A Thousand Years of Hope - 6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Cale left the Arturo Vineyard and went straight to the towering Palladium Gates hidden in the vast sandy dunes of the oldest desert in the world, The Namib. The Sentinel who lived at the gates guarding the gates appeared at Cale’s approach.

Sahdrina, daughter of The Namib, was the guardian of lost souls who wandered to the Palladium Gates. Sahdrina was as old as Cale, as secretive, if not more. She governed the border into the Ekho with an iron fist.

Cale frowned because Sahdrina often opened the gates for him without showing herself to him. When she did, especially in the form of a woman holding a long walking stick, he knew she had words for him.

Her light-brown skin was dusted with shining flecks of the same silver-white found on the palladium gates. Her hair, which was in thick locs and pale white, flowed down her back. Her sand-colored dress swept the sand under her bare feet.

“Cale of the Night,” she said in greeting.

“Sahdrina of The Namib,” Cale said, stopping before her.

His gaze lingered on the thick wooden walking stick forged from an olive tree. It turned into a vengeful sword when Sahdrina wished to deal a punishment for violations of the gate.

“Forgive me for interrupting your passage,” Sahdrina said. “A message was left with me by your brother. The Septum gathers. They all felt the shift of power in the mortal realm. They seek answers.”

“As always,” Cale said, giving her an elegant nod. “I thank you for the message, Sahdrina.”

“Instead of thanks, I will ask a question of you, god of calamity,” Sahdrina said, stepping closer to him. “Do you consent?”

Cale remained where he stood and met silver-gray eyes.

“How may I assist you, Sentinel?” Cale asked. In any case, he had no choice.

He could not enter the Ekho Realm if Sahdrina closed the palladium gates.

“We are experiencing strange phenomena here at the gates. A veiled creature crosses the realms with full standard authorization. He reeks of your Dark Fort and has a permission spell on his palm from the inter-clan court. My underlings have tried to discover more about this creature and failed. I now ask you, Cale of the Night. Which of your creatures have you permitted to walk through my gates?”

Cale kept his face blank. The creatures living within his defensive walls at Dark Fort had no permission from him to leave the realm. They worked to help him control the worst of the dark. They were too busy to bother visiting the gates and tangling with the Sentinel. If he were to permit any to cross the gate, he would provide a Dark Fort permission spell.

The lesser clans used the inter-clan court to access resources found easily by the main clans. Still, Sahdrina would imagine an individual with dark intentions was born of his fort. It wasn’t always the case.

Cale fought down a scoff and answered the question.

“I have not allowed my dark creatures to visit your gates, Sahdrina.”

Sahdrina studied him for a moment before she stepped back.

“If not you, which clan in the Ekho Realm would have a dark soul moving in and out of my gates?”

Cale chuckled.

“My Dark Fort is not the only place you’ll find black-hearted creatures, Sahdrina. They only end up in my fort when they are captured for wrongdoings or decide to jump fully into my world.”

“True,” Sahdrina said with a nod. “I would like to ask for your help, god of calamity.”

“The Septum will have much to say of a request made to me by the Sentinel.”

“The creature’s permissions to cross our gates are indistinct. The palladium senses ambiguous intentions each time it crosses. This mystery is enough to have forced me to watch the crossers of this gate often. You, Cale of the Night, are the only one allowed unfettered passage through these gates with ambiguous intent. I cannot allow another. The Immortal Lord suggested I bring my concerns to your attention,” Sahdrina said. “Know that I do not share my concerns with you lightly.”

Curious, Cale thought of the extensive infection of kara ot on Arturo's land.

“When did this creature last cross to the mortal realm?”

“Three decenniums ago, the frequency of passage had me concerned,” Sahdrina said, shaking her head. “My concerns pulled me to supervise the passage of this gate in person instead of leaving it to the acolytes. The added attention had the creature returning to our Ekho. Our routines here at the gate returned to normal. I have noted signs of the creature returning to the gates these last two years. The visits have been staggered so as not to draw my attention. Nevertheless, I notice because I remember the blankness of answers needed.”

“What do you want of me?” Cale asked.

“The identity of the creature,” Sahdrina said. “I must find out the nature of its passage through my gates and which clan it belongs to. The clans must be responsible for those who cross the Ekho realm.”

