what he had asked.


    And he finally suspected that his look of annoyance may mean something to people.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Wyatt said, dug his fingers into Xac¡¯s hair and pulled, but not nearly hard enough, so Xac had to lean forward as Wyatt picked up his pace again to get the results he wanted, but he did get them.


    He moaned as the sensation became too much for him and those familiar lights flashed under his eyelids as everything, the anger, the tension, the maliciousness drained out of him.

 Chapter 35

    Kyrtarr had pulled the ceiling open to reveal a long, hollow log that matched the wood the rest of the room was made of, and the hot water trickled out of it and onto the group that had gathered in the waiting tub. Xaxac delighted in the muffins he had finally been allowed to eat, far more sweet than he was used to, to the point that he thought they may not be muffins at all, but some sort of cake. He ate each one quickly and followed it up with a gulp of wine as the water slowly covered his outstretched legs.


    Agalon looked as if he may fall asleep and seemed to have no interest at all in his meal.


    ¡°Are you tired, master?¡± Xac asked and scooted closer to cuddle up to him.


    ¡°Do me a favor darlin and wash your mouth out with somethin¡¯ stronger than wine. Lee, hand me my flask.¡±


    Lee obeyed him, dug the flask out of Agalon¡¯s discarded traveling bag and handed it to him, and he passed it straight to Xaxac, who swished the whiskey around in his mouth, though he wasn¡¯t sure why Agalon wanted him to do that. Agalon took it from him and handed it back to Lee.


    ¡°I am tired,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to get back on the road tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I won!¡± Xac proclaimed as he climbed into his lap, ¡°And Wyatt won too! We¡¯re the best fighters!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°You thought on your feet but¡­ don¡¯t get a big head. You ain¡¯t¡­ exactly good, Xac. You didn¡¯t get a single hit in the first round. Your form¡¯s real sloppy. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doin.¡±


    ¡°But I won!¡± Xac argued.


    ¡°Yeah but¡­¡± Wyatt sighed and considered his words carefully, ¡°You got a natural advantage. It ain¡¯t gonna carry you. You need to train.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon I¡¯m gonna fight no more, am I?¡± Xac asked Agalon, ¡°I just did that so Billy could get better? I¡¯m a substitution, right? On account of I hurt him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, darlin,¡± Agalon wrapped an arm around him, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll think on it. I¡¯ll be glad to get on the road tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Are we goin to Sakala¡¯s?¡± Xac asked, ¡°You said if I won we¡¯d get more yarn!¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± Agalon asked, sighed, and continued, ¡°That sounds like somethin I¡¯d say. Yeah, we¡¯ll stop in but please, darlin, don¡¯t take all day. I¡¯m wore out. I¡¯ll¡­ Lee can take you in the mornin while we¡¯re loadin up the fighters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, master!¡± Xac wrapped both arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek. ¡°I wanna make solstice presents for everybody! Knittin takes a long time so you gotta start before the mask festival.¡±


    ¡°The mask festival,¡± Agalon sighed again, as if every sentence knocked the wind out of him, ¡°Right. I gotta plan that¡­ I¡¯m so tired¡­ Wonder if Lorry¡¯s comin in for it? Probably not¡­¡± The water was up to their shoulders now and had stopped flowing, and Xaxac remembered how the heat of it had made him sleepy.


    He was a little more relaxed now; Alex and Wyatt had burned off some of the energy his victory had given him, and he laid his head on Agalon¡¯s chest to listen to the beat of his heart.


    The water smelled so good and the heat wasn¡¯t as unbearable now that it was cooler outside.


    Quizlivan led the hunting party to the marker he had staked and tugged it out of the snow, then laid flat on his belly to peer through the oculars. The large, lumbering herd had not moved on, as he had suspected. There was so little green left anywhere that they would stay by that grove of trees until they had completely stripped it. Then they would be forced to move on.


    The herd had a specific pecking order; they kept the young and the queen on the inside, and around them huddled the elderly or weak that needed protecting, then came the outermost ring of the strongest members who were normally observant and alert, constantly on the lookout for predators.


    But the group looked different today.


    The middle ring was missing.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Quizlivan suspected that they hadn¡¯t been able to travel, had not survived the trip to find food. He understood instantly, because it had happened to his own tribe.


    But that provided a problem.


    Normally in a hunt the plan was to pick one of the older animals and find a way to isolate it from the herd. They were the easiests to pick off, the easiest to frighten and trap. The dragons were huge, lumbering things, easily as tall as three humans and as broad as four, with claws, teeth, and a swishing, striking tail.


    They had never even tried to take on a healthy young dragon. He wasn¡¯t even sure they would be able to isolate it. Would the tribe be willing to let one like that go?


    It didn¡¯t matter, in the grand scheme of things. Morgani did not have an infinite supply of food; he had shared all he had with them already. No food would grow in the snow and darkness. These dragons were the only other living things they had seen. It had to work. They would be successful or they would die.


    ¡°Bad news,¡± He told the group, ¡°the herd¡¯s been thinned. I don¡¯t see anybody we can pick off.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me,¡± Ahnah demanded so he did. She held the contraption to her eyes and frowned.


    ¡°Alright,¡± She said, scanning the area, ¡°He¡¯s right. We gotta ambush¡­ It¡¯s the same plan. Same plan, younger dragon. We can do this.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s where?¡± Kifat asked.


    ¡°Who volunteers?¡± Ahnah asked.


    ¡°Human.¡±


    They all turned as one, to find the sound of the quiet growl of a voice.


    Two glowing eyes stared back at them, easily five feet in the air. Then two more blinked into existence, then more, and more, and more, until it became obvious that they were surrounded.


    Quizlivan rolled onto his back, ready to jump and run if it became necessary, ready to fight for his life if he could not run.


    Two of the creatures stepped closer and closer, dark blobs against the night, and the snow eventually formed shapes. Four long, thin legs held up equally thin torsos covered in fur that had seen better days, and Quizlivan¡¯s first thought was that they should not look like this. Their fur should have been thick and shiny; their bodies should have been dense and muscular; they should have stood taller and more securely, but they shook and held both their tails and their heads down.


    The dire wolves followed their parents, and Quizlivan was sure there were more of them than there were people in his hunting party.


    Xaxac awoke before the sun had risen and looked carefully around the room.


    He really liked the hotel.


    He wasn¡¯t sure he had ever seen a wolf. And he was positive he would never go hunting. He didn¡¯t eat meat. He had also never seen a dragon, but he had heard of them.


    He kept having bad dreams.


    He softly slid out of Agalon¡¯s grip and walked to the window. The street outside was still lit up, even as early as it was, and he suspected the festivities ran twenty-four hours a day. The nighttime crowd was so different from the daytime crowd, so Xaxac stood and stared down at the people Agalon had once called the ¡®dregs of society¡¯. None of them were allowed in the fancy hotel; they wouldn¡¯t make it past the gate. And he couldn¡¯t make out much about them, as far away as they were, looking at them from so high above them.


    He deliberately chose not to think about the man he had killed.


    Instead, he wondered what it was like to be poor and elven. The two concepts did not match, in his head. He was unable to reconcile them. They seemed to be polar opposites. It did not seem as if a person could be both poor and elven, but there they were, walking the streets, listening to barkers at booths and eating fried dough before the sun rose.


    Giving away gold coins.


    He turned to look at Agalon, sleeping peacefully in the bed, then softly walked to the door to the sitting room.


    He tried the handle.


    It turned.


    Agalon never locked him up anymore. He trusted him now.


    ¡°Xac?¡± Lee asked, and he had obviously not been expecting him. He was sitting at the sitting area with Bobby before a roaring fire and wasn¡¯t wearing his coat or shoes. They were drinking something out of teacups and eating breakfast pastries, and Xac wondered how early it was.


    ¡°I¡­ had a bad dream,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°Well go back to bed,¡± Lee said, ¡°You still got a hour and a half to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xac frowned, ¡°Um¡­ ok¡­¡±


    ¡°Bet he did have a bad dream,¡± Bobby said as Xac pulled the door closed behind him, ¡°that boy can¡¯t be right after what he done yesterday.¡±


    ¡°That boy ain¡¯t been right,¡± Lee said.


    Xac stared out the window as he climbed back into bed, then turned and snuggled up to Agalon, burying his face in his chest.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Last chance!¡± a barker yelled into the crowd, ¡°Five for a copper!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it three yesterday?¡± Alex asked, shivering as he tugged his cloak tighter around him.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t desperate yesterday,¡± Lee said as he led them past the midway and continued onto the main street, ¡°We ain¡¯t got a lot of time. Let¡¯s get in, pick something out, and get out.¡±


    But as they approached Mrs Sambrees¡¯s shop, Xaxac knew something was wrong. No lamps burned within, nor were any people milling about inside. The beautifully dressed mannequins had changed their outfits; gone were the cleavage displaying gowns and smart workshirts, replaced with high necklines and winter coats, but no one was inside to buy them. The place was deserted.


    Lee attempted to open the door, but it would not budge.


    A sign had been hung on the glass of the door from the inside, a new addition, but none of them knew what it said. Xaxac suspected it had nothing to do with muffins.


    ¡°She¡¯s closed,¡± Lee said with great practicality, as if that settled the matter. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac whined, ¡°No! I won¡¯t be able to come back! Aggie said I could get something!¡±


    ¡°Master Agalon don¡¯t control merchants,¡± Lee said as if Xac was being particularly stupid, ¡°She probably wanted to go to the rodeo. Probably been closed the whole time.¡±


    ¡°That don¡¯t make sense,¡± Alex said, ¡°Look at all the folk on the street. She¡¯d make a fortune.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that,¡± Lee said as he turned and began walking away from the building, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon a lot of these folks got Sakala money.¡± He had to pause and add, ¡°Come on, boy,¡± because Xaxac had not budged.


    He was staring at the sign that had been erected on the door. He felt as if it meant something, and if he could only decipher it he could get some more yarn.


    ¡°There¡­ there was a textile art contest,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°In one of the tents. Aggie had to judge a quiltin contest there. There was other booths. There was booths with yarn.¡±


    ¡°My orders was to take you to Sakala¡¯s,¡± Lee said, ¡°I ain¡¯t trapsin all over Xren and creation. We gotta get back. We¡¯re leavin.¡±


    Xac frowned, cupped his hands over his eyes, and gazed into the empty shop.


    He was almost out of yarn. He wouldn¡¯t be able to make his father a solstice gift if he didn¡¯t get some kind of material to work with. But the shop was undeniably closed. It didn¡¯t even look like Mrs Sambrees was anywhere inside.


    So he frowned, turned, and began to follow Lee back toward the stable where they kept the fighters.


    ¡°Sorry, Foo Foo,¡± Alex said and Xaxac looked at him, then let his eyes trail downward. Alex was wearing the same beautiful, knee-high boots he had worn for the entire rodeo.


    As they entered the midway, Xaxac looked around at the booths that were lined up, the people shouting in an attempt to attract patrons, and the tents that lined the area. He recognized the one where Agalon had gone to judge the quilt contest. He looked up at the back of Lee¡¯s head and took in the silver of his hair, the way he limped a little because of his bad knee, the sheer age of him.


    Then Xaxac made a very bad decision.


    He turned, in one motion scooped Alex up in his arms- and took off at a sprint.


    Alex shrieked, then giggled, and Lee turned and screamed, ¡°Xaxac!¡± but it died away almost instantly.


    Because Xaxac was quick as a jackrabbit with reflexes to match. He zoomed through the crowd, dancing between the poorly dressed elves, and in a few seconds he arrived at the entrance to the tent.


    He set Alex on his feet, but Alex clung to him.


    ¡°Lord, my head¡¯s spinnin,¡± Alex giggled, ¡°Do that again!¡±


    ¡°I lost him!¡± Xac giggled with him.


    ¡°Winnin that fight has destroyed you,¡± Alex said as he straightened out his cloak, took Xac¡¯s hand, and pulled him into the tent, ¡°Come on.¡±


    Xaxac was almost certain he had been right, that the booths lined up on the far wall were merchants. Unlike the barkers outside, though, they were not shouting. The place had a homey quiet about it; many of the merchants were sewing, knitting, or crocheting, sitting calmly behind their booths as if they knew the patrons would come, as if they were uninterested in attracting anyone.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Xac asked as he squeezed Alex¡¯s hand and stuck the other in his empty pocket, ¡°Can I borrow some money?¡±


    ¡°If they can break it,¡± Alex shrugged, looked away, and admitted, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Ky I had no money. I don¡¯t reckon Bobby told him, neither. He¡¯s¡­ better about keepin secrets than your butler is. He woulda brought us here. We wouldn¡¯t ¡®a had to run.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac agreed and saw a sign that he recognized as having the same text from Sakala¡¯s shop on one of the booths. He couldn¡¯t understand what it said, but the symbols were all drawn in the same way, and he was fairly sure they were connected.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°There it is!¡± he said in his excitement and picked up the pace, tugging Alex along.


    But Sakala wasn¡¯t at the booth.


    Xaxac was unfamiliar with the type of person he saw at the booth.


    The man who stood there was so squat and thick that Xaxac did not think he was human, but he had a long beard that reached to his waist and hair enough to match it, all a dark brown that curled beautifully, which he had arranged pleasantly into a series of braids. He had been doing something as they approached that involved a lot of metal on metal tinking, but Xaxac thought it was the wrong rhythm for knitting, and he could not see what it was, because the man was so short the counter obscured his actions.


    As they approached, the man looked up at them and smiled and a tiny sea dragon the size of a medium-sized bird with beautiful blue shimmering scales seemed to wake up from a nap it had been taking in a basket of equally blue yarn and flew to alight on the man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Welcome to Sambrees¡¯s Fine Textiles and Supplies!¡± The small man boasted.


    ¡°Textile supplies!¡± The dragon agreed, ¡°Textile supplies!¡±


    ¡°Is this Sakala¡¯s stuff?¡± Xaxac asked as Alex smiled and leaned forward to stroke the dragon¡¯s head with two fingers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be doin that,¡± The man warned, ¡°he bites.¡±


    ¡°He bites!¡± The dragon agreed, hopped back and forth around the man¡¯s broad shoulders, and snapped only when he was a good distance away in a manner Xaxac found more playful than serious. ¡°Textile supplies! He bites!¡±


    Xac huffed, and the man turned to him and did not answer his question. Instead, he spoke in a voice much too dramatic for the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m crazy Harry!¡± He declared, ¡°Final day closeout sale! My prices are in-sane!¡±


    ¡°Crazy Harry!¡± the dragon echoed, ¡°Insane!¡±


    ¡°Is Sakala here?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Nah,¡± the man said, ¡°She went out with-¡±


    But he was cut off by the dragon who spread its wings, hopped onto the counter and screamed, ¡°Crazy Harry! Insane! He bites!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I love him,¡± Alex put his hands on his knees and bent to be more on the dragon¡¯s level, ¡°I love you. What¡¯s your name, little feller?¡±


    ¡°Crazy Harry!¡± The dragon proclaimed, but Xaxac did not believe him.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Crazy Harry demanded of the dragon and it cocked its head at him, did fall silent, but kept hopping around the counter.


    ¡°Ok, well, I still want some yarn,¡± Xac said, ¡°Y¡¯all got any angora in green?¡±


    ¡°Angora in green!¡± The dragon repeated to Harry, ¡°Angora in green.¡±


    ¡°I want it,¡± Alex said of the dragon, ¡°Oh my god I love it! It¡¯s a sea dragon, Xac! There¡¯s a bunch of these little fellers on the water continent. You can teach um to talk!¡± Then to the dragon he said, ¡°Say ¡®Alex¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Crazy Harry!¡± the dragon said.


    ¡°Say ¡®Alex¡¯!¡± Alex demanded.


    ¡°Insane!¡± the dragon told him.


    ¡°Say ¡®Alex¡¯!¡± Alex said a bit more forcefully, and Xaxac did not share his enthusiasm. He was of the opinion that the dragon¡¯s repetitive schtick would get really old really fast.


    ¡°Say Alex!¡± the dragon said and Alex shrieked in delight.


    ¡°Say ¡®Bunny Foo Foo¡¯,¡± Alex requested, and to Xac¡¯s surprise, the dragon began to sing.


    ¡°Down came the fairy and the fairy said,


    Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don¡¯t wanna see you-¡±


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Crazy Harry said. During the conversation he had turned and rifled through the stock behind him, but he had since returned holding a basket of green yarn. ¡°This what you want?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯ll take all of it!¡±


    ¡°And the dragon,¡± Alex said, ¡°I love him!¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t for sale,¡± Crazy Harry said, ¡°He¡¯s a friend a¡¯ mine.¡±


    ¡°Friend of mine,¡± the dragon agreed and flew back to Crazy Harry¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Pay the man, Alex?¡± Xac begged. He wanted to leave. The reality of what he had done was settling in on him, and he was afraid Lee had gone to tell Agalon that he had run away from him.


    ¡°Pay the man!¡± The dragon echoed and Xac glared at it.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Lee snarled, put a hand on Xac¡¯s shoulder and spun him around, ¡°Boy, you have lost your goddamn mind!¡± Xaxac saw him rear back, but did not move, because he thought he deserved the slap that Lee delivered to the side of his face.


    ¡°Fair,¡± he said, but apparently the dragon disagreed, because it spread its wings, flew between them, and began to scream.


    ¡°Crazy!¡± It screamed, batting its wings in Lee¡¯s face, ¡°Insane!¡±


    Lee threw up his hands to bat it away, and Xaxac came to the realization that there were claws on its tiny feet. The dragon wore a collar around its neck inset with some sort of blue crystal, likely to designate its status as a pet, so it was by this that Xac grabbed it and threw it backward into the booth. It landed in one of the many baskets of yarn, righted itself, and hissed in a disagreeable manner.


    ¡°My god!¡± Lee said.


    ¡°No fighting!¡± Crazy Harry said as he counted out Alex¡¯s change, ¡°World¡¯s rough enough as it is.¡±


    Alex, however, seemed to hold the opinion that what he had just seen was the funniest thing that could have possibly happen to a person. He was laughing so hard he had to hold onto the counter for support.


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Lee said as he straightened his workshirt, ¡°You oughta keep that thing on a leash.¡±


    ¡°That your young¡¯un?¡± Crazy Harry asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Lee said, sounding as if he had been gravely insulted.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t be hittin people at my booth,¡± the man slid a stack of coins toward Alex, turned to look at Lee, and spoke without his normal playful tone, ¡°I¡¯m Crazy Harry. My policies are¡­ insane.¡±


    ¡°Getcha things, Xac,¡± Lee demanded, ¡°We¡¯re gone.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Xaxac knitted happily away on the return trip while Alex slept on his master¡¯s lap, once again in his drugged out stupor. This time Xaxac had the sense not to blame him. He was happy to say that the return trip was entirely uneventful, in a pleasant sort of way, and he was happy to feel the crispness of autumn that held a smell that he could not really describe, but quite enjoyed. The heat of the summer was finally gone completely, and he looked forward to returning home. It felt better, for some reason, to knit in the cooler weather. And his mama had more fruits after the harvest to bake into pies. When he had been a child she had snuck these home as often as she could, but now that he lived in the big house with such an enviable job, he would probably get a slice every day.


    Agalon was getting much more lax with him, to the point that Xaxac was beginning to entertain the notion that he might be able to sneak away into the kitchen and see his family. He didn¡¯t fully believe that such a thing was possible, but the thought entered his mind.


    When they stopped for their pitiful lunch, Xaxac was happy to see that the security Agalon had hired did not join them. They stayed near the fighters, who huddled together against the cold and ate their provisions with a low murmur. Every so often one of them would glance their way, and when it was Wyatt, Xac waved to him, then playfully blew him a kiss.


    He did not see Billy among them.


    He actually noticed that a few people were missing. The original half dozen fighters had had their numbers cut in half.


    Xaxac did not understand why everything was so pleasant.


    He knew that he should be in trouble.


    He didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t in trouble.


    When they had returned to the stables, Lee had acted like none of it had happened. He hadn¡¯t said a word to Agalon. That made no sense. Xac deserved to be in trouble. He was the one who had run, who had disobeyed Lee who had been put in charge of him.


    But Lee hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Xaxac chewed slowly, in thought, as he remembered something Lee had said to him, so long ago. When Xaxac had told on Mrs OfAgalon, the housekeeper, because she had tried to hit him, Lee had scolded him, had told him that humans were never to tell on each other. Lee had said that they were supposed to look out for each other.


    Xac watched Lee, who ate faster than nearly everyone else on the blanket and was sitting in repose with his hands in his lap, as quiet as everyone else.


    Their eyes locked, and Lee¡¯s stern face softened.


    Xaxac smiled at him.


    ¡°You reckon we¡¯ll make it by nightfall?¡± Kyrtarr asked.


    ¡°You can ride with the fighters, if you want,¡± Agalon said in the tone and cadence of a joke, but Xaxac knew him well enough to know that he spoke like that so that he could guard his words. If Kyrtarr really was afraid, Agalon wouldn¡¯t be angry at him for making the sensible choice.


    Xaxac stared up at the sky.


    It was a little before noon.


    They were making good time.


    ¡°You know,¡± Alex said slowly after he had taken a drink from his master¡¯s flask, ¡°I¡­ I ain¡¯t even really scared no more, you know?¡±


    Xaxac smiled at him.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Alex continued, ¡°After they locked me in there with him an¡¯ everything.¡±


    ¡°Just between you, me, and the good lord Thesis above,¡± Agalon said to Kyrtarr, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t rightly know what¡¯s gonna happen. I don¡¯t know if that¡­ messed up the schedule or¡­ I just don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ weird,¡± Xaxac said, looking up at Agalon with pleading eyes, ¡°I¡­ I remembered it. I didn¡¯t never remember it before. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose but¡­ maybe now I¡¯ll always remember it. If I can control it that¡¯ll make everythin a lot easier. I wouldn¡¯t never hurt-¡± he paused. He was going to say ¡®nobody¡¯, but his brain elected to flash an image behind his eyes that he had no desire to see and refused to dwell on, of a man lying on the dirt missing a good chunk of his head, of red flesh, white bone, and something grey that oozed not only blood but something strange and clear that Xaxac could not, and did not want to, identify.


    The image made his stomach churn and for an instant he was afraid he was going to be sick, but in a very strange way; not as he had been sick before, but in a way that made his body shake and his head pound.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    But he shoved it away through sheer force of will and continued, ¡°Y¡¯all.¡±


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t darlin,¡± Agalon said as he stood, ¡°But we probably still oughta be gettin back on the road.¡±


    Alex had taken another huge swig of the potion Kytarr kept for him, and thus had not been able to stand on his own either to make it back into the wagon or back out of it. Whatever his master had given him really did a number on him; he had barely been able to hold his head up and had only muttered those two sentences during their lunch, then he had fallen right back to sleep, and he slept now on the sofa of the sitting room in the guest suite at his home where Agalon and Xaxac were staying the night.


    Xaxac knelt on the rug, nude once again, and stared down at the chains Agalon had looped around his wrists.


    ¡°Nothing might not happen this time,¡± Agalon said.


    Alex tried his best to sit up on the sofa, but he could not stay awake long enough. Xaxac wished they would at least take his makeup and boots off.


    Kyrtarr glanced out the window and Xaxac could see the fear on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel nothin,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°You usually feel somethin?¡± Lee asked and glanced at the tray of spinach Bobby had sat on the table.


    ¡°I usually feel¡­ scared,¡± Xac shrugged as best he could in his chains, and liked the sound they made when they rattled.


    ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t scare so easy, darlin,¡± Agalon laid a hand in his hair and began to scratch at his scalp in the way he knew Xac liked.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Hoppin¡¯ through the forest-¡± Alex sang and Lee rolled his eyes and began to mutter under his breath.


    ¡°Wish that youngun would make up his mind. Either sleep or don¡¯t.¡±


    Bobby giggled, and Xac watched the windows.


    But he did not see the full moons.


    He had never seen the full moons.


    Instead, he shrieked as the familiar pain tore through him, and his mind no longer spoke to him.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Agalon said as he continued scratching between the monster¡¯s ears, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ now I just¡­ don¡¯t know what to make of all that¡­ I just¡­ how ya feelin, Honey Bunny? Can ya talk?¡±


    The rabbit leaned heavily into his touch, snuggled into his side so fiercely it apparently threw off his center of balance and he fell onto his side on the carpet.


    ¡°We shoulda rolled that up,¡± Lee huffed to Bobby, ¡°Let¡¯s get that rolled up.¡±


    The two of them moved to do so, and Agalon thought it was the remarkable condition of humans that they could become accustomed to anything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Agalon frowned and cradled his face in one hand as he watched the rabbit roll around on the floor, not as if it was in a panic, but as if it were¡­ playing? Did rabbits play? He was heavier than Agalon had anticipated, and he squirmed until he managed to get out from under him and climb slowly to his feet in time to the sound of the cracking of his back. Xaxac did not seem to mind this much, and continued to roll lazily about the room.


    ¡°Xac?¡± Alex asked, and he sounded a bit more awake, as if the potion had begun to wear off, and the rabbit¡¯s unsettling eyes focused on him, too big and too far apart on its face. But Alex saw the recognition there.


    ¡°I am absolutely terrified,¡± Alex said as he shoved himself up, using the side of the sofa for support, and made his way toward the monster on the floor that would tower over him when it stood, ¡°Absolutely,¡± Alex said as he collapsed onto the floor in a way that seemed as if he had not meant to do it, then crawled until he was sitting next to the monster and could stare down at the rabbit in chains, ¡°erect with terror.¡±


    He giggled, and the monster rolled over onto its stomach, so Alex stroked its fur and began to sing.


    ¡°Little bunny Foo Foo,


    Hopping through the forest,


    Scooping up the field mice,


    And bopping them on the head.¡±


    He sang without much enthusiasm, yawned loudly and the rabbit repeated his action.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ never acted like this before,¡± Agalon said, ¡°he usually gets real scared.¡±


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t scared,¡± Kyrtarr said as he watched Alex snuggle into Xaxac¡¯s fur, bury his face in it, and fall back to sleep.


    ¡°He may be worn plumb out, master,¡± Lee said as he and Bobby tugged the carpet out from under the two sleeping pleasure slaves to finish rolling it, ¡°It¡¯s been a long trip. We¡¯re all pretty wore out.¡±


    ¡°But he ain¡¯t never been this calm,¡± Agalon argued, ¡°It always happens at night and he ain¡¯t never been this calm. It ain¡¯t like him. If he¡¯d¡¯a been like this the last time¡­ I mean¡­ the last time the moons was full¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kyrtarr said, ¡°But I don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe he¡¯s finally figured out how to straighten up and act right.¡±


    Agalon watched the gentle rising and falling of Xaxac¡¯s back and Alex¡¯s sleepy head resting there with a concerned frown.

 Chapter 38

    The two dire wolves held their ground above the prone hunting party as Quizlivan tried to figure out what would be the best course of action. If they ran, they would be chased. It had been said that one did not have to outrun the pack, they only had to outrun the slowest human. But he would not do that. He was not willing to sacrifice anyone.


    But the younger wolves had formed a half circle around them, half hidden in the darkness and the snow, dark shapes against the falling flakes and glowing eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± Ahnah asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The largest of the wolves raised her head and sniffed the air, but the effort seemed as if it tired her.


    They were all so tired. Quizlivan understood. He had been that tired, once, before he met Morgani.


    ¡°There is no food,¡± the matriarch of the dire wolves said. ¡°Not here, not for us. Maybe never again.¡±


    Quizlivan reached through the snow,grasping for the people at his side. If he ran, he could pull them with him. He had always been the fastest. One hand settled around Ahnah¡¯s and she glanced at him as if she thought he was a fool before turning her gaze back to the wolves. His other was taken and squeezed by the strange, smooth, dark flesh of Morgani¡¯s gloves.


    ¡°You¡¯re hungry,¡± Morgani said, leaned forward, and studied them. ¡°Sharp teeth¡­ binocular vision¡­ canids, right? You¡¯re omnivorous?¡± he glanced behind him, as if he could see through the cloud of snow without the oculars, as if he could see the dragons beyond.


    The wolf followed his gaze, then tilted her head to study the strange man.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ahnah sat up as well, then pulled herself into a crouch, squeezed Quizlivan¡¯s hand before she let go to tug her furs more tightly around her. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    The wolf took a shaky step forward and sniffed the garment.


    ¡°Boar,¡± she said, and opened her mouth as if she intended to bite.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Ahnah demanded, ¡°And think about how I got this! I have the flesh of a boar because I was stronger than it was! I have this because I killed it!¡±


    ¡°And it keeps out the cold,¡± Quizlivan said helpfully, ¡°We¡¯re not just like¡­ crazy¡­ we don¡¯t wear the skin of our enemies for no reason.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the exact opposite of help!¡± Ahnah hissed at him, and he fell silent.


    ¡°These humans,¡± the queen of the dire wolves¡¯s companion said, ¡°take down prey bigger than themselves, bigger than their whole pack. Tell them why we have come!¡±


    She growled at him, and to Quizlivan¡¯s shock, he growled back.


    ¡°Tell them!¡± He implored.


    ¡°In the forest beyond,¡± the queen said, ¡°a pack of dragons is feeding. The slow, lumbering ones, not the skittering flying things. We have sent scouts.¡±


    ¡°So have we,¡± Ahnah told her, ¡°We know this already.¡±


    ¡°Their herd is thin,¡± the queen continued, ¡°they are on guard. There are no members they will be willing to lose. Our pack is hungry¡­ we are weak¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gettin pretty hungry,¡± Quizlivan mumbled.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ahnah seemed to understand, and would not force the Queen the indignity of asking, ¡°My¡­ my pack is hungry too, weak. We¡¯re both- what was the word, Morgani?¡±


    ¡°Omnivores,¡± Morgan said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ahnah said, ¡°And there is too little green to feed us. Divided we starve. United-¡±


    ¡°We feast,¡± the queen said, took another step forward, and shoved her face against Ahnah¡¯s. She kept her head lowered and did not open her mouth.


    Quizlivan watched as Ahnah lifted her hand, and began to stroke the thick fur along the queen¡¯s mane.


    Xaxac opened his eyes and was confused when he did not see sixty flowers.


    He saw Agalon, sitting across from him, writing furiously in the book he often carried with him for that purpose. He felt the world moving around him, and took in the details of the carriage slowly as the dark world filled with snow faded.


    ¡°Aggie?¡± he asked, and Agalon¡¯s eyes darted to him.


    ¡°Just try and sleep, Honey Bunny,¡± he advised.


