Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 19:54:15 -0500
From: Jon Lappin <jontlappin@gmail.com>
Subject: Ludan: Part One: The Haunting- Chapter One

**Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction involving gay
characters and sexual themes.  If you are not of legal age, or find this
offensive, stop reading now.**
Their four day journey had taken Alexander and Abraham through the Calisope
hills.  Alexander had viewed their rolling body for 12 years as they lay to
the east of the Zalpheranial, yet they always seemed like a separate world,
a separate dimension he should never concern himself with.  The Old Ways
claimed that once someone ascended they would make their exodus though the
Calisopes and into the sinless world of Ludan, but Alexander had noticed a
complete lack of paths or roads traveled.  It was an enigma that he duly
noted, ' One point for Abraham's fucked up story, one less for the
Zalphera.'

The trek had been wearing on Alexander, their 4 hours of sleep a night
barely keeping him moving throughout the day.  Abraham had been very firm in
his insistence that they make their way to Talerdeen, a small port village
on the Ghandis, within seven days.  It was obvious that they were to either
meet someone there, or witness an event of some sort, but when he pressed
Abraham, the boy simply glared at him and changed the subject.  It worried
Alexander that Abraham seemed to be carrying a large load by himself, but he
realized that that was the way the boy assumed it had to be.

Before the boys had left the Zalpheranial, they had snuck into the kitchens
and stolen as much food as they could possibly carry, filling two backpacks
with assorted fruits and vegetables, as well as a small dose of chocolate to
keep Abraham's sweet tooth from aching.  After leaving the building, they
had stopped at one of the four massive wells that kept the Zalpheranial
hydrated, and filled 2 thermoses, one for each boy.  Abraham had convinced
Alexander that it would be enough to get them through the Calisopes, even if
they couldn't find a spring.  And if it didn't, they could collect water
from the rains, though it would be a several hour process.

Half of one backpack had been consumed as the boys made their way along the
pathless hills.  There was plenty of food, but Alexander had made it known
several times that he was craving meat to fill his stomach in a way that the
apples and broccoli could never hope to.  Neither boy had any sort of
weapon, not that they would know what to do with one if they did, so the
hope of hunting an animal and cooking it was completely out of the question,
yet Abraham had assured him that once they reached Talerdeen, the boys could
feast on anything they'd like.  Alexander wondered how this would be
accomplished since neither boy had a penny to their name, but Abraham had
told him that it wouldn't be an issue, and Alexander trusted him- something
that he was slowly learning to do more often, but with the trusting came a
sense that something weird was going on with Abraham.

Three days after leaving the Zalperanial, the boys had found an area of the
hills covered with trees, the high branches creating a canopy which nearly
turned off the rain spigot that had been pelting them since they left.
 Abraham looked around and declared that it was time to sleep, blanketed and
protected by the dark, and Alexander agreed- something that he had found
himself doing throughout their entire three day adventure.  Both boys
stripped out of their brown, damp robes, and laid in the warm air, their
underwear the only thing keeping them from being fully exposed.  Alexander
started to talk to Abraham, but quickly found himself enveloped in sleep,
the sudden dryness speeding the process along.

Alexander awoke suddenly, flashes of a nightmare clinging to his memory.
 There had been an animal or maybe a monster, he really couldn't visualize,
and it had been feasting on Abraham, sucking him dry of life.  The flashes
burned in his brain and he let a few tears escape, the pain of watching his
love suffer and anguish, pushing him from serenity.  He closed his eyes and
pushed the tears away as he tried to reassure himself that it only had been
a dream, that it would all be okay.  His concentration was broken by a dry
whisper, Abraham's words barely audible in the darkness.  Squinting,
Alexander tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness.  Shapes came into focus.

Alexander could make out Abraham's form, nearly 100 feet in front of him.
 He appeared to still be naked, his hood-less back toward Alexander.  As
Alexander rose to see who he was talking to, he could make out a dog-sized
shape scurrying away from Abraham, causing him to freeze in place- the
unexpected movement sending a slight chill through his body.  " Dude, you
need to get some rest, why are you awake?"  Abraham asked, raising and
facing the boy.

" Nightmare.  Who are you talking to?"

" What're you talking about?  I wasn't talking."  Abraham approached him and
hugged him, their practically naked bodies radiating heat into each other.

