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Together with Richter	By : DONERO_the_Great Category: +S through Z > Tales of Symphonia Views: 1731 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World/Knight of Ratatosk or any of the characters involved, and I make no profit from this fan fiction.

Chapter List
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The words fell heavily on Richter's ears, resounding in his mind. Love… Richter felt dizzy, the notion seemed so unreal to him. Love… how can he love me? He stared silently down into the boys eyes for a long time, not knowing what to think. The remark had caught him off guard, he didn't even realize that his silence was offending Emil until the boy's face darkened and he got to his feet.

"F-fine! Whatever! To hell with you! Forget what I said, I hate you! You know, for once I really thought you cared about me; I let you use me for whatever you wanted! I gave you aid, I gave you food, I gave you my body, I gave you everything! Now I give you my heart only to realize that you don't want it! I hate you! You really are a liar, telling me all these things, acting like you care, making me believe that you might actually love me too… But like you said… all you wanted was to use me, wasn't it…? Wasn't it?! Well congratulations, you've officially taken everything from me… everything you wanted anyway! Keep that stupid stone, I don't want it anymore, either!" Emil grabbed his sword and belt as he stormed away from the campfire. "You know what, I really hope you can find someone who makes you happy, Richter… I really do… So they can rip your heart out and tear it to shreds! I never want to see your sullen face again! Good-bye!"

Richter sat dumbstruck. He was more confused than he had ever been in his life, but one thing he did know, Emil was leaving… and he didn't want Emil to leave. Not even bothering to grab his own things, he chased after Emil. The blond noticed his pursuit and started running. He wanted absolutely nothing more to do with Richter.

"Wait! Emil! Please, wait!" Richter panted. The extra weight he had to carry was slowing him down too much; he'd never catch up to Emil as he was. He sped up his metabolism, one of those inherent talents that he couldn't (or rather wouldn't) explain, and within seconds, he was rid of all the excess weight. He ran full speed, now; Emil did the same. But Richter, being faster and stronger by nature, overtook him. As he closed in on Emil, he reached out and grabbed one of the boy's gloved hands. Just as he did, Emil spun around, slapping Richter across the face with his free hand. Richter stood there in shock, and Emil took the opportunity to tear his hand away from Richter.

"I told you… I never want to see you again. So go away!" Emil began to back away, only to have Richter kneel before him, gasping both of his hands frantically.

"No, Emil, please… Please wait… I… I love you, too!" He received another fierce slap in response.

"Liar… why should I believe anything you have to say now? You'd say whatever you need to in order to get me to do what you want again. I won't let you use me anymore."

"No, i-it's not like that! Emil, I love you. I really do… with all my heart, I swear it! Please, you're the first person I've ever been able to say that to, you'll probably be the last… It's not something I can say very easily, and I'm sorry I didn't say it the very first moment I realized it! But I love you; I love you so much it hurts… I'll do whatever I can to make you believe me… I'll smile for you, laugh for you, cry for you… die for you! I'll do whatever it takes! So, please… don't leave me…"

Emil felt sick to his stomach… he wanted to believe in Richter, just like he always did, but he felt such intense cynicism, such hatred for him in that moment, he didn't want to trust the man at all. "You're right, Richter… if you really loved me, you should have said so in the first place… because there's no way I'm going to believe you now." Emil pulled away, half of him desperately wanting to go back with Richter, the other half just wanted to forget he ever heard that name. Emil took a moment of introspection, finally deciding that even if he didn't want to leave Richter, he should… at least, for long enough to clear his head and think logically about the whole thing. Finally, as he began to walk away, he felt the earth quiver ever so slightly under his feet. A steady pounding shook the ground, increasing in magnitude with each strike. Both Emil and Richter looked back in horror as a dreaded Shadow Dragon emerged from the pitch black of their midnight surroundings. Richter reached back for Sol and Mani, realizing with terror that neither the axe nor the sword were there. Emil ran past Richter, charging the beast with sword in hand, dealing a fairly strong blow to the dragon's foreleg before retreating to avoid its fierce claws.

Richter watched as Emil slashed madly at the beast, admiring the boy's developed skills for the first time. Unfortunately for Emil, even with his strength all alone, it wasn't enough against a huge dragon. The few deep cuts Emil had managed to inflict only served to make the reptilian monster furious and it swung around, knocking Emil's sword from his hands with a powerful sweep of its tail. It landed in a patch of tall grass about 50 feet from the boy, who immediately ran toward the spot where it disappeared from sight. He dug through the thick glade of grass, frantically trying to locate his blade. He cursed under his breath, feeling the Shadow Dragon's approaching footsteps. By the time he touched the hilt of his sword, it was already too late. He could feel the hot breath puffing from the monster's great black snout as he turned to face its colossal golden eyes. Emil grasped his blade awkwardly and turned it toward the monster, knowing full well that it would do him no good as the dragon opened its mammoth jaws. Just as Emil was ready to kiss the world goodbye and accept the fact that he was going to die, the monster gave a screeching roar and turned away from Emil. Shocked, Emil traced the dragon's line of sight back to the tip of its long black tail where Richter stood, attacking the creature with magic.

The dragon lunged at the half-elf, who narrowly missed being crushed between its blade-like teeth, before the beast lashed out with a powerful forelimb, knocking Richter a good twenty feet across the plains. "Richter!" Emil instinctively ran toward his friend, all feelings of hatred melted away and Emil's tender, loving heart was in control again.

"N-no… Emil, stop… You have to get out of here… We can't win… even together… especially if I don't have my sword… and there's no chance either of us can beat it alone… so go!" Richter yelled as the Dragon pinned him to the ground with one of its massive front legs.

"What are you saying?! Are you crazy?! I'm not leaving you! The Richter I know would never just give up like that! We can beat this thing together. So don't just lay there… get up! Fight back!"

