Our Revelries, ii.

[Kala Leukos]

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Raithen's Bower, the Umbrium
10th of Searing, Year 123 of Steel

now I know that I'm not
all that you've got
I guess that I, I just thought
maybe we could find new ways to fall apart
but our friends are back
so let's raise a cup
'cause I found someone to carry me home.

the moon is on my side;
I have no reason to run
so will someone come and carry me home tonight?
the angels never arrived
but I can hear the choir
so will someone come and carry me home
tonight?

When Raithen's eyes opened, they saw sincere concern and affection peering back at him. With a smile, Kaus nodded.

"She is a skilled sembler, and a healer. I am certain she can help you know this about yourself."

When Raithen began to ask more questions, Kaus settled back down beside him, warrior's arms encircling the troubled elf—it felt strange to think of Raithen as an elf rather than an Avialæ, but that was how they figured things here and he was trying to learn about their culture even as he was teaching his new friend about his own. His wing came around to shelter them, for while the cold didn't touch them, they could still enjoy the shared warmth.

"It does feel safe," he averred. "But even with all of them... shut out, so to speak, I feel safe right now. With you." As the questions kept coming, he kept answering, though his eyelids had drifted down to mere slits. "It happened more when we were young. I think we thought of ourselves as one person in two bodies before we really... understood ourselves. Sometimes when a sudden, violent emotion hits her, it will barrel through my psychic defenses, but it's only with her... that it's so intense, or so subtle, sometimes. It was difficult when her apotheosis began... her mind... her spirit... her will... they are so much stronger than mine now. But she... she regulates herself more... so that I'm not... mm... overwhelmed..."

When the questions stopped, so too did his words. Kaus wasn't sure if he slept or merely dozed. With Raithen's distinctive scent in his nose, even his somnolent mind knew he was there and, as he had said, he felt safe. He wasn't certain of the time when he woke and felt Kala's curious presence in his mind. He yawned, then began to kiss Raithen awake even as he rose to his knees. He opened himself to his bonds. Ceran and Indric shuffled over, ready to fly home. The runeforged wine had them all relaxed and ready for a long, lazy day in bed.

Kaus kissed Raithen on the mouth as though he were that storybook princess who required a prince's kiss to awaken her from magical sleep. But Kaus didn't wait overlong. Instead, he rose and stretched like a cat before fishing around on the ground for his clothes to pull them back on.

"We should glide down to the Palace," he murmured when Raithen's eyes were open.

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[Raithen]

The two young Avialae continued to talk in the way of very late night discussions, one drifting a little before coming back to it, then the other, till they both did it at the same time. They were underground, so there would be no sunrise, but it was near to the time that it would be lightening the sky in the Luxium above when Raithen felt the soft press of lips against his own. The scents around him were familiar, and though the one that belonged to his new lover was not very much so, that was not an unusual circumstance for the Dux to wake to.

Grey eyes pulled open to see Kaus in the dimness, still mostly bare, stretching and beautiful. Smiling as his body stretched in answer, Raithen yawned wide and then rubbed at his face a bit.

"Alright." He murmured, soft and compliant as a sleepy child, though his state of undress showed him to be far from prepubescent. After a few minutes of casting about to find, and then pulling on, his clothes, the native Umbrian stood, shook out his wings, stretched a little more. Greeting each of the Silverwings with a clap on the shoulder and a few words he then pointed out where the palace was to all three of them. Once he was assured that all were ready and able to fly, he fell more than leaped from the rooftop to lead the way.

The flight was simple and not very long, soon they were all landing on their feet in a little inner courtyard of the palace complex. Raithen knew it well enough to navigate them in the general direction that Kaus was able to feel Lady Kala to be in. When they reached the outer doors to the suite of rooms that had been given to the twins and their escorts Raithen wrapped his hand lightly around Kaus' wrist, holding him back.

