Chapter Text
“Well, that’s everything we have on the agenda today. And thus the meeting concludes.”
Illuga suppressed the urge to sigh and instead took his glass and lifted it in an apparent celebration. Still, his fatigue wasn’t as hidden as he’d liked. Nefer’s sharp gaze definitely caught it, as did Lauma’s and Ineffa’s. Tarno probably didn’t realize, given he was busy gathering his notes, and Aino was… well, she had been tinkering with some machine the whole time. Illuga could only hope nothing blew up this time. That happened from time to time.
“Do you plan on returning to Piramida soon, Illuga?” Nefer asked, voice smooth like silk around dagger. “You should join us for drinks more often, you know. What's a friendship if it's not nurtured with a cup of wine from time to time, hm?"
Well, for one, Illuga felt like drinking around Nefer was just not a good idea. He could hold his alcohol, but something told him Nefer could drink him under the table and coax every secret he didn't even realize he knew out of him. He definitely couldn't answer that way though, so instead he said, “Ah, no, I actually need to deliver some reports and supplies to Sir Flins at his lighthouse,” Illuga answered. “It’s not that far, and it’s not uncommon for me to stay the night if it gets too dark to travel.”
“At the Lightkeepers’ cemetery?” Lauma asked. “Hmmm, that’s strange… I had just met Flins earlier in town.”
This time, Illuga did sigh. “I swear, sometimes it’s harder to keep track of where he is than the Wild Hunt… might as well go back together to his place, then.”
“Actually, that reminds me,” Nefer cut in just as Illuga rose to his feet. “The Wild Hunt… that is the Lightkeepers’ purview, no?”
Slowly, he sat back down. “It is. Have you heard about anything suspicious?”
“There has been talk about their rising activity in Starsand Shoal,” Nefer confirmed with a nod. “I haven’t heard anything more than rumors about suspicious fog and dark clouds that moves too quickly to be natural. Perhaps, while Rerir had been defeated, the stench of Abyss he left still lingers.”
No rest for the Lightkeepers, it seemed. But this was the life Illuga had chosen to lead. “I see. It’s not uncommon that some Abyssal power remains or returns to a previous dwelling. I’ll track down Sir Flins and we’ll check it out together.”
“No need to track him. Jahoda is outside waiting with him,” Nefer said casually, elegant fingers gesturing lazily to the door. “Be safe, now.”
“May the moon’s blessing be upon you and protect you on your noble mission,” Lauma said. “Ah, and do stop by to take today’s bounty, yes? Have Flins eat something too. Best to fill yourself before a possible altercation.”
Illuga couldn’t help but smile. “Of course, Miss Lauma. Thank you for your generosity.”
True to Nefer's words, Jahoda was just outside, though Flins was a few ways off, standing by the railing to look over Nasha Town. Illuga gave Jahoda a nod to greet and made a beeline to Flins.
For his part, Flins simply gave his usual bland smile to him, though Illuga would like to think that it was warmer than others would receive. "Hello, Young Master," he greeted with a slight bow. "What a pleasant surprise it is to meet you here."
"Did you come here even though you already knew I was going to meet you at your place anyway?" Illuga asked, barely hidng his irritation.
"Ah, guilty as charged." Flins' eyes narrowed, edges crinkling with apparent amusement. "Although I did have a sudden business to run at the Ratnik's headquarters here. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to walk together? I, for one, would not mind spending more time with our illustrious Young Master."
Illuga shook his head with a sigh, though he couldn't help the swell of fondness in his chest. "I'm afraid it won't be so nice. Lady Nefer informed me there are Abyss activities in Starsand Shoal. If you're willing, I'd like to check it with you."
"Starsand," Flins repeated with a frown. "Strange. It must be very recent. I make a point to patrol it, considering the Racher's powers had been focused there for a while. It had been clean just three days ago."
"That sounds worrying. Better to make sure everything is safe, no?"
The frown disappeared, and Flins' smile returned. "Of course. I will do my best to keep the Young Master safe."