“I have listened to your concern,” Cale said.

“Will you assist me?” Sahdrina asked.

“I am tied to the Septum’s decisions,” Cale said. “I’ll tell them your request and give you an answer on my way back.”

“Thank you. I will await your answer.”

Sahdrina turned to the towering silver-white gates, and the outer layer slid open.

She lowered her head in a rare departure as Cale passed her. He smirked and continued through the palladium gates into the realm that made one such as him. As the silver-white gate slid closed behind him, three more slid open along the corridor between the realms.

The raw energy connecting the two realms was contained between four palladium gates built by Sahdrina’s people. The power was enough to suffocate a lesser Ekho with a weak mind. It crushed humans into nothing.

Each of the three doors slid closed behind Cale. The power held within stripped him of his mortal realm glamour and returned what it took from him as he entered the Ekho realm. With a thought, Cale changed his ruined navy blue suit into his standard clothing. A black long-sleeve, close-fitting, knee-length coat with a stand-up collar and dark leather for trousers. They disappeared into leather boots with gold plates lining the sides.

The last of the doors slid closed behind him, and he stopped to breathe in the air. Fresh and revitalizing, it restored his power and gave him a healthy glow. He flexed his hands, testing the dark power racing in his veins, and it responded like the air he breathed, present and reliable.

Visualizing the citadel built on a floating island, Cale stepped forward and appeared at the entrance of his brother’s personal domain.

The immortal lord’s island was filled with wild nature: unique plants and fruits, old tall trees, waters pouring the sides of the floating island, and lush land that grew any food needed for those who called the island home. In the middle of the island, the towers of the white citadel stood tall and proud in the bright sun. The white-walled citadel was the immortal lord’s home. The citadel’s courtyards are open to those who lived on the island and those who chose to serve under the immortal lord. He held no one here who did not want to be here.

Cale walked a long, wide path lined with thick columns. The wild forests on each side of him filled with birds chattering. Gossiping creatures sent news of his arrival to their master.

The immortal lord and his blood brother appeared to his right, matching Cale’s footsteps as if on cue.

“Cale.”

“Brother,” Cale said in greeting.

Sunu was the most potent Ekho in the realm. He ruled the Septum, keeping a steady, majestic equilibrium among six creatures of great power. He was the light to Cale’s dark. His power was absolute, his judgment obeyed without question, and his true name was Immortal Lord, Sunu Ryuzo. An emperor and a guardian of the Ekho Realm.

“You’ve come from the mortal realm,” Sunu said. “How is my son?”

“Unconscious,” Cale replied, stealing a glance at his brother.

Sunu was dressed in a long, loose white shirt made of natural fibers. It framed his muscular figure to perfection. His legs were in white-fitting trousers, and his feet were in leather sandals. His curly brown hair was cut short. He walked with his hands clasped behind his back. A frown creased his smooth forehead.

“You removed his cuffs,” Sunu said with a heavy sigh. “This child, why is he so stubborn? Why won’t he return to our realm and live happily?”

“Why did you fall in love with Anit?” Cale countered. “Your offspring comes from a stubborn fox mother and power battery named Sunu. He was bound to live a hard life from the start.”

“You are too blunt for your good,” Sunu said, though he did not refute Cale’s observation.

A young girl dashed onto the path, blocking Sunu’s way. She was dressed in a long blue frock, her hair in a thick braid. She held a crown woven with branches and dotted with vibrant blue gentian flowers. She looked up at Sunu, holding the crown with a wide smile.

Sunu chuckled and crouched down, presenting his head for her. She placed the crown of flowers on his head and grinned wide. She held her hand to Sunu, and he slid his palm on hers, blessing her with flecks of gold dust. An infusion of power to help her grow. She thanked him with a kiss on his cheek and then ran back to the forest. Sunu watched her leave with a slight frown.

Still crouched, he looked up at Cale.

“I never got to reward my son with gifts,” Sunu said. “Anit took him to the fox clan when we had to separate. I don’t know who I should be angry with over our current state.”

“The fox clan and the rules of your immortal clan,” Cale said, shaking his head.

“This is his last cycle in the mortal realm,” Sunu said, getting up and ensuring the crown on his head stayed put.

It was an innocent gift. Sunu would keep the crown. Cale knew it. It was what made Sunu the light against the dark.