"I'm not giving up…" Richter grunted as the dragon threatened to crush his ribs with its titanic weight. "I'm telling you to escape. I'm telling you… I love you. I want to protect you more than anything, but right now… I can't do that. Even if you don't love me anymore, I still don't want to see you get hurt. All I can do is distract it while you run… If I'm going to have to lose you either way… I want to at least lose you by protecting you. So go! Get away while you can! It's already too late for me."

"No! You stupid idiot! I do love you! So don't say stupid shit like that! I believe you now, okay?! So… don't let it kill you! It's a stupid way to die anyway! If we work together, we can beat it!"

"You really think that?" Richter smirked. "How optimistic…" Richter laughed loudly, though his face was twisted in anxiety as he tried to force the dragon's claws away from his throat. "Well, I don't know how much help I can offer without my sword and axe, but if you're going to try fighting this beast, I guess I have to help you… So stubborn… You should just run…"

"I won't run away! You were the very first person to give me courage, you of all people shouldn't be telling me to do something as cowardly as running away!" Emil began to close the distance between himself and the half-elf, as he spoke.

"Sometimes, the bravest and smartest thing to do is retreat… being a fool is worse than being a coward." Richter tried fruitlessly to distract the hungry black monster by casting magic at its tail. "But then again, me calling you a fool is like the pot calling the kettle black…" He grinned as the huge beast finally responded to the distraction and loosened its grip on the half-elf in favor of chewing off the thick ice that had accumulated on its tail from Richter's repetitive casting. The redhead began to squirm his way out from under the dragon's mighty claws, but just as he managed to wriggle free, the creature's giant teeth clamped down on his shoulder. He cried out in pain but could not pull away, the beast's grip was too strong and had he tried to move, it would have torn his arm clean off. Emil was already rushing at the beast, cutting into its tail as he flew past. The Shadow Dragon growled angrily at the pain, a second nuisance to snack on, it supposed. But first, it had to finish the tasty morsel in its mouth.

The black dragon released its grip on Richter's shoulder only to wrap its snake-like, forked tongue about the man's waist. Emil, who was running up along the beast's flank, hacking away as he went (though to no avail), froze and watched as the gruesome black monster flicked its horned head back, tossing Richter into the air. Mouth gaping wide, Emil watched as Richter - clinging to his shoulder - tried every last spell he knew against the ebony terror below as he plummeted helplessly downward. The spells had little effect, the ice did not freeze, the fire did not burn, the lightning did not paralyze… the beast was nearly invulnerable, ignoring what small twinge of pain the spells did cause. And Emil stared, unable to do anything against the foul creature as he watched the unthinkable happen. The dragon's huge jaws yawned open wide and Emil cringed as he watched Richter fall straight down into the creature's gaping maw. Emil hoped against all hope that the dragon shared Richter's disdain for the taste of clothes and would, perhaps, spit him back out, but all hope soon died as he heard the beast swallow and saw a large bulge slide down the dragon's gullet.

Emil shivered, eyes burning with tears, as the bulge passed down the creature's long neck and into its scaly belly. He gripped his sword tightly, screaming at the top of his lungs as he charged blindly at the beast. He leaped onto its armored black shoulder and sprang into the air, sword outstretched as he began to flip, head over heels, like a table saw.

"Heavenly Tempest!!!" The spinning blade of Emil's sword broke through the scaly plated skin of the Shadow Dragon's neck, cleaving it from the gargantuan black torso at the shoulders, shearing through muscle, bone, everything. Deep crimson blood rained down on the blond as the beast's severed neck fell twitching to the cold earth on one side, and the beheaded torso toppled over on his other side. Emil ran quickly to the gruesome bloody mess that dripped from the lifeless midsection of the disembodied reptile. He plunged his sword deep into its heart, tearing it all the way down to the base of the tail along the beast's scaly underbelly. He pulled apart the folds of flesh and muscle, nearly vomiting at the awful odor that seeped from the beast's cavernous belly. The scent of rotting flesh and bile made Emil retch, but he still plunged in, searching for Richter. The dim light that managed to penetrate through the narrow seam Emil had cut through the dragon's skin was not much to go by, and the monster's gut was not at all pleasant and welcoming like Richter's was. Emil knelt and felt along the floor of the belly until his fingers grasped a matted, sodden lock of Richter's hair. He quickly reached farther down and grabbed Richter by the underarm as he made a transverse cut along the wall of the dragon's putrid stomach. He dragged the redhead out through the narrow opening, laying him on his back in the grass. His shoulder was dislocated and mangled, but thankfully, the damage wasn't something so serious that a few months of care wouldn't put it right again.

He panted, exhausted, over Richter's slimy body, suddenly aware that Richter was not moving. He hurriedly bent down, pressing his ear to Richter's chest. The heartbeat was still there, but it was faint. He immediately began to search his bag for some sort of suitable herb or gel that might be of use, some bandages, anything that might help Richter. The man's eyes slowly fluttered open and he moaned as he felt the pain in his shoulder. Emil sighed with relief and immediately went about apologizing and nursing and worrying and fussing, finding a place to lean Richter and digging medicinal potion after potion out of his bag. Richter shook his head, placing a finger over Emil's lips as he cleared his throat to speak.

"You know what… I figured out something amazing in there. I think I know why the stone didn't work when I tried to use it while the beast attacked us…" He held up the glowing artifact, covered with slime from the bowels of the dragon. "When the inscription talked about the wielder holding the powers of the stone 'within them', it was meant literally. In order to use the stones powers, you can't just absorb the mana it gives off, you actually have to 'hold the stone itself inside you'… inside your body… when that dragon swallowed me, it also swallowed this stone… I saw it glowing like crazy as soon as I reached the monster's stomach. That's the secret, Emil… in order to use the stone, you have to eat it…" Richter groaned and clutched his shoulder; Emil shuddered as he heard it pop back into place. Emil picked up the shining stone, wiping it in the grass and rinsing it in the little stream that bubbled nearby. He pulled his torn shirt from his bag and wet it in the same stream, carrying the damp cloth over to Richter, wiping down the half-elf's gooey face and hair. Richter thanked him, but remarked that a bath was the last thing on his mind, despite being covered in the foul, putrid sludge from the dragon's innards.

