Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Of Love and Culture	By : AeoAthura Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 7345 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own WoW or any of its content. I make no money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
Of Love and Culture
҉
Part Two:
The Lovers of Lost Time

Chapter Seven: Forged of Fire and Blood

The sea churned sharply, sending a creaking jolt through the ship. Beside me I hear the scrape of a crate not tied down properly dragging across the deck. This sound is enough to rouse me from what could only be described as a very deep slumber, one that I do not remember entering. There is little light around me save for the portholes lining the hull.

My senses return slowly and I try to recall where I am, a ship obviously but I do not remember boarding. Another jolt rocks the ship and lulls me quietly. My mind is not working, it is hazy and sluggish and all I wish is to return to the quiet darkness of my slumber. I curl up tighter and wrap my tail around myself, for even with my heavy fur this ship is cold below the deck.

I am assaulted by the adrenaline that comes from running free… The free sensation of the wind through my fur, of fresh soil beneath my paws; this natural freedom makes me forget everything else. I am ruled now by my base instincts. I am hungry, and can scent a deer that has not long been gone from the area, I am thirsty and I can hear the distant gurgle of a stream nearby. The trees around me tower far above my head, and above me, through the canopies, the sky is the brightest shade of powder blue.

This is beauty…this is purity.

I close my eyes and simply bask in this perfection. There is nothing but this moment, there never has to be anything more than this moment. No pain, no suffering, no drama…

This…is what you want, Bane… The rumbling, ethereal voice fills the air around me with its terrible, dominant presence. My moment is gone for now, but each moment still exists in passing. This is your freedom, your forest…You are an Alpha, this is your territory.

This voice is familiar to me, all too familiar. I do not feel fear, no, but I do not wish to be around this presence. I turn and run through the brush, winding through the trees. The presence follows me, a powerful and dominant aura that bears down on me with growing force. I pick up speed and run faster, letting the light air fill my lungs and give me endurance to try and outrun this dark aura.

The trees stop suddenly as I burst from a thick bush and find myself standing in a wide, broken clearing. The trees around this clearing bear massive, deep claw marks and the air is hot and heavy. There is a cage before me, with high, thick iron bars and the side closest to me has been broken clean from its frame, laying upon the ground bent and twisted.

You think you can keep me locked up… The voice returned, this time with amusement and jilt in its tone. You think you can hide me away… You want to starve me, alienate me and hope that I will be forgotten. You pray that I will fade away one day…But you and I are one. I feed off of your insecurities, your doubts, you wants and desires. I have become the darkness that you fear. I have outgrown you…

The shadows from the trees begin to shift and take to the air, curling around and past me as I try to escape their path. The shadows reach the space before the opening of the iron cage and reform into an amorphous black ball of fire. This blazes hot for many long moments before the ball begins to shift and takes shape. It lowers to the ground and a roar shatters what little quiet remains. A massive black paw bursts from the shadow-flame ball and hits the ground below, then a second paw. They flex and long silver claws dig into the earth below for traction as the beast pulls itself out.

A feline head and chest form next, massive in size and narrow in shape. Pointed ears lift up and turn my way as black lips pull back to expose silver teeth. Eyes open to reveal blazing silver fire that lock onto my frame which has backed up against a tree.

The massive feline pulls himself together fully, a black fiery panther easily four times my size. He lifts his head, eyes still upon me, and releases another bellowing roar that causes the whole of the forest to tremble beneath the fury and power of this creature.

What say you, Bane? Now that you see my true power…

I look into the eyes of my inner Alpha and finally straighten back up, “I have never doubted your true power.” I say, “But we are not the same!”

Another bellowing roar shakes the earth beneath me but I stand my ground. I have absorbed and become your fears…your insecurities, I embody everything you seek to hide, and soon I will have absorbed you too…already you have grown too weak to hold me off. It is only a matter of time now…

I turn and flee the clearing, I run from this sinister being. I can feel the beast following me, I can feel the heat of his fires bearing down on me. I run… I run…

Sudden consciousness fills me and I jerk upright with a gasp. My claws are out, my hackles raised and I tremble lightly with fear and adrenaline. Each breath I release comes out in a deep, low growl that fills me with more fear and adrenaline, and I cannot bring myself to relax. I become once more aware of my waking surroundings, the dimly lit hull of the ship, the rocking, the churning slap of the waves just outside. I was curled behind several large crates, now standing, my claws digging into the wood as I try to regain my composure.