“He wanted to stay away this last cycle,” Cale said as they continued to the citadel. “He is tired. He is as unlucky as you in love.”

“Ryuzo men have never had a love cycle that lasted,” Sunu said, shaking his head in disappointment. “I did not wish him sadness, but he was too young when he bound his soul to a mortal. I can only hope this last cycle ends quickly. I do not care that he will have failed. I only care that he will be returned to the Ekho Realm. I will have him live with me here at the citadel.”

“What if he chooses my Dark Fort?” Cale asked. “His soul will be ravaged with loss. Do you believe your bright citadel will fill him with joy again?”

“I will not lose my son to anyone else,” Sunu said. “Anit let him live in the mortal realm while he was too young to know what was right or wrong for an Ekho. I allowed it because she was his mother, and she thought it was right. When Tani returns to the Ekho Realm, he will stay with me, Cale. No one will interfere.”

“Is that what you wanted to tell me before the Septum meets?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard your wishes,” Cale said. “What of Tani’s wishes?”

Sunu kept his silence and shook his head.

“His wishes aside, his presence here will give us time to get to know each other,” Sunu said.

Cale shrugged.

Sunu had no idea how stubborn his son was. Tani Ryuzo would do what he wanted. After all, he had loved a mortal for nearly one thousand years and not given up hope. Cale scoffed and shook his head.

“You sent the sentinel to me,” Cale said, changing the subject.

“It seemed fitting,” Sunu said. “There are movements even I cannot decipher. Events are happening that concern me.”

“Such as?” Cale asked.

“I first met Anit in a unique moment of crisis. She was in the Zona Forest, bound by crawling vines. They were doing their best to squeeze the life out of her. I saved her. We fell in love and did not stop to ask why she would be in danger. Then calamity descended on us, brought on by Anit’s transgressions. The fox clan wanted their ruler back. Their laws pulled her back to her clan’s lands. She took Tani with her, leaving me alone in the citadel. In what felt like a blink of my eyes, Tani grew up and bound his soul to a mortal.”

Sunu scoffed, going silent as he contemplated Tani’s decision.

“None of us could convince him it was a mistake,” Sunu said, his voice heavy with grief. “So, he started a thousand-year trial in the mortal realm. I still did not question our family’s bad fortune.”

“You think there is a force behind the bad fortune?” Cale asked.

“Perhaps,” Sunu said, shaking his head. “A feeling has crept over me like it has over the Sentinel. A hidden intent is affecting both Anit and Tani. I cannot find what is hidden from my sight. Since any attempt on my part to find it results in its hiding, let's allow it to come out in the open, encourage the intent, and make it feel safe. This is why I asked the Sentinel to find you. You’re the only one who can have ambiguous intent. It is enough to uncover this unknown actor.”

“What shall the Septum know of this request?” Cale asked as they reached the only private courtyard in Sunu’s Citadel.

The private space was a round atrium with an open sky above. The citadel's walls rose on all sides and were covered with healthy Elderwood trees. Some days, they were blooming; others, like today, the leaves of the trees covered every inch of the walls.

A massive hundred feet tall archway marked the entrance into the atrium. The pillars on each side were carved with Ekho symbols marking the seven immortals allowed into the atrium. Water, Air, Fire, Earth, Wind, Calamity, the Fertility Goddess, and Sunu to govern them all.

Sunu stopped at the entrance.

“You shall only mention Sahdrina’s request,” Sunu said. “I will not offer my thoughts on the matter. Are we in agreement?”

Cale studied his brother.

Sunu’s eyes reminded him of Tani’s amber. He often wondered how Sunu managed to live a life of never seeing his son. Sunu had only seen the first five hundred of Tani’s three thousand and a hundred years old. After that, the tragic rules of the clans descended on a small family.

Tani left the citadel at five hundred, still a baby. He lived with Anit, his mother, for a hundred in the fox clan and ended up in the mortal realm with Amu for the rest of his years.

No wonder Tani chose to love a human. He knew nothing of the wonders of his father’s citadel.

As for Anit, her broken heart left her bitter and unable to look at Sunu and Tani. She refused to meet or talk to them.

And Sunu…his position made it difficult to appear before his son. He relied on Cale’s stories to get to know his son.