    ¡°Did¡­ did I shift?¡± Xac asked as he shoved himself to a sitting position and felt his vision dance back and forth as his empty stomach screamed in protest. He didn¡¯t have the energy to remain upright and fell back onto the seat.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You must be plumb wore out.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t wore out,¡± Xac protested, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Agalon closed the book, set it on the seat next to him, then got up and knelt to retrieve something from under the seat.


    ¡°Well, darlin, if you can hold out a few more hours we¡¯ll be at the house,¡± he explained as he pulled out a package wrapped in a handkerchief, ¡°But I know how hungry you get. Here, this is about all you¡¯re gonna get till we get home. Sorry, darlin.¡±


    He stood and offered the parcel to Xaxac, who took it happily. As soon as Agalon took his seat again, Xaxac pulled himself up and stumbled across the small distance to sit next to him. The sun was setting past the carriage windows, and the repetitive expanse of the agricultural district whisked past them.


    He unwrapped the package and found it to be full of crackers, which were as bland as Agalon had led him to believe, but any port in a storm.


    Agalon went right back to writing, even with Xaxac leaning on him, so once Xac had swallowed he asked, ¡°Whatcha doin, master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to draft an official engagement announcement,¡± he said, ¡°For Lorry. I ain¡¯t good at this. Women folk are better at this kinda stuff. But¡­ we ain¡¯t got none.¡±


    Xaxac thought he knew a great many women, but he knew what Agalon meant and decided against suggesting any of the people he was thinking of. None of them would likely be any good at writing announcements, given the debilitating handicap of illiteracy.


    Instead, he chewed his crackers until he had the strength to sit on his knees and look out the back window. He saw a second carriage following them, but it wasn¡¯t being driven by Bobby, but by Aymar, and Omylia was once again riding on top of the carriage in what had to be some kind of breech in safety protocol.


    At least the fighters weren¡¯t walking. Some of them were in no shape to walk.


    He sat back down and ate another cracker in contemplation.


    ¡°Aggie, you¡¯re real smart,¡± he said, because it was a fact.


    ¡°Thank ya¡¯ kindly, darlin,¡± Agalon replied without looking up from his work.


    ¡°Did you ever hear tell of a time when it snowed?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Snows ever winter, darlin,¡± Agalon said as if Xaxac may be annoying him but he was trying to hide that fact with relative success.


    ¡°I mean for a long time,¡± Xac clarified, ¡°like¡­ for longer than a winter¡­ like for years, a real long time ago. Like maybe for so long almost everythin¡¯ died.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Did you hear that at the rodeo? There¡¯s some historians and priests what say there was an ice age. I mean, it¡¯s still an ice age, as long as there¡¯s ice at the poles it¡¯s an ice age, but in the holy texts it says that the whole world got covered in snow one time, for years like that. Was somebody preachin at the rodeo? I¡­ I oughta go to the temple more than I do. Or, ya know, at all.¡± He shrugged and went back to writing.


    ¡°Was that some kinda devilry?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Did the devil do it?¡±


    ¡°In a real roundabout way,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°Thesis did it to punish- well¡­ us. Elves. We didn¡¯t do what we was told and protect the world so he damn near wiped it out, started over, and told us to get it right this time. So far, so good.¡±


    Xaxac nodded and ate another cracker.


    ¡°You ever hear tell,¡± Xaxac asked again, speaking softly and trying to look more sleepy than he felt, ¡°Of anybody name of Quizlivan?¡±


    ¡°Not right off,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Is that somethin you heard at the rodeo?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember,¡± Xac said, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ stuck in my head. I thought it was pretty.¡±


    ¡°It is pretty,¡± Agalon agreed. He seemed to finish whatever he had been writing, closed the book with the pencil inside to mark his place and folded his hands over it in his lap, then thought better of it and tucked it into the bag at his side and held his arms open. ¡°Come here, Honey Bunny.¡±


    Xac crawled into his lap and asked as cutely as he could manage, ¡°Can I have somethin to drink?¡±


    Agalon dug around in his bag until he extracted his flask and handed it over, ¡°Not a whole lot left. But we¡¯re almost at the house.¡±


    Xac nodded and tried to ration the whiskey. The crackers made his mouth so dry¡­


    ¡°Last night was the best you ever been shifted,¡± Agalon praised, ¡°You done so good. Alex slept on top of you.¡±


    ¡°I like Alex,¡± Xac swore, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t never hurt Alex¡­¡± he took another swig of whiskey and continued, ¡°¡®Specially not now that I know how easy humans die. We die real easy, Aggie. And then one day everybody what ever knew us will die, and it¡¯ll be like none of it ever happened. I don¡¯t remember the Viper¡¯s real name.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I envy that,¡± Agalon said as if he was admitting some sort of secret, ¡°The transient life, the short memory¡­ I wish I could just up and forget¡­ pert near half my life. The middle part.¡±


    ¡°I think the secret,¡± Xac explained, ¡°Is drinkin a whole lot. It might not work for elves, but it makes me forget stuff. I like it too, bein able to forget. I hate thinkin, Aggie. I think too much sometimes. I just wanna lay drunk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I got on me, darlin,¡± Agalon said sympathetically, ¡°I¡¯d give it to ya if I had it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Xac ate another cracker and snuggled further into his chest. ¡°You¡¯re so good to me. I love you. I¡¯m lucky to have you.¡±


    Some time passed in silence between them as Xaxac felt the world move around them, felt Agalon breath below him, and listened to the soft sound of the horses¡¯ hooves, of the wheels against the cobblestones, of the lamps beside Lee knocking against the side of the carriage.


    ¡°You¡­ seemed like you had fun in the cage,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°I did!¡± Xac displayed his enthusiasm before he caught himself, ¡°They loved me, Aggie! They loved me! The whole arena chanted my name! They hollered for me! I¡¯m Bunny Foo Foo! I won and they loved me on account of it! I wanna go again!¡±


    Agalon stared down at the hope in those big brown eyes and reached to scratch at Xac¡¯s scalp, to run a hand through his hair.


    ¡°You scared me in that first round, darlin,¡± he admitted, quietly and with great sincerity.


    ¡°But I heal!¡± Xac begged, ¡°I¡¯m a survivor! My- Abe always said I was a survivor! You can¡¯t keep me down! And they all loved me!¡±


    ¡°They did love you,¡± Agalon said, ¡°The crowd loved you. You want to do that again? You¡¯re¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ reckon you¡¯d take so good to it.¡±


    ¡°I wanna go again!¡± Xac begged, ¡°I wanna¡­ they was chantin my name! They loved me!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Agalon promised and kissed the top of his head.

 Chapter 39

    Quizlivan might have been the fastest human in his tribe, but the wolf was faster. He moved through the snow, not over it, and therefore had no fear about sinking past where he already was. He had his canine speed, but Quizlivan had his primate grip and flexibility. He clung to the wolf for dear life as they raced through the trees, glanced behind him to see the rest of the pack, no longer hidden, no longer quiet. The rest of their group waited outside the treeline.


    It was the same plan; a human plan. Isolate one dragon and drive it away from the tribe. Cut it off from support and scare it so badly it would panic. Panic in a large, lumbering monster was dangerous, but not as dangerous as a pack of ravenous humans.


    Quizlivan was alone with the wolves, but he would not be for long. He glanced up at the trees they sped past and thought of the others waiting near the end of the forest. There was no camouflage now against the snow, but humans were excellent climbers. They were almost as fast in the trees as they were on the ground, and they were arguably the fastest and most flexible of the primates.


    He did not have time to prepare before they were upon the pack. He never did. Intelligence happened before the hunt; during he would rely on quick wit and instinct.


    He screamed, and the wolves howled with him. The mountains around them echoed their cries and amplified them, and the humans in the trees screamed back.


    The dragons took notice.


    They were not as huge as they once were, when they were well-fed, but a single specimen would keep the pack fed a long time.


    Their target was one of the thinnest, on the outer ring of the pack; it was hungry, but it was young and far more healthy than the creatures they normally pursued. Quizlivan had to hope that the pack would let it go to escape, that they would not protect it.


    But the cries of the dragons joined their own, and when Quizlivan heard the queen let out a trumpeting call, he feared the worst.


    This grove of trees may be the last bit of green left in the mountains. The dragons would not let it go without a fight.


    Quizlivan hunkered down closer to the wolf¡¯s back and leaned into the brittle fur.


    ¡°They¡¯re not running!¡± The wolf said.


    ¡°Just get me close to it,¡± Quizlivan shouted, ¡°It¡¯ll run. They always run.¡±


    The scene sped by too quickly for him to collect his bearings as the wolf raced with the others past the huge creatures, darting between legs and avoiding sweeping tails. The lack of a stampede was a completely different hunt, but as Quizlivan tried to make sense of the battlefield, he realized something important.


    None of the dragons had tried to blow them away. None of them had been willing to use their most dangerous weapon, the icy breath they normally blew that was as fierce as a tornado, that would knock a human back, along with anything next to them.


    They didn¡¯t want to hurt each other.


    And they didn¡¯t want to uproot the trees.


    ¡°Get me close to it!¡± Quizlivan demanded again, ¡°The one we talked about!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± the wolf snarled, and Quizlivan looked up.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°It¡¯s still dark. It¡¯s been so dark for so long¡­ they can¡¯t see us.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Can you see them?¡± The wolf asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen better,¡± Quizlivan let go of the wolf¡¯s mane and stood tall on its back.


    ¡°Here we are, human!¡± the wolf screamed and Quizlivan lept.


    He landed hard on the creatures scales, but he was so small they did not damage him; they presented convenient handholds.


    ¡°Run motherfucker,¡± Quizlivan muttered as he began to move sideways. The dragon could not swing it¡¯s lumbering tail upward to reach him and he was heading for the haunches. It could not move with any real force inside the forest, and could not possibly have seen what had attacked it.


    It knew it had something moving along its side, and several times tried to knock whatever the itchy annoyance was off by slamming into trees, but humans had lived in the trees, had sprang forth from them, and they were made for climbing and clinging. Quizlivan held his ground and made his way toward the haunches to the sounds of the wolves, no longer howling but scampering below them, nipping, biting, and moving away with much more dexterity than the giant creatures could summon.


    Quizlivan reached his goal and clung tenaciously with one hand while he used the other to pry away a scale. It came away with a sickening wet noise and Quizlivan threw it to the ground to repeat the process.


    The dragon screamed and thrashed, and Quizlivan was forced to abandon his task to reach for the dagger at his hip, carved of stone and not strong enough to pierce the armor of the dragon, but certainly strong enough to pierce its flesh. He held on as he buried it in the dragon¡¯s haunch and tugged.


    He would not kill it this way, likely could not carve out enough meat to make a meal for himself.


    But he could make it panic.


    And it ran.


    The dragon took off at a sprint in the direction it had been facing, toward the treeline, toward the rest of Quizlivan¡¯s tribe, and he huddled under his fur as he felt the branches of the trees tearing at it. He hoped the hides were strong enough to protect him, but he could not stay on the creature for long; there was a real possibility that in the end, he would be crushed to death.


    So he turned, and he leapt. He could not see where he was going, but he trusted his abilities as a human in a forest enough to believe that he would land somewhere.


    The branch he hit was not strong enough to hold him and he went tumbling past one, then another, rolling through the treetop until he came to older, more sturdy branches. He righted himself and assessed his body. He was sore, bleeding a little, and colder than he would like, but he thought his skeleton was mostly intact.


    From his new position he watched the dragon thrashing and running blindly in a panic, and the very thing he had hoped would not happen happened.


    The other dragons took notice, felt the fear of their comrade, and began to run after it.


    Quizlivan cursed and began to leap from branch to branch after them, but he knew he could not beat them to the treeline.


    The humans near the exit pulled the rope they had made taunt from their position in the trees, and the injured dragon hit it right at the knees and went down.


    ¡°Move!¡± Quizlivan tried to yell, ¡°Move! Get out of the way! Stampede!¡±


    Even if they heard him, there was no way those in the front, those who were prepared to slit the creature¡¯s throat when it fell, would hear him. They would be directly in the herd¡¯s path.


    ¡°Please!¡± Quizlivan shrieked, ¡°Move!¡±


    He doubted they could have heard him over the thunderous sound of the dragons even if he had been standing next to them.


    His tribe!


    His family!


    ¡°Get up, Xaxac,¡± Lee said as he shook him, ¡°I know you¡¯re still wore out from shiftin, but you can¡¯t sleep all day. It¡¯s lunch time and I¡¯m supposed to feed you.¡±


    Xaxac blinked awareness into himself and stared up at the sixty flowers on the ceiling. He slowly sat up and took in his gorgeous, decadent surroundings. He turned, positioned his body so that he could look out the windows at the fields, the people working there on the harvest, and the slave quarters beyond, all in the crisp autumnal air that would soon turn to snow.


    ¡°Lee, please,¡± he begged, ¡°Please¡­ where¡¯s everybody at?¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Get up,¡± Lee instructed, ¡°You gotta shave. Let¡¯s see if you can do it by yourself today.¡±


    Xaxac stared out the window, watching the humans in the field. They were sitting down, eating their scant lunch, but that wouldn¡¯t last more than a few minutes. After that it would be right back to the harvest.


    Then it would snow.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t there,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lee warned, ¡°Get up. I can¡¯t stand here and babysit ya, I got a whole house to run.¡±


    ¡°I had a bad dream,¡± Xac explained, ¡°I drempt that we was¡­ running¡­ there was wolves, big ¡®uns, and we was tryin¡­ tryin to kill a dragon¡­ an¡­ there was a stampede an¡¯... my whole body was sore, but¡­ usually, usually Lapus¡­ he wouldn¡¯t there¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you crying again?¡± Lee asked, and Xaxac expected a slap, or a snarl, but instead Lee put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed, ¡°You been havin a lot of bad dreams, boy. I¡­ can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like. In that cage.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Xac said, ¡°My whole family¡­ and I¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t do anything. I tried. I moved as quick as I could but I couldn¡¯t¡­ keep um from gettin run over. I tried to tell um but they couldn¡¯t hear me¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me go get a bottle of wine,¡± Lee suggested, picked up the glass sitting on Xac¡¯s breakfast tray, and handed it to him, ¡°Drink this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac said as he watched the humans in the field stand, then bend as they resumed their work. They were so far away he couldn¡¯t make out individual features, but he knew Abe was not among them.


    He heard the door close, and knew he was alone.


    Lapus had said he would give him anything.


    But Lapus wasn¡¯t real.


    The cage was real. The viper was real. His parents, his sister, Jimmy, Alex, Lee, even Mrs OfAgalon were all real. He had to stop getting confused. He had to live in the real world.


    He wasn¡¯t tired from shifting. He had slept the whole day through yesterday. He had no reason to be tired, but he could feel it, deep in his bones. He was worn thin. He looked back to the breakfast tray and stared at the coffee.


    It wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    So he took a deep breath, stood, and walked around the bed to Agalon¡¯s side. He pulled open the drawer on his nightstand and looked inside. He recognized almost everything in there; the bottle of lube, the little book Agalon sometimes wrote in along with a pencil, another book with the same symbol he had seen on the one Lorsan had thrown into the fire, and something wrapped in a green handkerchief.


    Xac picked up the handkerchief and untied it.


    Then he carried it back to his breakfast tray and began to scrape the snowball, sprinkling the dust into his coffee.


    He watched the liquid rise.


    He waited until the cup threatened to overflow before he wrapped up the ball and replaced it. He had taken whiskey before, why not this? Agalon never got angry when he took things. Agalon loved him.


    The frost would wake him up. He didn¡¯t want to go back to sleep.


    He was slowly stirring his coffee when Lee returned with the wine. Xac glanced up at him, pulled the silver spoon from the cup and stuck it into his mouth.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as he set it back on the tray, ¡°But I¡­ I don¡¯t reckon I want that. It makes me sleepy.¡±


    Lee stared at him as if he didn¡¯t believe him, but all he said was, ¡°Alright. Then get up and let¡¯s get you presentable.¡±


    Xaxac did have one of the same beautiful, flowing robes he had once seen on Alex, except his was green, like everything else in his home. He liked the way it swished when he moved, and he found himself moving a lot. He sat on the sofa in the sitting room and cast on a new hat in his green yarn, humming happily to himself until he was sure he heard Lee¡¯s footsteps fade away completely, until he heard a door at the end of the hall open and close, until he was sure Lee was moving down a long and winding staircase.


    Then he shoved his needles back into the basket he had gotten from Crazy Harry and stood. He made his way quickly to the bookshelf next to the curio cabinet then stood as tall as he could and reached up until he was able to pull down the first book from the shelf. It had no symbols or pictures on the cover, only the strange squiggles the elves used to convey information that he could not understand. Still, he opened it, but each page contained only more squiggles, which, though pleasantly arranged, meant nothing.


    Those books meant things. Those squiggles somehow contained information, depending on what order they were written in. If he could only break the code, he thought he would be able to learn something.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Xaxac sometimes had a difficult time telling what was and was not real. He sometimes got so bored, and so lonely, he began to believe things that could not possibly be true. He got ideas into his head that didn¡¯t need to be there, when he thought too much. Some of them were bad, like the idea that something had happened to his entire family and that was why he couldn¡¯t see his father on the fields or taste his mother¡¯s love in the food he was brought anymore. But sometimes they were¡­ dreamy. Like the idea that Lapus may be a real person who was showing him things for a real reason, because he had some sort of magic that Xaxac was unfamiliar with. Maybe Lapus really was trying to give him something, and he only had to find it.


    He closed the book that could be of no help, replaced it, and pulled down the next one. It was the same; nothing but useless, meaningless squiggles. The entire top row was the same! There was nothing there for him.


    But halfway through the second row he opened a book and found it to be full of flowers; drawings of flowers and real flowers that had been dried and pressed between pages so that the colors bled and left after images. He had always liked plants, or¡­ he didn¡¯t exactly like them, but he knew about them, because he had spent his youth working with them. The humans were the ones who got in trouble if plants didn¡¯t grow, the ones who starved if everything didn¡¯t go right with them, so he had learned about all there was to know, like anyone in his position would. But they could not help him now, so he closed the book and put it back on the shelf.


    Xaxac was sitting on the floor smoking a cigarette he had taken from a drawer on Agalon¡¯s desk when he finally found something interesting on the bottom row of the shelf. The book was thick, and most of it was the squiggles, but it also held many illustrations in the style Xaxac could not identify as a woodcut.


    The first one had been of an open, blooming rose in a circle that he recognized as the same symbol on Agalon¡¯s medals, but as they went on they became more interesting. It was on the second image that he paused, because he saw many things there he recognized, and seeing them together did not make sense to him.


    The girl Agalon had identified as the empress Xandra stood at the bottom of the frame, much younger, a true child, wearing a beautiful nightdress with her hair undone, long, and flowing out behind her. She was still not much to look at by Xaxac¡¯s estimation, despite the fact that he considered all children cute. She somehow did not have the baby fat in her cheeks that would have made them pinchable; she resembled her gaunt adult self so severely he had difficulty believing she was royalty. Surely she could have all she wanted to eat.


    But his focus was not on the empress.


    It was on the figure behind her, and the thing he held.


    A man towered over the empress wearing a suit of armor Xaxac knew should be green. The artist had elected not to present the suits of armor normally worn by great Urillian warriors; this armor looked as if it were made of a living forest, composed of vines, stones, branches, brambles, thorns, and a variety of other plants.


    The Emerald Knight.


    He was standing in such a way that his right hand was thrown behind him, out of sight, and a glowing light emanating from his chest, shown by a series of radiant lines. In his left hand, he held a sword, outstretched over the child empress¡¯s head, as if he was protecting her. Xaxac knew nothing about swords, but he suspected they did not all look the same. He suspected it was important that he recognized this sword, because he did recognize it; he had seen it in his dreams.


    It was the sword Morgani Magnus had pulled out of his magical bag when Quizlivan had asked him what he had done to the bad people who had tried to hurt him. Morgani had said he had trapped them.


    ¡°Whatcha lookin at, darlin?¡± Agalon asked, and Xaxac jumped.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid. He should have heard him come into the room. He should have heard the door open and close. He should have known how much time had passed.


    But everything was fine, because he was cute, and he would smile, and Agalon loved him.


    ¡°I¡¯m lookin at pictures!¡± he said with great enthusiasm, ¡°I like um! Alex paints! While you was gone Lorry took to readin to me an I really liked it!¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± Agalon asked as he took off his cape and threw it over the back of his chair, ¡°You look adorable. You feelin better?¡±


    Xaxac snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray he had kept on the floor next to him, stood and carried it back to the coffee table, swishing the robe as he walked.


    ¡°I¡¯m feelin a lot better!¡± he proclaimed, ¡°Did you have a good day?¡±


    ¡°Had a day¡­¡± Agalon huffed, ¡°What¡¯s that new kid¡¯s name? Where¡¯s my food? I¡¯m starvin.¡±


    He walked out into the hall and Xac heard the ringing of the bell. He waited for Agalon to return before he spoke again.


    ¡°Are you real wore out?¡± He asked as Agalon moved to sit at the table where they normally ate.


    ¡°You feelin neglected, Honey Bunny?¡± Agalon asked with a smirk, ¡°Come here and sit on my lap.¡±


    Xaxac raced to his position and snuggled into Agalon¡¯s chest as the boy who never spoke to them arrived with a tray and began setting up their supper.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t neglected,¡± he pouted, ¡°I know you¡¯re real busy. Besides, travilin wears me out. I woke up tired.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Agalon agreed, ¡°But you look adorable. The kimono¡¯s cute.¡± He ran a hand through Xac¡¯s hair like he often did, and Xac leaned into the touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I got one!¡± Xaxac proclaimed, ¡°Alex has one and it¡¯s real cute!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be all,¡± Agalon said to the boy, and as he took his leave Agalon poured them both a glass of wine.


    ¡°Aggie,¡± Xaxac said, choosing his words carefully, ¡°I really liked it when Lorry read to me. Do you reckon after supper you could read to me from this book? I really like this sword.¡±


    Agalon glanced down at the book Xaxac was still holding and read aloud, ¡°History of the Urillian Empire, Reign of The Great Empress Xandra Uril, Year Ought of Her Reign to Present. Darlin, that¡¯ll be real dry. It¡¯ll bore you to tears. I got a much better idea a¡¯ how to spend our time tonight. Have a drink.¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡± Xac said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.


    He slid out of Agalon¡¯s lap with a gentle push and went to take his seat to eat.


    There would be other nights. The primary job of a pleasure slave was to keep the master happy. Just smile, tell him ¡®alright¡¯, tell him ¡®ok¡¯, and do everything he says.


    Don¡¯t think too much.

 Chapter 41

    Xaxac stared up at the sixty flowers dancing on the ceiling and felt the slow, steady, rhythmic pattern of the rise and fall of Agalon¡¯s chest against his side.


    He glanced to the windows and watched the waning moons that seemed to stand still in the night sky.


    Where was everyone?


    What had happened to them?


    What had happened to him?


    Why was he this drunk again?


    The thoughts flittered in and out of his mind, and all the things he had never wanted to think about piled up, one on top of the other, and he was not coordinated enough to stop them. He had so many questions and so few answers that the concept made his head hurt as they piled up behind his eyes and he had no way to get rid of them.


    Why would Aggie send Jimmy away?


    Didn¡¯t he know? Maybe he didn¡¯t know. Maybe he didn¡¯t know about Alice, didn¡¯t know she was Xaxac¡¯s sister.


    Maybe he thought he didn¡¯t have a sister.


    Because he didn¡¯t have a sister.


    But he did, didn¡¯t he?


    He had a sister, and a father, and a mother, and it was so hard to pretend he didn¡¯t.


    Why did Agalon think he didn¡¯t have a sister?


    Why did he think he did?


    Did the viper have a sister? A mother? A father?


    Did it matter?


    It would be so easy, to be dead. Dead men told no tales, had no problems, no worries, no thoughts, no emotions. One day he would be dead, and it would be like none of it ever happened. Everyone died. Humans began to die from the day they were born. And there were so many of them. Each of them was disposable-


    Xac¡¯s eyes shot to his new wardrobe.


    Each of them was replaceable.


    Are you crying again? He asked himself. Why are you doing that? Who does that help? You¡¯re going to wake him up.


    His eyes were beginning to grow heavy, and his muscles impossible to tense. He had been through it enough to know what it was, even though his thoughts jumbled and piled. The frost was wearing off, and he was going to crash, hard. He had taken so much this time.


    Are you crying again? Who does that help?


    ¡°Are you crying?¡± Morgani asked as he reached out and took Quizlivan¡¯s hand to tug him close. He was tall enough and strong enough that he could pull Quizzy¡¯s head to his chest, under the furs the humans had given him, and hold it there.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Quizlivan admitted, ¡°But¡­ but we don¡¯t have time for it.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Morgani said, ¡°That we have plenty of time.¡±


    But Quizlivan shoved himself away, because Morgani was wrong. They were running out of time. The people back at the cave were starving and they had to get the food back to them. It was trampled, but it was fine.


    And he would rather look at the corpse of the dragon than the people.


    Ahnah and Kifat were slicing away and packing the chunks they cut in snow to keep. It looked as if they were crying, too. They were all that was left. The rest of the hunting party had been broken beyond recognition, some packed down so much by the force of the stampede they had gone right through the snow and pressed against the ice. They were notsomuch corpses as they were stains.


    He unsheathed his dagger and went to help.


    The wolves gathered round, but they were not so meticulous. They could eat the meat raw and they had been starving, so now they gnawed, unencumbered by any sort of manners, all sharp teeth and licking tongues.


    ¡°Three is not nothing,¡± said the Queen of the Wolves.


    ¡°Even one would not be nothing,¡± Ahnah agreed, ¡°One could take it back to the tribe. We¡­ we have to survive. The group has to survive.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get as much as we can carry,¡± Tifat said without looking up from his work.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Half,¡± Morgani said as he approached them, ¡°Get your fair share. I¡¯ll carry it. But¡­ do freeze it first. It¡­ it doesn¡¯t go nowhere when I put it in this bag.¡±


    ¡°Should we bury-¡± Quizlivan asked, but he was cut off.


    ¡°You know we don¡¯t have time,¡± Kifat said, not unkindly.


    Quizlivan looked up at the full moons, the two that were left, drifting through the night sky and stalled in his work. He had to know. He had to see them.


    He walked on unsteady legs to the first corpse.


    The Viper¡¯s head had been smashed in, and he lay in a heap of blood and grey matter seeping out onto the snow.


    ¡°Little Bunny Foo Foo


    Hopping through the forest


    Scooping up the field mice


    And bopping them on the heads.¡±


    ¡°Aggie?¡± Xaxac asked, and spun to find the sound of the voice, but he was alone in the snow, standing in front of the forest.


    ¡°Little baby Bunting,


    Daddy¡¯s gone a-hunting


    Gone to get a rabbit skin


    To wrap a baby Bunting in.¡±


    Xaxac whipped around again and found himself standing in the house he had once shared with his parents. There was no fire lit in the hearth, the chairs had not been pushed back under the table, and the bed was still made, exactly as he had left it.


    ¡°She was halfway to Seaweed!¡± Jimmy screamed, though he was not there, ¡°She almost made it!¡±


    ¡°See the little rabbit go hop hop hop


    See his little ears go flop flop flop.¡±


    ¡°Aggie!¡± Xaxac begged, though he could not see him, ¡°Please! Where ya¡¯ at? I can¡¯t see ya! I¡¯m scared!¡±


    He threw open the door and ran out into the autumn night, racing towards the house- but he caught sight of the moons, round and full in the sky and had to stumble, fall, from the pain of it as his body began to change.


    He could see everything, in front of him, behind him, to the sides, and the scent of the fields overpowered him. He needed to go back to the warren. Where was the warren? He had to pick a direction, but he didn¡¯t know where he was. Where could he run? Back to the little house his parents had built? Forward, to the big house where he lived with Agalon?


    His ears perked up as he tried to listen, but hundreds of voices rang out in the night, and he could not possibly interpret him all.


    ¡°Just another pretty little thing he owns.¡±


    ¡°This is bull-shit!¡±


    ¡°Did Agalon just grab a butler so he wouldn¡¯t have to forfeit?¡±


    ¡°Are you wearing makeup? You look like a damn pleasure slave.¡±


    ¡°That thing is gonna kill us. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gonna happen, but I¡¯m against it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Honey Bunny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Xac, daddy¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Who did this to my baby brother? Ima kill him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and talk, baby, just rest.¡±


    ¡°I am absolutely erect with terror.¡±


    ¡°The Winner: Xaxac ¡®Bunny Foo Foo¡¯ OfAgalon!¡±


    ¡°Are you crying again!?¡±


    Xaxac could not trust himself to pick a direction, so he took off at a sprint, but he felt the pain radiate through his entire body as his face collided with a wall, and he was knocked on his back.


    He opened his eyes to see sixty flowers above him, but the room was empty. He stood and tried the door, but the knob would not budge.


    ¡°Your goddamn pleasure slave loves his daddy more than I love mine!¡± Lorsan shrieked from the other side of the door, ¡°How does that feel? You¡¯re gonna die alone, and nobody is gonna care! Everybody hates you!¡±


    ¡°Aggie!¡± Xac begged, ¡°Let me out! Please, I¡¯m scared!¡±


    Xaxac threw his entire body weight into the door, and he stumbled, stepped through it, and tumbled into the grotto. He couldn¡¯t see behind him or to the side anymore.


    ¡°Morgan, please!¡± Lapus begged, ¡°Let me out! Please! I¡¯m scared! You were right!¡±


    Xaxac scrambled to the shelf and threw cups from their resting place to find the one he was looking for. His hand closed around the glistening blue silver and he clutched it to his chest.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lapus begged, though Xaxac could not see him, ¡°Please! Help me! I¡¯ll do anything! I¡¯ll give you anything you ever wanted! You just have to find it!¡±


    ¡°I want my family back!¡± Xaxac begged, threw a hand over his eyes, and allowed himself to cry.


    ¡°Little Bunny Foo Foo,¡± the crowd chanted, and Xaxac opened his eyes.


    They loved him.


    Don¡¯t look down.


    This was the wrong crowd. He wasn¡¯t standing in the arena, he was standing in what looked like a cave, and the people chanting for him were universally human. But he recognized none of them, so he turned.


    Behind him, on the cave wall, water had condensed in a strange way to spell out a message he could not read.


    Xaxac awoke to the sounds of Lee making his way through the room in near silence and sat up slowly as Lee set out the tray with his breakfast.


    ¡°You got a few more minutes,¡± Lee whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Xac promised, ¡°I¡¯m up.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Xaxac clung to Agalon as they rode past the fields and thought of how his robe did absolutely nothing against the autumn chill. He had thrown his traveling cloak over it, but it whipped in the wind as they rode, so he was forced to cuddle into Agalon¡¯s back until they came to a stop at the place where he kept his fighters.