"Only if you also stay safe, Sir Flins," Illuga insisted. "I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure you can. But simply, how can I allow harm to befall the Ratnik's representative in the League?" Flins' eyes glittered with barely concealed mirth. "Why, Sir Nikita will have my head."
"I'm sure he won't. He's so lenient when it comes to you." Illuga stretched, absently noting how Flins' gaze traced his frame. He took his lantern, feeling its reassuring warmth and the way it resonated with his Vision. Without bothering to look, he knew Aedon would materialize and fly at his command, bringing the concentrated light and Geo powers to fell enemies. "Well, Sir Flins. Shall we head out? We shouldn't dally; Miss Lauma already urged me to take today's bounty with you so we wouldn't have to fight on empty stomach."
Flins nodded. "And who are we to defy the esteemed priestess? Eat we shall, and then we will embark." He offered his arm for Illuga to take. "Shall we, Young Master?"
Illuga could feel warmth climbing up his cheeks. "I'm perfectly capable of walking myself, Sir Flins. Thank you."
He still accepted Flins' hand when he offered to lead Illuga down a few steps of stairs, because sometimes it was easier to follow along Flins' whims than fight them, and Illuga would be lying if he said he hated the attention.
Soon, with belly comfortably filled, they set off. Starsand Shoal may not be too far from Nasha Town, but it was best not to waste any time. While the moon's glow would be strong enough to bless them, the Abyss' powers had always been much less intimidating in daylight. Perhaps it was simply the fact that the Abyss couldn't hide in the shadows of the night. Though with how strong the moonlight had been these days, after the triumphant return of the Moon Goddess, Illuga doubted the Abyss would be able to keep up.
Flins kept the perfect gentleman act the whole way, leading Illuga safely away from possible dangers and inconveniences. It wasn't long before they reached Starsand Shoal, and immediately, Illuga could see the problem.
Evidently, Flins saw it too. "There had not been a dark Abyssal fog the last time I patrolled here," he said grimly. "The air had not been thick with Abyssal energy."
"Is it related to Rerir in any way?" Illuga asked.
"He might have opened the gate for the Abyss' influence to seep in, but I cannot sense his prensence here."
Good enough. Flins' intuition for something like this had always been sharp. Illuga summoned his polearm, and raised his lantern. "Aedon," he called, feeling his Vision stir in response to Aedon’s presence. The bird trilled softly, gold feathers catching light even in the looming gloom. "Go, scout ahead."
Aedon lifted to the sky and disappeared into the fog. Seconds ticked forever as the tension grew, and Illuga found himself comforted when Flins shifted closer to him, gloved hands brushing lightly. There was a trustworthy soul by his side, able and ready to fight.
When he went with his squad, he was the leader they looked up to. Here, he was simply Illuga, standing with a fellow Lightkeeper back-to-back. Something about it settled the anxious energy within Illuga. There was no pressure to be the one leading the charge here.
Soon, Aedon returned, perching lightly upon Illuga's fingers and dispersing into golden light. "Nothing suspicious," Illuga reported.
"That could simply mean the Abyss Forces hasn't manifested yet," Flins warned. He lifted his lantern higher, blue flames dancing in the fog's dense shadows. "Are you ready, Young Master?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
With one hand curled over their polearm and the other holding their lantern, they walked into the fog. Blue and golden light illuminated their path, valiantly piercing through thick Abyssal fog. Illuga felt the corrupted, sticky air fill his lungs and mentally reached for his Vision’s powers. The steady, grounding Geo knitted surety in his bones.
Something shifted in the air. Both Illuga and Flins snapped their attention to their right, weapons raised. Three figures staggered their way, having flaming Abyssal mockery of fire upon their shoulders instead of their heads.
“Exiles,” Illuga muttered.
“A Hunter must be close behind,” Flins said.
Illuga simply nodded and swallowed the bile that rose to his throat whenever he saw the undead. It was always near impossible to ignore how the details of the Exiles’ clothes, corrupted as they were, bore striking resemblance to Lightkeeper uniforms both old and new. He wondered if their souls were still there, blindly seeking an end to their torturous non-existence.
The least Illuga could do was put them out of their misery. Thrusting his lantern forward, Illuga willed Aedon into existence. “Fly!”