Father and son. Cale could not decide which one had a more heartbreaking life.

“Yes,” Cale said when Sunu lifted a brow in question. “Let’s do it your way, brother.”

Sunu nodded and entered the archway. It lit up with gold light, similar to Tani’s power.

Cale smiled and followed his brother into the atrium. The pillars glowed black when he passed through them. The other five members of the Septum were already in attendance. They sat on throne chairs with tall backs and imposing curved headrests. The chairs stood on seven palladium pillars arranged in a circle to fit the atrium, leaving space between them. Sunu stood by his empty chair directly opposite Cale’s empty one.

Cale climbed his pillar, turning his palladium pillar soot dark as he sat down. Sunu sat last, opening his arms wide in an invitation for the meeting to start.

“A massive ripple of Ekho power startled those of our kind in the mortal realm earlier in the day,” Kinon of the fire said. “Is there a reason the little lordling was unbound, Cale?”

“Tani Ryuzo has cleansed black weed from the mortal realm,” Cale reported to the Septum. “The black weed grew deep in the land, spreading for almost fifteen acres. I needed to remove his cuffs to allow a cleansing.”

“Cale, I’m surprised you offered to remove the cuffs,” Helia, the fertility goddess of the Ekho realm, said. All revered her for her ability to grant life and prosperity among all Ekho souls. She brought good fortune.

“I made no such offer,” Cale said, sitting back, elbows resting on the arms of his chair. He clasped his hands with a smirk. “Tani begged me to remove the cuffs.”

“I imagine,” Mizian, the god of air, said. “You enjoy the little lordling’s suffering too much.”

“It is my nature,” Cale said with a shrug.

“Did he manage to heal the earth?” Eren of the earth asked. Her voice filled with concern. “Should I visit the location to supplement his work?”

“He managed to cleanse the soil and heal it,” Cale said. “There were no traces left. You may visit if you wish. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you cared enough.”

Rianon of the water scoffed.

“Don’t tease Eren,” Rianon said. “Tani Ryuzo is never happy to see any of us. We are why he is bound to the mortal world, and the cuffs on his wrists cause him pain now.”

“His trial is almost over,” Kinon said. “He will forgive us when he returns to the Ekho Realm. He does not belong to the mortals no matter how much he loves them.”

Helia looked to Sunu, who sat in silence. A frown graced her forehead as she studied the immortal lord.

“An infection large enough to need the little lordling’s cleansing is cause for concern,” Helia said after a moment. “Kara ot destroys life, Lord Sunu.”

“Cale,” Sunu said. “Kara ot grows most in the Dark Fort. Eren has done her best to cleanse it from our clans’ lands. Do you think someone from your fort might have taken it to the mortal realm?”

“I do not give passage to the gates to my people, nor do they wish to have it,” Cale said. “I’m the only one who has passed the palladium gates lately. The Kara ot in my Dark Fort dares not cling to my fine clothes. The clothes burn it off.”

“Hm,” Sunu said, studying him for a moment before he turned to the rest. “Eren, do you have suggestions? You’re the one who knows where it grows most.”

“I would like to point out that I have not managed to enter the fox clan’s lands for the past one thousand years,” Eren said. “The fox goddess Anit has closed the borders to anyone from the immortal clan, the elemental clans, and the Septum.”

“I have proof of this claim,” Kinon said. “She responds to requests from the immortal clan with burned Elderwood trees at the border. I have taken to smuggling elderberries from their territory through the dragon clan. She will only allow the dragons through.”

“Do you think kara ot would grow in her territory?” Mizian asked, studying Eren.

“It would,” Eren said. “However, Anit is a goddess, second only to Lord Sunu, and generates enough firepower to cleanse it.”

“The fox clan lands are not infested with kara ot, but they live wilder than we do,” Kinon said.

“True, Anit is liberal with the passage at the palladium gates,” Rianon said, her disapproval clear. “There are enough foxes in the mortal realm to start a revolution if they so wanted. Their petty nature might have led to one taking it to the mortal realm.”

“How can we reach her?” Helia asked, shaking her head. Her long red flock dress was embroidered with gold threads that glittered as she shifted in her chair. “We used to be friends, but she has not contacted me much in years.”

Sunu glanced at Cale.

