I was a boy among my kind, barely two centuries old. In my youth, I had the wanderlust. I travelled to any land I heard of. It was during these travels that I came to Atlantas. I was amazed at what had been done with the tiny island. Wizards had combined there strength to turn the desert island into a large, thriving paradise kingdom. It was there that I met him. I had finally gained myself entrance to the king's court. Many issues were being discussed, before the daily feast began. I bumped into a rather large, noble woman. Her diamond necklace fell down her huge cleavage, as we would later discover, but she was quick to jump to conclusions. She screamed. "Thief! Thief! He stole my family necklace! Guards! Thief!" "Madame, I stole nothing. If you will calm down, I'm sure your necklace can be found." The guards chose to listen to her ranting, rather than an unknown foreigner. They were trying to drag me away. Of course, I was in no real danger from them, but I could not just reveal what I was. Suddenly, a voice shouted for them to stop. A roguishly handsome man stepped forth. I recognized him as one of my kind by his movement and his fire and amber eyes, known only to some of my kind. He ordered the guards to release me. "You can't do that! He stole my necklace!" the woman continued to scream. "You have no proof of that, Lady Phobias." "I want my necklace back! He's not leaving until I get it," she said sternly. "As you wish." He looked her over and then, unceremoniously plunged his arm into her quivering cleavage. As her mouth dropped open in shock, he pulled out her prized possession and made a grand show of returning it to her. The crowd that had gathered turned into a roar of laughter. The blood coloring her face, she stormed off. The laughing guards released my arms, only to have the stranger take it. Smiling, he led me into a secluded alcove. Sitting down in lush chairs, he introduced himself. "I am called Shay. There aren't many of our kind here. I'm always pleased to run into another." "I am Mik-hai-el. Thank you for out there. I wasn't quite ready to leave." "You are a young one, aren't you?" "Just over two hundred. How old are you?" "Almost seven centuries." "What brought you to this land?" "I came to study magic with the wizards here. Are you here to increase your powers as well?" "Not particularly. I'm mainly here, because I enjoy travel." "You know, you are in my debt. I intend to collect full retribution." "What do you want?" I asked, uncertain. "I want you to be my date tonight for dinner with the king and to let me show you the city tomorrow." "If I must, I must," I replied with a grin. It was its own kind of magic. I sampled everything Atlantis had to offer in the weeks to come. Shay showed me everything, from the halls of the mystics to the flea markets and taverns. Within a few more days, the wanderlust began to claim me once more. I felt the yearning for travel. "Will you not stay?" "I have enjoyed my time here with you, Shay, but I want to see more of the world." "I was hoping you might stay a while more, learn magic with me. After all, we have eternity." "I would like to go, unless....I have a good reason to stay." "I have only one real reason to offer." Shay cupped my face in his hands and leaned down. Gently, our lips met. He was so warm. He tasted like toasted almonds. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. Before I knew it, we were lying on his bed, clothing discarded. We spent hours exploring each others bodies. I kissed and caressed every part of him, from his soft eyelashes, to his delicate feet, and he, the same for me. It was a heaven I had never known. Finally, it was time for something more. Pulling out a vial of oil, he rolled me over onto my stomach. I felt an oily finger tease my opening. He rubbed it for a few minutes, until my anus was relaxed. Then, he slipped his lubed finger inside. Carefully, he stretched and coated me, and after I relaxed some more, added a second finger. When I was fully relaxed, I felt his fingers withdraw. He placed his greased manhood on my opening, gently seeking entry. He took his time to work himself in, as to cause the minimum discomfort. Not that I was a virgin, but he was exceptional large, bigger than I had ever taken before. Eventually, he was fully engulfed by my clenching, hungry hole. We were no longer two but one, joined in spirit, and now in flesh. Slowly, he began thrusting, picking up speed as I adjusted to his size. It seemed an eternity and a moment at once. I was one with everything, knowing pleasures undreamed. Finally, without even touching myself, I climaxed. My muscles spasmed in the release, sending him over the edge as well. I felt his seed empty deep within my bowels. He collapsed on top of me, his softened member still inside me. I don't remember when I actually fell asleep, but when I awoke, it was past noon. Shay was still asleep and still inside me. I smiled and let out a soft sigh. Shay stirred at my slight activity. He began to get off me, but I pulled him back down, wanting to keep us joined forever. "My love," he whispered, "we have to get up sometime." "I know," I groaned, wanting