Emil pulled the stone from his pocket again, formulating a plan. "Richter, you say I can copy anyone's powers, right?" Richter nodded weakly. "Well, alright then! Bottoms up!" Emil crammed the stone into his mouth. He immediately felt like gagging; the stone was so big it filled his whole mouth, pressing up against his soft palate at the back of his throat, making him feel almost as if he was choking. He wasn't going to let a little discomfort stop him, however… not when Richter needed him. He tilted his head back, creating a clear, straight path to his stomach. Emil took a deep breath through his nose before finally allowing the stone to slide back, swallowing hard to avoid gagging as the unpleasantly large, cold object stretched the lining of his esophagus as it slowly made its way down. Once it was entirely past the uvula, left with only the straight drop to the stomach, the most difficult part was over. Smooth and rounded as it was, it slid easily down Emil's throat, plunging to its final resting place inside Emil's belly. Emil felt it land inside him with a heavy thud and instinctively put his hand over his stomach, rubbing it gingerly to combat the unusual sensation. It was the first time he had something so big, solid and un-masticated in his stomach; he wondered if this was anything akin to what Richter felt whenever he swallowed him. Once his stomach settled, he looked to Richter for instruction.

"Well, I did it…" he gasped, "N-now what am I supposed to do?"

Richter cradled his shoulder gingerly as he spoke. "You need to think about what you want it to do. Step by step… you need to think about the steps that are needed in order for you to achieve your goal. For example, to create ice, you would need to think about the water, the intense cold… you'd have to visualize the magic happening… at least, that's my best guess…"

Emil nodded. He closed his eyes, picturing Richter's shoulder. He imagined rubbing a poultice on Richter's wound, imagined speaking the incantation that Richter used to perform healing artes, he imagined bandages and weeks worth of healing, the mending of Richter's torn skin. It was a little gruesome for Emil to picture, but he was willing to do it; anything to ease Richter's suffering. At first, Emil felt nothing… except maybe a little discouraged and frightened that the supposed powers of the stone were false. But slowly, he felt a heat radiate from his stomach, a little voice inside him guided him, and without conscious effort, he began chanting a foreign incantation. He placed both hands across Richter's bloody shoulder, and a faint light spread across the gash. Slowly, the blood crusted over, the torn muscles and integument beneath were slowly reconnecting. At last, Emil lifted his hands, ceasing to chant, and before Richter's very eyes, the scab flaked off like a dying rose sheds its petals. It left nothing but flawless skin behind, and all his pain had vanished.

He pulled off his cloak completely, not sure if what he was seeing was real or not. But it was true, his wound had completely healed, the only proof of its existence was the torn shoulder of his Sea Fire cloak. He tested his mended shoulder, stretching it, rotating it, just to be sure; there was no doubt about it, it was working in perfect order, no pain, no soreness, no inhibitions to his movement. Emil sighed, slumping where he knelt, exhausted from the effort. He smiled wanly as he looked over his work, a flawless repair. Richter sat up, catching the blond as he collapsed into his outstretched arms. He felt Emil laughing weakly as he stroked the boy's hair. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he somehow felt compelled to laugh too, perhaps just because of the sweet relief he felt, knowing he was alive and Emil was safe. The sound brought joy to Emil's heart; Richter was alive… they both were… and they were together again, hearts at peace, minds at ease, perfectly in love.

It took a few minutes for Emil to recover from the exertion he had to undergo, performing such advanced magic with no prior skills, but eventually, he was strong enough to stand and walk again. They were both still filthy with the rancid bile of the Shadow Dragon, and their clothes and skin began crusting over with the vile substance. They walked over to the little stream that Emil had used to rinse the Yromem Stone; it wasn't very broad and its current was not swift, but it was deep enough to reach up to Richter's chest if he sat down in the trench. He and Emil waded to the middle of the little river, clothes and all, sitting on the silt-covered bottom as they prepared to bathe. Richter submerged his cloak, letting the water do all the work; being a leather cloak reinforced with synthetic materials, the mucous-like sludge rinsed easily off the smooth surface, but it was prevented from any structural compromise of untreated leather by its man-made inner lining and a special protective coating.

Emil, sitting slightly aside - (so as not to be directly upstream from Richter, thereby preventing the sludge he cleaned off his own clothes from sullying Richter any further) - took off Richter's white camise, which he had quite forgotten he had been wearing. The bile came off easily, but the blood stained terribly. He apologized to Richter, who merely shrugged and laughed, saying that a little blood on his shirt wasn't anything new. He commented that he even considered a stain won by a well-fought battle as a well-earned trophy, the proof of victory, and commended Emil for his superb performance. "You really have grown so much, Emil. To take on an opponent that powerful single-handedly was very brave, even I would have been nervous. I wish I could have seen you finish it off."

"Ugh… it was gross… There was blood everywhere…" Emil moaned, gagging a little as he remembered the sight. "I hope I never have to do something like that again." Richter laughed, and Emil enjoyed its comforting sound.

"Well, to each his own, I guess… I'm sorry you had to do something like that for me… I was stupid to let all this happen. You must have been terrified… I'm glad you're okay, though." Richter smiled at the blond as he shed his pants and underwear, rinsing them and laying them in the grass at the bank of the stream with his cloak. Emil did the same, letting the murky water lift the foul mixture of blood and bile from his shoes, his pants, everything, before he set the damp clothes to the side, sitting nude beside Richter in the cool streamlet. It was summer, and the warm air went undisturbed save for a gentle breeze. Though the water was cold for Emil's preference, it wasn't unbearable, and he enjoyed the quiet, serene atmosphere; a moonlit bath with Richter… if the circumstances had been different, he would have considered it quite romantic.