    He leaned heavily into the touch as Agalon helped him down. The frost in his coffee had made him jittery and he appreciated it. He wished he could have more and more, so that he never had to sleep again. But he smiled up at Agalon, took his arm, and cuddled into his side.


    The other fighters were not afraid of the cold; they were milling about half-naked, as they always were, and Xaxac didn¡¯t understand how they did it.


    ¡°Stay right here, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon instructed as he led Xac to the table where they often sat, ¡°I gotta go check on Billy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Xac said and pulled his arms inside the cloak to wrap around his legs.


    Agalon kissed him on the forehead, turned on his heel, and walked to one of the many shanty houses that lined the fence of the enclosure.


    Wyatt watched Agalon as well, and only once he was inside did he and the other fighters approach Xaxac.


    Xac was not in the mood to be as pleasant and charming as he needed to be, not with all the questions, not with all the nightmares.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± One of the fighters asked, ¡°The moons wouldn¡¯t full.¡±


    ¡°You tore him apart,¡± Another said, though Xaxac didn¡¯t understand why he was being told this as if he had not been there.


    ¡°Did you tear that little pleasure slave up, too?¡± Another asked, ¡°That¡¯s what folks are sayin. Is that why he kept passin out? Was he all bandages under that cloak?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± Another asked, and the repetitiveness grated on Xac¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a goddamn monster!¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Leave him alone!¡± Wyatt stepped between them, in front of Xac, and asked a question himself, ¡°How you holdin up, boy? You ok?¡±


    Before Xac had a chance to answer, another of the fighters spoke up.


    ¡°Agalon ought not bring you out here. Billy¡¯s got beef with you.¡±


    ¡°I bet his patchwork ass does!¡± Xac snapped, ¡°Lookin like the first quilt a youngun tries to make!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you do it, Xac?¡± Wyatt asked again, and coming from him it didn¡¯t rile up his blood, because he asked with such sincerity, as if he had a point.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xac admitted, cuddling into himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know nothin.¡±


    ¡°Well, you best be figurin it out, ¡®cause he¡¯s comin for you. He¡¯s gonna catch you out and rip you to pieces.¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t gonna do shit!¡± Xac snapped as all the emotions he could not process wore away at the barrier between the act and the boy, ¡°the Viper was gonna tear my ass up too, and now he ain¡¯t even a person, he¡¯s a stain on a sheet! Billy thought he was gonna tear my ass up and they had to sew him back together!¡±


    He stood and felt the rage flowing through him as he turned to Wyatt and spoke.


    ¡°You tell Billy he just tried to bring beef to a vegetarian!¡± He said, annunciating the word clearly, ¡°And I ain¡¯t fuckin scared a¡¯ him! Tell him if he hits me again Ima hit him back, and his ass¡¯ll lose more¡¯n a tooth! Remind him that I am a goddamn monster! And by the way? That tooth grew back!¡±


    He reached behind him to the bag of carrots Agalon had brought to keep his teeth worn down, selected one at random, and bit into it, satisfied by the loudness of the crunch.


    ¡°And,¡± he added, though it was not relevant to the conversation, ¡°How the hell are all y¡¯all pretendin it ain¡¯t cold as a witch¡¯s tit out here?¡±


    ¡°When¡¯d this youngun grow a backbone?¡± One of the fighters asked.


    ¡°Probably when he realized how easy it was for him to bash somebody¡¯s skull in,¡± Wyatt said with what could have possibly been interpreted as pride, ¡°That rabbit¡¯s dynamite in the cage. He¡¯s got a lot bottled up and it just explodes.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt, you don¡¯t know what happened to the cook, do you?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Your mama?¡± Wyatt asked, ¡°the rumor is-¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright gentlemen!¡± Agalon proclaimed as he came striding out of the shanty, ¡°I am real disappointed in all y¡¯all! I only get four qualifiers out of the bunch and one of um¡¯s a scared little rabbit? Y¡¯all know better! Start runnin!¡±


    Xaxac stood in place and watched the fighters move around the fence, unsure of what he should be doing.


    ¡°Do¡­ do I run, Aggie?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You can ifin you want to, darlin,¡± Agalon shrugged, ¡°But I actually got somethin for you. Won¡¯t be here for a little bit.¡±


    Xaxac backed up until his knees hit the bench, then sat heavily upon it. Agalon joined him and threw an arm around his shoulders, so Xaxac snuggled into his side.


    ¡°I been readin up on¡­ a lotta stuff,¡± Agalon said conversationally, ¡°Now, I ain¡¯t no vet, but I know a vet. And he¡¯s been tellin me all about how different emotional states affect animal behavior. Did you know that there are some critters who will¡­ change? When they¡¯re scared for their life? When they¡¯re hurt? Somethin changes in their brains. It¡¯s why herd animals stampede.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t rile bulls up. They¡¯ll turn on ya.¡±


    ¡°Right, good boy,¡± Agalon praised, ¡°Well¡­ Nelly says it¡¯s on account of somethin¡¯ called hormones. And some critters have hormones what go in a cycle. Like fertility cycles. That¡¯s why some critters go into heat.¡±


    ¡°Like bunnies!¡± Xac said, ¡°Mad as a spring hare.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Agalon praised, ¡°You¡¯re so smart, darlin. Well, we¡¯re gonna figure out what happened back in Basilglen, what caused you to shift.¡±


    ¡°Is Billy ok?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him that bad- well¡­ no¡­ I guess I did. But I was scared of him. I was so scared, Aggie. I thought he was gonna kill me.¡±


    ¡°I reckon you¡¯re pretty hard to kill,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You heal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac agreed and took another bite of his carrot, ¡°I heal from just about anything, I reckon.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯ve decided to let you take the rest a¡¯ Billy¡¯s matches,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be in fightin shape again. And you seemed to like it.¡±


    ¡°They loved me,¡± Xac said, ¡°They wanted me to win! They was chantin for me! The whole stadium loved me!¡±


    ¡°They sure did, darlin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I done told you a million times, everybody loves you.¡±


    Xaxac did not tell Agalon about Billy.


    The peace and tranquility of the routine that returned frightened Xaxac. He didn¡¯t get a chance to do anything, because he was always with Agalon. There were questions he needed answered; there was something he needed to find. He had a new idea now, because he had started to believe things that made no sense on the prospect that life was better believing them than disbelieving them, and he had gotten so used to doing that it had began to occur naturally. He no longer had to work on it. It was better to believe the things one wanted to over the things that one didn¡¯t.


    He loved Agalon.


    Agalon loved him.


    He didn¡¯t have a sister.


    It was possible for beautiful men to communicate through dreams, because Xaxac knew nothing about magic, so that may as well be a thing that happened.


    So now he wasn¡¯t just looking for pictures of a cup. Now he was looking for squiggles in the book that matched the squiggles he had seen on the wall of the cave in the dream.


    So he waited for Agalon to fall asleep; waited for the rise and fall of his chest to slow, waited for the crash that came from the frost, and he slowly slid from the bed.


    He silently made his way to Agalon¡¯s side, and slowly, cautiously, slid the drawer of his nightstand open. The little notebook Agalon always wrote away at was inside, amongst other things, and tucked inside that was what Xaxac was looking for: his pencil. Xaxac took it and wondered whether it would be better to leave the drawer open so that he would not have to silently open and close it again, or to close it so that if Agalon woke up it would be closed. He elected to close it and stepped back.


    Agalon was out hard and Xac understood. His own eyelids were drooping. The frost left a great fatigue once its effects wore off, and the alcohol did nothing to help it. But he wasn¡¯t drunk anymore; tipsy maybe, but no longer full blown drunk. His metabolism was so much faster than Agalon¡¯s.


    So he made his way to his wardrobe and softly pulled it open. He climbed inside, nestling himself under the clothes, and slid the door shut. Then he pressed the pencil to the wood at the back, at the very bottom, the darkest place where he thought a person would be the least likely to find it, even if someone other than him had to move clothes, like if Lee had to pack for him, if they left to go somewhere else. This needed to be hidden, but it could not be forgotten.


    Then carefully, with all his concentration, Xac drew the shapes from his dream, in the hopes that one day he could find them, among all the scribbles in all the books on Agalon¡¯s shelves. It was some kind of code. It had to mean something. Some of the symbols were closer together than others, some repeated while others were unique, and he could not say with any certainty that he was recreating them perfectly. But he had to at least have an idea, something to go on. He had always thought that if he had the key, he could break the code.


    So Xaxac drew the symbols from his dreams, but he did not know the common syllabary, and he did not know what they meant. He did, however, make an almost perfect, though scraggly, replica of what had been written on the wall. He tried to push as hard as he could, hoping that maybe it would work itself into the wood of the wardrobe. He could not forget. This meant something.


    Xaxac stared at the squiggles he had copied and wondered what they meant.


    They would be hidden. And he would, eventually, find out.


    But not tonight.


    Tonight he climbed silently out of the wardrobe, replaced the pencil, and climbed back into bed beside Agalon.


    He let the fatigue carry him off to sleep.

 Chapter 43

    Xaxac did not trust normalcy, did not trust routine, so he was elated one night when Lee knocked on the door of the sitting room. Xaxac was lying on the couch with his legs wrapped around Agalon¡¯s back, thinking that even this no longer really staved off the madness he felt. He needed more and more as time went on, and the darkness that fell over him, though it would be washed away by an orgasm, came back sooner and sooner each time.


    There was something wrong with him, but he couldn¡¯t articulate it, couldn¡¯t explain it. And he didn¡¯t think Agalon would understand.


    ¡°Your guest has arrived, master,¡± Lee announced.


    ¡°Guest?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Is she by herself? Just¡­ show her to her room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Lee apparently disappeared and Xaxac fell back into the comforting rhythm that would stave off the madness, at least for a little while.


    After the buzzing had dissipated, he followed Agalon to the bedroom, to get themselves cleaned up and in any kind of shape to receive guests, then clung to his arm as they made their way into the hall, not to the guest room where Alex stayed when he visited with his master, but to another that was apparently exactly like it. Agalon knocked on the door and was greeted by a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Come in, your grace.¡±


    Agalon opened the door and led Xaxac into the sitting room lit by a blazing fire. Mrs OfAgalon and one of the human women Xaxac did not know were working in the background in silence, dragging luggage into the bedroom and putting it away. Everything was too quiet; the only sound was the cracking of the fire.


    An earth elven woman in a military uniform stood by the table that was meant to provide a space for eating, pouring herself a glass of the wine Lee had probably provided. Her blond hair would have likely been as long as Agalon¡¯s, had she wore it down, but it was obviously a natural blond; she was much younger and had none of the lines on her face that some of the other elves hid, and if she was wearing makeup, she wore it in such a way as to conceal that fact.


    But Xaxac¡¯s attention was not on her. It was on the man sitting on the sofa.


    He wore an outfit Xaxac had never seen before; it was a plain, dingy greygreen, with a series of numbers along the breast pocket and the back along his shoulders. The pants matched in color, and his boots looked as if they had seen better days. He wore a necklace that reminded Xac of a much thinner version of the shackles the fighters had worn around their necks when they had walked to Alex¡¯s master¡¯s house. His hair had been cropped so short it made his ears seem even longer than they were, and his eyes narrowed as Agalon stepped into the room.


    He had flesh that was a deep blue, eyes to match, and hair the color of seafoam.


    He seemed to hate Agalon instinctively, but interest flashed over his eyes when he saw Xaxac.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± Agalon said, ¡°I reckon y¡¯all are comfortable?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± the man said, ¡°It¡¯s better than the cell. Much nicer.¡±


    He had a strange accent that Xaxac could not place, but was sure he had heard somewhere before.


    Xaxac could not stop staring at him.


    ¡°I think I know you,¡± the man continued, staring at Agalon, ¡°But then again¡­ you all look so similar¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Agalon said, sounding insulted, ¡°This here is Xaxac, the human I wrote about. Xaxac, this is Ara Sylhice, and I- did¡­ did you come alone?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have unlimited resources, your grace,¡± Ara said as she sipped her wine.


    ¡°And this is¡­ Taka..shit...o?¡± Agalon said, as if he wasn¡¯t sure or was speaking about something he didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Ta-ka-shi-to,¡± the man said, sounding insulted, ¡°Kai-lu.¡±


    ¡°Kailu,¡± Agalon corrected, speaking much more quickly and with his twang, the way his name was meant to be pronounced, ¡°An I reckon I prefer, ¡°Duke Agalon¡¯.¡±


    The man glared at him, then broke into a smile that did not reach his eyes.


    ¡°Duke Agalon,¡± he said, ¡°Your grace. I think I do remember you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy to keep the water crystals away from him,¡± Ara explained, ¡°And he¡¯s always had real good behavior. I ain¡¯t real worried about it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Reckon we can get him some real clothes? This is just¡­ depressin¡­¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Long as he keeps the collar on I don¡¯t care what he wears,¡± Ara shrugged.


    ¡°Is this the boy?¡± Takashito asked, staring at Xaxac, ¡°Is that what you said? The shifter?¡± He stood, then stretched his hand out in an awkward way, as if he had practiced it, ¡°Xa-xa-ac?¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Xac shook his hand and thought the man¡¯s grip was shockingly tight, ¡°Mister Takashito.¡±


    Takashito smiled, ¡°You are the first person in this godfor- in this kingdom, to pronounce my name correctly on the first try.¡±


    ¡°Folks wanna get mine wrong, too,¡± Xac said, ¡°I was named after a rug.¡±


    ¡°From the fire people?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I reckon,¡± Xac said, in shock.


    ¡°Zjazjack,¡± Takashito said, ¡°In the language they speak. They flew on those rugs. And they were beautiful; we imported them, back home, back when home existed. But you pronounce it differently. Xaxac. You are very small. Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Xac said proudly, ¡°Folks say I¡¯m cute.¡±


    ¡°People say many things,¡± Takashito said and turned to Agalon, then bowed, but in a very strange way. He did not, as most people did, fist one hand over his heart and fold the other in the small of his back, but kept them at his sides. ¡°I am grateful, your grace, for this opportunity. This is my last assignment. I am told that if I perform well here, I will be able to return to Mizunohitobito.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that now?¡± Agalon asked in genuine confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s the fishing district of the water continent,¡± Ara explained, ¡°I don¡¯t know that there¡¯s a whole lot of it left. Most of that place is underwater. It wouldn¡¯t on the mainland, it was one a¡¯ the outlyer islands.¡±


    ¡°I know it has changed,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I was there, that fateful day when the Emerald Knight killed the Great Sea Spirit and the vengeful waters claimed the land. I will never forget it. I will¡­ never forget it.¡±


    ¡°Right, well¡­¡± Agalon said, ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ get y¡¯all somethin to eat. Try an get you some clothes.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Takashito said once he had stood again to his full height, ¡°You are a fighter? I will teach you well. My freedom depends on your performance. I trust that you will learn well.¡± It was not a question; he took Xac¡¯s hand again in both of his and stared into his eyes.


    Xaxac had so much he wanted to ask him, but as he stared into the hope in those blue eyes, hope that he thought had been buried for some time and now had to fight its way through a dullness that made it almost impossible to see, he realized something heartbreaking.


    This was not the man from his dreams.


    This was not Lapus.


    But Xaxac could still help him. He still needed to help him.


    ¡°I learn real fast!¡± Xaxac promised, ¡°An I¡¯m a shifter so I heal, and I¡¯m real strong! Look, Billy knocked my tooth out but it grew back! And one time I broke my arm but it grew back, too! I¡¯ll do real good, I promise!¡±


    ¡°You are a shifter?¡± Takashito asked in shock and alarm, though he had to know this, had said it himself, ¡°Is this true? You are a shifter? I have heard stories¡­ How do they do it¡­ How do they take¡­ warriors¡­ monsters¡­ queens¡­ how do they¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon pried Xaxac¡¯s hand from Takashito¡¯s grip and tugged him away, ¡°I¡¯m gonna run out to the hall and ring for my butler to bring you up some clothes. Y¡¯all just sit tight a minute.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to meet you!¡± Xaxac said, waved to the people in the room, then clung to Agalon¡¯s side and allowed him to pull him out into the hallway to ring for Lee.


    ¡°I like them!¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Yeah, he seems like he¡¯s really tryin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I think he¡¯ll do alright. He¡¯s almost completely rehabilitated. Really shows what good work they do, don¡¯t it? Lots¡¯a people said them folks never had a chance, couldn¡¯t be civilized.¡±


    ¡°What is he?¡± Xac asked, ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen no elf what looked like that!¡±


    Except in my dreams.


    ¡°He¡¯s a water elf, darlin,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°Before we got there them folks was practically livin in the stone age, under the tyrannical regime of a siren queen who used her siren¡¯s song to mind control everybody. There was¡­ well, I wouldn¡¯t wanna scare ya, but the rulin class wouldn¡¯t even elven. They was monsters. They ate their own. It was¡­ it was¡­ somethin else. That place was a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re gonna help him!¡± Xaxac said, ¡°He said if I helped him he could get free? Is he a slave? I didn¡¯t know elves could be slaves.¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t a slave, darlin, he¡¯s a prisoner,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°He¡¯s a murderer, workin off a sentence. But he was damn good at killin, lots of them little water elves are, flippin around and shit, hard to track¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d he kill?¡± Xaxac asked, intrigued by a good murder mystery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, darlin, I¡¯d have to look it up. I know it was an earth elf, probably more than one.¡± Agalon said dismissively as Lee appeared and Agalon turned his attention to him. ¡°I need to get some kind¡¯a proper clothes for that water elf.¡±


    ¡°Proper clothes, master?¡± Lee asked, ¡°I¡­ master, I ain¡¯t got a clue what them folks wear.¡±


    ¡°They wear my robes!¡± Xaxac said excitedly, ¡°That¡¯s what Alex said! He¡¯s a water elf? Alex done went to the water continent! That¡¯s where his master got his robes.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lee said as if Xac¡¯s very existence annoyed him, ¡°Grown folks is talkin.¡±


    ¡°A houseslave uniform would be a step up from the prison uniform,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Do we have any more of those?¡±


    ¡°Somebody mighta made some more,¡± Lee shrugged, ¡°But¡­¡± He seemed to remember who he was speaking to and held his tongue.


    ¡°I know he¡¯s an elf,¡± Agalon said as if he had predicted the end of his sentence, ¡°But it¡¯s all we got and I wanna get him outta that uniform. It¡¯s¡­ depressin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Lee said, bowed properly, and hurried off down the hall.

 Chapter 44

    As Agalon helped him from the horse and went to open the gate to the place the fighters were kept, Xaxac watched Takashito.  Takashito was wearing the uniform of a house slave, but it was too big for him, so he had rolled up the sleeves and the legs of his pants.  His collar with the earth crystal was still visible, and it reminded Xaxac of the collar he had once seen on Crazy Harry¡¯s pet dragon.


    Takashito was a prisoner, because he had killed someone.


    Xaxac had killed someone and no one seemed to care very much.


    But Takashito stood, looking out over the fields of the plantation and seemed to be deep in thought.  He had a look that Xaxac thought he may have once had himself.  That was the look of someone who had been locked in the room and had not been out in a long time.


    ¡°In here,¡± Ara demanded, and Takashito obediently stepped in front of her, which Xaxac thought was odd.  Slaves normally walked behind their masters.


    ¡°Good morning, gentlemen!¡± Agalon proclaimed as the fighters lined up in front of him, but they weren¡¯t looking at him, they were looking at the strange man with the blue skin.  ¡°Let¡¯s get started!  We got another match comin up, so impress me Wyatt!¡±  He turned to address Ara and explained apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.  I got an injured fighter I gotta attend to.¡±


    Ara nodded and Agalon walked off to do whatever it was he did every morning with Billy.


    ¡°This is¡­  not what I thought it would be,¡± Takashito said as he rolled up his sleeves even more.  ¡°I thought the duke would have¡­  I thought it would be different.¡±


    ¡°They ain¡¯t soldiers,¡± Ara said as if what he had said was ridiculous, ¡°They¡¯re slaves.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Takashito said, ¡°Slaves.  Humans are slaves here.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Takashito said as if the question confused him, ¡°In Uril, humans are slaves.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­¡± Xac asked as a thought threatened to plant itself in his mind, ¡°Everywhere?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to train,¡± Ara warned, ¡°Not to talk.  Elves was tasked by the great god to guard life everywhere.¡±


    ¡°The empire has grown,¡± Takashito said as if it was an agreement, ¡°It may be the same everywhere.  The academy fell, so¡­  everything is different now.¡±


    ¡°The military academy?¡± Xaxac asked.  It fell?  But that¡¯s where Lorry and Jimmy were!


    ¡°The great mage academy,¡± Takashito clarified, ¡°One of the wonders of the world.  You do not know this?¡±  He studied Xac and came to the conclusion, ¡°There is likely much you do not know.  Come, out onto the field.¡±


    He walked to the middle of the training ground and Xaxac, having no other instruction, followed him.  Ara turned to sit at the table and watch them.


    ¡°Something is bothering you,¡± Takashito said as he turned to face Xaxac.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Xac said in confusion.


    ¡°You are not, but that is alright,¡± Takashito said, ¡°Listen to me.  The most important thing to know about fighting is that you must know your environment.  You must¡­  understand the world around you.  Let me ask you something.  Would you rather be a stone, or a river?¡±


    ¡°Do what now?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°In this world,¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Would you rather be a stone, or a river?¡±


    ¡°Neither?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°If you had to choose,¡± Takashito demanded, ¡°Do not think about it.  Answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡­  I got no idea?¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯m a bunny.¡±


    ¡°You are a rabbit?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Oh!  Oh, because you are a shifter!  Yes. But you are also human.  That¡­  that is not what I mean.  You do not think very much,¡± he asked as he looked around the enclosure, ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°I think too much,¡± Xac sighed.


    ¡°I did not mean that as an insult,¡± Takashito said as if he was afraid Xaxac would be mad at him, ¡°I only mean that perhaps humans who live here¡­  may not want to think very much. May not think in metaphors.  But that was how I was taught.  Xaxac, there is a natural order to the world.  Trees that are too rigid will break in a storm, but those that are flexible will survive.  Riverstones will be worn down by the water flowing over them until their rough edges are smoothed away, and the parts of them that are left are beautiful.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°At¡­  the end of the day,¡± Takashito said, ¡°What I have to teach you is how to flow and bend, how to change with the world around you.  The animal that survives is the one best suited to the environment.  If the environment changes, the animal must be able to change with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a shifter,¡± Xac said, ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I can do, I reckon it¡¯s change.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Takashi said, ¡°Then let us begin with some basic poses.  Follow me, do as I do.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Xac proclaimed, ¡°River!  River because it changes, right?  That¡¯s what I was supposed to say?  Nah, yeah, I get it.  I get it.  River.¡±


    ¡°...Just¡­  follow me¡­¡± Takashi said with an emotion that Xaxac could not read.


    ¡°Good work, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said as he passed them to meet Ara at the table.  ¡°The rest of y¡¯all get over here to work on strength trainin!¡±


    ¡°Oughtn¡¯t I be doin that?¡± Xaxac asked as the rest of the fighters fell to the ground and began doing pushups.


    ¡°It could not hurt anything,¡± Takashito said, and called out, ¡°Your grace!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Is it possible Xaxac could do basic training with these men, and I could work with him afterwards?¡±  He studied the group on the ground and added, ¡°Perhaps I could work with them all afterwards.¡±


    ¡°All of um?¡± Agalon asked skeptically.  ¡°Is that gonna¡­  do anything?¡±


    ¡°I do not know what it could hurt,¡± Takashito said, ¡°Though I do not understand the rules of this sport.  I was only told I was training a ¡®fighter¡¯.¡±


    ¡°...sure,¡± Agalon said, after great deliberation, ¡°I guess get down there, Honey Bunny.¡±


    Xaxac pulled out the fabric of his adorable, perfect robe and frowned.


    ¡°Ought I¡­  change clothes?¡± He asked, trying to make his eyes as big as possible.


    ¡°I reckon we can wash that,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Might as well take a bath anyhow.¡±


    Xaxac pouted, but moved forward, knelt in the empty spot beside Wyatt, and tried to copy him.  He was shocked when he looked up and saw Takashito had dropped to the ground and was doing pushups as well.  He had never seen an elf do that.


    ¡°Keep your back straight,¡± Takashito called to him, ¡°And go all the way down.  Use your core strength to keep your body aligned, like the others.  You will build up your strength.¡±


    ¡°I think I mighta been wrong,¡± Xaxac said as the sweat began to seep from his forehead and he thought of his makeup, ¡°Maybe I ought not be doin this.  I forgot how awful this was.  And I¡¯m already real strong.  I got that shifter strength.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t complain!¡± Wyatt hissed, ¡°Folks who complain get punished!¡±


    ¡°Aggie wouldn¡¯t hurt me,¡± Xaxac huffed.


    ¡°He¡¯s paralyzed ya before, dumb bunny,¡± Wyatt whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t risk it.¡±


    ¡°I was shifted!¡± Xaxac argued, ¡°That¡­  that ain¡¯t exactly me it¡¯s¡­  it¡¯s¡­  complicated.¡±


    ¡°Keep your back straight!¡± Takashi called again, ¡°Straighten out!¡±


    ¡°I dunno why I thought I¡¯d wanna do this,¡± Xaxac hissed as he fought to get air into and out of his lungs, ¡°I need a drink!  I want a cigarette!  I¡¯m sweatin my goddamn makeup off, gettin my cute outfit dirty.  I want a drink.  Aggie!  Can I have a drink?  Can I have some whiskey?¡±


    ¡°With lunch, darlin,¡± Agalon promised, and Xaxac scowled.


    When had this happened to him?  When had he gotten so weak?  So spoiled?  How was everyone else acting as if this wasn¡¯t torture?  How was everyone enduring it so well?  And why wasn¡¯t he the best at this?  He was a shifter!  He was a monster!  It had never made sense that he had walked into this enclosure and thought he was the weakest person in it!  Because he never had been.


    He straightened his back and began to push against the ground.


    The stupid ground that always ruined his fun drunken nights by smacking him in the face.  He hated it.  And he hated being so weak!  And he hated that he cried all the time!  And he hated that he hadn¡¯t seen his family in so long that he was beginning to accept it as the natural way of the world.  And he hated that everyone had been afraid of him since his secret got out, because he wasn¡¯t even sure anymore that he was a monster.  He hated that Lorsan always made Agalon so angry, but he hated that he had left and taken Jimmy with him.  He hated the dreams he had where he saw the Viper lying in the snow without a skull, and he hated that he had forced himself to stop caring that he hurt people, but humans were just animals and they were all going to die someday.  He hated that he was a stupid, disposable, replacable animal that needed someone to watch him because he couldn¡¯t even be trusted to feed himself or have sex with his friend or even talk to people without being punched in the face.


    But he loved the sound of the crowd cheering for him.  And he loved Agalon loving him.  And he loved the way Alex and Wyatt had feared and loved him after he had won that match.  It was the first time in a long time anyone except Agalon had cared about him for something he did instead of something he was.  He may work at being cute, may wear the makeup and shave his face and wear all the pretty clothes- but then he was just another pretty little thing Agalon owned.


    Bunny Foo Foo was a fighter, and people loved him because he was strong, and fast, and he could win.  He had always been afraid of people, had always been afraid of people being afraid of him.  But¡­  sometimes it was difficult to tell the difference between fear and love.  He was pretty sure Wyatt was afraid of him, but he fucked him like he loved him, and for the few minutes that went on, it made the overpowering darkness recede a little, made it possible not to think.


    He wanted a drink, and if he could just make it through the morning, Agalon would give him one, and when they got home tonight he would let him get absolutely shitfaced and fuck him into oblivion, hopefully in the bath, and then he would wear one of his other cute outfits, but he would ask Agalon if he could wear something old, like his houseslave uniform, to work out in, and Agalon would probably let him because he loved him.


    He wished he wasn¡¯t sweating off his makeup.


    He noticed that his hands had sunk into the dirt and had a sudden compulsion to rip up the ground and dig under it, just to see what was there.


    But he had to focus.


    He was already tired.

 Chapter 45

    ¡°Are you all men?¡± Takashito asked as he looked out over the group of fighters. Agalon had announced that they could break for lunch, and Xaxac was amazed that Takashito had performed each of the exercises alongside the fighters.


    ¡°All the cage fighters are male,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°You can¡¯t enter a female.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Takashito asked as if that was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever heard.


    ¡°Humans breed too easy,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°You can¡¯t never tell when one might be pregnant. And we try not to lose the little¡¯ins.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Takashito nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡­ I understand that. Urillians speak quite a bit about the sacredness of life. It is strange you produce so many warriors.¡±


    ¡°...Right,¡± Agalon said as if he didn¡¯t understand what Takashi had just told him. ¡°Come on, Honey Bunny, lunch!¡±


    Xaxac turned from where he had been standing with the other fighters, trying in vain to get the dirt off his outfit and wishing with all his might he had a mirror to see what a sorry state his makeup had to be in, but he ran to Agalon¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Aggie,¡± He said, not as a complaint, but as a fact, ¡°I ain¡¯t been this tired, like real tired, in a long time.¡±


    ¡°You are tired?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Already?¡± He turned to Ara and asked, ¡°How much time do I have?¡±


    ¡°The finals ain¡¯t till the spring equinox,¡± she said, ¡°The Eishtar festival. You got time.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Takashi let out a sigh of relief, ¡°We need to work on your stamina. You should not grow so tired so quickly.¡±


    ¡°I got to where I never did nothin,¡¯ Xaxac explained as he sat on the blanket and took the salad Agalon offered him. He was starving, and he would go through it quickly.


    ¡°Are you on a diet?¡± Takashito asked as he watched the elves unwrap their much more substantial meals of chicken, cornbread, and fried potatoes. ¡°Why are you eating differently?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a vegetarian,¡± Agalon explained, and Takashito nodded.


    ¡°On account a¡¯ he¡¯s a shifter,¡± Agalon continued, though Takashito seemed as if he had accepted this information at face value, unlike anyone else Xaxac had ever met, and did not need further clarification, ¡°He¡¯s gotta eat rabbit food. He eats meat or eggs or anything like that he gets real sick.¡±


    ¡°Do you eat fish?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Xac huffed, ¡°Fish is meat.¡±


    ¡°Some people eat no meat except fish,¡± Takashito said, ¡°That is fairly common, where I am from. They are called pescatarians. They do this because fish feel less pain than other animals,¡± he shrugged, ¡°apparently. I do not know that that is true.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t a vegetarian on account of animals hurt when they die,¡± Xac said, because he had never considered such a thing, did not know it was a possible consideration to take, ¡°that¡¯s just how life is. Everybody hurts an¡¯ everybody dies. I just get sick.¡±


    Ara stared at him as if she was trying to figure something out about him.