to make time stand still. Slowly, we separated. As he stood up, I leapt out of bed to pull him into an embrace, my lips seeking his, before he could do anything else. He entered the kiss, but soon pulled away. "If we keep that up, we'll have to go back to bed, again." "Fine with me." "I know, but I have a class today." I pouted, poking out my bottom lip. He laughed slightly and gently sucked on the lip. "I won't be gone long," Shay managed between kisses, "Why not go buy yourself anything you want at the market, on my account?" "The only thing I want is going to class." "You are incorrigible," he mock scolded, before stealing one more kiss and heading to the baths. I tried to follow but heard him shout, "Don't even think about it. I'll never get dressed and I must go to class!" A while later, he emerged clean and dressed. "Don't look at me like that. I'll be back soon. You might try to find a way to occupy your time. Why not sign up for one of the enchantment classes, other than the one I'm in, of course?" "What is that supposed to mean? You don't think I can handle your class?" I said, growing annoyed. "No, that's not it," he replied with a laugh, "It's just that neither one of us would ever get any work done." "Maybe." "Until this evening, my love." For months we stayed there, making love every night. I did sign up for the classes. It was easier than just pacing, waiting for Shay's return. Naturally, I advanced faster than the human students. Eventually, I advanced to the highest level class, for which there was only one teacher. Due to this, Shay had no choice but to have me there, for he was the one to encourage me. He graduated a month before me. "It's time for us to leave, love," Shay announced the day of my graduation. "Why?" I asked, puzzled. The wanderlust no longer plagued me, since my time with Shay. "There is nothing more for us to learn here. There is a powerful, ancient human in the hills of Ilmar. We could learn much from him. Will you come with me?" "For all times." We spent centuries, going from teacher to another, pushing our power to new limits with each new spell, no matter how small. I had never known such content. Then, one day, it all unraveled, in the hills of what is now Scotland. I had finally mastered a summoning spell that had been giving me trouble. I went into our hut to celebrate with dinner and lovemaking, but Shay wasn't there. He hadn't mentioned going out. I used a scrying spell in a basin of water to locate him, but no image appeared in the water. The only way that would happen is if Shay had put up blocking spells, but why would he do that? Worried, I concentrated all the harder and cast incantations, until I was able to at least discern his whereabouts. He was in a cave not far from our home. I rushed there, immediately. As I entered the cave, I realized what Shay was doing, and I saw why he had hidden it. The cave was covered with dark runes, and in its center, a conjuror's circle. Shay was trafficking with the dark spirits of the Abyss. Then, the smell hit me. Blood.....human blood. Shay had been sacrificing people to open the gateways. I saw him re-enter this reality through the circle, covered in some poor soul's blood. "HOW DARE YOU COME HERE, SPYING ON ME?!!" he growled. I trembled and stepped back. I had never seen this side of him before, never knew it existed. He ran up to me and hit me. Then he forcibly dragged me out of the cave and through me in the mud. "GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed. "Shay?" I asked, not wanting to believe it was him. His eyes bore into me, seething anger. I could not find the love I had always seen in those eyes. "What?" he sneered in annoyance. "I love you." "Go away." He turned and walked back into the cave. I don't remember going back to the hut, but I did. The next memory I have is Shay gently waking me up. "Shay?" I prayed what had happened was a dream. "I'm so sorry, love," he said with watered eyes, "I never meant for you to see that." The love was back in his eyes, but the pain was still in me. Pain of varied shades. Betrayal. Heartache. Love. They were all there. "How could you Shay? How could you?" "I'm sorry I hit you. I just lost control." "Not just that. How could you do such things? You lied to me, murdered people, practiced the forbidden, made deals with the dark. How could you?" "I never meant for you to find out. Please, just let me hold you." "Don't touch me," I said, jumping back. "I'm sorry, love. Isn't that enough?" "We need to talk," I stated, fighting back tears. Shay nodded and asked if we could walk. He enjoyed the night air. I agreed. we had walked quite a bit when we came upon an old stone bridge, linking the two sides of the valley. I stopped there. "No further, Shay. We need to talk, now." "What do you want me to say? I'll say it." "You have to make a choice. Me or the black arts. I remember how you were, how we were. You can't have both." "No, don't make me choose." "You have to. I can't live like this. We can't live like this." "Then I choose my magic," Shay said sternly, his eyes becoming cold, "It is and always will be my true love." "Shay, think about