To The Victor Goes The Spoils


    Part 1)

    One might wonder when you start a tale of your life when the tale was written long before you were actually born. It gives you a moments pause when you realize that no matter the decisions you make, it will always have been preordained.

    That is, if you believe....

    In the time when man returns to the old ways, there shall come two brothers who will rise up and battle for supremacy. One of the Light and one of the Dark. Their blood penned by the gods of long ago, seeking a balance that only a like-kind can give them. A merging of one godly line with another, ensuring the prize of immortality and death for the other.


    "You know what the prophecy says, Janor!" Roared a voice of ethereal power. "It is your destiny!"

    "Destiny be damned!" Echoed Janor, son of Ithice the Red. "I will live my life as I choose!" The fiery hiss of blazing anger was all that distinguished father from son.

    Ithice the Red, son of a Viking god looked down on his sons and sighed. It had always been like this. Since the day his sons were brought into this world they have fought what lay ahead for them. To change the prophecy was beyond powers of such as he and Ithice knew it. More then once he had struggled to find a way to save his children but it was all for not. It was set in stone by the hand of the First, making it an unbreakable law.

    "Baul, can't you reason with him?" Ithice tried in vain to get the younger twin to side with him. He should have known better because although the siblings rarely saw eye to eye, they never bonded with him against the other.

    The fair haired younger twin just looked at his father with a slightly bored gaze. "I have no wish to kill Janor, father. You can not make us undertake this quest."

    "Argh! You two are insufferable. Get out of my sight!" Ithice the Red yelled.

    As he watched his sons leave the great hall, he sighed in helpless woe. It had begun. Whether Janor took up the banner or not, the quest had begun. Ithice knew Baul was preparing to seek out the line of Ostara. And then Ithice would be forced to watch one of his sons die... forever.



    Part 2)

    Janor, godly son of Ithice the Red, sat brooding in his chambers. As much as he openly fought with his father, he did believe in the prophecy and all that it could mean for him. While he and his brother had already enjoyed a long life, it was by no means immortality. In some strange way, Janor wasn't sure he wanted what was being offered to him. He knew there was another way, he just couldn't see it right now.

    "Entertain me." He said to no one in particular. Instantly two lithe bodies emerged from the darkness and began to dance seductively. The dark, brooding godling just gazed at them with his thoughts on other things.

    "My lord." Whispered a servant who flinched when dark eyes turned their way. "Baul's ship has set sail, my lord." Janor could hear the terror filled timber his servant's voice.

    Janor nodded tightly, having already expected this from his brother. The godling could not risk revealing his plans too soon lest his brother changed his own designs. Now that Baul had left, Janor was free to leave as well. Neither brother knew where to find an heir of the Ostara bloodline but in all these months, Janor had been discreetly making inquiries. He had a starting point and from there, he could hunt anyone or anything.

    "Prepare my own vessel." He ordered. "We leave tomorrow with the tide."

    The servant looked to his master, his tongue unable to pose the reply that Baul would be a day ahead of them! He just nodded and hurried off to see to Janor's bidding.

    Janor had dismissed the servant from his mind and turned back to watch the entertainers who were writhing on the bed with passion. Their bodies meshed and blended, performing as much for their godling as they enjoyed the exchange of fluids. Janor snapped his fingers, calling another servant from the darkness. Warm moist lips wrapped around the godlings cock and suckled him with feverish pleasure.

    "Will I be attending you?" Whispered Janor's pet. The skillful hands never stayed their movements, nor was there much of a pause while a tongue was drawn away from the crown it was laving.

    "You can not come with me." Janor said with a gentleness that most others never saw in the godling. "I will return with my bride and all will be different." He said softly. The performers were reaching a frenzy, bodies sweating and on the verge of orgasm.

    The servant bent back to the task at hand, tears of sadness hidden from the eyes of the lord above. The servant was worried that this might be the last time the dark beauty of Janor ever graced the halls of Ithice's Hearth. A renewed vigor saw the servant suckling Janor's shaft until his godly seed spilled forth.



    Part 3)

    Golden tendrils of hair danced on the wind as Baul's ship ploughed over the waves. Piercing blue eyes watched the sails and the men at the ores as they strained to put as much distance between them and Ithice's Hearth. Baul never looked back. The young godling was strong in his resolve to come back immortal and to claim his place beside the other gods of this land.

    This journey had been long in the making. Baul had, of course, known about it since the day he and Janor had turned thirteen. On that day he and his twin had vehemently denied their destiny and verbally chose not to seek this quest. But as with all things in life, understanding and knowledge had come to them both. There was a balance in all things and until Janor and Baul completed this trial, things would continue to be askew. At first Baul did not care about the balance the gods spoke of. It did not touch his life. It was man that had to bare the burden of their denial.

    The great wolf within Baul stirred and pressed against it's bounds. It had taken many years to learn to control the beast of his line but once he had, he grew stronger and wise. He could see what he needed to do.

    As Baul's ship cut through the churning waters, Janor's ship was still being prepared. Ithice stood upon a cliff and watched the activity below. His heart was heavy, as any father's would be given that one of this children would not be returning home. He watched blankly as food was loaded and live stock, fresh ores and canvas for sails. He knew once his sons reached the world of man, they would be left upon the shores alone to face what destiny had in store for them.

    Ithice had kept an eye on man, even when man had forgotten the likes of him. He had seen their evolution and knew Baul and Janor was in for a surprise. As far as Ithice knew, they had never minded his heed to watch man and it's growth.

    "You're fretting." Said a rather melodious voice from the ether.

    "I am not." Replied the stout warrior.

    "You could never hide things from me." The voice was closer now, yet still wrapped in the haze.

    "What will be, will be. We have no hand in their destiny. You know that better then I." He growled, angry that she could still see so much.

    "Does not mean I do not mourn for them already. In my heart of hearts I prayed that man would forget us and this day would never come. But we can feel the calling. As I am sure you can as well." She replied.

    "Aye." His voice was still gruff. "Who will return?" Ithice had been leery of asking this question.

    "Fate has not shown us that answer. Mayhap it does not know." Was her gentle reply.

    "Then who is the light and who is the dark?" No reply was made. Ithice knew he had asked too much. There was reason for him being blinded from some of the prophecy.



    Part 4)

    Janor's bed was warm and soaked in desires. His pet lay curled around Janor's form, purring contentedly. The night had been a bustle of activity and while Janor lay there awake, he pondered all that had happened.

    At one point he'd roared in anger at a servant as they struggled to pack almost all of the godling's belongings. Janor had to correct the wraith and order only the barest of things made ready for the journey. A bit of wealth, a heavy cloak and one perfectly forged blade was all that Janor would step upon man's world with. For the voyage it's self, a small amount of warm clothing was packed and his shield. Anything more would have been wasteful.

    "Why can't I attend you?" His pet had asked after a bout of pleasurable endeavors. Janor could see golden eyes staring up at him with firm pouting lips.

    "Do not question my orders." Janor warned with icy calm.

    You will long for my body. The pet replied in the tongue of the slaves.

    "And you will distract me from the prize!" Janor angrily replied. "Enough Jeth! Not another word."

    Janor arose from his bed, threw a cloak about his shoulders and left the room. The godling was sorely tempted to take his pet along but he knew the consequences of doing such a thing. Ithice's Hearth was a place inbetween. It lay beyond the lands of man and just under the ether of the gods. In this place Jeth would be safe, untouched by time and still a vision to quench the eyes. If his pet entered the land of man, the body would begin to grow old and turn to dust in a matter of moments. Janor wasn't not finished with his favorite. So Jeth stayed .....without explanation.

    "Your mother was here." Ithice said when he sensed his son approach.

    "How fares she?" The godling asked. The answer would be the same, he assumed.

    "As any mother would. She worries about her sons." Ithice the Red turned to look at Janor when he replied. His face was heavily covered with a thick red beard. It hung to his waist and was neatly braided. Long red hair peeked from the hood of his winter cloak, making as striking a contrast as blood did when splattered across snow.

    "I doubt that," Janor said acidly. "Ascension was all she cared about."

    The skies rumbled overhead as clouds began to form. In heartbeats the two could feel the rain as it drifted like tears to the ground. Ithice looked hard at his son, a great anger boiled within his breast. Neither Janor nor Baul understood the sacrifice she had made for them. It wasn't something he was allowed to tell them either.

    "Think as you like." Ithice said, raising his face to the sky. "But if it were true, why does she cry?"

    Janor's mood acted like thunder as he stormed away. The moment he entered his sanctuary he started to order the servants about. A bath and fresh traveling clothes! Wine and food! And just to sink his anger into something, he ordered his pet to service his needs once more, leaving his pet battered and bruised yet strangely contented.



    Part 5)

    "It is the barrier." Muttered the men behind Baul. They all stood watching the shimming wall that barred man from inbetween. Baul had ordered the boat to stop so that he might gaze at it for a time. The godling could feel the men's restlessness behind him. They feared what lay beyond as they knew what may await them.

    "Take us across." He ordered and instantly felt the boat begin to move.

    Ores dipped into the water and pulled the boat ever closer to the barrier. Baul stood apon the prow and watched it close in on him. He could feel the tingle of power and will it took to keep this wall aloft but the moment his body began to pass through it, he nearly choked with it's force.

    They had left calm seas and a sky that was waning as night approached but beyond the veil there was a storm brewing and man's oceans were churning violently.

    "Drop the sail!" Baul roared but the men could not hear him yet. They had not passed through. For a moment Baul felt the prow pitch and nearly send him into the watery depths. He braced himself and called his orders again, this time seeing a couple of the men trying to scramble back through the veil to drop the sail.

    Panic erupted, though contained and pungent with fear. The sail was still being lowered when the mast passed through. The boar suddenly bent as the canvas caught the wind and filled enough to make the wood beneath their feet shudder violently. It took only a moment longer for the sail to be dropped below deck and the men to heave-to at the ores. They fought for hours as the storm raged around them. Baul never moved from the prow, his piercing blue eyes seeing what his men could not.

    How long the storm would rage was any one's guess. If the godling had the power, he would have calmed the seas and kept them safe. But that was beyond him. For now.

    ***


    Janor's ship set sail just after dawn that morning. Ithice watched from the cliff, his heart heavy with sorrow. He felt the moment Baul pierced the veil and in that moment, the connection between them became very weak. In the land of man, Ithice was not yet strong. The one remaining lifeline he felt with his children pulsed within him. He knew when Janor passed the way of Baul, then that connection would also weaken. At that point Ithice could only await the final outcome.

    Janor's ship was sleek and fast, as boats had long been a passion of his. Ithice figured the time between the twins was shorter then if Janor had taken one of the other boats. But as the ship slipped further from view, Ithice noticed a few solitary figures still standing at the docks. One of them was Jeth, Janor's bed slave and another was Kith. The third figure only Ithice could see. She moved with the grace he remembered. Now that Baul and Janor were gone, she was free to come to him. How torn his heart was in that moment.



    Part 6)

    For days the two boats were tossed upon the waves. The moment Janor had come across the veil, he'd ordered his men to drop the sails and to row them across. Once there, they were greeted by clearing skies and the heavy pungent scent of rain. The godling took position of the stars and laid in a course for them to head.

    On the fourth day of travel, Baul's vessel spotted land for the first time. The men were tired from rowing hard for days and so the sight gave them hope that their part of the journey was almost at an end. The radiant godling spurred them on. When land bumped against the prow gently, Baul swept up his pack and turned to look at his crew.

    "I will call when I am ready to return." He told them. "Until then, return to the Hearth."

    The godling's first step upon land felt strange and uninviting. He kept his place, staring out over a land that wasn't as he expected. The one time he had looked upon man, he found their race thriving. The lands were all covered towering buildings and cities. Man banded together in numbers greater then any army of yore. But this, what lay before Baul, wasn't something he had been expecting.

    Janor's first sight of land came the same day as his twin's. Unlike Baul who has urged his men to make landfall quickly, Janor kept his boat on a steady course, looking for a particular place. He kept his nose turned towards land, waiting for a particular scent to come his way. For most of that day the men labored under the watchful eye of the godling until he finally gave the order to turn towards land. Whatever it was that caught Janor's attention had to lay close by.

    With a final grunt, the men drove the boat on shore and lifted the ores high. Every one of them turned to look at the godling as he swept up his belongings and moved toward the moist sand. Janor had packed according to his plan, which had been made around what he knew about man. Looking upon the land now, he felt sure he should have kept a closer eye upon them. Before he left he'd packed more food, ano

    ther change of clothes and decided to take his shield. "My lord," Said Hagith. He held his arm out and waited for Janor to take it. "We'll meet again." He said. Janor nodded, neither moved nor repulsed by the man's show of emotion.

    "Give this to Jeth when you return." Janor ordered and handed Hagith a scroll bound by leather.

    After pushing the boat back into the water, Janor watched them sail away for a few moments. He needant have told them to make haste in their return to Ithice's Hearth, nor to stop to set foot on man's land. As long as they remained in the boat, they were safe from time.

    The sky was turning a deep shade of purple. Stars began to glitter above and the soft padfalls of animals began to become more noticeable. Janor set out at a run, looking for a place to pass the night among the ruins of mankind.



    Part 7)

    "What has become of man?" Baul asked to the wind. All around the godling lay the ruins of what once had been a great race. Buildings stood like skeletons across the land, their windows missing and their structures overgrown with greenery. The earth had a haunted feeling to it, made more noticeable by the fog that wrapped the ground in it's eerie embrace.

    Baul walked among the sleeping giants, sensing that man was not gone from this place. He knew they were here though their numbers no longer felt like they were as strong. Again the godling wondered what had happened to stain this place in such a manner.

    As he walked, Baul gazed at everything. He found a structure that looked to have been a lion at one point. The metal facade was chipped away, giving the impression it had died of whatever disease that plagued this place. It made no sense to the godling. How was man supposed to have been returning to the ways of old when there hardly appeared to be enough of them? The godling had no time to try to figure it out. Scenting the air, he turned toward the north and started to run once more.

    Janor had run until he came to a small village. It was the first sign of life the godling had encountered. Until now he had passed many structures that were grown over and fallen to disuse. Unlike his twin, Janor wasn't surprised. All of life comes full circle and the time of man seems to have done just that. Whether it made finding the heir of the Ostara bloodline easier or not, was yet to be seen.

    The godling stopped in front of a building that sounded as if it were bustling with people. Music and voices rolled out into the night, the sound of merriment out of place in the gloom of the night. Janor hesitated but a moment before stooping to enter the building. Everything went silent when he did and all eyes turned his way. The godling stood more then a head taller then any man in the room. Though his presence made it seem more so.

    No one uttered a word, no sound resumed until Janor set a gold coin on the counter top and asked for some ale. At first it was tentative, the music playing first and then the whispers. The godling could hear it all. Superstition was rife among them and his presence was causing quite a stir. One thing was for sure... finding his bride wasn't going to be as easy as he hoped.



    Part 8)

    Jeth paced back and forth across Janor's suite. Because time moved differently here, Jeth wasn't sure how long Janor had been in the world of man. The pleasure pet was sure the godling should have been back by now. Perhaps it would be soon.

    For the servants in the twin's domains the time passed as if all Ithice's Hearth was holding it's breath. They moved about the castle doing their jobs as best they could but everyone was worried about the godlings. None of them needed to be told what was going on. It had been written on the walls of the Hearth for longer then any of them had been there, including Ithice himself!

    "If only there was a way to help them." Murmured the bed slave.

    "There may be." Whispered a voice.

    Jeth spun around, glaring into the shadows in search of the one who might be stupid enough to enter Lord Janor's chambers unbidden. Eyes the color of Erin's countryside blazed until finally a familiar face emerged from the darkness. It was Kith.

    "What are you doing here?" Spat Jeth. "This is no place for the likes of anyone from Baul's house." Jeth had been suspicious when Kith joined them on the dock to see Janor off.

    "I had to come and see if you knew anything yet. The waiting is... hard." Kith said. She inclined her head gently, offering the due respect to the head of Janor's house in his absence. "Have you... heard anything yet?" She hesitantly asked.

    "No. Lorel says they have been there half a moon already. How long could it take!" Jeth's frustration was showing. "What is this way you spoke of?"

    "She's here." Kith said, glancing at the ceiling.

    "She who?" Jeth repeated. The bed slave suspected whom the she was Kith was talking about.

    "She. Baul's mother! She knows." Kith hissed. "I want him to come home."

    "I miss my lord as well." The omission might not have been made under other circumstances. Neither of them wanted to think about one of the twins never returning. They would always hold out hope that it was their liege who won the great battle. To think otherwise would plummet them into a great despair.

    "She would never say." Jeth pointed out.

    "Not to us." Kith replied. "But she might to Ithice."

    Jeth grinned. Already the wheels were turning on how they might send help to the godlings. They needed to spur Ithice to ask whom the heir was. If they had a name, then they had a way to help. Where did not matter. Lorel could help with that part. It was the name that was important. Names had power. Real power.

    "I know what we must do." Jeth said to Kith.



    Part 9)

    Kith and Jeth played their parts brilliantly. They made sure to hover in the background, letting Ithice see them. They were skittish and often looked haggard. It wasn't much of a stretch in truth. Both of them were missing the godlings badly. The nights became sleepless for them both and often times they could be seen talking with one another. That alone was something of a miracle since neither house seemed to get along. Finally, after many days of doing this, Jeth approached Ithice the Red. Eyes cast to the floor, with not a word uttered until the god decided to notice Jeth.

    "What is it?" He asked impatiently. It seemed that while he had been enjoying this time with his wife, it was marred by the worry that permeated the castle and his own heart.

    "My Lord," Jeth mumbled.

    "Speak up, Jeth." Ithice said with exasperation. He had been wondering which of them would actually approach him first.

    "Has there been any word?" Jeth said.

    Ithice was on the verge of barking at the bed slave. The first words would have been, I would have notified you if there had been. But Ithice had managed to catch himself in time. It occurred to the deity that he would not have thought to pass along what he had learned. Ithice always assumed the staff would know quickly, as had always been the case. Given the slinking Jeth and Kith had been doing, that appeared not to be correct this time.

    "I'm sorry. No." Ithice was unused to gentleness but in this case he tried.

    "Is there anything to know, My Lord? Surely you must know even this woman's name!" Jeth blanched, turning a sickening white. "Forgive me, My Lord." Jeth begged. "Of course you know these things. I did not mean to suggest you didn't. Tis only..." Jeth's greatest performance was in this moment when tears sprung from green eyes.

    Ithice had been frowning. The truth was, he didn't know who the heir of Ostara was. He hadn't asked and since he wasn't allowed on the other side of the veil until the journey was completed, he had no way of knowing. On the other side he could watch his sons. He could guide them. He would know it all! But he wasn't on the other side. He was here, awaiting destiny with his hands tied.

    "I'll tell you what I can, when I can." Ithice said sternly. "Now off with you."

    Jeth went back to Janor's rooms where Kith was waiting. Neither of them dared talk about it aloud for fear it would not work. So much could go wrong at this point. What if she knew what they were doing and refused to tell Ithice the name? It was possible and if not for Janor having once said that the gods could not see everything all the time, then neither of the bed slaves would have tried something like this. Their only hope lay with no one having been watching them.

    It seemed time passed slowly but patience was theirs! Lorel came to them and said he'd overheard Ithice and Sunna talking just now. Both Kith and Jeth cringed at the use of the goddess's name. Jeth hissed for Lorel to not speak that name aloud lest they find her attention on them.

    "Do we have a name then?" Kith asked cautiously. Lorel nodded and gave them both a big toothy grin. Now that they had a name, it was up to Lorel to get a message to the twins.



    Part 10)

    Janor was sitting in a meadow, the sun had set on yet another fruitless day in Man's world. Each time the godling had been able to catch the right scent, he lost it amongst the filth of this place. Perhaps if it had been stronger, he might have been sure he was going the right way or hunting the right female.

    ~~ As for Baul, he had been enjoying his time among man. He enjoyed the drink and merriment, the women and the music. Each night he made sure to pass it in a small town, some place along the way of his hunt. He could sense that Janor had not found her because when he did, the flare of power would be unmistakable. ~~

    On this night, as Janor sat eating his kill he felt a prickling at the base of his neck. Small black hairs shuddered then stood on end. The godling looked carefully around his camp, searching for what it was that had commanded his attention. Tall blades of grass bent gently in the breeze, shadows danced as unseen wraiths but it was the brook that seemed to be calling. A soft ethereal melody seemed to be playing faintly, sparking Janor's memory of a time in his father's Hearth. Cautiously the godling approached and leaned over the water.

    ~~ Baul could see his reflection at first. His blue eyes stared back at him. But as he watched, the water started to turn and bubble. The melody became louder, it's notes more familiar. He was sure it was a message from home and just as that thought passed through his mind, the water cleared and revealed the face of Ostara's heir. Her hair was dark red and strangely cut. Her eyes were a crystal shade of blue. Baul decided she was striking, as all heirs of Ostara's must surely be.

    "Your name, my dear lady?" He whispered to the enchantment. ~~

    "Brenna." The vision replied. Janor studied the face, all his senses keen and focused so that he might remember.

    "Where are you Brenna?" The godling asked. Idly Janor wondered if Baul was seeing this as well. Most likely because if help was forth coming, it wasn't going to be sent to one and cause an imbalance in the quest.

    ~~ "To the north, My Lord. Across the mountain ranges of forever and beyond the desert of despair. I await thee..."

    Baul threw his head back and howled in triumph. The sound terrorized all that heard it. Fear had been a shadowed companion wherever Baul went. Eyes watched his every move, at least until the ale was flowing and everyone was too drunk to care. But as each night drew on, young maidens would hurry home to hide themselves away... for something hunted the night and what it left behind was barely recognizable as human. ~~



    Part 11)

    Janor moved across man's world, passing ghosts as his journey took him ever north. He had inquired about the Mountains of Forever and the Desert of Despair when he had been in the last village. Most of the humans had not wanted to speak to him. He was an unknown and even after the godling tried to loosen their tongues with gold, they still were leery of conversing with him. Sadly, none of them had ever heard of such places. A young lad had peered up at the godling, his little eyes wide with wonder and bravery that only the very young possess.

    "Have you spoken to the Oracle?" He asked.

    Janor had been ready to brush by the boy, having assumed he was no import. Now he looked at him and raised a questioning brow. "I have not. Where is this oracle?" The godling inquired.

    "She lives beyond the flame pits." He replied, growing ever more brave with each passing moment. The lad pointed the direction. "You must take an offering." He informed Janor. "She won't speak to you otherwise." The lad puffed out his chest and marched away. He imaged that envious eyes were watching him, admiring him for his bravery of speaking to a stranger.

    The godling watched the boy for a moment, feeling a stirring of respect for the lad. How the child did not seem to fit in this world. It was then Janor took stock of his surroundings. Many of the humans lived in the dwellings of their forefathers. More lived in shacks that barely stood straight. Could they really have forgotten so much?

    Janor made his way in the direction the lad had indicated. When he came across the flame pits, he could see that the boy was quite correct in his description. Janor saw several pits burning hotly with dancing flames. He could smell oil and knew this was what caused the phenomenon. But just beyond the heat and stink, Janor could see a cave. Feathers and totems of all kinds hung about the place. Several dead animals, most either plucked or skinned were laced through the branches of the tree that partially hid the entrance. Emanating from inside was a smell that reminded the godling of the magicks Lorel sometimes cooked up in the Hearth's kitchens. This was surely the place.

    "I have been expecting you." Said a wheezing voice from the shadows.

    "Have you, old crone?" Janor replied. "Am I all you expected?" The question was almost a sneer.

    "You are more then you appear, that is for sure." She said and stepped into the light. Janor's eyes widened a little, for before him stood not a crone but a young lass. His senses flared and for a moment, a very small moment, he had the feeling this was powerful magicks.

    "Forgive my sharp tongue." The godling said while bowing respectfully.

    "You are a god, Janor of the Hearth. You speak as you wish." She pointed out.

    "I spoke in frustration, witch. It slighted the respect you deserved." The Oracle looked at the godling and smiled.

    "I can not show you the way, godling. Destiny, yours and man's, hinges more on your journey then it's outcome." She said, "But I can tell you that it will bare the most unexpected fruit." She smiled, her eyes dancing with a youth that wasn't really hers.

    Janor mulled over her words and decided she was just as cryptic as the prophecy it's self. He finally nodded and turned to go. Pausing, as if he had forgotten something, Janor turned back and drew his knife. The witch never flinched. The godling drew the blade across his finger and dripped ten perfect drops of his blood into a small bowl. Handing it to her silently, his offering made and accepted.

    As Janor turned back to his path, making his way north, the Oracle watched him leave. Slowly her magicks faded away until all that was left was the crone he had first seen her as.



    Part 12)

    Baul stood looking at the mountains before him. From this distance they shimmered blue and green, some parts of them seeming more like a blur then any particular shape. The godling knew they had to be the Mountains of Forever. Each range etched a line, soon to be mirrored by one behind it.

    "Forever, indeed." He said to the wind. Baul wasn't impressed.

    The godling set a fast pace, racing toward the mountains. He would spend the night at the base of the mountain range before pressing on to cross them. But with each step he took, they appeared to grow no closer. Baul ceased the wolf essence within him and forced a burst of speed. Hours passed until he finally drew to a stop and stared at the mountains in rage. His golden mane seemed to flare about him, whipping in an invisible wind.

    Baul growled under his breath. It had to be an enchantment. The godling was upset to see he wasn't any further then he had been upon seeing the mountains hours ago. The prints he'd left were still present, leaving a trail that went right to the sleeping beast. He had no choice but to stay here and figure out how to cross them.