    ¡°Either way,¡± Takashito said, ¡°You should probably work on your diet. You may be getting tired so easily because you are not getting enough food to make it through the day. Your body will begin to eat itself. Some food is more dense than others. If you are going to become a fighter, you will need to eat dense food, like rice or bread.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°He loves cornbread,¡± Agalon said as he handed Xac a slice, ¡°Don¡¯tcha, darlin?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Xac agreed, bit into it and thought he had liked it more before it changed. Where was his mother?


    ¡°This is better than the bread we had back at the prison,¡± Takashito praised, and Ara watched him. Xaxac didn¡¯t think he liked her very much. She never really spoke, and she carried herself in such a way that he thought she wanted people to be afraid of her. She just sat, silently judging everyone, including him, and it made him uncomfortable.


    Usually, mages wore the crystals they were casting from, and Ara had a staff similar to the one kept in the curio case upstairs, except not as nice. Xaxac suspected Takashito probably couldn¡¯t cast from the crystal he wore. The way he wore it made it seem as if it was for someone else to use, not for him.


    Someone like Ara.


    ¡°There are three major nutrients,¡± Takashito explained, ¡°Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. I do not think you are getting enough of any of them to be a fighter. You need to eat more.¡±


    ¡°Them water elves say that kinda thing all the time,¡± Ara explained, ¡°They got somethin¡¯ to bitch about no matter what you give um to eat.¡±


    ¡°Nobody needs fat,¡± Agalon scoffed, ¡°That don¡¯t do nothin.¡±


    ¡°It creates a cushion,¡± Takashito argued, ¡°for things like bones and organs, and it provides a storage system for energy, for the body. It is necessary. Fish oil is very good for you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat fish,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°It does not have to be¡­ that was an example,¡± Takashito was getting frustrated, but he was obviously trying to hide it. Xaxac suspected he had had a lot of practice hiding his emotions. ¡°It can be anything; nuts, olives, tofu-¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s tofu?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Some water-continent food,¡± Ara explained, ¡°That¡¯s the only place you can get it. You¡¯d have to order it in and it ain¡¯t in the budget.¡±


    ¡°It is a type of vegetable protein made from edamame-¡± Takashito explained but Agalon cut him off again.


    ¡°What¡¯s edamame?¡± He scoffed as if he thought it may not exist at all.


    ¡°He means soybeans,¡± Ara explained, ¡°It took a while to get that out of um. I don¡¯t know why they don¡¯t just say what they mean.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Takashito sighed, ¡°Soybeans. But you can make it into a paste and use it in place of meat, in stir fries and such. It would be good for him.¡±


    ¡°I like beans,¡± Xac said, ¡°Except sometimes rich folk or¡­ I dunno, folk who wanna waste pork, put pork fat in um and then I get sick so I can¡¯t trust um.¡±


    ¡°Do Urillians eat a lot of meat?¡± Takashi asked as if the concept confused him, ¡°We do not, at the prison. Perhaps they use it to flavor things. It seems that they are very concerned with saving money. Any time you ask for anything they say it is not in the budget. Which is strange. I thought an empire would be rich.¡±


    ¡°Even in the prison it¡¯s gotta be better than raw fish and rice,¡± Agalon huffed, ¡°That¡¯s what they were eatin before we taught um to cook their food. I don¡¯t know how they all wouldn¡¯t dead. You can¡¯t eat meat raw.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is not all we ate,¡± Takashi said as if Agalon had made him angry, then realized what he was doing, took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke again, ¡°We ate a lot of seafood, but we¡­ frequently cooked. Wait- how did you think we made the rice if you thought we did not cook? If you ate rice from Mizunohitobito you would not have eaten it raw.¡±


    Xaxac saw a look come over Agalon¡¯s face he was not used to seeing without Lorsan present: embarrassment.


    ¡°I reckon anybody can fry rice,¡± Agalon said, eventually.


    ¡°We also frequently boiled it,¡± Takashito explained, ¡°The fried rice they make in the prison is not the same as we had on Mizunohitobito, it is more like they made in Kaihiwai. I mean, before it was underwater. I do not know what the food is like now.¡±


    ¡°I got a buddy what runs down there all the time,¡± Agalon said, ¡°He¡¯d know. I know he eats when he goes. He loves that weird foreign shit.¡±


    ¡°Alex¡¯s master?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Alex is my friend! He loves the water continent! He talks about it all the time!¡±


    ¡°I love it, as well,¡± Takashito said. ¡°Even if it has changed, I am sure I will still love it. Everything changes.¡±


    Agalon handed Xaxac his flask, and Xac drank from it greedily.


    ¡°Should we be gettin back to work?¡± Ara asked.

 Chapter 46

    ¡°Ladies and-¡± Takashito realized he had made a mistake, faltered, but recovered quickly, ¡°My apologies. Gentlemen and¡­ gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Xac¡¯s almost a lady,¡± Wyatt whispered to Xaxac, and Xac giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯d be a pretty lady,¡± Xac stuck out his tongue, ¡°An¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have¡¯ta shave.¡±


    ¡°It is easier, I believe,¡± Takashito continued, ¡°To learn anything as a unit. It is easier to make it through life if you have people to help you. So I would like to teach you, not as individuals, but as a team. When you work as a team, you grow in strength, strength that will help you even when you are alone. A single bee can not do much, but a swarm can kill a bear.¡±


    ¡°You can tell he was in the military,¡± Agalon huffed from his position at the table with Ara, ¡°I guess all militaries is the same.¡±


    ¡°When we work together it will make it easier to identify individual strengths and weaknesses. Most of you are large and fairly strong, but you are not particularly fast or defensive. We called this type of fighter a ¡®glass staff¡¯. You are good at attacking, but if you are hit, you are at a disadvantage. You do not avoid blows easily, and once your stamina runs out, you will die. I am told people die in this sport?¡±


    ¡°Folks die in the cage!¡± Somebody called out from behind him, and Xaxac did not allow the message to sink into his brain.


    ¡°Well, we would like to avoid that,¡± Takashito explained, and began to use a stick to draw in the dirt. ¡°You all seem fairly strong, so I would like to concentrate on intelligence, which seems to be your weak point.¡±


    He drew a human figure and stepped back.


    ¡°We will work smarter, not harder. I will teach you to change based on your surroundings, and to know your environment, but also, to know your enemy. Magic is not the only thing that flows through the blood. Blood is made up of a water called ¡®plasma¡¯, through which everything is carried to the body. This is a map of the circulatory system-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wastin your time,¡± Agalon called, ¡°They can¡¯t understand that. And I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re writin, but they can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°They cannot read?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°They cannot¡­ they can understand what blood is. They are warriors. They are not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Not on account of they¡¯re fighters,¡± Agalon said as he stood and walked over to look at the diagram, ¡°On account of they¡¯re human.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°This is too hard. You¡¯re gonna confuse um.¡± Agalon explained, not unkindly, ¡°I need you to train Xac, so he¡¯ll understand. He don¡¯t know about¡­ blood and nerves and all that.¡±


    ¡°Because he is human?¡± Takashito asked in confusion, ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about? Some of our best warriors were human, using the technique I am about to explain. When I went to school at the mage academy, our student president, the best pupil, was Imperius Oldman. He was human.¡±


    ¡°If your elven mages can¡¯t cast better than human I ain¡¯t nary bit shocked y¡¯all fell in a day and a night,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac watched Takashi¡¯s body shake.


    ¡°Our kingdom fell so quickly,¡± He explained, choosing his words carefully, ¡°Because many things happened at once to disadvantage us. The Emerald Knight killed the Great Ocean Spirit. The Queen was murdered by assassins. And a natural disaster in the form of a hurricane the likes of which the planet has not seen before or since hit in the middle of the war! Do not pretend as if the Urillian ships were not destroyed and had it not been for the Emerald Knight that war would have had a very different outcome!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Agalon asked in a way that made Xaxac shrink back into the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I was right there- I saw-¡±


    ¡°I was there!¡± Takashi snapped, ¡°I was there the night the Emerald Knight killed the Great Ocean Spirit! I was there the night my entire world went dark and the heavens opened upon us to punish us for allowing that to happen! You will not take credit for the work of a vengeful god-¡± The crystal on his collar lit up a bright green and he let out a blood curdling shriek, fell to the ground, and Xaxac knew that he could trace the way the blood flowed, because under Takashito¡¯s blue skin, his veins had turned green.


    ¡°I reckon that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Ara said as she stepped forward, and Xaxac saw that her staff glowed in time with the crystal on Takashito¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t poison him!¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°I need him! That¡¯ll have him down for days!¡± He boldly snatched the staff from her hands and glared at her, ¡°Give me that!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have him spreadin misinformation an insultin the nobility to their face,¡± Ara explained patiently as Takashito¡¯s face slowly began to change back to its normal color.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I reckon I¡¯m a big boy,¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°I can take care a¡¯ myself. I don¡¯t need no punk kid with a badge fightin my battles for me. Don¡¯t do that no more!¡± He turned and offered Takashito a hand, ¡°Come on, boy, get up. Are ya¡¯ alright? I need ta¡¯ heal ya.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Takashito admitted, and when Agalon pulled him up, he shook, ¡°I¡­ I apologize, your grace. It was¡­ it was a¡­ difficult thing to¡­ live through.¡±


    ¡°I hear that,¡± Agalon agreed as he moved Takashito¡¯s body one way, then the other, in some sort of pattern, or as if looking for something Xaxac did not understand, all while the staff he held glowed a bright green, ¡°I¡­ it was weird, wouldn¡¯t it? How quick it got dark? How quick them clouds rolled in? That wind that¡¯d knock ya off your feet. How high the waves¡­ it happened so quick¡­¡±


    ¡°Tsunamis¡­¡± Takashito agreed, ¡°I had seen them before, but never¡­ never like that. The ocean was angry.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Agalon spoke so quietly Xaxac was sure it had not been intended for him to hear, that it had not been intended for anyone except Takashito to hear, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. I swear I¡­ we¡­ we did¡­ a lot. But we¡­ we didn¡¯t do that. You know we didn¡¯t do that, right? You know we really can¡¯t control the weather.¡±


    ¡°One cannot kill a god of the sea,¡± Takashito explained, almost as if he was talking to a toddler, ¡°and expect nothing to happen.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill the god of a forest and expect nothin to happen, either,¡± Agalon said, ¡°That feller don¡¯t learn but you¡­ you gotta understand that¡­ sometimes ya gotta march forward or get stabbed in the back.¡±


    ¡°Your grace-¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Kailu,¡± Agalon corrected, ¡°My friends call me Kai.¡±


    ¡°Your grace,¡± Takashito continued, ¡°I think that we all¡­ sometimes tell ourselves certain things so that the past does not hurt us so severely. May I please do the job I was sent here to do? I would like to go home, someday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kid you can try it,¡± Agalon sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon you¡¯re gonna get through to um, but you can try it. Can you stand up?¡±


    ¡°I have had worse,¡± Takashito assured him, stopped leaning into his touch, and turned back to the fighters, ¡°I apologize. I fell on my visual aid. Let me clean this up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shakin real bad,¡± Xac said, then to the fighters he emphasized, ¡°He¡¯s shakin real bad. Reckon he oughta sit down?¡±


    ¡°Xac, hush!¡± Wyatt whispered, ¡°What¡¯d I tell ya about runnin your mouth? Don¡¯t question the elves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just sayin, that looked like it hurt,¡± Xac whispered back, ¡°He turned green! Do¡­ do blue folks turn green when they can¡¯t breath?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°And I dunno how anybody could ask. Reckon it¡¯d piss him off if we asked? I ain¡¯t never seen nobody what looks like that. He always looks like he¡¯s suffocatin.¡±


    ¡°Not everybody turns blue when they¡¯re suffocatin,¡± Xac said, ¡°I don¡¯t reckon. I think only pale folks do that.¡±


    ¡°I can breathe,¡± Takashito said, ¡°And, I can hear you. I can breath better than you can. It is difficult to suffocate a water elf. Please just¡­ pay attention. As I was saying, this is a map of the circulatory system. There are certain places where the blood carries nutrients and air to the rest of the body and meets with another system called the nervous system. The nervous system is the fire equivalency of the circulatory system. The circulatory system is the blood system. Have I lost anyone?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s fire in the body?¡± Wyatt asked, ¡°Now, ya know, that makes sense. On account¡¯a body heat is a thing.¡±


    ¡°And fevers,¡± Xac said, ¡°fevers are a thing.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ good enough for government work,¡± Takashito said proudly, ¡°We call these places ¡®strike points¡¯. I will not tell you the individual names, because you likely cannot read if you have not been taught and it is difficult to remember without notes, but we will go over them eventually. For now, just look at the visual aid.¡±


    He drew lines out from the body in several places, ¡°These are seven key strike points I would like you all to memorize for our next lesson. There are many, many more, but these will help you even with the first match. You need paper. I bet you do not have paper¡­¡±


    ¡°It hurts to watch him try this hard on somethin that ain¡¯t gonna work,¡± Agalon told Ara.


    ¡°He had ever chance to listen at you,¡± she said, but her eyes were locked to her staff, which Agalon still held.


    ¡°Alright then, I will just leave this here,¡± Takashito said, ¡°And you can study it. You live here, do you not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Xac said, ¡°But I reckon I got it. There ain¡¯t that many of um. It¡¯s like¡­ thighs, lower arms, shoulders, neck, and nose. I got whacked real good in the shoulder one time, smashed my whole body into the ground, shoulder first. It hurt like a motherfucker. I¡¯ll remember that¡¯n, I know. Even if I can¡¯t look at it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real easy to break your nose,¡± another of the fighters added, ¡°We know the nose is a weak point. You can break somebody¡¯s nose real easy. I don¡¯t know how you didn¡¯t break your nose, Foo Foo, that same day.¡±


    ¡°Nobody better not hit me in my face again!¡± Xac snarled, ¡°I need my face! Don¡¯t nobody try it! I swear to the good lord above!¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody gonna hit you after what you done to the bull!¡± The fightered assured him, ¡°You¡¯re little but you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Xac giggled.


    ¡°Focus, please,¡± Takashi begged, ¡°I would like to show you all¡­ um¡­ ¡®y¡¯all¡¯ some poses that are good defensive postures and how to flow into and out of them. Please, look at me and try to match what I do.¡±


    The fighters spread out to leave enough space between them, and Xaxac noticed how easily he fell into line among them.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°I can watch him,¡± Agalon said to Ara, whose eyes narrowed. ¡°You can wait at the door.¡±


    He handed her her staff with more force than Xaxac thought was strictly necessary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± he told her, ¡°I¡¯ve handled plenty of um before. One, unarmed, ain¡¯t nothin.¡±


    Xaxac was ecstatic to get out of his filthy clothes and hummed a tune as he stripped out of them and tossed them to the floor of the bathroom, but he stopped as he let the robe fall to the floor, to stare at Takashito.


    He was standing at the edge of the bath, staring into it, at the sparkling, rose-colored water. He glanced at Ara, who seemed to be arguing with Agalon and occupied, then stretched out his hand and moved it in waves.


    Xaxac looked at the bath.


    Nothing happened.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly use the crystal on his collar, because Xaxac was sure he was trying to do magic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the door,¡± Ara finally said, apparently unconcerned with hiding the anger seeping into her voice, louder than the conversation had been, ¡°He tries anything, you holler. You ain¡¯t got nothin I ain¡¯t seen.¡±


    She snarled as she turned, and when she closed the door, she did so with far more force than Xac thought the door was used to in a house without Lorsan.


    Xaxac quickly stripped out of the rest of his clothes and slowly sank into the water.


    ¡°You alright, there, Ta-ka-shi-to?¡± Agalon asked and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I feel fine,¡± Takashito explained, ¡°I have had much worse, at the prison. You did not have to heal me. They do not heal us there.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you look like you ain¡¯t never had a bath before. Don¡¯t y¡¯all¡­ y¡¯all wash, right?¡± Agalon asked and Xaxac saw Takashito tense.


    ¡°They ration water,¡± Takashito explained, ¡°at the prison. It is rationed carefully. We only bathe once a week, and we are allotted a certain amount. You can not go over it. I have not felt clean since I arrived in this country; I was not particularly clean then, and I feel as if I have not washed away the filth of that battle in the past century.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Agalon said as he moved away to undress, ¡°I got some slaves that¡¯ll change the water when you get out.¡±


    Takashito began to slowly peel away the uniform he had been given. Xaxac noticed that he didn¡¯t even try to take off the collar. The water was only waist high when he stood in it, but he ducked himself quickly and did not come up. Agalon slid into the bath beside Xac and draped an arm lazily around him.


    ¡°Did you like bein out there again today?¡± he asked, ¡°You seem like you¡¯re makin friends.¡±


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s been real nice to me,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I think they¡¯re startin to like me.¡±


    ¡°Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon took Xac by the face in an attempt to force him to meet his gaze, but Xaxac kept his eyes locked to the place Takashito had gone underwater, ¡°Everybody likes you.¡±


    ¡°Is he ok?¡± Xac asked, ¡°He¡¯s been under there a long time, and he seems¡­ sad¡­ is he¡­ is he ok?¡±


    ¡°Ya¡¯ alright, Taka?¡± Agalon asked, and when he got no response he rolled his eyes, took a deep breath, and went underwater himself.


    Xaxac followed his example.


    Takashito was lying on the bottom of the bath with his eyes open, as if he was staring at the ceiling, and his arms outstretched. Xaxac watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest and had a moment of panic. He jerked forward, grabbed Takashito by the shoulders, and jerked his head above water.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon chastised as soon as he broke the surface, but Takashito made no move to stop him, only gazed into his eyes, taking in the panic there.


    Eventually he moved his head to the side and spit more water into the bath than Xac thought could have possibly fit in his mouth.


    ¡°You thought I could drown,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You was gonna drown!¡± Xac said, ¡°It¡­ listen at me, it ain¡¯t that bad- you¡¯re alive, an¡¯ as long as you¡¯re alive-¡±


    ¡°Darlin, let go of him,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You¡¯re scarin him to death.¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid,¡± Takashito said, ¡°That is actually¡­ sweet. But I will not drown, Xaxac. Water elves do not drown. We do not know how.¡± After his concern passed he reached up a hand to gently pat Xac on the cheek, and broke into a grin, ¡°The look on your face!¡±


    Xac took a step back and sat in the water.


    ¡°Let him get clean,¡± Agalon grabbed Xac by the arm and tugged him gently back to the side of the tub.¡±


    ¡°What a good idea,¡± Takashito said as he reached over the side of the tub to pick up a bottle of shampoo and began to lather it into his hair. He started to sing in a language Xaxac did not understand, but fell in love with instantly.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Ara yelled from her position outside the door.


    ¡°I think they think we are sirens,¡± Takashito chuckled, ¡°If only.¡±


    Then he was underwater again, and once again he did not come back up.


    ¡°Master?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Is Takashito¡­ bad? Was he one of them people you fought against? In them bad memories you talk about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon¡­ he¡¯s a bad person,¡± Agalon said, ¡°They just¡­ don¡¯t appreciate nothin. But he¡¯s tryin, I think. Don¡¯t you think? He seems like he¡¯s tryin.¡±


    Xaxac wondered if there was a place, far away and underwater, where humans went to school like elves. He wondered how humans could do that. Lorsan was the only person he knew who went to school, but Takashito said that humans went to magic school with elves. But humans couldn¡¯t cast magic. Why would any school let them do something so dangerous? He remembered the time he had picked up one of Agalon¡¯s mage crystals sober; he had almost passed out from whatever it had done. Humans could not cast magic. The water elves didn¡¯t seem like they were very good at taking care of humans, and the holy book Lorsan had read them had said that elves were supposed to take care of humans.


    Xaxac thought of the quilt he had seen,the one Sakala had made that he was sure had won first place at the rodeo. It had more people who looked like Takashito, elves with their colors all wrong. They had been fighting elves like Agalon.


    With humans.


    Lorsan said they had been fighting for their homes, for their lives.


    Nine times out of ten, the prey wins. Because the predator is fighting for their lunch, but the prey is fighting for their lives.


    Takashito finally came out of the water, glanced at them, and went to apply his conditioner.


    ¡°Do you stay here because you are a shifter?¡± He asked Xaxac, ¡°Instead of with the other warriors, I mean. You are the only one who came with us.¡± His eyes roamed over Xac, then moved on to Agalon, saw the way his arm draped over Xac, the way Xac leaned into his embrace, and something seemed to click in his brain.


    ¡°I live in the big house,¡± Xaxac said contentedly, ¡°with Aggie.¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ strange¡­ to me¡­¡± Takashito said as he soaped up a washcloth to use, ¡°That you have made humans a slave race, and yet¡­ well, perhaps not so strange¡­ maybe...¡±


    ¡°Maybe what?¡± Agalon asked, clutching Xaxac tighter, ¡°What was you gonna say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Takashito said, ¡°No longer relevant. I answered my own question. It is very nice of you, your grace, to allow me into your home. To give me clothing and food, and allow me to use your pool.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put in a glowing Progress Report,¡± Agalon promised, ¡°You look like you¡¯re makin progress. I mean, I don¡¯t know what you was like when you got here.¡±


    ¡°I am¡­ content to be outdoors,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I do not think¡­ I will ever enjoy¡­ confinement? That is not the right word-¡±


    ¡°New language can be hard,¡± Agalon said.


    ¡°What? No- I¡­ I have spoken this language for a century. I simply¡­ do not think a word exists for the concept I am talking about. When I go home, I am not even sure I will build a house, even if I find a job and can afford one. I may just¡­ exist, for a while. I would not like to be¡­ to have any sort of¡­ attachment. Or¡­ responsibility. I would like to be able to go, at a moment¡¯s notice. We were, perhaps, better at that than your people are, anyway, before. We had¡­ not so many walls, so many pointless things. You are trapped here. You are trapped by this house and the things inside it. By the plantation.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t trapped,¡± Agalon laughed, ¡°This is my house.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Takashito looked deeply into Xac¡¯s eyes, ¡°this is your house.¡±


    He disappeared under the water again.

 Chapter 48

    Agalon had to be in a particularly good mood, because the entire bed was moving, and had Xaxac not had the good sense to put a pillow between his head and the heavy wooden headboard, he likely would have cracked his skull open with the force of it.


    As it was, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had gotten better about not thinking about things, but even still, he sometimes thought, after Alex and Wyatt, that Agalon¡¯s constant complaining about his age may come from a place of truth; that his back really hurt, his knees really hurt, and that pain limited his mobility. But if that was usually true, for whatever reason, it apparently wasn¡¯t tonight, because he had strength and stamina that reminded Xaxac of Wyatt, and enthusiasm that reminded him of Alex.


    Xac was lying on his back, but Agalon had bent him nearly in half and was holding him up by the thighs as Xaxac used every ounce of his civility to keep his tongue in his mouth because he was afraid it would loll out and leave him panting like a dog, which was a facial expression he thought was more ¡®stupid¡¯ than ¡®cute¡¯ but as each bolt of white hot pleasure moved through him he found he cared less and less about his appearance.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a cute little bunny,¡± Agalon said with a sparkle in his eye that Xac loved, ¡°even like this, you know that? Without the makeup, without them pretty clothes, you¡¯re still-¡±


    ¡°Aggie I can¡¯t,¡± Xaxac panted, ¡°Think. My brain don¡¯t work when I feel this good. I dunno whatcha said. I¡¯m sorry-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon laughed, picked up the pace, and let go of his thighs to lean down and allow Xaxac to cuddle into him, to wrap him up completely as he threw his legs around his hips and dug his nails into his back.


    Agalon hissed.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Xac begged, ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I-¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Agalon snarled and grabbed a handful of hair so hard he dug into Xac¡¯s scalp to pull his head back, earning him a shriek of pleasure as Xaxac forgot he had once possessed the capacity for language.


    Xaxac had forgotten a lot of things. He had forgotten that he had, once, had a sense of darkness that hung over him when he had sex. He had forgotten that he had, once, had a family that he loved, parents that had wanted him to be happy and a sister who was building a new family of her own. He had forgotten the way The Viper looked with half his skull missing and the strange mixture of fluids that Xaxac didn¡¯t understand in its place. He had forgotten that he had once been locked in this very room; he had forgotten how many tiles were on the ceiling. He had forgotten that Billy was a patchwork of stitched-together flesh that may or may not survive if Agalon took very good care of him. He had forgotten that Jimmy had gone to the Military Academy with Lorsan, and he would not be here when Alley had their baby. He had forgotten everything Takashito had said about humans and learning and magic and fighting. He had forgotten that the moons, every so often, got full, and when they did he would become a monster. He had forgotten what it was like to be able to smell everything, hear everything, see everything, even behind him and to the sides. He had forgotten how badly he had wanted another drink, because he was rapidly approaching sobriety.


    Right now there was only the sensation, the pleasure, and he was allowed to enjoy it; he was allowed to be happy for a few minutes.


    He screamed when he came, buried his face in Agalon¡¯s chest and his nails into his back, and felt the flesh tear. Agalon hissed in pain, but he seemed to like it, and Xaxac understood that, thought maybe he understood better than most people. He wondered if, for a few minutes, with him, Agalon didn¡¯t forget all about his whole district he had to run, his son who he was worried about, all the people he had to take care of, the horrible memories he had when his eyes would glaze over and he would look far away, and all the other things he didn¡¯t tell Xaxac because he knew Xaxac could not understand them. Maybe, he was also allowed to enjoy himself; maybe he was also allowed to be happy for a few minutes.


    Reality slammed back into Xaxac all at once and he fell back against the softness of the mattress to arch up and give Agalon a better angle so he could finish. It occurred to him that they had just taken a bath, and he wished they had done this in the other order. He would feel cleaner with a full bath than he would just washing up at the basin, and he hadn¡¯t even had a full day to feel fully clean.


    ¡°Aggie?¡± He whined, ¡°How come you didn¡¯t fuck me in the bath?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°You¡¯ve been waitin, Honey Bunny? You didn¡¯t say nothin. I don¡¯t know what¡¯cha want if you don¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°I always want you to fuck me,¡± Xaxac whined, ¡°God, it feels so good¡­ it¡¯s the only time I really¡­ feel alive¡­¡±


    But that wasn¡¯t true, and he knew instantly that he had lied. He had felt something very much like this, when the crowd had erupted after his victory, when they were screaming his name.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you was made to be a pleasure slave,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°My needy little bunny- you¡¯re perfect.¡±


    He stilled above him, but thrashed inside of him, and Xac cried out again at the feeling. He never seemed to get used to it, and he loved it, almost as much as he enjoyed his own orgasm. It made him feel useful, needed, maybe even loved; something he rarely felt anymore. He wasn¡¯t particularly useful. Pretty little things seemed not to have much utility.


    He was so tired, but he didn¡¯t want this to end, and held Agalon as he tried to pull away, pull out.


    ¡°We gotta get cleaned up, darlin,¡± Agalon explained, and it was so practical and true there was no arguing with it.


    But he felt empty.


    ¡°Aggie, can I have a drink?¡± Xaxac asked as he took the towel Agalon had offered, then sat up to feel the odd, but familiar sensation of having the fluids Agalon had deposited leak out of him. That was not his favorite part and he sighed as he attempted to clean himself.


    ¡°Of course, darlin,¡± Agalon smiled, bent to kiss him on the forehead, and whistled as he made his way into the sitting room.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Xaxac jumped from the bed and made his way to the wardrobe, threw it open, scooted back the clothes, and tried desperately to memorize the symbols he had written there. He stood back and let the clothes fall into place before Agalon came back into the room.


    ¡°Aggie?¡± he begged, ¡°Tomorrow can I wear somethin old? Somethin I can get dirty? I don¡¯t like messing up my good clothes outside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Agalon smiled as he offered Xac his glass, ¡°I can buy ya new clothes, darlin.¡±


    ¡°Can I, though?¡± Xac begged, ¡°Then I can change when I get back to the house.¡±


    ¡°If you want,¡± Agalon shrugged.


    ¡°Thanks, Aggie!¡± Xac wrapped his arms around him, squeezed, and snuggled into his chest.


    ¡°Come on, darlin,¡± Agalon kissed the top of his head, ¡°Let¡¯s head to bed.¡±


    ¡°I came so far,¡± Lapus said, ¡°I thought¡­ I thought it would matter, you know?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Xac said, sitting in the darkness, taking in the nothing around him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just another cave,¡± Lapus laughed, ¡°Just another cave. We trapped them in a terrarium, didn¡¯t we? At the end of the day? Is that what you said?¡±


    ¡°I said a greenhouse,¡± Xaxac corrected.


    ¡°Right!¡± Lapus said, ¡°A greenhouse. We trapped them in a greenhouse!¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Lappy?¡± Xac asked, and moved to gently rub his back.


    ¡°No, I never meant¡­ I didn¡¯t think¡­ But that¡¯s¡­ how it is, isn¡¯t it? There was never going to- we were never going to- be able to control it. That was never going to happen. Morgani knew that.¡±


    ¡°Control what?¡± Xaxac asked, ¡°The terrarium? I mean¡­ the greenhouse?¡±


    Then he was standing, looking at something he did not understand, at words, numbers, symbols, all of them strange, all of them squiggles, all of them moving too quickly- something was clearly wrong.


    He was not standing, he was floating. And he was looking out over the world as if he was looking at a map, but he knew he was not, he was gazing at all of Xren through the eyes of a god.


    The symbols meant something, the words meant something, the numbers meant something. They were moving too fast.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, doc?¡± Morgani asked.


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± Xaxac asked, reached into the void, and touched the nothing to alert the others, ¡°Morgani Magnus is in-¡±


    Then Morgani reached into the nothing himself, pulled out a whip and cracked it against the nothing that was Xaxac, and he felt pain, but did not understand it, because it had been so long since the last time he had felt it.


    ¡°Morgani what¡¯s¡­¡± He asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Xaxac saw a familiar face reflected in those eyes, the color of the void between the stars. Morgani cracked the whip again and Xaxac felt another bolt of pain.


    ¡°Because you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± he explained, ¡°they don¡¯t. And,¡± he shrugged and began to rip at the nothing that Xac was made of, began clawing at him, ¡°Because you¡¯re the weakest! You¡¯re the easiest!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Xac begged, ¡°Stop it! Tell me what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    He had to fight back, but he had never fought. He did not know how. So he did the only thing he could think of.