Finally I am able to relax and realize with a sickening pit in my stomach that my Alpha has gone quiet and calm. I can still feel his presence within me, weighing down upon me as his aura had done in my dream. The words of Shan’do Nightstorm echo in my mind suddenly… The calm before the storm…

I am too worked up to shift out of my feline frame, though I know that I do not want to anyway. This form has come to feel so natural to me. As I pad up the creaking steps to the deck of the ship I can hear heavy boot falls and loud talking. The scene outside is overcast and gray, with the sea dark and ominous. It seems to reflect my uneasy mood.

The men on deck do not seem to mind my presence and I move around freely as one of their passengers. I am still unnerved that I do not remember boarding this ship, however. My last memories are of leaving the sanctity of Home…though perhaps my mind simply tried to put me at ease. I decide not to dwell though as I make my way to the bow of the ship and lift myself up to see into the distance.

My feline eyes narrow and I can just barely see a strip of land in the far distance. My shape melts away to an elven one and I look to the nearest deckhand who passes me by, “Where are we docking?” I ask, ignoring the look of confusion on the man’s face.

“Stormwind of course.” He says in an accent that is unknown to me, “Should be arriving within the hour. Good thing too, this storm’s going to hit any minute.” He looks up and I follow his gaze for a moment. When I look back when he is already walking away from me to go back to his duties; perhaps under better circumstances he would have been more receptive but I know that a storm at sea can prove to be a deadly thing.

It is not long after that when rain begins to fall. Light at first, it swiftly grows heavy and renders the deck soaked and slippery. A crack of lightning lights up the sky followed closely by the reverberating boom of thunder, all chorused by the constant drone of rain. I turn and brace myself against the railing, letting my mind wander to the thoughts of running free through the forest during a thunderstorm. I smile. This is a nice thought…

With the help of my daydreams we arrive at port in less time than I had expected. I am happy to jump off the ship as soon as I can, and I attempt to hide the uncertainty in my movements as I attune myself to walking on solid ground.

The rain still pours heavily, and I silently wonder if Mother is crying.

After walking up the pathway into the main city I allow my mind to finally drift back into my own reality. Altrun and Sai… I pray that, though my visit Home was brief, Sai has had time to begin coping with the Alpha that rages within him. Though I decide to give him one more night, and make my way through the drenched streets to where Altrun and his sons reside, hoping they would not mind the late hour. The streets feel lonely as I walk them, no other soul out with this weather and hour.

I make my way into Altrun’s building, and as I close the door behind me the sound of the torrential rain muffles slightly. The hallway leading into the rooms of other city-goers is narrow, especially for my own broad shoulders, but I make my way through this hallway and up the steep steps which led me down another very narrow hallway. I finally stop when I reach a familiar door, and rap my knuckles across it gently.

Sounds could be heard from within, a low growl that speaks of annoyance from having been roused from a deep sleep and the soft mutters of his two boys. The door suddenly swings open and my Brother looks ready to berate whomever would dare interrupt his family’s slumber, but he stops and stares when he sees me, as if in sheer disbelief of my presence.

Those of the Clan show affection in many ways, however when Altrun cried out my name and jumped to hug me so suddenly I was caught off guard, having never been shown this level of joy from my younger counterpart before. It is all I can do to wrap my arms around him and return his affection, then I pull away to look at him confusedly.

“Brother,” Altrun begins, “Where have you been!? Come in,” he pulls back and grabs my upper arm, yanking me in forcefully. His room is sparse, with only two beds, a table, a bathroom and a window. Little room to move around.

“I went Home,” I say, watching his face uneasily, “What has gotten into you?”

“But Brother, you did not come back. After a week I feared the worse and –“

His words confuse me and I reach out to grab his arm, “What do you mean after a week?” I ask, “I’ve been gone just over a day!”

I am disturbed by the look in Altrun’s eyes. Absently I can hear Sorias and Tahlia stirring on the bed nearby but there is no beat missed as my Brother and I size each other up, seeking explanations in the silence.