Ever reliable, Aedon rose to the sky and dove down, slamming into one of the Exiles. It staggered back while its two companions let out a battle cry that sounded more like a grieving sob. Illuga ignored them and ran into battle, Flins right by his side.
The Exile that Aedon staggered had found its footing back, but Illuga didn’t let it gain more advantage than that. With a cry, he jumped and drove his polearm into its chest, toppling it down and slamming it into the ground with the force of his attack and the weight of his body. He pulled his polearm back, too used to battle to feel nausea at the way it made a squelching sound when it left the corrupted body.
Flins, meanwhile, was a hurricane. There was no doubt that he was used to fighting alone. Though he kept an eye on Illuga, he easily swept the two remaining Exiles and slammed them with lances of white-hot lightning, the blue flames in his lantern leaving streaks in the air. It didn't take long for them to fell the three exiles, but by then five more had emerged from the fog.
There wasn’t much room to coordinate. The Exiles kept coming, though curiously, no Hunter followed so far. All they could do was make sure the other was still within reach as they tried their best to cover each other’s weaknesses. Illuga easily melted back to the background and played the support role, knowing full well that Flins had the superior raw power. Aside from one-word warnings about which direction the enemy was attacking and quick commands to duck or step aside, they didn’t bother saying anything to each other.
But then something shifted just as they defeated the last Exiles. Breath heaving, Illuga shifted closer to Flins. Aedon perched on his shoulder and pressed into his neck, offering what little warmth and comfort its small body could provide. It grounded Illuga all the same.
A rift opened. Flins lifted his lantern higher. “Something’s different,” he said.
It was. Illuga could feel it in his bones. Something about this rift shifted the entire beach’s Abyssal weight, and it settled heavily upon the air. Illuga kept his polearm trained to the rift and widened his stance.
A Hunter stepped through the rift, but something about it was off. It was a tad larger than usual, and there was… something floating above it. Something that reminded Illuga of the eyeball-like Abyssal beings that littered Kipumaki cliff, though it lacked the wings-like structure behind it. Its pupil was a dark slit that zeroed in on Illuga and Flins immediately. It flared with Abyssal power, and for a moment, a horizontal line slashed through the vertical pupil, creating a star-like figure that dissipated soon after.
Responding to the Abyssal power, the Hunter thudded menacingly to the two Lightkeepers. It summoned three more Exiles, and they all garbled their battle cries.
“Aedon, fly!” Illuga yelled, directing Aedon to the thick of the battle. The golden songbird trilled and shot forward, and Illuga and Flins followed.
Eliminating the three Exiles was easy enough. The Hunter proved much more challenging, but soon it, too, fell. The eye was left, and Illuga quietly wondered how they should approach the problem.
They didn’t have much time for it. Abyssal energy pulsed around the eye and lances of Abyssal energy shot to Illuga and Flins. They dodged, creating distance between them as the energy shot at the sand between them, but Illuga soon became alarmingly aware of what the eye was trying to do when every time he tried returning to Flins’ side he was met with more shots.
This… could prove problematic. The Abyssal eye had enough juice left in it to turn this into a war of attrition, and there wouldn’t be much they could do once they run out of stamina. And the eye had put so much distance between him and Flins…
He had to regroup with Flins, no matter what. With that decision, he gestured to Aedon to fly. “Distract it, no matter how,” he instructed.
The lances of Abyssal energy decreased immediately as Aedon became the world’s prettiest, most annoying fly specifically for the Abyssal eye. As Aedon turned and circled the eye, slamming into it and pecking viciously, easily evading attacks with his aerial grace, Illuga ran to Flins.
Flins apparently had the same idea. As soon as they were within touching distance, Flins reached and held Illuga’s face gingerly, turning it left and right to check for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
“No, just tired,” Illuga assured, pulling away from Flins’ gentle hands. “How about you?”
“Just as well.” Flins looked up. “We need to find a way to deal with it soon.”
“Aedon bought us time — “ Illuga began, but stopped abruptly when the eye finally managed to catch Aedon. A lance of Abyssal energy pierced Aedon right at the chest, and Illuga could feel echoes of the pain in his own sternum. He flinched and gasped as Aedon’s form dissipated into golden glitters.