    For a week the godling sat upon a small knoll staring at the shimming blue. A fire crackled invitingly beside him with a bed roll laid out as well. With each day that had past, Baul had tried one thing or another but it always led him back to this place.

    "What am I missing?" He mused silently.

    Baul wasn't accustomed to quitting but unless an idea presented it's self soon, he would have no choice but to turn back. With a heavy heart, the godling reached into his pack and removed a small package wrapped tightly in leather. His blue eyes softened, making him seem more human in that moment then ever before. Within the folds of leather was an etching Kith had given him the night before he'd left. He could see her vividly, her body bent beneath him. She had always been very responsive to Baul and his ministrations. He missed her warmth right now.

    And then, when Baul was at his lowest, he spied something interesting. A strange looking creature covered in sharp quills was foraging nearby. The godling admired the way the creature moved, it's quills shifting with each step but never being a hindrance. It dug at the ground, eventually pulling a fat, juicy root up and gripping it tightly in it's maw. What happened next was most perplexing. Instead of turning around and walking back to it's den, the quilled creature walked backwards toward the mountain for several paces before turning around and trotting off.

    Baul surged to his feet, turned his back to the mountain and did the same. He counted a hundred paces then turned to see where he was at. His blue eyes shined with triumph! He had crossed the barrier and now stood at the base of the Mountains of Forever...



    Part 13)

    The godling stood upon a high cliff, looking down from the Mountains of Forever. His dark eyes and dark hair made a stark contrast with the feathered remains of snow all around him. Janor had found the mountains after traveling for several days. He instantly didn't like them, for the blue haze they seemed to be covered in reminded him strongly of something sinister.

    The climb wasn't an easy one. The ground shifted allot and some times the godling could swear that the mountain it's self changed. Everything looked alike. He quickly learned he could not trust the usual signs of nature. The sun wasn't even right here! It perplexed Janor. He had mused that 'forever' might actually refer to how easy it was to get lost and disoriented within it's boundaries.

    As he stood upon the cliff, the godling was working out which direction to go. He had tried using the sun but that hadn't proven helpful. He knew moss grew on the north face of rocks and logs, that apparently wasn't useful either. Now, he could see where he had started, even though he had stepped out upon this ledge after moving, in what he assumed, was a straight line. Shouldn't that mean he would be facing his destination?

    A small sound alerted the godling to the fact he was no longer alone. He turned slowly, and found three men facing him. All three held a long spear in their hands, the lethal end of the weapon pointed at him. He arched an amused brow at them, not feeling particularly threatened even though it was possible for them to kill him.

    "It is done." Lorel said. "But it won't detain him long."

    "It doesn't have to. I only seek to give my lord a lead. Is the enchantment strong?"

    "The strongest I can do. I am but a humble servant of Ithice's Hearth, not a magician of the Order." Lorel pointed out. "Still, it should do the trick."

    "I am pleased. Your payment." A small bag was tossed and came to rest beside Lorel's instruments.

    "If you are discovered interfering in Baul's progress...." Lorel said.

    Jeth stepped from the shadows, "My life is nothing to that of my lord."



    Part 14)

    Feral eyes peered out from the bush. The beast was intently watching the scene playing out before him. It hadn't been to far away when the sound of voices and a tantalizing scent had reached it's nose. For anything else it would have continued on it's way, paying no mind to the voices. But it's belly was full from a fresh kill, it's muzzle still smeared with faint traces of blood, and this was as good as place as any to let it's meal settle.

    Before the creature were four men. Three held heavy weapons pointed at the fourth, their intent obvious even without the spears. The beast licked it's chops lazily but kept watching what happens in the world of man.

    ~oOo~


    "What are you doing here!" One of the men yelled at Janor.

    The godling cock his head, an amused smile upon his lips. "I am but a traveler passing through."

    "Liar!" Janor turned to look at the young one who had spoken. The godling could see he carried a burden beyond the years of his age. This gave the godling pause. What could one so young have to carry in such a manner? Janor had always thought the days of man's youth were spent in play and unhurried time.

    "I do not lie." Janor replied smoothly. "What is your name?" He asked the young man.

    A spear poked the godling in the chest while the owner hissed at the young man to keep his tongue. Janor barely paid him any mind. He saw a hungry fire in the young man's eyes. His long hair was swept back from his face and tied in a complicated braid that hung like a rope down the back of his head. What little hair had been aloud to hang free was resting over his shoulders and revealed the color to be a black so dark that in the light of day, it shown with blue highlights. Janor held the gaze of the young man's eyes, eyed that matched his hair and were black like the night time sky. The young man was very handsome and surely well sought after for being so pleasing to the eye.

    "I said what is your name!?" Hissed the older man.

    "My name is Janor." Was that a mild bit of shock and surprise he saw in the young man's eyes?

    "You lie." He said.. Again.

    "Just because you say it, does not make it true." Janor pointed out.

    "The same can be said of your claims of being no more then a traveler." Spat the youth.

    "Shut up, Lief!" The older man said.

    "Lief is it? A strong name." Janor thought the name fit the youth perfectly. "If I have wandered into your territory, I apologize. If you'll give me your boundary markers, I will do my best to avoid them." Janor went on.

    "Move!" The older man jabbed at Janor's side, forcing the godling to move deeper into the mountain's valley range. The godling did so but only because it amused him. With a smile and a hum, Janor allowed the men to guide him to their village, which turned out to be nothing more then a camp.



    Part 15)

    Janor walked ahead of his 'captors', unconcerned with what might happen. While they waited on the edge of the camp, the godling listened to them talk in whispered tones. The older man was Isaac and his companion was Garth. For several minutes they spoke, never really saying what they suspected Janor of doing. The godling was growing impatient with them, ready to just leave when they finally said something that caught his attention.

    "It has to be him." Garth said. "He was close to the... the .. Place." The man stumbled.

    "I don't know. What ever ripped Lama apart had to be incredibly strong. I'm not sure a man can do it." Isaac said reasonably.

    "It's him. I'm sure." That was Lief. How could he be so sure, Janor wondered.

    "Well it ain't up to you! Kagh will decide what we do with him." Garth snapped.

    The rest of the conversation dissolved into something that sounded like it had been spoken about allot recently. The spoke about the deaths they had both heard about and now the one that had hit their small hunting party. This wasn't the first time that Janor had heard about strange deaths. Just like then, he didn't think it was his concern. These humans were making it his business.

    "This him?" Asked another man. Janor looked up and arched a brow when he saw the leader. He was huge. He was almost as tall as Janor was but at least twice as wide. His bulky body was covered in furs and in his hand was a spear, more decorated, yet still like the ones the other men had carried.

    "Yeah. We found him close to the.. place." Garth said, revealing he couldn't say it either.

    "Get up." Kagh ordered Janor. The godling stayed seated and looking up at the leader.

    "What do you want with me?" He asked.

    "I want to know why you killed Lama." Was the blunt reply.

    "I have killed no one." Janor said. "Not that I expect you to believe me."

    "I don't believe you. No one wanders around in the Mountains of Forever." Kagh said, his voice taking on a sarcastic edge.

    "I am not wandering around. I am traveling." Janor finally stood up, the act of doing so causing several men to lower their spears and take a step back. "I am heading toward the Desert of Despair."

    "Now I know you're lying. Kill him." Kagh ordered.

    From the brush lunged a huge wolf. His snapping jaws wrapping around Kagh's throat and killing him instantly. The camp erupted in choas. Janor stepped back, giving the men the space they sought to save the body of their leader. When the godling turned, intending to leave in the confusion, he found himself face to face with Lief's spear. Knocking it aside, the godling moved past the man.

    "No!" Lief roared and threw his spear at the godling. The tip embedded in Janor's arm, enraging the godling. He back-handed Lief hard, sending the whelp tumbling into a thicket. Janor took off, heading away from the camp. He didn't make it far though before Lief was on him. Janor was surprised at the youth's speed.

    The godling toyed with Lief until he finally pinned him against a tree. "I do not wish to hurt you!" Janor said over a struggling Lief.

    "Liar! You will destroy us all!" Shouted the youth. Janor looked into his eyes, wondering... "I know who you are." Hissed Lief.

    "I can see you do." Janor finally replied, believing Lief.

    "I will hunt you every step until I kill you." The youth threatened.

    "Boy, you are not yet man enough to do more then try and get hurt." Janor said in all seriousness.

    "I am a man. Twenty-eight summers old. Still a boy to someone like you but half my human life over. If I have to spend the last half hunting you, I will!" Lief's anger was perplexing.

    Janor took the lad's lips in a melting kiss, the godling's brute force raping Lief's mouth. "Then I deserve a head start." Janor said, a grin on his lips once more.

    Lief started struggling, finding that while he'd been kissed, Janor had bound his hands to the tree. The godling just laughed as he disappeared into the trees, heading the right direction and straight to his destiny.



    Part 16)

    The water was cold and bracing, it's swirling current moving around the new obstacle in it's way. It wasn't much warmer then the snow it originated from but Baul was pleased to see it was doing it's duty. He splashed another handful across his broad chest, the golden hairs seeming to shiver and shudder with each icy caress. The godling detested being dirty and after his long climb, he was especially filthy.

    When he stood up from the water, heavy glistening drops clung to his golden body and shimmered in the fading light. The godling radiated the aura of his birthright, though it did very little in staving off the child of the evening air. Baul wrapped himself in clean clothing and knelt back down to wash the ones he'd previously been wearing. It was almost not worth the effort except Baul was loathed to stop and shop from the humans here. They were good for sharing a drink or a meal, bending over a table and screwing but to clothe him, Baul was sure they would fall short. Their fabric was rough to the touch when he rend the clothing from a maiden's breasts. If it were that bad in those circumstances, then surely it would be unbearable against his own body.

    Baul hated the way time moved in this world. Each night he was forced to stop and wait out the dark, even though he wasn't tired. He knew that when he became a god he would never suffer the darkness again. Nor did he ever intend on coming back to the world of man. They were beneath him. He saw little of their respect for the gods in general.

    The moment the sun's first rays penetrated the forest, Baul was ready to move. He had no idea how much further it was to his destination. The journey had lasted weeks already. So it was with some relief the godling found himself standing at the edge of a desert. The contrast was so stark that it literally went from lush green life under your feet to the granules of hot, hard sand. The desert was as vast as the forest behind him had been.

    Baul stood poised on the precipice of the next leg of his journey. He could not help but wonder if he would face a trial in this place. But once he took a step and another, the green land was left behind. Even though he walked all day, keeping his trek in a straight line, he still could see the mountains when the day started to wane.

    The godling, for once, was looking forward to the cool of the night. The sun had beaten down upon him all day and left him feeling tired and cooked. He set his pack down, ready to make camp when he noticed the sand was marred along one slope. The slant of the slope left the marks looking like strange indents. Baul climbed the next mound and saw that they were footprints. One large set and another smaller pair.

    "Janor." Baul growled. Some how is brother had gotten ahead of him. If the godling expected to keep his lead, he needed to push his endurance to the limit.

    After shedding his clothes and packing them away, Baul summoned his wolf and let it surge to the surface. At first a face formed in his chest, the muzzle growing steadily outward until the head had popped free. Simultaneously the godling's flesh looked as if it were peeling backward and folding in on it's self. Where once stood the figure of a man, now was a large wolf. Janor's icy eyes peered out into the desert, searching for the best direction to go. He would have to circle around his brother if he didn't want Janor to know...



    Part 17)



    Soft moans of pleasure echoed quietly around the bedchamber. Hands caressed and teased, penetrated and filled until it was hard to tell where one body began and the other ended. For the one watching, it was a wicked indulgence. Especially since the lovers thought they were alone. The sheets had slid down to the bottom of the bed, impeding the bodies from moving a part by wrapping around their legs. The voyeur knew it wouldn't matter to these two. This is what they were made for.

    The voyeur watched as Kith shuddered and loudly screamed with her release, leaving several scratches down Jeth's back and across the bed slave's ass. The two lay panting, replete for the moment. The voyeur knew they were merely lonely. The waiting was dragging on, making the entire Hearth edgy and restless. It was a small comfort when a moment like this could be stolen.

    As quietly as the voyeur had arrived, he departed for other parts of Ithice's Hearth. Perhaps missing the best part of all.

    Supple bodies lay twined in Janor's bed. Jeth and Kith had been spending so much time together lately that this moment had become inevitable. They both hungered for a touch that was missing and even though they found a moment's peace in each other's arms, it did nothing to ease the incessant itch that only one other could tame.

    "Do you think they think of us?" Kith said. It sounded as if she were almost afraid to ask it.

    "Maybe in passing. We are only slaves." Jeth pointed out. The bed slave still felt bitter about being left behind.

    "We are more!" Kith insisted. "I have to believe that."

    Something in her eye caught Jeth's notice. A gleam or secret. Whatever it was, Jeth would soon find out. "I would like to think so." Jeth finally replied. "It's just hard to remember when they are not here."

    "I hope they miss us fiercely." Kith said. She started to untangle their moist bodies. There was a certain amount of wicked pleasure to be taken from having sex in Janor's bed. Kith knew Baul would find it amusing too, at least until he found out it had been Kith!

    "I'm sure they are utterly miserable without us." Jeth dead-panned. The two dissolved into giggles, knowing it wasn't true. They both felt their master's were good godlings but neither of their hearts had the capacity to love. Or so they thought....



    Part 18)

    Lief snuck around a dune, making sure to keep the dim glow from Janor's fire on his right side. It would be too easy to get lost in the desert at night. At least that would have been forgivable. To get lost during the day, would have made young Lief the fool among his people. He had spent the whole day tracking the demon he now knew as Janor. The legends told about the twin gods that would one day walk man's world had set his night time dreams spinning into the foulest of nightmares.

    "If they aren't gods and they aren't men, does that mean they can die?" He'd asked the elder all those years ago. The elder had no reply for him then.

    "You are about as quiet as a gaggle of frightened geese." He heard Janor call out. "Come warm yourself by the fire, Little One."

    Lief refused to answer, hoping Janor didn't really know he was there and instead was only pretending for his own peace of mind. However, it really set Lief's teeth on edge when Janor called him 'Little One'. It has been a long time since he was a child and he had the scars of manhood to prove it. He'd been proudly wearing them since his fourteenth year.

    Lief knew there was another one like Janor out here somewhere. They were searching for the same treasure, though what that treasure was, wasn't something the elder could tell him. Lief only knew that when one of them found it, the worst of battles would ensue and then life as they knew it would come to an end. He couldn't, and wouldn't, let that happen!

    "It's cold out there." Called Janor again. The godling couldn't suppress the grin he felt tugging at his lips. All day he had been aware of the young man trailing him. Janor tried to tell himself that he could have lost the lad at any time but the truth was, he'd already tried! Lief had never been too far behind him. Now he was resigned to having unwanted company and chose to make the best of it. "Come to the fire. You'll be able to keep an eye on me more closely." He laughed softly.

    Janor grew quiet for a long while, as he changed the bandage around his arm. It was healing fast, which was expected. What wasn't expected was that Lief had been able to hurt the godling to begin with. It was something new for Janor. Something he can't say he enjoyed very much. In all the time he had been alive, the godling had never been hurt. Never his body, never his heart and never his soul. It gave him pause, making him wonder if this was why some of the men he had met along the way fought so hard for each day they had. They seemed to relish it more then Janor did. Maybe it was the fear of their mortality hanging over their heads that caused this.

    "Alright, Little One, pass the night in the cold darkness." Janor finally said, not happy with where his thoughts had just been.

    When the sun was barely changing the color of the sky, the godling was already up and ready to leave. He dumped a few handfuls of sand onto the flames before setting out. As he topped the crest of the dune he had been shielding behind, he happened to spot the lad who'd been tracking him. He was nestled into a hallow made in the sand, with his garments pulled tightly around him for protection against the chill. Janor walked over quietly and left some water and food beside Lief.

    Janor's hand snaked out and slapped the sleepy lad smartly. Lief scrambled to his feet, backing away with his spear raised.

    "I'm heading out now and going in that direction. I'm sure you'll catch up once you wake up." The godling grinned and turned to resume his quest.



    Part 19)

    Baul lay sprawled across the sand, his nude body gleaming as golden as the sun. He was slow to awaken this morning as he had run much of the night, hoping to move far enough head of Janor that it would give him the advantage. While his sleek wolf form had bounded across the dunes and rocky flats of the desert, his human form slept deep within. The godlings, both Baul and Janor, thought they knew and understood the nature of their beasts, their gifts. This was perhaps the greatest lie the wolf led them to believe.

    "You know I wish to ask." Ithice said to Sunna.

    "I know. I can only tell you it progresses as it should." Came her soothing reply. Sunna had been enjoying this time with her husband. The time apart never seemed so bad in the ether but now that she was here, beside him, she could feel the years as they had passed both Inbetween and in man's world. It had been dozens of life times and then some.

    "As it should." Ithice snorted rudely. "Nothing has been as it should since those two were born. There was supposed to only have been one child, one godling, one son. Not even the First had foreseen this."

    Sunna knew this already so she remained quiet. She knew Ithice's heart better then he did and she knew, as well as shared, his frustration of their sons.

    "I wish I knew this was the right way to save him." Ithice's sadness was enough to cause the skies to darken and thunder to threaten the horizon. The staff began to scurry about, knowing what this meant and what was needed of them.

    "It is the only way." Sunna assured him. "I've seen what will happen if they don't complete this trial. It is a dark and ungodly place."

    "Maybe that is the right place. Our time is past." He countered.

    "If that were true, my love, then we would have ceased to exist long ago. Please put your heart to ease. All we can do is wait." Sunna wanted to tell Ithice what she knew. It wasn't allowed and you could be assured the First was watching them closely.

    "We have already sacrificed greatly. This seems too much to ask." Ithice was wavering. He knew and understood but that wasn't ever going to change how he felt about it.

    Neither of them wished to speak on what those sacrifices had been but they were both thinking it. The child had become two but who was to carry the light in the dark? A test needed to be devised and thus the quest was born. All the gods in the ether were watching, hoping for a glimpse that might reveal whom was to ascend next, who was to balance all creation. But that glimpse was hidden from them. Nothing could shine because nothing had been decided as yet. To ensure the quest and the seriousness of it's need, a sacrifice had to be made. One parent to stay behind and guide them and one to leave and watch from afar. The parents, at the time, couldn't understand why this was needed but the First understood. Their minds and emotions had to be maneuvered into a place where they would fulfill the quest. It was no easy task.

    Sunna and Ithice understandably refused to do this. They, as parents, believed in their sons and refused to think so much weight lay upon their infant shoulders. But then the First said if they refused to make the hard choice, he would make one for them. He would remove the sons from existence and chose other gods to bare the balancing godling they, and mankind, would need.

    What were Sunna and Ithice to do? The sacrifice was made. Sunna ascended into the ether, doomed to feel the lose of her children for eons. While Ithice was left behind to pass on his strength, courage and the stubbornness he was well known for. Such a pitiful place for a parent to be...



    Part 20)

    Days have passed under the burning sun of the desert. Baul had been marching across it's grainy surface, his will and focus strong in the beginning. Eventually everything yields do the desert. That has always been the way. This desert.... this Desert of Despair, is so vast that it is rare people make it across it's expanse.

    The godling's natural gifts would only take him so far. He too would need food and water and in his place, vegetation seemed a phantom and water it's shade. After the tenth day, Baul began looking in earnest for food and water. He had been ever on the lookout for it before but now that his supplies were nearly diminished, the danger had become more real. Not fulfilling this quest was no longer an option. He had wandered too far into the desert's hot grasp to think of turning back now. He had no more then three or four days of supplies left.

    As his body began to wear down, his mind soon followed. Visions started to flitter in front of him like ghosts from the past. But as they became more clear, Baul became sure they had nothing to do with him. They were remnants of those gone before, of battles played out on these sands, of the innocents trapped here.

    Baul tried to summon the strength of his wolf but the beast remained quiet and distant. If things continued like this, then all would not bode well for the son of Ithice and Sunna. He had to keep moving, trudging forward across the plains and dunes, searching for something undefinable.

    The godling knew the key to what lay locked within him could only be opened by a willing union between him and an heir of Ostara. And then.. And then Baul knew he had to kill his brother. The prophecy states only one of them will remain. It wasn't something the blond beauty wanted to do. He could not imagine taking the life of Janor.

    Suddenly Kith appeared before him, strangely doing so the moment she had entered his thoughts. She was as radiant as he remembered, much like himself in her fair looks and blue eyes. Baul remembered the argument they'd had a couple of weeks before he had sailed away. He knew, even then, that he was going to leave. His plans were in motion. The godlings ship was being covertly stocked with supplies. He knew he HAD to go. But his lover hadn't been happy.

    "You don't have to go! Stay with me." She had begged.

    "I do have to go, Kith." He'd replied calmly. "You can't feel the change happening around you but I can. Man is calling upon the gods more and more, soon the imbalance will be so noticeable even you will be able to feel it. When that happens, things will get bad. Both here and in man's world. Please understand.. This is bigger then just us."

    Even now as Baul remembers that argument, something in Kith's eyes had disturbed him. There was something she had wanted to say but didn't. Perhaps something he needed to know. It made her phantom all the more painful to look upon now. Was she dead? Was that why he was seeing her like this? In that moment, as she stood there shimming against the desert heat, Baul felt the first black touch of darkness. Despair had finally found him in this place, making it's presence known to the godling as if he were any other man...



    Part 21)

    Janor's mind was in another place. After walking for a while in the predawn of the day, he finally broke into a trot and decided to make up some time. He wasn't sure he was going in the right direction so the godling was ever vigilant as he ran. He was hoping to spot some kind of landmark or signs that this awful desert was ending. But nothing like that presented it's self.

    The godling tried not to let his mind wander but after a couple of hours, he found he could barely stop it from doing so. Janor kept turning the prophecy over and over in his mind, looking at the wording and picking it apart. There had to be something there to make this all turn out right. There had to be! Janor was still loathed to do anything to harm his brother and at one point he had even thought about letting Baul win the quest. He had ignored the quiet bustle as Baul readied his ship. Had even planned on wishing his brother good luck but then, a few nights before Janor knew his brother would leave, the godling had a dream. He saw the future, which wasn't the first time for the godling, and it showed a place where mankind barely populated his world. It showed most of the gods had died, their blood staining the walls of Ithice's heart and upon the Hearth's throne sat a fiery, dark being. Janor knew this was the future if he let Baul take the quest alone. The thought of his father and mother's blood upon his hands, was enough to spur him on.

    Just as the First knew it would be.

    Janor slowed his gate when he thought he saw something on the horizon. It wasn't more then a blur, a mirage that shimmered with the desert heat. Whatever it was, and Janor hoped it really was something, was still miles away.

    The godling stopped for a while, choosing to pass a little time in the scarce shade of a sand dune. He sipped a little water and ate a little dry bread. Just as he was forcing down the dry mouthful, he heard the sound of feet sliding through the sand. Lief topped the rise, spotted Janor but by then it was too late. He couldn't stop his downward skid. The young man found himself on his hands and knees in front of Janor. The lad looked up, their eyes meeting before Janor wordlessly handed him the skin of water.

    "Thirsty?" The godling asked.

    Lief reacted like he'd been bitten. He backed up quickly, drawing the long spear off his back and pointing it at the godling. Janor had, had enough! The godling grabbed the spear and yanked hard enough to send Lief back onto his hands and knees, this time in Janor's lap while the godling threw the spear to the other side of the small hallow they were in.

    "Drink!" Janor growled, thrusting the water skin at Lief once more.

    "I'll take nothing from you!" Hissed the young man.

    "Really?" Janor said with an infuriating grin. "How was breakfast?"

    Lief's cheeks colored, remembering that he had eaten the food Janor left for him this morning. However, the lad was stubborn as the day was long and made a stupid lunge to grab his spear. That's when the sand beneath them started to sink and suck them into the ground.

    "Don't move!" Lief yelled, feeling Janor struggling to free himself. "You'll only make us sink faster!"

    But the godling wasn't listening. He pulled himself up by using Lief's clothing and reached over the young man's head. Lief was cursing silently, knowing that he would be the first death caused by the treasure hunt. But instead, much to his surprise, Janor simply grabbed the spear and thrust it into the more solid sand.

    Turning on his back, Janor gripped the spear and reached for Lief. The lad was now neck deep in the hot sand, his face flushed and his breathing labored. The godling pulled, not feeling any change until with a sudden jerk, part of Lief's body came free. Janor laid their panting for a moment, the muscles in his arms burning in a pain he'd never felt before. The wound that had almost been healed felt burning hot and distressed.

    "Climb up." Janor said through gritted teeth.

    This time Lief gripped handfuls of Janor's clothing, pulling himself further out of the quickened sand, across Janor's body and onto the more solid ground. Lief sputtered, spitting to free the grains of sand that had nearly choked him to death. He looked back at the godling and saw Janor only laying there, his lower legs still buried in the sand and his hand still gripping the sword.

    Reaching over, Lief slowly pried the godling's fingers off the spear. Janor gripped tighter, an instinct to live surging through his veins. Finally though, his hand popped free of the spear but before he slid back into the smothering pit of loose sand, Lief gripped his wrist and drug him high enough out of the pit to be safe.

    The two lay there for a long moment, only looking up when they heard something slide into the pit. It was Janor's pack and supplies. The godling groaned and rubbed his face. Things were looking very grim at the moment.



    Part 22)

    Jeth sat quietly in the great hall watching Ithice pace back and forth. The bed slave's body was made very small while waiting to see what Ithice was going to do. Jeth wasn't sure about the amount of time in Man's world but here at the hearth, it had been five moon's since the twins left. Jeth was missing Janor so deeply that sleeping was a troubling event for the bed slave right now. Dark circles rimmed dark eyes and Jeth was finding it harder and harder to put on the airs of daily life.