"Come to my rooms with me?" It was an invitation, but not one of a particularly sexual nature. He didn't want to part yet, wanted to spend the lazy morning hours curled up with his newest friend. He would just as easily do so in the assigned guest quarters but he didn't want to intrude without an invitation of his own. Leaning in close so his breath could be felt against Kaus' neck he added,

"We can sleep a little more and eat when we wake. I want you to try our delicacies and our everyday things. After we can bathe and then go fly the sands."

[Kala Leukos]

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Raithen's companions tumbled over the edge of the roof—one, two, three—wings snapping open in unison. They were bound together, and sometimes they did things in unison or perfectly complementing each other, without even intending to. Kaus' stoop caught him up with Raithen, while the Silver Wings flanked them, behind and to the sides, like the honor guard they were even if they were also Kaus' friends.

Once they landed, they walked in similar formation, though it hardly looked like military precision. Sleepy servi saw them and backed themselves, bowing, to the walls as they passed. Raithen's question came before they could make their farewells. Ceran and Indric elected to give them privacy. Indric murmured thanks and good night to Raithen, while Ceran clapped him on the shoulder as if they were equals. They might not have invited him to watch their love-making, but they were less rigid in protocol than they had been earlier. The doors opened to soft candlelight, and the dux and lord caught sight of Kala's pale face smiling softly at them before the doors closed once more.

Kaus smiled back at Raithen, then slung his arm around the small of his resplendence's back, between skin and feathers, and stepped away from his own rooms, certain Raithen could lead him back to his.

"One date and you want to build a nest, pretty bird?" he teased. But he let his head rest against Raithen's as they walked.

"Kala wants to come flying with us, though." His free hand tapped his temple in case Raithen forgot how easily that message might have been passed from one twin's mind to the other. "But don't worry... she's still new to it, so even if we haven't had enough sleep, we can keep up with her."

It was the truth without even the faintest edge of malice. In truth, he thought she had become rather skilled in a relatively short amount of time, especially given most of her life had been spent without being accustomed to the wings on her back.

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[Raithen]

Raithen might have clasped arms with Ceran and Indric in farewell, had he not been so intent on not letting go of Kaus yet. He wanted to know them both better, for reasons that had nothing to do with their tight-muscled forms and lovely faces. If he was given the chance he would, but he would make his own chance to keep close to their Lord.

When the two Silverwings slipped away Raithen caught sight of their Lady and made a small motion that somehow implied a formal bow of respect without actually being one. Above this suggestion of his respect, however, was a guileless grin that said he knew she knew what he was about, and he was glad that she was glad for them.

Then it was just the two younger Avialae for the first time. Perhaps there were servi scurrying about their tasks but Raithen had long since failed to see them as other people unless he had need of them. The grin he gave Kaus as he 'led' him, their arms slung about each other, was of a different sort, but not actually lecherous.

"She should." He said, easy as pleasure. As he had not grown up with others of his own kind the oddity of Kala, a woman, having wings was not as stark for him as it might have been for another of their race. "We'll sleep," He promised, though it was almost a laugh as he added, "A little."

Normally he would have stepped out the nearest door, or even large window and flown to his own bedroom window from the outside, but, even though Kaus could have followed him, he didn't feel like ending the easy comfort of their touch, so he walked along the inside corridors of the palace until he reached his tower bower. Despite his bravado, the truth was he actually wanted to sleep. He no longer used to not getting as much sleep as he wished. They were both young, and a night with little sleep wouldn't affect them very much, but, oddly, dozing wrapped around Kaus had been peaceful in a way Raithen's sleep alone, or beside a lover, was not. Maybe the rustle of other wings activated some long-repressed infant instinct and told him that he was safe.

The bedroom was elaborate but not nearly as much so as might have been expected for someone of his rank and House. He had grown used to the austere surrounds of barracks and mercenary camps, so beds draped in canopy and curtains only made him feel nervous and trapped. Still, the bed was a runeforged one, the mattress warmed or cooled itself to his preferences, and the coverings as fine as any that could be woven.

When the door was closed behind them he turned to his guest and kissed him softly before beginning to remove Kaus' clothing. The movements were slow and made obvious before they happened so they could be stopped at any point. He wasn't asking for anything that wasn't wanted.