this. Is all we've had, could have, mean nothing to you?" I said in tears. "My bed does not mean as much as my magic. I care for you, but it is my magic that I love." "No," I begged. "Yes, now leave here. I don't ever want to see you, again. If I do, I will kill you." "On my own Pretending he's beside me. All alone, I walk with him till morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me. And when I lose my way I close my eyes And he has found me!" --"On My Own" from "Les Miserables" the Broadway I didn't know what to do. I left all of my possessions save what I needed to survive. I wandered aimlessly for months. That is when I met Elizabeth and Maxwell. They helped me feel alive, again, and as painful as it was, they took me before the council of elders to testify. I told my story to them, told them my heart. They all felt my loss, but for practicing the black arts, Shay was branded a traitor and outcast, no better than our vampire cousins. He could never rejoin my people. "Now do you see why I had to leave, father? I still loved Shay, despite it all. That night, I chose Nick over Shay's life. Do you have any idea how hard that was?" "I understand ye would have problems, but why leave?" "Because if I didn't, I might wind up despising Nick, for making me love him, for making me kill another that I still loved." Tears fell from Phillip, as he put a comforting arm around Michael. Michael accepted the much needed tenderness and let out all the emotions he had kept inside. Though he barely knew him, Phillip knew the man needed comfort, and he was a priest. Eventually, as Michael's tears began to lessen, Phillip straightened him up. "Please, Michael, will ye come back with me?" "I don't know if I can." "I didn't want t' do this, but I see this may be the only way. I have t' show ye what your bein' gone is doin' t' Nick. I'm not trying t' give ye guilt, jus' t' show ye that your problems must be worked out at home, with those tha' care for ye, with Nick." Phillip produced a recent photo of Nick he had printed from the security. It was a little blurry, but the effect was easy to see. Nick had lost weight, and his eyes, so full of life were vacant. The mere sight of it caused Michael to collapse. "Oh what have I done? I have killed one love, and now, I'm killing another." "It's not too late t' set this right. Come back with me." Michael nodded and stood up. He looked in the mirror. "Do you think we could take a late flight? There are some things I need to gather, and I need a shower and shave." Phillip nodded and let Michael go about his task. "Derek Rayne," Derek stated as he answered the phone. Nick was walking up behind him, when he actually caught some of the conversation. "He's coming back with you? Wonderful. Yes, I understand he'll have a lot of issues to work through, but the important thing is he'll be back. When are you leaving? Tonight. Tell me what time you arrive and I'll have Nick and I there to pick you up. This is the best news I've heard in long time. Nick will be overjoyed. Goodbye, my friend. I'll see you soon." "Derek?" Nick asked, startling the older man. "Nick. I was just coming to get you. "W-who was on the phone?" Nick asked, hoping, praying he had heard right. "It was Phillip. He's bringing Michael back with him. Their plane arrives here in San Francisco, tomorrow, late afternoon." "Michael?" Nick repeated, thinking this a dream, "but how? Phillip was on some assignment." "Yes, he was....to bring Michael back and make the two of you whole, again." "I-I don't know what to say." "Then don't say anything. Just be happy....and stop trying to pinch my butt," Derek said with a wink. "Oh G-d! Derek! What I tried....why didn't you clock me," Nick asked as his senses fully returned to him. "I considered it, but I understood what you were going through. No more worries, though. By this tomorrow, Michael will be back. Both of you will still have a lot of issues to work through, but you'll do it together." That morning, while the plane was on its way to the USA, Derek sat eating breakfast. Nick was pouring a cup of coffee, when the fork in Derek's hand clattered to the floor. Suddenly Derek's mind flashed with images, so many he could barely make a few out. He saw a plane, an island, arcane markings on the ground, Phillip tied, naked and spread eagle in a circle, fire, and blood, a lot of blood. As soon as it left him, Derek stood up. "Derek, what is it?" Nick asked with concern. Derek did not answer but picked up the phone. He called the airport and requested a check on the flight. "When?" he croaked, trying to keep the fear from his voice, "I see, thank you." "Derek?" Nick asked, begging for answers, no matter how horrible to kill his not knowing. "They lost contact with the plane when a storm hit. I saw it. It went down. Michael and Phillip are alive, but I don't know who has them. I'm only sure they are not friends." To be continued in Three Spirits: The Future..... Want more? If you want this story to continue or if you have any comments, good, bad, suggestions for improvement, etc. e-mail me at Maddhatcat@aol.com. I may or may not write sequels, depending on your response.