" I heard you, Abraham, and what the fuck was that?  A dog?"

Abraham released him and stepped back.  " Dude, I think you're still groggy.
 You're confusing your nightmare with reality or something, either way, I
was just sitting there thinking.  No talking... no dog.  I swear."  Abraham
peered directly into Alexander's eyes, a steady gaze for someone who was
clearly lying.  Alexander was taken aback and started to speak, but abruptly
stopped.  He had no idea what to say.  For all the years that they had known
each other, Abraham had never been a liar, and the few little white lies
that Alexander had witnessed from him had resulted in comical shifting and
stuttering.

Abraham was not a good liar.

These facts had raced through the boy's mind, causing him to second guess
himself and the things that he witnessed, for a moment- but only a moment.
 Despite being certain of what he saw, Alexander kept quiet, unsure of what
to say, or even if it would matter if he pressed further.  Instead, he
simply smiled and kissed Abraham, hoping he would be able to forget the lie
that he had been told- hoping that it would never happen again, though he
knew it would.

The events of the previous four days and 160 miles played out in Alexander's
head as the two boys reached the end of the Calisopes.  The lack of sleep
and exertion of energy was wearing on Alexander's body, and the weird events
of that night with Abraham were wearing on his mind.  He estimated that they
were only 30 miles from the Ghandis- 30 miles from a full night's sleep, a
full meal, and hopefully a successful interrogation of Abraham.

" The Passonh Fields," Abraham spoke, breaking the silence as the boys
reached the top of the last hill.  Through the large drops of rain, with
vision skewed, Alexander saw an endless field made of brown grass, yet to
green from the rains.  Every few hundred feet, the open nothingness was
broken by an apple tree or two- little statues of life in a seemingly dead
ocean.  Hanging from the closest trees, he could see little green apples,
wishing they were little brown cuts of steak.

>From his teachings, Alexander knew that the Fields continued to stretch for
several thousand miles to the east and south- a seemingly unending plane of
brown.  To the north lay Talerdeen,  which sat at the mouth of the Ghandis,
the second largest river in Ludan- a behemoth which separated North Ludan
from South Ludan, rich from poor.  " I wish there was a way through the
Barrake Mountains.  We coulda cut an entire day off this trip," Alexander
said, taking in the huge openness below him.

" We would've died within a day.  There is no way through the mountains.
 They've killed everyone that's tried."

Alexander glared at Abraham, who's voice seemed short and flippant, not at
all in character.  " No shit Sherlock, just sayin' it would've been nice.
 Sheesh."  Alexander started the 600 foot descent to the bottom of the last
hill, Abraham's curtness pushing him faster than usual.  He was pissed and
he wanted to hurry to Talerdeen, where he hoped Abraham would return to
normal, if only for their time there.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, Alexander looked to the south, where the
sun was hanging in the sky, pushing towards its final descent into night
fall.  Their robes and hoods were thick, often keeping the dampness out for
an entire day, but due to their 18 hour push forward, nonstop, Alexander
could feel the wetness from the rains on his skin, lowering his body
temperature and making the warm air seem a lot colder than it actually was.
 " I think we should get changed and rest here for awhile.  I'm wet as hell,
and starting to get cold," Alexander stated, as Abraham bounded the last
couple feet of the hill and stood next to him.  " Sun's going down anyway
and I'm going to fall asleep standing here."

" I could sleep for hours."  Abraham stretched, yawned and plopped down on
the moist ground, a spray of water splashing up from his landing place.  "
Let's eat some, first.  We've both got 5 robes left, and we can wash and dry
them in Talerdeen.  We aren't going to find any cover, so let's just use a
couple dry robes to lay on and a couple for a blanket."

" It sucks, but it'll have to work."  Alexander dropped the pack in his hand
and threw the one on his back down as well.  He plopped down next to Abraham
and dug through the food pack.  He pulled out an apple and threw it on
Abraham's lap and then pulled one out for himself and bit into it.  He
shivered slightly, the apple tasting like poison.  ' Five days straight of
this shit. It's killin' me,' he thought to himself as he took another bite,
trying his best to imagine that it was a piece of chicken.