    ¡°Please!¡± he begged, ¡°Help me! Help me!¡±


    But it was no use. The world around him flickered, and all light seemed to go out, the world turned to silence, as the demon clawed out his heart.


    Darkness.


    Silence.


    ¡°Morgani?¡± Xaxac tried to sit up, but he was nothing, floating in nothing, and he had no body to sit with. ¡°Morgani?¡±


    He would have cried, but he had no eyes, no tear ducts, and, he was fairly sure, no voice with which to shout. He could only think, but he thought with all his might.


    ¡°Morgani, please!¡± he begged, ¡°Please! Let me out!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Morgani snarled, and it came from everywhere at once, but Xaxac thought he saw something, flickering, shining, in the nothing. He tried to race toward it, but he did not know how to move in the nothing.


    ¡°Please!¡± He begged.


    ¡°You did this,¡± the demon explained with rage in his voice, ¡°You trapped me! What were you going to do to them?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± He asked, struggling to make it to the light in the nothing.


    ¡°All of them,¡± Morgani said as if he thought Xaxac was being obtuse on purpose, ¡°All of the others. The ones who belong here. This is their world, not ours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re gonna sit here for a few eons,¡± Morgani said, ¡°And think about what you did.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac shrieked. ¡°No! No, Morgani! Morgani, let me out! You¡¯re right! I can help you! Let me out! Please! Where am I? Please! Let me out!¡±


    ¡°I used to want you dead,¡± Morgani laughed, ¡°But after I lost everything¡­ after I lost¡­ after everything that¡¯s happened¡­ I don¡¯t care anymore. I don¡¯t care if I can kill you. Now I only want you gone.¡±


    ¡°Morgani, please!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Morgani said, ¡°Master.¡±


    Xaxac had somehow made it to the light. It had never gotten any bigger. It was a tiny crystal, floating in the nothing, and he grabbed at it with every fiber of his non-existent being.


    ¡°Morgani!¡± he begged, ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry! I never meant to hurt you! Please! You¡¯re right!¡±


    He looked through the tiny crystal, and looked into another world. The room was dark, but he could see in the darkness, unlike in the nothing. He had never seen a room like it before, yet somehow instinctively knew it was a storeroom, full of other things. But no living thing dwelt there.


    ¡°Morgani, please!¡± he begged, ¡°Let me out! Please!¡±


    But there was no one to hear him, even if he had had a voice to scream.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think,¡± Lapus said, and Xac turned to him to alleviate the panic. ¡°And he¡¯s right, you know. He was right then, and he¡¯s right now. We had no right to do this. This was never our world, Xac. It¡¯s yours. I want to give it back to you.¡±


    Then he pulled him into a kiss.

 Chapter 49

    Xaxac stared up at the sixty flowers on the ceiling, and the light in the room told him it was nearly time to get up anyway.


    He was tired, hungover, and dying for a cigarette, but not nearly as sore as he had thought he would be.  He hadn¡¯t exercised in so long he expected he would wake up half dead.  But he didn¡¯t.


    He slowly turned to look at the dressing table.  He needed to get up.  He needed to shave.


    He hadn¡¯t seen a mirror before he had gotten into the bath, and he wondered how terrible he looked.  He was absolutely going to pull his hair back today.  At least that way he had some sort of hope of keeping it presentable.


    There was no point in wearing makeup, but he would, because it was part of his job.


    He closed his eyes and began to count the ticking of the clock.


    ¡°And¡­  Lee,¡± he said, in time with the sound of the door to the sitting room opening.


    ¡°Coffee, wine, fruit, frost,¡± Xaxac said as the door to the sitting room opened, and Lee entered, carrying his breakfast tray.


    ¡°Get up, Xaxac,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°You have another bad dream?¡± Lee asked, careful not to wake up Agalon.


    ¡°I¡­  I don¡¯t even¡­  I don¡¯t reckon I can tell the difference no more,¡± Xac said, ¡°I had a dream.  Don¡¯t know if it was good or bad.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Lee shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s something, I guess.  Get on up.  Get shaved and dressed.  Eat a bite.¡±


    ¡°He crashes so hard,¡± Xaxac said of Agalon as he put on the house slave uniform Lee had laid out for him.


    ¡°That frost is what that is,¡± Lee said, ¡°If I was you I don¡¯t reckon I¡¯d funnel that stuff down.  I don¡¯t rightly know what it does.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lee,¡± Xac said, ¡°I gotta¡­  hypothetically¡­  if my mommy was¡­  gone¡­  would ya tell me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask stupid questions,¡± Lee said, ¡°Shave.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna¡­  I just¡­  I¡¯d like to know.  If you¡¯d tell me.  If somethin happened.  If they was gone.¡±  Xac asked as he sat down.


    ¡°Shave,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, wondering why he didn¡¯t feel worse, why he felt very little, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.  You know¡­  Takashito said that on the water continent, humans go to school.¡±


    ¡°I reckon all them water elves are kinda crazy,¡± Lee said, ¡°that¡¯s the rumor.¡±


    ¡°Pretty though,¡± Xac said as he whipped the cream.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never had much of an eye for elves,¡± Lee admitted, ¡°They all look damn near each other.  Takashito looks like um, ¡®cept he¡¯s blue.¡±


    Xac pulled his skin taunt and ran the blade over it as Lee watched.  He was getting better at it.  His hands didn¡¯t shake so much if he took a sip of the wine first.


    He wondered what a prison was like.  He had never seen one.


    ¡°GET THE FUCK UP!¡±


    Xaxac jumped, felt the slice on his cheek, and a stream of blood shot onto the mirror.


    ¡°Wha?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Lorry?¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?¡± Lorsan shrieked as Xaxac held the cloth to his face and waited for the bleeding to stop.


    The shrieking was apparently coming from one of Agalon¡¯s decorative plants, because Agalon sat up and his earrings began to glow as he reached toward it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked in a panic, ¡°What time is it?  Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I JUST GOT YOUR INVITATION TO MY OWN ENGAGEMENT PARTY, FUCKWAD!¡±


    ¡°God damn, Lorry, you scared the hell outta me,¡± Agalon sighed, ¡°It is¡­  stupid o¡¯clock in the mornin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s five!¡± Lorsan screamed, ¡°It¡¯s mail call!  WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?¡±


    ¡°Five?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Ain¡¯t that meal time?  Is that still meal time?  You ain¡¯t screamin like this in the mess hall, are ya?¡±


    ¡°I AM CAUSING A SCENE!¡± Lorsan explained.


    ¡°You gonna spend all day doin pushups,¡± Agalon sighed, ¡°Might do you some good to get that wore out.¡±


    ¡°I AIN¡¯T GETTIN MARRIED!¡±


    ¡°The hell you ain¡¯t,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac could not help thinking how strange it was to watch him argue with a plant.  ¡°You ain¡¯t gotta stay married, but you are gettin married.  It¡¯s happenin if we gotta drag you, drug you, and prop you up on the altar.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you get?¡± Lorsan asked, ¡°What¡¯d you whore me out for?¡±


    ¡°Look, Lorry,¡± Agalon sighed, ¡°You best not be projectin me.  Are you projectin me?  I¡¯m gonna sever this scry.  I¡¯m gonna go get my tablet and holler back at ya.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t severin¡¯ shit!¡± Xac was sure Lorsan had shouted, but the last word abruptly cut off in the middle.


    ¡°Thesis in heaven above,¡± Agalon said as he rubbed both hands over his face, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know what I expected.  Lord, god almighty, that youngun is¡­  that boy ain¡¯t right.¡±


    He walked quickly out of the room and Lee turned to Xac.


    ¡°You want me to finish that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I got blood on my shirt,¡± Xac sighed, ¡°I guess¡­  it don¡¯t matter.  I was gonna get it dirty anyhow.  But it¡¯s fine.  I¡¯ll¡­  I can finish.¡±


    He picked up the glass of wine and knocked back the contents.


    ¡°Alright, gentlemen,¡± Takashito said as he stood before the fighters, ¡°I see that my chart is still here.  I trust that you have memorized it.  We will go over the poses I showed you yesterday.  Please, follow me.¡±


    The fighters spread out, and Xaxac tried his best to concentrate on mimicing Takashito¡¯s movements.  He tried his best not to think about how everyone had seen the blood on his shirt, but no one had said anything.  He tried his best not to wonder what Agalon had said, when he had gone down to the room where he normally kept his tray of dirt to talk to Lorsan, or what Lorsan had said back.  He tried not to think of the fact that Agalon could communicate with his family, even when they were towns away, but Xaxac could not talk to his family when they were in the same house.


    Because Xaxac was thinking too much, and he was thinking about all the wrong things.


    When Xaxac thought about things like that, he had started having other thoughts.


    He thought of how the Viper had gone from a living, breathing, person, to an inanimate object.  He thought of how Billy was, even now, recovering from having his insides on the outside.


    He thought of the time he had tried to playfully tackle Agalon.  Agalon had gone down.


    He thought of schools with human students, and elves who could not drown, and shifters with speed and strength that scared other people, even the earth elves, and if he kept these thoughts on the surface, he began to have thoughts that were dangerous.


    He had never been the weakest person in the room.


    He had always been the strongest.


    Person.


    Not human.


    He was a monster, and people were afraid of monsters.


    Goddamn right.  They should be afraid of monsters.


    ¡°Good,¡± Takashito said, ¡°We will practice this until it is all very fluid.  But for now I would like for you to see it in action.  Xaxac, please come to me.¡±


    Xac stepped forward and tried to clear his mind.


    ¡°Do you remember our lesson from yesterday?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac nodded, ¡°I gotta learn to change.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Takashito praised, ¡°Very concise.  I would like to see if you can apply what you have learned.¡±


    He folded his hands together as if he meant to say a prayer and bowed.


    Then he came up, went into the first pose he had shown them, and moved faster than any opponent Xac had ever seen.


    But this time, Xac did not scream.  He did not run.


    He was unprepared, so the first blow landed on his shoulder, the one that had once been injured, and a pain radiated down that side of his body, but it was not as bad as the time he had broken his bones and popped his shoulder out of socket, so he chose not to think about it, to ride it out.  But that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to get hit again.


    So the next time Takashito tried to strike he moved out of the way, darted to the left and reached out himself, keeping his hands in the position Takashito had taught them during their movements to more evenly distribute the force of the blow, and hit him in the neck in the place Takashito had drawn on the chart.


    He did not hit as hard as he could have.


    Takashito choked, coughed, and began to sputter in a language Xaxac didn¡¯t understand.


    Xaxac watched him and thought of how much harder he could have hit him.


    ¡°God damn,¡± Takashito said when he got his breath back, ¡°You are¡­  you are very fast, Mr Rabbit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get quicker once I¡¯m used to it,¡± Xac said, ¡°I can clean Aggie¡¯s whole set a¡¯ rooms in like an hour now.¡±


    ¡°You clean your entire chamber in an hour?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Why?  Do they not have a staff?  I thought the duke would-¡±


    ¡°Gives me something to do,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°I took up macrame,¡± Takashito said, ¡°we make plant stands.  I think they sell them?¡±


    ¡°I knit,¡± Xac said, ¡°I can show you how to-¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t here to talk about crafts,¡± Ara reminded them.


    ¡°They would never give me the needles anyway,¡± Takashito shrugged.  ¡°Gentlemen, let us pair off!  I will come around to check your form!  Who is the best fighter here after Xaxac?¡±


    ¡°Billy,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°But he¡¯s still down from his last ass-whoopin.  I ain¡¯t feelin too hot myself, but he¡¯s¡­  he¡¯s down.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you do not feel hot?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Lotta torso shots in my last match,¡± Wyatt explained, ¡°Doc said I had bruised ribs.¡±


    ¡°You have bruised ribs?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Are you not in pain?  Why are you not in recovery?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Agalon said dismissively, ¡°I healed him, vet cleared him.¡±


    ¡°I do not know that one would walk off such an injury,¡± Takashito said.


    ¡°Them humans got a much higher pain tolerance than we do,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°You¡¯re personifyin.  Besides, he¡¯s healed.  He¡¯s fine.  He¡¯s got another match comin up after the mask festival.  He¡¯s gotta be ready.  I didn¡¯t buy him for him to sit around.  Billy¡¯s costin me a fortune¡­  but I don¡¯t wanna lose him.  Y¡¯all heard the man, pair up!¡±


    As Xac stood next to Wyatt he frowned and realized that he should have been going easier on him.  Wyatt didn¡¯t heal like he did, but he had also been in the cage.  Xac hadn¡¯t seen his match, but he knew what fighters did.  He remembered how hard they hit, what it was like to be slammed around.


    ¡°You alright?¡± He asked.


    ¡°¡®Course I¡¯m alright,¡± Wyatt shrugged, and Xac noticed he had learned the moveset as quickly as he had learned it himself, ¡°Come on, Foo Foo, whoop my ass.  Try not to kill me, though.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna kill you,¡± Xac giggled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kill ya even if I didn¡¯t like ya.  You got the biggest dick I ever had.¡±


    ¡°Do what now?¡± Wyatt asked, and Xaxac took the opportunity to hit him in the shoulder like he had been taught, then took advantage of the hiss of pain and stumble to kick him in the thigh.  Wyatt fell to one knee to clutch at his injuries, so Xac stopped, put his hands on his knees and looked down at him.


    ¡°I¡¯d stay down, ya thick dicked sumbitch,¡± he laughed, so Wyatt punched him in the throat, and as he tried to catch his breath he thought there was no way Wyatt was hitting him as hard as he could either.


    They were both holding back.

 Chapter 50

    Xaxac sat at the dinner table and went over his plan.


    He had to be very, very careful.


    And there was no one left who could help him.


    If Jimmy had still been here, he would have stolen a piece of paper from Lorsan¡¯s room; Xac had stolen for him before, and he would repay the favor. Lorsan didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would mind at all, either way. Lorsan might actually read it to him.


    But Agalon wouldn¡¯t. Agalon would think that sort of thing was dangerous. Agalon could not know about the man of Xac¡¯s dreams. He would write it off somehow, would think it was dangerous or silly, and Xaxac would have to stop thinking about it. Sometimes, Xac thought, it was better if Agalon didn¡¯t know certain things, just like it was better if he didn¡¯t know certain things.


    But Xac knew he was not supposed to think this way. He knew he needed to love Agalon, to trust him explicitly, to let him take care of him. He knew he was thinking too much. He knew Kenny had died from thinking too much.


    The whole thing was stupid. He didn¡¯t need to do this. Dreams didn¡¯t mean anything; people couldn¡¯t communicate through dreams; he needed to wait until after Agalon had fallen asleep and go back into the wardrobe and wipe away the secret he had drawn-


    Not drawn.


    Written.


    Wipe away the secret he had written there.


    Or, he could keep thinking, and find a way to write it down again, carefully copying it, and get it to Takashito. Takashito would read it to him. He would tell him what the man in his dreams had tried to tell him. What Lapus had tried to tell him.


    He might know Lapus. That may be why Lapus was trying to contact Xaxac, because he needed to send a message to Takashito. Lapus was a prisoner too, wasn¡¯t he? Like the other water elves? Were they all prisoners?


    ¡°What is your last name?¡± Takashito asked, knocking him out of his mind.


    ¡°Me?¡± Xac asked, confused by the question. ¡°I¡¯m Aggie¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°OfAgalon,¡± Agalon explained, ¡°All the humans are OfAgalon. Of and then whoever they belong to.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Takashito said, ¡°that¡­ that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Your grace,¡± Ara said, ¡°I need to know what I¡¯m supposed to do with him. Durin your party.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Agalon sighed, ¡°Well¡­ we got time. I was thinkin¡­ but that¡¯s probably a bad idea. I been gettin a big head and makin a lotta¡­ snap decisions lately. Honey Bunny, you about finished? You quit eatin.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ really¡­¡± Xaxac said, trying to buy himself time to make up a lie on the spot, but he was too tired to come up with anything, and the flip flopping his brain had been doing all night decided to trust Agalon and tell him the truth, ¡°like the new cook¡¯s food. I can¡¯t trust it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°The cornbread¡¯s too¡­ dense,¡± Xaxac explained, ¡°And I¡¯m scared I¡¯m gonna get sick.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna get sick, darlin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I seen to that.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a new cook?¡± Takashito asked, apparently to make conversation, ¡°I enjoy it. Much better than what I have become accustomed to.¡±


    ¡°A while back,¡± Agalon said with a strange mixture of emotions he sometimes had that frightened Xaxac, the mood that looked perfectly calm, but wasn¡¯t.


    But he did get a new cook.


    Where was Xaxac¡¯s mother?


    Xac drank the rest of the wine in his glass, but it did nothing to quiet his mind. He was thinking too much and he couldn¡¯t stop. Where was everyone? What did the words from his dream mean? Who was Lapus?


    But he smiled and tried to eat his supper. He wanted to be happy that it wasn¡¯t a salad; it was a stew of root vegetables, but he had had this same stew before, when his mother made it, and this wasn¡¯t it. His hands were shaking and he wondered why. Was the frost wearing off? Was he not drinking enough? Maybe he needed a cigarette?


    Xaxac closed his eyes and tried to will himself to stop. This was stupid and he needed to stop. He was going to attract attention, and that was going to ruin anything.


    What was wrong with him?


    ¡°Aggie?¡± He whispered, ¡°Can I¡­ can I go upstairs? I¡¯m shakin again and I¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    ¡°You need to eat, darlin,¡± Agalon said sensibly. ¡°I thought you was getting better with that.¡±


    Xaxac nodded. He did need to eat. He should be starving. He had been out all day, working hard, and he should be starving. He should be tired. But he felt wide awake and jittery. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, but when he did he saw the image of the Viper, missing half his head and staring back up at him.


    He jumped from the shock of it and slammed his knees against the table hard enough to send the stew splashing over the side of his bowl.


    ¡°Honey Bunny?¡± Agalon asked, but Takashito beat him to Xaxac, and Xac stared into his eyes, the same color of Lapus¡¯s, the color of the sky during a clear day.


    ¡°Something is clearly wrong,¡± Takashito said, ¡°There is¡­ something wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nothin wrong with him,¡± Agalon said, ¡°He¡¯s got that real quick metabolism. Probably got the DTs.¡± He snapped his fingers at the silent boy who had replaced Jimmy and demanded, ¡°Bring us another bottle of that wine out here. The strawberry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aggie,¡± Xac said and tried to smile.


    ¡°This is not detox shaking,¡± Takashito said as if he knew it to be fact, ¡°this is nerves. This is the sort of thing I saw on the others¡­ that I saw on myself. That I have seen in your eyes, when they vibrate. This boy has seen something he did not wish to see.¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t never been in battle,¡± Agalon said as if he knew exactly what Takashito was talking about.


    ¡°Xaxac?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Do you want to be a fighter?¡±


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Ara said.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Agalon said dismissively as the boy returned and began to pour their wine. ¡°Leave him alone. He ain¡¯t gonna do nothin.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, trying to muster as much enthusiasm as he could. ¡°It was really fun! Everybody loved me!¡±


    Takashito¡¯s eyes darted from Xaxac to Agalon, then back. He locked onto Xac¡¯s gaze and held it as if looking for something.


    ¡°Xaxac?¡± He asked, speaking softly, ¡°Have you ever done anything you did not want to do? Have you ever hurt¡­ or¡­¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna hurt you!¡± Xac promised, ¡°I¡­ I been real good, I¡­ think. I try. I¡¯m doin¡­ I¡¯m tryin my best! I¡­ Aggie don¡¯t think I¡¯m a monster.¡±


    ¡°God, love, you are shakin,¡± Agalon stood, pulled out his chair, and Xaxac instantly turned to snuggle into him. ¡°You go lay down, darlin. Lee! Come here and take Xac to bed. Make sure he eats somethin. He¡¯s getting skittish again. Thought we got that trained out of him.¡±


    Lee appeared in the doorway, and as he approached Xaxac saw the familiar, boy, I know you ain¡¯t been cryin again look on his face, but he was sure he wasn¡¯t crying.


    ¡°Sorry, Aggie!¡± he begged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°Probably wore out,¡± Agalon said, ¡°These past couple a days have wore you plumb out. You ain¡¯t used to it. Go on upstairs. I¡¯ll send some food up for you, darlin. Get settled.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aggie,¡± Xaxac squeezed him tighter in order to work up the courage he felt he would need to follow Lee.


    Lee silently led him from the room, always the good servant, quiet and unseen. As he closed the door, Xaxac heard Takashito say something else.


    ¡°A shifter,¡± Takashito said, ¡°it is always¡­ fearful to contemplate¡­ what a monster is afraid of. Speed, strength, he heals so quickly. But he is afraid. What is that monster afraid of?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Xaxac did not know he was looking at Agalon.


    ¡°What is it now, boy?¡± Lee asked, ¡°What got into you this time?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac admitted as he followed him down the hall and wondered where they were going. They hadn¡¯t walked in the direction of the servant¡¯s staircase in the storeroom. Lee was taking him up the main stairs, but why? He was pretty sure they weren¡¯t supposed to go that way by themselves.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Xac said with all the sincerity in his soul, ¡°I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared there¡¯s somethin real bad wrong with me. I think I¡¯m crackin up. Please! I gotta talk to somebody.¡±


    ¡°You been thinkin too much,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Where the hell is everybody!?¡± Xac snapped, ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me!? You said humans had to stick together! You said we had to look out for each other! I know you know! Where is everybody?¡±


    ¡°Just tell him,¡± came a voice behind them, and Xac turned to see that, to his shock, it had come from one of the doormen. ¡°It¡¯s Abby¡¯s boy! He deserves to know.¡±


    ¡°Watch your goddamn mouth,¡± Lee snapped, and the anger in his voice threw Xaxac off so severely he stumbled into the railing. Lee was often snippy, bitchy, but Xaxac had never seen him look at someone with real rage in his eyes before; it contorted his entire face, and Xaxac was, not for the first time, made more aware of his age. Lee had been in this house a long time. How much had he seen? ¡°Go clean the porch.¡±


    The doorman immediately did as he was told, and his companion slipped out with him as Lee grabbed Xac by the arm and dragged him up the stairs.


    ¡°Bobby¡¯ll put up with that shit in his house and that¡¯s why it¡¯s fallin apart,¡± he explained to Xaxac.


    ¡°Please,¡± Xac begged, ¡°Please just¡­ I¡¯m going crazy. I¡¯m going crazy an¡¯ it makes me worried. I don¡¯t wanna go crazy, Lee, that¡¯s how Kenny died!¡±


    ¡°Kenny fell,¡± Lee corrected.


    ¡°The old wardrobe,¡± Xaxac said as Lee dragged him into the sitting room, ¡°was full a¡¯ tally marks. He was countin the days.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I just wanna know what happened,¡± Xac begged, ¡°I know I ain¡¯t supposed to ask questions but¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I ain¡¯t strong enough to¡­ there¡¯s so much and if I know anything I can¡­ figure it out. Please.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be actin like this,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I killed him!¡± Xac screamed, and Lee stared at him, ¡°I killed him and I didn¡¯t even know who he was! And nobody cared! Well¡­ that¡­. That ain¡¯t right. They cared. They cheered an¡­ that was the first time anybody but Aggie has give a single shit about me in so long that I didn¡¯t even- I killed him and I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t care that he¡¯s dead! I can see him when I close my eyes and it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s like he wouldn¡¯t never alive, wouldn¡¯t never a person, he¡¯s just this thing that¡­ that made them cheer for me on account¡¯a I knew how to break it and they wanted it broke. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ meat. Meat in a slaughterhouse. It¡­ we¡¯re¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know when he had started crying, but Lee had never told him to stop.


    ¡°Nobody loves me,¡± Xac said, ¡°Nobody will¡­ it¡¯s.. Can we even¡­ but they¡­ they did and Aggie¡­ does and¡­ I just wanna know¡­ Who I¡¯m supposed to be and¡­ what I¡¯m supposed to do and¡­ I want¡­ I want my mama¡­ I just wanna talk to¡­ I just wanna know¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down,¡± Lee suggested, gently leading Xac to the sofa by his arm while Xac sobbed into his hands. He had wanted to say it for so long, but he couldn¡¯t, because it wasn¡¯t allowed to be true. He was going to get in so much trouble and he knew it.


    ¡°I knew it was gonna hit you,¡± Lee said, ¡°Hold on. Don¡¯t move none. I mean it. Sit right there.¡±


    He was gone for a few minutes, but he returned with two glasses of what smelled like corn whiskey and Agalon¡¯s cigarette case. He set an ashtray on the coffee table and spoke without turning around.


    ¡°Set it on the table back there and close the door.¡±


    Xac heard the door open and close and suspected it was the boy who never spoke to him.


    ¡°I miss Jimmy,¡± Xac said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know that youngun¡¯s name!¡±


    ¡°Pat¡¯s his name,¡± Lee said, ¡°Patrick. It ain¡¯t you, he can¡¯t talk. His tongue¡¯s messed up.¡±


    Lee leaned forward, opened the case, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and handed the case to Xac. He stared at it, at the paper tubes all lined up in a row and the matchbook inside before he mimicked Lee.


    ¡°You did kill him,¡± Lee acknowledged, ¡°killed him deader than hell. I been to a lot of them matches and I don¡¯t think I can remember anybody killin somebody that dead. You can usually recognize the corpse. I ain¡¯t never seen nobody ripped up like that, neither, like what you done to Billy. But,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen nobody like you, neither.¡±


    ¡°When I met you, I heard the rumor, but I didn¡¯t¡­ put a lotta stock in that kinda stuff. Not till I saw it. I¡­ ain¡¯t never seen nothin like that.¡± He picked up his glass and took a sip. ¡°You¡¯re dangerous, boy. I ain¡¯t gonna lie about it. It¡¯d scare the shit outta anybody. But it ain¡¯t no devilry. When you first got here, you didn¡¯t have that evil in you. That was put there. Kenny had that same evil in him, but it went in instead of out. And before him? The Lady of the house had that evil in her. Lorry¡¯s got it in him. It grows here, like all the goddamn plants.¡±


    Xaxac leaned back and took a long draw, then watched the smoke drift to the ceiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s the house,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°I felt it coming up in me¡­ I¡­ there¡¯s sixty tiles in the ceiling, in the bedroom. I¡­ I know everthing in here. I know¡­ Too much. And there¡¯s nothin here but me, and I¡¯m already a monster-¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t the house, Xac,¡± Lee scoffed, ¡°We both know what it is. But you¡¯re dangerous, so I need you to do somethin for me. As a personal favor. To me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Xac promised. ¡°If you tell me where my family¡¯s at.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, but I can¡¯t do that. On account of I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t nobody know where they¡¯re at. But I¡¯ll tell you what I know, and then you¡¯ll know more than most, on account of I went to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Xac promised. ¡°Whatcha want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I want you to promise me you won¡¯t let that bastard wear you down,¡± Lee turned to stare into his eyes.


    Oh.


    Right.


    That made sense.


    ¡°He¡­ he don¡¯t love me at all, does he?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°He does, that¡¯s the thing,¡± Lee said, ¡°He loves you. He loves this house. He loves his drinkin, he loves his money. But he loves you like the house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just another pretty little thing he owns,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t that little no more.¡± Lee said, ¡°You¡¯re grown. You ain¡¯t as little as he thinks you are.¡±


    ¡°I reckon I¡­ think I¡­ knew this,¡± Xac pulled a pillow to his chest and hugged it, ¡°Already. I think I always knew it. Can you slide me my knittin?¡±


    He leaned forward to snuff out his cigarette, Lee picked up the basket and handed it to him, and Xac pulled out the needles and began to cast on another hat.


    ¡°So¡­ where they at?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lee said, ¡°Don¡¯t nobody know. Smart money is that they run.¡±


    ¡°They run?¡± Xac asked, ¡°They¡­ left?¡±


    ¡°Alley was always gonna leave,¡± Lee said, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t gonna have that baby here and everybody knew it.¡±


    ¡°They forgot somethin,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t forget,¡± Lee promised, ¡°they just¡­ how would they a¡¯ done it, Xac? How would they a¡¯ got ya out? You¡¯re always with him, ain¡¯t got no clear schedule, ain¡¯t got no way to tell nobody. They couldn¡¯t take you right out from under him, you seen what he could do when he¡¯s angry. You seen him take down fighters without breakin a sweat. What the hell was two old folks and a pregnant teenager gonna do? You can¡¯t blame um for that.¡± He snuffed out his cigarette and said, ¡°Well, I reckon you could, if you really wanted. But I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m¡­ alone,¡± Xac said, ¡°I¡¯m really alone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all alone, boy,¡± Lee said, ¡°We¡¯re born alone, and we die alone.¡±


    ¡°And then it¡¯s like none of it ever happened,¡± Xac said. He finished casting on, picked up the other needle, and began to knit the rib of the hat. ¡°Takashito says that where he¡¯s from, way across the sea, humans ain¡¯t slaves. He says that folks go to school there, human folks.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll make it,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Might as well,¡± Lee agreed, ¡°Makes as much sense as anything else.¡±


    ¡°I been thinkin,¡± Xac said as his needles went clack clack clacking, ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna be alright. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just gonna be real good, and smile, and look pretty, and fight, and do whatever he wants me to do, and I¡¯m just gonna be as happy as I can because¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ it ain¡¯t never gonna end, not till I die. Because¡­ On account of¡­ I¡¯m a shifter. He loves me on account of I¡¯m a shifter. Ain¡¯t nobody else got one and¡­ that means I¡¯ll always be ok. I was just born lucky.¡±


    ¡°I reckon you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± Xac said, stood, and walked to Agalon¡¯s desk, ¡°Will you do something for me?¡±


    ¡°Is it a big ask?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but if you do it¡­ it¡¯ll help me¡­¡± Xac opened a drawer and pulled out the piece of paper on the top. It was completely blank, and Xac hoped that made it less valuable. ¡°Not let the bastard wear me down.¡±


    He walked into the bedroom and Lee got up to follow him as Xac pulled the matchbook from the nightstand and lit the lamp, took the pencil from Agalon¡¯s little book he always wrote in, then pulled open the wardrobe and climbed inside.


    ¡°What are you doin?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°I said, ¡®fuck it¡¯,¡± Xac explained as he copied down the squiggles he had written. He stood and held the paper out to Lee.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lee asked him, ¡°is this¡­ this looks like writin. Did you write this? What¡¯s it say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xac said, ¡°It come to me in a dream.¡±


    ¡°It come to you in a dream¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you¡­ find a way to get Takashito alone? Can you ask him what it says?¡±


    Lee carefully folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he promised. ¡°I probably oughta be gettin back. You put that pencil back right where you found it and go eat you a bite.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lee.¡± Xac smiled, and it reached his eyes, ¡°I¡­ reckon I¡¯m gonna be ok.¡±

 Chapter 51

    ¡°You ok?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    He and Morgani were the only ones still awake, sitting by the fire that flickered in the darkness. Morgani¡¯s bag was full of the meat they had cut away, as well as large chunks of hide, which they had rolled and stuffed inside, and even bone, which they would use to make tools. None of it should have fit inside.