Richter removed his glasses, Emil was surprised that they hadn't cracked after the beating Richter had taken, not to mention they hadn't fallen off and gotten lost at some point as the dragon swallowed Richter. He watched the half-elf dip is head back into the water, combing his wet hair with his fingers as he worked to get the gunk out of his hair. Emil took his torn shirt from before, and scooted closer to the redhead. He wet the black cloth, making sure it was fresh and clean before he helped Richter wash his hair. It took some effort, Richter's hair was very fine and the slimy mixture of dragon fluids clung tenaciously to each strand, but after a few good scrubs and rinses, Richter's hair was silky and pure again. He offered to trade, to help Emil cleanse and rinse his own airy tufts of gold hair, but the boy shook his head, insisting that he finish bathing Richter first, stating that it would be impractical to switch off more than once and the process of bathing was best done all at once.

He sat behind Richter, damp cloth in hand, as he began to scrub Richter's back. The man remarked that it had been a long time since he had a proper bath, and that bathing outdoors was the only way to truly enjoy it. Emil smiled and agreed, happy to be talking with the redhead, peacefully, tenderly, intimately… being alone together was one thing, but being alone together there and then, unfettered and natural, free from sensual urges, this was a treasured time to Emil. He had never felt closer to Richter, and after rinsing the cloth, he pressed close behind the half-elf, reaching around toward Richter's front as he gently began to scour away the slime on Richter's chest. Richter noticed the boy's thoroughness, remarking that he could manage the rest by himself. Emil merely leaned his head on Richter's shoulder; and Richter, blushing, shrugged and resigned himself to the blond's will.

Emil didn't miss one drop of the grime, scrubbing and rinsing and rinsing and scrubbing, leaving no detail of Richter unclean. He even boldly ventured down toward the man's intimates, and Richter burned bright red as the boy spent a considerable amount of time and attention in that region. When the boy had finished and Richter was far beyond clean, he cleared his throat, thanking the blond for the favor and offering to return it at last. Emil nodded shyly; he handed the makeshift sponge to Richter and got to his feet, walking delicately through the water as he settled down in front of Richter.

Richter proceeded in an orderly, organized fashion, starting from the top down. He unmated the disaster that had been Emil's hair and worked his way down toward the boy's smooth, round shoulders. He smiled to himself, declaring that he would have to invest in some nice soap and other bath products the next time they reached a town, something for everyday use. Emil nodded, privately excited at the prospect of making this a daily habit. He liked to spend time with Richter, and he enjoyed everything they did together, but of all the things he had ever done with Richter, this bath was quickly becoming one of his favorites. He thought to himself, as Richter moved around to his chest, that a bath with sweet scented soap and a soft washcloth, shampoo and conditioner, bath salts and exfoliates would be a perfectly wonderful experience for them both.

He made mention of the bathhouse and the natural hot springs he had once visited, and Richter suggested that they should make that the destination of their next journey. Richter followed Emil's example, gently scrubbing the boy thoroughly from head to toe, ending just as Emil had, a particularly enthusiastic cleansing of a particularly intimate area. There was a feeling of serenity in the air that could not be touched, a peaceful, private, secluded air reserved for them and them alone. Richter wrung out the makeshift sponge, placing Emil's damp and frayed shirt with the rest of their clothes before leaning up against the grassy bank at the edge of the river. He lay back, arms folded behind his head, and stared up at the sky. A few faint clouds rolled by on a gentle breeze, obscuring the stars as they drifted overhead. Richter closed his eyes, not caring about the stars or the clouds or any of that… all that mattered was the moment, then and there, with Emil; he was perfectly comfortable, the sweet smell of grass hung in the air, and the soft trickling of the stream was melodic and pure. The faint splashing of Emil's approaching footfalls made Richter expectant. He waited to feel the blond's smooth, warm skin against his shoulder, expected the boy to sit beside him like before, wrap his arms around him and hold him close.

He was pleasantly surprised to feel that, instead of settling at his side, the boy seated himself in front of Richter, leaning his whole, damp body against Richter's chest, sitting just between his outstretched legs. He glanced down at the boy, feeling the blood color his cheeks as the blond pressed close against him. He laid his arms across Emil's body, cradling him in a loose embrace. Emil wrapped his arms around Richter's in exchange, leaning his head against one of the half-elf's well-toned biceps. Richter glanced across the fields toward where their camp had been; the fire had gone out, no smoke could be seen to indicate its location; they wouldn't be making it back there tonight. Richter didn't mind, though; the weather was fair, and as long as he had Emil, he could care less about returning there. He felt Emil yawn, drowsiness settling in, and the boy snuggled closer against Richter. The redhead looked down, smiling sweetly as he watched the boy's eyelids droop.

He caressed the boy gently, and before long, Emil drifted to sleep in his arms. Richter watched the boy breathing, so innocent and peaceful in his embrace. Richter lifted a hand to stroke the boy's hair, but looking beyond the boy's face and down towards his middle, Richter noticed something he had been unable to see before. A faint glow shone dimly from within Emil's belly, barely visible, but still bright enough to catch Richter's attention. He blushed profusely, suddenly very aroused by the sight. The half-elf couldn't help staring, the memory of Emil, struggling to swallow the stone, the dedication the blond possessed, everything came flooding back to Richter, and the sudden realization that there was something actually inside Emil at that very moment… it all made Richter realize just how similar he and Emil were now. He remembered what Emil had said, how badly the boy wanted to be able to mimic Richter's skills, and smiled. It was going to be a fun and interesting experience to be sure, and he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about switching roles with Emil. He placed his hand back on top of Emil's radiant tummy and hugged the boy close to his bosom, and as he imagined dreamily what the future would hold for Emil and himself, Richter closed his eyes at last and followed Emil into the realm of sleep.