[Kala Leukos]

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Ceran and Indric were interested in Raithen, more as a wayward cousin with an amazing life story than as a potential mate, but it was entirely possible they would have their horizons broadened by Solunarium. They were orphans who had clung to each other since youth, and somewhere along that path, they had become lovers, and their bond had reached a soul-deep level. It was a long journey from meeting to mating for them, and that wasn't something a short trip to a foreign land could change. But their approval and appreciation hummed along their lighter bonds to Kaus, who felt as though the people closest to him supported him in this little adventure.

Raithen was exciting in a way that even his divine greatest-of-grandfathers hadn't been. Aværys was a god; Raithen was of a stature nearer to his own.

Kaus chuckled softly as they walked rather than flew to Raithen's aerie. "I could share your bed more than once," he offered diffidently, unsure if that would be off-putting for someone as sexually free as the dux. But they didn't need to make any decisions.

The Kalzasern lord moved to make undressing him easier for his newfound friend. He didn't pose like a coquette, but he tried to move in a manner that might show off his hard-earned physique. Kaus tended to look scrawny next to the average Synnekar—Ceran and Indric had a significant advantage in height and musculature on him—but when fully revealed, he was lean, and strong, and a curious hand could trace the lines of muscle under youthful skin.

When Raithen had been given an eyeful, Kaus began to undress him in return.

When Kaus had taken an eyeful, he began to advance, his sword-callused hand over Raithen's heart as he gently, but firmly, pushed him toward the bed.

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[Raithen]

Hours later, the two Avialae lay curled around each other, sated and content.

Raithen woke slowly, as was his preference. He could be up in an instant if he was required, but going from slumbering to hazy, hazy to lazy stretching was significantly more pleasant and, in this case, well worth indulging in. Their bodies were both warm, hot even, so their covering was a light sheet and the fireplace was merely ornamental

It was perhaps noon when the dux's eyes decided to open of their own accord. They were the only part of him that moved for some time as he watched the earliest of afternoon light play across the lovely creature who shared his bed. When there was similar stirring from the other man Raithen took the opportunity to stretch expansively before nuzzling back close to show that he was making no excuse to excuse himself. What they did for the next little while was exploratory, intimate and not anyone's business but their own.

At last, it was Raithen's stomach that drew him away, growling fiercely between their bodies. Laughing as he rose he said, entirely unnecessarily,

"I don't know about you but I'm bloody damn starving! Do you think Lady Kala would mind terribly if I had a meal sent to your rooms so we could eat with her before we head out into the sands? Otherwise, I'm worried I might swoop down on you both like a hawk. Could you ask her?"

The last sentence was accompanied by a vague gesture towards his head to imply the mental connection the twins shared. While he waited for an answer he rang a bell for a servi and pulled a new outfit from his wardrobe, something suitable for flying over the desert without showing off anything that anyone might not want to see. Some might very much wish to see what he might flash them in flight but he wouldn't force his exposure onto anyone without their permission. When he and Kaus were both clothed and the serving man had been sent to bring a feast worth of food to the guest's chamber as soon as possible, they made their way there.

Upon being allowed entrance Raithen bowed expansively to the Lady, only his smile and sparking eyes giving the lie to the formality of the greeting. Taking her hand and kissing it lightly he said,

"Lady Kala, it is a pleasure to meet you again." and meant it entirely.

[Kala Leukos]

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Flying dreams weren't quite so magical for an Avialae, but Kaus still enjoyed them. He stirred to find himself warm and in another man's bed. The northern lord smiled and things happened.

When hunger won out, they rose. The servi pulled something out of Raithen's wardrobe to dress him as well, which was all well and good because they had made his own party clothes disappear. While it was warm enough to walk down the halls in his skin, he didn't know how that would play in the Umbrium of Solunarium. He only hoped the added intimacy of seeing Kaus in his own clothes wouldn't put Raithen off—after all, this visit to Atraxia couldn't last.