    Morgani stared into the flickering firelight.


    ¡°It¡¯s always strange¡­ this place. I¡¯m not supposed to be here. I keep forgetting that¡­ the death¡­ the way you live is¡­ predicated on death.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Quizlivan frowned, ¡°You coulda¡­ there was a much better time to bring this up. Before we killed the dragon.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat, Quizzy.¡±


    Quizlivan made a sound of agreement, scooted closer and watched Morgani watching the fire.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can die,¡± Morgani said instead of answering. ¡°I¡¯m not like them. We¡¯re not like them. I¡¯m¡­ very nearly human, don¡¯t you think? When you cut me, I bleed. I¡¯ve tried it. I¡¯m solid. If you cut me open I have organs, I¡¯m just not sure how to use them. My heart beats. I can feel it.¡±


    Quizlivan gently slid a hand under the skin they had given Morgan to drape around his shoulders over his ridiculously impractical outfit and pressed the palm against his chest in the middle. He felt his cold skin, his sternum, so he pressed harder, and felt the beating of his heart.


    ¡°You do,¡± he agreed, ¡°I can feel it too.¡±


    Silence stretched between them until it began to hurt, so Quizlivan tried desperately to find something to fill it.


    ¡°Morgani¡­ why are you alone? Where¡¯s the rest of your tribe? Aren¡¯t they looking for you? Aren¡¯t you looking for them? They have to miss you. They have to love you. You have to love them. People aren¡¯t meant to be alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± Morgani admitted, ¡°For you love is¡­ a series of chemicals meant to form social bonds, sometimes in an attempt to get you to mate. You have to preserve your species. I don¡¯t. We don¡¯t have to stick together for safety or make more of us. We simply¡­ are. And we will be. Forever.¡±


    ¡°Love isn¡¯t just for mating,¡± Quizlivan argued, ¡°There are a bunch of different kinds of love. I love my family. I love my friends. I love kids. I love all kinds of people I¡¯d never mate with. Love does more than you think it does.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I did,¡± Morgani said.


    ¡°Did¡­ the people you¡¯re running from, the ones you say can see you-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one left,¡± Morgani said. ¡°But they...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep running your whole life,¡± Quizlivan said, and he did not realize how strongly he had been pressing until he felt Morgan slide a hand up to tug at his own, so Quizlivan balled it into a fist, and Morgan allowed him to rest it over his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Morgani said, ¡°I have to go back.¡±


    ¡°Go back where?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    ¡°To the¡­¡± Morgani looked up at the clouds that never seemed to part, ¡°moon? He can¡¯t still be there. He¡¯ll be on the demigorge. Probably picking up where Lapus left off. Or¡­ calling for the others.¡±


    ¡°More are coming?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    ¡°No, they shouldn¡¯t be¡­ but maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know. He can be making others. He makes people. They make people. They made me.¡±


    ¡°They made you? They¡¯re your parents?¡± Quizlivan knitted his eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t born. I am Morgani Magnus, first of the elves, guardian of Xren. I was born of no mortal woman, but of the very beating heart of the planet herself. I was not born, I was created.¡±


    The way Morgani had said this sent Quizlivan¡¯t heart beating faster than it needed to, pumping blood to places that would do him absolutely no good.


    ¡°Neat,¡± he said.


    Then, Xaxac was standing on the beach again, watching the waves lapping at the shore. He glanced up, but the moon was not on fire in the firmament. It was a clear, cloudless night, and for a moment, everything seemed perfectly tranquil.


    Then a form rose from the water.


    The helmet emerged first as the monster calmly walked onto the beach.


    It stood easily ten feet tall, and the armor it wore moved, rustled, breathed, as if it was alive. A light emanated from its chest that lit up the world around them in a blinding green hue, and Xaxac instinctively threw his hands over his face.


    The monster did not seem to notice him; it moved past him, walking towards the land.


    It was holding a silver cup, tinted blue, and inset with crystals.


    It paused, and Xaxac froze with fear.


    The Emerald Knight stared at the cup in its hand, and when it spoke, its voice stilled the blood in Xac¡¯s veins.


    ¡°No.¡± It said. ¡°I never did this. I never got this one.¡±


    The helmet rose, and Xaxac knew that whatever was inside that thing, it was staring into his soul.


    Xaxac opened his eyes, stared up at the sixty flowers, and thought about how the Emerald Knight went after people who ran away.


    He wondered if Lapus had tried to run away.


    He wondered what the squiggles in the wardrobe said.


    Agalon threw an arm over him and let out the sort of happy hum that let Xaxac know he was awake.


    ¡°You¡¯re shakin,¡± He murmered and pulled Xaxac into his chest.


    ¡°I had a bad dream,¡± Xac admitted, quietly, and burrowed himself as far into Agalon¡¯s undershirt as he could. ¡°About the Emerald Knight.¡±


    This utterance did far more than he had anticipated, because it prompted Agalon to shove himself into a sitting position and stare down at him.


    ¡°You had a bad dream about the Emerald Knight?¡± Agalon asked, and Xaxac was afraid of the way he said it, as if the concept insulted him or made him angry in some way, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I dunno,¡± Xac scooted farther to his side of the bed and stared up at Agalon, took in the far away look in his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­ I dunno why I¡­ dream stuff¡­¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Agalon studied him as if he was looking for something, his face wrinkled with thought as his eyebrows tried to meet in the middle of his forehead.


    ¡°He¡¯s wrong,¡± Agalon said eventually, ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ you¡¯ve never been on a battlefield. And you¡¯re human. You couldn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m thinking too much. Did you hear a story? Get scared?¡±


    His voice and his face had softened, so Xaxac used his best judgement and decided to snuggle into his side again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I get scared so easy, master,¡± he whispered, ¡°I¡­ I dunno what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t scared in the cage,¡± Agalon said as if it would be a comfort.


    ¡°I¡­ I reckon it¡¯s ok to be a monster¡­ in the cage,¡± Xaxac confessed, ¡°Right? It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s ok¡­¡±


    Agalon laid back down on his side and took to stroking Xaxac¡¯s scalp and playing with his hair, the way he liked, the way that calmed him down.


    ¡°You¡¯re ok,¡± he promised, ¡°You¡¯re perfect, Honey Bunny.¡±


    ¡°Aggie,¡± Xaxac leaned into the touch and cuddled closer, moved to link their legs together, ¡°will you¡­ hold me down and¡­ I feel¡­ I always feel real safe when you¡¯re¡­ on top a¡¯ me like that an¡­ I got scared. I had a bad dream an¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had a bad dream, darlin,¡± Agalon smiled softly and kissed his forehead, ¡°them fuckers¡¯ll getcha.¡±


    Xaxac rolled onto his stomach as Agalon dug around in the nightstand for the tiny bottle they kept there.


    ¡°Alright, gentlemen!¡± Takashito proclaimed as he paced before the fighters in their enclosure, ¡°I am happy to see your progress! I am¡­ trying to practice as well. I have, over the past century, developed a great deal of patience, and I will be putting it to good use, but we do have a limited time frame. I would like for you to know the poses I have taught you, as well as the strike points, by the end of the week so that we may move on. Pair up and go through them. Xaxac, come with me. I made a schedule last night, and I would like for us to work at an advanced pace. We will go through the motions you used yesterday, then I am putting you on a regime designed to promote flexibility.¡±


    ¡°A¡¯ight,¡± Xac shrugged.


    ¡°Rabbits are known for their jumping ability, correct?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°I did some research, because your master told me that you are very much like a rabbit, even as a human. Rabbits have coiled muscles in their legs for extra strength that allow them to cover large distances. They do not run somuchas they hop.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wyatt teased, ¡°Go learn how to bunny hop.¡±


    ¡°Come to the bathhouse again after the next match,¡± Xac grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll show ya¡¯ how to bunny hop.¡±


    He had expected someone to at least say the word ¡®cute¡¯ but instead Takashito spoke as if he was a man running out of time.


    ¡°Come along, Mr. OfAgalon,¡± he demanded, ¡°I want to get a baseline for your flexibility.¡±


    Xaxac followed him a little ways out from the group, until they were standing by the fence made of logs that ran around the enclosure. It was after lunch, and he was the tiniest bit tipsy, so he could not help focusing on Agalon, who was sitting at the table talking to Ara.


    ¡°Oh, darlin,¡± Xac purred, ¡°I am hella flexible. I can put my legs behind my head.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Takashito asked, sounding impressed, ¡°Why did you say it like that? Xaxac¡­ you should not¡­ drink so much. Not only because it makes it more difficult to learn but because you are very small, that is¡­ you are physically small but you are also very young. Drinking so much is not good when you are young. It makes your mind grow incorrectly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grown,¡± Xac huffed, balancing on one leg and trying to get the other behind his head. He leaned forward in an attempt to recreate what he only before done lying down, but Agalon often bent him nearly in half, and he had become quite flexible. He did manage to tuck his foot behind his head, and though he had difficulty straightening back up, he managed it with a smile. ¡°See? If I was drunk could I do this?¡±


    ¡°Why can you¡­ do you do stretching exercises?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xac leaned forward to undo his contortion and felt his thighs burning, so in an attempt to quiet the pain he stretched that leg upward against the wall and leaned into it, stretching for his toes with his hands. ¡°All the time! It made my back not hurt when I get in weird positions. I like it!¡± He smiled, took in the worried expression on Takashito¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Am I¡­ am I not supposed to?¡±


    ¡°I simply did not know you did,¡± Takashito said, ¡°But I suppose in¡­ in your line of work¡­ I spoke with your butler last night in my chambers after¡­¡± he glanced at the table and seemed to be thinking of something, then turned back to Xac, speaking so softly Xaxac could barely hear him, ¡°After Ara had fallen asleep. She seemed to¡­ sleep more soundly here than she usually does. I believe your butler pours strong drinks. Mr Lee told me quite a bit about you. I like him. He seems to be a respectable gentleman. You are a pleasure slave?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xac said chipperly, ¡°I like Lee too! He¡¯s really nice to me! I knew you would like him!¡±


    ¡°I have¡­ I believe correctly, guessed what that is,¡± Takashito said, and Xaxac did not understand the pity in his eyes, ¡°And¡­ you do not write very well.¡±


    ¡°Humans can¡¯t write,¡± Xaxac hissed.


    ¡°Fear the white rabbit,¡± Takashito whispered, ¡°It said, ¡®Fear the White Rabbit¡¯.¡±


    He stared at Xaxac as Xaxac continued to stretch, processing the information. What did it mean? Was the White Rabbit a shifter? Another person?


    ¡°Mr Lee said it came to you in a dream,¡± Takashito said, ¡°What does it mean? What was the rest of the dream?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac shrugged and switched legs to stretch the other one, ¡°I have a lot of weird dreams. I dreampt that I was standin¡¯ on a stage, and there was a crowd shoutin for me, but they was all humans, and that was¡­ not exactly wrote on the wall, but it was on the wall like how when water forms on windows, sometimes? Like when it gets cold?¡±


    ¡°Condensation,¡± Takashito said, ¡°You have a lot of ¡®weird dreams¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac glanced back to the table, saw that Agalon was looking at him so he waved, ¡°I have a lotta weird dreams.¡±


    ¡°Do that on the ground,¡± Takashito demanded, which made Xaxac think he had also seen Agalon, ¡°Do those splits on the ground, see how far apart you can get your legs.¡±


    ¡°If I had a copper for every time an elf told me to spread my legs I could buy myself,¡± Xac giggled, but Takashito either did not understand the joke or did not think it was funny, because he frowned.


    ¡°You¡­ you are very flexible,¡± He said, ¡°How long can you hold that position? Are your thighs burning?¡±


    ¡°They used to but now it¡¯s kinda comfy,¡± Xac said, ¡°I sit like this sometimes. I can touch my toes too, look!¡±


    He bent forward to demonstrate and Takashito leaned in to observe. He had leaned in so close Xaxac thought he might be able to talk to him without being overheard so he risked a question.


    ¡°You know anybody named Lapus?¡± He glanced up, to look into Takashito¡¯s beautiful blue eyes.


    ¡°I know many people by that name,¡± Takashito said, ¡°It is a common name on the big island. It is short for Lapis Lazuli, a precious stone. It is similar to a Urillian naming a child Ruby, as they are apparently want to do.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s talkin to me,¡± Xac admitted, wishing he could see Agalon, but he could not because Takashito was standing in the way, ¡°In my dreams. Is that a thing that can happen? With magic?¡±


    A look of deep concern passed over Takashito¡¯s face, but it moved away quickly and he asked, ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°Like a water elf. But you¡¯re the only other water elf I ever seen. He wants to give me a cup.¡±


    For a moment, Xaxac thought that Takashito had been poisoned again. He had turned to a very pale blue, almost the color of his hair, and his face appeared to have turned to stone.


    ¡°A cup?¡± he asked, stood upright and glanced around the field, then spoke loudly when he said, ¡°switch legs.¡±


    Xaxac contorted to reach for the toes on his other leg.


    ¡°Yeah, a real pretty cup, made outta some kinda metal,¡± Xac whispered.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Takashito implored, ¡°in your dreams, where is this cup?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°I think it was in a cave or something, but like, underwater? With a bunch of other cups? And Lapus was there with it or something? He was there for so long the uh¡­ rock things? From the ceiling? Which one is the top and which one is the bottom? They¡¯re two words and they sound almost just alike¡­ anyhow, they changed on accounta he was there for so long. With a buncha cups. But this¡¯in¡¯s like¡­ I dunno, special or somethin I guess?¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Takashito asked, ¡°How do you know about the Sacred Chalice? Do the Urillians know about the Sacred Chalice? Did someone tell you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked. The fear in Takashito¡¯s voice had frozen him; he was unaccustomed to it. Takashito hadn¡¯t even shown fear around Ara, around Agalon. ¡°No, no, I swear. Nobody told me nothin. I don¡¯t know nothin.¡±


    ¡°If the Urillians knew about the Sacred Chalice¡­¡± Takashito said as if he was thinking aloud, ¡°That would explain how they slew a god. That would explain how they could control the sea. But¡­ they would have to¡­ only the Chosen One can find¡­ One must be called. You cannot just walk into the Sacred Water Temple and find¡­¡±


    The cup was sacred to the water elves? That had to mean something. That had to mean it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Maybe dreams meant something.


    ¡°The Emerald Knight couldn¡¯t find it,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°in my dream. He went to look for it, and he had it in his hand, in the dream, but he said he never found it in real life.¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ forbidden¡­ dark magic,¡± Takashito said, ¡°to enter the mind of another. If one was going to do that, why¡­ why speak in riddles? Why risk so much and give so little? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°My last dream was¡­ I dunno,¡± Xac shrugged then went back to stretching, ¡°Last night or this mornin.¡±


    Takashito frowned.


    ¡°Whoever this Lapis is, I need him to stop,¡± he begged, ¡°If¡­ if the guards can detect water magic¡­ powerful, dark water magic¡­ they will¡­ she will¡­¡±


    ¡°Think it¡¯s you,¡± Xac finished.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Takashito demanded, ¡°Let us spar. Then I will show you some new stretches I would like you to do. If you are doing it wrong you will hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Xac said and wondered what it all meant.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you just tell me?¡± Xaxac asked, staring up at the moon burning in the firmament from his position of safety on the beach.


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t,¡± Lapus shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m trying.  But you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lapus sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know anymore.  I don¡¯t¡­  I don¡¯t know who I am or even¡­ what I want.  I don¡¯t even want to go home anymore.  I just want¡­  I don¡¯t even know.  If I told him I knew he was right, do you think he would believe me?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Takashito?¡± Xaxac asked, ¡°Was I supposed to tell him somethin?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Lapus asked.


    ¡°Am I Quizlivan?  Alex said souls could be reborn.  Is that what you¡¯re tryin to tell me?¡± Xac asked with increasing desperation.


    ¡°No,¡± Lapus laughed, then his face changed, scrunched up in thought, ¡°Actually¡­  I shouldn¡¯t say that with such certainty.  I don¡¯t know.  Maybe?  I¡¯ve never thought about an afterlife.  But that wasn¡¯t what I was trying to tell you.  I just thought you would find it interesting.  I only know what I read, well, what they read.  And what I¡¯ve seen.  But my visions aren¡¯t always right.  I might be lying to you.¡±


    ¡°Visions?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°I see things that are, things that were, things that may be,¡± Lapus said, ¡°I run strings of probability.  They say that if one gets all the data, entire planets can be understood and predicted, the way an organism can be understood and predicted.  You can detect problems that way.  Preventative care.  But you have to have all the data.  I don¡¯t.  I thought I did but¡­  I was wrong.  So is that even a vision?  Or is that just a guess?  Just a thought?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me,¡± Xaxac admitted, ¡°I just wanna know what folks want from me.¡±


    ¡°I want you to find me,¡± Lapus explained.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lapus said, ¡°On Xren, somewhere.  I¡¯m still on Xren.  I¡¯ve been on Xren a long time.  I¡¯ve been here longer than Morgan but he understood so much faster.  Maybe because he¡¯s from here, in a sense.  I don¡¯t know how he feels about that.¡±


    ¡°Are you a demon?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am,¡± Lapus sighed, ¡°You never ask this many questions.¡±


    ¡°Stuff feels weird,¡± Xac admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­  don¡¯t usually feel like this.  I think I might be losin my mind.  I¡¯m real worried I¡¯m losin my mind.  Won¡¯t nobody answer nothin and they just go on not answerin and I feel like if I just knew one thing, anything, for real, for certain, I could hold onto that and then I¡¯d be ok.  But I don¡¯t know nothin, and won¡¯t nobody tell me nothin.  Just tell me somethin.  Just tell me one truth.¡±


    Lapus reached into the ether and pulled out a sparkling silver cup inset with jewels and stared at it for a moment, twisting it in his grip, then offered it to Xaxac.


    ¡°This is yours,¡± Lapus said, ¡°that¡¯s the truth.  I want you to have it.  I think someone lied to me, Xaxac, and think that fool of a farm boy gave me the truth when he broke it.  I don¡¯t think breaking it would be a bad thing¡­  but it hurt, so I¡¯m not sure.  I don¡¯t know who to believe.  What if it frees me?  What if it kills me?  Do you think I can die?¡±


    ¡°Anything what lives can die,¡± Xaxac said with great practicality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re alive, the way you think about it,¡± Morgani explained with equal practicality, staring out at the sea.  Lapus was gone, and apparently none of the rest of the tribe had come to see him off.  The snow drifted softly from the moonless sky, and Quizlivan cuddled into Morgani¡¯s side.


    ¡°What¡¯s down there?¡± Quizlivan asked, ¡°Why do you feel like you have to go down there?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago¡­¡± Morgani wrapped an arm around him, and Quizlivan wished his flesh were warmer, like a human, ¡°I¡­  I crashed here, in the moon.  That¡¯s what destroyed the world.  I¡¯ve been running so long.  But if I want to make another one, I need the sterilite.  As far as I know, that¡¯s the only way to trap them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trap them,¡± Quizlivan said as if he had been saying it, over and over, and couldn¡¯t get Morgani to listen, ¡°Kill them!  You don¡¯t understand- if you trap somebody they¡¯ll eventually get out!  And they¡¯re just gonna be mad!  We have to kill this thing that¡¯s chasing you.  We have to destroy it!¡±


    ¡°Thesis can¡¯t be killed,¡± Morgani argued.


    ¡°Not with that attitude!¡± Quizlivan snapped, ¡°But Morgani, look at me!  I¡¯m tiny!  All humans are tiny, but even for a human, look how small and insignificant I am!  But you watched us kill a dragon!  We lived through the famine, we live through the cold, and we live through anything that tries to kill us!  You¡¯re thinking like a monster!  Think like a human!  Alone you¡¯re nothing, but as a swarm we can kill anything that lives!  If sterilite hurts these things, don¡¯t build a prison!¡±  He moved quickly, and reached into the bag on Morgani¡¯s hip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Morgani scolded, ¡°You don¡¯t know how it works!¡±


    But Quizlivan pulled out the glistening, silver-green sword Morgani had once stuck inside.


    ¡°Build a weapon!¡± Quizlivan demanded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡± Morgani warned, but he was too late.  A stream of green flowed from the veins in Quizlivan¡¯s hand where he gripped the hilt, and moved rapidly up his arm.  ¡°Drop it!¡±


    Quizlivan dropped the sword onto the sand and stared at the glowing green lines moving up his arm.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Morgani shouted, as if he was talking to the sword, and whatever was in Quizlivan¡¯s blood hurt as it moved, as if he had somehow gotten the stinging nettles that used to grow before the cold inside of him.


    ¡°It hurts!¡± he begged.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Morgani said, scrambling in his bag until he wrapped his hand around something, ¡°It¡¯ll be ok!  I promise!  It¡¯s in your blood!  I thought¡­  it¡¯s sterlite... it shouldn¡¯t be able to cast!  Is it because I left the facing uncovered?  But it¡¯s¡­  it should be so weak¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I gonna die?¡± Quizlivan asked as he felt and watched whatever the green pain was spreading up his arm, toward his heart.


    ¡°No,¡± Morgani promised, and whatever he clutched in his hand began to glow with a soft, red light, ¡°I¡¯m going to burn it away.  It¡¯ll hurt.  I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Quizlivan felt the fire Morgani had warned of.


    It heated inside of him, burned so badly it hurt worse than the poison, but the green glow in his veins dimmed, faded, and became nothing.


    ¡°Quizzy, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Morgani said as he pulled away, ¡°For the pain, the snow, the death, for everything¡­  I¡¯m so sorry.  To all of you.  I¡­  I was trying to-¡±


    But he could not finish, because Quizlivan had thrown both his arms around his neck and leapt up to pull him into a kiss.


    He pulled away only when he would have to break it or die, and Morgani stared down at him with those dark eyes, so difficult to read.


    ¡°That was just¡­  cool,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could¡­  heal the sick.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­  that was magic,¡± Morgani said, ¡°You can neutralize magic.  Um¡­  that was¡­  ok¡­  why did you¡­  is that a bonding¡­  are we sharing germs?  Is it an inoculation thing?  Because I don¡¯t think I need it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a germ?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    ¡°Ok so not a¡­  why did you¡­  lick the inside of my mouth?  Is that a bonding thing?  A mating thing?¡±


    ¡°Why did I kiss you?¡± Quizlivan giggled, ¡°Yeah, Morgan, it¡¯s a ¡®bonding thing¡¯.  You saved me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything you couldn¡¯t do,¡± Morgani told him as if he still did not understand the significance, ¡°I can show you how to do it yourself, if you want.  You have a beating heart, the energy flows around and inside you, like any living thing.¡±


    He opened his hand to reveal a small, red crystal.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Quizlivan said.


    ¡°But first,¡± Morgani said as he pulled back and used his other hand to pick up the sword and stick it back in his bag before he stood back to his full height and took one of Quizlivan¡¯s hands in his own, ¡°Will you¡­  walk me through that again?  That bonding exercise?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Quizlivan giggled, wrapped his arms around his neck and added, ¡°but bend down.  You¡¯re so tall.  Or pick me up.  Help a guy out.¡±


    Morgani stuck the crystal back into his bag, bent down, and picked Quizlivan up by the hips.


    ¡°Like that?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Quizlivan smiled, cradled Morgani¡¯s face in both hands, and pulled him in for a ¡®bonding exercise¡¯.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Xaxac awoke and stared at the painting of Morgani Magnus Alex had made for him, sitting on his nightstand.


    The days passed in a series of routines as Xaxac went through practiced motions, learned what pressure points to hit, and how to stretch himself into strange positions that Takashito led him through.  He tried not to reflect on how easily he fell into this new routine, on how easily he had fallen into his old routine when he had first come to the big house, and as the nights passed, he tried not to think of his old routines, until they would force themselves upon him.


    Instead, he thought of beaches.  He thought of beaches like the one in his dreams, of the sea he had never seen except in his dreams, of a land across the sea intricately tied to it, where humans were not slaves, but people like elves.  He had difficulty imagining such a place, but he tried with all his heart, to see Alley, holding a baby that looked like Jimmy as she walked along the beach.  He tried to see his parents with her, sitting on the sand under the stars, eating freshly caught fish grilled over an open campfire, wearing robes like the one Alex had gotten on the water continent, like the one Xaxac had gotten in intimidation of it.


    He tried to imagine Alley¡¯s child heading off to school as Lorsan did, using all the description Lorsan had provided him with, but Xaxac had never been inside a school, and found it difficult.  Yet still, he tried.


    He found himself lost in these thoughts instead of preoccupied with the moons as he knelt on the floor of the sitting room.


    ¡°I thought,¡± Agalon said cheerfully, ¡°That this time, you been doin so good darlin, we could try it without the chains.¡±


    Xaxac nodded.


    He had used those chains as a crutch for too long.  They didn¡¯t actually do anything.  He had gotten out of them several times.


    In his dreams the sea smelled like salt and uncooked fish.


    ¡°You alright, darlin?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Is Ms. Ara and Mr. Takashito gonna watch me shift?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Ara ain¡¯t wantin to do that,¡± Agalon huffed, ¡°I reckon she got scared off.  I don¡¯t know why.  I sent Lee after Taka, but he does seem like he¡¯s takin his time, don¡¯t he?¡±


    Xaxac nodded and wondered if all schools made people who were bad do push ups, or only military schools.


    Agalon glanced out the window and snarled.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna run and see what¡¯s takin him so long,¡± he said, ¡°I¡­  reckon I got time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Aggie,¡± Xac smiled up at him, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get these clothes off.  I promise I¡¯ll try my best to be good.  I swear.¡±


    ¡°Last time you just slept,¡± Agalon agreed, bent at the waist, and kissed Xac on the forehead, then stood to make his way to the door.  He opened it, but did not step out, because coincidentally, Lee and Takashito must have been on the other side, because Xaxac heard Takashito speaking in a language he did not understand.


    ¡°No,¡± Mrs OfAgalon answered him, ¡°We do not do that here.  We speak common.¡±


    ¡°It is not ¡®common¡¯,¡± Takashito said, ¡°It is Urillian.  I am sorry, I did not mean to offend, I only noticed¡­  I thought¡­  I should not make assumptions.  I am sorry.  Not based on the way someone looks.  I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°She let you outta her sight?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Ms. Ara will not be joining us,¡± Lee said as if in response, and Xaxac saw that when Takashito stepped into the room, he looked genuinely sad and remorseful.


    ¡°I think I have offended that lady,¡± he said instead of answering Agalon¡¯s question.


    ¡°Nancy?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s easy done.  She¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Nancy?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Yeah, had to give her a name anybody could pronounce.  I can¡¯t remember what the last one was,¡± Agalon said as if the concept annoyed him.  ¡°My friend Ky got her for me.  She does a good job but she¡¯s got¡­  a way about her.  Don¡¯t let her get to you.¡±


    Xaxac felt very stupid, because he had never realized that the way Takashito talked was almost exactly the way Nancy talked.  He tried to blame this on the fact that Takashito was so much nicer, but as soon as he let this thought flow into his mind, others accompanied it.  Alex had said that Mrs OfAgalon had wanted to sound, ¡®well traveled¡¯, and Xaxac himself had always thought that she looked just a little different from the other humans, a little taller, a little stouter.  Was she from the water continent?  Had she been bought in?


    ¡°She has not gotten to me,¡± Takashito said as if the concept was ridiculous, ¡°One should feel shame when they have done something shameful, your grace.¡±


    ¡°How are ya feelin?¡± Lee asked Xac.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac shrugged and went back to undressing, ¡°Weird.  It¡¯s¡­  real weird¡­  ever since that time at the fight I just¡­  ain¡¯t scared no more?  I just¡­  I don¡¯t know.  I guess that scared the hell out of me and compared to that a normal shift ain¡¯t nothin.  I just don¡¯t¡­  feel like I used to.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re growin up,¡± Lee suggested, and Xaxac thought this more mundane suggestion was to get his mind off what had happened at the fight.  Lee often did not seem keen to discuss it.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Xac shrugged and folded his shirt over the back of the chair.


    ¡°Xaxac?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°Are you alright?  Does it hurt?  Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°I reckon it hurts, on account¡¯a folks say I scream like a spirit, but I don¡¯t never remember it so I ain¡¯t exactly worried about it,¡± Xaxac shrugged, slid off his pants and folded them, followed swiftly by his undershorts.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s perfect, darlin,¡± Agalon assured him as he strode towards him, then stood over him, scratching his scalp the way Xaxac liked, ¡°We got a plate a spinach for you, a bottle a¡¯ wine, everything is gonna be perfect.  Be my good little bunny.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Takashito whispered and motioned for him, ¡°Come here a moment.  May I ask¡­  is the end goal of this to¡­  have¡­  intercourse¡­  with the monster?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, sir,¡± Lee sighed, ¡°I got other stuff to do tonight but now that¡¯s gonna be all I¡¯m even gonna be able to think about so¡­  thanks.  Thanks for that.  I sure coulda died happy without that image, but here we are.  I¡¯m gonna go pour the wine.  I¡¯m just gonna¡­  you ain¡¯t my master, so I am walkin out of this conversation.¡±


    ¡°I am on a social roll tonight,¡± Takashito sighed and leaned against the back of the couch.


    Xaxac snuggled into the touch until he felt the familiar sensation of his world disappearing.


    Then he bent into himself and shrieked with the pain of his body contorting against his will.


    ¡°Is this normal?¡± Takashito asked, staring at Agalon in horror, ¡°You are doing nothing!  We should be doing something!  I am sure of it!  Xaxac?  Xaxac are you alright!?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± Agalon snarled and knelt to stroke the creature¡¯s fur as the boy became a rabbit, earning himself a shot of pain from the joints of his spine, ¡°Don¡¯t freak out!  That scares him!  Rabbits are skittish.  You gotta be real calm.¡±


    ¡°I am calm,¡± Takashito said, ¡°It just¡­ looks painful.¡±


    The creature that was not a boy and was not a rabbit sat up on its haunches and sniffed the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s my adorable Honey Bunny,¡± Agalon said as he stood and stared up at the monster, ¡°bend down, darlin, and I¡¯ll scratch behind your ears like you like.¡±


    ¡°Scratch behind¡­¡± Takashito asked, ¡°That¡­  that is¡­  he does seem fine.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t no rules against it,¡± Agalon said, ¡°not a damn rule against it.¡±


    Xaxac fell to all fours and snuggled into Agalon, then flopped out onto the floor, spreading out all four limbs and apparently enjoying himself resting against the hardwood.