" I'm sorry about all this, Alexander.  I shouldn't have gotten you
involved, put you in danger."  Abraham wrapped his arm around Alexander and
held him for a moment.

" Danger?  I- I never even thought about that.  Do you think the Zalphera
will come after us?  That they'll hurt us?"  Alexander sank into Abraham's
grasp and pondered that question.  The Zalpheranial wasn't a prison for the
boys.  They were free to come and go as they pleased, as long as no rules
were broken.

" They'll come."

" Why?  How will they even know what we're up to?  How will they even find
us?"

" They have ways.  There are things that have been set in motion, and they
know it.  It's been foretold," Abraham replied.  His voice was firm and
unwavering and though Alexander still had his doubts about the story he was
told, the voice told him that Abraham believed it all.

" I'm here willingly.  Someone's got to protect you from yourself,"
Alexander said with a slight laugh as he looked up and lightly kissed
Abraham.

" I know I've been weird.  It's just, it's just you have no idea what I'm
carrying, what I'm dealing with.  Not that I would ever want you to.  This
is all so unbearable, and it's hard because I know I have no choice but to
bear it.  No matter what happens, no matter... what....  Just know that I
fuckin' love you."  Abraham reached his head back down and restarted the
kiss that he had broken.  Alexander's heart jumped in his chest as he
realized that Abraham knew he was being a distant asshole.

' There's some hope after all,' Alexander chuckled to himself as he opened
his mouth and let Abraham's tongue in.  He raised his hand up and placed it
on Abraham's face, which was slightly slick from the falling rains.  Abraham
massaged the inside of this mouth for a moment longer and pulled out,
placing each hand on either side of Alexander's face.

" Do?  Do you think it's time?"  Abraham asked.  There was more apprehension
in his voice than Alexander had probably ever heard before.  It was weird to
hear trepidation come from someone who was usually so sure and commanding.

" We aren't supposed to give in to our tempta-," Alexander stopped in
mid-sentence, realizing how stupid his protests were, in light of their
current situation.  If what the Taj had told Abraham was true, then the Old
Laws meant nothing.

Still....

Abraham leaned in and started kissing Alexander again.  Alexander opened his
mouth, but instead of thrusting his tongue out, Abraham moved down and began
pecking a trail on his neck.  First the top.  Then the middle.  Abraham
tried to move further down, but Alexander's collar kept him from his goal.
 He looked into Alexander's eyes, looking for approval.  Alexander nodded as
he pushed all thoughts of Original Sin and the Zalphera out of his mind.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the sexual tension, or an actual belief
in the Taj's story, but at that moment, the Old Ways were dead to Alexander.

Abraham lifted the robe up, off of Alexander's body, its thick material
catching his blond hair and bringing it up over his head as he and the robe
parted.  The rain hitting his body made him shiver for a moment, but Abraham
quickly solved that problem as he ripped his own robe off in quick fashion
and laid on top of him.  Clad in only their underwear, the boys' body heat
kept them warm under the falling rain.

Alexander kissed Abraham intensely, opening his mouth and pushing his way
into Abraham's.  Inside his warm mouth, Alexander found safety and a
contentment that he had never felt before- a sort of pleasure that only
comes from knowing that you aren't born evil.

The stirring in Alexander's underwear caused them to feel tight around his
body.  As his penis grew to its full 7 inches, he could feel Abraham's
hardening as well.  As the boy attempted to grind into him, their soaked
underwear caused a bit of friction, which was becoming uncomfortable.
 Wanting- craving even- the teen's penis, Alexander reached down to free him
from his shorts.  ' For once, I'm going to take charge,' he thought to
himself.

And then there was burning.

" Shit," Alexander yelped, as Abraham jumped off the boy in fear.

" What? What is it?  Did you cum already?  I mean, I mean it's cool if you
did.  I'm almost right there with ya."

The sun had almost completely set in the south, darkness nearly conquering
the light.  Abraham's kneeling silhouette was highlighted from the last
wisps of rays reaching the field.  Glowing from the center of his chest,
directly above his pecs, was the blue crystal that the boy had always worn.
 " Your crystal.  I-I think it just burned me."

**Author's Note:  Please send any comments or critiques to me at
jontlappin@gmail.com  .  I'd love to hear form you, even if it's just to
bitch about how much you hate it!!**