    Ithice was muttering under his breath. Some angry words, other words of concern. All of them for Janor and Baul. The weather outside the Hearth was on the verge of raging a storm the likes of which the Hearth has never seen before. Jeth was just thinking that the light had gone out of the Hearth. Would it ever return?

    "You look awful, Jeth." Ithice's voice suddenly boomed, startling the bed slave.

    "You look no better, my lord." Jeth replied and tried to smile.

    "We all wear this face." He sighed. "Why are you here?"

    "Here, my lord?" Jeth asked a little confused.

    "Yes. Here. Every time I look around you are here!" Ithice didn't mean to sound so harsh.

    "When you pace back and forth, you rub your chin and tug on your beard. Janor does that too. It makes him not seem so far away." Jeth said with a touch of sad honestly.

    "I see." Ithice mumbled and paced across the room. "And Kith? I haven't seen her in quite some time. Is she well?" Jeth knew Ithice was merely making small talk to comfort them both.

    "Where are they, my lord?" Jeth asked, avoiding the question about Kith.

    "I'm told Baul is beyond the desert and Janor is almost free of it's clutches. Sunna," Ithice noticed Jeth flinch, "says he no longer travels alone."

    Jeth sat up straighter, a frown appearing. "May I ask whom he travels with, my lord?"

    "I know nothing more then it's some boy Janor picked up along the way." Ithice shook his head. "I am more concerned with Baul's preoccupation with.." Ithice's voice trailed off when he realized Jeth was no longer in the room. Ithice the Red muttered indignantly and went back to his pacing.

    Jeth slammed the door to Janor's chambers, the door shuddering in it's frame. The bed slave picked up the nearest object and hurled it across the room. "No wonder he didn't want to take me!" Jeth yelled, sending a couple of the servants skittering away. Another object went flying across the room, shattering on impact and leaving a mess. "Some boy!" A book just missed the head of a servant as he tried to dash through the doorway. "He's no better then pig droppings!"

    The Hearth wasn't quiet that eve as Jeth raged long into the night. The servants had abandoned Janor's chambers in favor of quieter places. Even Kith in her depression turned to look at the door before letting her mind draw her back to the darkness within.



    Part 23)

    A fiery blaze strode across the small town. Hair like fire with a temper to match, wove between the few men milling about in the lane. Brenna wasn't the lass to be messin' with on this gloomy, rainy morning in Holsenburg. She had been tending to her 'woman's duties', as her brother liked to call them, when she got word about the strangers seen crossing the great desert.

    Brenna was part of the town's constabulary, despite her brother's rather vocal opinions on this position. She was fair with a blade and faster then most of the men. She was also loathed to find herself, and other women, sliding back into positions of servitude. Her grandmother used to speak of a time when men and women were equal. It was something Brenna planned on upholding for as long as possible. When she and her brother argued about this, Brenna was always sure to say, "If I didn't struggle to keep what we women had to fight for, then one day we would be pressing you men into servitude. I don't want that to happen. I'm certain most of you men have skills that would be useful." To which her brother usually retorted it wasn't any wonder why she wasn't bonded yet. No man would put up with her mouth!

    "Or woman, brother dear." Brenna would say, happily pointing out that it might not be a man that eventually turns her redhead their way.

    "Dansel!" Brenna roared the moment she slammed through his door. "Why wasn't I told about the strangers?" She snapped.

    Dansel, long used to Brenna's outbursts, looked up from his work and shrugged. "Probably because gossip spreads faster in Holsenburg then my messenger can run."

    "So what's the news?" She asked, ignoring his dry humor. They had been lovers at one point, though even now Brenna could not have told you why. They were complete opposites.

    "The mountain scouts spotted them. Two groups. One a single male and the other, two males. Probably nothing to worry about." He said, his attention already returning to mending his fishing net.

    "You don't believe that." Brenna said, missing the fact that Dansel did, indeed, believe it. "No one crosses that desert."

    "Our people do." Dansel replied absently, having already heard this line of thinking before.

    "That's our people. We know the way, the tricks and pitfalls. Are these our people?" She challenged.

    "You know no one has left the town in nearly a year." He looked at her pointedly. Brenna didn't fail to get the message.

    "I'll take a party out and head them off." She said, moving toward the door.

    "No." Dansel said. "We'll watch them." He had that tone that said he was in charge in these matters and wouldn't be argued with. Of course, Brenna never really listened to anyone these days.



    Part 24)

    Once Baul stood on sweet green pastures and could turn his back on the desert, he felt the darkness that had been with him begin to lift. The godling would look back on his time in the desert with something akin to shame. He didn't like the things his mind had shown him, truths he would rather have not known. Baul also knew it was an accident he found his way across because at one point, while he wandered, he looked back and saw his footprints weren't in a straight line. There were places that looked like he'd gone a completely different direction. Thinking back, they were the times he'd stopped for a sip of water or something to eat. He must have just gotten up and started walking without remembering to check where he'd been.

    It was as the sun was setting last night that he finally spotted the end of this leg of the journey. At first he assumed it was nothing more then the sun continuing to play tricks with his eyes but as he kept walking, the mirage became bigger and more defined. With the sun blazing behind it, the green mountains shown like a beacon.

    Not for a moment did Baul allow himself to think it had been easy. Anyone who had wandered through the desert for days would know what he meant. Shifting sand that tried to suck you under, running out of food and then water, your mind playing maddening games with your eyes. At one point Baul had found what remained of a body. The bones hadn't yet been picked clean by the animals but they were well underway in their feast. Half of the man, for Baul assumed it was a male, was sticking out from the sand. The corpse's hand was raised as if grasping for help, his mouth slack as if frozen in an eternal scream. It made Baul's mortality more real. The godling had thought little of death since he had already lived a dozen lifetimes. He knew, just as Janor did, that their days were numbered, even if that number was considerable. Death just never seemed so close before.

    Baul moved into the dense forest, following his nose to the water he could smell. His body hungered for it so deeply. If he had been no more then a man, he would no doubt have looked terrible. Cracked, split lips. Blisters on his face and arms. His skin burned brown and red. But he was a godling and despite how bad he felt, he showed little sign of it.

    When he stepped through some brush, having already heard the water, he found himself looking at a woman bathing. Baul openly admired the sun kissed skin, the long red hair and the shape of her backside. He grinned, and was about to announce his presence. Before he could, a sharp pain flared across the back of his head causing his body to slump to the ground.

    How ironic it was Brenna that caught him and not vice versa.



    Part 25)

    "You are a conundrum, Lief." Janor said. The two were sitting around a small fire that Janor had managed to get going and eating a large lizard that Lief had brought back for them to feast upon. "You've been trying to stop me and when you had the prime opportunity, you don't take it." The godling said, referring to the trouble he'd found himself in after losing his pack. Thankfully it wasn't everything he owned.

    "Shut up and eat your lizard." Lief snapped, clearly not happy with his decision either.

    Janor sat quietly watching the young man eat. His thoughts were skittering between the kiss they had shared and why Lief would suddenly change his mind. By paying close attention to what Lief did, Janor learned how to find water and food, how to erect shelter and how to spot the pitfalls of the desert. The godling was sure Lief had crossed this barren expanse before. Perhaps he and his tribe had come from the opposite side at some time. Maybe looking for more lush lands.

    "What is it you seek?" Lief asked later that night. The two of them had just laid down and were looking at the stars above.

    "A mate." Janor replied.

    "But the legend says it's a treasure!" Lief protested unexpectedly.

    The godling turned on his side, his eyes dark and dangerous. "That is man's legend, Lief. It may not even be me it is talking about." He pointed out.

    "The legend says twin gods will walk our world in search of a great treasure. When one or the other finds it, man is doomed. All is lost." Lief's hands were moving wildly while he spoke, much to the amusement of Janor. Lief looked at him heatedly. "Don't laugh at me! I know it's you."

    "I only seek a mate." Janor reiterated.

    "Is she this treasure?" Lief asked cautiously.

    "Anyone you let into your heart is a treasure, Lief. Maybe you're not old enough to understand that." The godling was baiting Lief. Moreso because the legend left a bad taste in his mouth.

    "Don't start that again!" Lief snapped. "I am no child! It would do you well to start treating me thus or I'll leave you to the desert."

    The two lay there for a while, both thinking their own thoughts. Finally Lief asked, "What kind of mate are you looking for?"

    "A very special kind." Janor replied with a grin.

    "And you know she's across the desert?"

    "I do," The godling replied.

    "And what of mankind?" Lief asked in a soft voice.

    What indeed, Janor thought to himself. He had no urge to tell Lief the affairs of the gods but neither did he want the boy to think he didn't care about mankind. How could he not care after what he had seen in this world? Still, it left him in something of a bind. He wanted.. No, needed to reply but he didn't want to delve into what a mortal could never understand.

    "I only look for a mate." Janor reaffirmed. "I have no quarrel with mankind."



    Part 26)

    "There you are again." Ithice said when he noticed Jeth sitting in front of the fire, poking it with a stick.

    "Am I disturbing you, my lord?" Jeth asked.

    "No. No, you're not Jeth." Ithice said a bit more kindly. The Red had begun to look forward to seeing Jeth nearby. The Hearth felt lonely without his sons and Jeth soothed that. "I see you aren't looking any better. You almost look as bad as the day Janor brought you to the Hearth." Ithice chuckled.

    Jeth's ears perked up. The bed slave did not remember the journey to this beautiful place and Jeth longed to know. Longed to remember. "I'm sure I look worse now." Jeth replied.

    Ithice turned his fiery eyes toward the bed slave and looked hard. "You don't remember coming here, do you? No, I don't suppose you would. It is a blessing child, know that. Your life as a man ended badly."

    "A man! I am not a man!" Jeth blurted out vehemently.

    "Yes, Jeth, you are. At least you were once." Ithice informed him. "Come with me. Maybe you should know this now."

    Ithice didn't wait to see if Jeth followed him. The god moved down into the lower levels of the Hearth and only stopped when he came to a huge set of double doors. When he turned, he found Jeth trailing slowly behind. He looked unsure he wanted to be here. What Ithice was about to tell Jeth wasn't a secret. Either the humans remembered their lives before and how they came here, or they didn't. Of those that did remember, they rarely spoke of it. This was a new life, one they could walk away from at any time.

    "I've never been down here." Jeth said, his eyes large. Janor had once told him no one but the gods and godlings were allowed in this area. "What does this have to do with me?"

    "First, let me tell you a story. There came a time in Janor and Baul's training that I knew it was time to show them whom we looked over. Both of my sons were getting restless with their tasks and having to do them without knowing why. So I showed them mankind. Baul took little notice of them. Which I expected at first. But Janor... I would find him at the scrying bowl often. I was very pleased he had taken an interest in mankind. I would often come to see what had captured his attention. Many times he was watching some war you humans never seemed to tire of or he was watching a family. I could tell war interested him and family was a new notion. Without Sunna here.. Well I think it was hard on them." Ithice placed his hand on the old doors, the carvings were very disturbing unless you knew what laid beyond. "One day when I came to check on Janor I found him in this room." Ithice pushed the door open and allowed Jeth to walk inside.

    Throughout the Hearth you were surrounded by stone walls and beautiful tapestries that hung upon them. It was always a cozy, homy feeling where ever you went but Jeth thought this room was an exception. The stone walls were black as night. There was a strange, uncomfortable, iridescent glow that seemed to be radiating from some kind of large well in the center of the room. Just as the doors closed behind them, Jeth saw pale flashes of light jet over the pool. Some rising upwards and others dashing about.

    "They are souls and we ... I, am their keeper." Ithice said gently.

    "Grimnir?" Jeth looked up quickly at Ithice, a new kind of fear in his eyes.

    Ithice smiled, "No. I was once known by many names but that was never one of them."

    "I don't understand." Jeth said, his eyes fixed on the dancing lights.

    "My only duty is to keep the souls safe until they decide to be reborn or pass into the ether." Ithice explained. "More and more souls are passing on these days. Less are choosing to be reborn or to mill about in the Hearth. That is part of the problem. Mankind is sliding backwards in evolution. The balance is tipping and it's because of Janor and Baul."

    A tear slowly fell down Jeth's cheek as sorrow filled his heart. "That's why this quest is so important." He said flatly.

    "Yes. I hate it but something greater is at stake then one life." Ithice replied gently.

    "I came from there, didn't I." The bed slave said, not really needing an answer.

    "Yes. Janor had been watching you in battle for some time. He saw you slain and it tore his heart in two. He came here and waited for your soul to arrive. When it did, Janor gave you life with his own blood. The Hearth keeps you all young and healthy. When you tire of this existence...." Ithice didn't finish. He didn't need to. Jeth could always come here and pass on or be reborn.

    As overwhelmed as he was, Jeth did recognize that Janor had cared for him enough to want to save him. The bed slave still did not remember his life before but if he had died in battle, it wasn't the kind of thing he wanted to return to. He loved the Hearth and could not imagine passing on, no matter what happened with Janor in this quest or between the two of them.



    Part 27)

    "What does she want done with him?" Whispered a voice nearby.

    "Dunno. She just said to keep an eye on him and when he wakes up, to put him back out. I dunna think she likes the look of him much." Said another male voice with a snort.

    "Iffn we was smart, we'd be home with our wives gettin' a little lovin'." Protested the first voice.

    "I'm not about to cross her!" It was clear whomever this 'her' was, caused fear in the hearts of man. That alone intrigued Baul. He had been awake for some time, choosing to lay still and listen instead of alerting the poor slobs to the fact he was alert.

    Baul hadn't been unconscious very long. When he'd woken up, they were taking him to this barn via a wagon. The hay had smelled foully of beasts and their dung, so much so that it had taken an act of sheer will to keep from sneezing, snorting and being verbally disgusted. They had dragged Baul's body off the wagon, through the mud and tossed him into this cell at the back of a large barn. Baul could hear the soft bleating of sheep, the nay from a horse and what he assumed to be the chewing from a cow.

    "Look lively! She's comin'!" Squeaked one of the men beyond the door.

    Brenna walked past the two guards and peered into the cell. It was normally used for husbandry or a discreet tryst. Right now, it was serving her as a cell to keep this stranger in. When Brenna looked at Baul, all she saw was a weak male just like any other male. Someone who would want to tame a woman and make her weak. And just another male was the last thing her tribe needed right now.

    "How long has he been awake?" Brenna snapped at the guards.

    "He ain't, Miss. Hasn't moved a muscle since we tossed him in there." One of them replied.

    "He's awake." She reiterated firmly. "Chain him up. I want to speak to him."

    Baul could hear her move away. He made no more to prove her right. In fact, when the men came in to follow her orders, he let them. All the while appearing to be completely and utterly unconscious. The position they left him in wasn't comfortable but it was manageable. When Baul heard the woman returning, the hiss of the guards breath more then enough of an indication, he tried to focus his senses on the her.

    He heard her walk into the room and stop in front of him. He didn't hear anyone else with her. When she slapped him. Baul remained perfectly still, enjoying the game of toying with her too much to be upset at the treatment he was receiving.

    Brenna struck the stranger once more and waited. She knew he was awake and yet he continued to pretend otherwise. It was infuriating!

    "I know you're awake." She finally said.

    "I suppose slapping me was some kind of sexual release for you then." Baul intoned. He still hadn't opened his eyes. The godling continued to let his weight pull against the chains that bound his wrists.

    "That was to get your attention." Baul could hear just the faintest change in her tone of voice.

    "And speaking to me civilly wasn't something you considered? Pity. How far man seems to have fallen." Baul egged.

    Brenna started to laugh. "Aren't you one to talk. Weren't you the one watching me bathe?" She said, thinking she had him in his own degradation.

    Baul finally moved, getting his feet under him. Brenna took a step back, watching as he rose to his full height and gave the impression of dwarfing her. Baul opened his eyes and stared blankly ahead. "I wasn't watching anything." He said. "I'm blind."

    "But.." Brenna sputtered and made the mistake of stepping closer. Quite unexpectedly, Baul brushed a kiss across her lips and grinned.

    "Gullible, aren't you?" He said.

    Brenna's reaction was to slap Baul again, this time leaving a stinging red print on his cheek. The godling laughed and watched the proud woman storm out of his little cell. Needless to say, Baul had been surprised to see that the woman he had been seeking was the one to capture him. And after listening to the guards talk about her, he knew which way was best to approach her. She didn't want a simpering man nor one to dominate her. She wanted an equal and Baul knew just how to give her that.



    Part 28)

    Lief had been quiet the next day as the two traveled. Janor had spotted mountains ahead of them but didn't say anything as they walked. The destination was still hours away, maybe even something they wouldn't reach until tomorrow some time. While the two trudged along across hot, shifting sands, Janor pondered Lief's actions and the words he'd said the night before.

    It seemed strange that man would have heard of this quest. Though given what the legend says, Janor thought it possible it wasn't even related to him and Baul. Yes they were twin brothers. Yes they sought something. But it certainly wasn't a treasure. Nor did it signal the fall of mankind. In fact, the opposite was true in this case. One of them were to restore man to it's rightful path and the other... he would fall by the way.

    However, Janor's thoughts seemed to run askew. He thought about the times he had watched man. The last time he had looked out upon the world of man had been the day Jeth came to live with them. He had something new to focus his attention on and somehow, man no longer seemed to shine as brightly to the godling.

    "You look at the mountains as if you don't wish to go there." Janor said. "Is there something there you are afraid of, Young Lief?"

    Lief snorted rudely, "Don't think you can know me." He spat. "My life is too complicated for you."

    "Is it? Don't you hurt and feel desire, love and bleed just like I do? I'm sure I have a good idea of what your life means to you." Janor said hauntingly.

    Lief whirled around and glared at Janor, "You know nothing! You're not even human, so you can't understand. Life isn't precious to someone who lives forever! Every moment to us is treasured even when it's the worst moment we've had to live through. You might love and lust, bleed and hurt but you will never, ever truly live!" Lief was seething.

    The godling looked at the youth, his own anger rising like a tide. Janor did not like being told what he did and didn't feel, what he did or didn't understand. Man wasn't that different from him. They couldn't be! Janor knew the secret to man. He couldn't reveal it to Lief or any other human for that matter. Which is what made this argument so much more frustrating.

    "You would do well to remember, Lief," Janor said it through gritted teeth, "That you don't really know who or what I am. Throwing such things at me might not be wise." It was a threat, one that stemmed from Janor's anger.

    Lief laughed madly. "Threats. That's about all you are good for. I'm sure you'd prefer us humans quaking in our boots. Or maybe licking yours!"

    Janor was now perplexed. "What are you talking about? You think we intend on enslaving mankind?" Now it was Janor who started to laugh. Once he started, he couldn't stop. Janor had never met a god other then his father in all the centuries he had lived but he had a hard time thinking his father meant to enslave the humans. If anything, it was Ithice who was enslaved to them! How long had The Red been tending to their helpless souls, keeping them safe and renewing their life's energies? How long! The thought that any god would use man to their own ends just seemed ludicrous!

    "Oh Lief you are so young and naive! The gods don't enslave mankind. Mankind enslaves them!" Janor managed through his mirth. "They are in service to YOU."

    Lief didn't look convinced but at least he'd stopped glaring at Janor.



    Part 29)

    Jeth has spent much time alone since Ithice revealed the bed slave's past to him. He tried to remember what life had been like before he found himself in the arms and bed of Janor. But try as he might, nothing more then vague feelings seemed to surface. Jeth had even asked, discreetly of course, if any of the other servants remembered their lives before. Most of them refused to even acknowledge what Jeth was talking about but a couple of them were willing to speak vaguely on the subject. Lorel was one of these people. He remembered much of his life before and said that he had passed quietly in his sleep, only to wake up here and never regretted it. The other would only say he'd been unhappy in his last life but in this one, he felt complete. In other words, Jeth learned nothing.

    It had only been a couple of days since his talk with Ithice. Since then though, he had become more restless then usual. He still ached for Janor but he wasn't as worried as he once was. What was to happen, needed to happen. His small heart meant nothing in the grander scheme of things. Coming to terms with that had been a must, else Jeth would have dwindled away like Kith was.

    It was the thought of Baul's bed slave that drove Jeth's feet in that direction. He found the suite of rooms a mess, the signs of Kith's own fits of anger apparent everywhere. Jeth pitied Kith. Not because he could understand the sorrow she was feeling but because she couldn't come to terms with it.

    When he entered the bedchambers, he found Kith sitting on the window seat, staring out at the sea. She looked radiant and unkempt all at once. Silently Jeth went over and sat beside Kith, drawing her into his arms. Kith barely acknowledged he was there. Jeth wordlessly held her, peering out at the sea and waiting until Kith was ready to say something. When she did, she managed to shock the bed slave to the core.

    "I'm pregnant."

    Jeth started violently, tried to look around and into her eyes. He yanked away the large pillow in her lap and the blanket that had been covering her legs, only to see the truth. She was indeed swelled with child. Jeth couldn't remember there ever being a baby in the Hearth. How could this have happened?

    "I don't know what to say." Jeth finally admitted. "I don't think the Hearth has seen a birth since the twins." He added.

    Kith shrugged, "I have to believe it was meant to happen. There has to be a reason."

    Kith and Jeth both knew that no life was created by their kind 'In Between' without divine intervention. So what Kith said held weight. There had to be a reason and until that reason was revealed, both Kith and Jeth would hold this secret.

    Jeth forced Kith to come with him to Janor's chambers. While they were away, the servants could finally clean the room, taking away the signs of Kith's anger. Jeth was torn in how he felt about this. Kith had been blessed with a child from Baul. That wasn't something Jeth could ever give Janor even if he wanted to. For one shocking moment, Jeth wondered if Janor's proclivity towards the male sex would hinder his chances at ascension. It was almost enough to make the bed slave descend into the darkness along side Kith...



    Part 30)

    Brenna slammed the door behind her. Dansel didn't even bother looking up from the book he was reading. His feet were stretched out and resting on the edge of the desk, his chair tilted back carefully and the book laid open in his hands. He had heard the commotion as Brenna stormed this way and was ready for her. She huffed around the room for several minutes, slamming this and that while getting a cup of something hot to drink.

    "Problem?" Dansel asked with a drawl.

    "Nothing new." Brenna snapped at him.

    "Oh? If you're sure. Cause I thought maybe the stranger you kidnaped might have made you upset." He was looking at his book, as if reading it.

    "Gods. Is there anything around here you don't know?" She yelled.

    "Yes. I don't know why I put up with you. You don't follow orders. More often then not you cause trouble rather then disburse it. Everyone is afraid of you." He pointed out.

    "Like I care." She replied hauntingly.

    "You should. It's the reason I'm releasing you." Everything about Dansel's demeanor suggested he was dead serious. When he looked up at Brenna, he was ready for the force of nature she was known to be. Instead, she seemed to melt before him and move close. This wasn't what he was expecting.

    "Dansel, you know I only have the tribe's best interest at heart." She purred.

    "Don't, Brenna. Doing that only makes you seem like the weak female you're so worried you'll be perceived as." Dansel's voice was still calm, yet firm. And just as he expected, Brenna exploded.

    Brenna picked up the nearest object and hurled it across the room. "You can't do this to me! I'm the best you've got!"

    "No, Brenna. You're not. Release the man, Brenna. He's welcome here." Dansel ordered.

    Brenna's back straightened, "If you want him free so bad. Do it yourself!"

    Hurricane Brenna stormed out more violent then she had stormed in. Dansel just shook his head and knew this wasn't the end of it. Whoever this man was had shaken her but good and that was never something fortunate.

    "Welp.. Guess I'd better figure out where he's at." Dansel muttered and got to his feet.



    Part 31)

    Baul stood like some Greek statue carved in stone. He hadn't moved hardly at all since Brenna had stormed out of his temporary prison cell. The godling waited patiently, neither replying nor instigating conversation with his guards. He could hear them beyond the door, wondering what kind of madness had gotten into their prisoner. Surely a man would have been demanding to be freed by now. Or ask for water, food or to relieve himself. None of those things came from Baul, nor would they.

    As for Baul himself, he viewed this as a test. Perhaps Brenna was trying to break him to the point he would prove, in some archaic way, she was the better human. She exuded an attitude that amused the godling. Add to that this whole game she was playing and he was ticked beyond words. She will make a fine mate!

    "Where is he?" Said an unfamiliar voice.

    "In there." Baul could imagine one of them thumbing over his shoulder towards the door.

    The sounds of the bolt being freed and the door opening were somehow more sharp to Baul's ears then when Brenna had been the one manhandling them. The godling instantly took it for a vastly different personality. Whomever it was, didn't force the door to yield so much as ask it to obey.

    "Good day." Dansel said. "I'm sorry about all of this." He reached to unlock the chains that bound Baul's wrist. "We are leery of newcomers but don't normally kidnap them."

    "Are you sure? I got the impression you treated all travelers this way." Baul replied with a dry, bored tone of voice.

    "Please don't let one overzealous woman convince you we are all barbarians." Dansel offered an open smile. "In fact, let us replenish your supplies, offer you a warm bed for a few nights and serve you the best food and wine we have to offer!"

    Baul looked at the man and instantly didn't like him. He was too amicable for the godlings tastes. With a man like this around, everything would have to be in harmony. What a bore. However, being a welcomed guest sure beat being their prisoner and it would allow him to work on swaying Brenna's desires.

    "I accept." Baul said graciously.

    "Wonderful! I'm Dansel, son of Pannor. I'm the chief constable for this tribe."

    "I am Baul." The godling replied simply. He didn't want to take the chance that his father's name was known among these people.

    "If you'll come with me, we'll get you a room and something hot to eat." Dansel said and stepped back to let Baul walk through the door first.

    The godling looked into the eyes of the man who had been his guards for a short time. One wore a scar down his face and the other was nothing more then a young man. Baul grinned and inclined his head in a neutral greeting before walking past their stunned faces.