“Young Master,” Flins called, hands steadying his shoulders.
“I’m fine. Aedon will be fine, as well,” Illuga assured, willing himself to stand tall. “We have something more pressing on our hands.”
Flins turned to the eye, slowly straightening. Thick clouds of Abyssal smog had gathered around it. Evidently, Aedon had made it mad enough to behave differently. The Abyssal smog condensed, then burst into countless shards that rained around the beach. Illuga watched in rising alarm as each shard rose into Exiles and Hunters that immediately began rushing to him and Flins.
As one, they turned so their backs pressed into each other’s. Illuga winced when the eye shot another lance of Abyssal energy to them, missing them by a hair.
“This will be ugly,” Illuga muttered.
“It will,” Flins agreed. “But worry not, Young Master. We will survive this, even if it means retreating for now.”
“That may be best. Let’s find an opening and run for it.”
“Of course.”
The Wild Hunt pounced. Words left Illuga’s mind, replaced with the primal need to survive. Pure adrenaline fueled him and forced him to keep moving, even as his arms trembled with exhaustion. He could feel Flins beginning to flag, too. No one was meant to keep fighting like this.
But the Wild Hunt was persistent. They came in droves, and Illuga knew the only way to stop them was to finish the eye first.
He swallowed, and in the brief respite he managed to create after felling an Exile, he reached into his connection with Aedon and summoned the bird to his side. Pouring what was left of his power into Aedon, he sent him up to the sky, where Aedon dove like a waterbird to crash bodily into the eye.
By some miracle, Aedon managed to dodge all Abyssal lances the eye sent and slammed into it right in the slit before bursting into golden light that rained down to the sandy shoal. The eye grew rigid.
Flins, who was holding back the Wild Hunt so Illuga could deal the blow, asked, “Did you get it, Illuga?”
Before Illuga could answer, the eye shone with Abyssal dark and sent one more lance of Abyssal energy straight to Flins.
It was as if time slowed to a crawl. Illuga followed the lance’s trajectory with his eyes and knew, with how Flins had just pushed back two Exiles from them, he wouldn’t have time to dodge the lance. It would stab through him mercilessly.
Illuga moved, his body having made the decision even though his conscious mind hadn’t caught up yet. He pushed Flins out of the way and felt the lance stab him in the heart through his back.
Strange, how that was almost painless. Perhaps his brain simply didn’t catch up yet. Perhaps it simply blocked away the pain. Either way, it was a small mercy. Slamming into the sand was hilariously more painful than the stab itself.
Numb pain that immediately spread to his limbs kept him down. The Abyssal lance was gone, so that was good. At least he didn’t have to worry about something solid sticking through his chest. He blinked blearily, mind strangely bothered with the coarse sand pressing at his cheek, and wondered if he would be able to survive the trip to the cemetery. That was the closest Lightkeeper establishment. Or maybe Flins would bring him somewhere closer, to someone who offered medical assistance? Where would that be?
Frantic hands grabbed him and, surprisingly gently, flipped him so he faced the sky. The same hands lifted him, cradling him into steady arms and allowed him to lean into sturdy chest. Illuga blinked as his blurry gaze met Flins’ golden eyes, wide with panic.
“Oh, good,” Illuga mumbled. “You’re alright.”
“Young Master,” Flins called as Illuga’s eyes fluttered close. “Illuga.”
He sounded scared. Illuga wished he had enough energy left in him to properly look at Flins in the eyes and comfort him.
The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was blue fire that roared into life.
Flins had lived for a very, very long time.
He thought he had seen it all. He thought nothing would ever shake him again. Having lived so long that nothing else in the world seemed to matter anymore did that. Joining the Lightkeepers on a whim had given him purpose to keep existing, but he didn’t think he would truly wanted to be here again.
He thought nothing would ever make him feel scared again.
