I made myself look presentable as I would soon be meeting up with Gadwall. He had rushed into my room earlier and asked to meet me at 'our special spot'. It was an extremely special spot with a wealth of memories. We would meet up there on our days off and fuck. I smiled as this was something to look forward to.
I shook my head as the realization dawned on me that I needed to be cleaned. No need to have the scent of last night's fucking on my skin. I didn't want to remember what would've happened if the Nieth had agreed. Yushan most likely would've spent awhile with me before he agreed to help. Today I only wanted to think of Gadwall.
A sigh left my lips as all the holes in the wall were taken in the washing room. Some people were having sex and the rest were just ignoring them. The scent of last night would have to linger on me. The only other option was to go into the pool. While the scent of last night would be removed from my skin, the stench of the pool would linger on me for weeks. My body smelling horrible wouldn't make for good sex.
There was no choice left for me but to continue getting dressed. That I did and made my way to our special spot. Soon the buildings of Fero faded into the background. Instead of buildings, common people, and street vendors around me there was nothing but trees alongside a path. This path would allow trade and commerce between towns. In the forest lived the poorest Nieth as rent was extremely cheap. The only other people to live near the outskirts were Ghosts and those who didn't want to be bothered. The hopeful thought of seeing Mont entered my mind and I tried desperately to push it away.
Just as the thought was nearly gone I looked to see Mont fucking a man on a ledge. He had explained this to me before and I had cringed. Ghosts weren't able to get money and so had to pay by favors. In this case the man who rented him the house wanted to be fucked. Even as I cringed from the sight before me, I was intrigued.
Mont's muscles were prominent yet still allowed his body to look normal. There were some humans that seemed to be infested by muscles. Sweat dripped down his body as his face was pointed upwards. His mouth agape. For a moment I imagined he was fucking me. My eyes closed to experience the daydream better.
His hands were on my hips as he continued to fuck me from behind. With each thrust I would yell out in pleasure. He would fuck me much differently than Gadwall did. The fighter was young and not as experienced. The older men understood how to take their time. How to pleasure their lover first and themselves second. Mont must understand that.
Mont wouldn't just fuck me from behind, he would look into my eyes as he had sex with me. He would lift me up and I would wrap my legs around his waist. He would push me against a wall and kiss me. His lips would feel perfect. That was the only word my mind could think of.
I shook my head and forced myself into the present. It wouldn't do to dream about fucking Mont. It would never happen. We were just friends and he might want something more. He might want more commitment than I could ever offer. If Tis ever found out about Mont, the man would be killed. I did my best to show that Gadwall was nothing other than a man to fulfill my needs. While he was a good friend, I could survive his death.
I walked away quickly and was glad neither Mont or the human seemed to have noticed me. The river's sounds entered my ears and there was a smile on my lips. It took fifteen minutes to walk down to the river. This due to the fact it was a difficult path. It gave me a way to take my mind off reality for a few minutes. All that existed for me now was to make sure none of my footsteps sent me to my death.
Once my feet were on level ground, my eyes looked around the area. There were flowers alongside the river. They had red stems and green petals. A few butterflies ate from them. This was what life should be. A simple affair with no worries. All that one should have to do was enjoy life. If only that was the way my life was. If only Tis wasn't my brother. If only I had the ability to make my own life choices. Once I became a wyvern rider I would make everything right. No longer would humans be under control of the Nieth. Either people would agree to this or they would die.
Mont... I had to stop thinking of him as a sexual partner. Tis might not mind me being something more with Gadwall, but a Ghost was different. A Ghost could become a rider again. Once Mont was a rider again he could make me one also. My brother's control would then be nonexistent. If I ever showed I was too close to the Ghost, Tis would have him killed.
"Mont." I whispered under my breath.
How had my feelings for him even formed? He had been a rider which should've only made me interested in him. The way I felt for him, or thought I felt, was beyond simple interest. Gadwall was the only one who could be more than a friend to me. He was safe and I liked him.
It was a few hours until I saw Gadwall walking down. We waved at each other and he hugged me once he was by the river. On his back I felt a small package. It was a small blanket and things were inside it. He quickly set up a little picnic. It was a simple affair with bread.