    "Where might I find this woman who captured me?" Baul asked offhandedly while he and Dansel marched through the muddy streets to the inn.

    "Brenna? Trust me, friend, she'd be the last person you'll want to run into while you stay with us." Everything about Dansel's comment suggested there was considerably more fire to Brenna then Baul first thought.

    The godling smiled behind Dansel's back and replied, "Sometimes it's better to face the lion then make him a tempting target of your retreating arse."



    Part 32)

    By the time the two men reached the lush green of the mountains, they were both tired, hungry and dehydrated. Janor was sure if not for Lief's desert skills they may have been worse off. More like dead. He was grateful to the young man and even tried to say so at one point. Lief, on the other hand, didn't want to hear about it. He had obviously done something he wasn't happy with and nothing Janor said was going to make it easier to bare.

    Lief led them to water, the same place Baul had been captured by the way, where the two of them drank their fill. Janor lay beside the water, looking into the dense foliage above their heads and wondering what do to now. He knew he was behind Baul, had been from the very beginning. Where did that leave him now?

    "Is there a town nearby I can replace my supplies?" He asked Lief, already speaking before thinking.

    "Yes. Just north, about an hour walk there is a small tribe. They can replenish your supplies." Lief replied. What he failed to mention was the tribe some times would run off travelers if they perceived any kind of threat. Janor's very demeanor would be enough to send him on his way, or so Lief thought.

    Janor pulled himself to his feet, feeling the strength already returning to his body. "Is this where we part ways, young Lief?" Janor asked with his back turned. The godling hoped it wasn't. He liked Lief, despite the attitude the human came with.

    "There are some caves nearby. I thought I would hole-up there for a few days before crossing back over the desert to my own tribe." Lief replied. That was about as close as Janor was going to get to an answer. Or an invitation.

    The godling headed in the direction Lief had indicated. It wasn't long before Janor knew he was being watched. He hoped it was Lief following along but thought it unlikely. The youth had withdrawn into himself over the last couple of days, leaving Janor wondering what the problem might have been.

    When Janor finally found the town, it wasn't much more then he was expecting. A few buildings left over from mankind's glory days with a few more recently built. The streets were mud and stone, though mostly mud. The surrounding trees seem to have been encouraged to grow densely as to shroud the small town from the casual traveler. Even though great pains were taken for secrecy, his presences didn't seem to stir up too much fuss. A few people looked his way but for the most part the godling was dealt an indifferent shoulder.

    Janor asked an elderly woman on the street where he might be able to buy supplies. She mumbled something through her toothless maw and pointed at a building at the end of the street. The godling thanked her warmly, sharing a bright smile before heading quickly down the road. When he stepped inside, it grew very quiet. This was more then reaction Janor had been expecting and upon reflection, it struck him odd that no one outside had done this. Had they known he was coming? That seemed likely and also answered the question of who was watching him in the forest.

    The human behind the counter stared at the godling silently for a moment before walking over to help the new customer. A sassy, "Can I help you?" greeted Janor. Despite the words being neutral, the tone of voice was hostile.

    "I lost my pack and supplies when crossing the desert. Can I purchase those things here?" Janor replied with a smile. He produced some currency for inspection. The moment the money was spotted, the human nodded quickly and suddenly became more pleasant to deal with.

    The godling soon found himself the owner of a new pack, blanket, food, water skin, wine skin, a pan to cook in, a knife, fork, large spoon, and a few other little items. Janor was just looking at a new cloak when the door opened and in walked someone calling for a barris. The word struck the godling as being odd and definitely foreign. He looked up and straight into the gazing eyes of the woman he'd come looking for.

    "Brenna." He said, the word slipping from his lips.

    She frowned, "Do I know you?"

    "No M'Lady." The godling replied.

    "Then how do you know my name?" That came out like a growl.

    "You're reputation proceeds you." Was all he could think to say, though the reply was met with more then a few snickers from the others.



    Part 33)

    Brenna's head snapped to the side, glaring at the small group who were snickering quietly. Every single one of them shut up and averted their eyes. Brenna was brash and she knew it. It often times caused others to think her a brute. She didn't really care. She was a strong woman and wouldn't be tamed by weak old men.

    The redhead looked back at Janor who had turned his attention to choosing a new cloak. The godling was surprised to have found her so easily and that she would be so... well so bold.

    "You are new here." Brenna said, making it a statement instead of a question.

    "Yes. I'm just passing through." Janor said seriously. For some reason he felt a smile would have been lost on such a woman.

    "Would you happen to be looking for work?" Brenna inquired. Something about the stranger struck her as familiar. The redhead ignored the sharp intake of breath from behind her.

    "I could do with some work. It would be nice to stop traveling for a short time. What is it you need done..." Janor cocked an inquiring brow at her.

    "Brenna. You are?" Everything about her was brisk and abrasive.

    "Janor."

    "I have a field that needs clearing." Which was a flat out lie. Brenna had other plans for this traveler. Sadly, they didn't have a thing to do with the godling. "If you're interested, I can offering you a small room and food. Some currency before you move on."

    "Thank you, Brenna. I would like that." Janor felt completely off kilter with this woman. He wasn't sure how to treat her. One moment he thought maybe he could get a handle on something, the next she exuded an invisible wall that repelled everyone around her. This wasn't going to be easy but at least if he were close, he had a chance. Maybe a better chance then Baul.

    "Finish up here. I'll meet you outside." She ordered and left without waiting for a response.

    "Son, let me give you a piece of advice." Said an elderly patron the moment Brenna had left, "Take your things and leave. You'll be better off." Strangely, it wasn't to be the last warning he got from some of the locals.



    Part 34)

    Lief sat resting by the side of the stream. He had listened to Janor head off to replenish his supplies. The young warrior was more then a little confused right now. He wanted to believe that Janor was only after a mate and yet something about that idea still disturbed the young man. His thoughts ran along the lines of just leaving, heading back to his own tribe and leaving this conundrum of a man behind. But that was part of the problem wasn't it? Janor wasn't a man but by his own admission, he wasn't a god either. Did that leave him some place in the middle?

    Somewhere deep inside the youth was the seed of a desire he didn't know existed yet. It had been working it's magic on his mind and thoughts for some days now. It caused him to doubt and to want to believe. And when it came to full bloom, it was going to be the yen to follow Janor back to where ever he came from and never face the harsh life of this world again. When that desire made it's self known, it will leave the young man in a state of anguished need. It won't understand what it's seeking or that to have it, meant he had to die first. No human arrived In Between while still living. Their flesh could not make the journey.

    Lief finally sought out the caves he'd told Janor about. The youth selected one of the larger ones, made sure it wasn't already inhabited and then set to work making it liveable. Debris was cleaned off the floor, a fire ring built and wood piled. Leaves and other soft growth were gathered and a bed was made. After that, he sat down to sharpen his spear and knife because he needed to hunt. Just one, sizable animal would meet all his immediate needs.

    Lief kept his mind from wandering to Janor as much as possible. He hunted that day and the next, finally bring down a large buck and a wild boar. Over the next five days the young warrior spent allot of time tanning the hides, smoking the meat, making the bladders into useable water skins and shaping the antlers and tusks into tools. By the time the sun was setting on the first week and he was thinking it was about time to return, his world was turned upside down by the arrival of the godling.

    "I didn't think I would see you again." Lief said, hiding the fact he was thrilled.

    "You're description of where the caves were, was a little vague." Janor said, taking a seat next to the small fire.

    Lief eyed him closely, noting that the godling looked different. "And why didn't you move on? I presumed that's what you would do once you replenished your supplies."

    "I found a reason to stay." Janor replied. For some reason, he really didn't want to tell Lief he'd found whom he was looking for. "Just a job to earn a little extra currency. The supplies were pricy."

    "You're lucky they sold to you at all. They usually run travelers off." Lief said before thinking.

    "And you didn't think to mention that before I went into town?" Janor inquired darkly.

    "I did think to but you would have gone anyway." Lief snapped back.

    "And here I've spent three days looking for these caves. Makes me wonder why, since you treat me like this." Janor said, only slightly less snippish then Lief's previous comment.

    "What do I look like? You're guide? I don't think so. You can stumble around like the rest of us and figure it out." Lief started to get up.

    "If I were human you'd have told me." The godling pointed out.

    "No, I wouldn't have. You aren't my concern." Lief's tone was harsh.

    "I don't know whether to kiss you again or slap you for being such an ass." Janor replied, then grinned when his words caused Lief to stumble over a rock and nearly sent himself to the forest floor. The godling reached out quickly and yanked the young warrior into his lap.

    "Maybe I do know which I'd rather do first." Janor sank into the kiss, noticing that this time Lief returned the hungry touch. Seconds turned into moments. When they finally came up for air, Janor slapped Lief sharply.

    "What the hell was that for!?" Lief asked angrily.

    "For being such an ass."



    Part 35)

    "How much time has passed now?" Murmured Ithice the Red.

    "You know." Sunna replied lazily.

    "Not really. I haven't kept up on it." Ithice admitted. To them it had been a little more then half a cycle.

    "More then a year by the days of man." Sunna finally replied. Some times she forgot that Ithice wasn't as all seeing as most of the other gods. That was one of the prices he had paid to stay behind and raise their sons. His ability to see beyond just In Between had grown dull.

    "They must have changed." He said while idly playing with a perk nipple.

    "Yes, they have. Baul is less roguish, more focused." She barely was able to reply.

    "Wasn't he always?" The Red was readying his wife for yet another round of love play. After hundreds of years apart, it seemed their thirst for one another was insatiable.

    "To a point. It was Janor who always bore the load of this characteristic." No more was said for a time. The Hearth seemed to glow with passion, causing many of the staff to succumb to the need of the body. The Hearth was tied tighter to Ithice then the sun to the moon. Which is often why the staff knew something was happening before they were actually told.

    "Do we know who yet?" Ithice finally asked. They may have grown quiet after their joining but they both were thinking much the same thing. While they laid within each others arms, their sons were beyond this world on a journey that would have Sunna and Ithice losing one of them. It wasn't a very quieting thought to the heart.

    "It is impossible to know." Sunna said with a soft sigh. "We can no longer see into the heart of man."

    "And man's heart is the key to unlocking which son is good and which is evil." Ithice finished for her. Sunna didn't reply. She simply curved her long body closer to Ithice's and remained silent. "Can the same person cause different reactions in each of them?"

    "I do not know." She replied.

    "So their hearts matter not a wit in this game?" Ithice was getting angry, the sky turning black with the rolling thunder of rain clouds.

    "I do not know." Sunna whispered.

    "Then what do you know, Sunna!" Lightening cascaded across the sky, peels of thunder boomed and rain began to fall in sheets.

    "I know they have found her. I know the end is near." She said defeatedly.

    "And?" He demanded.

    "And I know this while thing scares me to death."



    Part 36)

    Dansel was laughing at something Baul said. The poor human was covering his mouth, trying not to spit his mead across the table. Over the last few days, Dansel and Baul had become close. At least that was how it appeared to anyone that looked at them. For Baul, it was a friendship of convenience. It allowed him to have an insider's knowledge to the small tribe and a way to keep meeting up with Brenna. The dear lass made it a point to come and see Dansel daily, usually scowling at Baul and ignoring him. That was proving harder to do as each day passed thought.

    "Good morning, Brenna." Baul said when he noticed her approaching. "You look fetching today." The godling played with Brenna as easily as he played with words. As usual, she ignored him.

    "Dansel, I need three allotments of seeds for planting." She told him crisply.

    "What for?" He said after hastily swallowing his mead.

    "Clean your ears out, Dansel." Baul interrupted. "She just told you it was for planting!"

    Brenna grit her teeth, hating that Baul had come to her rescue like that. "I want to plant the back field before it's too late." She informed him as civilly as possible.

    "I'd heard you had someone clearing." He said a might more soberly. "A stranger." The word sounded foul when he said it, causing Baul to arch a brow at his new friend in mild offence.

    "If you'll excuse me." The godling said tightly.

    "Baul!" Dansel said, trying to stop him. However, the exit was damn near perfect. Baul couldn't have planned it better himself. "Now look what you've done!" He snapped at Brenna.

    "What I've done? You're the one to open your stupid mouth and shoved your foot in. You said 'stranger' like it was filth. What's the matter with you!?" She sniped back.

    "Strangers are dangerous to us." He hissed, lowering his voice. "You shouldn't have done that."

    "Yes, strangers are dangerous." She glared at him. "But that didn't stop you from dismissing me and welcoming this stranger with open arms. You're not fooling me, Dansel. I know why you did it. If this tribe is hurt because of it, it will be all your fault." She grinned with triumph. "You remember that."

    Dansel realized in that instant why Brenna had invited the stranger to work at her place. He had set precedent by allowing Baul to stay and welcoming him warmly. Now that Brenna had done the same thing, the tribe may very well loosen up enough to be more welcoming. Maybe the thought of selling to a traveler would outweigh commonsense. What had he done?



    Part 37)

    Baul waited outside for Brenna to emerge from the bar. Dansel had been a keen guide over the last few days but something seemed to elude the pood constable. It was the fact Baul was more interested in Brenna then in what Dansel might be doing or saying at that moment. Some times humans didn't see what they didn't want to. That suited Baul just fine. It was Brenna he was here after and he didn't think he had long until Janor arrived. For all the godling knew, his brother was already here.

    When Dansel had first mentioned that Brenna had hired a stranger to work her fields, Baul had instantly worried that it was Janor but the reports of the stranger had been widely varied. Baul felt that Janor wasn't likely to be something anyone forgot. Still, Baul played his game hard and fast, pressing the buttons he saw and hoping that he was making more progress then his sibling.

    "Brenna," Baul said lightly when he saw her finally emerge from the bar. She turned to look at him, her eyes haunting and as full of fire as her hair color suggested. "May I have a word?" The respect he gave her was something she hadn't returned. Not for one instant since she had first laid eyes on the godling did she offer him the simplest respect due to any being.

    Brenna walked over and stood looking at him hard. If she hadn't been working so hard to prove the point that strangers, all strangers, were dangerous to the tribe, she would have kept on walking and ignored the infuriating man.

    "I wanted to apologize for my actions earlier." Baul said. He didn't cower before her, nor press his presence as the dominate. He did everything he could to give the illusion they were equals.

    "What do I care if you take offence to Dansel's loose tongue?" She said with a clipped tone.

    "You misunderstand me, Brenna. I am not apologizing for that. I am apologizing for interrupting your conversation. You are perfectly capable of pointing out his idiocy." Baul said. "It will not happen again." He assured her.

    Brenna looked at him, wondering if he meant it. It was true she was capable and it had upset her to have Baul defend her like that but his apology was giving her second thoughts. What harm was it to give the appearance of a little friendship from her if it furthered her plan?

    "I thank you." She replied and then smiled a little. "It was more of a sting coming from you anyway."

    Baul cracked a grin, "Yes, well, he sometimes leaves himself open for those things."

    "And they are too sweet to resist." She added as the two shared a laugh. Of those that were passing by, they stopped and stared. No one could remember the last time they had seen Brenna look so relaxed or laughing. Not since ... well it had been a long while.

    "If I might be so presumptuous. Would you escort me to the livery? I need to purchase a length of leather to repair my pack." Baul said. He was careful not to smile too brightly or to indicate he would highly enjoy her company.

    "Certainly." She replied and waited for him to fall into step beside her. "You seem to have grown comfortable within our tribe."

    "People are the same all over, Brenna." Baul said, "If one respects them, then most often they will respect you."

    "You are naive if you believe that, Baul." She replied. "People are a threat. What level of a thread they are is all that needs to be determined."

    "I pity.." Baul started.

    "Do not pity me!" The redhead interrupted.

    "I don't. I was going to say I pitied the person who left you with such a harsh outlook on the human race." The godling replied.

    "Why would you say that?" Brenna seemed genuinely interested.

    "Because they lost more then they could ever know." Baul said, keeping his eyes forward.

    For a few minutes they walked in silence, covering the last of the distance to the livery. When they stood upon it's muddied steps, Baul looked at Brenna and bowed his head slightly, just as he had the day they'd met.

    "Thank you." He said.

    "I suspect you didn't need my protection." She replied with an edge of playfulness.

    "That is true but I suspect if I said I was craving the company of a stunningly beautiful woman, you might have punched me hard and stormed off. Good day, Brenna." He finished and walked into the store, leaving Brenna flushed with a little anger and more then a little uncomfortableness.



    Part 38)

    Jeth lay soaking in a hot bath, the room steamy and filled with the scent of fragrant soap. Hot water lapped gently at his chest while the bed slave lay still and relaxed. It had been a long couple of days dealing with Kith. She was moody one moment and sullen the next. The only time she seemed to come to life was when Ithice was around and then she went to great lengths to not be seen. Given that divine intervention was needed in her conception, it seemed silly to avoid The Red.

    Jeth's eyes fluttered closed as he let the stress float away. As was the case most often, the bed slave's mind turned to Janor and how much he was missed. Jeth thought about how long they had been together and was shocked to realize it really had been a long time. It was strangely disturbing to realize you had several lifetimes of memories to look back on. There was the long nights before they became intimate and Jeth truly was nothing more then a bed slave. Someone who helped to keep the bed warm at nights. The ships they had built and the hunting they'd done. The first time they had kissed and the first time they were together.

    Jeth pulled himself from the cooling water and meandered off to the bedchamber. The fire was barely a glow in the dark, cool room. Jeth spent a couple of moments stoking the fire and mulling over his memories further. The first night together was still a potent memory for the bed slave. He had been sharing a bed with the enigmatic godling for months with nothing ever happening. Jeth fancied he could feel a heat between them but it seemed they were just good friends and never destined to be lovers.

    The sheets were clean and crisp, offering a soft barrier from the harsher woven blankets that adorned Janor's massive bed. Kith had been sharing it with Jeth for the last few nights but tonight, she had wanted to be alone and back among Baul's things. Jeth had watched her waddle away, trying not to be amused and saddened at the same time. The bed slave propped the pillows up behind his back and reached for the journal he had been writing in since Janor's departure.

    The bed slave wrote page after page, wanting to remember things that might be forgotten as time passed In Between but when he came to the first night he and Janor had been intimate, his quill stilled and his memories took over. Absently he laid the book aside and leaned more heavily into the pillows.

    It hadn't been some magical night. Not by a long shot. But it had been heated and painful, wanted and wild. Jeth knew he wanted the godling but if it was a new kind of thing for him or not, it wasn't something he would ever know. Now, as he thought about that first time, he wondered if it was because Janor's blood flowed through his veins or because they had spent so much time together that it became a natural extension of that relationship. Whatever it was, Jeth didn't regret it.

    The night had been bitterly cold. Ithice's Hearth was always cold but lately The Red had descended into a black and bitter place, leaving the ground thicker in snow and ice, and every room blazing with a fire that never seemed to warm it sufficiently. Jeth had slid into the bed, planting himself square in the middle to let his body heat spread out and make it comfortable for when his godling came to bed.

    It was some hours later when Janor came in, the cold clinging to him like a cloak. He stomped the snow from his boots and dropped his heavy furs onto a chair before sitting and trying to wrestle the damp boots from his feet. Silently Jeth padded over and knelt before the godling to help. He was nude, as this was how he always slept. When he looked up, Janor was peering down at him and there was hunger in his eyes. When he realized Jeth could see it, the look disappeared behind that damnable wall that Janor was so good at constructing. But it was too late. Jeth had seen it and wanted the same thing.

    The bed slaved helped undress his lord and waited patiently in bed while Janor saw to his toilet. When the godling came to bed, his shoulders were bowed with tension. He laid down quietly, his back to the bed slave, seeming to be strung tight and ready to snap if Jeth touched him tonight. How strange that it was just that, one single touch that undid the godling's will to not come to Jeth. Perhaps it had to be the right touch, which in this instance was Jeth reaching over the godling and wrapping his delicate hand around Janor's large cock.

    The godling moaned and tried to still the rush that flooded his member, making it arise proudly with need. A first kiss wasn't share that night. Instead it was the bed slave learning the contours of his lord's shaft in all it's thick and wondrous glory.

    Jeth could still feel that velvety length slide down his throat for the first time. Absently he reached for his own cock and slowly started to stroke it. It was already pulsing with life.

    Janor had a taste that Jeth never failed to tire of. That first night had opened the bed slave's eyes, and his body, to pleasure unnameable. The thick vein that jutted under the godling's cock was a favorite place to lave his tongue across whenever the bed slave found himself on his knees. A dark, sparse nest of hair cradled the large member, which Jeth loved to run his fingers through. Janor's crown was a particular favorite and yet that night, it all seemed familiar and strange to Jeth. A virgin in this new life with a hunger born from the last.

    Jeth had taken his lord hungrily, plunging as much of the godling's length down his throat as he could but when Janor's oily finger pressed against the bed slave's anus, Jeth hissed and shifted before returning to his hungry desire to taste Janor's cum. Janor, though, wanted something else and spent nearly a quarter of an hour preparing his bed slave for that want to be fulfilled. Even with that preparation, Jeth still cried out in pain when Janor's raging hard cock sought entrance.

    Jeth's hand was still stroking his shaft, driving drop after drop of moisture from his eye as the memory of that first time ignited his pleasure. He sought one of the many trinkets he and Janor used in their sex play to ease the burning need to be filled. A thick layer of oil only hastened the rods entrance. Jeth pumped his ass while continuing to pump his cock.

    Janor was large, every bit the godling his body claimed to be. Jeth tried to relax, wanting the fulfillment but with each inch that disappeared inside his tight channel, the bed slave felt sure he would be split in half. Certainly he was of two minds when it came the act they were sharing. He wanted Janor out and yet deeper at the same time. Deep scratches appeared on Janor's hips from when Jeth reached back and either pulled him deeper of tried to push him away.

    It took several long moments for Jeth's body to adjust and when it did, the real thunder began. The godling started slow but didn't stay that way for long. He had only pumped a few times before the first, and still the hardest orgasm Jeth ever had, hit him blindly. A thick jet of cum erupted over the both of them, leaving Jeth panting and reeling from the intense pleasure it had given him.

    Jeth was pumping the rod rapidly, his body looking for the stimulation that Janor had given him time and again. It had been a while since the bed slave had indulged in self gratification and it seemed that even the potent memory of his first time wasn't going to be enough to send him over the edge. He brought to mind every sweet stolen moment they'd had to tegether, even recalling the time when Ithice had thrown a dinner party for forty people they had never met before and Janor had stolen him away to a small room for a fast fuck. Jeth's body finally broke, giving him the orgasm he sought albeit a weak one. The bed slave removed the rod and laid on his side, tears staining his cheeks in his frustration.

    As he lay there, he thought about the rest of that first night. Janor had taken him three more times, one of which was to suckle his cock until Jeth could rejoice in yet another orgasm. Jeth closed his eyes and tried to recall it all. The feeling of Janor's heavy sacks hanging in his face and the feel of the godling's facial hair tickling Jeth's cock. The tip of a tongue wiggling into the eye of his shaft, drinking the drops of precum. The touching and thick fingers that stretched him. All of it. But what caused the most sorrow and longing... was remembering the kiss Janor had shared with him the following morning. It said nothing, everything and more.

    "Come home." Jeth whispered through his tears. "I need you."



    Part 39)

    Janor bent his back to the task of removing a large stump from the field Brenna wanted cleared. The godling had been working on it all week. The field was now clear of weeds and brush, the soil was turned and ready for planting. All that was left, was to remove this stubborn stump!

    The godling bent his back to it, forcing the leaver under the roots he'd cut and pressed his weight against it. At first nothing seemed to be happening, which was frustrating him. Just about the moment he was going to shift his weight and try again, the leaver moved and sent him to the ground. Janor sputtered soil out of his mouth and then looked over. The stump was lifted and resting against the edge, though should Janor move it was apparent it would roll back into the hole.

    "Damn." The godling muttered.

    "Need some help?" Asked a familiar voice.

    Janor careened his neck around to look up at Brenna. From this advantage point he could see her long shapely legs. However, a little further up were a pair of humorless eyes staring back at him. The godling nodded his head tightly with the strain of trying to hold the leaver against the ground and still enough not to tip the stump over.

    Brenna grabbed the stump and tipped it over until it lay safely on the edge of the hole. Janor rolled onto his back, staring at the sky and breathing hard from the exertion. Brenna leaned over and grinned down at him, her eyes almost wickedly playful as she said, "Too much for ya big guy?"

    "Yes, I'm afraid it was." He admitted unashamedly. "Thank you for the assistance, Brenna."

    "You always do that, Janor. You could try teasing me back." She pointed out good-naturedly.

    "I have learned two things while in your employ. The first is your stew stinks and the second is, you are a force of nature. I respect the forces of nature." He said with a smile. "It makes it hard to tell when you are teasing me and when you are serious."

    "You should respect all woman." Brenna said with a hard edge in her voice.

    "I do. I just especially respect you." There was no malice or mischief in the godling's words. He had done his best to treat Brenna as respectful as she seemed to think she deserved. It did make it hard some times though because even when Janor could tell she was jesting with him, he didn't feel comfortable enough to do the same. It also made him wonder if they were meant to spend the eons together. If they couldn't find common ground now, then they never would.

    "Where is it you go each night?" Brenna asked, unabashed to be inquiring about something personal.

    "Here and there. I've been traveling for so long that it feels strange not to move around. I've been looking all over the valley. I like the waterfall that's about an hour's walk that way." He pointed. "And over there is a small field of wild flowers. The color's are magnificent."

    "Enough, enough. I get it!" She laughed. "You're mushy." She added, still laughing.

    "Not at all." Janor replied, not sharing her mirth. "I just enjoy beauty for what it is. Appealing to the eye, strong and willful, magnificent and rare. Much like you, yourself."