*~*~*~*

Richter awoke the next day to the smell of eggs and bacon and the warm rays of the sun. His stomach growled, eager to break the fast. He yawned loudly, stretching a moment before sitting up. He felt a dull throbbing pain, the last remnants of the hangover he had - thankfully - slept most of the way through. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, opening them to find that it was already well past morning and somewhere around noon. His clothes were folded neatly in front of him and his gear - sword, axe and all - had been retrieved. For a moment, he thought the whole ordeal with the dragon might have been a nightmare, that in reality, he and Emil had passed into blissful sleep sometime after intercourse and all the unnecessary fear and heartbreak had been his imagination, a drunken hallucination. However, after looking beyond his things, he noticed the massive black shape of the beheaded Shadow Dragon still lying in the grass.

He was pulled abruptly from his thoughts by Emil's cheery voice. "Good morning, Richter! How did you sleep?" Emil beamed down at Richter, offering the man a plate of fried eggs and crisp bacon.

Richter accepted the plate as Emil sat beside him; he noticed he was still halfway in the river and still entirely naked. He inched his way up the bank of the river, his movements were awkward since the soles of his feet had become ridiculously pruney overnight and were now rather uncomfortable to stand on. Emil was wearing his white camise again… it made Richter smile to see the boy wearing it, the symbol of their love and Emil's bravery. The redhead crossed his damp legs and tucked in to his breakfast, answering Emil between mouthfuls.

"I slept well enough… a bit hung-over, but it's not so bad… but waking up to your smiling face… a thousand hangovers couldn't ruin that happiness." Emil blushed and Richter leaned over to give him a kiss. Emil returned it affectionately. "Have you been up long, Emil?"

"Long enough to cook you some breakfast!" The blond grinned at him as he stuffed another forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Yes, so I see. Thank you for that, by the way." The boy muttered something about it being an old habit, and really no trouble at all, but the dull, throbbing pain in his head made it difficult for Richter to concentrate on anything but the bare essence of what the little human was saying to him. He rubbed his forehead wearily, trying to numb the pain. "Damn this hangover. The only unpleasant effect of alcohol... Though I suppose I deserve it, the way I drank last night." He gave a self-derisive snort and turned to Emil. "How about yourself? I hope you didn't suffer any ill effects from the alcohol…"

Emil shook his head. "Nope! I've never felt better! I'm sorry you don't feel well, though… I think I've got something that's good for curing nausea… want me to check?"

"No, thanks. It's alright, it's just a little headache, it'll go away soon." Richter finished off his first serving and handed the plate back to Emil. He stood to cross the streamlet, intending to dress now that he was mostly dry, but paused, embarrassed, as he felt a more urgent biological need… after all, he had just woken up. "Umm… Emil? Could you maybe turn around for a minute…?"

Emil cocked his head to the side to express his puzzlement. "What for?"

"I, uh, kind of have to… you know… pee…" his cheeks turned almost beet red.

Emil giggled. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I've seen it already, you know."

Richter averted his gaze. "Y-yeah, I know… I just… I-I can't go when someone's watching me…" Emil shrugged but obliged, crossing the stream and busying himself by heaping a second helping onto Richter's plate as the redhead took care of his business. He slipped into his boxers and pants, washing his hands in the cool river water before taking the plate Emil was offering him. He glanced over at his pack, feeling more confident now that his faithful sword and axe were by his side again. He took a heaping mouthful of eggs, sighing to himself as he recalled his near-fatal blunder the night before.

"It was stupid of me to leave my things behind like that. I should have known better, I can't afford to make mistakes like that ever again…" He simpered, remembering how Emil saved him and privately enjoying the dedication the boy had shown; but he soon noticed Emil's face darken with faint disapproval. Realizing he was being too negative and critical of himself, something Emil had specifically told him not to do, he quickly changed the topic to a more positive view. "But we ended up alright, so I guess it's best not to dwell on mistakes; nothing we can do to change the past…" He picked up his canteen from among his things, filling it with river water and taking a long drink. It was cleaner than he remembered, and he blushed when he realized that Emil must have washed it for him; in fact, Emil had washed all his things. "I-it was nice of you to go and get my supplies for me, Emil. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother."

"Oh! Umm… Actually, Richter… I didn't go and get everything… I was kind of… well… scared to leave you behind all by yourself…" Emil twiddled his thumbs, shifting nervously where he stood, cheeks slightly pink. "I-I was afraid that if I left you alone… you might wake up without me… and then you'd think something bad had happened and I didn't want to worry you… Besides, you didn't have any protection… If a monster had shown up, you… well…" Emil didn't want to emasculate Richter, but he knew that even though Richter was a good fighter, even bare-fisted, he couldn't fend off a large monster without serious injury. Richter understood just the same and nodded in agreement. "Smart… very thoughtful of you… It's true that I prefer not to wake up with no weapon and a monster pinning me to the ground in your place." He laughed, winking at Emil. His laughter subsided, however, when he realized that if Emil had stayed with him, there was no one to retrieve his things. "Emil…So then, uh… just who did go and get my effects?"

"I did!" An overly exited female voice rang out from nowhere as Aqua appeared before Richter. He gave a surprised grunt and fell back in shock; after all, it's not everyday that a Centurion stalker who you thought was long gone reappears from nowhere during a moment with your intimate other.

"A-Aqua?! What are you doing here?!"

"Aww, don't be like that, Master Richter, you're breaking my heart!" She winked slyly at him. "I thought you'd be happy to see me. After all, we spent so much time together; I thought we had a nice relationship going."

"Do we have to discuss that again? I thought I told you that we were not involved in any sort of 'relationship'. You were just a traveling companion, nothing more." He edged closer to Emil.

"Is that the kind of thanks I get? How rude!" She flipped through the air, swimming around to Richter's other side, opposite Emil.

"Well… Thanks, I guess… but, again, I ask… What are you doing here?"

"Ah, well, as I was just telling Emil, I followed Tenebrae here."