    ¡°So here¡¯s what I need from you,¡± Agalon continued as he winced when he knelt again to stoke Xaxac¡¯s fur, ¡°he did this before, without the moons.  I want him to do it at Satra.  I want him to shift, in front of a crowd, in a cage, at the finals.  In this form he ripped my best fighter apart.  I went in debt over it.  But if folks see this?  I won¡¯t never be in debt again.  It¡¯ll all be autographs and endorsements and magazine ads.  People will pay a fortune to stand next to him to touch him.  This is a real shifter.  This is a license to mint gold.¡±


    ¡°He cannot be older than fifteen,¡± Takashito said, apparently in a moment of idiocy, ¡°He is not a fighter.  He is just a little boy.  If¡­  if this child becomes a monster at Satra¡­  Your grace, what if he gets out?  There is a crowd.  This is a huge event, is it not? Does not¡­  I do not know much about your culture, but is that not the kind of thing that attracts royalty?  That does not seem safe¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s perfectly safe,¡± Agalon said as if those concerns were ridiculous, ¡°Come here, touch him.¡±


    Lee made a noncommittal humming sound, and Takashito hesitated almost as soon as he began to move.


    ¡°But did you not just say he ¡®ripped up¡¯ a fighter?¡±


    ¡°We survived the Emerald Knight,¡± Agalon locked eyes with him, ¡°What the hell¡¯s a little rabbit?¡±


    ¡°Does he understand us?¡± Takashito asked as he took another tentative step forward, ¡°Does he speak?  Is it still Xaxac?¡±


    ¡°He says he don¡¯t never remember it,¡± Agalon shrugged, ¡°But then¡­  he remembered it at Basilglen.  So I don¡¯t¡­  rightly¡­  know¡­¡±


    Takashito stood over the monster and stared down at it.  The monster gazed up at him, tilting its head back and forth and sniffing the air.  This man reminded it of someone, someone nice.


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I will¡­  touch you now.  If that is alright.¡±


    The monster darted in a flash, as fast as a jackrabbit, and it was on its hind legs before anyone in the room knew it had moved.  It wrapped both heavily clawed hands around Takashito¡¯s neck, let out a shriek, and lifted him into the air.


    Something slammed against the door to the sitting room from the hall, and a female voice rang out in the night.


    ¡°Duke Agalon?¡± Ara shouted, ¡°You alright?  What¡¯d he do?¡±


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon shouted, but Takashito did not seem afraid.  He may have been in shock.  Was he choking?  He was already blue, how was a person supposed to know if he was choking?


    Takashito was not afraid, because the beast was not actually holding his throat.


    He was holding his collar.


    The creature stared at the gem of the collar with its strange large eyes, too far apart and high up on its face and seemed to decide it didn¡¯t like it.


    It dug its fingers, so like a human¡¯s, into the collar between the metal and Takashito¡¯s flesh on either side just as the gem inset into it began to glow.


    The monster felt a rush, as if a strong wind, strong enough to blow down houses, moved around it, and its blood pressed back with equal force, as if trying to get out of its veins, trying to escape and join the force pressing against it.


    Then the collar snapped.


    It broke into two parts, at the back and the front, and the tiny crystal went skittering across the room with the force of it.


    Takashito fell to the monster¡¯s feet in a heap and took a deep breath as the monster threw both halves in opposite directions.


    ¡°Xaxac!¡± Agalon admonished again.


    Takashito brought both hands to his neck and rubbed the flesh there.  It was the first time in so long he had not felt the weight of the collar he did not know how to feel.  Its absence was more strange than its presence.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± he whispered, ¡°But they will only order another one.¡±


    ¡°Duke Agalon?¡± Ara yelled.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Agalon snapped, ¡°You¡¯re scaring him!¡±  He walked calmly to the table and picked up the plate of spinach that had been set out there, scooped out a handful and held it towards Xaxac.  ¡°Come here, Honey Bunny!  Look what Aggie¡¯s got!¡±


    Xaxac turned, sniffed the air, and tilted his head from side to side before he closed the distance between them in one playful hop.


    Takashito watched from his position on the floor as Agalon carefully fed leaf after leaf to the monster he surely had to consider a pet.

 Chapter 53

    Xaxac sat at the dressing table calmly eating his breakfast and listening to the conversation in the sitting room while Lee set out the tools he had used to shave him to dry. It was not rare for Agalon to get up before him on the mornings after he had shifted, but it was rare for Xaxac to awaken so early. He must have fallen asleep again, as the monster.


    Agalon was scrying someone, and he needed to be quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wrote up a damage report,¡± Ara was saying to someone far away through a box of dirt. ¡°I need a new containment collar.¡±


    ¡°I had intended to look over that before it was sent,¡± Agalon said in the voice he sometimes used, the voice that normally frightened people, the voice of a duke, and it scared Xaxac when it had no effect on Ara, when she cut him off.


    ¡°Supervision on this issue was unnecessary,¡± She said.


    ¡°That document,¡± Agalon said with the cool, calm sort of power he sometimes had, ¡°May contain classified information that I have not authorized to be distributed. It needs to be destroyed before it reaches the prison. It won¡¯t make it to the Northern Mountains Province.¡±


    ¡°Is that the real name?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°I did not know that. We have only heard, ¡®The Mountains of Death¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Refrain from speaking, #01S02UN10047,¡± A voice Xaxac did not recognize said.


    ¡°Either way,¡± Agalon said, ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna get that report. I want to go ahead and file it right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your grace,¡± the unfamiliar voice said. ¡°I¡¯m transcribing. Time of incident?¡±


    ¡°Little bit after¡­ what, 7:30?¡± Agalon said, possibly directing the question to Takashito, but if he made a response Xaxac did not hear it and Agalon continued, ¡°Little bit after 7:30 there was an accident and some of my property damaged the containment collar. We need a new one, I guess. I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± the unfamiliar voice asked.


    ¡°It snapped clean in half,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Whoever¡¯s makin them ain¡¯t doin right by y¡¯all.¡±


    ¡°It snapped in half?¡± The voice asked in alarm.


    ¡°Yeah, at the clasp and the seam,¡± Agalon huffed, ¡°Faulty craftwork, seems like.¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ snagged on a piece of your property?¡± The voice asked, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, your grace, I need something to put in the report, for the budget.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d pay for it,¡± Agalon said as if this was ridiculous.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, but we gotta- they¡¯re real big on paperwork down here,¡± the voice explained. ¡°I have to file that as a donation and file this as an incident. Government work, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it got caught on one of my slaves,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Tiny little pleasure slave. We had to break it or he¡¯d have hurt himself and,¡± he laughed, ¡°I ain¡¯t givin him up. Cute as hell.¡±


    ¡°Was he damaged?¡± The unfamiliar voice asked with fear that was not well hidden, ¡°And¡­ was that damage in any way caused by the behavior of prisoner #01S02UN10047?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon,¡± Agalon said with a smile Xac could hear, with the charm he sometimes oozed, ¡°Nothin broke but the collar.¡±


    ¡°Alright so,¡± the voice said, ¡°I reckon that¡¯s all we need. It¡¯s a good little trip. Be at least a fortnight, god willin and the creek don¡¯t rise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I ain¡¯t really worried about it. Holler back at me if you need anything. I¡¯m severin the scry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your grace,¡± The voice said.


    Xaxac moved the brush with the setting powder over his face and drained the last of his coffee, feeling the warmth move down his throat and thinking of the frost he had put in it, hoping it would carry him through his morning workout.


    ¡°I need to talk to you, your grace,¡± Ara said with ice in her voice, ¡°Alone.¡±


    ¡°Officer Sylhice,¡± Agalon laughed, ¡°In this big house, with my staff? We ain¡¯t never alone. Taka, if you want, you can wait in my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°No, he can¡¯t!¡± Ara snapped, ¡°You¡¯re being too lenient! He¡¯ll rob you blind!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Agalon laughed again; he seemed to be in a particularly good mood, ¡°My attack rabbit is in there.¡±


    Xaxac giggled himself and tied his hair at the nape of his neck before he stood, walked to the bedside table and opened Agalon¡¯s cigarette case. He stuck one in his mouth and was striking the matchstick when Agalon opened the door and Takashito stepped inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the dangerous prisoner steal nothin, darlin,¡± Agalon said in jest, then closed the door.


    ¡°Number 01S02UN10047?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Is that the number what was on your clothes when you first showed up?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Takashito said softly, ¡°Building one, section two, Unit Na one, prisoner 47. That is me. #01S02UN10047. 47, to my friends, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°How delightfully organized,¡± Lee said as he emerged from the water closet.


    ¡°You have gotten me in trouble, Mr OfAgalon,¡± Takashito said, ¡°Do you¡­ do you remember it? At all?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t never remember nothin,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What¡¯d I do? You ain¡¯t wearin a collar.¡±


    ¡°Good eye, Mr Rabbit,¡± Takashito said, then he stepped forward and pulled the cigarette from Xaxac¡¯s lips, ¡°Do not smoke these. They are bad for warriors.¡±


    ¡°A smoke?¡± Xac asked as he snatched it back, ¡°They ain¡¯t bad for ya.¡± He walked around the bed, sat on his side, and picked up his half empty glass of wine.


    ¡°That picture¡­¡± Takashito said.


    ¡°You like that? My buddy Alex painted that for me,¡± Xac said with pride, ¡°It¡¯s the devil. The devil likes shifters. I hear we help folks who think they don¡¯t deserve it. You look better without that collar.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°You do remember,¡± Takashito said.


    ¡°Nah, I just ain¡¯t as stupid as I look,¡± Xac giggled.


    ¡°Pretty low bar to set,¡± Lee said as he tidied up the dressing table.


    ¡°I do not suppose you like to talk about it,¡± Takashito said, ¡°the shifting.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t remember it,¡± Xac explained, drained the rest of his wine and wished he had more, ¡°Ain¡¯t no talkin gonna make me remember it.¡±


    ¡°Last night, the duke said that you did remember it, once.¡±


    Xaxac bent backwards to pick up the ashtray from Agalon¡¯s nightstand and frowned before he caught himself and plastered the smile back on his face.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he admitted, ¡°I kinda remember¡­ this one time¡­¡±


    ¡°You are not white,¡± Takashito said, ¡°You are brown. I thought you would be white.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xac asked, ¡°My hair¡¯s brown. Why would my fur be white?¡±


    ¡°Then who is the white rabbit?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± Xac said, took a long drag from the cigarette and stood to stretch, ¡°Makes me¡­ powerful tired. Wears me right out. Still, ain¡¯t we late? What¡¯re they doin?¡±


    ¡°I likely will not be allowed back outside of the house,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I am late for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m late,¡± Xac smiled, ¡°For a pretty important date. That vet said it¡¯d take a month to get Billy up and moving. I done shifted twice since he said that, right on the day after and then last night. I can¡¯t wait to see him.¡±


    ¡°Xaxac,¡± Lee warned.


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Reckon he might be a little bit nicer now.¡±


    ¡°How did it happen, Xaxac?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°That night? The night you shifted without the moons?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Xac said as he took his last drag; he let it dance across his tongue as if considering his words carefully, ¡°I¡­ dunno. I reckon¡­ I reckon he broke me. Broke somethin inside a¡¯ me. I got real scared. Got¡­ I have these bad dreams, all the time. Lotta¡­ lotta my bad dreams are about water, you know? I¡­ he hurt me and I¡­ I dunno¡­ I don¡¯t reckon I fell asleep but¡­ I thought¡­ thought I was drownin, that he was drownin me, that I was gonna die. I thought I was gonna die an¡­ I got a monster in me. And that monster wouldn¡¯t gonna go out like that. All my life I¡­ I been scared, ya know? Scared that folks was scared a me¡­ but around that time I started thinkin, you know? Thinkin maybe it wouldn¡¯t the moons. Maybe it was me. And if it was me¡­ if it is me¡­¡± He leaned forward and ground the cigarette out in the ashtray, ¡°I thought, ¡®goddamn right. They should be scared a¡¯ me.¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You are not a monster, Xaxac,¡± Takashito said as if it would be a comfort.


    ¡°Na, darlin, I am,¡± Xac laughed and picked at the remains of his breakfast tray in a vain attempt to find something else to eat, ¡°And anybody with any sense is scared a¡¯ monsters.¡±


    ¡°You do not look like a monster,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I have seen real monsters, Xaxac. Real monsters are not¡­ when I was younger, when I was a teenager, studying to become a mage¡­ a group of people came in ships from across the sea. They told us that they wanted to help us, that they were there to speak to the queen, but we did not believe them, because a century before they had said the same thing to the people of what they now call the Fire Colony. And that lie is the reason it became a colony. We did not believe them, because we had learned how to spot monsters. I saw it then. I know what it looks like. It is not a little boy with more strength than sense and no power to make his way in the world.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t a youngun!¡± Xac snarled.


    ¡°You have done things you should not have had to do,¡± Takashito said, ¡°You should have never been in fear for your life. I am¡­ sorry, Xaxac. I wish I could help you. I wish you could help me. I¡­ appreciate it. But they will just order another collar. I cannot run. Where would I go?¡±


    Xaxac stared at the window overlooking the fields.


    ¡°To the sea,¡± he whispered, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s where folks run. To the sea.¡±


    ¡°I would never make it,¡± Takashito said, ¡°There are too many of them. Too few of us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get them kind of thoughts in your head,¡± Lee warned, ¡°It ain¡¯t¡­ it ain¡¯t worth thinkin about.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Xac asked, ¡°That place, across the sea, where humans can go to school?¡±


    ¡°It has been so long,¡± Takashito moved slowly, cautiously, and sat beside him on the bed to gaze out the window, ¡°I have not been home in¡­ it¡¯s been over a century. I have lived here longer than I lived there. I was only a child then, as you are now, really. But¡­ I grew up on an island off the southern coast of the mainland. It was hotter there than it is here, and I spent most of my life on the water. It was nothing special, but¡­ my family owned a fishing boat, my parents and I, we went out every morning before the sun. The tiny dragons and sea birds would dart over the waves; they showed us where to go. We lived on that boat, too- at night I would watch the water moving gently as it rocked me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Then, I wanted to learn a little magic, I tested well, I went to school on the mainland. And it was¡­ beautiful. It was¡­ festivals and music, dancing, pig roasts- they were so different from us but I liked it. I liked them. I didn¡¯t have a lot of money, but¡­ I had friends. I was¡­ good to my friends, I think. We would go down to the beach, go freediving- I don¡¯t¡­ suppose Urillians do that, but even the humans did it then. They could not breathe underwater but they could hold their breath nearly forever. We would find trinkets, and the creatures who never come near the shore, and sell them. The market was saturated, but I think one could make a killing, here¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Imperius?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°I looked up to him,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I did not know him that well, but he was¡­ there were rumors. He was a brilliant mage, and the rumor was that he dabbled in things he was¡­ not supposed to. Dark magic, forbidden magic. He would have liked your paintings.¡±


    ¡°Was he a shifter?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°I¡­ do not think so?¡± Takashito said, ¡°If he was, he hid it well. I cannot remember if I ever saw him on the full moons or not. I think I did. I think¡­ I cannot remember¡­ his engagement party may have been on the full moons. It was a bright night. I¡­ I cannot remember. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Xac said. ¡°It sounds nice. That¡¯s where my family went.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°My family¡­ they¡­ ran away. They left me.¡± Xac said and did not realize he had balled up his fists, clutching at the quilt, ¡°But it¡¯s¡­ that makes sense. My sister was pregnant and my parents were old. They couldn¡¯t¡­ there wouldn¡¯t no way for um to¡­ come get me¡­ or tell me. Or Jimmy. I just wish Jimmy¡­ I wish Jimmy¡¯d went with um. But she¡¯s still¡­ Alley, my sister is real smart, and pretty- she¡¯ll find another man and that youngun¡¯ll have a daddy I just hate¡­ I hate that it won¡¯t be Jimmy. I know he woulda loved that youngun, you know? It don¡¯t seem right. I wonder if my parents- you know, the ones what birthed me- I wonder if they ever wanted to raise me? I don¡¯t wonder it a lot, but sometimes, like just now, I think about that and I wonder if they think about me, ever? On accounta one of ¡®um had to be a shifter so you reckon they ever sit and think, ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s alright, him bein a shifter and all?¡¯. Just¡­ just on account¡¯a that¡¯s worth wonderin about, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Xac,¡± Lee warned, ¡°You¡¯re thinkin too much. Don¡¯t start cryin again. Don¡¯t start thinkin about-¡±


    ¡°Let him cry,¡± Takashito said, ¡°It is worth crying over. And I think he may be drunk. One should not drink with breakfast¡­ especially not when they are so small¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want kids!¡± Xac said with so much conviction it nearly pushed Takashito away from him.


    ¡°I¡­ do not think you will have children,¡± Takashito said, ¡°I think you are¡­ do you not¡­ prefer the company of men? You have to take a lady lover to have children. You cannot do it alone. And you¡­ do not seem to¡­ you do not have one, do you?¡±


    ¡°The vet,¡± Xac said, ¡°that night when¡­ Aggie said it was a secret, that I had hurt Billy. And he said, ¡®I¡¯ll pay you to keep this secret,¡¯ and the vet said, ¡®I want me a shifter.¡¯. But I don¡¯t want kids.¡±


    He had not meant to cry again, but he was in it now, and Takashito laid a hand on his back.


    ¡°Surely they wouldn¡¯t-¡± he began, but Lee cut him off.


    ¡°How do you think there¡¯s so many of us?¡± He asked. ¡°Move. I gotta slap him when he gets like this.¡±


    ¡°The hell you will!¡± Takashito said with venom in his voice, ¡°If you hit him I will hit you back! Are you blind? This is a sobbing child! With a good reason to cry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xac said, ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m fuckin up my makeup! I gotta fix it! Aggie can¡¯t see me like this!¡±


    He shoved himself off the bed and went to sit at the vanity.

 Chapter 54

    Xaxac did not look at Takashito as he made his way into the enclosure where the fighters were kept.  He did not want to be reminded of his morning breakdown, which he blamed entirely on the fatigue he felt after he had shifted.  Had he been in his right mind, it never would have happened.  He was just tired was all that was wrong with him.


    Billy was standing among the other fighters, wearing far more clothing than any of the fighters normally did, despite the chill in the autumn air, with pants and what Xaxac would have classified as an undershirt.  Still, Xac could see the scars peeking out from the seams of the fabric, and he smiled.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Agalon smiled, ¡°Good morning.  Nice to see you up and movin.  How you feelin?¡±


    ¡°I been tellin you I¡¯m fine for a good two weeks,¡± Billy snarled, and Xaxac noticed that Wyatt had been standing beside him, but he moved to put some distance between them, possibly to watch Xac.


    ¡°I won your match for you,¡± Xac said cheerfully, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°I bet you did,¡± Billy said, then to Agalon he said, ¡°They let you put a monster in the cage?  That boy ain¡¯t right.  That boy ain¡¯t human.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m as human as you are!¡± Xac giggled, ¡°And they loved me!  The whole arena got to chantin for me!¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t what I heard,¡± Billy said, ¡°I heard they was singin a nursery rhyme.  That there wouldn¡¯t nobody in that audience knew your name.  Your time¡¯s up, Foo Foo.  You just fixed the mess you caused.  You¡¯re done now.  Go sit down.  Eat your carrots.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I reckon I¡¯m givin him the rest a¡¯ your matches this year.  You can compete next season.  That rabbit¡¯s dynamite in the cage, ain¡¯t you, Honey Bunny?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Billy asked, as if he had not processed what he had just been told, as if the information was so ridiculous it should not exist.


    ¡°I won!¡± Xac explained, ¡°And besides, you¡¯re hurt.  I don¡¯t reckon you could do much that tore up.¡±  He unwound himself from Agalon¡¯s side and sashayed up to Billy, who did not, as he had expected, take a step back, ¡°Let¡¯s see it.  I wanna see the scar.¡±


    He laid his hands on Billy¡¯s chest with every intention of pulling up his shirt, but Billy grabbed him by the wrists and glared down at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin touch me,¡± he said.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t know if you was gonna live,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°They told Aggie he¡¯d have to come out here every day and heal you.  And he did.  He must really like you!  You know, like the house.  And all the pretty clothes.  Like all the other pretty little things he owns.¡±


    He giggled, jerked his hands away, and hopped back to Agalon, ¡°Right, Aggie?¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t that pretty anymore,¡± Agalon said absentmindedly; he hadn¡¯t been paying attention, he had apparently been watching Ara talk to Takashito behind them, ¡°But yeah, I like him.  He¡¯s a great fighter.  Oh, right, that reminds me,¡± he finally turned his full attention back to the conversation, ¡°I was gonna breed you before you get your fool ass killed and I lose you.  I can¡¯t remember nothin no more.  I¡¯m gonna write that down.  Y¡¯all go through your mornin exercises.¡±


    He pulled out the small book he often wrote in and began to jot something down while Xac bounced off of him and went to run with the fighters.


    ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn idiot,¡± Wyatt said as he struggled to keep up with Xaxac, ¡°a goddamn idiot.¡±


    Xaxac giggled.  ¡°He¡¯s at the back of the pack.  He¡¯s still in real bad shape.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him.  Don¡¯t look at him.  You don¡¯t know if you can do that shit again.  You gonna fuck around and get yourself killed.¡± Wyatt warned.


    ¡°Yeah, eventually,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°But it ain¡¯t gonna be today and it ain¡¯t gonna be him.¡±


    ¡°You shifted last night,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°I can keep up with you.  You¡¯re wore out.  You¡¯re all young and cocky and it ain¡¯t a good look.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t that wore out,¡± Xac argued.


    ¡°What happened to the collar?¡± Wyatt asked, ¡°On that blue elf?¡±


    ¡°I broke it, I reckon,¡± Xac laughed.


    ¡°Quit laughin so goddamn much,¡± Wyatt said, ¡°You sound crazy.¡±


    ¡°Good ear,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Quizlivan giggled from his position, warm under the furs he had spread out over them like a blanket.


    They had moved back to the shelter he had built, among the empty expanse of what was, once, a fertile plane off the shortline, but was now nothing but snow, snow that he could pack together to create a sort of makeshift house that kept out most of the cold.  He had spread one skin along the floor to make any kind of shield to keep in the heat, and was covering himself with the one he had been wearing.  He knew he would, at some point, have to get up and make a fire or they likely would not make it through the night.


    ¡°...you didn¡¯t have to come with me¡­¡± Morgani said as if he felt he was a burden.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me Morgani?¡± Quizlivan smiled and arched an eyebrow, ¡°That isn¡¯t what you were saying before, when you taught me what a cloaca was.¡±


    ¡°I like you,¡± Morgan moved closer under the fur and Quizlivan was happy to see that the heat had not completely left his body yet.  ¡°...are you different?  From the other humans?  Or are you just like them?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°That we¡¯re¡­  more alike than we are different.  We all want the same things.  I think we all just¡­  the world is dying around us, and we¡¯re just¡­  trying so hard to be happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous,¡± Morgani said.


    ¡°Wanting to be happy?¡± Quizzy frowned, ¡°Yeah you¡¯re¡­  you¡¯re never happy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m often happy,¡± Morgan argued and pulled him closer, ¡°You make me happy.  But it¡¯s dangerous to try to be happy, to seek it out.  I tried to be happy, once.¡±


    ¡°When you left?¡± Quizzy asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Morgan¡¯s dark eyebrows knitted together in his pale forehead, ¡°I mean¡­  happiness shouldn¡¯t be a goal.  It¡¯s¡­  part of a range of emotions.  It isn¡¯t a state to aspire to.  It¡¯s something to experience.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­  quite the experience,¡± Quizlivan smiled.


    ¡°So many creatures here,¡± Morgani said, laying his hand over Quizlivan¡¯s heart, ¡°seem¡­  to know what you¡¯re doing.  There¡¯s nothing holding you back.  You are who you are and you do what you do and you live or die on your own terms.  You¡­  chose to come with me.  No one else did.¡±


    ¡°I go off by myself all the time,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°That¡¯s what I do.  I go and look for stuff and tell everybody about it and then Ahnah knows what to do.  We all do different stuff so we can all¡­  I don¡¯t want to say, ¡®be happy¡¯ because you¡¯re being weird about it, but you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Morgani said.  ¡°You came with me because you had a job to do.¡±


    ¡°And because I wanted to come,¡± Quizzy said, ¡°You¡¯re interesting.  Everybody loves your stories.  And¡­  I think you¡¯re going to leave, eventually.  You just don¡¯t¡­  seem like you want to stay with us.¡±


    ¡°Are you in love with Ahnah?¡± Morgan asked, ¡°You spend a lot of time with her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Quizlivan smiled, ¡°She¡¯s great!  I think she¡¯s the smartest person in the tribe.  The way she talked down those wolves¡­  she does stuff like that all the time.  I love her a lot.  I love a lot of people.  We just¡­  have to make it through this cold snap.  It¡­  the older people say it wasn¡¯t always cold.  And that means it¡¯ll warm up again.  Everything that has been dying, the plants, the animals, they¡¯ll come back.  We just have to wait.  Eventually it¡¯ll warm up again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all getting smarter,¡± Morgani said, ¡°Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°All of us?¡± Quizlivan asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­  you¡¯re nothing like what I read about you.  I was told, by the people who imprisoned me, that humans were¡­  primitive.  Lumbering, hairy beasts that dwelt in treetops.  You¡¯re getting smarter.¡±


    ¡°I think a lot of the stupid people just died,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°It¡¯s getting harder to get by¡­  and we are pretty hairy.  Hairier than you.  You¡¯ve got nothing.  No beard, no chest fur¡­  you¡¯re like a little kid.¡±


    ¡°Elves don¡¯t have body hair,¡± Morgani said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of your tribe, Morgan?¡± Quizlivan asked, dropping his playful tone.  ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be alone.  Are they looking for you?¡±


    Morgan sighed and may have looked away.  It was difficult to tell with his strange, dark eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted, ¡°I call out to them and no one answers.  I am looking for them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find them,¡± Quizlivan said, as if he knew it to be a fact.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Morgani asked, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark.  You want me to show you how to light a fire?¡±


    ¡°I know how to light a fire,¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°I was the one who said for us to gather wood and kindling.  I did that.  You were there.  I think I might have rattled your brain.  First time does that sometimes; you aren¡¯t the first person to tell me that.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t deny it, if I was asked,¡± Morgani laughed.  He slid out from under the skins and began to gather his clothing, and Quizlivan watched the flesh of his back, taking in the deep scars there.  They were strange; some of them were old, ancient, yet they seemed to be healing.  It seemed as if he would, eventually, have smooth skin again.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Morgani said, dug around in his bag, and produced the small, red crystal Quizlivan had seen him use earlier.  ¡°I was asking if you want to learn how to work magic.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to hurt?¡± Quizlivan asked as he crawled out the opening of the small house after Morgani, to the place where they had arranged the wood for their campfire.


    ¡°No,¡± Morgani assured him, ¡°Not this time.  Give me your hand.¡±


    Quizlivan held out his hand, and Morgani took it in his own.  He dropped the crystal into Quizlivan¡¯s open palm, and Quizlivan felt the world around him instantly change.  He felt the fire from his own heart, the heat moving through his blood, and more faintly, he felt it moving from Mogan¡¯s heart as he moved behind him to take his other hand, to guide him.  He felt a great fire, a great power, below him and did not understand how it didn¡¯t melt the snow.  No snow should have been able to lie on the ground above such an intense flame.  He felt a fire burning in the sky above him, and thought it was the sun, though it was night and the sun had long since disappeared, still he felt it, shining down on him with flames so powerful he was afraid it would tear him apart.  His blood pushed back, against all of these things, and he was worried his flesh would not be able to contain it.


    ¡°You feel that?¡± Morgani asked, and Quizzlivan nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­  baby, it¡¯s so much¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Morgani assured him and gently kissed his temple, ¡°When you first start out, it¡¯s difficult to control.  So what I want you to do is, open this hand toward the wood.  And feel that power pressing inside of you, trying to get out.  Let it out, and think of fire.  But, listen to me, Quizzy, not all of it.  It¡¯s hard to regulate it, but you can do it.  I believe in you.  Let just the tiniest bit of it out, less than you think you need, and think of fire.¡±


    Quizlivan tried to direct the force he felt inside of him to his hand, and jumped backwards against the tall, strong force that was Morgani¡¯s body.  A flame had appeared in his hand.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Morgani praised.  ¡°I¡­  I¡¯ll be honest, Quizzy, I thought you would create a cone of fire.  I was ready to put it out.  I didn¡¯t¡­  think you could get it this right the first time.¡±


    ¡°I thought you believed in me,¡± Quizlivan giggled.


    ¡°I did,¡± Morgani said, ¡°I do.  It¡¯s just¡­  hard to control.¡±


    Quizlivan leaned forward to stick his hand with the flame into the middle of the cone of sticks they had built and watched them catch.


    ¡°Now cut it off,¡± Morgani said gently, ¡°cut off the flow of the magic.  Can you do that?  It¡­  it wants so badly to get out, it¡¯s difficult to-¡±


    Quizlivan waved his hand and the flame extinguished.


    ¡°I got it, babe,¡± he wrapped one arm around Morgani to cuddle into him and held the crystal out for him to take.


    ¡°No,¡± Morgani said, ¡°No you¡­  you keep that.  It¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so tiny¡­¡± Quizlivan said, ¡°I might lose it.¡±


    ¡°Then give it back,¡± Morgani said, softly, ¡°and I¡¯ll put it into something for you.  Something that would be more difficult to lose.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Quizlivan smiled and stared up at him, then tugged him down for another kiss.  Morgani seemed to be getting smarter, too.  He was learning quickly.

 Chapter 55

    Xaxac was confused the next day to the sounds of hammers clanging against wood. He knew that autumn was in full stride now, and it was undoubtedly time to start making preparations, but-


    Then it dawned on him.


    The sounds were coming from inside the house. What he had thought were the sounds of construction were the sounds of moving furniture. What day was it? Had he lost track of time? Were people clearing out rooms? Because it was time for Aggie¡¯s party? He had said he was throwing a party!