"We can get water from the river." Gadwall pointed out. "I tried to steal some fish from the kitchens. Damn cook was there today. I thought he was going to take the day off but...he must have been making a special meal for Nerys. He fancies her."
"That's just a rumor." I replied and started to eat the bread. "He's a Nieth, he doesn't really want anything to do with her. Since she is trusted by Tis to watch over me. he must think being by her side will earn him a promotion. Something more than being a cook at a coliseum."
"It's strange to think of the masters as not being all powerful. That there is a ranking system amongst them. That there can be poor and rich Nieth. If you weren't a hybrid, you would have your brother's place."
"Why do you say that?"
"Your father didn't want you to die. A master didn't want a slave to die. If you were a Nieth his love for you would only be greater."
"And then I might have to constantly watch out for Tis not to kill me. Which wouldn't be too much different from the present."
We finished our bread and walked to the river. I jumped in and stayed under for as long as I could. The cool water was much different than the humid air. The substance around me felt pure. When I came up for air I saw Gadwall looking at me. His eyes drifting over my wet skin and clothing with a smile on his face. For a few hours we could pretend that life was much different. That there were no Nieth masters and humans had freedom. A dream that neither of us could ever see. But at least we had these few precious hours.
"Come in here and you can take my clothes off." I said with a wink.
"Or you can do the honors." Gadwall said and sat down.
I took off my top and threw it on shore. I arched my back and he leaned his head down. I threw each article of clothing on the shore before swimming near the center of the river. The pull was gentle and easy to resist. Gadwall quickly took off his own clothing and jumped in. He must have lived by the sea before coming to Fero. That was the only way to explain how he was so graceful in the water.
Gadwall swam to me and for a few moments we stayed in each other's arms. We didn't move except to stay in the center of the river. We didn't move except to make sure we didn't lose sight of our special spot. As I was engulfed by peace he kissed me. I put my arms around his neck as his hands went to the small of my back.
Then they went to my legs. I assisted in wrapping them around his waist. We both took a deep breath as we went under water. He pushed me against the riverbed as he entered me. He worked hard for every thrust he did. I yelled a soundless scream of pleasure. The lack of oxygen only increased our pleasure before we were forced to surface.
We let go of each other and raced to shore. I beat him by a few seconds. In that short amount of time I lay on my back and spread my legs. Gadwall crawled up on shore and kissed my inner things. The heat of his mouth was a stark contrast to the cold of the water. I laughed at the sensation and then moaned. He was young and yet experienced. He must have had many partners before me. Just like me. Though Gadwall had been the first partner I cared about.
"Aaaaah!" I moaned and leaned my head back.
His mouth and tongue worked wonders on my cunt. Each movement was deliberate. Each decision brought me closer to the edge. My eyes were closed so I could focus on every sensation. Every wave of pleasure that washed over me.
Just as I was close to orgasm he stopped and sat up. I sat on his lap and kissed him as his cock entered me. Immediately I started riding him. His body had given me no other choice. And when he started sucking my tits I had no more control. I didn't want any control, either.
My child. A strange yet familiar voice told me. You know where you belong. You know your destiny. Ride me and we can become one. You will become a wyvern rider as that's what you were always meant to be. You will become a rider as Jorn is on the cusp of change. It is your destiny, no matter if you accept it or not.
"I accept it!" I replied in a strangled voice as I came. "I accept!"
I didn't know whether the voice or the orgasm was more pleasurable. I rode Gadwall harder and felt him start to shiver. A clear sign that he was about to cum. Once he orgasmed my mind was distracted from the voice. Afterwards we just looked at each other. He smiled and we kissed each other again. Once I got up from his lap I stretched.
"That's new." Gadwall said.
"Everything is strange." I replied. "Jorn will never be the same."
He looked at me oddly but said nothing. The voice had said Jorn was about to go through a great change. Was it possible me becoming a wyvern rider could affect it? Or that it just happened I'd be a rider at such a critical time? I didn't care about being a hero, I just wanted to make some change in Horngul. I wanted humans to not be slaves any longer.
"What was it with that voice you used?" Gadwall asked. "In all my time of knowing you, you've never sounded like that. It was as if another creature was speaking with your mouth."