“Bane, you have been gone for over two weeks…” Altrun finally says in a quiet voice that still breaks the silence between us.

My eyes widen in shock, “That is impossible!” I cry, “I went Home, I spoke with Y’thal and his mate, then I left to return here. Two weeks, this is simply…” I begin to pant as fear sets in. The reality of my blackout becomes apparent, the vision I had in the ship. Everything seems so suddenly frightening and distantly I can hear the Alpha laughing. “I-It…it cannot be, Brother. Please, please tell me that you are not speaking the truth, please!”

My excitement causes the boys to stir again, and this time Sorias opens his eyes. He blinks into consciousness and sits up suddenly, causing his sibling to jerk awake suddenly as well, “Bane!” Sorias exclaims and suddenly the boys are standing, running towards me. I blinked out of my daze and knelt down to take them both in my arms, holding them close as their little arms wrapped around me.

I stand with the boys’ still attached to me, holding them up safely, “Brother,” I say to Altrun, holding his gaze, “I do not understand, I have only been gone a few days.”

Altrun shakes his head, “After you were gone for a week I went Home looking for you. They said you had left many days before… I searched the Felwood and even Winterspring in search of you but it was as if your scent disappeared…”

“Father has been out every day looking for you.” Sorias says as he pulls his head back to hold my gaze, “We all have…”

I kneel down to set the boys on their feet and straighten back up, “Boys,” I say, “Go back to bed, your father and I have much to discuss.” I do not see the expressions on their faces, but I feel them both hugging my legs before they return to their bed.

Despite my words, there does not seem to be much talking. Altrun seems to know as well as I do what has happened. “What are we going to do about this, Brother?” he asks quietly as to not disturb his sons.

My hand comes up to grip my upper arm, holding it for my own sense of security. I cannot admit to him that I am unable to reign in my Alpha anymore. Something within me has shifted, and I know that soon I will have no control…

I choose to divert his question, “What of…what of Sai?” If anyone in Azeroth can save me now it will be him…but if he still denies his own purpose then I fear there is nothing I can do.

Altrun is quiet for a long moment, his mind seems in as much duress as mine. Finally he finds his words, “His Alpha is strong…like yours. With his rise he has become stronger, you would be proud. His body is adjusting well, but his mind is still…”

“Resistant.” I murmur, calling back on the memories of our conversations, his anger and his fighting against his own nature. Altrun nods.

“He has worried though, Bane. Deep down he worries about you.”

I need to hear this… I need to know that somehow there’s still hope.

“Can you control yourself, Brother?” Altrun’s voice breaks me from the haze I was falling into. I look to him now, confused, “Right now he needs you. He has kept stubbornly quiet much like you do. But right now he needs you, and if you can control yourself, you should go to him.”

Deep down I can feel the Alpha stirring, and uncertainty rises within me. “I believe that I can, but…may I please have one of your potions, just in case?” If Altrun does speak the truth, and I did lose control for so long, I feel desperate fear that even his tonics will not be enough to save me anymore, even temporarily. The thought of harming Sai is a very real fear within me.

Altrun nods and turns, walking to his bed. He pulls out a box from beneath lined with vials and potions. He takes out one vial with a substance I have grown to be all too accustomed to and holds it out for me. I reach out and take this, turning it over in my hand. Within me my Alpha growls in disapproval, but I am not ready to take chances now.

“I will return.” I say to Altrun, holding his gaze firmly, “I am sorry for worrying you.”

Altrun shakes his head, “Find strength in Mother, she can still save you.”

I think back to what Shan’do Nightstorm said to me, and I find no solace in my Brother’s words, but I offer him a smile and a nod before pocketing the tonic and turning for the door. My heart slams in my chest and thrums in my ears so loud that even the pouring rain cannot penetrate my thoughts. Once back outside I walk in silence, feeling the sharp bite of cold sink into my flesh and bones.

Altrun’s words linger in the forefront of my mind. I wonder what he meant when he said that Sai needs me right now. Had something happened?