    ¡°Thesis¡¯s eyes,¡± Agalon said, threw an arm over Xac and snuggled up to him, ¡°Lay down darlin. Between you squirmin and that godawful noise¡­ I need my beauty sleep.¡±


    This had been said as if it was mostly in jest, so Xaxac cuddled back and replied, ¡°You look great, Aggie. Get up and make me squirm!¡±


    ¡°Well darlin,¡± Agalon smiled, ¡°If you insist.¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Lee announced as Xaxac was making his way from the bedroom into the sitting room in preparation for Agalon to return from breakfast so they could all make their way down to the place where the cage fighters were kept, but he seemed to realize his mistake almost instantly and amended, ¡°Right¡­ he goes downstairs now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t reckon Ara wants to eat with me-¡± Xac began, but he was cut off by Alex who burst past Lee into the room and threw his arms around him.


    ¡°Good mornin, Foo Foo!¡± He shouted, ¡°We left last night! I am wore out!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wore out?¡± Xac huffed, ¡°From all the sleepin? Alex, ya¡¯ got two modes when you get somewhere- bitchy ¡®I swear I ain¡¯t sleepy¡¯ toddler or passed slick out. Ya got energy and that just¡­ makes me worried. I can¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t wanna deal with that again. Last time you was orderin me around my own house.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now I know you kill folks with you bare hands,¡± Alex let go of him and draped himself dramatically into one of the chairs at the dining table, before announcing, ¡°Lee, bring me somethin ta eat!¡±


    ¡°Mister Leohorn,¡± Lee was saying, paying them absolutely no attention, ¡°Allow me to show you to the dinin hall. Master Agalon is entertainin guests.¡±


    He shut the door and was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯m tiiiiiiiired,¡± Alex bitched, laid his head on the table, and Xaxac was deathly afraid he would begin to wail.


    ¡°It¡¯s,¡± Xac glanced at the clock, ¡°9 in the mornin- wait, you woulda had to leave last night. It takes a good day to get here. Did y¡¯all ride through the night?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Alex reported.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xac asked. He had never known anyone to do that before.


    ¡°Ky¡¯s mommy died and he has been absolutely inconsolable,¡± Alex said to the table, ¡°Oh, Foo Foo, it has tore him up so bad. He is¡­ powerful struck¡­ he ain¡¯t¡­ ain¡¯t been talkin. I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m real worried about him. Wish I could stay with him. I don¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s been downin potions since then. She¡¯s the only parent he had, ya know. He¡¯s¡­ I mean, she was older than Agalon. We knowed it was comin, but¡­¡± He pushed himself up and made his way to the sofa, ¡°Lord, Xacy, he¡¯s in a bad way. He loved his mommy.¡±


    Xaxac wondered if Alex loved his mommy, if he knew whether she was alive or dead, but all he said was, ¡°Yeah I can¡­ can understand that.¡±


    ¡°Get me a cigarette, darlin,¡± Alex ordered, ¡°I¡¯m powerful tired.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xac said, walked into the bedroom to retrieve the cigarette case and glanced out the window. His mother was alive; Xac did not know how long travel took, whether she had arrived at the water continent or if she was still on the ship. He did not ask Alex what the water continent was like these days. He tried his best not to think about the fact that Nancy was likely from the water continent, and when he failed to do that he tried his best not to connect that thought to the fact that she was a slave.


    ¡°I¡¯m really hopin the mask festival¡¯ll cheer him up,¡± Alex said as he took the cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette and struck the matchstick, ¡°He kept sayin that seein them young lovers might do somethin for him. Somethin about youth and life just startin out an all that.¡±


    ¡°I plum forgot about Lorry gettin engaged,¡± Xac said, ¡°I shoulda made him somethin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all the time makin stuff,¡± Alex said, ¡°Just give um somethin you already got.¡±


    Xaxac heard the commotion in the hallway before Alex did.


    ¡°In front of Ky!¡± Agalon snarled, ¡°Today!¡±


    The door opened and Takashito hurried inside.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Alex shouted, ¡°A water elf!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Takashito mimicked, ¡°A human!¡± He seemed to be trying to catch his breath, and he kept his back pressed against the door for some time until he felt it was safe to move.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Takashito said, ¡°Not really. Thank you for the concern. I think Ara is planning to kill me because your master invited me to his masquerade.¡±


    ¡°On accounta you ain¡¯t got a collar?¡± Xaxac asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Takashito explained and frowned as he watched Xaxac take the cigarette case back from Alex and select one for himself.


    ¡°You had a collar?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°You look¡­ drugged. Or as if you are under a spell.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like travelin,¡± Alex explained.


    ¡°Perhaps you should rest-¡± Takashito began, but he fell silent at the sound of Ara¡¯s shrieking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care who you¡¯re kin to!¡± Her voice shook the halls, ¡°You gonna fool around and get us all killed! He ain¡¯t some exotic coach, he¡¯s a goddamn war criminal! We need to get him back to the prison, now! You done lost your goddamn mind if you think Ima let him go trapsin around the nobility! He ain¡¯t a trick pony to show off! He¡¯s gonna hurt somebody!¡±


    ¡°You done?¡± Agalon asked, ¡°Because I ain¡¯t havin this in my house. You started this shit with Ky and his mommy just died. They scried him last night. You think he needs this shit today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry as I can be,¡± Ara said, ¡°But you can¡¯t have that water elf here and the house packed! It ain¡¯t gonna happen!¡±


    ¡°I can have anything I want in my house,¡± Agalon said coldly, ¡°An you know, missy, I¡¯m starting to get right tired of people tryin to tell me I can¡¯t. I own this district. I¡¯ll put him in costume and have him shakin hands with landowners if I want to-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t own the Northern Mountains Province,¡± Ara told him, ¡°We don¡¯t answer to you. I know you think you¡¯re important but you ain¡¯t the empress. You ¡®bought to get the hell outta my way and let me get at my prisoner before you fuck around and get somebody killed.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Takashito is to stay here,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Under order of the Duke of the Agricultural District.¡±


    ¡°Duke of the Agricultural District ain¡¯t got no authority over the people of the Mountains of Death,¡± Ara told him, ¡°Die mad about it.¡±


    The door pounded, and Xaxac intuited that it was Ara pounding on it, so he shoved Takashito out of the way and locked it.


    ¡°Now, goddamn it!¡± She hissed.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Takashito said, ¡°I have to go with her.¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh,¡± Xac said, ¡°You heard Aggie. You¡¯re stayin here by order of the Duke of the Agricultural District.¡±


    ¡°Xac,¡± Alex warned, ¡°This ain¡¯t our business.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t your business,¡± Xac corrected, ¡°This here¡¯s my coach, trainin me for my cage fightin career. Aggie¡¯s gonna give me the rest of Billy¡¯s matches.¡±


    ¡°How is Billy?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Walkin around lookin like a rag doll somebody made from scraps of fabric,¡± Xaxac giggled and pushed his weight against the door, then shouted, ¡°Aggie she done lost her damn mind!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Let her in; she seems like she wants it real bad.¡±


    Xaxac shrugged, moved to the side, and opened the door.


    Ara came barreling in moving toward Takashito, but Xaxac saw Agalon point and rushed between them.


    ¡°Get ahold a¡¯ the dangerous criminal, darlin,¡± Agalon said, and Xaxac threw his arms around Takashito in a fierce hug, ¡°Now officer Sylhice, you know if you damage my property I¡¯m gonna have to turn it in. How much you reckon that cute little bunny is worth?¡± He entered the room and kicked the door shut, ¡°How much you reckon I paid for him? How much you reckon that investment has appreciated?¡± He turned the lock and asked, ¡°How much did you reckon I¡¯d let you young bucks push? And push? And push? How long, realistically, did ya think I was gonna let that go on?¡±


    ¡°Getcha human offa him, Agalon,¡± Ara said, turned to him, and raised her staff.


    ¡°You ain¡¯t pointin that at me,¡± Agalon laughed, ¡°You know you know better.¡±


    ¡°Aggie?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Little girl,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I have forgot more about magic than you¡¯ve ever knowed. Wanna come over here and take a look at my medals? Wanna know about the two tours a¡¯ duty I served under the Emerald Knight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Ara said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon I give a damn what you believe,¡± Agalon said as he walked to the curio cabinet and opened it. He stared down at the items within and eventually came out with one of the small figurines there, carved into the shape of a rose. He smiled and said, ¡°Takashito, catch!¡±


    He tossed the rose into the air, and Xaxac let go of Takashito so that he could catch it.


    His eyes flew open, and Xaxac knew something was happening.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ara demanded.


    ¡°You look thirsty. I reckon we still got our breakfast glasses. Let me run an get you a glass of water,¡± Agalon said, ¡°Honey Bunny, run and get our guest somethin¡¯ to drink.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Xaxac said, and turned on his heel to head to the water closet.


    He had not expected the pain, did not know that he needed to move quickly enough to dodge it.


    It stung, like he had fallen on his back into a patch of briars and there was something wrong with them, itchy and painful, and he remembered feeling it before, so long ago, when Lorsan had grabbed his arm. The itching turned to burning, and he felt whatever it was moving from his back through his blood to every place on his body. It hurt so badly his first instinct was to claw at his clothes, but faster than it takes to tell it he was doubled over with the force of it, then on his knees.


    Xaxac did not see Agalon reach into the curio cabinet; did not see him retrieve the staff housed within. But he heard the crack of metal hitting bone, heard Alex shriek, and heard Agalon exclaim, ¡°God damn, my back! I can¡¯t do this shit no more!¡±


    The pain did not subside instantly, but Xac was a survivor.


    How bad do I have to hurt you before it takes? How bad do I have to hurt you before you can¡¯t heal from it?


    Worse than this.


    Slowly he felt the nettles fade, slowly the itching became bearable enough that he was able to turn and lie on his back.


    Agalon was standing with the staff in one hand, bent at a strange backwards angle with the other hand on the small of his back, Alex was hiding on the couch with only his eyes peering over the back of it, and Ara was lying on her face on the ground.


    Takashito was staring at his hand, which was dripping with blood, though he had cupped it and held most of it pooled in his palm, muttering to himself.


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged, ¡°please!¡±


    The rose in his hand glowed with a faint, blue light.


    ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ none of them are¡­¡±


    ¡°I woulda got you water,¡± Agalon said, but Takashito didn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°Mama,¡± he said, ¡°Papa¡­ nobody¡¯s¡­ nobody¡¯s answering¡­ maybe they just do not have a crystal, maybe-¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A voice asked and Takashito began to cry.


    ¡°You can not¡­ you can not be¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re castin too hard,¡± Agalon said, ¡°We can hear you. Pull back, Taka, you¡¯re castin too hard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Takashito shouted.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The voice asked, ¡°Who is this? I can¡¯t hear so well. Hold on. Love, can you hear this?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Another voice asked.


    ¡°It is¡­ Takashito,¡± Takashito said through his tears, ¡°You probably do not remember me-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The first voice asked.


    ¡°TAKASHITO,¡± the second screamed, ¡°Who is that? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ how are you alive?¡± Takashito asked, ¡°It has been over a century-¡±


    ¡°When did Impy know you?¡± The second voice asked, and Xaxac felt that he had heard it somewhere before, but he could not remember where.


    ¡°At the mage academy,¡± Takashito let the tears flow freely as he spoke, ¡°I was a student when he was the student body president. I really looked up to him, but then¡­ the war and¡­ when his husband died-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead!¡± The second voice said as if it had been insulted, ¡°Who told you I died? Who¡¯s been telling people I¡¯m dead?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s dead?¡± the first voice, which Xac intuited to be Impy- Imperious? No¡­ no Imperius was human. He couldn¡¯t be alive; he had been a young man a century ago. He was human.


    ¡°Nobody died!¡± The second voice said, ¡°Takashito, from school! Is scrying! He¡¯s alive!¡±


    ¡°What path does he walk?¡± Impy asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I do not know what that means¡­¡± Takashito said.


    ¡°Then we gotta go!¡± The second voice said.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± Takashito begged, ¡°Please! Please! Draconis, wait! I swear I am not the enemy! I have been in prison!¡±


    ¡°Prison?¡± Draconis asked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in prison?¡± Impy asked.


    ¡°Takashito!¡± Draconis answered.


    ¡°Who?¡± Impy asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Draconis said, ¡°I guess we went to school together?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you do not remember me¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not remember many things!¡± Impy declared, ¡°At my age, I barely remember my own name! But if you do not know what path you walk, I am severing the scry.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Takashito begged as Xaxac picked himself off the floor and went to massage Agalon¡¯s back. ¡°No! Please!¡± His begging became a cry, then a wail, and he eventually slumped to a sitting position, staring at the blood in his palm.


    ¡°Takashito?¡± Xaxac asked timidly, ¡°Where¡­ where¡¯d all the blood come from?¡±


    ¡°From me,¡± he whispered, ¡°It is all I have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Agalon said, ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the water closet and get you cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°Aggie?¡± Xac asked, ¡°Is¡­ Officer Sylhice dead?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Agalon said, ¡°She ain¡¯t movin and it¡¯s been a minute. She ought not have attacked you. Attacked him while his back was turned; all y¡¯all saw it. I got a right to protect myself an my property, ¡®specially in my own house.¡±


    ¡°He is the only one,¡± Takashito said to himself as Agalon helped him to his feet, ¡°He is the only one who answered. And he would not speak to me.¡±


    ¡°That don¡¯t mean they¡¯re dead,¡± Agalon said to comfort him, ¡°Might just not¡¯a had focuses. Come on, youngun, let¡¯s getcha cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°With water?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°Yeah, kid,¡± Agalon said, ¡°With water.¡±


    Xaxac looked down at what he suspected was a corpse and watched Agalon lead Takashito to the bedroom.

 Chapter 56

    ¡°So¡­¡± Alex asked, staring at the body on the floor, ¡°That¡¯s a cop?¡±


    ¡°She worked for the prison,¡± Xaxac said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a cop,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°Then yeah, I reckon,¡± Xac said.


    ¡°Your master done busted her head in,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°I sure didn¡¯t think he was strong enough to do that,¡± Xac crossed his arms in puzzlement, ¡°Must not take much. It can¡¯t take much. I mean, I¡¯ve done it before on accident.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all are wild,¡± Alex laughed, ¡°Y¡¯all are¡­ absolutely buckwild¡­ this¡­ this just ain¡¯t gonna do¡­ I ain¡¯t havin this¡­ I want a drink! I want a drink right now!¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± Xac snapped, ¡°Stop it! Why you actin like you ain¡¯t never seen this before? You watched the cage fights-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an elf!¡± Alex shrieked.


    ¡°Alex!¡± Agalon demanded as he led Takashito back into the room, ¡°We need to talk, darlin. Ky¡¯s already real upset. You know that, right?¡±


    Alex nodded.


    ¡°So let¡¯s stay real calm,¡± Agalon advised, ¡°And not scare him no more.¡±


    ¡°They will never let me out now,¡± Takashito said, ¡°...it was all for nothing. Your Grace¡­ Agalon¡­ I could have gone with her¡­¡±


    ¡°I need you here,¡± Agalon explained calmly, ¡°I need you to train my little wonder rabbit until he can do all them fancy flips like y¡¯all do.¡±


    ¡°They will not let me stay here!¡± Takashito explained, ¡°They will never let me stay here now! That is over! They will take me back and I will never see the light of day again!¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Agalon demanded, ¡°Ever¡¯body calm down and let me think!¡±


    ¡°Ya know, master,¡± Xaxac said, studying the body, ¡°we might could just¡­ disappear this little problem, ifin it¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°You know where we bury folks? I mean¡­ back when I used to work on the fields?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°I never oughta had you out in them fields,¡± Agalon said, ¡°That was a mistake. You always shoulda been in here with me. Wouldn¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m sayin,¡± Xac tried to explain, ¡°Is the potter field, you know what I¡¯m talkin about?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Agalon said, as if a light had gone on in his brain, ¡°The potter¡¯s field¡­ yeah, darlin, I know where that¡¯s at. I sure do know where that¡¯s at. Don¡¯t nobody ever have no reason to go lookin through a slave¡¯s graveyard...¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never seen no elves out there,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°All I¡¯m sayin is, I ain¡¯t never seen no elves out there.¡±


    ¡°It sure is a shame,¡± Agalon said, ¡°That she just up and left like that. I asked um to bring more than one guard. I did always think, though, that she¡¯d do some kinda foolish nonsense like abandonin her post. She was all the time half-assin everythin. Y¡¯all remember when she plumb forgot to let me sign that incident report? She never give a shit about that job. Can¡¯t nobody be surprised she up and left when it got hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t surprize me nary bit,¡± Xac shrugged, ¡°I am sorry about your back though, Aggie. Wanna lay down an¡¯ let me rub it?¡±


    ¡°...during the war¡­¡± Takashito said, ¡°...that night when¡­ the skies opened up and the sea thrashed in a rage, and the ocean rose to swallow my home¡­ I¡­ the uniforms looked so¡­ so much like¡­¡±


    ¡°I could see that,¡± Agalon said, ¡°To an outsider.¡±


    ¡°They¡­ I was defending myself¡­ my home¡­ my friends¡­ but they¡­ put me in that prison¡­ they¡­ but you¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothin ain¡¯t gonna happen to me,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I got this all figured out. I can¡¯t keep a rug in here, I swear to Thesis. Honey Bunny, you reckon you could roll this rug up?¡±


    ¡°Yes master!¡± Xaxac said and wondered why he had such a difficult time caring that Ara was dead. Was it because he had never liked her very much? Or was it that elves and humans were not as different as they believed? Because Ara was dead, and Kyrtarr¡¯s parents were dead, and one day everyone who knew them would be dead, and it would be like none of it ever happened.


    It just normally took longer.


    But not all the time.


    Ara didn¡¯t look much older than Lorsan, Xaxac judged as he rolled her youthful form into the rug.


    ¡°Nothing will happen to you¡­¡± Takashito repeated, ¡°Over a century in that place¡­ and nothing will happen to you¡­¡±


    Xaxac heard Lee moving through the hall, but apparently no one else did because when he knocked on the door they all jumped.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Master!¡± Lee proclaimed.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Agalon asked.


    ¡°Your packages are here. I reckon it¡¯s the stuff for the mask festival.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Agalon said cheerfully, ¡°Do me a favor though and set them in Ky¡¯s room. I wanna open them with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Roll that into the bedroom, darlin,¡± Agalon said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with all that mess once it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°But are you not having guests arrive throughout the day?¡± Takashito asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with all that mess once it gets dark,¡± Agalon repeated exactly in tone, volume and cadence.


    Xaxac rolled the rug into the bedroom in silence, trying as hard as he could not to think of its contents. It was getting so much easier not to think about anything that he felt his mind wandering. He was going to Aggie¡¯s party. Did that mean that he had a mask? He had never been to a party before. Not to an elven party; he had been to the celebrations humans sometimes had, but he expected that this would be a bit more than singing and dancing around a bonfire. He probably wouldn¡¯t have a mask. He didn¡¯t know how much he would be allowed to do. Alex had said that elves frequently stuck the pleasure slaves together in a room and forgot about them.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Agalon said once he had entered the room after his breakfast with Kyrtarr, ¡°Both of you, look at me. Ky¡¯s been through enough. We ain¡¯t gonna add to that stress nary bit. Y¡¯all understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes master,¡± Xac said obediently, bouncing on his feet a little with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Alex,¡± Agalon said, and Alex stared at him. He had not moved from his position on the couch.


    ¡°Yes, Mister Agalon,¡± Alex said quietly.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Agalon laid a hand in his curls and scratched, but the look on Alex¡¯s face before he caught himself and smiled told Xac he did not like it as much as he did himself. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some coffee. You¡¯ve got a whole day ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace,¡± Alex said, and waited until Agalon had turned from him to stand.


    Xac caught his eye, opened his eyes as big as he could, and tilted his head. He hoped Alex interpreted it as the warning it was. Then he threw himself onto Agalon, clutched his arm and snuggled into his side.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t never been to a real party before!¡± he exclaimed, ¡°Are they fun?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be entertainin, darlin,¡± Agalon explained as he led Xac into the hall towards the door of the guest suite where Alex and his master always stayed, ¡°Every landowner in the district, and some of the merchants are comin. A lot of um have pleasure slaves.¡±


    ¡°Neat!¡± Xac said.


    Alex said nothing.


    Agalon opened the door and stepped inside. Kyrtarr was sitting at the sofa, drinking a glass of wine and staring at a painting on parchment he had apparently brought with him to stare at, since Xac had been in the room several times and never seen it before. It reminded him of the painting in the foyer of Agalon and Lorsan, except that it was done in a different medium, graphite or charcoal by the looks of it, and depicted three people rather than two. They were all earth elves, and Xac thought they were a family; a man in military regalia, a woman in a large, billowing gown, and a little boy.


    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Agalon asked as he sat next to him and threw an arm around his shoulders.


    ¡°I knew it was going to happen,¡± Ky said, and Xaxac thought it was strange that there was no emotion in his voice until he remembered how he had felt in the cage. Sometimes, Xaxac thought, there was more pain in a person than they could reasonably be expected to feel, so they felt nothing.


    Alex sat on the floor by the sofa at his master¡¯s feet, so Xaxac was left to hover awkwardly in the middle of the room. He elected to tune out the conversation, on the idea that nothing he could say would be necessary or desired, and instead walked to the table and busied himself with pouring drinks for everyone. As he watched the wine flow he thought of Lee. Lee was always doing something, and Xac briefly felt a connection to him. When something is none of your business but still requires some kind of participation, the best thing to do did seem like it might be to stand silently behind everyone and hand them wine.


    ¡°-be a week, at least,¡± Kyrtarr was saying when Xaxac tuned back in to the conversation, ¡°To bring her down from Sage Lake. I... hate to think what she¡¯ll look like. But we gotta bury her on the family plot, Kai, we got to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have an easier time once the funeral is over,¡± Agalon promised, ¡°That¡¯s how I was. It¡¯s important to feel that closure. It¡¯s¡­ time heals all wounds.¡±


    There came another knock at the door, and Agalon asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Lee said, ¡°The Loraxians are here.¡±


    ¡°Get ¡®em settled and tell ¡®em where we¡¯re at,¡± Agalon ordered.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Lee responded with his ordinary civility, and left, probably to do as he had been bid.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be actin like this in front a¡¯ that little girl,¡± Ky said, ¡°I ain¡¯t ruinin her engagement. She deserves better. It¡¯s her big day.¡±


    ¡°You got every right to act however you want,¡± Agalon said as Xac handed him a glass of wine, ¡°You¡¯re goin through it, right now. Can¡¯t nobody blame you.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I want to get my mind¡­ off¡­¡± Ky said, ¡°I want to enjoy the party.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be blamed for that, neither,¡± Agalon said, stood, and picked up one of the boxes that had apparently been delivered to the room, ¡°Wanna see my costume? Sneak peak? I couldn¡¯t really think of nothin, so I guess I¡¯m gonna be a ghost. It¡¯s mostly face powder and chains.¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t. As Agalon dug through the box, he produced a full military regalia that looked very much like what he wore in his portrait, except it was all white, and covered in a fine, dusty powder that seemed as if it wanted to flake off everywhere when he picked it up.


    ¡°Oh, damn,¡± he said, ¡°Sambrees is a pure genius. Open yours, Honey Bunny.¡±


    ¡°Is it mine?¡± Xac asked as he moved to the other box, picked it up, then went to sit at Agalon¡¯s feet on the floor with Alex.


    Inside the box was not much fabric, but an ornate mask certainly held his attention. It would cover half his face, from the nose up, and held a long pair of ears, all carved of some sturdy, white material with gold accents to represent the details. The costume itself was small and mostly accessories, only a pair of pants and gloves, really, in the same color, with a round, fluffy tail attached to the pants.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bunny!¡± Xac declared in joy, ¡°I love it! I love it so much!¡±


    He jumped up and threw his arms around Agalon¡¯s neck, ¡°I love it so much, master! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°I thought you would,¡± Agalon giggled and hugged him tightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Ky said and cracked the first sincere smile Alex had seen on him since he received the scry.

 Chapter 57

    Xaxac carried the costumes carefully as he made his way back to their rooms.  He suspected that, though he really did need to put them away, the chore was mostly a ruse so that he could check on Takashito.


    So he was alarmed when he opened the door and did not see Takashito, but rather Mr. Loraxia, Mrs. Loraxian, Cremia, and four other earth elven girls who all looked about Cremia¡¯s age, in his sitting room, all looking quite excited.  He had stumbled into a conversation, but his position as a human meant that no one took much notice of him, and a good servant was silent and unseen, so he closed the door quietly.


    ¡°This place is gorgeous!¡± One of the girls said in an excitable voice, the pitch of which was too high to be to Xaxac¡¯s taste.


    ¡°All that finishing school tuition really paid off,¡± Mrs. Loraxia said, ¡°I told you it was a good investment.  You wanted to teach her the trade!¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Mr Loraxia argued, ¡°Practical knowledge is still important.  Especially with that¡­  boy.¡±


    ¡°What is he like?¡± one of the girls asked, ¡°The Duke?¡±


    ¡°Lorsan is¡­  a fine man,¡± Cremia said, though she seemed to barely be part of the conversation, she seemed as if she was deep in thought about something, ¡°He seems¡­  nice.  I done¡­  I already met him.  He¡¯s ain¡¯t that good at parlor games.  But¡­  he¡¯s nice.  He said he was gonna be a vet.¡±


    ¡°I love animals!¡± the girl replied.


    ¡°Winter weddings are so beautiful,¡± Mrs. Loraxia said, ¡°There¡¯ll be a blanket a¡¯ snow.  It¡¯ll be gorgeous.  It¡¯ll match the dress.  We¡¯re gonna have it at the big temple, at the capital.  The empress is gonna come.  The empress is gonna be at my youngun¡¯s wedding!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cremia said, but to Xaxac it seemed more as if she was agreeing that she had heard her mother speak than that she was agreeing with her about anything.


    Xaxac slipped into the bedroom and saw that the door to the water closet was open.  Takashito was standing inside, staring at the water pump with a far away look in his eyes.  His hand had not needed to be bandaged.  There was no wound.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°I am hiding,¡± Takashito whispered, ¡°There are so many of them, the Urillians¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re havin a party,¡± Xac explained with great patience as he opened the wardrobe and slid the costumes inside.


    ¡°I cannot believe how¡­  casually¡­  the duke¡­¡±  Takashito trailed off, stared at the wall, then began again, ¡°I dare not scry again¡­  if any of them are mages¡­¡±


    Xaxac stood and flicked his eyes to the rose, which Takashito had laid on the edge of the sink.  He had never noticed, but inset into it was a crystal, almost identical to the ones Agalon often wore, except for the cool blue color.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Xac said as he took a step forward and tentatively laid a hand on his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s¡­  it¡¯s gonna be alright.  I don¡¯t rightly know how it¡¯s gonna be alright, but¡­  uh¡­  for folks like me, it has to be alright, you know?  You¡¯re alright or you¡¯re dead.  And you ain¡¯t dead.¡±


    ¡°A child should not have to comfort me,¡± Takashito said, more to himself than to Xac.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah, I know you don¡¯t mean to,¡± Xac said, ¡°But that is real insultin.  I ain¡¯t a young¡¯un.  I need you to go ahead and get that through your head.¡±


    Takashito took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and took so long to answer that Xaxac thought he may not answer at all.


    ¡°I was a child,¡± he said, ¡°during the war.  I did not think I was a child then, but I was.  We are all wrong, when we are children, about being children.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Xac said, trying not to sound as insulted as he felt, ¡°Hey, buddy, what¡¯d you do with that carpet?¡±


    ¡°I rolled the corpse under the bed,¡± Takashito explained.  ¡°I will never escape.  They will never let me out again.  This will be my life, forever.  Some of them¡­  some were younger than me.  Some do not remember what life was like before¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡­  I don¡¯t know what to tell ya, other than what I already did.  You¡¯re alive. A lotta folks ain¡¯t.  And then one day you¡¯ll be dead, and everybody you know¡¯ll be dead, and it¡¯ll be like none¡¯a it ever happened.  We gotta just take it day by day.  We gotta remember that none¡¯a this matters and just¡­  do our best to be happy.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Takashito said, ¡°No, it will matter.  My life will matter.  My life already matters.  I gave my life.  I gave my life for my homeland, for my people.  These Urillians believe that they can take everything they want, but that is not true.  We have shown them that it will not be easy.  They cannot own the world, not forever.  And they cannot¡­  they cannot lock me away for defending my life and do nothing to Kailu!  It¡­  it¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an elf,¡± Xac explained.


    ¡°So am I!¡± Takashito hissed, ¡°And that does not matter!  They have taught you that this matters, but it does not!  That is not the way of the world!¡±


    Xaxac took a step back at this outburst and threw both his hands up to show that he was not a threat, because Takashito¡¯s hand had shot to the rose on the sink.


    ¡°Do you have anything to write with?¡± Takashito asked with the same level of intensity.


    ¡°Aggie has a book in the nightstand,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°But I don¡¯t reckon I¡¯m supposed to touch it.¡±


    ¡°To quote your beloved Urillians, ¡®They cannot hang me twice,¡¯,¡± Takashito said as he shoved past Xaxac and opened the drawer.  He found the notebook and pencil easily, flipped them to the back, turned them upside down and commanded, ¡°Sit down.  Come here and sit down.¡±


    He was obviously writing something that he felt was important.


    ¡°If I am to be your teacher I cannot¡­  in good conscience¡­¡± he mumbled to himself as Xaxac obeyed him, then seemed to finish writing and tore out the page that he had written in.  He handed it to Xac, who took it and had no idea what he was supposed to do with it.


    ¡°This is the common syllabary,¡± Takashito explained, darting his eyes to the door, then back to Xac, ¡°each symbol stands for a sound.  I will go over them with you until you memorize it.  This is part of your training.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xac asked.


    ¡°Repeat after me,¡± Takashito said instead of replying, pointing to the first symbol he had drawn, and began to make sounds.


    Xaxac recognized some of the symbols.  They were the squiggles that he had seen in books, on posters, on signs.


    ¡°Taka, buddy,¡± he said, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­  humans can¡¯t¡­  do this.  Humans can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°Humans have written vast libraries!¡± Takashito argued, ¡°Stop!  I need you to memorize this, and I need you to do it quickly.  My life will mean something.  Do not argue with me.  I learned it when I was older than you.  It can be done.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re an elf,¡± Xaxac said, ¡°You¡¯re smarter than me.¡±


    ¡°You Urillians are infuriating!¡± Takashito hissed, ¡°Stop arguing.  If I am smarter than you, do not argue with me!  Listen, and repeat and remember.  We do not have the luxury of time.  I am not even sure that they will take me back.  They may kill me!  So listen to me, listen closely, repeat, memorize.¡±


    Xaxac¡¯s eyes fell back to the paper.  He closed them, took a deep breath, opened them, and tried his best to connect the symbol that Takashito was pointing at to the sound he was making.