“Cale, take Eren with you as you return to the mortal world. She will inspect the location where Tani cleansed. After, introduce her to Amu,” Sunu said. “Amu will know the condition of the fox clan lands. He might have a way for Eren to visit the fox clan lands.”

“Do you think Amu will listen to me?” Eren asked.

“He is a diplomat,” Cale said. “He will give you a chance to make your case.”

“We need to discover who would take black weed to the mortal realm and allow it to grow so large,” Kinon said. “That blight can wipe out an entire realm if left unchecked. It will not be good if the ekhos are responsible for the end of the human realm.”

“Agreed,” the others echoed.

“We’ll wait to hear your good news, Eren,” Mizian said.

“Speaking of news,” Cale said. “Sahdrina has requested my help. She seeks the identity of a veiled creature crossing the palladium gates with ambiguous intent. I told her I will bring it to the Septum before I give my answer.”

“The god of calamity fulfilling a sentinel’s request is unheard of,” Kinon said. “Why did she not ask any of us?”

“When was the last time you passed through the palladium gates?” Mizian asked with a chuckle.

Kinon sat back in his chair, his palladium tower burning hot as he bit his bottom lip.

Mizian shook his head at Kinon’s temper.

“Why did she not approach Lord Sunu?” Helia asked. “I passed the gates yesterday; she did not make a request of me?”

“Perhaps she is worried the ekho in question is dangerous,” Eren said. “It happens. None of us like confrontation.”

“I don’t mind confrontation,” Kinon said with a scowl. “Mizian is always full of mischief. Not to mention Rianon, who is always fighting with Mizian over the quantities of rain, wind, and the resulting floods. Eren, not everyone is as gentle as you.”

“Clearly, I was the only one she could approach,” Cale said then.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rianon demanded, glaring at Cale, the water in her pillar turning turbulent.

“Sahdrina must have thought I’m the calmest of you lot,” Cale said, shaking his head. “Lord Sunu is saddled with many babbling teenagers in this Septum.”

“Say that again,” Kinon threatened, his eyes burning with fire.

“Just because I cannot drown you doesn’t mean I can’t fill your head with water, Cale,” Rianon scowled.

“We can always set the Dark Fort on fire,” Mizian said. “I’ll urge the flames to come to life so you can't turn it off.”

“If he manages to curb the fire, I’ll flood the fort,” Rianon said, getting up.

“Order,” Sunu said, his voice laced with power that had them quiet and Rianon sitting. “Sahdrina’s request is made; the Septum must consent for Cale to answer her.”

“I consent,” Helia said, surprising Rianon.

“Me too,” Eren said, smiling at Cale. “Sahdrina must truly need help to have approached Cale.”

Kinon, Mizian, and Rianon held their silence for a moment. Then Mizian cursed under his breath and nodded his consent.

“As long as Cale gives the name of this creature to the Septum, I consent,” Kinon said, leaving Rianon.

“Helia’s question remains. Aren’t you curious?” Rianon asked, her frown deepening as she studied Cale. “Why would Sahdrina approach Cale instead of Lord Sunu?”

“Cale travels the gates more often,” Mizian said. “He is the most conversant with the palladium gates. Sahdrina has seen more of him than she has, Lord Sunu.”

“Perhaps,” Rianon said, turning her gaze to Sunu. “My Lord, what do you think I should say?”

“I will not interfere with your decision,” Sunu answered.

Rianon frowned, but she turned to Cale. “I consent, as long the Septum gains the knowledge, too.”

“It is decided then. Cale shall help the Sentinel,” Sunu said, ending the discussion.

“What of the little lordling?” Helia asked. “He must be injured by the cuffs.”

“We cannot interfere,” Cale said, his dark gaze landing on Helia. “I still oversee the trial you placed on his shoulders. He shall endure the pain.”

“Truly, the god of calamity never misses an opportunity to relish other people’s pain,” Kinon said with a sigh.

“I will not apologize for my nature. I’ll remind you again that I’m only carrying out this Septum’s wishes as directed by the five of you,” Cale said. “I did not decide to make the cuffs on the little lordling’s wrists bring him pain. You lot made those plans when Kinon forged the cuffs.”

Sunu closed his eyes because he could not vote on Tani’s punishment. Nor was he allowed to interfere to ease Tani’s pain or bring him comfort in any way.