As my feet take me into the park I can suddenly hear something that I realize had been there before. A terrible, formless sound that causes a pit to form in my stomach and suddenly the Alpha rises up and stirs within me. Though this is not his usual violence, he is not trying to take command but is instead responding to something…

I shake my head and let my feet carry me at a jog through the streets and into the main square. The silence of the night is deafening with the drone of the rain, yet still that inaudible sound, the pained presence… Sai’s Alpha is calling out to me, I realize.

I run faster until I reach Sai’s home, I walk into the building and find his door, rapping my knuckles against it swiftly. Now I can hear it, I can hear his quiet gasping sobs. He is in pain, physical pain! I knock louder, “Sai, what is wrong?”

The sobs stop for a moment and the world went silent. My Alpha however was writhing, trying to urge me to break down the door to see what was wrong. I caught the scent of Sai, I could smell blood but it was different…acrid almost. When another moment passed I stood back and readied myself to break down the door when it suddenly cracked open and I saw little Sai hiding himself, only his head visible. He blinked at me with confused eyes, “Bane…you’re back?”

The Alpha raged, demanded I burst into the room and investigate the scent that burned my nostrils, “Sai, I smell blood, what’s wrong.”

I watched pure fear flood his eyes and before I could reach out and stop him, he slammed the door and locked it. “No! Go away, go away!” I push against the locked door and can hear his whimpers on the other side.

“Sai! I will break this door down!” My hand rests on the wood of the door and I can see my nails are long and sharp, “Open up!”

“Bane, please don’t.” I can hear Sai’s voice edged with sobs, “Please, just go.”

“Sai!” I growl, pushing at the door. I let out another growl, this one low and feral and comes from the Alpha within me. My Alpha is calling out to his, and I know that this worry is beyond just me. Finally I hear the lock coming undone and Sai’s body moving away from the door. I open it and step inside slowly, cautious as to not frighten him if he is as hurt as I fear he is.

The scent of blood is overwhelming and I feel as if I will be sick from it. My eyes immediately fly to the little figure on the floor. Sai is backed up, wrapped in a ball leaning against his bed. I close the door behind me and take two steps to stand before him and kneel down, looking for an injury. He hides his face from me, buries it in his arms as he sobs openly, but as I search I can find no wounds to accompany the scent.

I reach up my hand, my fingers brushing against his knee. He flinches violently and looks up at me with terror. Words are failing him, I can tell…but without knowing what is doing this I can only panic quietly. My hand moves to his shoulder and again he flinches, this time whining softly. I move to lean on the bed beside him and gather him into my arms, and he does not fight me to my surprise.

My body is cold and my clothing is wet, I know that I must not be comfortable, but slowly he turns his head and buries it in my neck and just…sobs. My head is spinning from the scent and my eyes search the room for a struggle or signs of a fight but there is nothing. No other scent, no source of blood except…

My eyes widen as reality strikes me. My heart hammered in my chest as realization sinks in and I look down at the trembling form in my lap. I slowly lift my hand and reach it up to gently run it through Sai’s soft hair, urging his head back so that he can look me in the face, “My dear…why are you crying?”

Sai’s face turns the most brilliant shade of violet in a blush and he jerks his head back to my neck to hide his face, “No…” he sobs softly, “It is too shameful.”

I have heard tales that the first time a male clan-mate bleeds it is a terribly painful process for many reasons. I wonder how long my mate has been struggling through this alone, and I cannot help but feel ashamed of myself for not being here sooner.

I move my lips down to his ear and whisper quietly, “Are you in pain?”

After a moment of silence he nods his head and lets out another soft whimper, “Everything hurts…”

“How long?” I ask, having to know how long I have left my beloved to his struggles.

“Y…Yesterday.” He whines, flinching and curling against me as what I can only guess is another wave of pain grips him.

My hand slips down and reaches into my pocket, curling around the vial given to me by Altrun. I know that this means I have les defense against my Alpha, but I sense that his guilt is as great as my own right now. I lift the vial to my lips and pulled off the cork with my teeth. “Sai, my little one,” I whisper, using my shoulder to try and usher his head up. Reluctantly he pulls his head back and looks up at me, “Drink this, it will ease your suffering.”

I see uncertainty in his gaze and it burns within me as guilt. My mate does not trust me, and why would he? After all that I have done to him, for so often terrifying him and making him uncomfortable since first we met, he has no reason to trust me now.