    Brenna's mouth snapped shut as she watched Janor walk back toward the barn. She didn't move but instead watched the godling splash water over his chest and neck, scrub his hands and then disappear into the barn where he was sleeping. It bothered the redhead that twice today a man had complimented her in such a way that it caused her to flush and think about them differently. She had to stay focused because both of those men were strangers to her tribe and she was trying hard to prove they couldn't be trusted. No stranger could...



    Part 40)

    Lief postponed his trip back across the desert. He had a handful of reasons should his mind start questioning this decision. He didn't have enough food saved up. He needed just one more water skin. He really should make some balm for the burn he'll no doubt get. It was the time for storms and the desert would be more treacherous. Not a single one of those reasons had anything to do with the godling that invariably drifted out of the forest each and ever night to break down the young warrior's defenses more and more. There was no way Lief was going to admit to himself that he had come to look forward to those visits.

    The thing was, Lief also knew that Janor had found whom he was looking for. He didn't know who she was or what she looked like. It was the way the godling seemed to relax when he came into Lief's small camp. It was like the godling left something behind and presented just himself, sans the burden he was carrying. Lief also knew he shouldn't stay and possibly ruin things for Janor. However, it just wasn't enough to make him move on yet.

    "Dinner is almost done." Lief said when he heard the godling's familiar footfalls. Lief looked up and frowned when he saw how bad Janor looked. "You're filthy." He said.

    "I didn't stop to bathe. I'll do it now." Janor replied tiredly. The godling yawned and moved off toward the water.

    He was only gone a few minute when Lief thought to give the godling some of the soap he'd made today. Snatching up a bar, still warm from the molding processes, Lief jogged down the narrow path toward the waterfalls to give Janor the soap. When he arrived, however, he caught Janor lifting his tunic over his head and dropping it to the ground. The young warrior took a step back into the foliage to watch. He should have felt shame for watching the godling undress. What he felt was as far from shame as you could get.

    Janor's body was lean, as it had always been. His skin was dark and toned, allowing the eye to nary wonder about anything. Lief admired Janor's broad shoulders, strong back and narrow waist but when the godling turned around to reach for something, Lief's breath caught in his throat. His eyes went wide and for as long as the godling was in view, Lief stared. He couldn't even form a comprehensive sentence about it. Nothing more then broken words came to mind, all of which meant the same thing.

    Big.

    The young warrior finally regained himself. He thought about turning back and forgetting what it was he had seen. He shouldn't have intruded on Janor's privacy and certainly had the roles been reversed, Lief would have been livid. But instead of leaving, he called out to the godling as he bathed.

    "Want some soap? I made it today." Lief was aware he sounded stupid. If he could have changed his mind and sunk away, he would have.

    "Yes." Janor replied. He still sounded tired.

    Lief tried to advert his eyes when he walked over to hand the godling the soap. In principle it should have been an easy task. The poor sod was having extreme difficulty actually achieving the desired result!

    "You alright?" Janor asked. If he had been more alert, he would have seen what the problem was and taken advantage of it.

    "Yeah. Supper's burning." Lief mumbled and dashed back off into the trees.

    The two ate a quiet supper together. The young warrior's quietness was enough to shake Janor from his tired stupor and ask Lief if there was something wrong.

    "No. I was just thinking." He said.

    "About what?" The godling asked, stifling yet another yawn.

    "Where do you live?" It was the first thing that came to mind. "I mean, where do you come from?"

    "In Between." Janor said, coming awake a little.

    "In between what?" Lief questioned. It made him angry when the godling became vague.

    "In Between." Janor corrected. "That's what it's called. It's in between the worlds of man and the gods."

    "What's it like?" Again that seed of desire pressed it's unwary host for more answers.

    "Cold usually. My father likes it that way." Janor said. "I can't ever remember it being green and vibrant like your world." The godling shifted to look at Lief better. "I live in a huge castle on a cliff overly looking the sea. The world I know is always white, snow and ice everywhere. The castle is called, Ithice's Hearth."

    "Is that you're father? Ithice?" Lief moved closer, the pretense was to stoke the fire higher.

    "Yes. Ithice the Red. Though he has been known by many names. My mother is Sunna the Pure."

    "Those are strange names, Janor." Lief commented, then he grinned. "And do you have such a title?"

    The godling laughed, a playful glint in his eye. "As a matter of fact, I do. But we shall save that for another time. It grows late."

    Lief had to catch himself before he pouted playfully. That was simply not becoming of a warrior! Instead, he arose to his feet to walk Janor to the edge of the camp. They were silent for a while before Lief started to ask how his quest for a mate went. It was Janor tugging the young warrior close and kissing him, that made Lief forget what it was he was going to say. This was only their third kiss but it was clearly more bold. After what Lief had seen this night, maybe a little too bold.



    Part 41)

    "I saw you speaking to Brenna the other day." Dansel said while the two of them had the midday meal at the tavern.

    "I speak to Brenna most every day." Baul replied, "Just as I do you."

    "But you seemed different with her." Dansel hadn't planned on bringing this topic up. It had bothered him watching Baul and Brenna walk off together.

    "Did you want me to treat you like a female?" Baul said and then added a little laugh. He had known something was on the constable's mind and was relived when Dansel finally spit it out.

    "Of course not!" Dansel said quickly, his eyes flitting to the other's in the room. "Forget I said anything." He muttered when he saw Brenna walk into the room for her daily browbeating.

    "What do you want now." Dansel sniped before she could ever get her mouth open. "More seeds? A well dug? Maybe you've just come to point out how much better you'd be at my job then I am." The constable was in a sour mood today.

    "I don't need to tell you something you already know, Dansel. I came to talk to Baul. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Brenna's back was to Baul. What Dansel could see was a dark grin.

    "No. I have some things to do anyway." He said. "She's all yours." He told Baul, and left the table and his food.

    "How nice of him." Baul said cheerily. "He gives you away as if he owns you." Baul's words were chosen carefully.

    "No man owns me." She snapped. "Especially you."

    Baul laughed. He was amused. "No man or woman could own you Brenna. And if they were smart, they wouldn't try!"

    "I trust you won't forget that, Baul." She said.

    "And I trust, Milady, you won't let me." He grinned. "Did you seek me out for a reason?" He asked, changing the subject.

    "Only to take the chance to rile Dansel up a little." She grinned. "What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?"

    Baul didn't think it was an innocent question. Especially since this was the first time out of all these weeks that Brenna had bothered to ask him something like this. "A little of this and that." He narrowed his eyes, "Why? Going to make me an offer I can't refuse?"

    "I thought maybe you'd like to ride out to the valley farms with me." Brenna smiled, giving Baul a suspicious feeling. Something was up.



    Part 42)

    A crack of thunder so loud started Jeth from his bed. The bed slave's body jumped hard, having never heard thunder this loud before. It shook the castle to it's dungeons and beyond. For a long moment Jeth huddled under the blankets, waiting to see if thunder peeled across the sky once more. When nothing happened for several minutes, the bed slave carefully climbed from the comfort and warmth and edged toward the window. The sky was darker then he could ever remember seeing it. No stars, no moon, no nothing. That is until lightening skittered across the sky in thick bolts, followed closely by thunder that again seemed so loud it vibrated within Jeth's chest.

    "Ithice must be in the foulest of moods." The bed slave said aloud.

    Against his better judgement, Jeth left Janor's tower and went to seek out Ithice. If something was making him this angry, it had to involve the twins and Jeth didn't want to be left with not knowing what was going on.

    His warm, bare feet padded across the floor quietly, moving deeper and deeper into the hearth until at least the bed slave found whom he was looking for. In the great hall, stood three people. Ithice, Sunna and someone he had never seen before. Jeth was on the balcony where the musicians would sit and play during the feasts The Red used to throw. The bed slave crouched down and moved along the edge until he could round the corner and look down into the great hall though a slat. It was Lorel and Kith that met him there.

    "What's going on?" Jeth asked.

    "Not sure. We only just got here." Loral replied.

    Jeth absently noticed that Kith's mid-section was growing very large. Smartly, the bed slave said nothing about it. Together the three of them peered through the slat and down at the gods.

    From here it was easy to tell that Ithice the Red wasn't very happy. Whatever the third being was saying, it was having a dangerous effect on the lord of the Hearth. Jeth could see that Sunna sat quietly in a chair beside the Red but she didn't really look at either of them.

    Quite by surprise, Ithice surged to his feet and roared at the third. "No! We went along with this once, you will not change the rules now that it is almost over!"

    "Oh gods." Kith muttered. "Baul." The last word slipped out so softly that Jeth almost missed it.

    "I don't care!" The three of them cringed, hearing the thunder echo Ithice's words.

    "Who is that?" Jeth asked them. No one knew. "I'm going down there."

    Jeth, his heart pounding, walked into the great hall. He still could not see the face of the other person in the room but he hadn't gone far before Sunna's eyes befell him. They softened, an interesting kind of understanding passing between the two of them. Lightly she placed her hand on top of Ithice's, directing his attention to the bed slave.

    "What!" He snapped, silencing himself when he saw Jeth. "What is it Jeth?"

    "The Hearth trembles to it's core, M'lord. A storm, like none other, rages outside. It gives us cause to worry. What has happened with the twins?" Once upon a time, Jeth would never have been so embolden to ask such a thing of Ithice or Sunna.

    "Tell it nothing." Instructed the third person sitting there. The being brought his eyes to bare on Jeth. Instantly the pressure of his gaze cause Jeth to fall to his knees and advert his eyes. Janor once told him there was only one god that all bowed to...

    "The First." Jeth said. "Tell me."



    Part 43)

    Jeth knelt there panting under the First's heavy gaze. Everything that had been whispered about this being was true. It was, by far, more powerful then Ithice or Sunna. Jeth could feel his heart hammering behind his breast, his body coated in a primal sweat and his mind screaming in defiance. The bed slave fought, every ounce within him pulling together, to stand. Jeth could almost feel Sunna's mind warn him and Ithice's pride.

    "Why does it have such a strong will?" The First asked in a voice that was hard to pin down. One moment it was slithery and raspy like an old man's and the next it was strong and wise. "Was not it's blood diluted?"

    "Don't you know?" Managed Jeth. "Can't you see and know everything?" The exertion of talking was like drawing breath through broken glass. Jeth already knew that a god's eyes could not be everyone at once but it still angered him that the First would speak about him as if he wasn't there.

    "Remove it or I will." The First intoned to Ithice.

    "I will not go! I want to know what's wrong with the twins. I won't leave until I do." Jeth was adamant in his words but they did little good in the end.

    "Oh won't you?" The First said. Jeth never saw it but the First did no more then flick his finger and the bed slave was sent flying across the great room, past the arches and landed against the wall as the heavy doors closed tightly behind him.

    Jeth's head spun but otherwise he was unhurt. The bed slave was only there for a moment before Sunna drifted through the door, bent down and gathered him up into her arms as if he were no more then a child of three or four.

    "Are you alright, Jeth?" She asked him.

    The bed slave's eyes looked up at her. He couldn't remember her ever calling him by name, let alone close enough to touch him. She was the one thing that struck fear in his heart, though he didn't know why.

    "Jeth?" She asked again gently. She carried him as if he were no burden to her. Sunna's steps were sure and smooth as she ascended the stairs to Janor's tower.

    "I am fine Mlady." He finally replied. "I can walk."

    But Sunna the Pure did not put him down. She continued to ascend the stairs until they had come to Janor's bedchambers and there, she set him gently on the bed and sat down beside him.

    "That wasn't a very smart thing you did, Jeth." She said gently. She could see the bed slave ready to argue with her. "Be still. You would have been told. Nothing is kept a secret here in the Hearth lest we mean it to be kept that way." Jeth looked at her strangely, a cloud of confusion drifting behind his eyes. "I would have told Lorel myself and then he would have told you and Kith."

    "I don't understand. Why would you do something like that?" Jeth, like many of the other humans here, think they are no more then servants, that they were beneath the notice of the gods. Insignificant.

    "Have you not guessed already, young one? Did it not seem clear when the First asked why you had not been diluted?" She gently guided him in his thinking.

    "I had wondered but my first concern is,"

    "Janor. We know." She finished for him. "Information abounds within the Hearth and very little of it is an actual secret, little one." She told him. "You need only ask the right questions to the right person to find the answers you seek."

    "Ithice told me Janor gave me his blood. Did he not know to dilute it? And why must it be diluted?" Jeth asked her, finally following her.

    "Why is for another time. But yes, because Janor gave you his blood, it was not diluted. It was never meant for him to know the process. He simply followed his heart and gave you what your spirit said it needed. Usually it is only Ithice that calls the souls and gives them life here In Between." She told him.

    "But you have done it too." Jeth said, very sure of the answer. "At least for Lorel. You trust him."

    "You are observant, little one. I can see why my son loves you so dearly. I wonder, will you be willing to share him once he returns?" She asked him.

    Jeth perked right up. "Janor is returning? You know this!? But that means Baul is not."

    "Hush. I am their mother and I prefer to believe they both will come back. The First will not let any of us see the outcome. We're not sure he even knows." She replied with a great sadness.

    "I'm sorry, Mlady." Jeth said. "We all miss them."

    "How is Kith and the child?" Sunna asked, suddenly changing the subject.

    "I figured you had a hand in that." Jeth said. "I think they are both doing well. Kith grows very large."

    "Given who the father is, that is not surprising." Sunna said with a secret smile on her lips. "I need you to take very good care of them, Jeth. That child is special."

    "Any life created in the Hearth is special." Jeth replied without thinking. That was the core of his thoughts where the child was concerned.

    "I see you understand." Sunna said.

    "Aren't you worried the First will find out?" Again Jeth was right on the money in his thoughts.

    "No. The First watches man's world. You are beneath him here. You are safe." She told him.

    "We are still human." Jeth felt as if he were cast aside.

    "No. You are not." Jeth's head snapped around to look at her. "Your spirits are of humans but the body we give you, is of us. We mirror the body you have enjoyed the most in all your lives. In essence, we let you chose."

    Jeth thought about this for a moment. "I am a young soul, aren't I? Almost new."

    "Given that you are not diluted, I am not surprised you know that." She said with a little laughter. "You have only lived two lifetimes." She told him. "And both of them,"

    "Janor watched me. He watched me, didn't he?" Jeth asked.

    "Yes, he did. Both times you chose male, bodies of equal beauty and preference. You should have been sent back out into the world, Jeth. Usually only old souls are called here. But you came when Janor called you. I watched that day. You never hesitated. You didn't need to be informed, or given a choice. You came straight away and told Janor what you needed to be with him. I watched my son open his vein and give you life." Sunna stood and drifted toward the door.

    "Mlady." Jeth called out to her. Sunna turned and looked at him, waiting. Jeth had a question. He knew he need word it right. "I know you can not tell me why but what does it mean to not be diluted? What does not being diluted make me?" He asked.

    Sunna smiled, "It makes you special."



    Part 44)

    Brenna came riding back to her farm, her horse coated in lather and looking tired. Wordlessly the godling reached out and took the reigns, looking at a very flushed redhead. Janor couldn't help but wonder what might have caused such a look in someone that was usually very much in control of herself.

    "Make sure you wash him down!" She barked. Janor raised a brow at her and didn't budge. "Please." She added.

    "Thank you." Janor replied and slowly turned to lead the sweating mare off to the stream.

    "Janor," Brenna said, her voice tightly strung. "I'm sorry. That was brisk of me." That didn't even begin to cover it in Janor's mind.

    "I am not a servant Brenna. Treating me like one says more about you, then it does me." Brenna found herself gritting her teeth again. Every time this man opened his mouth, he said something that made her feel ashamed of the way she'd done something. Whether he realized it or not, he was making it very hard on her to see her plan to the end.

    "Please let me help you." She finally conceded and followed Janor and the mare to the stream.

    "Has it been a bad day?" Janor asked casually while his lifted a pail of water and poured it over the horses coat.

    "No. I just ran into a stubborn pig." She said somewhat relaxed.

    "Sounds like bacon for breakfast." He smiled at her over the horse. "Stubborn people can be hard to deal with." He added.

    "It might be better to not deal with them, no matter how they make you feel." She was relaxing further in Janor's presences.

    "And how does he make you feel?" Janor appeared to be paying more attention to the horse then he was Brenna. That was a falsehood.

    "I feel like kis.. Kicking him." She corrected at the last second.

    The godling looked at her, his eyes seeking hers across the horse. The darkness that was all Janor seemed more mysterious tonight then ever before. Brenna liked how comfortable she had become around this stranger, even if that fact wasn't about to deter her from making her point. For Janor, he felt as if his window of opportunity was closing before he had even had a chance to achieve his goal. He had to be a bit more emboldened in his actions.

    The godling walked around the mighty beast and stood in front of Brenna. Slowly, he leaned toward her, giving her plenty of time to pull away from him, to end this merry farce. He was close, her lips a breath away. Brenna's heart was pounding. She wanted the kiss, wanted how he made her feel to be overwhelming and consuming. But it was that very want and desire that made her turn her head and wait for him to back off.

    "My apologies, Brenna." He said huskily.

    Before he could move far, Brenna's hand slid up his bare stomach and over his chest. The godling knew she was more confident in leading the chase then being the target. He let her. He gave her the comfort zone she seemed to think she needed. Sliding her fingers into his mane of hair, Brenna took Janor's lips in a tentative kiss. Every long dormant feminine part of her wanted to lean into the godling and let her body's desires have their way. But her mind and principles wouldn't let her seek such simple things. Not now, not ever and definitely not after last year.

    Brenna felt the heat, the passion flowing off Janor's body. It called to hers and make her knees weak. She hated it. She wanted it. She moved away. The godling watched her go, her flaming red hair a blaze under the setting sun.

    "I'm leaving early in the morning." She called over her shoulder. "You can have the day off if you'd like."

    Janor grinned to himself. She had been close. He'd felt it. Maybe he wasn't out of the running after all.



    Part 45)

    Lief raised the axe over his head, dropping it hard and splitting the thick log into two neat sections. Just yesterday he had been planning on moving on and today, he'd gone out and stolen some supplies. He still refused to go into town to just buy them. Mostly because he didn't have any currency and was already aware of how they treated strangers. He'd procured an axe, bucket, some clothes, a couple of chickens, some fresh bread and a huge ladle from a well. It would do in a pinch. As well as a hunk of cooking lard, which had a duel purpose. One that Lief was pretending not to think about.

    "You look busy." Janor said, startling the young man. The axe warbled before Lief set it down and tried to look like he hadn't been surprised.

    "I got tired of having to scrounge for twigs. Time to actually cut wood." He replied, not very smoothly. "It's early. Shouldn't you be in the fields?"

    "I have a free day but if you'd rather I left?" Janor baited.

    "I'm sure I can find enough for you to do." Lief replied and handed the godling the axe, "Like chopping wood." He added with a cocky grin, something he'd learned from Janor.

    The godling laughed but hefted the axe and continued chopping wood. When he was done, there was at least a half a cord neatly stacked and ready for use. By the time Janor finally sat down and gratefully accepted the bowl of warmed-over stew Lief handed him, he was sweaty and stank.

    "Let's go swimming." Janor said around a bite of stew and bread.

    Lief looked at him, the memory from the last time he'd seen the godling at the waterfall rushing back and causing him to flush deeply. The idea of sliding into the water with Janor, naked, did wonderfully pleasant things to the young warrior.

    "You alright?" Janor inquired. "You looked flushed."

    "It's just the heat from the fire." Lief replied quickly.

    "All the more reason to go swimming!" The godling reasoned. Janor grinned behind his bowl as he watched Lief flush more deeply. The godling was feeling wickedly playful today and playing with Lief sounded like a lot of fun.

    Janor and Lief argued lightly over the fate of man as they walked to the waterfall. Lief believed man was right where he was meant to be in this phase of their evolution but Janor knew otherwise. He told the young warrior that man had actually slid backward in his evolution for one reason or another. He was on the brink of extinction.

    "I don't believe that!" Lief said heatedly.

    "It's true, Lief. Man's population was once so vast that they were looking to the stars to branch out. And now.. You are no more then a shadow of the people you once were." The godling informed him.

    "That does not mean we are on the bring of extinction." Lief reasoned. "How many of us saw the stars? How many are beyond this world now?"

    "You never made it to the stars." Janor said. "The only 'beyond' most of you made it to is the Great Ether. And from there you never come back."

    Lief looked at the godling, his brow furrowing in anger and uncertainty. He didn't want to hear that mankind was soon to be a forgotten memory. He didn't want to think about the burden that kind of knowledge brought. But if Janor was telling the truth, and he certainly looked as if he believed it, then where did that leave people like himself?

    "How long does mankind have?" Lief finally asked.

    "Without intervention, maybe a couple of millennia." Janor told him, as they reached the waterfall.

    "That is a long time." Lief said. "More then enough to turn things around."

    The godling smiled indulgently, not meaning any offence. "It's barely enough." He corrected. "You have no idea what's involved in encouraging mankind to change their ways and become a great race."

    The young man started to remove his clothes, so caught up in the conversation that he didn't realize Janor was doing the same. "You all are gods. Can't you just make it happen?"

    "Remember when I said the gods serve mankind?" Lief nodded, standing there naked in front of Janor's appreciative gaze. "We don't force things. A soul must be called, and then asked to take on the burden of doing something pivotal in mankind's future. Many decline and so it takes time to find one willing to lead a hard life that often times ends in a tragic death. Seeding your timeline is no easy task, Lief."

    "I still don't see why you don't just make it happen. Wave your hand or something." Lief muttered, unhappy with this conversation because it caused him serious concern.

    Janor started to wave his hands around, causing Lief to look at him like the godling had gone mad. "Nope, nothing happened." Janor said. "Guess it really is harder then just waving my hand." He grinned.

    Lief started to laugh and splashed the godling. The serious mood was broken but never far from Lief's mind. It was a heavy thing to know and strangely, he understood. They swam for a long while until finally Lief pulled himself up on a rock to lay in the sun and dry for a while.

    Janor had been watching the young warrior, both liking what he saw and finding he was deeply interested in his thoughts. The godling admired the way Lief looked at mankind as a whole and yet was willing to expand that notion. He swam over to the dozing warrior and rested his head on the rock until Lief cracked open one eye and peered at him. That sizzling heat that some times crackled between them seemed to flare and spark. Janor leaned on his arms, his lower half still submerged in the cool water. They reached for a kiss, their tongues twining and teasing, hungry for more.

    More... that's what Janor wanted. More... it's what Lief wanted. Janor kissed his way down the young warrior's lean body, teasing his nipples into tight buds before biting them. The godling found warm drops of water in Lief's navel and spent an extraordinary amount of time laving them out. Lief's breathing was coming hard, his hand laced into Janor's hair, guiding him toward the ultimate goal. When the godling arrived, he ran his tongue through the sparse hair and down the young warrior's rigid cock.

    More...



    Part 46)

    Baul had been pleased with himself when Brenna finally seemed to offer some sort of break in their tense relationship. In fact, the godling was almost cocky about the whole thing. That is until Dansel snubbed him later that night when Baul had gone to the tavern to get something to eat.

    The godling sat alone at a small table, pushing the remaining broth from his stew around the bowl with a hunk of bread. He had seen Dansel take one look at him, advert his eyes and slip out the back of the tavern. Normally Baul wouldn't have cared about silly human behavior but in this instance, he still may need Dansel. So the godling finished his meal and paid the tab, which was a first since he'd arrived in the village as Dansel had been covering most everything.

    Baul slipped out the back door just in case Dansel was still out back stewing. Sadly, the constable wasn't any where in sight which meant the godling was going to have hunt him down. Dansel wasn't at the constabulary's office nor was he at his favorite drinking place. That meant Baul was going to have to walk to the outskirts of the village and check Dansel's home.

    As he walked down the muddy lane, several of the local's would nod or called out a merry greet as Baul passed. Their disposition towards him had turned since Dansel had welcomed him warmly. It was a plus for the godling but something about how Brenna dealt with it, worried him. Of course if Brenna is thinking about him allot, that could only mean good things in the end for the godling. It was better to be thought of, then forgotten.

    When Baul arrived, he found Dansel's home dark and uninviting. He waited for a few minutes and was about ready to leave when he thought he heard something move in the barn. The step was too light to be a cow or horse. It had to be Dansel. The godling walked over to the door and leaned against it.

    "Are you going to hide in there all night?" He called out.

    "I'm not hiding." Dansel replied. "I'm working. Leave me in peace."

    Baul opened the door and walked in, catching Dansel sitting in the hay tipping back a jug of raw liquor. "I can see you're working real hard."

    "Piss off." Dansel growled.

    The godling just looked at Dansel for a long moment. He'd seen the signs but had hoped that nothing would be acted upon. Now it looked as if that might be the only way to sooth this problem. "Where the hell is Janor when I need him?" Baul muttered under his breath. He crossed the small gap and pushed Dansel back into the hay. At first Dansel lay frozen under Baul's kiss, as if not sure it was really happening. The jug dropped from his hand mere seconds before he was grabbing hard at Baul's tunic.

    The godling tempered Dansel's passions, unwilling to go places that were more suited to his brother's tastes. When the cock crowed the first time, Baul arose from the nest of hay they'd shared and started to dress.

    "Where are you going?" Asked a groggy, yet sated voice.

    "I agreed to ride along with Brenna today." Baul replied. He was careful to not tell the constable where they were going lest he chose to follow.

    "You're running off to her again." Dansel sounded like a petulant child.

    "Jealousy doesn't suit you." The godling replied. He'd just finished pulling on his boots and was ready to go. "Especially considering where I just spent the night. Perhaps this was a mistake, Dansel. If you're going to act like this, I'm not sure I want to pursue this further." Admittedly Baul could be a calculating bounder some times but in this case, the constable was acting childishly.