In the Leukos suite, they found a light luncheon laid out, though everyone but late risers had already eaten. Ceran and Indric were casually seated, though both pairs of eyes cut to the door to ensure that no danger came upon Kaus' heels. They relaxed, though, and while Ceran pinked a bit and looked away, Indric looked mildly curious. Kala was standing with Asallon in front of a triptych of full-length mirrors, pointing out details of his musculature so he could see what she was talking about.

The Siltori was bare to the waist, thin more than lean, though he was making some gains hanging out with so many Avialae who spent so much of their time at martial and other athletic pursuits. His witchmarks were interwoven with runes as well as scrivened tattoos. They were a work of art, but also functional.

"...and while you needn't have the appropriate musculature to fly, you need your physique to change enough to at least support the wings." While she didn't immediately look to the door, she knew they were there, and hastened to wrap things up. Her hand trailed down from between his shoulder blades to the small of his back with some familiarity, the other hand coming up to his flat stomach as she rose on her toes to place a comforting kiss upon his shoulder.

"You know I won't attempt it until I am certain of the outcome."

"I know, my Lady," he said softly as a shiver ran through him. It wasn't sexual, though Raithen might, unknowing of context, read it as such. Asallon was awed by his patron, and she had promised him wings. Eventually, he wouldn't be the one Silver Wing without wings of his own. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Kala was a goddess and these, her paladins and priests. She didn't carry herself like a goddess, nor they like paladins and priests—as Raithen was now intimately aware—but sometimes, she was more than herself, and sometimes the easy camaraderie between these Avialae was clearly something more than friendship, more than family, and more than employment.

Her hands rested upon him for a moment longer, and then she turned to offer Raithen a shallow bow. Asallon hastened to pull on the lighter Solunarian garment to cover himself, not because he was ashamed of his body or its markings, but because he didn't know the Dux and his dreams of wings were a vulnerable issue.

"Your Resplendence," she greeted, polite but with a hint of mischief. "Thank you for taking care of my boys."

"Some more than others," Kaus added flippantly, giving Raithen a familiar pat on the ducal arse, then pulling him toward the food. "Come, your belly has been growling for hours."

Once he was seated and eating, Kala stepped up to run her fingers deftly through Kaus' feathers. The grooming of wings was an intimate thing among the Synnekar, but the twins had learned to care for each other as they were small and learning to care for themselves. It was much the same thing.

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[Raithen]

Raithen and Kaus were of a size, in both height and slimness, so the clothing that the servi laid out could have been for either of them. The Dux had taken whatever was closer, spending his attention on watching his guest don things that had once graced his own skin rather than caring much about what he now wore.

The scene they walked into confused Raithen. Not the familiarity of touch or affection, it was whatever it was and if he was even curious it was mild. The little piece of the conversation he overheard was what had him tilting his head in interest, like a hound perking at a distant sound. When her attention was turned to the new arrivals he smiled, returning her bow in kind.

"My Lady, if anyone here is Resplendent, it is certainly you." There was a radiance about her, a brightness like that of Holy Avaerys but silvery where His was gold. He brushed the back of her hand. Before she could demure he cast his gaze around the room at her brother and any Silverwings present, his expression clearly expecting them to confirm his statement. When they gave little nods or other small tokens of acknowledgement he turned back to her with a smile that managed to proclaim his correctness while remaining disarmingly charming.

At the joke and the touch he shot a grin over his shoulder and followed the taller twin over to the well laden table with a casual,

"No more than yours has." He thought about saying more, about how it was hard to tell the difference between his growls of pleasure and the growling of his stomach but he did not know Kalzasern ways except to know that they were less open about sexual things. He would figure out to what extent and how long the prohibitions lasted into friendship when he could.

As the two men fell on the food as only the young and famished can Raithen watched Lady Kala come and see to the mess he had made of her brother's wings. He wasn't staring, but he was watching openly. Between bites he continued conversation.

"I have invited Lord Kaus to come fly the high deserts with me, the thermals are excellent, you can ride them for hours. I wondered if you might join us? I would please me to share them with you both."