Cale was exempt from the decision, too, because of his relationship with Sunu.

The four elementals and the fertility goddess thus formulated Tani’s punishment and made Cale the executioner. He was the best warden to keep Tani in line. He had yet to forgive them. It was not pleasant watching Tani in pain or watching his brother live a life without his son.

“If your questions are answered on the power released in the mortal realm, I will excuse myself,” Cale said, standing. “I have matters to attend to at the Dark Fort before I head back to the human realm.”

“The meeting is adjourned,” Sunu said, his tone low, strained.

Cale looked at him and sighed when Sunu disappeared from where he sat.

“You claim my Dark Fort is full of ill intent. I wonder what you harbor in your elemental domains when you make such comments before Lord Sunu. Eren, I’ll meet you at the palladium gates tomorrow morning,” Cale said, and then, with one last glare at Kinon, he left the atrium, too.

****

At the Arturo Vineyard, in the majestic manor the Arturo family called Artri House, Tani rested on a large bed with comfortable blue sheets. He was dressed down in comfortable sweatpants borrowed from Dante’s closet. His t-shirt and jeans were already in the washing machine in the laundry room.

No sheet covered him, and his red-brown hair was damp with sweat. His body shook with unending spasms, his jaw clenched tight as though to keep his mouth shut, allowing no sound to escape his lips. The muscles on his arms were taut as he clenched his fingers in tight fists. Held himself tight, in place as best as he could.

Dante could only assume the spasms Tani endured were pain-filled. They were alone in the room. Hera was downstairs making a list of items for Tom to bring back from their home. A home Dante realized they all shared somewhere in the Elderwood Conservancy. Nora was in the basement in search of a healing spell that would help an Ekho.

Dante was sure she would call the family grandmaster and his father in. He shuddered at the thought.

Reaching for the white washcloth in the bowl resting on the bedside table, he squeezed out warm water. He used the washcloth to wipe the sweat off Tani’s brow. He wiped off sweat beads on Tani’s flawless hairline, passing the cloth over Tani’s hair. He changed direction and brought the cloth to wipe at Tani’s neck, along his ears, where he noticed five Elderwood leaves made of gold, decorating Tani’s right earlobe like earrings. He leaned closer to inspect them, expecting to find pins on the other side, but they did not have pins. The leaves were part of Tani’s skin.

Dante had not noticed them before. Perhaps because of Tani’s hair falling over his ear or the glamour he dropped earlier in the olive grove.

A hard spasm racked through Tani again. Dante dropped the washcloth on the pillow. He placed his hands on Tani’s forearms, holding him in place, pouring healing energy into Tani’s body as much as possible. He wanted to ease Tani’s pain any way he could.

To Dante’s shock, Tani’s eyes opened slightly, eyes shining like gold.

Tani let out a soft moan and then bit his lip hard as the spasms increased in force.

“Let go of him,” Hera said behind him.

Dante could not let go of Tani when he kept trembling as though his body wanted to explode into pieces. He could only hold on and hope to keep Tani together.

“You are adding to the pain,” Hera said, gently touching Dante’s shoulder. “Stop giving him your healing energy; you will see I’m telling the truth.”

Dante hissed, horrified by the thought of adding to Tani’s pain. He drew back his power, and the spasms slowed. Tani’s eyes closed. He breathed easier and seemed to return to a point of rest.

Dante let go of Tani and stood; shaking his head, he moved away from the bed.

“Why?” Dante asked, watching Hera take his place next to Tani.

She took the white towel he had been using and rinsed it in the bowl of warm water. She then wiped down Tani’s bare chest. Her movements were efficient, as though she did it for a living. It was clear to him that this was not the first time she had cared for Tani. She was careful not to touch Tani in her ministrations.

Hera wiped down Tani’s right arm, pausing when she reached the gold cuff around Tani’s wrist.

“You must have seen the terrible power Babu released today,” Hera said as she wiped Tani’s fist, wincing as she worked to open Tani’s fingers to wipe dirt off his hand. “When Cale takes off the cuffs, it floods out of him like pressurized water breaking the walls of a large dam. It is terrifying, suffocating power, isn’t it?”

Dante crossed his arms against his chest, gazing at Tani’s face. He leaned on the wall closest to the bed, unable to look away, taking in the beads of sweat that had appeared on Tani’s brow again.