"I had a vision." I replied. "Something was talking with me. It wasn't like anything I've heard before. Not even when Tis tormented me with one of his drugs. It was a strange voice and yet...yet I've heard it before. As much as it was unfamiliar, it was extremely familiar."
"Was it your father? Aren't hybrids able to talk to the dead?"
"No, that's a myth. Besides, the voice was neither female or male. It was both and neither."
I tried to think harder about the voice. It had been so clear before and yet the memory was quickly becoming blurry. The sound was nearly muted no matter how hard I tried to recall it. The words, though, would always be remembered. That reassurance was something my soul needed. The words reminded me that there was hope. That one day I'd be a wyvern rider. It was my destiny.
"What did it say?" Gadwall asked.
"That Jorn is on the cusp of change." I told him. "That one day I'll become a wyvern rider and that it's my destiny."
"Are you sure that you can trust this voice? If you don't know whose it is, I don't think you should blindly follow it."
He was right, of course. A person shouldn't blindly follow an unknown voice just because it said something they liked. I wanted the life of my fellow humans to change and I yearned to ride a wyvern. A strange voice saying what I wanted should be suspect. As should Gadwall's warning. The voice was saying everything he didn't want.
"Maybe I've been chosen by the Wyvern." I said softly. "Maybe I am one of the few chosen riders called to its service."
All wyvern riders were called by the Wyvern. And once a rider connected with a wyvern, they were connected to a hive-like mind. They were all individuals yet all became servants to its will. Hence how hard it was for human wyvern riders to rebel against the Nieth. But chosen riders were able to guide the hive-like mind in different directions. Even the Wyvern knew that change was the only way to survive at times. If everything stayed the same then it would die quickly as the world evolved around it.
Chosen riders were made during times of great change. During a time when the world would become something new. During the Great War there were many chosen riders. For what reason none knew. It could've been a response to the actions of the Nieth, though the theory was considered blasphemous for obvious reasons.
"Or you were imagining things." Gadwall pointed out. "You want to believe you're chosen."
"And you want to believe I'm never going to become a wyvern rider." I retorted. "You don't want to believe I can be anything more than I am."
"I don't want you to get hurt."
I glared at him. We were supposed to view each other as friends at most. We weren't supposed to care too deeply about each other. We weren't supposed to care if the other lived or died. We could mourn, of course, but we weren't to become too involved with each other's lives. Yet Gadwall kept intruding into my life. Kept forcing himself into a place that wasn't his. I wanted to push him away but I couldn't. We would forever be in this cage until we died.
"Don't you care about your own safety?" Gadwall asked. "Think about how much you're risking to become a rider. Think about how much you're risking once you go through training. Aren't you thinking at all?"
"I risk my life every day in the arena." I pointed out. "Every day I am unsure if I'll see another sunrise. You can't bring up my safety when danger is my life."
I could tell that he wanted to say more. Thankfully he was able to restrain himself on the matter. At least verbally. His facial expression was full of anger. His hands formed into fists as he calmed himself down. The moment he unclenched his hands was when I moved towards him.
"Even if you do become a rider, that doesn't mean you'll change anything." Gadwall said. "I've known many human wyvern riders that originally wanted to change things. Do you know how many managed to? None. Once they became riders their entire outlook on life changed. They begin to serve the Nieth like every other rider before them. Don't you think I want to be free? But you can't take such a risk for something that might not work."
"And if the voice is right?" I asked. "If I am a chosen rider then there is the possibility for change. There's the possibility I won't be chained to the Nieth."
"What did it mean by Jorn is on the cusp of change? Are you sure that's a good thing? What if your only purpose of becoming a rider is to spread the Nieth plague from Horngul to the furthest points of Jorn?"
That was a possibility I didn't want to think about. The voice had said a great change but had never clarified that fact. It could be that Tis wanted to extend his rule outside of Thar to all of Horngul. And from there to the rest of Jorn. If I became a wyvern rider I could help him in his quest. Bile started to come up whenever the image of me by his side came to mind. It would be the moment in time he would never forget.