And yet, Illuga defied expectations. Illuga, who suspected his true nature but never asked, patiently waiting. Illuga, who loved to sit under the stars with Aedon perched on his shoulder, tracing constellations with his fingers as he spoke of his day by Flins’ side. Illuga, who kept turning up with papers and supplies, who kept coming, who shone brighter than the gemstones Flins collected and yet inexplicably never realizing his true worth.
Illuga, who was lying motionlessly in Flins’ arms, dying.
Unacceptable.
Rage flooded his entire being, and Flins lost control of his glamour. His true core, the blue fire that burned steadily inside his lantern, blazed to life. Fueled by his anger, the flames surged, biting into the Wild Hunt and burning them all into ashes. The flames rose to the Abyssal eye and seared it.
The eye reeled back and disappeared into a rift. The fog in Starsand Shoal dissipated, but not completely. Some Abyssal powers remained.
It mattered little. Illuga was far more important. Why did he hold back earlier, instead of flooding the beach with his fire? Illuga might have questions, but he would be well.
No, focus on saving Illuga first. Carefully, Flins lifted Illuga in his arms. With his powers as a snowland fae, it was easy to transport them both to his room at the cemetery.
Grateful that he had brought in a bed despite not truly needing to sleep, Flins immediately laid Illuga down on it. Murmuring apologies, he disrobed the human’s coat and his sleeveless shirt so he could examine Illuga properly.
There was no visible wound. Abyssal energy did that, sometimes; foregoing the physical wound in order to corrupt directly. That seemed to be the case with Illuga, judging from the dark, vortex-like veins that gathered right where his heart lay and the dark clouds that hung about his skin.. Flins could tell that it was spreading, too.
The corruption having found home in the heart was... tricky. And incredibly dangerous. A human heart was much like a fae's flaming core, in how it was the most fragile thing the human had. And yet, despite so, it was also much, much more resilient than it had any right to be. It perfectly encapsulated what it meant to be human. Weak, but so stubborn, with its own quiet strength that drummed a steady rhythm.
That would explain how Illuga was still breathing. He was still fighting, deep inside. But an Abyssal corruption right in the heart was dangerous. The only way it could be worse was if the Abyssal power had beheaded him and kept his soul to corrupt so it could turn Illuga's unwilling corpse into yet another hand for the Wild Hunt.
And Flins was working against time. He could tell the Abyssal power was strong and concentrated. Strong as he was, Illuga would fail, and then he would die.
Not if Flins had anything to say about it. Reaching into his flames, he extended his hand to lay flat over Illuga's heart.
The human body had a minor capability to slough off Abyssal influence, but it was too weak to handle anything more than some exposure. Concentrated corruption like this was too much for Illuga to handle by himself. The best course of action would be to fetch the Traveler, but Flins had no way of knowing if Lumine was in Nod-Krai to begin with. As a snowland fae he might be able to purify Illuga himself, though it wouldn't be easy, and it would likely put him out of commission for days. Still, that was better than letting Illuga perish.
Blue flames danced and illuminated the room with eerie light. Flins could tell he had long since lost all semblance of control over his appearance. He wondered what Illuga would think of him now, a dark specter with flaming eyes that glowed menacingly in the dark. He decided it didn't matter as he pressed his power into Illuga's heart and attempted to siphon away the darkness.
Time ticked by. Flins had no idea how long had passed, only that it felt like an eternity, and yet it didn't seem like the Abyssal corruption has been purified. If anything, Illuga's face had grown more pallid, his breathing labored. The corruption was too great for Flins' measly purification ability to handle, and Illuga was paying the price for it. If allowed to go on, soon he would waste away and turn into Abyssal rot.
What else could he do? He could give Illuga his name in exchange for Illuga's own true name, given willingly in order for the complete ritual to generate its full power, but Illuga had to be awake for that and there was no hint of him rousing anytime soon. Perhaps Flins could share his own life force via...
No. That should be a last resort.
Flins could try feeding Illuga his blood, first. In ages past, blood exchange was a ritual for fae and human to share lifelines, but Flins knew without Illuga's consent and active participation he would simply be giving Illuga a little of his life force. Hopefully, having Flins' blood helping to fight the corruption from the inside could give Illuga the edge he needed.