[Kala Leukos]

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"She's all right," Kaus said, but the others all nodded their agreement with the Dux's assessment. Kala's smile was a touch demure, a touch flirtatious, albeit not so brazenly as Raithen's own. She was certainly the more stoic of the twins, though hardly so stoic as Cithæra Princeps or others of his gens.

Kaus just smiled at Raithen, mouth closed over whatever food had gone first into his mouth. His eyelids fluttered for a moment at the pleasure of grooming, but then he went back to tucking into the meal. Perhaps their mother or their nanny had groomed him more in his extreme youth, but Kala had done so more than anyone since.

"I would love that," she assured him. "And I suppose we can dispense with formalities behind closed doors, all things considered. That is... if you are amenable to that. We are guests in your family's home, and you have become quickly familiar with Kaus." There was a hint of teasing in her smile, but no judgement or disdain.

*~*~*

As soon as the young lovers had time to digest a bit of their repast, the twins followed Raithen out of the Umbrium and into the skies. They stayed together until prying eyes couldn't find them, the Kalzasern pair wearing Sentinel-issued gear that would make them seem an odd pair of Vastian Avialæ rather than foreigners, and one a woman.

In the freedom of the wind, though, Kala was cautious. Given how short a time she had owned wings, she was a strong and steady flier. But Kaus—Kaus was a creature of the Air. Winged from birth, he was also an aeromancer. The winds were his friends, and they danced with him always. Whereas Kala had her education, much more of his had been afforded to athletic endeavors. His wings were shaped similarly to those of a sparrowhawk, and he certainly had their aerial agility.

Once he greeted the desert's Air, stretched his wings, he returned to them. Kala could communicate directly into his mind, but Raithen would have to shout over the buffeting winds, though perhaps not quite so loud as if those winds weren't only too happy to carry words back and forth from their favored son.

The bright flash of his teeth was visible even through the thin black scarf coiled about his head and face to protect him from the sun and the sands.

"Amazing!"

Kala grinned back, wings wide as she tried to glide, knowing she wouldn't be able to match them for strength or stamina—yet.

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[Raithen]

Seeing the twins transformed into two males who did not look alike was not unpleasant only because it did not last very long. The disguises weren't ugly, per se, but they weren't what he wanted so he took them out of the city by the fastest route, aided by the fact that they could all fly. Raithen was so used to escorting others who did not share his wings that leading the twins was as much a delight as leading Kaus and the Silverwings had been the night before. They had to land to leave the city properly, as the Sentinels had strong opinions about such things, but it was nice to be able to talk for a little while. Flying close enough to speak with the wind whipping around them was nearly impossible.

As they passed from the shadow of the gate and out into the groupings of trader tents that usually made mini-towns of their own around each gate, Raithen closed his eyes and lifted his face to soak in the sunshine.

"I heard that it has been Frost where you come from for a whole year. Is that true?" As little as cold affected him, Raithen did love the sun and couldn't imagine it being weakened for so long.

When they had cleared the tent village Raithen spread his wings wide, stretching them. They were those of a desert hawk, perfect for riding the heat drafts reflected from the pale sands.

While Kaus leapt right to it, Raithen stayed with Kala, circling her or gliding beside her, giving her little tips while they weren't going too fast to make speaking impossible. He explained the thermals of his land, imagining that her ice capped mountains probably didn't have anything similar. Sometimes he would roll so his back was to the ground and glide directly under her so he could look up and give her encouraging smiles. If they were not without flirtation, it wasn't his main goal, yet.

When Kala seemed to be comfortable on the gentle thermal they had found together Kaus returned and Raithen couldn't help but catch his enthusiasm.

"Isn't it!" He shouted, knowing that soon he would have to use his runes to be able to communicate. He could do so, had learned how to combine his Kinetics and Traversion to send whispers to people across rooms, and it would be good practice for combat situations to use it in flight.

"Will you be alright?" He called to Kala, because he wanted to race with Kaus, to soar and roll and play in the sky but he wouldn't leave her feeling neglected for a Sovereign's throne.