    An hour later found Baul bathed, in fresh clothes and preparing a horse for the long ride. He was just pulling himself up into the saddle when Brenna came riding up on her own mount. She looked darker, more deadly in the dark hour before dawn. However, the godling knew when the sun began to rise, it's bright rays would shine through her flaming red hair and give her a vibrant look.

    "Good morning." He smiled up at her. "Are we ready?"

    "I suppose we are." She said seriously. Brenna was already having second thoughts.



    Part 47)

    The two rode in silence for a time. Baul's thoughts were on the night he'd just passed and what complications it might pose later. But Brenna's thoughts were more like a war. The threat she perceived strangers to be on her small village was waving a battle against the little voice inside of her that said doing something like this to Baul was unkind. The stranger had done nothing to warrant this action and it may end badly. Brenna didn't like that it was that thought that caused her the most concern. Before, she'd have killed the strangers herself and never thought twice about it.

    "You seem quite this morning." Baul finally said. They'd traveled a couple of hours already, the forest giving way to a less dense plateau. "Is there something wrong?"

    "No. What gives you that idea?" She asked cautiously.

    "You usually spend most of your time barbing with me. I'd hate to think you were growing fond of me." The godling egged.

    "You need not worry about that." Brenna snapped. "I'd just as soon get friendly with a bear."

    "Speaking of, what is between you and Dansel?" Baul was certainly pushing her buttons this morning.

    "How did you go from a bear to Dansel?" She asked, purposely ignoring his inquiry.

    "Well he's big and.." But Baul didn't get to finish.

    "Hairy? Sounds as if you've seen him naked. Enjoy the view?" Now she sounded more like herself, though the godling suspected she was simply acting as he expected.

    "I was going to say, and wears that bear hide for a coat. But I can see from your reply, there really is something going on between you two. That certainly explains a few things." Baul could barely hide his grin in time. Brenna turned in her saddle and glared at him.

    "Dansel and I were a long time ago." She hissed. "There is nothing between us now, nor will there ever be again!"

    Baul cocked his head to the side, reading between the lines in hopes of garnishing just what it was Brenna wasn't saying. On one hand the godling was very relieved to know that Brenna was no longer involved with Dansel. And judging by her response, she wasn't involved with anyone right now. But whatever happened between Dansel and Brenna had left a stink behind. That stink may be a problem to get around. The godling let it drop for now. There didn't seem any reason to press the topic and drive a wedge between Brenna and himself.

    At around midday, Brenna called a halt and suggested they have a meal before going further. Baul was pretty sure they were close so calling a stop now seemed strange but he did what she asked. They shared some bread, cheese and a hunk of pork. When Brenna handed Baul the skin of wine, he tipped it back and drank heavily.

    "I'm sorry, Baul." Brenna said, drawing the godling's attention several minutes later. "It has to be this way." She added as he slumped to the side, unconscious. Brenna looked at the two men who'd stepped out of the trees. "Tie him up." She ordered. "And don't harm him!"



    Part 48)

    The first thing the two bed slaves noticed was the sound of pounding feet. Whomever was racing through the halls was heading right for them. Jeth looked at Kith and raised a brow as if asking a question. Since his conversation with Sunna, Jeth had been waiting to hear some news. Everything in him said that she would do as she said. Tell Loral, who would then tell Kith and Jeth. And maybe it had been unreasonable of the bed slave to expect but that news hadn't come as quickly as he'd wanted it to. It had been four days and nothing yet.

    Now as Jeth sat rubbing Kith's swollen feet and applying cream to her belly, thighs and legs, they both had to wonder if that messenger was for them. Just as soon as the thought was formed, Loral came barreling through the door. His face was flushed and his eyes looked worried. Jeth sat up straight, glancing at Kith before looking back at Loral.

    "Oh gods. What's wrong?" Jeth asked.

    "The First isn't happy with the quest. He wants to return wipe it clean and start over." Loral sat heavily on a chair, trying to catch his breath. It was a strange moment for Jeth to think this but he wondered why it was Loral had chosen this body. It certainly wasn't what the bed slave would have called handsome.

    "What do you mean by 'wipe it clean'?" Kith asked. She was struggling to sit up.

    "Remove the twins from existence and have another godling born to take their place." Loral looked miserable.

    Kith stroked her belly, a new kind of worry shadowing her eyes. Silently Jeth reached over and placed his hand atop hers. When their eyes met, they were both carrying the kind of sadness that never heals, never goes away, never is forgotten.

    "Do we know what's been decided?" Jeth finally asked.

    Loral nodded, "Ithice and Sunna managed to buy the twins some more time."

    "How much?" Kith wanted to know. Loral just shook his head. He didn't know.

    "We have to do something." Loral finally said. "Much more then just losing the twins hang in the balance."

    The three of them sat talking for most of the night. There was precious little they could do. Loral suggested they chance sending the twins another message. Jeth and Kith both agreed it was an acceptable risk but what should that message say when the godlings need to know so much? What they finally settled on was the basics. Something with a note of urgency.

    There is precious little time left. You must hurry!



    Part 49)

    Lief moaned low and deep as Janor sucked the young man's crown into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it. The godling's moist caress teased at Lief's eye before caressing the rigid cock further. The young warrior was afraid to open his eyes lest the reality prove a dream. Janor relaxed his throat and took Lief's entire length down deep. The godling's head rose and fell with the deep sucking. Occasionally he freed the hard cock to suckle on the tight sacs below, drawing first one and then the other into his moist mouth.

    Janor's arms strained to keep him in this position, until finally the godling lifted the rest of his body out of the water and knelt on the rock over Lief. Janor's shaft was rigid with need, it's length and width daunting under the best of circumstances. Lief's hand reached to stroke the godling's length, noting that it was longer then a man's forearm and nearly as thick as a woman's wrist. He suddenly wasn't concerned with being split in half, rather he wanted the welcome invasion of his body.

    Janor pressed his cock to the young warrior's lips, running the head over his lips before Lief guided the shaft past his teeth and into his warm, wet mouth. Eager touches gave way to nips and licks, kisses and bites before Lief took as much of the godling's rod as he could and suckled him. He worked the cock, slowly, deliberately. Seeking the heady cum that was sure to drown him.

    Janor leaned back on his legs, slowly pumping his hips while Lief sucked him. The godling was already thinking of pulling the young warrior onto his hands and knees so he could penetrate his tight ass. Just the thought nearly sent the godling's heated cum shooting down Lief's throat. It had been far to long since Janor had enjoyed the touch of a man. To long to have denied such a base need.

    Both men froze. There were voices nearby and judging by the sound of it, they were looking for someone. Janor looked at Lief and without another thought, told the lad to go. For a moment Lief simply looked back the godling, his eyes shadowed and concerned. Finally he nodded and pressed a quick kiss to Janor's lips before snatching up his clothes and fleeing into the forest.

    Janor went back to wading in the water. He pretended to be bathing and surprised when the small group of men happened upon him. He recognized many of the faces that glared back at him. He also recognized anger and fear.

    "Get out of there!" One of them ordered him.

    Janor slowly walked out of the water and reached to pull his clothing on. He wasn't allowed to though. Three large men shackled his hands and feet tightly, striking the godling hard enough to rattle him.

    "What's going on?" Janor finally managed to ask.

    "Where is Brenna?" They asked.

    "She road out early this morning." Janor told them. He was uncertain as to what was going on but a sense of alarm was growing within him.

    "What have you done to her!?"

    Janor just blinked. He had no idea what they were talking about. Many ideas tumbled around in his head. What if Baul took her? But that didn't make sense. Brenna had to choose one of them willingly. Could she have gotten hurt and no one knew yet? That didn't seem likely either. Especially given that Brenna grew up in this valley. She'd know her way around. Taken? Maybe. Whatever it was, these men thought he had something to do with it.



    Part 50)

    Baul's head was killing him. The pounding wasn't subsiding and before too long, the godling was vomiting up the content of his stomach. His body heaved hard long past the time there was actually anything to move. For heart pounding moments, Baul couldn't even think let alone listen to the voices nearby or that what they were talking about might be meaningful to him.

    "Is it done?" Brenna asked.

    "Yes." Replied the man before her. His face was riddled with bruises that were swollen and vivid in color. His lips were split and more then one tooth looked like it was missing. A large bump adorned his forehead and his clothing hung, tattered in places. It was Brenna's own men that had done this to him. Kare had willingly allowed such a thing to be inflicted upon his person because he believed as Brenna did. Strangers were dangerous and they would bring ruin to the tribe.

    "And they believed you?" She verified.

    "Yes. They rounded up several men and captured the other one. They've also sent out scouting parties looking for you and him." The man jammed a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the groggy godling.

    Brenna nodded and dismissed Kare. On the outside she looked as if nothing was wrong but inwardly the lass was having second thoughts. She had grown to know these two men and neither of them deserved what was about to happen to them. It had to be this way, at least that is what Brenna was reminding herself. But what Kare had been ordered to relay to whomever found him, was tantamount to a death sentence. Both Janor and Baul would no doubt be put under the tails until dead. Brenna could easily envision Kare's performance...

    "Help.... help me... Bren.. Brenna's been tak.. Taken." He would have said, his body showing signs of abuse and the fight he was about to claim to have been part of. He would have told them about stumbling across Brenna and a stranger, finding the stranger raping Brenna and beating her. In fact, the lass already sported cuts and bruises supposedly inflicted by Baul. She had even remembered to have the godling's knuckles marred as proof to his actions. Kare would have gone on to tell them about not being able to stop the stranger from dragging Brenna off into the deep forest, nor of hearing him speak to another man he hadn't recognized. She'd briefed Kare on things he was to suddenly remember. Things like hearing that one of the men had been working for her, in the fields.

    Just the thought of all of this wasn't setting well with her.

    Meanwhile, Baul was struggling to find his way past the drug and it's side effects. With chunky vomit trailed down his cheek and dark eyes, the godling posed no serious threat to those around him. He was trying to focus his mind but there kept coming a whispering in a voice he should remember.

    There is precious little time left. You must hurry!

    It was insistent. It echoed over and over until Baul's mind finally grasped that it was Kith and she was calling to him. Rolling over, the godling lifted himself onto his hands and knees before tumbling over onto his ass. His head lulled against the wall, allowing him to see Brenna's condition and for a long moment wonder what happened.

    "You hurt me." She said when she noticed he was awake.

    "No." He croaked and choked. "Wasn't me."

    Sadly, by that time everyone in the village thought he'd done something to Brenna!



    Part 51)

    Lief didn't go far after Janor had told him to leave. The young warrior scampered into the thick foliage, finding a place to hide so that he could see what was about to happen. When several men broke through the brush, Lief could see that it had been Janor they were looking for. He listened, hoping they would reveal why they were shackling his man and leading him back to the village naked.

    Lief scurried into his clothing, and raced back to his camp site where he retrieved a knife and some rope. He had every intention of freeing Janor from the village's jail. The young warrior never paused to think Janor might be guilty of whatever he'd been accused of. Maybe if he had given it some thought, his steps would have faltered enough to make him stop and leave. As it was, Lief found himself moving quickly until he caught up with the small group just outside the village.

    Janor kept quiet, his head held high, as he was marched into the village. Men, women, old, young. They all looked at him. Janor could feel his wolf press at the bonds, wanting to be free of them. The godling kept it firmly in control, preferring to be the master and the wolf a slave.

    "Get in there!" One of the men growled, shoving him hard until Janor fell into the very same cell his brother had inhabited some days back.

    The godling still chose to not respond and instead pulled himself into a sitting position to wait. He already knew Brenna was missing. Until the moment came for him to escape and find her, he mustn't encourage these people to violence.

    Hours passed and in those hours they kept coming to him, asking the same thing. "Where is Brenna?" Janor replied with the same thing each time. "I don't know. She road out early this morning." The wanted to know where he'd been that day and each time he told them he was at the waterfall swimming and bathing. That is where they had found him. It wasn't the answers they wanted to hear and as time wore on, they became more and more violent in their questions. Finally, when the search parties were trickling back, they left Janor in his cell, in the dark.

    "Janor." Hissed Lief through the bars. "Are you there?"

    "Yes. You must leave." Janor told him. "Go, Lief."

    "I'm getting you out of here!" The young warrior replied, ignoring Janor's order to leave.

    The godling didn't want to involve Lief in this. Given the reaction these people had toward strangers, it wasn't a safe place for the young man to be. However, Lief wasn't listening to him as far as leaving was concerned so the godling simply waited until he heard the bars on the window being pulled away. The wood splintered quietly, though the bars landed on the ground outside with a bit more clattered.

    "Here." Lief said, handing Janor his clothing.

    That was all that was said between them as they fled into the darkness beyond. The godling followed Lief until they came to a small hut some miles away. Only then did the young man stop and suggest they rest.

    "Tomorrow we'll head back across the desert. We'll be safe there." He said. Sadly, Janor had other plans.

    Part 52)

    The mood about the hearth was that of darkness and tension. Ithice the Red and Sunna the Pure seemed to draw into themselves. Ithice marched down to the room with the souls in it every day and didn't emerge from it's cold, clammy confines until well into the night. He never came to the dining room to feast, nor did the kitchen ever receive a call for food in his private rooms. Despite his status, the servants were beginning to worry that something serious was wrong.

    As for Jeth, all he could was wait. He amused himself with books from the library and learning Loral's craft. Jeth's mind was broadening with knowledge now that he was actively seeking it. Since his conversation with Sunna, the bed slave found he wanted to be special. Not just be told he was. So he studied, he read everything he could get his hands on and when that started to wane, he sought out others that could teach him something he didn't know. Thankfully, it made the waiting less sad.

    "Jeth." Said a gentle voice. The bed slave sat up suddenly, his eyes wide looking at Sunna.

    "What?" He asked. "What happened? Is Janor alright?" He was worried. For Sunna to have sought him out in the dead of night meant something was wrong.

    "Come. It's time." Was the only reply he received.

    Jeth scrambled from the massive bed and padded after Sunna as she glided over the floor to the other side of the hearth. As they grew closer, Jeth started to hear something. Someone was in duress and it.... it had to be Kith! Jeth raced by Sunna, who stood at the door and peered inside. Jeth found his friend laying on the bed, her body coated in sweat and mostly bare.

    "What can I do?" He whispered, not terribly surprised when Sunna replied,

    "Help deliver the baby, Jeth."

    The bed slave turned and looked at Sunna. Perhaps he imaged it but there seemed to have been a shadow behind her eyes. Jeth expected her to turn away, to leave. Instead, she poured water from a pitcher, dampened a cloth and pressed it's cooling comfort to Kith's forehead.

    "I know nothing about birthing." Jeth stammered. "What do I do?"

    "You've read nothing about in your books?" Sunna challenged him.

    "Yes, some but that was just reading!" The bed slave was beginning to panic.

    "With or without your help, Jeth, this child is coming tonight." Sunna's calm reply rubbed the bed slave's already raw nerves.

    Sunna watched Jeth closely while he struggled to make up his mind. There was a reason for everything she had done and said thus far. This was just one more step along those lines. When Jeth finally moved to look under the sheets, his face paled but he managed to not pass out. Sunna gave him credit for that. He was showing a remarkable strength.

    "I can see the baby's head already." Jeth said, his mind racing while he wondered what to say next. "Keep doing what you're doing."

    The minutes seemed to pass like hours. Jeth coached and prodded, yelled and begged until finally the babe's shoulders passed the birthing canal and Jeth could pull him free. Sunna told him to clear the nose and throat by turning him over and patting. The foulest mucus dripped to the floor, freeing the baby's airway enough that he started to scream.

    "It's a boy!" Jeth laughed, his eyes dancing with the excitement. "What will you call him, Kith?" He asked while carefully swaddling the boy. When Kith didn't answer, Jeth looked up sharply in alarm but Baul's bed slave was fast to sleep in Sunna's arms. A name would have to wait.



    Part 53)

    "Why are you doing this?" Baul asked some time later. He was angry but had managed to take a page out of Janor's book and remain calm. He sat brooding and listening, hoping that some light might be shed on what Brenna's plans were. Sadly, all the men kept mum around him and Brenna certainly wasn't talking herself.

    The red haired lass just looked at him then went back to the game she was playing. Baul didn't inquire again as to what was going on or what her plans might have been. Kith's warning kept echoing in his head. He needed to change tactics. If he could only get her alone then maybe she'd let down her guard a little and allow him to speak to her.

    Baul examined the ropes that bound his wrists. They were strongly tied but maybe, with a little help, he could break them. It really wasn't a feebleminded plan given that his wolf was angry and edgy. The godling could smell the warm fur and feel the growl that threatened to announce it's presence. It was a tenuous control under the best of circumstances. This wasn't helping.

    The godling tried to let the strength he needed flow through him so the ropes could be rubbed down and broken. But after nearly an hour of trying to keep control and focus enough to free himself, Baul realized the wolf was winning. Brenna chose that moment to look at him, noting that the godling was sweating hard and looked as if he were in pain. Still, she did not inquire if he was alright. That would have shown weakness in front of her men.

    When next she looked, it caused her to surge to her feet. "He's gone!" Which wasn't exactly true. The wolf sat crouched under foul smelling straw while watching the humans scatter to find him. Brenna stood just outside the door, her back to the room and looking at the chaos of the hunt.

    Slowly the wolf crept out and jumped quietly through a window before slipping into the forest beyond. Baul had tried to shift back to his human form but once the wolf had taken possession, it was nigh on impossible to get it back until he'd worn himself out. All the godling could do was submit... for now.



    Part 54)

    "Where are you going?" Asked Lief. He'd heard Janor arise and stretch, then listened to the godling dress and start to leave.

    "I have to go back." Janor told him. The godling had hoped he would be able to slip away into the night and not worry about a moment like this with Lief.

    The two men looked at one another, their thoughts vastly different in that moment. Lief was thinking that Janor would rather do almost anything then cross the desert and go back with him. It hurt to think he was unwanted by someone he wanted badly. Some part of his thoughts argued that it was nothing more then a one night thing that never quite happened.

    As for Janor, he was thinking that he wanted nothing more then to cross that desert with Lief and make a life among man. But there was duty to think about and the practicalities of being a godling. He couldn't stay and watch Lief grow old and die while Janor stayed young and virile. And if Baul succeeded in their quest first, he really didn't want Lief to see him die.

    The godling moved to embrace Lief, a final farewell but the young warrior turned his back on the godling and told him to leave. Lief never saw the hurt in Janor's eyes, nor felt the touch of his lips before the burden of the godling's life came to bare upon his shoulder's once more. Janor simply slipped into the night. He should have been thankful for the ease of the departure. Instead, the godling felt terrible. He shouldn't have indulged himself with someone there could be no future with.

    Lief kept his back turned. He waited a while before gathering up his things and preparing to move on. He wasn't going to stay and wait for a man that didn't want him, nor was likely to return. He had a life waiting for him back across the desert.

    Janor's steps took him past the town and out to Brenna's home. There were people there, all milling around looking for him and Brenna. The godling had been hoping to steal a horse and go look for Brenna himself. It now looked like he was going to have to rely on another four footed animal for help. His clothes dropped quietly to the ground and soon four large paws stood beside it. Janor hated this form, he always had but it was as much as part of him as mortality was for humans.

    The large wolf dove into the night, racing through the forest in search of Brenna's scent. He finally picked it up some hours later and was able to follow it until he found the place where they had stopped for the night. It was then he'd found what he'd been dreading. Proof that Baul was here. The scent of his godling brother was strong. Strong enough it caused Janor's hackles to raise. He peered into the surrounding trees, searching for a face he hasn't seen in more then a year.



    Part 55)

    Ithice and Sunna came to see the child as he lay in his crib. Kith slept soundly nearby, though Jeth had been awake when they arrived. The bed slave padded away quietly, leaving the gods to look upon the life of their grandchild.

    "It's almost over, isn't it?" Ithice asked his wife of several millennia.

    "Yes. The battle is almost upon us." Because of with whom she spoke, the god did not bother to hide the sorrow in her voice. They both felt it acutely.

    "And we still do not know who will win." It really wasn't a question.

    "No, we don't." Sunna's long fingers gently caressed the babe's cheek. There was a great deal of affection already.

    "And the First?" Ithice inquired. Since the night he choose to visit Ithice's Hearth, the god had not seen nor heard from him.

    "He grows ever impatient. The quest had been put off too long already and the balance hangs precariously. I had to rally support to buy them a little more time." Sunna confessed.

    With a gentleness most would not expect from a god like Ithice, he lifted the child into his arms and cradled it gently. The babe's eyes opened and looked up at him, no more then an illusion of awareness since baby's at this age don't see much beyond their noses. Ithice gurgled at the child, gently bouncing him until the babe weakly reached out and grabbed a hold of the god's red beard.

    "I know this soul." Ithice murmured. "The First will not like this."

    "He has no control over your domain, Ithice." Sunna reminded him. "I asked the soul myself and they willingly came. They are here to serve until this life tires them."

    "I don't think it would have done this for anyone, save for you." Ithice said with more then a degree of intimacy.

    "Done what?" Kith's sleepy voice asked. Their whispered tones had awaken the tired mother.

    "Returned to this realm as a baby." Sunna filled in, though not nearly enough for the bed slave.

    "I don't understand." Kith replied and waited for one of them to expand on the cryptic statement.

    "Life can not be created here without first asking the soul if it would come and serve." Jeth said suddenly. Kith hadn't heard him approach. "So Sunna asked this soul to come be your child. But I think there is more to it then that." Jeth looked at the gods, one carefully playing with the child that was now wide awake.

    "Why did you do that?" Kith asked Sunna. This bit of information wasn't comforting to the bed slave.

    "She won't answer that." Jeth said. "It isn't specific enough." Sunna smile at Jeth, amused that he was catching on. She turned her eyes back to Baul's bed slave and waited for the inevitable to come.

    "Why did you give Baul and I a child?" Kith asked.

    "I didn't." Sunna replied. This caused Jeth to frown and wonder what the god was playing at. Ithice just stood there with an amused look on his face. That's when something occurred to him.

    "Who created this soul?" Jeth asked.

    "Ithice and I did a very long time ago." Sunna admitted. That had been the start of the right line of questioning.

    Jeth and Kith looked at one another. Kith was surprised and Jeth was curious. "Was this soul your child?" He asked.

    "Yes." Ithice the Red told him. "Our first child in fact."

    "Then why isn't it a god like you two?" Kith asked.

    "Because a god wasn't needed to maintain the balance in humankind when the child was conceived. Therefore it wasn't given the gift of godhood." Jeth filled in for the other bed slave.

    "Very good Jeth." Ithice said. There was a note of pride in his voice.

    Jeth understood a great deal more now. The baby's soul was like Jeth's own, special. Untainted and strong. But that didn't explain why Sunna had intervened and given Baul and Kith a child. Something occurred to Jeth right then. Sunna had told him that she'd been the one to help in Kith's pregnancy. But she also just said it wasn't her who'd given Kith and Baul a child.

    "Baul's not the father." Jeth said, all eyes turned to him. "I am." Jeth suddenly remembered the night he and Kith had spent together. It should have seemed unusual given Jeth's proclivities. He could not fathom why it never occurred to him to wonder why he'd slept with Kith. Maybe he assumed they were both needy enough to need each other for one night.

    "Why?" Jeth asked. "Why did you do this?"

    "That is something we can not tell you until after this is all over." Ithice said.

    "I'm sorry, Jeth, Kith. All will become clear soon." Sunna promised.



    Part 56)

    From a natural jetty next to the riverbank, Baul watched his brother. Wolf to wolf, they knew each other was there. Eyes the color of the moon watching and waiting. A mind no longer that of a godling hungered for the attack, the rush of blood as it soaked a muzzle and sated a hunger. But Baul managed to sway the wolf and remind it that Janor had always been stronger in this form. An alpha to his omega.

    That did not mean one wolf was weaker then the other. In this instance, it meant that Janor had spent more time schooling his mind while Baul spent his time in the very shape he was now crouched in. One familiar with the wilds and the other cool with control. It made an interesting balance.

    The wolf, golden as the burning sun slid into the night and chose to move further from his brother. The whisper of Kith's voice was still with him, causing both wolf and godling to taste the urgency of time. Baul had to make a move as soon as his wolf relinquished control.

    Going somewhere brother? Came the growled thoughts of Janor. Baul the wolf spun around and looked at the great black beast that stood on an outcropping above him.

    Greeting brother. Baul growled back. I thought that was your scent.

    Janor the wolf barred his teeth. Your lie stinks the air. You were running.

    The challenge was made. Before Baul the godling could stifle the urge, the wolf had already jumped for the attack. The advantage was Janor's but Baul the wolf did not care. Lunging and snapping it's jaws, the golden wolf tumbled the black wolf off it's perch. Huffing, the puffs of white steam visible in the air was all that gave away Janor the wolf.

    Are you sure this is what you want brother? Janor the wolf asked. If one of us dies now, before winning Brenna, then prize is forfeit.

    Your death now or later matters little to me.     Came the gurgled reply. That was the wolf speaking, as Baul had not come all this way to lose.

    But it matters to me. We will meet again. Janor's words faded away as he loped through the woods in search of Brenna.



    Part 57)

    Two days have passed and in that time Janor sat watching Brenna. Her men had come and gone, all reporting that there was no sign of Baul. The godling knew that his brother was still in the grips of his demon but that was soon to change. There was only so long the wolf could hold on, which meant Janor had to do something tonight.

    When Brenna parted from her men, Janor followed her. She was heading back to the village. The godling had overheard enough of her plan to know it wasn't going to bode well for whomever traveled through their territory next. He also knew that nothing he or Baul said was going to be believed over Brenna.