"Tenebrae?" Richter wrinkled his nose. "What on earth was he doing here?" Richter mentally winced at the thought that he might have another Centurion stalking him.

"Because of that." Aqua pointed one of her slender fingers in the direction of the Shadow Dragon. "Lord Ratatosk said he sensed a disturbance in the mana flow here. He said there was a huge surge then a huge drop in dark energy here, so he sent Tenebrae to check it out." Richter remembered how the Yromem Stone had glowed intensely inside the dragon's stomach; that must have caused the huge surge. Aqua continued to tell her story, though Richter was only half paying attention.

"I followed Tenebrae here because I was curious, and lo-and-behold I find the two of you. So, I decided to stick around… When Emil woke up, he explained about the dragon, then asked if I could watch over you while he went to collect your things. But seeing as you two are an 'item' now" she giggled suggestively, "I thought I'd do him a favor and let him stay with you…" Richter blushed; he hadn't really thought about it up until now, but after looking at all the events leading up to that point, the kissing, the sex, the bath together… all evidence certainly did point to them being together… but was it really so obvious from the out-of-context data Aqua had gleaned from their story? He loved Emil, but he wasn't exactly ready to scream that to the whole world just yet. He was perfectly happy with their little, secretive, intimate relationship; he really didn't want the pressure of walking around in public with Emil having others expecting them to behave like a couple. He preferred to keep his love life out of the public eye, and if it was going to be that obvious to other people… well, he was going to be uncomfortable with that.

Aqua sensed he was ill at ease, and though she had gotten over the fact that she had lost her beloved Richter to a rival like Emil, she still cared about him. "Well… I suppose if I'm interrupting your time together, I'll just go. It was nice seeing you again… Master Richter…" She waved at them and began drifting away on the breeze, swimming with the air currents until she faded away, presumably returning to Ratatosk somewhere below the earth. Richter gave a relieved sigh. It wasn't that he hated Aqua's company, but she had a tendency to make things awkward. To avoid discussing the uncomfortable encounter, Richter busied himself by stuffing a few more forkfuls of breakfast into his mouth.

He polished off about eight servings before leaning back, relaxing as Emil rinsed off the plate and fork. When the blond had packed up everything he had used for cooking, he joined Richter in the soft grass. Richter smiled at the boy and pulled him close, thanking him for breakfast with a tender kiss. The boy smiled back at him, but it was quickly replaced by a faint grimace as the blond's stomach grumbled quietly. At that moment Richter sat abruptly upright, realizing that for some peculiar reason, Emil hadn't eaten.

"Emil! W-why didn't you eat anything?! Aren't you hungry?!" For a moment, the half-elf was afraid that perhaps the Yromem Stone was creating some imbalance in the boy's system, that the human's apparent loss of appetite might be the result of some serious side effect he hadn't thought about. He checked Emil's forehead for a fever and pat the blond's abdomen, searching for any abnormalities that might prove dangerous. "Are you feeling alright, Emil? No pain or discomfort?"

Emil shook his head. "No, I'm alright. I said so before, didn't I? It's just… well…" He hesitated, turning terribly red. Richter stared apprehensively at him, heart pounding in his chest as he worried despite the boy's insistence that he was fine. Emil leaned in close, whispering past the locks of red hair into Richter's ear. "I-I was kind of hoping we could… w-well, uh… t-test out the stone's powers again… you know… f-for the original reason that I was talking about."

Richter sighed with relief, smiling at the boy as he mopped his sweaty brow. "Oh, is that all? Phew… I thought for a second there that something was seriously wrong. You should have said something sooner." Richter cleaned his silver-rimmed glasses on the corner of his cloak as he hung it on his shoulders like a cape. "If Aqua were still here, she could help…" Emil looked at Richter with a mixture of confusion and disappointment. He wanted to try it out on Richter, why'd he have to go and bring Aqua into this? Richter immediately understood how what he said could be misinterpreted and quickly explained his rationale.

"I meant just for practice! After all, you still don't know how it's going to feel, what if you don't like it? What if you panic? What if something goes wrong? If you eat me, how can I help you? Or worse, what if you can't keep yourself from digesting? What would happen to me then?! There are so many unknowns here, Emil, and I wouldn't want either one of us to suffer because we rushed into this blindly. Besides, it's kind of ambitious to try to swallow me for your first time anyway. I mean, look at me; I'm quite a bit bigger than you and I'm not so sure you can handle something my size just yet. I was thinking we might try something smaller, easier to swallow."

Emil now realized why Richter had mentioned Aqua. "Oh! You were thinking maybe I could try it on a small monster first! I see now!"

"Exactly… but unfortunately, without Aqua or another Centurion we can't summon any tamed monsters, and a wild one would surely cause an uproar if you ate it… not a pleasant experience, I'd imagine, and I doubt it would hesitate to cause you discomfort if it thought it could somehow get out alive … No, we definitely need a tame monster."

"Like a Polwigle?!" Aqua giggled as she reappeared beside Richter, extending her arms and offering up a cute, squishy, tadpole-like monster.

"Holy fu--! D-do you have to sneak up on me like that?!" Richter just about jumped out of his skin at the Centurion's sudden return.

She stuck out her lip in a childish pout. "What? You don't want it? Humph! Meany… I was only trying to help you, Master Richter!" She hugged the Polwigle close to her chest, sticking her nose up at the half-elf and turning away.

Richter grimaced and quickly apologized. "No, no. I'm sorry… that was rude of me. We do want it; it's exactly what we need. May we please have it?" She pretended to be mad for a moment longer before she turned back to the redhead with a smile.

"Well… Okay!" She winked at him and he tried his best not to gag (her excessive playfulness made him rather nauseated). She handed over the teal-skinned amphibian and Emil beamed with excitement as he eagerly awaited his first vore experience. Richter had never held a Polwigle before, and he found to his surprise that it was not slimy as he expected; its skin was rubbery and smooth like silk, it felt damp with just the faintest trace of buttery slipperiness. It wobbled playfully back and forth in his hands, entirely unaware that it was about to become food.