“I couldn’t breathe when he first let it out,” Dante agreed with Hera’s assessment of Tani’s power.

“That’s right, it’s suffocating,” Hera nodded.

She returned the washcloth to the bowl and sat beside Tani without touching him. Her gaze fixed on the gold cuffs. Tani clenched his hands into fists again as a tremor swept through his body. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Dante understood Hera’s worry.

She reached up to wipe off the tear on her right cheek.

“The cuffs are restraining that awful power. It fights back, wanting release after so long in captivity. Babu’s body suffers until he can control the effects the cuffs place upon him. He will sometimes bleed, but today, he seems to be doing his best to hold it together.”

Tani’s eyes opened again as if on cue, glowing gold for a few minutes before he closed them, and his torso arched off the bed in a hard spasm. Tani’s jaw was locked tight, but a strangled cry escaped his clenched teeth.

The sound of the harsh cry had Hera getting up in a panic. Her eyes filled with horror as she reached for Tani, but then she could not touch him. Her hands hovered over him for a moment, frantic. Then she turned a panicked gaze to Dante.

He was surprised when she lunged for him, grabbing his right arm and pulling him to the bed.

“I cannot control my elemental gifts,” Hera said, shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “If I touch him, my power seeps into him. I bring him more pain. I notice you can control yours. You pulled it back and held him. So, hold him down, Dante. Please hold Babu down.”

Dante nodded and knelt on the bed.

A rippling blaze flooded his senses when he pressed his palm on Tani’s flat stomach. Tani’s skin was hot to the touch, damp with sweat. He fought his first instinct, which was to caress, slide his fingers over smooth skin, and memorize the contours of Tani’s muscles as they arched into his touch.

Hera watched him with tear-filled eyes.

Pushing back his urges, Dante pressed Tani’s abdomen down to the bed. He straddled Tani’s body and placed his right hand on Tani’s left shoulder, holding him in place as Tani continued trembling in violent spasms.

Tani’s eyes fixed on him. He unclenched his fingers from the tight fists and bunched the sheets tightly for the first time. Dante noticed the change, holding Tani’s gaze as the gold intensified. Heat seeped into his left palm. Dante dragged his gaze away from Tani’s face to where his palm rested on sweat-coated skin. His hand was covered in a gold mist that seemed to pulse at the point of contact. Pulling on the heat from Tani’s body.

An idea filled his head. One he had tested during his training days with the grandmaster but had never had an opportunity to try in a real setting. No powerful beings had crossed his path until now. The heat rolling off Tani made him hot, his cock hardened, and he bit his lip hard to stop a soft moan.

They needed to be alone.

Dante glanced at Hera. He needed to get her out of the room.

“My mother is finding a healing spell in the basement of this house,” Dante said. “Take the stairs down. When you reach the front hall, head to the kitchen. You will find an open door leading to the basement before you reach the kitchen. Tell my mother to hurry.”

“There was no door there,” Hera said, shaking her head.

“Trust me, you will find a door,” Dante said, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. “Go, I’ll watch over your Babu.”

Hera wiped away her tears, hesitating as her gaze remained on Tani’s gritted teeth.

“Why do you call him Babu?” Dante asked, curious.

“It means grandfather in my language,” Hera said, a fond smile coming through the worry. “I’m his ward. He has taken care of me all my life. I hate to see him in so much pain.”

“Alright. Hera, the only way to ease his pain is if you head downstairs. Mom won’t know to hurry unless you tell her.” Dante promised him. “Go. I’ll watch over him.”

“Okay,” Hera said, then sprinted out of the room.

Dante let go of Tani and slammed the door closed with his will, ensuring the lock turned. Pulling off his shirt, he threw it on the carpeted floor and gripped Tani’s arms.

Dante pulled Tani up, making him sit, helping the unconscious ekho cross his legs. He slid his right hand to the back of Tani’s head, holding him in place.

“Tani,” Dante murmured, sweeping damp red hair away from Tani’s face when locks of it fell over Tani’s eyes.

Tani’s closed eyes made his heartache. The ice around Dante’s heart broke another inch, and the urge to restore Tani’s health filled him up. Tani trembled again, hands shaking with the effort to hold himself together.

Dante cursed under his breath.