    When she stopped to water her horse, the godling chose to approach her. The night was still wrapped around the land, it's grip tight and unyielding. Janor's steps were light and careful. He wanted to wear her down, not give her cause to try to kill him.

    "Brenna." He whispered.

    The fiery redhead spun around, drawing a knife smoothly and peering into the darkness. "Who is there?" She asked.

    "Just a humble being that worked your fields and did not deserve what you left for him." Janor's voice held no malice.

    "Some times hard things need to be done to ensure the village's safety." Even to Brenna's ears this sounded thin.

    Janor walked out of the trees but kept to the shrubs. Brenna looked at him, noting he was bare of chest and looked darkly dangerous in this light. She did not know he wasn't clothed, as he'd left his tunic and pants back at her homestead.

    "I know you don't understand." She started to say. "I should have found another way..."

    Janor moved towards her. Brenna was too caught up in her remorse to see his state of undress. She let him engulf her in his arms, his gentle hands stroking her back. Even in this moment of weakness, Brenna was still to strong to submit to her overwhelming emotions. The most she would allow was a shadow of the remorse to be seen upon her face and born upon her shoulders.

    "Strangely, I understand your desire to protect your home. But the way you went about it only caused more hurt. And not just to me but to the people in the village who are nearly mad with worry and anguish. If things don't end well, Brenna, they will tear themselves up inside." He said gently. "You have to make this right."

    Brenna's face was hidden, her long hair offering a haven from the godling's prying eyes. She didn't say anything nor make promises. Instead, her hands slid down Janor's lean hips and over his bare backside. She boldly stroked his flaccid cock, awakening the urge to mount her within his body. Wordlessly, Brenna leaned back onto a large flat rock she'd been sitting on, pulling Janor down and nestling him between her legs. The godling sought her lips to share a kiss, finding her hungry and wanting. A faint rustling of clothing was all that announced the redhead's choice in seeking a connection with the godling.

    Teasing touches were used to bring Janor's cock to full rigidness, then lightly drug between Brenna's vaginal lips. She allowed him to suckle her breasts, edging him higher until she gently placed her hand on his chest and told him to wait.

    "I want this to happen but I want to make things right first. I need to. I hope you understand." She breathed against his lips.

    "I do." A moment that should have driven Janor to mad distraction wasn't as aching as it should have been. He withdrew from her, the two of them sharing one final kiss before Brenna started to walk away. The godling watched her, already sure something was amiss. He was right. Before she'd gone to far, Brenna turned and looked at him with a darkness in her eyes.

    "Kill him."



    Part 58)

    Janor's world went dark. When the godling woke up, he was being drug through the forest. He could feel his heels leaving furrows in the soil and a sickening wetness on his neck. No doubt from the impact they'd given him. Janor tried to struggle but even moving made his head spin and his stomach heave. Trying to clear his head, the godling frantically looked for a way out of this mess.

    "Right here." Said a male voice.

    Rough hands dropped Janor. Rolling, the godling could see he was on the edge of a very high cliff. Far below was jagged rocks, some greenery and standing water. As quickly as his sore, sick body would allow, the godling lashed out at the nearest man and sent him flying over the edge. Janor didn't even manage to get to his feet before two others were on him. The three of them fumbled on the ground, eventually one of them slid over the side, his hands frantically scratching to find something to grab on to.

    "Kill him!" Roared the man who seemed to be in charge in Brenna's absences.

    From somewhere near Janor's feet, he heard a loud 'oof' and jarred sharply when he was surprised by another man landing hard on the ground beside the godling. He didn't have time to think about it though, as the man he was battling with was slowly winning. Janor tried to shove the man away but he was a huge brute and very strong. For a heartbeat, the godling thought about calling on his wolf but the shift would have made him vulnerable for more then enough time to find himself tossed off the side.

    "Stop fucking around Janor and help me!" Came the familiar voice of Lief. Chancing a quick look, the godling saw Lief struggling with the other human.

    Janor's body inched further over the edge. The humans hands were around his throat, lifting and shoving the godling's heavy body ever further over the cliff. Working to free his neck and get a knee in between them, Janor finally lifted the human and started him tumbling over the edge. But at the last moment the brute got a hold of Janor and drug him over the cliff as well.

    Janor knew real panic in that moment. His death seemed imminent, something which hadn't ever been this close before. Just as he'd seen one of the human men do, Janor blindly reached out for any thing to grab on to and just as hope seemed foolish, Lief appeared over the edge and grabbed for him. It was no more then a couple of seconds in all and yet it felt eternal to the godling. He looked up at the thin, young man that had his hand clasped tightly. Janor saw something he'd been missing all this time. Mankind was filled with as much courage, bravery and kindness as it was with hatred, cowardice and a hunger for power.

    Lief's face showed the strain of holding the godling. Janor carefully scrambled over the edge of the cliff and knelt in the moist soil. He could see the other human laying prone on the ground, a bloody gash across his brow and a bloody rock laying next to him. For several long moments the men didn't say anything to each other. Their bodies burning from the exertion of the fight.

    "Why are you always naked when I come to rescue you?" Lief finally asked. He wobbled over to grab his bag and handed Janor a pair of pants. It was all he had that might cover the godling's nakedness.

    "I had to take my wolf form." Janor managed to reply. "There was no way to carry them with me."

    Lief blinked. "I shouldn't be surprised you can shapeshift." He mumbled. "But I am."

    "Only into a wolf. He is as much as part of me as being human is a part of you." Janor replied. He had to make a few alteration to the pants, which amounted to him squeezing into a very small pair of shorts.

    "Janor," Lief said to get the godling's attention. When Janor looked over, he caught Lief's worried look. "Is all over this over your quest to find a mate?"

    "Yes. I've seen my brother. I suspect he is more close to winning this then I am." Janor confessed.

    That little bit caused Lief's eyes to narrow. "Winning?" He asked with a hard edge. "And what happens to the loser?" The young warrior snapped. He was angry to think the gods were playing with humans for petty reasons.

    "You don't want to know." Janor assured him. "We better get out of here."



    Part 59)

    Kith lay on the bed, her son cuddled next to her with a heavy nipple in his mouth. Tiny hands clutched at the milk filled breast, both scratching and patting distractedly. He was hungry... again and much to his parent's amusement, was becoming adept in letting them know when he wanted something. As yet the babe hadn't worn down his genitors, mostly because his grandparents always seemed to appear and help out. It had been a very, very long time since a baby had been in Ithice's Hearth and it was causing quite a stir. The staff often found an excuse to look in on him or bring him a bit of clothing they'd made or a toy crafted by their own hands.

    Ithice and Sunna were perhaps the worse in this manner. While they were both careful to not overshadow the responsibility of being a parent, they still tended to over do things a little. Ithice brought in both Baul and Janor's cribs, letting the parents choose which one they liked. It was Jeth who had the idea of putting one in each of their rooms so whichever parent had the child with them, had a crib available.

    The grandparents were caught reminiscing several times in the babe's first month of life. It was more endearing and yet strangely odd at the same time. Kith had become very quiet in this time. Sunna assured Jeth that it was normal for women to do this after a child was born. She told him their insides, hormones, were raging in all directions and it made the healing time very depressing and taxing on them. She asked him to be patient.

    "He needs a name." Jeth said one night. "Have you thought of one yet?"

    "You are his father, have you?" Kith countered.

    "Yes, I've been thinking about it." Jeth confessed. "I just figured you would prefer to do that." He hedged. He knew the revelation that he was the father hadn't been an easy thing to take.

    "We should name him... together." She stressed. Jeth didn't like the haunted look in her eyes. He felt as if she'd given up hope.

    "A strong name or something artistic?" Jeth tried to be encouraging.

    "Neither." She said, looking at the sleeping child in his crib. "Something wise. I don't want a warrior son."

    "Soren." Jeth suggested.

    Kith looked at him, a tired smile gently touching her face. "I like it. Soren." She tried the word out.

    Kith went to lay down. Even after all this time since the birth, she was still sore and tired. Jeth lifted little Soren into his arms and left the other bed slave to sleep. Father and son headed down to the kitchens to see about some milk for the hunger that never seemed far away with Soren. When they found no one, Jeth walked toward the servant's wing, looking for someone to help him.

    It was while passing Loral's room that Jeth stopped when he heard the familiar sounds of passion. He grinned. He couldn't remember Loral ever having a lover so this was a bit of an amusement. Whomever was on the other side of that door was definitely enjoying themselves. Wickedly, the bed slave stood in the hall listening until he heard the pinnacle of their union.

    Quickly the bed slave moved back down to the kitchens and waited for Loral to appear. He heard the door open and then nothing until Sunna the Pure glided into the room. Jeth stared, openly surprised that it had been Sunna inside with Loral. The god grinned at him, while floating by.

    "Shut your mouth, Jeth or the baby will reach inside." She said.

    Jeth's mouth snapped shut and he spun around to watch her retreating form. "Soren!" He called out. "We named him, Soren."

    "That is a very wise name." Sunna's voice drifted down the hall to him, sounding a little amused. "I like it."

    "Jeth?" Loral said, waiting for the bed slave to look around to him. "Jeth! Did ya need something lad?"

    "Milk... and an explanation. You.. And.. Sunna?" He stumbled out.

    "Ya ain't the only bed slave around here boy." Loral laughed. "I'll get ya that milk."



    Part 60)

    Janor and Lief sat huddled around a small fire. They'd finally found a safe enough place to pass the remainder of the night. No sounds of being pursued ever came to their ears, which was good because they were both tired and edgy. Neither of them spoke for a time, both lost in their own thoughts.

    "In the morning I'll help you." Lief finally said.

    "Do you even know what you're helping me do, Lief?" Janor's age and wisdom echoed in his words.

    "No." He replied. Janor could just barely see his eyes across the fire, the flame causing dancing shadows to make them look more dark then ever before. "But that's the second time I've had to save you. You need me there."

    Janor just looked at the young human, noting that there wasn't anything he could say to change his mind. The thing was, Janor already knew he's lost this quest. Brenna's actions were very clear to the godling. Now it was only a matter of time before Baul came for him. There was only two things Janor needed to do. One was to make sure Lief didn't see him die. And the other was to make sure he left this existence with no regrets.

    The godling moved around the fire and moved close to Lief. "What are you doing?" The proud, young warrior wanted to know.

    "No regrets." Janor mumbled before claiming Lief's lips in a tender, slow kiss.

    Lief leaned into the godling, driving his tongue into Janor's mouth and moaning when it was sucked upon. The two lay there stroking each other's bodies, igniting the passion they had felt before. Janor's hand teased Lief's nipples until they pulled tight and erect from the torment. Their bodies pressed and rubbed, their cocks wanting more then they were given right then. Large, rough hands pulled Lief's pants down and tossed them aside, before sliding up smooth thighs to stroke Lief's hard shaft.

    The young human's cock disappeared down Janor's throat. Hard sucks, teasing flicks at his eye were driving Lief mad. He finally had to push Janor away and reach to remove the tiny shorts the godling was barely wearing. They did nothing to hide the monster cock laying in wait behind the rough hewn fabric. Freeing the godling's rod, it was Lief's turn to fall upon it in hungry want. He took Janor as deep as he could, leaving the cock coated with saliva. While he serviced the hard cock in his mouth, Janor grabbed the cooking lard from Lief's pack and started to oil the young human's ass. Two fat fingers stretched the tight anus until Lief was nearly madden with just the preparation.

    Lief sought Janor's kiss, drinking in a man he didn't think he'd ever tire of. When the hot kiss broke, Lief turned and bent over in front of the godling. Shifting his hips, he teased the hard crown of Janor's cock against his anus. He knew what he wanted and could easily see it happening. He mewled like a cat in heat, teasing the godling to a maddening level that equaled his own. But instead of the intense joining he expected, Janor's hand lightly caressed his ass and hips, trailed over his back and around to lightly touch a rigid cock.

    "I'll be gentle." Janor said.

    "I don't want gentle." Lief ground himself against that rock hard cock. Reaching back, he guided Janor's shaft into his ass and pressed back. With each deliberate move, more and more of that long cock disappeared inside Lief. Wanton sounds and words started to issue from the young human, who wanted more, begged for more, called out loudly for it all.

    Janor grunted with the effort of fucking Lief hard and fast. Silhouettes danced against the trees, writhing in a mimicked passion that paled to the real thing. Janor's thick crown beat a thundering rhythm, pushing hard and harder until he withdrew at the last minutes and sent shoots of hot cum exploding across Lief's rear and back. The godling drifted in a sated glow for just a few moments before Lief pulled the bigger man down, rolled him and lifted his legs. A haste glob of lard was layered over Lief's cock before it was rammed into Janor's virgin ass.

    The godling's back arched, his mind exploding with a pleasure he'd never felt before. Lief rod him as hard as he had ridden the young human. Better perhaps since Janor was always, even in his most heated, mindful of his length and the lover under him. The godling's fingers dug into the ground, his body wrapped in ecstacy as Lief showed him the joy of giving as well as receiving. Janor orgasmed a second time, just moments before he felt Lief's hot fluids filling his bowels with sated desire.

    Pulling the sweaty young man down into his arms, he heard Lief said..."No... regrets."



    Part 61)

    Meanwhile, several miles away from the torrid flame that was burning like white coals between Lief and Janor, Baul stalked Brenna while she moved back through the forest, heading for home. He'd heard her tell one of the men under her employ that it was time for her to stagger into town and tell them what Baul had done to her. After witnessing her careless order to kill his brother, the godling didn't doubt for a moment that she would do just as she claimed. But Baul wasn't really to give up the quest.

    When the last sounds of her encampment faded away, the godling waited a half hour more before moving quickly out of the trees. He leapt into the air and brought the fiery redhead down hard on the other side. Before she could draw breath to scream or struggle, Baul punched her hard enough to send her into unconsciousness. Grunting with the effort, Baul carried the limp body of Brenna even further into the forest and laid her gently upon a thick, soft bed he'd already prepared.

    It wasn't long after, that Brenna started to come around. The moment she tried to sit up, she found that a little more difficult then it should have been. Bound around her hands and feet was the very same rope she'd used to tie Baul up with.

    "Unpleasant, isn't it?" Baul growled. Brenna's head snapped around and her eyes went wide. While she looked on, Baul transformed from his wolf shape back to that of a man. It had been a gamble to do that but he'd hoped that since the wolf was exhausted, he wouldn't be able to take control over the godling. Not again until the rise of a hunter's moon.

    "What are you?" She asked, still not believing what she saw.

    "More then a human, less then a god." Baul told her. "And I have the potential to be so much more." He moved around so she could see him more closely. He was naked, his skin coated with a thin sheen of a slick substance. When he was close enough, Brenna lashed out and tried to hurt him. With her hands being bound, as well as her feet, it only tittered her over into a splayed position. "You know those things you were going to tell Dansel and the others? The things you were going to lie that I'd done? I'm going to make some of them be truths."

    Even then there was no fear in Brenna's eyes. She struggled but not for long. With Baul's intruding touch in her cunt, she couldn't deny the pleasure it was bringing. She dripped with nectar, coating his face and fingers. Only the heated stubbornness kept her from admitting it had been something she'd wanted from him and now that he was dominating her and taking it, she could barely contain herself.

    The godling untied her feet and pressed himself between her legs. The fiery redhead struggled hard, getting more into the game as each moment passed. When Baul struck her across the face she moaned and tried to bite him. Lifting her bound hands over her head, Baul secured her to a jagged branch and forced her knees wide and high. A single, harsh thrust sent his cock into her wet cunt and right to her core. They continued to struggle and fight, the entire time their body's remained connected intimately. Brenna bit Baul's shoulder hard, drawing blood when she'd finally cum. Her cunt was hyper sensitive, which sent her over the edge immediately when Baul dumped his seed into her womb.

    The godling left her bound for a couple of hours until he chose to take her again, this time from behind. It was still a battle but not one to be free. One to be rough and sated. She took his cock deep into her ass, all the while calling him the foulest of creatures and forcing him ever deeper. When morning dawned, Baul lay next to a still bound Brenna. He felt different. Stronger, more powerful. Ready to kill to claim his prize.



    Part 62)

    Jeth sat on his bed with little Soren laying between his legs. The smiling father held his son's hands and was excitedly encouraging him to pull, "pull hard Soren!" The little tyke didn't know it yet but he was strengthening his arms to help crawling later on. When Soren finally lifted his upper body and was able to smile up at Jeth, his father would whoop happily and huged the tyke fiercely.

    The two of them had been spending more and more time together. When Soren was finally sleeping through the night, he started to sleep with Jeth in Janor's big bed. The little body was nestled next to his father who kept a protective hand on his son's chest to feel for his breath. It was an endearing sight and one that Sunna the Pure was beginning to see more and more often. She was pleased with how things were turning out for all but one of the residents in the Hearth.

    Just as Jeth was setting Soren down for a nap, he felt the Hearth begin to shudder then vibrate before shifting to a full on shake. He scooped his sleeping son back up into his arms and moved, in a less then straight line, back to the door way and out into the hall.

    "What's going on?" He yelled to another servant he saw trying to navigate the stairs.

    "I have no idea. I was just going to ask Ithice!" Was the reply.

    Jeth didn't dare run down the stairs with Soren, so he moved into the doorway and waited it out. So far, the Hearth had been shuddering for at least four minutes. When things started to fall off the walls, Jeth cradled his now crying son closer to his chest and lowered his head to give the tyke as much protection as possible. It was impossible for Soren to not feel his father's fear and thus, cause his own to multiply.

    When Sunna's hand gently alit upon Jeth's shoulder, the bed slave cautiously looked up and asked what was going on.

    "It's Baul and Janor. The battle is immanent now and the First is announcing it to all the gods." She told him gravely. "Come, we can watch from the soul room." She took the babe into her arms and glided down the stairs while Jeth was left to stumble his way down them. With barely a wave of Sunna's hand, the things that had been falling or had already tumbled to the floor, magically returned and stayed put.

    "Ithice, stop the shaking. It's frightening the others." Sunna said the moment they were in the soul room.

    Ithice the Red looked up, frowned and forced his home to settle down. "Sorry. I was watching the boys."

    "Has it started yet?" Jeth asked eagerly. He ran up to the scrying bowl but as it was three feet above his head, he wasn't able to look down into it. Ithice, on the other hand, could see into it just fine and shook his head.

    "Not yet. And the First won't let me see who found the mate either." He was clearly upset about this. "Do you know?" He asked Sunna. She closed her eyes for a moment, communicating with all the other gods.

    "No and nor does the others. He continues to protect us." Jeth didn't miss the sarcasm.

    "Maybe that's not it. Maybe..." Jeth was reaching.

    "We know what you mean, Jeth." Sunna said, handing the once again sleeping Soren to his father. "It's... upsetting."

    "He probably thinks it would be more so to know everything that is going on." Jeth muttered, not meaning to speak his mind in such a way. When he looked up, both gods were starring at him with the strangest look in their eyes. "Did I say something?"

    Both of them chose to not answer. He would learn one day that knowing or not knowing does not ease the worry a parent feels. Jeth moved off to the side to wait. He trusted the gods to tell him when the battle started and anything that was happening. Only his tiny son, who's body was pressed close, knew that Jeth's heart was hammering hard. He closed his eyes and whispered to Soren that soon Janor would be home and all would be well.



    Part 63)

    Janor awoke to two very strange sensations. One was Lief preparing him for penetration and the other was less substantial. For the moment, it was the young lover behind him that held his attention. That probing digit filling and stretching him, the strong hand slowly bring him back to rigidness. Lief had already proven he was insatiable and Janor had proven he could receive as well as give pleasure. The two men had spent most of the night, and now the dawn, claiming one another in different ways. Lief marked a man he'd come to care about even though he'd fought the matching at every turn. His body had spoke louder then his mind and now it was another part of him that drove his desires. A part that warned he was about to lose the godling for always. Janor took from Lief something he hoped to carry into the next lifetime. Something to remember the lad by and that would allow him to find him. In essence, the godling knew he was defeated.

    It was that sensation he felt that told him this. He knew in his core that Baul had won Brenna already. What came next was inevitable. So he shared pleasure with Lief one last time. When the two of them lay there sated again, Janor finally convinced himself to dress and make ready to leave.

    "Which way are we heading?" Lief asked.

    "I want you to stay here." Was the godling's reply.

    "You know I won't. So don't even try. Now, which way?" Lief pressed.

    Janor pointed, letting that feeling he'd woken up with show him where they needed to go. He knew once they got there, Baul and Brenna would be waiting for him. They walked in silence, Janor wondering how he could protect Lief from what he was about to see and Lief thinking thoughts no human should have.

    "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" Lief finally asked.

    "Five thousand years ago, in human time, the world started to tip out of balance. A god was needed to bring it back into line so that man could continue to progress and not slip backward in their evolutionary scale. The First decreed,"

    "The First?" Lief interrupted.

    "The First god, from whom all other primary gods were born." Janor told him. "The First decreed that a child should be born to fulfill this position. He allowed Ithice the Red and his wife, Sunna the Pure to be the chosen parents."

    "You make it sound like children aren't allowed otherwise." Lief snorted.

    "Not godling children, no. The gods create new souls all the time. Even carry them like children and raise them in their homes. The child lives a normal, average human life span and then it dies. The soul travels to Ithice's Hearth where it is protected until the soul decides it wants to be reborn or to pass on into the ether." Janor explained.

    "I take it Ithice and Sunna are your parents and you are the product of that decree?" Lief asked, bring them back to topic.

    "I am one of the children that came of that union." Janor corrected. "Something unexpected happened. Something none of the gods, including The First, ever saw coming. Baul and I were born. Twins, when only a single godling was needed. It was such a surprise and completely unexpected. No one could see our futures, which was another worry for The First and the counsel of the First."

    "The Counsel of the First?" Lief asked for clarification.

    "Those born directly from the First himself. Twenty gods in all." The godling shook his head. "Because they could not safely choose which one of us to rule and which one to die, the First devised this quest. When we came of age, we were to descend into the world of man and find a descendant of Ostara. Bond with them and then battle one another. The Ostara heir would give one god the power edge to defeat the other, thus choosing which one of us would ascend into the ether to keep the balance of man."

    "I don't think I'd have done it." Lief said. "Especially knowing it meant killing my brother."

    "Which is why Baul and I did not take up the quest when we came of age." Janor spread his arms and indicated the world around him. "And look how mankind has paid for our pride."

    "You can't blame mankind's fall on you not killing your brother." Lief retorted vehemently. "We did this to ourselves!"

    "Ahh but I can naive one." The godling turned to look at him. "The universe requires balance in all things and we are the beings that oversee that balance. When it begins to tip and slice, we correct it. But because of us, many of the gods chose to pass on just to hold the balance as long as possible. Now it is almost too late. To bring things back into balance, I must die."

    Lief just looked at the godling, a tidal wave of emotions raging just under the surface. "Why you?" He finally managed.

    "Because Baul has won." Came the godling's simple reply. "I can feel the change."

    Lief asked question after question, looking for a way out of this but all of Janor's answers showed him there was no way. His essence alone would continue to skew mankind down the evolutionary scale. He finally put his hand on Lief's shoulder and told him to let it go. "We live to serve, Lief, and that is what I'll be doing."

    Lief angrily yanked his shoulder away from Janor's but did not leave or move away from the godling. He'd said he would help and he would, if the opportunity presented it's self.

    It wasn't much longer then that before Janor stopped at the edge of a clearing. "We're here." He said and pointed to the two figures across from them. Lief squinted but was barely able to make out two shapes across the distance. He did note that Baul was a golden god to Janor's dark beauty.

    The two groups started walking toward one another slowly, neither seeming in a hurry to complete what happens next. Janor slipped his hand into Lief's and squeezed it reassuringly. "I wish I could make love with you one more time." He said.

    "So do I." Lief replied. If only to postpone this a little longer.

    When they were about twenty paces apart, Lief's body became tense and he stopped in his tracks. Before Janor could ask what was wrong, the young warrior took off running toward Baul and Brenna. And strangely enough, Brenna only stood there laughing. That is until Lief collided with her so hard they thumped to the ground beneath and started to fight bitterly.

    "You fucking Bitch! I'm going to kill you this time." Lief raged.

    Baul and Janor stared in surprise for several long minutes before they rushed in to pull the two humans apart. Lief continued to struggle, trying to get his hands back on the now bleeding Brenna.

    "What is going on!?' Janor asked, shaking the young warrior a little.

    "She's my sister and we have a score to settle!" The announcement fell like a bombshell on Janor. Baul, on the other hand, completely missed the revelation.



    Part 64)

    Baul grabbed Brenna around the throat and hauled her back and away from Janor and his new bed slave. Brenna, still simmering with fight and loathing for the boy, struggled but had little hope of freeing herself from the godling's grasp. Baul tossed her on the ground and stepped on her arm when she tried to rise and race back. When she finally turned to look at Baul, her eyes were as fiery as her hair.

    "I'm inclined to let you have your heart's desire." The godling said through clinched teeth. "But I know my bother and he will keep trying to interfere. I would prefer him to be fresh for our battle. So I'm asking you," Though the tone of his voice didn't sound anything like a request. "To stop. Afterwards you can kill the whelp."

    "I have your word?" It didn't escape Baul's notice that Brenna's question had an underlying meaning.

    "You do."

    Without further discussion, Baul turned back to indicate he was ready. Janor held up his hand, wordlessly asking for a moment while he said his goodbyes. Baul felt Brenna come up behind him, her heart pounding so hard that it made her sound like prey to his wolf.

    ~oOo~
    Janor kept his back to Baul and Brenna. He felt an intense wave of elation and keeping it in check was like stemming the tide. His eyes sought out Lief's, seeing dark and angry things still there.

    "Thank you." Janor said.