He pulled his gloves off and pushed up a sleeve, then took a zircon blade he kept on his person for emergencies. Carefully, he made a shallow cut on his wrist, allowing blood to drip right from the vein. As the blood slowly oozed, red shimmering with silver that seemed to glitter in the dim light, Flins carefully tipped Illuga's face and gently parted his lips. Illuga's mouth fell open without any resistance.
"Please let this be enough," Flins murmured as he placed the cut between Illuga's open lips, feeling his blood drip sluggishly inside. "I beg you, Illuga... accept this, and let it purge the corruption away."
Reflex made Illuga swallow, and the slight frown that marred his face drew a breah from Flins' numb lips. Illuga was still fighting, weak as he was. Flins wasn't sure Illuga was even capable of not fighting in the first place. He watched as Illuga swallowed what he could, looking out for any sign of choking, and only stopped when Illuga didn't seem like he could drink more. Flins anxiously cleaned and wrapped the wound in bandages as he searched for any clue that Illuga had grown better.
He wasn't as pale, so that was a good thing. He breathed more easily. But the dark stain at his chest remained, spider-webbing out and reaching for his scars. After a moment, it became clear to Flins that his blood wasn't enough to help Illuga.
...perhaps, he didn't have a choice after all.
He sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "I hope you forgive me for my transgression, Master Illuga," he murmured, knowing full well Illuga couldn't hear him.
Knowing he was racing against the clock, Flins began undressing himself, throwing his clothes carelessly on the floor. He treated Illuga's clothes with much more reverence, guilt gnawing at his bones as he pulled each clothing and set them away. As Illuga finally laid bare before him, he stared at the young captain's toned, scarred body, finding himself admiring the toned muscles and the soft curves despite the circumstances. Absently, he noted the shapely curve of Illuga's penis, decently sized for someone so small. He dismissed the thought to find something he could use as lubricant and came back with a small bottle of oil Illuga sent him a while back with the crate of supplies. Illuga had told him it was for cooking, but it was the best thing Flins had on hand for this.
Careful hand poured the oil over his fingers, coating each one liberally, before the oil was set aside. Flins held up Illuga's leg and reached down and began massaging his hole, slow and deliberate as he eased it open. If possible, he wanted to make sure Illuga was as comfortable as he could be. If he was to wake and understand what Flins had done, surely Illuga would rather he never see Flins again. Of nothing else, Flins wished to pamper his young master for the one and only night he ever took him.
If only it didn't happen this way.
How odd. Had it been his brethren, they would happily take any mortal with no remorse. What were humans, if not little playthings for the fae, who lived so much longer and grew so much wiser? So many of them wouldn't care. And yet Flins did, because humans had given him a home without ever realizing what he could do to them. Illuga, in particular, had been recklessly coming around with supplies and given Flins his precious, limited time. And all Flins could do in return was take.
Trying to push away the thoughts, Flins' gaze roamed around Illuga's bare skin as he started to dip a finger in. The human's body was littered with scars, though none as prominent as the one stretching over his neck to shoulder. It marred the skin and demanded attention, screaming of Illuga's difficult past and losses, and yet it only added to the quiet strength he exuded in droves. Like a broken ceramic, patched together with veins of gold.
Soon, a finger became two, became three. A few times, Flins accidentaly brushed over a spot that made Illuga gasp and whimper, cock twitching and rising, a flush climbing and coloring his skin to chase away the pale. A particularly drawn out moan had Flins pausing, his own cock rising as he found himself wanting.
He couldn't take his eyes off Illuga's blushing face as he coated his member in oil. He stared, still, as he lined himself up to enter Illuga. "Brace yourself, Young Master," he murmured in warning, then he gently eased himself in.
Illuga spasmed as Flins pushed in, eyelids fluttering though he didn't wake up. His chest arched up slightly, fingers twitching. Even unconscious, he was responsive, pretty as a songbird. Flins could only wonder how much prettier he would be if he had been awake for this.
Flins took a deep breath and slowly, carefully, pushed until he was all sheathed in. Illuga was wonderful, clenching lightly at him, but he hadn't started yet. With an exhale, Flins let go of his control over his glamour and focused on pouring his life energy into Illuga.