As he aged and I stayed youthful, he would grin widely. His conquest of Jorn would have bloodied my hands. The worst part would be that my mind wouldn't find anything wrong with that. From all accounts, people's outlook on the world changed greatly once they became riders. If that did come to pass maybe the Wyvern would allow me to kill him. Even if my mind didn't take any joy from the action.
"I won't be able to resist the call, Gadwall." I told him and sat down, my feet cooled down by the river. "Once you are driven by the wyvern's call, you can't resist it. You can't run from it and deny your own destiny."
"Doesn't the idea frighten you, Liaban?" Gadwall asked and sat beside me.
"It doesn't. Though the fact it doesn't is slightly unnerving. The possibility of being used by Tis should stop me from pursuing my dreams. But it doesn't. It's as though the call has become stronger. There's no escape for me at this point."
My friend put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. We kissed and then rested our foreheads against each other. This moment, this day, was peaceful even as we argued. It hadn't been often I thought of how to recognize love. How to recognize if the one you knew had feelings for you and you had feelings for them. How to decide if you should give up your entire being to another. It was too risky for me to ever consider. Yet, in moments like these, I wondered if I didn't love Gadwall or if I was just too frightened.
"You can have whatever future you want." Gadwall reassured me. "Your destiny is your own. You're not the toy of anyone."
"But if I'm to find any solitude in my life as a gladiator, I'll have to admit to being a toy." I replied and pulled away. "Accepting my current position means living as my brother's toy. He can decide at any time to give me an impossible task and watch as I struggle. One day I will die because one of his tasks was too much. I can't keep surviving the impossible."
"You could be transfe-"
"No I couldn't. My brother is feared even among the masters. His cruelty is legendary even to them. Who would dare lift a finger and move their tail for me? None would. Tis will never let me out of his control. Being a wyvern rider means freedom from him. It means being able to live life as I want to."
"Would you come back for me?"
"I owe you that much."
That wasn't a lie. Gadwall had given me his friendship. No matter what happened between us, as soon as I became a rider I would rescue him. Riders were able to make demands that even the highest ranking Nieth would have to listen to. At that point no one could deny me my wants. Masters would bow before me and grant me any request.
Maybe it would be possible to land in the arena and grant Gadwall an amazing exit. Then we would part ways forever. Life as a rider was full of hardships and relationships with mortals wasn't recommended. They would waste away while you continued to live. It was a more merciful option to let them go. Though there were riders who managed to have mortal wives and husbands. I leaned against my friend and knew my feelings for him didn't stretch that far.
My eyes shut and I imagined what it must be like to ride a wyvern. My mind would connect and his senses would become mine. It was one thing to look at the graceful creatures and quite another to be one. My eyes would be able to see for miles. I could be high up in the sky and able to see a human as though we were walking together. I would be able to see Tis long before he could hope to see me. I could kill him.
The wind would be my guide. It would make flying easier or harder. It would paint pathways in the sky that, with practice, I could navigate. Flying was the one part of being a rider that thrilled me the most. The biographies of past riders spoke of flying as the most freeing thing. Some would spend days in the sky with only brief moments of rest. I needed that kind of peace as my life afforded me small comforts.
"You're thinking of being a rider, aren't you?" Gadwall asked.
"I'm thinking of flying." I admitted. "The riders say that flying affords them more freedom than anything else. Such a simple thing allows them to calm down their minds from everything."
"I am perfectly fine with my feet on the ground. Being so high up means any problem equals your death."
"It's a thrill."
"It's insanity."
We broke up into laughter. Maybe I wouldn't torment him with a ride on my wyvern. It would be kinder to find another way to free him. Possibly have Nerys give the declaration. Though doing so would mean she'd irritate my brother more than her initial mistake of losing control. But none of those future plans mattered now. All that mattered was Gadwall's laughter and my own.
We started to play fight and he pushed me into the water. He jumped after me and soon we were a mess of limbs. Each of us rolling struggling to have the other give up. But neither of us would dare give us. That wouldn't be fun. I managed to push him onto the shore.
"Admit it." I said.
"Make me." He replied.
I kissed him and every tension in his body disappeared. Our fight had ceased to mattered. We stopped kissing before our passion started another round of fucking. It was such a beautiful day with the sun and wind. The smells entered our noses and we lay there for hours until it was time to go.