    Lief frowned, finally shaking off his anger and looking at the godling. "I hardly think a few squandered hours of sex is worth such a heartfelt sentiment." "If I live, it will be because of you Lief.... I... I care about you." Janor wasn't a man of verbal emotion. He was much better at showing he cared then actually saying it. But the motto of the night before was needed now more then ever. No regrets. Janor kissed the young warrior hard then went to face his destiny.

    ~oOo~


    "Are you ready to die, brother?" Baul asked Janor.

    "No. But I am ready to fight." Came Janor's reply.



    Part 65)

    Lief stood behind Janor and watched the two godlings as they stared at one another. The young warrior was terrified.... again. Emotional wounds he had thought healed were reopening and bleeding, leaving him feeling lightheaded and angry. He wanted a piece of Brenna with everything that was within him. It wasn't hard to feel her neck in his hands and the life leaving her eyes.

    Lief used to share the homestead with Brenna. Until a year ago that is. Lief had found himself infatuated with another man and was contemplating settling down. He wanted to build a future with Eric and when he spoke to Brenna about it, warning his sister that he was going to ask Eric to move in with him, it hadn't gone well. As the oldest and the male, the homestead was his. He had been allowing Brenna to live there until she found a husband.

    Lief's not even sure he knows the whole story. He'd found the note from Eric explaining that before he and Lief had started seeing one another, Eric had been sleeping with Brenna and another man at the same time. Brenna was going to out them both to the tribe and Eric couldn't live with the guilt of ruining both Dansel and Lief's lives as well as their positions within the tribe.

    When Lief found his lover, Eric was standing on the edge of the high cliffs that over looked the farming valley. Brenna was there talking to him. Lief couldn't hear what was being said but one moment it all looked alright and the next Eric had jumped off the edge. Lief will never forget Brenna laughing as she looked over the edge and watched Eric fall to his death. The young warrior left the tribe that day and hadn't returned until he'd followed Janor.

    Now he was faced with losing someone else he cared about. If it hadn't been blasphemous, Lief might have cursed the gods for their sense of humor. Instead, all Lief could do was stand there and watch this horror unfold.



    Part 66)

    The twins stood across from one another, the sky growing dark and the sense of being watched becoming oppressive. They looked at one another and knew they were changed beings. They no longer felt that close tie of brotherhood they had nurtured all these millennia. Now they were faced with one final task before ascension.

    In a sudden burst of action, Baul and Janor raced toward one another and collided. There had been no preamble, no warning. Just two godling's exploding in a blinding display of strength and fighting skills. At first Lief thought he was seeing things when he spotted Janor's hands and forearms had changed. They looked more like claws but when scratches started to appear all over Baul, Lief knew he'd seen correctly.

    Baul lifted Janor easily and threw him across the field, sending the godling skidding across the mud. Janor got to his feet and gracefully leapt back, landing on Baul and sending a hail of punches to his gut. This time when Baul flung Janor aside, the godling came right at Lief. The young warrior moved by instinct alone, barely being missed by his lover who came to a stop against the trunk of an old tree.

    Janor only glanced at Lief as he moved past him. At the moment Baul was wondering why this battle had carried on for so long. With Brenna by his side, shouldn't he have killed Janor by now?

    "You look a little perplexed brother." Janor taunted, then kicked out and swept Baul off his feet. "I'm not as easy to kill as you expected?"

    "Something like that." Baul growled while getting to his feet.

    Janor didn't explain, nor give Baul time to figure it out. He moved in close, kicked at Baul's instep then jammed his elbow into his brother's jaw. The moment Baul reached out to blindly steady himself and to react to Janor's attack, a soft glow started to become noticeable between them. Lief and Brenna both watched it grow in intensity.

    The brothers were on the ground, each of them seeking the upper hand. Baul pressed Janor's face into the mud, not allowing him to breathe until the godling managed to turn sharply and punched Baul in the groin. Baul howled in pain but didn't pause in returning the favor to the back of Janor's neck. By the now the glow was blinding. Brenna looked away but Lief kept his gaze firmly on his lover. He was chanting softly under hie breath, praying to the gods to spare his lover.

    Both godlings found themselves on their feet, their arms locked in a battle of strength. Baul looked down when he felt a warm tingling in his legs and instantly tried to back away when he noticed his flesh was merging with Janor's. His brother chose that time to wrap his arms around Baul and pull him close.

    "Judgement is here." Janor whispered. He had expected something to happen since they'd both found an heir of Ostara. What the godling didn't know, was this had been the outcome all along.

    An unseen force continued to pull the two godlings together, basically returning to balance that which nature had made askew. The only question had been which personality would remain the dominate one. Light or dark. And who had which. Lief never tore his eyes away and by the time Brenna looked back, only one godling stood upon the field. Dark eyes looked back at her, a dark mane of hair flowing down his back. His eyes were unyielding, unforgiving... until Janor turned to look at Lief.

    The godling smiled. Lief darted across the field and threw himself into the godling's arms. Janor's presence seemed bigger somehow and yet, he didn't feel any different against the young warrior.

    "What just happened?" Lief asked. Before an answer could be given, a howl of anguished rage sounded from behind them. Brenna was kneeling in the mud, her eyes wild and dangerous. For a moment the godling thought she would attack but instead, she dashed off into the forest, leaving them alone.

    "Something quite unexpected." Said a familiar voice. Lief turned and crouched, a knife already in his hand. Janor just laughed and plucked the blade from the young warrior's hand.

    "Lief, this is my father, Ithice the Red." Janor introduced.

    Lief's eyes were wide. Usually when meeting a god, it entailed dying first. When Lief looked at the beautiful woman standing next to Ithice, Janor introduced her as Sunna the Pure, his mother. Lief bowed deeply, opting to not speak incase he said something wrong.

    Sunna drifted forward and pressed a kiss to her son's brow. Quite a feat, given that Janor was well over six feet tall. They all grew very quiet, conversing silently. Janor wasn't told about what was going on back in the Hearth. Only that once he made his journey home, he would ascend. We assumed you might prefer the long way back. Ithice said and cast a look at Lief. Or you can come with us now.

    "I'll begin my journey home tomorrow." Janor finally said aloud. Anything to spend more time with Lief.



    Part 67)

    Soren slept deeply against his father's shoulder. Had the little guy been awake, he would have noticed that daddy was standing on a chair peering down into the scrying bowl. Instead tiny little fingers grabbed daddy's shirt with one hand and the other was nestled inside his mouth, while sucking on his fist.

    Jeth patted Soren gently. The bed slave had missed the whole battle, instead relying on Ithice and Sunna to tell him what was going on. Every comment the gods had made was kept even and gently spoken but the look in their eyes, and the occasional shudder in Sunna's shoulders, told the bed slave more then their words had. They had left shortly after the battle ended, only telling him that neither godling had died.

    "I'm not sure what happened." Sunna had told him. "It looked like they merged."

    The moment they were gone, Jeth drug over Ithice's large chair and carefully climbed atop so he could look down into the scrying bowl. He watched quietly while the young man Ithice had mention turned and prepared to protect Janor. Jeth understood that desire. He still felt it. The aching in his body had eased over the last months but his heart still felt wounded with the godling's absence.

    He watched for a long time. Long after Sunna and Ithice left. Long after the sun set and the moon rose. He watched his godling love another man with a passion Jeth knew well. He felt no jealousy. He'd always known he could never really own Janor like the godling owned him. He wasn't even concerned what this meant for him, in Janor's household. His life had changed a great deal since the godling went away. If Janor still wanted him then Jeth would happily still serve the godling. If not, then there were other duties Jeth could take on here at the Hearth.

    A few days later, Jeth was sitting in the great library, reading a book to Soren who was leaning against his father and playing with his own toes. Just as he finished a page, telling Soren that the little sloth was going to be alright, he happened to notice Sunna sitting across the room listening too. He smiled at the god and bowed his head respectfully.

    When she came over, Soren's arms stretched out and he gurgled, clearly wanting Sunna to pick him up. She settled in the chair beside Jeth, cooing softly at the baby and tickling him gently.

    "We've been worried about you." She said softly. Soren was flexing his little toes against her tummy. Jeth just looked at her. The bed slave was aware he'd been more quiet then usual but he didn't think it was noticeable enough to be worried about him.

    "I'm alright." He said dully.

    "It doesn't look like it. If you're in this much of a mood now, it will be worse when Janor ascends." She said off-handedly, unaware that Jeth hadn't known Janor would be doing this.

    "What?" The bed slaved asked quickly. "He's not coming back here?"

    "Not likely, Jeth. He is to ascend and complete the balance." Sunna informed him. She was watching him closely. "I know this is difficult for you handle but it's for the greater good."

    "I.... I know." He finally said.

    "I suppose I should just tell you now." Sunna added, her own voice sadden. "Kith has decided she wants to move on. As soon as Soren no longer needs breast milk, she's going to leave him in your care and pass on."

    This got Jeth up and moved. He paced in front of the fireplace, not looking at Sunna or his son. Kith had been so unhappy for months now. So why was he surprised that she had chosen to be recycled? Maybe because he expected Soren to change her life as much as the tyke had changed his.

    "So many changes." He muttered, mildly started with Sunna gently embraced him.

    "Change, even for us, is inevitable."



    Part 68)

    Janor and Lief had journeyed to the nearest coast with deliberate slowness. Lief was unwilling for their time together to come to an end if it were within his power to stay the inevitable. Over the two months it took to them to make this long journey, the two males had enjoyed each other's body at every whim. Lief still secretly smiled at the time they had dashed into a large wagon of hay to have intense, wild sex only to wake the next morning and find the wagon had moved them back several leagues. On foot, it had cost them two extra days of travel. Neither man had seemed to care.

    And now, two months later, the godling and the human stood looking at the darkening sea. Janor had silently prepared a large fire to keep them warm while Lief had prepared their bed for one last night together. The young warrior tried not to be sullen whilst he attended to their meal. But every vegetable was chopped with undo vigor and every shuffle of the pan that cooked the meat, was more like jerking.

    "You're going to hurt yourself." Janor noted with a calm that had become increasingly more and more part of his overall demeanor.

    "Like you care." Lief spat, unable to stop himself.

    The godling simply looked at the young man, his being filling with more emotion then Lief could ever truly know or understand. The rights and abilities of a god had been granted to Janor, not descending like a great shock to his body and mind. But gently coming to him over the first few weeks. The godling simply awaited the last step, which would come the moment he returned to his rightful realm. For now though, Janor had called his ship to come for him and knew they would arrive by morning.

    "Lief." Janor's hand rested atop the young warrior's, stilling his incessant stirring and pulling him to his feet. "Come walk with me."

    The godling slipped his hand into Lief's, then caused the fire to burn low so their dinner would not be lost. The two were quiet as they strolled across the wet, packed sand. Sunset at the ocean was a vibrant affair of colors as they splintered across the sky.

    "I'm going to miss things like this." Janor whispered.

    "You're a god now, Janor, you can create things like this." Regardless of how Lief meant it, his voice was still tinged with sarcasm.

    "You expect great things from me." The godling stated simply. It started Lief because it had been what his heart felt.

    "I suppose I do."

    "I wish you wouldn't. Great things will never be mine. Not as a god." Was the soft reply from the godling.

    "You don't know that." Lief said, this time sounding as if he believed it. "You don't know what awaits you on the other side. Your life has changed."

    But Janor did know. To change the conversation, the godling tugged Lief to the moist sand and started the now familiar dance of bringing great pleasure to the young warrior's body. In his own way, Janor marked Lief deeply and forever. No blemish appeared on the human's body, no scar, no outward appearance at all. But inwardly, Lief was well and truly changed. He could be no other way.

    Lief felt when Janor stirred and arose from their warm bed. The young man's body hummed and hurt in ever sweet possible way. And even though he would have preferred to sleep a while longer, he knew that the time had come. He could no longer hide from it.

    "I want to come with you." Lief said. The morning was crisp and cold, causing breath to drop like ice from your lips the moment it broke from your body. Lief lay shivering in that cold dawn, silently hoping Janor said yes and equally hoping he denied his request.

    "You can't." Janor finally said. Lief had felt the godling looking at him before that.

    "Why? Why can't I stay with you!?" Lief roared, suddenly surging to his feet.

    "Because I don't want you." Janor replied in that new way of his.

    Lief stood there stinging. His heart was pounding against his breast, hurt and wounded by Janor's unkind words. He didn't utter another word while the godling pulled on his clothes and reached for the pack he'd been carrying all this time. With no words exchanged, Janor walked down to the shore. The ship he'd been waiting on was anchored there, ready to receive him.

    Mad thoughts raced through Lief's head. In a moment of utter truthfulness, the young man burst from his position and ran down to stop Janor from leaving. The godling was just reaching a hand out to one of the burly men on board when Lief's frantic cries stopped him.

    "Please, take me with you!" Lief begged. "I can't stay here like this. Not after you touched my life." Janor said nothing, simply watched Lief's impassioned plea. "You're turned me inside out, how can you expect me to move on with this pale life you'll be leaving me in? I can't! I want to go with you. I want to be with you... I .. I love you."

    Janor strode toward Lief, something dark and unyielding in the godling's eyes. Lief gratefully folded himself against his lover, feeling Janor's hands caressing his face as if to kiss him.

    "I'm sorry." Janor said then sharply broke Lief's neck. He let the limp, dead body fall to the ground before turning purposely to board his waiting ship.



    Part 69)

    "Daddy's going to find you." Jeth said playfully. He could hear Soren's giggles as the little tot raced to stay ahead of his father. "Is Soren hiding in here?" Jeth asked dramatically and yanked open one of the cabinet doors. As expected, Soren was not inside and more giggling from further down the hall could be heard.

    Jeth stood up and took stock of where they were. Soren was heading right for the lower dungeon area. That was the last place Jeth wanted him to be. The bed slave's pace became deliberate as he moved to intercept Soren before reaching Ithice's work area. When he rounded a corner, Jeth saw Soren trying to climb up into a chair. No doubt to then climb onto the cabinet next to it and hide in the high cupboards.

    "I got you!" Jeth said sweeping his son into his arms. Soren laughed madly and uttered his own kind of language.

    Jeth nuzzles Soren's neck, blowing gently against the skin and causing the little one to laugh even harder. He was adjusting well to the absence of his mother, which was a great relief to Jeth. Kith had departed weeks ago. She never said a word to Jeth about it, nor to Soren as far as the bed slave knew. She simply walked back into the soul pool and reincarnated.

    Jeth looked at the giant black door and couldn't stop himself from walking towards it. It gave under his touch, moving silently and with an ease that suggested something ethereal. Inside the room was just as the bed slave remembered it. Black walls ran down to a black floor. Black furniture adorned the room, which wasn't more then a couple of chairs and a small desk. In the center was a shimmering well that cast light an eerie light about the room. As Jeth remembered, streaks of light seemed to dash around above the well. Some rising, some falling but most seeming to just vibrate in the center.

    Soren seemed to be gazing at the pool as intently as Jeth was. The bed slave knew Kith wasn't there any more, that she had found a new life among man by now.

    "Da." Soren said and pointed.

    Jeth looked back, his eyes going wide when he saw a soul emerge from the well, hover and then drift into the room. The moment it was out of the protective field of the well, it became corporeal. The man lay crumpled there, seemingly in pain. He was struggling to keep his form, as if waiting....

    ITHICE!!!!!! Jeth roared, startling Soren enough that the tot started to cry.

    It wasn't long, a heart beat or more, before both Ithice and Sunna came gliding into the room. They exchanged looks, already recognizing the lad as Jeth had. Sunna tried to usher Jeth and Soren out of the room but Jeth thrust Soren into her arms and moved closer to watch what Ithice was doing. A few drops. That's all it took. That look of concentrated pain was immediately eased from the man's face. He slowly looked up, blinking at the faces that stared back at him.

    "Where... where am I?" Lief asked hoarsely.



    Part 70)

    Brenna ran blindly through the trees. Her mind raced frantically, trying to understand what it was that happened. She hadn't seen, hadn't watched. The light had been too intense. Now she was left devoid. The intense connection she'd woken up with this morning was gone. She felt adrift and because of that, it was hard to hold on to her sanity.

    Brenna came to a skidding halt at the same place her men had tried to throw Janor off the cliff. Even now there was one body laying wounded and when she peered over the edge, she could see the others were dead.

    "What have you done?"

    Brenna started sharply and turned to face her accuser. Dansel stood there with three other men from the village. One was leaning over the wounded man, reporting that he was alive but just barely.

    "You can't think I had anything to do with this." Brenna said incredulously. "I found them this way!"

    "Them?" Dansel asked. Brenna pointed over the edge. Cautiously the constable looked over the cliff and clicked his tongue. "You two get down there and bring them home." The wounded man was already being carried away to get help. That left Dansel and Brenna alone.

    "We found a couple of your men. They told us what you were up to." Dansel didn't explain that the confession had come under the threat of death.

    "They're lying." She said immediately. "The strangers you allowed in the village did this!"

    Dansel looked at Brenna. Her eyes were wild and her appearance unkempt. She had fading bruises on her face and arms. He knew that the village would be more likely to believe her then to see she'd orchestrated this all. So he did the only thing open to him.

    "Consider yourself banished from the tribe. If I see you again, I'll reveal everything that happened here and add my vote to having you hung." He said with a hard tone.

    Dansel came back and informed the tribal leaders of what had happened. He told them almost everything. The only thing to be left out was him banishing Brenna. Instead, he only said she'd gotten away and left it at that. That was more then two months ago.

    One night, while Dansel and his new lover lay sleeping, Brenna crept into his home. She'd gone quite mad without the connection that had bound her bloodline to Baul's. Sadly, there had been no other road for her to travel. She moved through the house, the embers from a dying fire the only light to see by. When she opened the door it creaked softly. She stood looking at the two bodies, scratching absently at the filth that had nested in her hair and on her skin.

    Slowly she crept, her hands reaching out. Dansel's eyes snapped open the moment he felt her hands start to squeeze his throat. He flailed madly, trying to wake his lover but Brenna had already silenced him.... forever. Blood pooled into the bed and as Dansel thrashed, it coated his own body.

    Brenna was straddling his waist. She leaned close and filled his senses with the stink of her breath and body. "You die, you die, you die." She chanted madly.

    Dansel reached out, one hand trying to loosen the grip Brenna had on his neck and the other flailing for a weapon. His hand touched something cold, unyielding. Yanking the knife free of his lover's chest, he swung it around and jammed it straight into Brenna's temple. For a moment her face registered shock and surprise. Then her eyes turned white as she slumped off to the side. Dansel turned on his side, curling tight around himself. His own mind numb and in shock. Time would only tell if he went the way of Brenna or recovered.



    Part 71)

    The room was filled with the soft glow of warmth from the fireplace. The very first thing Lief was aware of was how cold it was. His slim body shivered violently under the thick layer of skins. Despite the welcoming look of the room, his breath was icy before him and his face felt frosty. No matter how hard Lief tried to focus, he couldn't remember where he was, how he got here or who that man was across the room sitting in a chair with a child on his lap. When Lief tried to talk, his lips refused to form the words properly, thus making him sound strange.

    "It'll be a few days before you'll be able to speak clearly." Jeth offered. Soren was clinging to his hand tightly, his little eyes wide with wonder at the new man in Ithice's Hearth.

    "You probably have allot of questions. I'll let Janor answer most of them when he gets back." Jeth said with more gentleness then he should have felt. "Go on back to sleep. He'll be home soon."

    Lief's eyes fluttered closed, but at the mention of Janor's name, bits and pieces started to filter to mind. They felt dreamlike to him, far away and strangely unreal. He knew sleep again, his new body forcing him to sleep for days. When next he ascended to consciousness, he could hear a familiar voice nearby. He must have made a sound because the voices stopped and all attention seemed to focus on him.

    "I've made my decision." Janor said to his parents. "I hope it's something you can abide by. Now, if you'll excuse me."

    The bed tipped gently as Janor sat on the edge and looked down at his human lover. Lief looked up at him, noting his radiance. He smiled softly.

    "You broke my neck." Janor started to laugh.

    "Well that was the very last thing I expected to hear first." Janor said. "How are you feeling?"

    "Like you broke my neck." Lief said, struggling to sit up a little. "You couldn't just put me on the boat?" His words held no real sting.

    "I could have. If you wanted to die a very painful death before reaching the Hearth. No human flesh can make the journey across the sea of In Between." Janor told him. "It was kinder what I did."

    "I didn't think you were going to let me come with you." Lief muttered. "You told me no."

    "You're heart was in conflict with your mind. Until they wanted the same thing, I could not allow you to cross over yet. I'm glad that happened before I left." Janor admitted. "It would have been lonely here without you."

    "So what now?" Lief asked. "You'll leave me here while you ascend?"

    "I'm not ascending." Lief looked at the god, searching his eyes carefully. "I've asked to take my father's position here in the Hearth, tending the souls. He'll be ascending with Sunna. They deserve to be together and I wouldn't be happy there." Janor said.

    "Are you sure that's what you want?" Lief asked, adverting his eyes.

    Janor looked at him for a long moment, then grinned. "Going soft on me already, boy?"

    Lief's head snapped around, "I am no boy!" He growled, forgetting for the moment how much he hurt.

    "You're just a babe." Janor teased.

    Lief threw one of the pillows at him, then howled in pain. "You monster!"

    Jeth watched the two of them from the door, enjoying the scene as it played out between Janor and his consort. When the god's eyes met his for just a moment, Jeth reveled in the warmth he saw there. Maybe he'd been wrong all along. Janor's heart seemed vast enough to love deeply, completely, forever and more then one man. The bed slave quietly closed the door. Soren waddled along beside his father, looking up at him with a knowledge born of the ages.

    Jeth looked out the window, a smile adorning his face. "Come along, Soren. It looks like Janor's Hearth is going to become a warm place soon."



    Epilogue ..............

    The day dawned crisp and fresh after a night of gentle rain. Everywhere you looked In Between was flourishing with bright greens and rich browns. Flowers in every imaginable color bloomed as far as the eye could see, lending their beauty to the thick inviting forest that now grew across the land. Just beyond the Hearth's gates was a river that rolled lazily by. It's water was always cool and inviting, filled with crystal clear water and the occasional fish.

    Small boats bumped gently against a dock that had recently been built along the edge of the river. One such boat was painted in wild imaginary creatures and across it's bow was written, "Soren's Dreams." Next to it was a new edition to Janor's fleet. A boat he'd built with his own hands and given to Lief as a gift.

    The Hearth had changed a great deal in the years since Janor became it's master. The only time ice covered the ground was when winter came after fall and even then it wasn't a bitter time of year like it had been under Ithice's rule. All the things Janor loved about mankind's world found their way into In Between. The oceans were full of whales and dolphins. An exact replica of the waterfall Lief and Janor had bathed at could be seen a short way up the river. The god of this land had created a paradise that most of them were quite happy with.

    Janor was just finishing up in the soul room, thinking he was a little late as usual for his private time with Lief. The amount of souls that were asking for reincarnation was increasing, thus causing Janor's work hours to become longer and longer. He only hoped Lief wasn't too upset with him.

    As the god climbed the stairs to his chambers, he passed young Soren. The boy, now past his sixth birthday, looked up at the god and made a face.

    "Lief's waiting on you again." Soren informed him. "Daddy's waiting with him. You're in trouble." He said gravely.

    "I bet I am." Janor replied and grinned. "Off with you now." Janor said and watched as Soren's little feet took him racing down the stairs and to the kitchens.

    Janor walked into the bedchamber very quietly. He had gotten good at making these kinds of entrances since becoming a full god. As he'd hoped, he found Lief and Jeth in bed, the two men half undressed and kissing. Without making a sound, Janor sat in his chair facing the bed and watched them.

    Lief growled and pinned Jeth to the bed. Janor's mate ground his hips against Jeth's groin, making the bed slave toss back his head and moan in pleasure. The exposed neck was an invitation Lief didn't pass up. He pressed bites and kisses from one side to the other, before finding Jeth's lips in a heated kiss. Janor watched hungrily as Jeth frantically reached for the jar next to the bed and thrust it into Lief's hand. At this point the god arose and undressed, deciding to join his lovers for what was sure to be a fantastic time.

    "You're late." Lief growled. He was kneeling over Jeth, two oiling fingers working into the bed slaves ass to ready him for Lief's cock.

    "I've been here a while." Janor replied. He kissed down his mate's back, reaching around to cup his balls and cock. "But you knew that."

    This time the jar was pressed into Janor's hand and while Lief filled Jeth with his cock, the god pressed two oily fingers to Lief's ass and readied him. Janor moved behind the two men. He pressed his cock to his mate's opening and slowly entered him. It took a moment to become in sync with their rhythm but when he did, Lief's moans started to become as loud as Jeth's!

    Jeth came hard. Cum exploded all over Lief's stomach. All three paused as Jeth pushed them both away. Turning, Lief melted into the waiting arms of his man. The two kissed deeply, their cocks rubbing hungrily against one another. Slowly, Lief laid back on the bed with his ass close to the edge. Janor knelt on the floor and pressed his cock back into his lover. Lief's heels dug into Janor's shoulders as his hips kept with the rhythm of the thrust cock. After catching his breath, Jeth took Lief's cock into his mouth and started to suckle him hard. His head bobbed and his tongue teased until cum shoot down his throat. Janor sent his seed into his mate's core just after Lief's own cum was shared with Jeth.

    Panting, the three of them wrapped around one another to rest. Janor cradled both his men next to him, caressing their bodies from rear to shoulder. He whispered that he loved them, then silently thanked destiny for giving him such a wonderful life. And somewhere, deep inside of him, even Baul couldn't argue with how well things had turned out for them all.



    Fin


    RavenWolf
    ~2006~



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