“Please,” I usher gently, lifting the vial to his lips. He must be desperate for escape from his pain because reluctantly he lowers his head and presses the vial to his lips. I tip it up gently, “Only some, it is very potent.” This substance was meant for me after all, Altrun made it very strong to keep me sedated during my worst of frenzies.

He makes a face at the taste and only takes two sips before I pull it away. His face returns to my neck and he curls back up with another soft whine. After a few minutes I can feel his body relaxing heavily and his whine comes out as a disoriented moan. He is soon limp against me, and I cannot tell if he is awake or asleep. I reach down and push the cork back on the vial and set it down on the floor, adjusting my hold of Sai before I lift him up and lay him upon his bed.

His eyes are open and he looks up at me with a glassy gaze that speaks of fear and uncertainty. I reach down and take his hand gently, holding his gaze, “Do you want me to go?” I ask gently. He opens his mouth, but cannot seem to form words and instead shakes his head no. I nod and straighten up, slowly releasing his hand so that I could remove my soaking shirt. When I look back down I see terror in his eyes, “No, relax. I am cold and wet…”

I stand back and walk to his bathroom, and I have to cover my nose from the overwhelming scent of blood. My eyes catch the discarded bloody bandages in a bin in the corner and I look away, grabbing a towel from the shelf before coming back out. I pull back the covers and help Sai wiggle between them, then lay the blanket down on the bed beside him and lay myself down.

I am aware of his eyes upon me, but my own go to the window. Any other time I would have been trying to force myself upon the little figure wrapped up in my arms, but with the scent filling my nose and the guilt in my heart my actions are entirely platonic. My eyes drift down to where my hand rests on the blankets above Sai’s chest, and I watch in silent awe when one of his tiny hands reaches up to mine, resting on it gently, little fingers clumsily trying to entwine with my own. It is all I can do to accept his innocent gesture, spreading my fingers to thread with his. With his fading strength I can feel him attempt to give me a reassuring squeeze and my heart jumps within my chest and I smile.

I think to myself, This…is sheer perfection.

I look up and see Sai’s eyes drifting closed and his breathing slowing down even more. I lean up and for the first time ever, press a kiss to my Mate’s temple without any sense of fear or hesitation. When my eyes return to his window I see that the pouring rain has subsided to a light drizzle, and finally I too close my eyes and join my Mate in blissful, deep slumber.

---

Sai felt the darkness around him beginning to weaken, the black nothingness that constricted his entire body loosen slightly. His dreamless sleep was ending, and he realized with painful consciousness that he was going to awaken soon…he would awaken to the pain that wracked his body, the agony and the shameful blood that no amount of his natural magic could stop. Bleeding as a woman does, the terrifying thought that Altrun had spoken truths about that, he did not want to think about how much else the elder druid could have been right about.

He resisted awakening. He fought it for fear of the pain and humiliation, but the more he struggled the more he felt the darkness’s grasp slipping.

He was expecting the pain, the tearing in his gut, the fire in his veins; it never came. There was a voice on the other side of consciousness, calling to him. He opened his eyes, his eyelids feeling like sandbags wore them down and he looked up into the face of Bane who lay beside him in his bed. Panic filled him and he tried to struggle away, ready for the wracks of pain to tear at him any second.

“Sai!” Bane’s voice was firm and piercing, his entire mind focused on it and the fire in his veins calmed down beyond any degree it had been in the last weeks. “Sai, are you in pain?”

My dear…why are you crying? Are you in pain? Bane’s gentle words echoed in Sai’s head as memories came flooding back to him all at once. He had been in such excruciating pain the previous night, and the fire in his veins burned so hot that all he could do was sit there and cry out weakly and then…

The knock on the door, Bane’s voice…his growls…his presence. Sai recalled all of it. Sai had been burning up from the agony in his lower body and Bane was so incredibly cold, like a walking ice pack, all Sai could do was bury himself against the man’s body to cool off.

He remembered how gentle Bane had been with him, how patient he was and the worry in his eyes, the same worry he saw now. He could feel the Kal’dorei’s hand on his arm to keep him from squirming around too much, the coldness from the night before was gone and replaced with a searing heat that matched the fire that was beginning to sear through his veins again.