Richter kneeled next to Emil and handed the squishy creature to the teen. "Alright, remember what I said, think about each step and the magic should do the rest."

Emil trembled with excitement, "Are you joking?! I've done nothing but think about this step-by-step for the last 30 minutes!" The cute little monster stared up at Emil with its adorable shining eyes, and Emil almost felt bad about what he was going to do with it. Almost… He licked his lips and drew the Polwigle up to his face; the poor little creature had only a moment of fear to kiss the sunlight goodbye as Emil stretched his mouth over the turquoise creature's face and roly-poly body. It tasted like Emil had expected, a lot like sushi, but milder, almost tasteless. The teen focused intently as he sucked the rest of the Polwigle's soft body into his mouth. Richter watched intently, both to ensure the boy's comfort and to sate his own curiosity and feed his own secret pleasure. Emil finally slurped up the last bit of the Polwigle, the twitching little tail, before he switched to thoughts of swallowing. He knew the stone would help, allowing him to stretch which would make swallowing less of a chore, but it still felt awkward, trying to swallow a big, solid object like that. Before he had time to debate matters, whether to spit the creature back up and ask for Richter's help or to try his damnedest to ignore his gag reflex and try to swallow the monster anyway, the Polwigle made the choice for him.

In its excitement, disoriented as it was, the Polwigle did what any sensible creature would do: try to escape. However, being one of the dumber monsters, the Polwigle hadn't the slightest idea as to how to go about escaping, and in its haste to do so, squirming toward what it believed was freedom, it squirmed all the way to the back of Emil's mouth and into the teen's throat.

Taken by surprise, Emil didn't have time to think, but his body seemed to know what it was doing, regardless of his command. Immediately feeling the presence of potential food, the throat muscles began peristalsis, grabbing onto the Polwigle's pudgy body and pulling it down toward Emil's waiting belly. Emil grabbed one of Richter's hands tightly, still overcoming his confusion as to what had just happened, and Richter comforted the boy, stroking his back with his free hand as he watched the monster's progress as a rather large bulge slid steadily down Emil's throat. Finally, letting out a breath that he wasn't aware he was holding, Emil felt a strange squish and heavy thud as the tadpole-monster finally dropped into his hungry belly.

He looked down and examined himself, gazing wide-eyed at what had become of his waistline. His shirt - or more accurately Richter's shirt that he was wearing - had ridden up and his pants had been forced down to make way for the impressive bulge where the Polwigle now resided in his stomach. He had a sort of pregnant look to him now, the round body of the tadpole creature made a nearly perfect sphere of his midriff where the pants and shirt were forced apart. He placed a hand on top of the bulge and pet it, confirming that it was in fact his belly.

He smiled up at Richter, laughing a little prematurely before he gasped and clutched at his tummy, moaning in discomfort as Richter immediately leapt into action. "What's wrong Emil?! Does it hurt?!" He rubbed the blond's belly between the teen's hands as the boy tried desperately to stop whatever was happening inside.

"Oooogh… R-Richter… Ahhhhnn… Mmmmnnnn… It-it won't stop moving! Oww… W-what is it doing in there?! Richter, make it stop, make it stop!" Richter felt for himself exactly what was causing the boy discomfort; he could see and feel the creature writhing wildly in the boy's stomach, not behaving at all like the harmless, gentle monster it had seemed. Richter massaged the spot, kneading the tight muscles, but he could do nothing to help the blond. Why is it doing this to him?! I've never had a painful experience like this… what's going on?! He bit his lip as he tried his best to comfort the human boy in his arms.

Slowly, however, he felt the movement subside and the blond's whimpers quieted as well. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Aqua, a puzzled and somewhat scolding look on his face. She shook her head and waved her hands in front of her, trying to block the menacing glare. "It wasn't me, Master Richter, I swear! Emil and I are good friends now! I honestly don't know what went wrong!" She floated closer. "I-I'll have a look and see, if you'd like…" Richter shrugged and let her do as she wished… so long as she wasn't hurting Emil, he didn't mind. She pressed one of her pointed ears against Emil's taught skin, listening for the quiet voice of the tadpole-creature within… she heard nothing.

She frowned a bit, straining her ears; surely, she would be able to hear something if there was something there to hear… and then she realized what the problem was. "Master Richter… I think it… died…" Richter's eyes widened and Emil went a bit pale.

"I-i-it… died?" Emil stammered. He was beginning to look like he was going to throw up. "Why-why would it die…?"

Richter nodded. "Of course… I get it now. You were digesting it, Emil… that's why it was panicking so much. Then, after a while, you digested it enough to kill it… that's all there is to it." Emil really did feel like throwing up now and was dry-heaving where he sat. Richter hugged the boy, pulling him into his lap. "Hey, it's okay… you didn't mean for it to happen… it's hard to control something involuntary like that."

"But… it-it could have been you, Richter!" The boy squealed.

Richter merely laughed. "Of course not! Do you really think I'd let something like that happen to me? I'd have told you right away if something was wrong, and even if you had panicked, I have magic I can use in case of emergencies… don't worry about it, alright? I promise, nothing bad would have happened to me… I just wanted to make sure our first time wasn't quite so… stressful, as this one. You just haven't got the hang of it yet…" he kissed Emil on the forehead. "Here… shall we try it again?"

Emil shook his head. "No? Why not? I promise, this time will be different… I've got an idea…" Emil looked curiously at Richter. "This is going to sound silly, but I want you to try meditating."

Emil mentally frowned at the idea. Wasn't I already doing that?