Gadwall left as I got changed. For awhile after he was gone I sat on a boulder. My dreams might take me away from him and we could have our final parting. His eyes would be full of tears while my own...I did not know. If I did become a rider would he change his mind? Why did the thought of him not next to me scare me so?
Finally I needed to move and started heading back home. Mont was sitting on the side of the path. His sightless eyes staring at something only he could see. His body seemed worn and not from the fucking. No, that he could endure. It must be the shame of having to whore himself out that was getting at him.
"Gadwall passed by a short time ago." Mont said and came back to the present. "Did you two fight again?"
"Yes." I replied and sat down next to him.
"He is right to be worried about you becoming a rider. He is not insensitive for trying to stop you. In fact, he is the exact opposite."
"So are you saying I should just be content about my life?"
"No I'm not. But you shouldn't argue so much about it. Some battles don't need to be fought."
For the most part I liked the talks with Mont. But this one was different. It was the first time he was taking a side. Yet I still admired the Ghost. The advice he was giving was more than true. He wasn't suggesting I stop trying to become a rider, he was only stating it wasn't wise to get rid of one of the few friends I had. Without Gadwall my life in the coliseum would be less fulfilling. Hardly anyone else was there to talk and comfort me.
"It won't be easy, Mont." I replied. "Becoming a rider is the most important thing in my life. Without it I'd have to accept the lot Tis has given me. I might not fight as hard because there would be no use."
"That is not true." Mont said. "There are some people that will fight no matter the odds. Some people don't care if they will ultimately lose, they care about fighting. Those people know they can't win but will make their opponents earn a victory. You are like that, Liaban. Your brother got the gift of cruelty while you got the gift of heroism."
"If I'm a hero don't I have to beat something?"
"There is more to being a hero than victory. It's how one reacts to adversity that determines if they are a hero, villain, or something in between."
From anyone else I would think they were trying to be kind. But Mont was different. He was a kind man but he didn't give a compliment unless a person deserved it. He also wasn't saying I would kill Tis or become a rider. Just that it was in me to do so. He was giving me hope without demeaning me or promising a future that would never come.
"Do you think I am?" I asked. "Do you think I have it in me?"
"You haven't been properly tested." Mont admitted. "It is more than clear that you can fight. You can fight whatever dangers come at you. But a hero isn't just a fighter. A hero isn't just someone who can kill everyone around them. No, a hero is much more. A hero can make the hard decisions and give people hope."
"You make me feel hope."
"You don't really know me. You don't know what secrets I hide. It could be that I am the opposite of what you need right now."
Mont's breathing had increased slightly. The signs of arousal were there, though muted. His body yearned for mine just as mine did for his. He had shown such signs in the past and yet this time was different. This time he was hovering on the edge and thinking about jumping. I should back away now as my presence would only threaten him. As long as my brother had control over my life, anyone connected to wyverns was in danger from me. It was stupid to stay here and yet I did so.
His hands were old and yet strong. I wondered how nimble his fingers could be. How they could tease my nipples and pleasure my cunt. In the back of my mind I wondered if I'd be cheating on Gadwall by kissing Mont. If the trust we had gathered would be erased by one simple kiss. Did Gadwall's feelings matter? My friend would never need to find out about this. It wasn't as if gladiators had a long lifespan. Not even the good ones.
I leaned my head up to test the waters. Realizing my mistake, I brought his fingers to my face. Mont hesitated before running his fingers over my lips. For so long I had wondered what this would feel like. Now I knew. His fingers felt much different than Gadwall's. Mont's fingers were more worn and yet they felt more skilled. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be risking his life for a simple kiss.
Yet neither of us could stop. Both of us had started something that demanded to be finished. He leaned and his lips hovered over mine. He was so close and time was going too slowly. Every breath took ages.
"You know what this will mean." Mont said. "Do tell me you know."
"Both of us are doomed to die anyways." I replied.
He kissed me deeply. We kissed as if yearning for this moment to last forever. Both of us knowing it wouldn't. Both of us knowing this was merely a moment in time.
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The Wyvern's Call Table of Contents
The Thief and the Ghost Table of Contents
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