“I don’t know what is pulling me closer to you,” Dante said, his gaze dropped to Tani’s lips.

Tani bit his bottom lip, working hard to keep from crying out.

Dante brushed a thumb over Tani’s ravaged lip, hoping to ease the bite, but Tani only whimpered and bit harder. Dante let out a sigh of defeat.

“If what Hera says about your cuffs is true, my mother’s spells will not help. They will only infuse more healing energy into you, hurting you more. You’re left with my methods,” Dante said, crossing his legs so that his knees pressed to Tani’s knees. “I will help you.”

Dante’s hand slipped from Tani’s neck, and he fell back on the bed. Dante gripped Tani’s bare arms, his fingers tightening around Tani’s elbows. He pulled Tani into a sitting position so they now faced each other.

A violent tremble rolled through Tani. Dante gripped his arms, holding him in place as Tani’s head tilted back, his eyes sparking gold. For a moment, Dante stared at the elegant arc of Tani’s neck, the perfect line of his chin, his ravaged lips open in a whisper of a murmur, up to the elegant curve of his nose, to half-closed eyes. He wanted to press a kiss on Tani’s forehead, his lips, but this was not the time.

It surprised him that he wanted time for the kisses later.

Dante smiled and tightened his hold on Tani’s arms. He murmured the spell to bind his energy with Tani’s, and thin conduit lines formed on Dante’s arms, moving to his wrists and then to his fingertips. He moaned softly when the lines wrapped around Tani’s elbows, moving along Tani’s arms to the gold cuffs on Tani’s wrists.

Tani opened his eyes then, meeting Dante’s gaze. His eyes changed from gold to amber, like a sparking light.

“W-what a-are y-y-you doing?” Tani asked, his voice a trembling mess. “I—I’m—n—ngh, not i-in control…burn you to a crisp.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Tani Ryuzo. I’m born of fire,” Dante said with confidence.

“Don’t want to hurt you, Dante. D-don’t—” Tani started to protest, only to stop when he trembled in earnest, losing focus.

“Acını paylaş. Yakacağım,” Dante said, speaking the spell and bringing it to life.

Dante let out a harsh gasp as fine pain flooded him from Tani. Pooling inside him like a sharp knife scraping over his skin. He held the pain, using the fire in his very blood to burn the pain. Making sure to isolate his powers, not allowing them to follow the conduits to find Tani. Instead, he siphoned Tani’s pain, dragging it to the pillar of the flame inside him, doing his best to burn it. More waves of pain filled him faster than he expected.

Tani gripped Dante’s elbows then, fighting to control the wave of pain going into Dante.

“Y-you’re a-an i-idiot,” Tani said at some point, then shifted and pressed his forehead to Dante’s, merging himself in Dante’s spell.

Dante closed his eyes, taking steadying breaths as they worked to balance.

Tani wished he could stop Dante, but the spell to burn off his pain felt good. It eased the burden on his body, allowing him to regain control over his power as the cuffs on his wrists demanded. The binding walls holding his power were no longer overflowing to the brim, threatening to break his veins and arteries and leave him bleeding.

Dante gripped his elbows tighter and sighed as a balance started. Dante pulled in a beat of pain, burned it off, and pulled another wave.

The spasms racking Tani eased, reducing to manageable trembles.

Tani breathed easier, and then shock filled him as he realized a part of Dante’s fire was seeping into him through the conduits on their arms. A part of Dante… a tiny part of Dante’s fire soul. Its white-hot aura burned bright as it escaped the tightly bound conduits on Tani’s arms. Sliding up Tani’s left arm of its own free will, filling Tani with delight as it raced to his chest.

Tani gaped as it sank into his heart, filling it with warmth. It was a slight drop in an ocean that had stayed still for nine hundred years. It was a small part of Dante’s soul, but the first Tani ever received.

When he opened his eyes to look into Dante’s brown eyes, he could not help but cry. Tears slid down his cheeks unrestrained.

Dante panicked.

“Did I burn you?” Dante asked, still clutching Tani’s elbows.

The pain had reduced, the spasms gone, as Tani managed to control his power. Dante’s strange choice to bind a small part of himself to Tani was the only thing out of control.

“Big idiot,” Tani said, fighting down a sob. He looked away from Dante, his tears still falling.

****