As if reading the blond's mind, the older male simply shrugged and snuggled closer to the boy, preparing for another long explanation. "Look… I'm not really good at explaining my powers, but I'll give it a shot. When I'm trying to control my metabolism, I only have to think about the functions slowing down or speeding up. It's like a form of meditation… I've gotten better at it over the years, so it's not as hard for me as it probably is for you. There are different ways to do it; many people can control their biorhythm with meditation in different ways. Some researchers in Flanoir have learned to maintain their body heat with something called Biofeedback… they just have to meditate on warmth and suddenly, they don't feel the cold anymore." He rocked back and forth with the blond, stroking his cheek affectionately. "Maybe it's the same for me, all I have to do is decide what I want, digest, don't digest, speed up, slow down, and my body does it for me. I guess because it works in combination with my powers I have an easier time adjusting this particular biorhythm but… well, maybe it might be easier for you if you tried meditating too…"

"And I think you're both thinking too hard." Aqua lounged on an updraft. "It's magic, isn't it? There's nothing scientific about it. Research it all you want, Mr. Scientist, but you mortals will never really come close to the divine design that this world was built upon. I don't understand everything myself, and Tenebrae is much better at all the technical stuff, but one thing I know is that it's unnatural to break down phenomena like these. That stone copies people's powers, right? Well, you shouldn't have to think that hard if that's all the stone does! You're trying to do this all from scratch, that's why it isn't working. No wonder the Polwigle died, I thought you had copied Master Richter's powers already. You should have told me first silly." She placed her hand over Emil's enlarged midriff and whispered some incantation.

The mass deflated slowly and a ball of mana reformed in Aqua's hand. Emil looked to Richter for an explanation. He muttered something about monsters never really dying, merely being reshaped over and over, but left most of the crucial details out. Emil let it go, more interested in the new Polwigle that Aqua had created from the mana in her hands. She handed it to Richter who looked almost as surprised as Emil did.

"Eat it." She commanded. She turned Emil around in Richter's lap, and the boy squeaked embarrassedly as she manipulated him forcefully into a rather romantic position with Richter. She placed one of Emil's hands on Richter's smooth, toned chest, just above his heart (which was beating very quickly now that he was in such intimate physical contact with Emil in the presence of a third party) and she placed Emil's other hand over Richter's stomach, now proudly displaying a rather hard and well-defined set of abs. Richter blushed as he found himself a little uncomfortable at Aqua's intrusion, preferring that he himself should be the instigator of any and all of his and Emil's amorous activities together. Seeing the blond's shy smile, however, he found himself a bit more at ease, enjoying the unforeseen intimacy of the moment. Emil noticed and calmed down as well, allowing himself to be adjusted and moved as Aqua saw fit as she set them up according to her plan.

"There, now. That just about does it. Alright, Emil, close your eyes and concentrate on what you feel, forget all the science stuff Master Richter was trying to cram into your head before." Richter rolled his eyes, but hearing Emil laugh at the remark, he couldn't help but smile too, though he wasn't particularly pleased at the way Aqua was commanding the situation. Emil did as he was told, thinking of only the faint beating of Richter's heart and the slow steady breaths the man took.

"Now, Master Richter, do what you normally do. Let Emil concentrate on what your body is doing. Let the stone do all the "science", alright?" Richter sighed, rolling his eyes once more, but obliged. He pulled the rotund, little Polwigle into his mouth, enjoyed the delicate flavor for a moment (though he much preferred the salty mildness of Emil's skin) and then swallowed the squirmy tadpole. He felt it slipping down that usual, long, straight slide toward his waiting stomach, nothing unique about its presence. What was unusual was Emil, how his face changed as he felt its movement. It wasn't an expression of pain, nor of pleasure, but of… understanding. A slow, gradual crease to the brow, a straight, unbent mouth, neither frown nor smile. All the while, the stone was glowing faintly, but visibly, from inside Emil, somehow absorbing knowledge and experience from the event. Richter focused on Emil, the slight frown, the faint smile, the twitch of an eyebrow, that calm, contemplative face. It would waver from moment to moment, change slightly, but it wasn't entirely gone until a few moments after Richter felt the Polwigle settle comfortably, and without complaint, inside his now plump belly.

At last, when Emil broke from that cold, meditative look, he was smiling, laughing under his breath as he felt the little monster twitching indifferently inside Richter. He opened his eyes and grinned at Richter, who returned the smile readily and eagerly. Emil turned toward Aqua, ready to try again. She nodded and approached Richter, repeating the same chant as before, reforming the Polwigle again and handing it to Emil. He nodded and thanked her and she bowed her head in response; she said nothing, fading away once more, though Emil was sure she was still nearby keeping an eye on them, but whether it was for their safety or to sate her own curiosity, he didn't care. He turned and smiled winsomely at Richter who chuckled under his breath; the boy was so undeniably cute at the moment, it made Richter smile just thinking about how happy the blond must be.

Without hesitation, Emil stuffed the aquatic monster into his mouth, having no trouble at all swallowing this time around. He felt the roly-poly monster slowly inch down his throat, and he smiled inwardly at what he knew would come next. Emil let out a contented sigh as he felt the creature slide into his belly with a meaty squish. He leaned against Richter, full and comfortable, now and again letting a little moan of pleasure as the small monster shifted inside him. No discomfort this time, no pain, everything was perfect.

Richter smiled down at the human in his arms, that innocent face blushing prettily as the boy wrapped one arm around the half-elf and one arm around his own round tummy. "There, now. How does that feel?" Richter chuckled as the blond snuggled closer still.

"Ohhhh… It's amazing…" Emil slurred, still completely hypnotized by the pleasant churning of his stomach. Richter laughed, and the blond joined in; they were both pleased with the results. Richter wiped a trickle of drool from the corner of Emil's mouth; the boy was nearly drunk from the sheer bliss of it all, he hardly noticed. Emil looked into the half-elf's eyes, reaching up to him until he could reach the back of the man's head. He pulled it toward his own, bringing down the billowing locks of red hair with it until his face was inches away. Then he kissed him; it was a natural, unprompted kiss and Richter was glad to receive it.
To be continued...
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Together with Richter