Prologue - Something wicked...
Drayson stood in the Great Hall gazing at row after row of ancient text. The draw he felt – pulling, tugging, wrenching – him back to Millennium City had become more than palpable. It was an ache. He’d abandoned his ‘son’ and he wore that reality like a heavy wet cloak over his shoulders. No – it was more stifling even than that. It was a noose around his neck. At the foot of it all remained guilt. Someone so innocent and pure should not be left to experience this world alone. And certainly should not be…destroyed…
An ominous figure approached from behind him. The intensity of the aura was instantly recognizable. This mage had once been someone special to Drayson. They’d once shared a bed… He thought they were close, but something remained twisted in this young man. Intimacy was something that the boy had never been capable of.
“I’m not surprised that you’re the one at the root of all of this,” said the approaching warlock, his tone light and full of mirth. Drayson knew it was a mask. For all the charm and decorum at the surface, this man’s inner workings were much more complicated.
“Eli,” said Drayson as he turned and lowered hi s head in respect. “I should’ve known they’d send the crow…” As he raised his head and their eyes met, his heart skipped a beat. For all the disdain he felt toward this mage, his beauty still captivated. His smile, always a little more smirk than smile, was still intoxicating. His mirthful laugh and the way he threw his head back in amusement only added to the effect.
“Drayson, you always find a way to darken the mood… Why so somber, my friend?” Eli Birch moved closer to the elder priest and put a hand on his shoulder.
“He’s just a boy, Eli. Please remember that he’s just a boy.” Drayson felt heat rise in his cheeks and his eyes stung threatening tears. I will not shed a tear in front of this man.
Eli Birch’s deep brown eyes narrowed as he examined his one-time lover. “You care for this boy?” It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation. And there was an air of deriding amusement. “Is he your…”
“NO!” A flare of anger pushed his volume and his voice echoed around the large chamber. After taking a moment to calm himself, he repeated. “No… It’s not like that. I feel…responsible for him. And he’s just a boy,” he repeated.
This in turn elicited anger from the younger mage. “And that is where you are mistaken, Drayson… I can understand the error which birthed this abomination. We’ve all been there,” he shrugged with a twinkle in his eye, memories playing over the surface of his face. “But when I freed a chaotic anti-being from the Qliphothic Realm, I didn’t try to adopt it! Or fall in love with it! I banished it from whence it came. There is no difference!”
“There is a difference… And if I wasn’t bound here, I would try to show you. I would try to stop you.” Drayson’s tone was quiet, but threatening.
Eli laughed. “You would /try/…” He paused and sighed deeply. “Alright, no more arguing. It tarnishes my memory of you. And you’ve always been such a bright spot in my recollection. No… You’ve made the abomination and I will unmake it. And that’s all there is too it.” Eli turned to leave.
“Please, Eli… If you ever cared for me, you won’t do this,” Drayson plead with genuine concern.
Birch came to a halt and slowly turned on his heel to face is old friend. “I /will/ do this. The world exists in a certain order. And it must be put right.”
As per the norm, Drayson noticed that Eli didn’t address his feelings. The elder mage had always wondered what made the younger man tick. For all the time they’d spent together… For all physical affection they’d shared… Drayson could never reach beneath the surface of this person. Unfortunately there was always a veil too thick to penetrate. He’d always suspected there was nothing real between them, but was afraid to admit it to himself. He abandoned old wounds and continued his argument. “But at what cost?”
“At /any/ cost.” Then Eli turned to leave. “Goodbye, Drayson. I’ll return when it’s done.”
Drayson didn’t answer. He strained against the magic that bound him to this chamber, but he knew it was in vain. There was nothing he could do to protect Kyse. And a single tear traced its way down the priest’s cheek.