Sex had always been an intimate act, moreso for the snowland fae. As beings comprised near wholly out of energy, sex wasn't only an attempt of procreation, but also a way to bleed energy into each other. Often, sex with humans meant the fae could manipulate the release of energy from the human to nourish themselves. After all, humans could typically replenish themselves with food; it was harder to do so for the fae.
This time, though, Flins' goal was the reverse. To give his energy to Illuga wasn't impossible. He simply needed to... release. Perhaps more than once, if Illuga's state was anything to go by.
He could feel himself inching closer to the edge. Despite everything, Illuga's punched out moans did more to him than he cared to admit.
It took less time than Flins thought he would need to get close. On impulse, Flins leaned down and planted kisses on Illuga's neck, feeling the scars with his lips. He straightened as he finally climaxed, body tensed like a bow as his flames flickered and blazed, shooting his life energy straight into Illuga's spine.
As he received the blow of energy, Illuga's eyes snapped open, gasping loudly, back arching in surprise. His cock twitched, spurting drops of precum that Flins would have loved to lick if he hadn't been buried deep within Illuga.
"What... Sir Flins? What's going — ah!" His words cut off with another gasp as Flins shoved in again, undoubtedly grazing against the spot that had him mewling before. "Sir... Flins...?"
He must look monstrous to Illuga. Glowing eyes, a body that was only half-corporeal, shadows dancing as blue flames roared around them. Illuga's eyes were blown wide, glancing around frantically before landing on Flins' inhuman ones and latching on. Flins lifted Illuga's flesh and blood hand with his wispy, shadowy one and planted misty kisses along the warm wrist.
"I can only hope you will forgive me," Flins said softly, voice echoing unnaturally. "I must keep you alive, dear Young Master."
Whatever Illuga wanted to say, it was overtaken by moans. In a way, this was better. Flins could pretend they were both enjoying this instead of him simply crossing a boundary line he already knew existed. As Illuga's beautiful eyes began to dawn with comprehension, Flins leaned back down to plant kisses on the scars sgain, if only to avoid the inquisitive gaze. His hair spilled down like a waterfall over their bodies, dark mist over solid flesh.
Words disappeared as Illuga gasped and cried, and Flins kept on. Soon he was close again, and he let his energy flow, trickling into Illuga as he peaked, finishing off with another strong blow of energy. On impulse, he bit down on Illuga's shoulder, deep enough to draw blood. Regret flooded him as soon as the copper tang hit his tongue.
Illuga let out a shrill cry that reminded Flins of a songbird's trill, body taut as he climaxed alongside Flins. As the waves of pleasure slowly subsided, Flins rose to sit properly, looking at Illuga's face.
His eyes were open but unseeing. As he panted loudly, Flins noticed a fleck of gold that mirrored his own eyes within the depths of Illuga's irises that faded away as he watched. Illuga blinked. Slowly, awareness pooled back into his eyes.
Flins... couldn't.
He gathered himself and took back control over his glamour. The flames calmed and his body finally resembled that of a human's. Illuga watched wordlessly, eyes wide, and didn't even move as Flins reached to his face and caressed his cheek.
"Please rest more, Young Master," he said. "I'm sorry."
"Flins," Illuga started. Flins didn't let him continue. The hand caressing Illuga's cheek rose to cover his eyes. With a pulse of his power, he coaxed Illuga into a restful sleep.
It spoke to how weak Illuga must be, to succumb so easily. Flins withdrew his hand and watched Illuga sleep, finally breathing deeply, cheeks rosy with life. The taint of the Abyss that marred his skin had disappeared. A quick check revealed to Flins that there was still a tiny bit of it left behind, but it was miniscule. Illuga would be able to slough it off himself.
Carefully, Flins pulled out of Illuga. He quietly, reverently wiped Illuga clean, covered the bite in a salve and gauze, and heaped the softest wools and furs on the bed to keep the young master warm. Now that the danger had passed, Flins could breathe easy and simply keep watch as Illuga snored lightly against the pillow.
He was the only danger here, anyway.
He gathered his clothes and left.