“Are you in pain?” Bane repeated himself, staring into Sai’s eyes with such intent that it made him squirm lightly.

Sai thought about it and realized that he was actually in very little pain compared to the ripping agony of the night before. He could feel it, the dull ache in his lower half, the lack of energy to move. Sai shook his head slowly, “N-No…”

Having to break the intensity of his eyes boring down onto him, Sai lowered his gaze and quickly realized something he had forgotten. Bane was shirtless before him, and the little druid got an eyeful of the larger elf’s powerful chest. Sai swallowed and was unable to deny the stir he felt in his belly, a twinge of the lust he had felt during his and Bane’s last encounter.

He had known that Bane was a very powerful man but now Sai could see the power in his chest, the heavy muscles and flesh that was littered with a few old scars. There was absolutely no hair until his eyes travelled lower over the well-toned abdomen where a line of hair was found around his navel and going down…down until…

Sai shot his gaze back up and away from the man’s pants, finding his eyes once more. The fire burned so hot and bright, every single nerve ending on his body felt keyed up. “Bane,” he asked weakly, looking at the man who had been so patient with him, “What’s happening to me…” Sai felt tears in his eyes as an overwhelming surge of helplessness gripped him. His emotions were still out of tune with the fire that raged in his system.

Bane’s eyes looked over his mate and he carefully reached up a hand to lay on Sai’s arm. He flinched but did not pull away, and his eyes fell onto that large hand to study it. Each finger was tipped with a sharp nail, the young druid could only imagine the damage that could be done if the man were not being so gentle with him. “Your body is growing to accommodate mine. This pain means that your mating cycle is beginning…”

Sai’s eyes went wide with fear. The panic that clenched in his chest caused a spasm in his lower half that renewed some of the pain from the night before. He curled up and whined softly, and Bane was immediately there to comfort him with gentle words and soft hands. When Sai focused on Bane’s voice he found that the pain quickly lessened and became bearable.

He leaned forward and buried his face in Bane’s chest and found that the scent that bombarded him was so powerful that it took the final edge away from the pain in his abdomen. The scent was of the wild, as if he were getting the most primal scent from the deepest part of a lost forest. Wild, primal, powerful, it was unlike anything the young druid had ever encountered.

“This is not a bad thing, my little one. Why do you seem so frightened? The pain will be over soon…”

“Because I don’t want to bear children!” Despite the overwhelming peace and comfort he felt from Bane’s scent he felt terror in his chest, and his heart and mind felt trapped by the decision fate had so selfishly made for him, “I’m not a woman Bane! I don’t want this, I don’t want any of it!”

“Sai,” Bane’s voice held pain in it, but he was trying to be patient with the little druid, “I know that I have upset you, scared you even…but will you not give this a chance? I feel that if you stop fighting this, you may come to enjoy it.”

“I don’t want to enjoy it!” he snapped, sobbing softly, “I wasn’t given a choice, you took that away from me!”

There was a long silence in the room, broken only by the small druid’s cries. Finally Bane found the courage to speak, “Would you like me to leave?” he asks, and Sai could hear the sadness and pain in his voice.

Sai shook his head which still rested against Bane’s chest, his arm coming around to wrap around the beast of a druid and hold him closer. The pain stopped when he was near Bane, the man was like a living shield that staved off the pain and humiliation of his plight.

“Rest then, Sai,” he said, his voice rumbling softly in his ears.

The fire in his veins subsided at the male’s words and the boy felt himself doing as he asked without the ability to think about it. His last conscious thought was about how warm the man was, and he liked the feel of the feral, rumbling purrs as he curled against his chest.

---
(( AN: Hi everyone, I’m back! I know that I’ve been gone for a long time, and I apologize for taking so long to get this posted, I will admit that I lost inspiration for a few reasons. Some of you visiting from fanfiction .net or some of you who may have visited there looking for me might have seen my final post, and yes the trolls were one of the reasons I lost inspiration.

But I am back no, and super excited. Some of you might notice I’ve changed my writing style a little bit, please tell me what you think. And thank you to everyone who reads this and to those of you who review, and who sent me e-mails, I appreciated each and every one, you guys have no idea. ))
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Of Love and Culture